Different levels of Translation Quality and Pricing

Quicksilver Offers 4 Levels of Service

The balance between translation quality and pricing can be tricky! The word ‘quality’ is used by everyone in the translation world — all clients want it, and all suppliers offer it. But how much does a ‘good’ translation cost? At QuickSilver Translate we offer four pricing levels, and we make recommendations to customers based on their business goals and objectives. Which level of service is chosen for any given project depends on:

• How important is the document?
• Is it for internal use, or will you send it to clients?
• How much money are you willing to spend on translating it?
• How fast do you need it?
• And, how much review time are you willing to spend internally?

See also: What to expect in each Level of Service

See also: Your Pre-Translation Checklist

_BASIC: Machine Translation (MT)

If you are only concerned about the translation cost — there are, of course, plenty of automatic machine translators on the internet. More advanced Machine Translation (MT) engines will render a text into a target language of your choice, sufficiently clearly and accurately for you to be able to get the gist of the original.

This is an excellent tool to help you read an email in a language you are not familiar with, for example, or to grasp the basic message of a report. However, if you’re translating a document intended to represent you and your business, MT may well be inadequate. In fact, it could even hurt your business.

Find out more:

• What should I be using machine translation for?

• Machine vs. Human (Translators!)

• Machine Translation: Tips And Tricks

_BASIC PLUS: Machine Translation plus a (human) Linguist

Also known as Machine Translation Post-editing (MTPE), is a blend of machine translation and human translation. This process involves an initial machine translation, followed by post-editing performed by a (human) professional translator or editor. 

First, the initial translation is produced by translation software, which can save time significantly on bulk tasks. Then a human translator/editor works on the text to produce the final version. They make sure it is linguistically and stylistically correct, and that it is an accurate representation of the original document. 

Post-editing can be light: correcting mistakes and reviewing some of the language choices, and making sure that the resulting text is comprehensible. Full post-editing goes much deeper, editing the text for accuracy, clarity, flow, as well as local resonance.

Our Basic Plus service offers a competitive translation cost, combined with the quality assurance that only a professional, human linguist can provide.

Find out more: Machine Translation Post-editing

_CLASSIC/BUSINESS: Professional Translation

We combine qualified, native-speaking translators and streamlined processes to produce quick, cost-effective, corporate and technical translation. QuickSilver Translate co-ordinates a global network of highly experienced translators, enabling us to translate from, and into, any language. All of our translators are bilingual and translate into their native language. This level of service includes a risk that the translator will make mistakes/omissions, but we do not bear responsibility or make modifications to the translation after delivery.

Find out more:

• Accuracy when translating Marketing Collateral

• Using RTF files — A Collaborative Approach

_FOR PUBLICATION: Professional Translation with Added Value

Over the years, QuickSilver Translate has developed expertise in translating a wide variety of different documentation — business-orientated, academic (for journal publication) and technical. Our completed projects range from marketing collateral to technical manuals; and websites to internal memos.

The quality of a complex project, such as a website or a technical manual, depends on a close interplay between linguistic expertise and technical tools. We offer both. Furthermore, we make every effort to understand and meet our clients’ preferences, objectives and needs.

We also offer a complete translation management service: Whether that’s managing your multilingual website, and ensuring all translated pages are kept up-to-date; managing the language versions of a global ad campaign, to ensure consistency across materials, or maintaining version control of regularly updated technical documents.

We offer a variety of specialised translation services, such as: Legal and Sworn, Technical, Financial, and Marketing materials. Contact us for more information, or request a quote.

Find out more:

• What is Added Value in Translation?

• What do I mean when I say I want “Quality”?

Advanced translation software, or CAT Tools

At QuickSilver Translate we make use of state-of-the-art Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) software, or CAT tools. CAT tools refer to all specialist software used by translators and language reviewers, to help them work better and faster.  The purpose of these tools is to optimise the process in 3 ways:

1. Improve the quality of translations
2. Reduce the time it takes
3. Reduce the costs associated

Find out more:

• Technical glossaries and termbases

• What is Translation Memory?

• Translation Memory: Optimising the translation process

Quality levels and what to expect in each one

¹ Translator’s tools only, may change between projects. | ² Depending on complexity, some additional formatting might be necessary.