It takes more than just the ability to understand two languages.
Professional translators and interpreters have the education, experience, and expertise to understand the nuances in one language and transfer them to another.听The right professional will have solid knowledge of your industry and will know how to culturally adapt your content for the target audience you are trying to reach. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it counts.
Can I afford to hire a professional?
You can't afford NOT to.听Getting your message wrong can cost money, ruin your image, and even cost lives. Whether you鈥檙e having a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign translated or need an interpreter to communicate treatment options between a doctor and patient, it pays to hire a professional to get the job done right.
Instead of hiring a professional, this restaurant used machine translation and did not realize the result was an error message.
Understanding what鈥檚 at stake
ATA publishes articles to illustrate why it is critical to hire qualified translators and interpreters.
Global Expansion Can Be Hindered without Proper Translation Services
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the Atlanta metro area, 146 languages are spoken at home. As more businesses expand globally, it is no surprise that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment of interpreters and translators will grow 29% from 2014 to 2024鈥攎uch faster than the average for all occupations. Translation solutions and language services are vital…
Read MoreLegal Risks in Translations: Hanging On Every (Foreign) Word
Janel and her business partner Kevin go all in on their wearable-tech startup. They even get foreign patents translated into English to make sure there are no conflicts with their idea. Three years later, when their products are finally hitting the shelves, they receive a cease and desist letter. One of the Japanese patents that they had translated is now…
Read MoreThe High Cost of Cheap Translation
Why You Shouldn鈥檛 Skimp When Leaping the Language Barrier You pay for the best product development and manufacturing. Your legal and administrative people are top-notch. You choose your advertising and marketing partners with utmost care. And then you pick the lowest bidder for your translations. There鈥檚 a good chance you鈥檝e just made a costly mistake. Size Does Not Mean Quality…
Read More5 Tips for Taking Your Business Global
The Coca-Cola Company is the leading beverage maker in China鈥檚 $69 billion soft drink market, but the story might have been quite different if it weren鈥檛 for some smart and localized brand management at the very beginning of its foray into the country. Protecting the company鈥檚 valuable trademark was a high priority when Coca-Cola began to expand outside the United…
Read MoreDon鈥檛 Get Lost in Translation. Get It Right!
We鈥檝e all seen them: eyebrow-raising 鈥渢ranslations鈥 that leave you either shaking your head or slapping your knee. Just ask Google and you鈥檒l find countless examples, such as a no smoking sign in Israel that says 鈥渧iolators will be peralized鈥 (yes, it鈥檚 even misspelled) or a bilingual road sign in Wales telling Welsh-speaking truck drivers: 鈥淚 am not in the office…
Read MoreAutomation Doesn鈥檛 Solve Everything
Six Things You Should Know About Machine Translation Taco Bell鈥檚 return to Japan in 2015 was widely anticipated, but the company鈥檚 launch of its Japanese-language website spawned a media frenzy鈥攂ut not because of the food. With machine-translated menu items that turned 鈥淐heesy Fries鈥 into 鈥淟ow Quality Fleece鈥 and 鈥淐runchwrap Supreme 鈥 Beef鈥 into 鈥淪upreme Court Beef,鈥 the company had to…
Read MoreWhy Hire an ATA Member?
ATA members have a commitment to continuing education and are held to the highest professional standards. Feel secure knowing if you鈥檙e hiring an ATA member, you鈥檙e hiring the best in the business.
The ATA Compass
Our outreach publication provides up-to-date information and resources about the translating and interpreting industry.
What's the difference?
Translators do the writing. Interpreters do the talking. ATA helps you find the right language professional.
Can't a computer do all this?
There are times when machine translation is useful, and times when it's not. Learn when to use Google Translate, and when to hire a professional.