bY Translation Service Japan: Develop a winning translation methodology by sleeping on it!

This post is about professional Japanese human translation.

In this article series you’re introduced to ideas to help you develop a translation methodology of your own, especially one that suits your work style, which will enable you to translate more efficiently and accurately. And, if you happen to glean any pointers that will up your game, all strength to you!

(Regardless of whether you’re an aspiring Japanese translator or a client of English-to-Japanese translation, there is something for you here.)

1. Read the original document
2. Research the translation
3. Now, do the work
4. Ask the right questions
5. Compare with the original
6. Edit (proof) the translation
7. Sleep on it!

Sleep on it!
Margaret Thatcher, while in office, once said that before making a big decision, she took a shot of Scottish whiskey, and slept on it. Regardless of your political persuasion, choose your own poison and definitely sleep on it -- Without resorting to hyperbole, it’s like the shades have been taken off. You'll be absolutely amazed at the clarity of mind with which you round-off your translation project!

Now, put your thesaurus to work. Identify words in the translated text that can be replaced with alternative, better words. This is where you get to be bold (without going off into space, of course!). Don't be afraid to use words and phrases that make the translated text sound human, make it come alive (i.e. moreover, further, incidentally etc). Where permitting, adopt a conversational style -- It reads better.

This does bear repeating, though; when permitted.

Obviously, the translation style you employ must be appropriate for the task at hand. Here are some types of translation where you should either establish with the client which style is desired, or determine which style is appropriate based on established convention:

• Business translation
• Certified Japanese Translation
• Finance translation
• Legal translation
• Marketing translation
• Technical translation
• Web content translation

Generally, you want to produce a translation that’s easy to read and natural. Paying attention to this simple task will help you avoid that the translation kiss of death:

This has been translated hue

And, finally, this is also a good place to be creative. For example, when doing Japanese English translation, I have often noticed that Japanese authors tend to stick with a limited repertoire of conjunctive adverbs (furthermore, therefore, however, moreover). This doesn't read well in translation -- Your chance to be creative, seize it with both hands!

Conclusion
Use the advice here to polish your translation style. Most of the advice is simply about making minor changes to your existing style; but, given consideration, will lead to improved results as seen from repeat requests for your Japanese translation services

(p.s. Bookmark this page and keep checking back for new articles in the series.)

Translation Services Tokyo – The secret to fast Japanese translation turnaround by industry insiders

Summarized in one word: Preparation

(And, no, it’s not the oft flogged refrain “I need this ASAP”!)

Preparation allows for the seamless implementation of your translation project plan. This article is about all the preparation that you can do yourself. Some points to consider:

• Focus on quality (the concepts of quality and turnaround are not mutually exclusive)
• Do the translation quote right (prepare all project materials & information BEFORE requesting a quote or estimate)
• Establish a robust communications structure (i.e. what is the procedure to follow when arise?)

Essentially, when you adopt a quality first approach to your English Japanese translation projects, you’ll realize translation cost savings through lower rates & prices, and get a faster turn around. Now, I know that may sound like counter intuitive logic; however,

The reason why is because translation turn-around is a function of quality & cost.

Use the points above to kick off your preparations, and you’ll be well on your way to getting that fast turnaround. Still, there will always be some things missed and other things you simply didn’t know about. That's natural, after all, you're only managing a translation project -- You're not a translation professional with years of experience.

So, what's a person to do?

This is where you reach out to the translation professionals. Professional Translation Services in Tokyo will be more than happy to help you by providing useful pointers. The reason being is because they know from experience that the more prepared a client is, the more seamlessly a project will play out. This means quality Japanese translations, cost effective implementation that generates savings (which are typically passed on to you!), and efficient translation turn around.

(Some folks may wonder why translation companies will share their secrets if it means returning cost savings to the client as opposed to keeping those savings in their own pockets. The translation industry is very competitive, and translation companies are always on the lookout for ways to deliver more cost effective translation to clients without sacrificing quality. At least the professional Japanese translators, anyway.)

Speak with the professionals, you can only benefit! Contact the Translation Services Tokyo in Japan