Reasons to avoid self-translation of documents:
Translating Official Documents: Why Leave it to Chance?
A business translating documents holds its clients' future in its hands, whether it's financial, social, or legal. Even in basic communication scenarios, showing respect for the language is key to earning long-term trust.
Whether you're translating a document for a customer or setting up a new website in a different language, your business reputation is on the line every time. Translating official documents gives your brand the chance to establish itself as a trustworthy and reliable source in the global market, especially when dealing with medical, technical, or legal matters.
Regardless of the abundance of professional translation services available, there are still some businesses that choose to translate official documents themselves. Unfortunately, these businesses risk facing significant consequences from small mistakes that can have far-reaching impacts on their clients and the entire company.
Here are some reasons why you should not translate your own documents:
Medical Documents: Don't Leave Life or Death to Chance
Understanding complex medical documents in your native language is a challenge in itself. Translating them requires professional help, given the specific terminology used by doctors to communicate sensitive information, including blood types, medication doses, potentially fatal allergies, and more.
Working with an experienced professional can literally save lives and demonstrates to international clients that you respect their specific needs.
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Technical Documents: Protect Your Reputation
Attempting to translate technical documents yourself can harm your reputation. While automated translations may be convenient, they lack accuracy and the human touch. Without a professional translator, you're solely responsible for maintaining diligence.
Common mistakes include not noticing changes between plural and singular forms, interchanging feminine and masculine forms, altering verb tenses, translating typos and errors into nonsensical words, and misunderstanding punctuation, which can make errors worse. These issues can quickly tarnish your brand's credibility.
Legal Documents: Don't Take the Risk
Legal matters are already complex, and translating legal documents adds another layer of complication. Differing legal systems across countries call for precision, and any reputable company must employ professional translation services by law.
Whether it's a testament, official statement, or contract, accuracy is vital. Legal translations require meticulous attention to detail and strict adherence to guidelines. Misinterpretation can lead to life-changing consequences for all parties involved.
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Is Google Translate Accurate? Probably Not
While Google offers many benefits, accurate translation isn't one of them. Google Translate compiles translations from various sources, making them unreliable. Google itself warns that its translations should not be considered accurate.
Businesses aiming globally may fail at the final hurdle by using search engine translations. These tools cannot understand intent, and many colloquialisms get lost, resulting in a funny but nonsensical translation or a culturally insensitive document that damages your brand.
Frequently Asked Questions About Translation Services
Here are common questions about when to use professional translation services:
Can I translate my own documents?
Legally, you can translate official documents yourself, but these translations will not be accepted in court or other sensitive matters. To have a document recognized, you need a professional translator.
Who can legally translate a document?
A trusted friend or relative can translate official documentation, and anyone with a notary seal can oversee and notarize the translation. However, certifying a document as accurate requires a professional linguistics service, especially for legal or medical documents.
Can I certify my own documentation?
No. You cannot witness and certify a document for yourself. This would not be recognized legally.
How do I officially translate a document?
A legally qualified translator must sign the translated document to certify it as accurate. A notary public must witness the process for a notarized translation.
Document Translation and Your Business
A strong, world-renowned brand values its clients and communicates with them effectively across all cultures and beliefs. With clear communication in other languages, your business unifies under one word - trusted. Avoid giving an unprofessional, half-hearted translation that makes clients feel like an afterthought.
- Legal tranlations are crucial for businesses, particularly when dealing with medical, technical, or legal documents, as accurate translations can save lives, establish credibility, and avoid costly mistakes.
- In the finance industry, working with professional language services is essential to maintain a strong reputation and ensure the accuracy of technical documents, as common mistakes can impact a brand's credibility significantly.
- The interpretation and translation industry plays a vital role in the business world, as it enables companies to communicate effectively across different cultures, build trust, and offer reliable and accurate language services for official documents, thus avoiding potential legal and financial consequences.
