by Kurt E. DeSoto

October 2001 -Updated January 2010

Luckily, we do not need to learn new languages to be effective communications practitioners. There are a number of qualified translators that can do the work for us. Some firms have developed efficient procedures to obtain such translations, but many have not. So when the need arises they must take considerable time to find out who within or outside the firm is qualified to translate the document, exchange the document with the translator, determine and approve the cost, and have the translation reviewed for accuracy. In fact, it can often take longer to go through these steps than it does to translate the document. Fortunately, there are several Internet-accessible services that offer assistance to meet both informal and formal translation needs.

Three services in particular provide free translations of sentences, emails and even web pages. These can be found at http://www.freetranslation.com or http://babelfish.altavista.com/.  I found these sites extremely useful for informal or "gist" translations. Free services have their disadvantages, however. They do not necessarily ensure confidentiality, usually have a word limitation, and-more problematic-are exclusively "software-based." In essence, they translate word for word without considering idioms, terms of art used in other languages, or context. Although such "machine translations" are getting better, they are not quite ready for prime time. I would not generally use them to communicate with clients.

If you need a formal or more accurate translation, it is better to obtain a "human translation." That is, a translation done by a professional who is a native speaker and writer of the relevant languages (distinguishable from a "bilingual" person). There are hundreds if not thousands of individuals and companies that provide such services. For a free searchable database of translators, see the American Translators Association website at http://www.atanet.org. ATA is the only U.S. organization that offers accreditation of translators over 25 language pairs. A searchable list of translators is also available on http://www.proz.com.

So are you back to square one in finding a qualified translator? Fortunately, the answer is nyet! There are a number of excellent web-accessible service providers that facilitate obtaining human translations. Many of these companies are also listed under the ATA site identified above. Four I recommend highly are: JTG, Inc., reachable at http://www.jtg-inc.com or by contacting Ms. Muriel Jerome-O'Keeffe at muriel@jtg-inc.com or (703) 548-7570; Diplomatic Language Services, Inc., at the URL http://www.dls-inc.com or by reaching Raluca Angelescu at rangelescu@dlsdc.com or (703) 243-4855 x134; TransPerfect Translations, Inc., at http://www.transperfect.com (Jessica Eker at jeker@transperfect.com or (212) 689-5555 x1193); and iProbe Multilingual Solutions, Inc. accessible on the web at http://www.iprobesolutions.com or by contacting Julie H. Setbon at setbon@iprobesolutions.com or by phone at (212) 489-6035. JTG, and DLS have been in the business for over 15 years each and include many Fortune 500 companies and several government agencies among their clients.

In addition to the personal approach, most of these services offer clear Internet interfaces to select the relevant languages and subject matter area needed, identify the file format, upload the document via a secure server or email, receive a price quote, approve the cost, and charge the work to a credit card or pre-established account (JTG uses the Transmerge online software developed by E-Merge Strategies, Inc., that automatically outsources the documents and puts the "clients in control" of monitoring the status of their jobs). The translation will then be sent to you via email or any other desired method in as little as a day, depending on the length and complexity of the document or the number of languages needed. There it is then: write in French (or in over 100 other languages) in one day!

What is more interesting about these companies is what goes on behind the scenes. These services have developed internal mechanisms to ensure the quality of their translations. Aside from web interfaces, each has developed procedures to: (1) protect confidential material; (2) select the best translator from their extensive list of professional and skilled translators with relevant subject area expertise (some of which are lawyers or Ph.D.'s in their areas); (3) review and edit each document for accuracy after it is translated; and (4) take advantage of previous translations to reduce costs on a going forward basis. Moreover, some of these companies are powered by Trados Incorporated, a global leader in translation technology (information available from Anthony Perez at anperez@sdl.com or (312) 281-0533). Trados has developed memory tools often used as a starting point by human translators to compare current documents being translated with previous translations to reduce the time and cost of translating repetitive documents and to ensure consistency between translations JTG specializes in the "art" of translation, particularly for web pages. Ms. Jerome-O'Keeffe, its founder, states that "a translation must render the original message in all its subtlety (technical, cultural, political) to a new audience in its mother tongue. The translation must be true to the original message and well received by the target audience." As an example, a website or brochure must consider how to address people; how to display titles, addresses, phone numbers, and currencies; and even which colors have inappropriate connotations. For a legal audience, it is crucial that the linguist understands the local laws.

iProbe Multilingual Solutions, Inc., focuses on both written and video projects that require recruitment of specialized US and overseas interpreters and translators for top law firms handling disputes in the fields of international arbitration and intellectual property as well as financial institutions and corporations deploying worldwide (employee benefits) programs. According to iProbe's President Julie H. Setbon, "locating qualified translators for assignments requiring specialist knowledge can represent a greater challenge in certain parts of the world where the translation industry is less transparent. Assigning dedicated teams of US and local in-country translators that combine industry knowledge with linguistic skills requires a great deal of intensive research, development of a professional referral network and often even a head-hunting approach. Whereas countries such as Italy, Germany, Belgium, U.K., Japan, the Netherlands and France with a mature translation industry offer easy online-access to pools of linguists with corresponding specialties, other foreign states such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, Eastern-European countries like Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland and Russia and Turkey require a more customized approach."

Alternatively, you can post your job for bid in an auction-like atmosphere at the URL http://www.aquarius.net. Users upload their document or inquiries to be viewed by anyone logging onto the site. Email notices for bid will also be sent automatically to registered members that have indicated an expertise in your area. Interested translators will respond directly with a quote. On the flip side, there is no immediate assurance of the translator's qualifications or of confidentiality.

In sum, the four services I recommended above offer capabilities that are generally more private, comprehensive, and cost-effective than those available in-house or through a solo translator. Yo los recomiendo. Je les recommande. Ich empfehle sie. Jeg anbefaler dem. Recomendo-os.

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Mr. DeSoto is an attorney at the law firm of Wiley Rein LLP. He practices in the areas of wireless and wireline telecommunications, telephone company ratemaking, and equipment authorization. He previously worked in the FCC's Common Carrier Bureau. 1/2010