The world of translation is divided into three: :
translators, translator networks or translation companies and finally translation agencies. In the same way that you wouldn't consult a general practitioner to have your wisdom teeth taken out, your professional documents must be translated by an expert in the field concerned. The following tables will help you determine your need more clearly and therefore choose the right contractor or the right formula.
T ranslation: the fact of transposing a text from one language (the 'source' language) to another (the 'target' language) . Translators, specialists in their field, always work into their mother tongue (the 'target').
P roofreading: a comparison of the original text and the translation with a view to correcting any translation errors (misunderstandings, omissions, spelling and grammar errors, etc). Proof-readers, specialists in their field, always work into their mother tongue. The proof-reader is never the translator.
V alidation: thorough proofreading for the purpose of determining the accuracy of the corrections made by the proof-reader. In general done by the original translator, but where there is disagreement between the translator and the proof-reader, it can be done by a third translator specialising in the field working into his/her mother tongue.
B ack translation: a translation provided by translators working into one of their source languages and not into their mother (target) language. The purpose of a "back translation" for an end customer is to make sure that:
