Effects Of Translation Mistakes On Your Business

 

While getting a low-budget translation can be appealing to you, you should beware of translation mistakes. This is because getting a cheap translation means you sacrifice quality for the price and have translation errors. To avoid this, you need to hire a professional translation agency. With professional translation, you can avoid any inaccuracies in the final translation.

Think about this, having just one mistranslated sentence in an important document could hurt a company’s image and reputation. It can even cause a deal to fall through. Sure, there are scenarios where mistranslations can be funny; however, that isn’t the case in the business world. Wrong cheap translation can harm your business or product. Additionally, cheap translation can do more than financial damage: if your brand works in manufacturing, translation mistakes could place lives at risk.

Furthermore, there are other impacts of translation mistakes. A mistake in a legal document could have serious repercussions. Translation mistakes in the medical field can cause severe health implications.

There are just so many effects of translation mistakes that you need to be aware of. Continue reading this article to discover the impact of translation mistakes and how to avoid them.

 

Types of Translation Mistakes

There are two types of translation mistakes to be aware of: objective and subjective. Objective translation errors are things such as text omissions or spelling errors. There are no arguments about whether a word is spelt right or a header is missing with such errors. Subjective translation errors are harder to address. This is because there might be numerous opinions on the correct way. An example of a subjective error would be choosing the right synonym.

Let’s take English for instance: you can use both automobiles and cars. They both mean the same thing, and the one you select is simply down to your preference. Selecting the correct one could depend on the tone of the text. It could also depend on where you come from, personal style or the reading level of the recipient.

Here are a few translation errors to watch out for:

Omission:

In this instance, the translation agency leaves out some bit of information or words, which changes the message. Business translation services work always to avoid these omissions. The process helps to ensure your message is completely and correctly communicated.

Mistranslations:

Mistranslations are perhaps one of the translation mistakes that have the worst consequences. Language is quite creative, and there are various ways to express the same idea. However, the translation agency might misread a sentence, resulting in a mistranslation. Sometimes this happens due to a lack of knowledge in that area. It could also be due to homographs, which are words that are spelt the same but with different meanings. It could also be down to basic human error.

The translation agency can avoid these types of translation errors. Business translation services typically get 2 to 3 linguists to proofread translations. It is always best to have another look at the translation to avoid this objective error.

Translation mistakes happen when you don’t review the reference material:

Professional translation requires the support of reference materials. When business translation services work with the same client for a while, they create a TM or Translation Memory database. The database is referred to when you require a professional translation. Additional resources include style guides, glossaries, product information, company background, and dictionaries. Business translation services might also include terminologies specific to your organisation or industry.

It can be especially obvious when the translation agency doesn’t utilise the reference materials. This causes them to be unfamiliar with the content. The result is a translation that doesn’t resemble a professional translation. Instead, you get a cheap translation that isn’t consistent with your other translated materials.

You can avoid this subjective error by getting business translation services to provide you with professional translation.

 

Effects translation mistakes can have on your business

• Translation mistakes can affect business transactions

Cheap translation doesn’t only keep people from your business; it could also cause you to face legal action. If you don’t get professional translation on your documents, you are bound to make mistakes. Even if it is a single word, having translation mistakes can alter the meaning of a message.

Accurate translation is also required when handling contracts. Basic phrases and words in the contract can create a misunderstanding when mistranslated. In some cases, it could create delays in the deal. It could cause the deal to fall through in the worst cases, even resulting in a lawsuit.

• Brand management

No one intentionally makes a mistake. Yes, some translation mistakes are funny; however, mistakes appear as unprofessional and offensive. When employing business translation services, you need to state your reasons. The translation agency needs to know how the translation can impact your business. People will always want to buy from a reputable company. Having cheap translation on your documents ruins that. Businesses seen as unprofessional are unlikely to get any patronage. Using cheap brand translation can turn your brand into a joke. That isn’t something you want.

 

Why you need to avoid translation errors

The most effective way to avoid translation errors is to get a translation agency. The results are better when you properly plan for a translation agency to work. It is always better to get a professional and accurate translation than undergoing a rush job with the translation. This means you need to avoid automated or machine translation. Machine translation, more often than not, disappoints. You are bound to get various translation errors as the system cannot grasp context and nuances. These translation errors will, in turn, reflect badly on your brand.

Professional translation requires patience, as it can differentiate between losing a deal or securing an investment. Patience is especially important when dealing with legal documents, government policies or investments. The last thing you want to do is mess up a deal simply because you chose cheap translation.

 

Renaissance Translations’ Professional Translation Services

We offer high quality translation services in all languages and subject fields. With a network of more than 5,000 professional translators, we are able to provide accurate translation services in no time. Contact our project managers today to discuss your translation project!