1. Who is the translation intended for?
Any
certified translation company out there will, first
and foremost, confirm the intended recipient/audience for their certified
translation services before anything else. Not only does this reflect the translation
company’s initiative in offering the best translation service possible, but it
will also notify the translation company of anything special that they would
have to be careful of or look out for when preparing to translate the document.
For instance, certified translations for PR application
translations in Singapore as compared to overseas embassies might require less
paperwork or official stamps.Not only that, the tone and register of the
translation might vary greatly depending on what the translation will be used
for. The translation style and form for legal translations for one, would be
stiffer and require the use of specific industry/legal terms, as opposed to a
translation that would be used internally within a company.
Ultimately, having a clear understanding of the translation’s
recipient will help to set a clear framework in which the translation company
can work its translations around to ensure it fits the needs of the client as
much as possible.
2. Could
you clarify the spelling of the names in the source document?
Likewise, any certified translation service will require
you to clarify the spelling of names during the process of translation. This is
a crucial point of note especially in the areas of notarized translation or
legal translation, where any slight discrepancies in the names in the
finalized translations can be a significant factor that might just very well
cost an individual that PR application he or she had been waiting so long to get
approval for. This is even more so for non-English native speakers whose
pronunciations of names might differ from that of their spellings, or if the
spelling of their names in their mother tongue has variations when spelled in
English that might lead to such unfortunate incidents occuring.
Of course, this applies to taking the initiative in confirming the accuracy of other personal details in the source document as well. Whatever the case may be, the attention to details, however minute, is clearly a basic requirement for any translation or translator company who respects the client and takes pride in their work.
3. Do
you require additional translation services, such as Notarization or legal
translation services?
Lastly, any certified translation company in Singapore
would also enquire whether you require any additional translation services,
such as if you would want your documents to be notarized and so on.
It goes without saying that certified translation services
often require translators to possess industry-specific knowledge and
understanding of certain specific terms crucial to the type of translation
service that is required.Knowing whether the client requires these additional
steps in the translation process allows the translation company to deploy the
translator best suited for the job. At the same time, it provides sufficient
buffer time for the translators and the company to source for and acquire the
necessary personnel and paperwork to finalise the translation within the
stipulated deadline.
Needless to say, if you do opt for additional services such as requiring a notarized translation, do be prepared to pay a higher amount for the translation since more administrative paperwork is required.
Although the above list of questions are non-exhaustive,
they do form a benchmark of sorts that certified translation services and
companies work with. Hopefully, these questions will be of use the next time you
want to look for professional and experienced certified translation companies
in Singapore.
