Translation & Localization Questions & Answers
Got questions? We’ve got answers.
Below are answers to the questions we hear most frequently. Please contact us if you have a question that isn’t addressed or that you’d like to discuss in more detail.
Click on the questions below to be taken directly to the answer in the full list below.
Questions about budgets and scheduling
- How much money should I expect to spend on my translation project?
- How long does it take to translate my website, software or documents?
- Can you do rush jobs?
What does Acclaro do?
- What does Acclaro translate?
- Who are your clients and what industries do you work with?
- Will my information remain confidential?
- Do you offer certified translations?
- How is your service different from the free translation services that are provided online?
- Do you employ machine translation to help with projects?
- Can you translate my diploma, tattoo, birth certificate, driver’s license, passport, tax forms, etc.?
- Do you do dubbing or subtitling for audio and video?
- Is the translation process automated?
- How do you qualify your translators?
Definitions
Languages
- What languages do you translate into?
- Which version of Chinese do I need to translate into?
- What version of Spanish do I need to use?
- Do I need to “translate” American English for the UK or Australia?
Questions about budgets and scheduling
Q: How much money should I expect to spend on my translation project?
A: Translation costs depend on your content type, file formats, required languages and project scope (volume + effort required). Translation and editing are typically charged on a per-word basis, and other services, such as desktop publishing, are charged hourly, or on a project percentage in the case of project management fees. Contact us to receive a quick, free quote. Or, send us your files through request a quote.
Q: How long does it take to translate my website, software or documents?
A: Translation usually requires as much care and effort as you put into the English or original version. The rule of thumb for translation is 2,000 words per day per translator. However, the project schedule needs to include preparation steps, post-translation production as well as the review and approval process. Once we talk with you about your project and see how much content you have to translate and the services needed, we can give you a schedule range for all the tasks we perform.
Q: Can you do rush jobs?
A: Yes, we do rush jobs. Just let us know your timeline and we’ll work with you to ensure a quick delivery.
What does Acclaro do?
Q: What does Acclaro translate?
A: Acclaro translates websites, software, documents and marketing campaigns for global enterprises across a variety of industries.
Q: Who are your clients and with which industries do you work?
A: Acclaro works with a variety of clients, from small start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Learn more by viewing our list of selected clients and by browsing our portfolio.
We work in all industries, including software and hardware, Internet, advertising and marketing agencies, consumer products, energy, fashion and beauty, financial services, healthcare, retail and cultural and non-profit.
Q: Will my information remain confidential?
A: Yes! Acclaro often works on highly confidential material. We sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with each client and all of our employees and resources sign an NDA that binds them to not disclose confidential material or information.
Q: Do you offer certified translations?
A: Yes we do. Contact us and we can help you with your certified translation.
Q: How is your service different from the free translation services that are provided online?
A: Free online translation services can be useful for rough translations of personal documents. Since there’s a high likelihood of significant translation errors in free translations, we don’t suggest this solution for business. For important business projects, we recommend using professionals for your translations. Contact us and we can help you with translations that are appropriate for businesses.
Q: Do you employ machine translation to help with projects?
A: Our standard service uses professional translations only. Machine Translation (MT) can be appropriate for certain circumstances, such as for projects with a large volume of technical documentation. However, to make this successful, significant upfront customization and human post editing is required. Acclaro offers Machine Translation Post Editing Services that combine upfront consulting, MT and human editors for clients that request it. Contact us to learn more.
Q: Can you translate my diploma, tattoo, birth certificate, driver’s license, passport, tax forms, etc.?
A: If you need personal documents translated, we recommend hiring an individual translator via a translator’s association, such as the American Translators Association at www.atanet.org.
Q: Do you do dubbing or subtitling for audio and video?
A: Yes we do. We use native speaking voice talent to record your dubs or burn your subs into your preferred media format, giving you a polished, professional result. Contact us or request a quote to learn more.
Q: Is the translation process automated?
A: Yes. We employ tools to aid the professional translators and streamline the translation process. One of these tools is called Translation Memory, which creates a client specific database of approved translations that we can reuse in subsequent updates and projects, ensuring consistency and providing cost savings over the long term. We also use workflow management tools to automate hand-offs and reduce the management effort of the translation process.
Q: How do you qualify your translators?
A: Acclaro has a dedicated resource management team who are constantly recruiting and qualifying new resources. Successful candidates are screened, tested and monitored by our resource manager. Basic translator qualification criteria include:
- Native speaker of the target language
- College degree in translation or linguistics or demonstrated equivalent experience
- Minimum of three years’ experience in subject area(s)
- Successful completion of subject-specific translation test
Definitions
Q: What’s the difference between translation, localization and internationalization?
A: Acclaro defines these terms as follows:
- Translation: Adapting text from one language to another.
- Localization: Adapting a product, document or website linguistically, technically and culturally to the target market where it will be used and sold.
- Internationalization: Designing a product to accommodate multiple languages and markets.
Languages
Q: What languages do you translate into?
A: We translate into over 45 languages and add new languages when requested by a client.
Q: Which version of Chinese do I need to use for translation?
A: It depends on your target market. Simplified and Traditional Chinese are the written forms for mainland China and Taiwan or Hong Kong. Mandarin is spoken in China and Taiwan, while Cantonese is a dialect spoken in Hong Kong and GuangDong (a province on the southern coast of China).
|
Target Market |
Written Language |
Spoken Language |
|
Mainland China |
Simplified Chinese |
Mandarin |
|
Hong Kong |
Traditional Chinese |
Cantonese |
|
Taiwan |
Traditional Chinese |
Mandarin |
|
Malaysia & Singapore |
Simplified Chinese |
Varies. Mandarin official. |
Contact us and we can help you determine the appropriate version of Chinese that is best for your audience.
Q: What version of Spanish do I need to use?
A: That depends on the location of your audience and the materials you’re translating. Some of our clients prefer to have one version of Spanish for use globally. Others want to address the nuances within each Spanish-speaking country. For example, is the glowing box on your office desk a “computador”, an “ordinador” or a “máquina”? Contact us and we can help you determine which Spanish is best for your audience.
Q: Do I need to “translate” American English for the UK or Australia?
A: Some clients do “translate” American English into International English for the UK, Australia or other English-speaking countries. Some clients use one “global” English for all markets. Should you say “bespoke” or “custom”, “lift” or “elevator”, or “boot” or “trunk”? Contact us and we can help you determine which version of English to use for you project.
