In today’s borderless world, effective communication is the cornerstone of global success. Translations serve as the bridge that connects you with diverse audiences, enabling you to expand your reach and achieve your business goals.
However, the quality of translations is paramount, as even minor errors can have far-reaching consequences.
Client Story: How an IT startup averted a potential disaster with professional translation services
Our client, a rapidly growing IT startup, was excited to launch their new car service software. They had developed a comprehensive set of instructions for their users, but they needed to translate them into multiple languages to reach a global audience.
In an effort to save time and money, the startup initially used a free machine translation tool. They were initially impressed with the tool’s ability to generate seemingly natural-sounding translations. However, they soon discovered that the tool had made several critical errors.
The most glaring error was the incorrect translation of the key phrase “spare parts.” The machine translation tool had translated the phrase as “extra parts,” which could have led to users ordering the wrong parts and potentially damaging their cars.
In addition, the startup discovered multiple inconsistent translations of the words “fasten,” “loosen,” and “replace.” These inconsistencies could have caused confusion and frustration among users, potentially leading to costly mistakes.
With the launch of their software just days away, the startup was in a desperate situation. They needed accurate translations of their instructions, and they needed them fast.
The startup reached out to StarLing for help. We immediately assembled a team of experienced translators and post-editors to work on the project.
Using a combination of machine translation and human post-editing, our team quickly produced accurate and consistent translations of the instructions. We also identified and corrected several other errors that had been missed by the machine translation tool.
Thanks to our team’s expertise and dedication, the startup was able to launch their software on time with accurate translations of their instructions. They were extremely grateful for our help and have since become a loyal client.
This story is a reminder of the importance of using professional translation services for critical projects. Machine translation tools can be helpful for initial drafts, but they should never be used as a substitute for human expertise. Our team of experienced translators and post-editors can help you ensure that your translations are accurate, consistent, and culturally sensitive.
The Imperative of High-Quality Translations
Impeccable translations are not just a luxury; they are an absolute necessity for any business operating on a global scale. Critical errors can lead to:
Serious Dangers
Mistranslations can have life-altering consequences, particularly in industries like healthcare and automotive.
Financial Losses
Inaccurate translations can result in costly misunderstandings, legal disputes, and reputational damage.
Incomprehensible Content
Poorly translated content fails to convey the intended message, hindering communication and frustrating your target audience.
Misdirected Usage
Subpar translations can render the translated material unusable, rendering your investment in translation futile.
Avoid these pitfalls for your translation projects
“AI solutions like ChatGPT can produce a good translation, so I am not sure why I would need a translation agency.”
Wrong! While AI-powered translation tools such as ChatGPT can be useful for basic translations, they are not a substitute for the expertise of a human translator. AI tools often struggle with nuances of language, cultural references, and industry-specific terminology, which can lead to inaccurate or misleading translations.
A human translator who is experienced in your industry and has a deep understanding of the target language will be able to produce a translation that is not only accurate but also conveys the intended meaning of the original text.
“Machine translation tools such as DeepL and Google Translate are getting better and are free of charge.”
Machine translation tools have certainly come a long way in recent years, and they can be a valuable tool for translating short, simple texts. That’s true. However, they are still not as reliable as human translators for more complex or specialized texts. Additionally, machine translation tools often produce translations that are stilted and unnatural-sounding.
A human translator from StarLing will be able to produce a translation that is not only accurate but also reads smoothly and naturally in the target language.
“Translation agencies often do not deliver appropriate and immediately usable translations, we have to do multiple corrections and adaptations after translation delivery.”
While it is true that some translation agencies may not deliver perfect translations that require no further editing, StarLing has a rigorous quality control process in place to ensure that translations are accurate, clear, and appropriate for the target audience.
Additionally, StarLing will work closely with you to understand your specific needs and requirements and will be able to provide you with a translation that you can use immediately without the need for further corrections or adaptations.
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