Checklist for High Quality translation
16 October 2009
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Translation is an art where perfection comes through practice. However here are a few ground rules that might help you improve the quality of your output.
- It always helps if you have a thorough understanding of the subject matter. Else, you would be more vulnerable to mistakes. If the subject matter is not your forte read up on it and do a thorough homework. If the deadline doesn’t allow you this luxury it is advisable to not to take up such a project on the first place. It might ruin your reputation and prove harmful to your career in the long run.
- Be aware of the various inherent linguistic differences. While English has short, separate staccato sentences, Spanish favors long linked sentences. The opposite may come across as stiff and unnatural
- Overdoing it is as harmful as underdoing it. Resist the temptation of improving on the source material by incorporating new ideas to it while translating. However, you shouldn’t leave out things from the original copy to make it crisp.
- Be doubly sure of the words you are choosing. Make sure that the synonyms you choose fits with the context and the meaning is not distorted.
- When trying to find an equivalent is not such a good idea A frequent error in judgment occurs when translators assiduously seek equivalents where none are applicable. This usually happens where the cultures are entirely divergent – different legal and judicial systems, or disparity in the social or religious customs. In these cases you should refrain from trying to find an equivalent; rather, you should try to translate your term to the best of your ability, so that the end or target user understands what you are talking about.
- Don’t try to paraphrase unless you don’t have any equivalent term for a particular word and it is absolutely necessary to explain the term.You aim should be to translate and not to indulge into explanation.
- Don’t rely too much on the spell checker, use your own discretion. It is important to run a spell check for those obvious spelling mistakes or typos, but look out for words which are correct in spelling but are completely wrong in that particular context.
- Don’t blindly follow the reporter’s version when geographical names or names of international organizations etc are concerned. Verify if there is an official name in your target language for that country or organization.
- In order to assess the readability of the translated doc, review it as a stand-alone text without referring to the source document. Ensure that the translated article is lucid and
- Before giving your article a final glance take some time off. Distance yourself from the work and start with a fresh mind. This will help you detect the errors that you might have slipped earlier.
Quality is the top most criteria at TranslationArtwork.com Before your final translated document is submitted, a thorough quality check is a must. Be assured your documents are in safe hands.


I enjoyed reading this article. I truly believe that quality is the most important factor in translation services.
@ Mrunal – Thanks for your valued comment. At TranslationArtwork.com it is our endeavor to provide quality translations.
Great point about reviewing the translation as a stand-alone text without referring to the source document. Unfortunately translators sometimes ignore that and translate in a way in which they would never write in their native language.
Loved it… Glad to have a check list to not miss anything.
Such a helpful article, even for those (like myself!) who are studying with the hopes of becoming a successful translator in the future.
@Stephanie – TranslationArtwork.com wishes you a successful and a fruitful career ahead. After your translation course is complete you could register on http://www.translationartwork.com as a freelance translator.
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