HOW CAN A CERTIFIED TRANSLATOR HELP YOU? from Feroz Ali's blog

Certified translation services ensure that any document you have that needs to be written in a new language is done so with precision and accuracy. You do not need to worry about whether any details or intended meanings were not interpreted properly. Certified translators have been trained to provide top-quality work, and they deliver. Any document will be certified translation with the utmost attention to detail, and ideas for which there are no equivalents in another language are conveyed accurately.

Different types of services are available. You could hire someone you know to write words in another language who is not certified. The person may be fluent in two languages, but that person has also not received training in how to properly write the ideas from one language into another. You could also simply enter the text into an online, automated translator, but the results you get are typically anything but accurate.

The best option you have for getting the most accurate document possible is to work with a certified translation services company. These types of companies hire certified translators who have received credentials from a professional association, such as the American Translators Association. Many countries have their own such professional associations that provide certification.

Typically, translators receive certification in translation between two languages. They must pass a certification exam in these two languages. Passing the exam demonstrates that they are knowledgeable in the literary use of both languages.

Certification is also given to translators in specific areas of languages. For example, certifications are given separately for legal and medical translation in different pairs of languages. If you need a legal document switched from Portuguese into English, you would want to work with a translator who is not only certified in translating between Portuguese and English, but who is certified to do so between the two languages as it pertains to legal documents.

The reason to hire someone who is trained and certified is that translating very technical terms, such as in medicine, must be done with the utmost care and precision. Approximating the meaning of terms in a document is not acceptable. Doing so can lead to misunderstandings and errors that can cause many problems in communication.

When you begin to research certified translation services or a certified translator with whom to work, find out where the they received their certifications. Learn about the background of each certified translator in the field in which you need assistance as well. Some associations providing certified translation require a minimum number of years working in a particular field as well as a certain number of years of professional experience before they can even take the exam to be a certified translator.

Ensure that the certifications of each translator with whom you work is up to date as well. If you work with an individual, double check that his or her certification is current. Not doing so could mean that the translator is not aware of the most current best practices.