Hi Neil,
Hope you and Yelena are well.
You make some interesting points, but they dont really give a fair picture.
Using a freelance translator is great if you want a simple document translating, but as Gary will vouch there is far more to multilingual websites than just translating a few words.
The bit you have to watch for here is using an agency to project manage your translation, as opposed to finding the translators yourself. Using an agency is great, they'll do everything for you. You will, of course, be paying for someone to sit in the middle.
An agency will mark this price up, usually doubling it.
I wish that all we had to do was sit in the middle and do nothing
, but there is more to it than that, as I am sure you are aware. Like you say, we can project manage for someone, and that means handling DTP, typesetting, HTML insertions, document comparisons, formatting, printing, proofreading, cultural consultations, etc. Plus if a project is worked across four or five languages then it all has to be co-ordinated properly.
We find that most clients value their time and resources. They want their language needs to be handled by one central company. They could search around for individual translators, but unless they know the language they will never know how good they are. It is too much of a risk, and not a economic use of their time.
That's why companies like ours exist, because we screen all translators and use quality control procedures to make sure that only the best, highly qualified native translators are used on clients projects. We have thousands of CVs sent to us each year from so-called translators, and it is our job to sort through them all to find out which ones can do a good job and which ones are a waste of time. Then, when someone comes to us with a specific project we already have the right people in place. We take away the headaches and we take away the risk.
Putting a translator wanted ad on the internet is certainly another option, but it's a bit like putting an ad in the local paper for someone to come and service your Mercedes. Do you want the job doing right or do you just want to find the cheapest quote? What is important? You need to weigh up the options and decide which way to go. It is a question of trust.
You might get lucky and find a good translator, you might not. How are you going to judge if you dont know the language? It is your image and reputation on the line.
There are plenty of highly qualified translators registered at ITI or IOL, but people need to be aware that it is a list of people who are qualified to be translators, which does not mean that every job they do will be perfect. Again, this is where a company like ours has an advantage because we double check all the work to make sure it is up to standard before it is forwarded to the client.
People want value for money and peace of mind, which means getting the job done right, on time, to an agreed standard and with a full guarantee. Much better than making a mess of it and then paying again to repair the damage.
It's about understanding what constitutes 'good value'.
All the best.
JB
