Theoretically, translation means rendering a word, text, etc. from one language to another, but in practice the translation process is not quite as simple as that.
A translator’s work is to first of all decode the source text and then to constantly choose the most appropriate words, topic, style, meaning, etc., to decide whether to translate freely or very closely to the source language, to opt for the references that prevail in case of conflicting terminology, to determine the right tone for conveying the original content as faithfully as possible or even change the tone to get a certain effect on specific target readers, etc.
Despite all efforts, if these decisions are left completely at translators’ discretion, results may be debatable, hence the traduttore, traditore that we all know.
This is not a disclaimer, this is rather a fact and from this perspective and as intriguing as it may sound, there is no perfect translation per se.
The good news is that there is the RIGHT APPROACH and the way we approach a text to be translated is very important for the outcome and can definitely influence the quality of a translation.

How can the way we approach a text to be translated influence the quality of the translation?
First and foremost, the quality of a translation is measured by different metrics based on different types of text and intention and while the language knowledge is the common ground for any type of written/translated content, the nuances may yet be very different. Let’s take a literary translation, for example. Its quality is measured by its creativity and fluidity in the target language and by its formal distance from the source language. On the other hand, the quality of more procedural texts, despite their own varying degrees of subtlety, is measured by the precision and accuracy of the terminology used and sometimes by their formal fidelity to the source language.
Secondly, there are words or phrases that may be translated differently and be ‘technically’ correct, but considered inappropriate in a certain context, as the context is also bearing meaning. Let’s take for instance the example quoted by Magda Jeanrenaud in her book on Translation Studies when referring to Katharina Reiss’ theory on the text typology and the different language functions that may influence the translation process: a storm in a teacup may be translated in French as beaucoup d’agitation pour rien, une tempête dans une verre d’eau or une agitation imbécile disproportionnée. All translations are correct, but they do not all serve the same purpose/type of text. They just respond to different approaches, but once the right one is established, the outcome can only be improved.
To keep it simple, we know well the basics of our work and how to normally approach a text to be translated, but nothing is truly successful without our CLIENTS’ INPUT, your input.

Your input is essential in determining the right approach for your content.
For example, a product presentation including technical features intended for the general public is not the same as a product presentation intended for specialised professionals. For this reason, we would need to approach it differently to ensure that your message reaches your target readers just right.
Or think of a website! It can include sections describing the advantages of a particular technology, where you would need a more creative and free translation, but it can also include sections with legal or technical information, for which you would need a more specialised approach or a deeper dive into terminology.
We will be keeping an open mind to your needs and we will be prepared to scale up, adopt and/or advise on the right style. For this, we need to clearly understand your source material and intention right from the start. This is why preliminary information from you is of paramount importance for us since it would allow us to define:
A Intention I B Target Readers I C Desired Language Register and Style I D Preferred Terminology, if applicable, and decide on the right approach.
Make sure not to leave out any important details when launching your REQUEST for our translation services and/or other language services that we offer.

If you are a translator and want to join our team, we need you to be a real language enthusiast. You don’t need to be a machine. We are interested in you being smart, talented, creative and flexible and if we decide to send you a translation test it is just to see how you think within a job. Also, should you receive style guides to be applied it is just to see how you approach a text with certain boundaries. The rest are details.
So, if you have a good, flexible and passion-driven mind, a good knowledge of the target and source languages that may be of interest to us, do not hesitate to drop us a line at vm [at] scaleup-language.com and tell us a little about yourself.
Your translation experience, use of technology and the right to issue invoices for your work may be an important asset, but you do not need extra degrees, just be smart and savvy and we will take it from there.