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Q. How long will
it take?
Q. Do you do technical
translations?
Q. How much will
it cost?
Q. Do you use
mother-tongue translators?
Q. Do you check
the translations?
Q. Do you ever
send out unchecked work?
Q. Can you send
me my translation back in a variety of
formats?
Q. Do you understand
how important our documents are?
Q. Do you really
care?
Q. How long will it take?
A. Good question! At the crudest level,
this depends on how many words or pages there are. An experienced
human translator translates approximately 2,000-2,500 words
of fully finished and polished text per day. So if, for example,
your project were 30,000 words long, you'd be looking at approximately
15 working days. This would also include Zebra's stringent
quality control process to ensure the highest quality translation.
However, if your translation is needed more quickly then that,
we can split the project between two or more translators in
order to meet the timeframe required.
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Q. Do you do technical translations?
A. Yes, we do. In fact, technical translations are our speciality. Everything from pharmaceutical registrations,
medical devices, aero engines, the automotive industry, electronics,
patents and trademarks, legal and commercial documents, bids
and tenders etc. We work for some of the world's most famous
companies and, having expertise in many different subject
areas, we are able to look after your various requirements.
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Q. How much will it cost?
A. We like to treat each client as an individual,
with individual needs and requirements. So once we've seen
your text we can assess it for technical complexity and style
and provide you with the most cost-effective price. If it's
only for internal purposes, we are able to offer you a lower
rate. If it's for publication, though, we strongly recommend
that you use our full checking, proofreading and editing service.
Prices are based on a rate per thousand words.
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Q. Do you use mother-tongue translators?
A. Yes, we definitely do! In fact we nearly
always go one step further and have translations carried out
"in-country". By this we mean that if your target audience
is French, then the translation will be done in France. A
translation from English into Latvian will be sent to Latvia.
This method ensures that translators' linguistic skills are
fully up to date and that they are familiar with local customs,
idioms and style. Our aim is for your customers or end-users
not even to realise they are reading a translation.
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Q. Do you check the translations?
A. Yes, we do. Why? Because nobody is infallible.
Because it's so easy for typos, transpositions, etc. to creep
in. As well as that, we check for technical correctness and
style. In our Language Manager's 20-year experience, it is
quite rare for a translation not to need some sort of amendment.
So it's vital that this quality procedure is maintained all
the time. Why? Because we care about our customers!
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Q. Do you ever send out unchecked work?
A. Only with our customers' agreement. These
are circumstances where clients might - say -
just need to get the gist of a fax or they may want an article
translated for information purposes. We call this second level
of service "info only". Naturally, we still use a mother-tongue
translator with subject expertise, but we don't send it to
a second translator for proofreading or revision. This service
has both time and cost benefits, and means that our customers
can reserve some of their budget for their more important
projects.
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Q. Can you send me my translation back in
a variety of formats?
A. Yes, we have access to a whole range of
publishing software and can produce typesetting and graphic
design to your most exacting requirements.
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Q. Do you understand how important our documents
are?
A. Yes, we certainly do. We take a proactive
rather than a reactive approach to our clients' work. We want
to find out what your document is for, who will be reading
it and why it needs to be translated. Finding out more about
your business and what challenges you face enables us to tailor
our service specifically to you. It also cuts out a lot of
questions during translation, thereby speeding up the whole
process.
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Q. Do you really care?
A. Look at our client testimonials scattered
throughout this site. It's all there in black and white. Yes,
we do care: we are professional and responsible, and the best
part about our business is seeing that our clients get the
service they deserve.
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