When you need a written translation done, it is an entirely different proposition from using an interpreter in a face to face situation.  While an interpreter must think and translate on the spot, there is generally a lot more leeway and time to think and consider a text when translating a document.  Your translator can think things through, consult a dictionary, specialist or colleague and consider the overall implications of different variations in the translation.  Balanced against these obvious advantages are the fact that a written translation, when complete, should be very close to perfect, both in its conveyance in meaning of the original document and in its grammar and presentation in the translated to language.  It should not be possible to tell that the document was originally written in a different language.  The following tips will help your translator to complete the job to a suitable standard.

Tip One:  Focus On Meaning Not Words.

This is where machine translations fail horribly.  Words are used to convey meaning, but directly substituting words will often lose the original meaning.  Translation is not a matter of simply replacing a word in one language with its counterpart in another, but is about translating the spirit and meaning of a document as accurately as possible too.

Tip Two:  Be Aware Of Your Abilities

Some translators are better than others.  Choosing a translator is often an exercise in weighing accuracy against cost.  If a bad translation was good enough then everyone would use software translations.  Because these will often come out horribly (as pointed out in Tip One), a human translation is needed.  You can choose a fast translation by someone who has experience in both tongues or progressively better by someone who has spent a lot of time developing their language in both English and Russian.

Tip Three:  Be Aware of Timeframes.

One thing that is often forgotten, when a good translation is needed fast, is the working location of the translator you are hiring.  Choosing someone in the same time zone as you may seem like a good idea initially, but they will most likely be working the same hours as you and sleeping at the same hours too.  If you find a translator in a reciprocal time zone, you will find yourself in the fantastic position of being able to give them work at the end of your day and have your completed translations ready, when you begin work again in the morning.

Tip Four:  Be Aware Of The Local Way Of Doing Things.

Just as understanding different languages is more than being able to swap words in and out, so is understanding regional conventions.  The perfect example of this is how different countries expect documents to be ordered in different ways.  Where a document is going to be used in an official capacity, it is a good idea to choose a translator who knows the conventions of writing in the specific area your document is aimed at.

Tip Five:  Don’t Rush A Translation

If there is an opportunity for you to take longer over a translation, then you should do it.  The more pressure is put on for a fast translation, the more likely little errors are to creep in.  Be aware, that translation is a specialist task and requires time and concentration.

Tip Six : Let Us Do It!

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