A translation agency can be anything from a small local business (including one-man translation agencies operating out of a living-room which usually don’t last very long in business) to a large company with offices on various continents and hundreds of permanent employees. Some have in-house translators and proofreaders while others solely rely on freelance translators. If you hire a translation agency, one of their in-house project managers will be responsible for your translation. He or she will assign the translation either to an in-house translator or to a freelance translator, the latter being much for frequent as much more translation work is outsourced (subcontracted) than done in-house. A serious translation agency will thoroughly check and proofread the translation before sending it to the client, a less serious one will simply send the translation on to the client after receiving it from the freelance translator.

Freelance translators are self-employed, independent professionals who usually work from home or a small office. They work as subcontractors for translation agencies who outsource work to them or directly for companies and individuals who need translation services.

Advantages of a freelance translator:

- You know exactly who will translate your text and what qualifications the translator has. Translation agencies work with many different translators and you have no way of knowing who will translate your texts and how qualified that person is.

- You have direct contact with the translator. Communication is therefore much faster and more personal, since it only involves you and the translator. If you work with a translation agency, the agency will relay the communication between you and the translator, which may cause delays in the transmission of information or even misunderstandings.

- Your texts will always be translated by the same person. The translator becomes familiar with the type of texts to be translated for you and the kind of terminology used. He or she can therefore work faster and ensure consistency of style and terminology in all your translated documents. Since translation agencies usually work with many different translators, your documents may not always be translated by the same person and there may therefore be differences in style and terminology.

- A freelance translator will often be cheaper than a translation agency since freelance translators usually do not have the same expenses as translation agencies do (fancy offices in the city center, secretaries and salaries to pay, etc.). When working directly with a freelance translator, there is no middleman (a translation agency) who takes a commission.

Advantages of a translation agency:

- Many translation agencies work with several languages (some even claim to offer “all languages”, which, considering that there are some 6000 languages in the world, is quite exaggerated). If, for example, you need an English text translated into 20 different languages, it may be easier for you to work with one translation agency that handles the project management for all 20 languages than with 20 individual translators.

- An individual translator will usually not be able to handle very large volumes in a short time, say 100 pages in 3 days. A translation agency which works with many translators might be able to split the work between various translators and proofread the final product to ensure consistency.

- Freelance translators are usually specialized in one or a few subject areas. If you need a variety of documents translated, for example one legal document, one technical document and one medical document, you will probably not be able to find a freelance translator who is specialized in all of these subjects and would need to find a legal translator, a technical translator and a medical translator. Most translation agencies work with translators who are specialized in a variety of fields and can therefore offer a wider array of subject areas.

- An agency can often provide additional services that many freelance translators don’t offer, such as multilingual typesetting and desktop publishing.

As in any business, there are good freelance translators and good translation agencies as well as bad ones. Check their references and qualifications thoroughly and do not settle for the cheapest option. Serious translation companies and highly qualified professional translators won’t sell their skills and expertise for peanuts.

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Here are some tips on where to look for a freelance translator:

- If there is a translators association in your country, a good place to start is the association’s member directory. Most associations have websites with an online list of their members. Depending on the language combination you need, it might also be a good idea to check the member directory of associations in other countries. For example, if you are based in Japan and need a Spanish to French translator, you might not be able to find a qualified translator in the member lists of the Japanese translator associations, but you will certainly find many suitable Spanish to French translators in the member lists of translator associations in France and probably also in Spain. Click here for an extensive list of translator and interpreter associations around the world.

- Another good place to search for translators is your local business directory or Yellow Pages in the “Translation” or “Translator” category. There you can usually find both freelance translators and translation agencies.

- Nowadays, many freelance translators have their own website. You can find them by simply introducing relevant keywords in a search engine such as Google. For example, if you need a Spanish to French translator specializing in tourism, you could enter “Spanish French freelance translator tourism”. Today, this search (without using quotation marks) returns 28,200 results in Google and I am happy to see that my own website is on the very first page You can also restrict the search to a particular country or include the name of your city if you want to work with a translator near you. The more precise you make your search, the better are your chances of finding a suited translator.

- Many freelance translators register in online translator directories such as ProZ or TranslatorsCafe (click here for an extensive list of translator directories and databases). Some of these sites simply feature a list of translators with the services they offer and a link to their website. Others are more elaborate and allow translators to create a complete profile. On some sites, clients can post their job offers and receive quotes from translators who are available and meet the stipulated criteria. Or they can search for the most suited translator in the directory and contact them directly.

- Ask colleagues and acquaintances whether they can recommend a good translator to you.

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How to choose the right freelance translator?

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- Is the target language (the language the text will be translated into) the translator’s native language? It is generally believed that translators produce better quality when translating into their mother tongue. One usually has broader vocabulary and better writing skills in one’s native language than in a second language. A translation done by a non-native of the target language is likely to sound less natural or even awkward. If it is not possible to find a translator whose native language matches the target language (for very rare language combinations for example), make sure that the translation will be proofread and edited by a native of the target language. This criterion is especially important for literary or marketing texts where style and nuances are very important. Keep also in mind that for some languages spoken in various countries, there are considerable regional differences. Brazilian Portuguese is different from European Portuguese, Canadian French from European French, Mexican Spanish from Argentine Spanish, UK English from American English, etc. If your Spanish translation will be used in Chile for example, it will be much better adapted to the local market in Chile when translated by a Chilean translator rather than by a translator from Spain.

- How well does the translator know the source language (the original language of the text to be translated)? In order to produce a good translation, the translator must understand all the nuances, implied meanings, word plays, various registers such as slang and administrative or legal jargon, depending on the text, cultural references in the source text. Ideally, the translator should have been immersed in the language and the culture by living for an extended period of time in a country where the source language is spoken.

- How familiar is the translator with the subject field? Most professional translators specialize in a few areas and will refuse texts that are outside of their fields of specialization. If you need to have a legal document translated, choose a translator who has substantial experience in legal translation and is familiar with the legal systems involved, ideally a translator who has also studied law or was trained in legal translation.

- Does the translator hold any official certification or credential? Some translator associations such as the ATA in the US or NAATI in Australia offer certification or accreditation exams for translators. In some countries (France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and others), legal translators can become sworn translators before a court. They are thus authorized to translate official documents and certify their translations. Therefore, if you need an official (certified or sworn) translation, make sure that the translator is duly accredited and inquire about the procedure in the country where the translation will be used, as each country has its own system and requirements.

- Does the translator have a degree or a certificate in translation? Many people believe that knowing two languages is enough to be a translator. It is not. Translation is a skill (some say that it is an art) that has to be learned, either through courses or practical on-the-job training. Therefore, make sure to choose a translator who has studied translation or acquired his or her translation skills through extensive practical experience, ideally a combination of both.

- Is the translator experienced? Does he or she have a solid track-record, satisfied customers, good references? Many translators prefer not to disclose the names of their clients because of confidentiality issues. Instead of asking for names of clients, rather ask if the translator has worked on similar projects before and if he or she has experience in translating the type of document you need. Many translators are also willing to show you sample translations they have done before and some accept to do small test translations.

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The skills required to become an interpreter are not the same as those required to become a translator. Both need to have a profound knowledge of their source and target languages as well as subject matter knowledge and broad general knowledge of course. In addition, interpreters also need a good memory, they have to be able to react very quickly, overcome a difficulty within seconds, understand a variety of different accents and pronunciations and they also have to be able to concentrate intensely. As for translators, it is important that they have an excellent writing style, impeccable grammar and spelling and broad vocabulary in a variety of fields and genres. An excellent interpreter can be a very bad translator and vice-versa, although there are a certain number of people who successfully combine the two professions.

In short, the mission of both translators and interpreters is to get a message across in a different language, but translators do so in writing while interpreters do so orally.

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