Oftentimes, we hear outsiders to our industry, quite understandably, use the terms ‘interpreting’ and ‘translation’ as synonyms. Although there are many linguists out there who do provide both services, that isn’t always the case and it’s important to know that there are substantial differences between the two. We provide a brief breakdown below.
Spoken vs. written
In a nutshell, interpreting is spoken translation – be that orally or using sign language. It can take place in person, remotely via video or over the phone.
Interpreting can be broken down into three main categories: simultaneous (where the interpreter delivers the speaker’s message in real time), consecutive (where the speaker and interpreter take turns one after the other), and whispered (where an interpreter whispers into the listener’s ear as the speaker is talking).
In contrast to this, there is translation of the written word. The types of documents that are translated are virtually endless. Common examples include pharmaceutical product documentation, birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates, marketing slogans, websites, museum brochures, fiction and non-fiction literature, contracts and user manuals.
Turn to the right people
In either case, it’s imperative to task a professional provider to ensure quality and accuracy. Asking a colleague or a friend who speaks un poco español is never a good idea. It’s easy to think a minor mistranslation won’t matter much, but just think of something as trite as a food menu. If you mistranslate an ingredient, you risk causing offense – e.g. due to religious dietary restrictions – or even a medical emergency, e.g. due to food allergies.
With our services, you can rest assured that all of our linguists are professionally qualified, vetted and adhere to strict confidentiality protocols. As a long-standing localisation company, we are certified to various industry standards, including ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 17100 for translation services. We consistently implement stringent vetting procedures and comply with such standards to ensure we deliver quality work time and time again.
How we can help
Within our Cintra Language Services Group, which has been on the scene for decades now, we’re well equipped to handle both interpreting and translation in most world languages:
- Our Cintra team handles the spoken interpreting – be that for police interviews, hospital settings, court cases, academic presentations or business meetings. The Cintra booking team is available around the clock.
- Our First Edition team handles written translation work for the private sector – from children’s literature to clinical trial documentation. As an accredited translation agency, we offer certified translation services where required, e.g. for regulatory bodies or government agencies.
How much does translation cost?
When it comes to written translation, the pricing is largely based on the volume of text involved and the language(s) required. There are, however, other factors influencing the cost of translation . If, say, you also require typesetting or you have a very urgent deadline, the cost of the work will go up accordingly.
If you ever need a quote for written translations, our approachable First Edition project management team will very happily support. For this, we ask you us the files for translation – ideally in an editable format such as Word, PowerPoint or IDML. If your file is not editable, please rest assured that we can still handle your request, but our approach and the pricing may differ.
If you need any further information, we’re always happy to advise you further. Our multilingual project managers are reachable via enquiries@firstedit.co.uk