Urban Legends...
- I don’t need a professional translator, I can do it on my own.
Ask for a professional translator. Homemade translations are bad business cards.
- Translating is easy, you just have to look up words in a dictionary.
Translation is much more than this. It is about working on the text to respect style, effectiveness and meaning.
- Translating is not a real job.
Translating is a job. It’s my job, and I have to say it's a great job!
- Automatic translators can do your job for free.
Automatic translation programs do exist but they aren't very reliable.
- Translators are expensive.
It depends. Prices may vary according to length, urgency, subject and target. Asking is free.
- Translators are PC wizards.
This job doesn't need any superior computer skill, even if having them is welcome.
- Translators can translate live while someone is speaking.
Not at all. That’s interpreting. Someone even made a film about it.
- Translators know a bit of everything.
Professional translators choose specialist areas to offer the best quality.
- Translators work only on foreign films and books.
No they don’t. These are just two possible specialist areas.
- This translation sucks!
Any translation is not a serial product, but it is tailor-made just for you by an artisan of words. Someone says beautiful translations are usually unfaithful to the original copies while ugly ones are simply too close to sound natural...
