FAQ

Services Q:  Why are some of your translation services by the word, and others by the hour? A:  Payment by the word is a translation industry standard. However, some documents contain text that is difficult to separate from the rest of the file, or the file requires extensive reformatting to account for the difference in text size of the translation. Payment by the hour accounts for these time-consuming problems, as well as the extra service rendered. Q:  Is it possible to pay by the word for a translation service normally paid by the hour? A:  Only if the text has been extracted from the file, and is delivered to the translator in a more text-friendly format such as a Word or RTF document. However, this could lead to problems if the text is out of context because of missing graphics or formatting. Pricing Q:  Why is there a price range for your services? A:  Texts can differ quite a bit in subject matter and intended use; the price range accounts for these differences. For example, a common document containing everyday language, such as a business letter, would most likely fall at a lower point in the price range; whereas a document containing specialized language, such as a medical journal article on heart transplants, would most likely fall at a higher point in the price range because of the extensive research that would be required to complete the translation. Regarding intended use, if a client simply needs to know what a document says, and does not intend to use it publicly, this is a much simpler translation task than producing a highly polished translation that is intended for publishing or marketing purposes. Thus, the prices would vary accordingly. Q:  Why do you have surcharges? A:  The surcharges are to account for unusual work circumstances. For example, people who work on holidays or clock overtime are compensated. The surcharges in this case are a similar type of compensation for the translators. Surcharges also account for extra work required before translation can begin, such as transferring a hard copy document into an editable, electronic format. Q:  Do you charge per-word rates based on the source text or the translation? A:  Keeping with translation industry standards, we estimate French to English and German to English translations based on the source text, and we charge French to English translations based on the source text and German to English translations based on the translation. Skills Q:  What is meant by "general translation" ? A:  "General translation" refers to the translation of very common, simple text formats (e.g. business letters) that tend to be similar in the foreign language and in English, whether or not the text itself is complex. Q:  What is meant by "specialized translation" ? A:  "Specialized translation" refers to the translation of less common, more complex text formats that tend to differ more in the foreign language and in English, whether or not the text itself is complex. Q:  What is meant by "subjects of specialization" ? A:  "Subjects of specialization" refers to specific subjects in which the translator has more extensive knowledge, and that would require less research for a translation.

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