Be it in Singapore or worldwide, translation as a profession remains a mystery to many.

When I say mystery, I don’t mean that there’s an unexplainable force, like magic, involved in the job.  I’m pertaining to people’s incomprehension towards it, which very often leads to moments of raised eyebrows or increased misconceptions. How many times have we professional translators heard things like “Translation doesn’t require a professional to do it, right?”, or “It’s just a few words, why do you need so long?”?  In an attempt to clear up the swirling fog clouding our profession, below is  a little Q&A  to address some common myths.

1. Why must I engage a professional translator? Can’t I just use machine translation?

We wouldn’t totally say  ‘no’ to machine translation because it is still useful in some cases. For example, let’s say you’re  doing  a bit of online shopping and decide to clarify with the seller before making a  purchase. The seller  replies swiftly, but in a foreign language. In this case, machine translation helps because the translation only serves as a general interpretation of the source content, and the possible weird sentence structures or irrelevant wordings are relatively harmless..

So when should you engage a professional translator? In our opinion, if it is anything official and  not meant  for your eyes only, go to a professional.

2. What is a reasonable translation rate?

Translation rate often varies due to the deviation in content nature, text length, and delivery time. Apart from these, translators may also use different approaches to determine the final quote: utilizing the per-word or per-page rate methods, or viewing it as a whole project.. Some may charge as low as 5 cents per word yet some may go as high as 35 cents per word. The point  is there is no hard rule to determine  reasonable rates. As long as the client finds the translation  satisfying  and worth the cost, that would most likely be a  reasonable rate.

3. Why do you need so much time for such a simple translation job?

In my years of doing translation, I have hardly ever  come across any translation work that was simple. To everyone  else, translation is usually deemed as one single task. Yet to any diligent translator, translation means reading (in detail), researching (relevant background), translating (the “real” job), proofreading (our translation), and editing (before delivery). This explains the seemingly enormous amount of time we need when it comes to translation.

4. The translation is not what I expected; it must be a bad translation.

Not necessarily.  If nine out of ten persons give a translation a thumbs-down, it is most likely a lacking piece of work. However, if you are the only one who does not seem to like it, this  may not necessarily mean it is bad. If a piece of translation appears to have abided by all the golden rules of  good translation and yet you do not find it satisfying, it couldmean that the translation style and your preference do not match, though it may still be a good piece of work. In this case, find yourself another translator the next time round.

 Visit Yiu Translation to find out more about Lee Ling’s work.

^{Edited by Michelle Sarthou
Image credit: Shuterstock}

Did you enjoy this post? Please comment, like and share!

The post 4 Translation Myths to break appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

Let Tan Lee Ling inspire you with her story about her beginnings, her business, the challenges she faced as an entrepreneur and what she has learnt from the experience in this exclusive tell-all.

Career Beginnings

I started Yiu Translation in 2014 after being a freelance translator for a few years. Before stepping into the world of translation, I worked in several education institutes, such as NUS and NAFA, handling arts-related administrative work. Most of these jobs required bilingual competency, and sometimes translation ability, as I often had to communicate with Chinese-speaking associates. My Mandarin Chinese has been strong since a young age, and all the work opportunities that I had been given further triggered my interest towards having translation and Chinese writing as my career. So I undertook the BA Translation and Interpretation programme offered by SIM University in 2009.

Yiu Translation now provides translation, copywriting, editing and proofreading services to both corporate and individual clients. It is common for people to view translation as a niche market. Singapore may be generally a smaller market for translation services, as English is the key language used, but as a multi-racial country with four national languages, translation, or good translation, is in fact essential in all the efforts to recognize cultural roots. Translation services will always be in demand, but because people have yet to see its value and importance, it appears to be a niche.

On Following Dreams And Passions

Unlike many other entrepreneurs who give up their high-salary jobs to pursue their passion, I would say I was sort of nudged into this path naturally. This was an option for my future career plan, but I did not intend to realize it so soon. When I was studying the translation program, I started working part time and freelancing with the mindset of focusing more on my studies. Although my efforts in my studies paid off, the reality struck after my graduation and I knew that the competitive job market would not make it easy for me to re-enter, given that I had not been employed full time for a few years. And it would be even more challenging if I wanted to pursue something I had an interest in. So, in the end, with encouragement from my husband, I decided to bring forward the plan and I started my own translation business.

Now, two years into my business, I wouldn’t deny that there were moments of doubts and uncertainties, especially during low periods when business was quiet. There is also loneliness at times, as I see my circle of friends leading lives quite different from mine. From the start, I expected that it would not be an easy path, but I believed I had made the best decision in the given situation at that point of time.

Challenges And Frustrations As An Entrepreneur

The biggest challenge would be that most people have quite a few misconceptions about translation as a skill, a profession and an industry, making it challenging for the local translation scene to grow. People think that translation does not require a professional and anyone who knows two languages is able to do it. Very often, staff members who are bilingual have to take on extra duties by being the translator. That is probably one of the most cited reasons I was given when companies were asked why they did not engage a professional translator. If you are looking for good quality translation, then having a trained professional to do it is definitely a must. As a result, translation blunders are widely seen and reported, not just locally, but globally as well. Sometimes, such translation mistakes even occur in the public sectors. I believe that people do not see leaving translation to the professionals as a necessity, because they have yet to see how much bad translation can actually cost them, especially for companies where reputation is involved.

When I have the chance to talk to clients, I introduced them to the translation industry by explaining things like my workflow procedures and how they can play a part in making translation even better. At the same time, I also rectify any misconceptions they may have, so that they can have a richer knowledge about the translation industry. Although this is generally a slow process, I believe by engaging clients through a genuine one-to-one interaction, they will be more ready to see translation in a different light.

On Failures And Lessons In Life

My biggest lesson in life would be that planning is important but being ready to accept that things will not always go the way we planned is even more important. To me, planning has always been a great part of my life; I love to plan things in advance, be it for work or leisure. Even though I know things usually will not go exactly the way I had planned, it doesn’t mean planning is not necessary. Planning ahead lets us have an overview of what is coming and allows us to minimize unnecessary hiccups. However, we must also be quick enough to deal with any unforeseen situations and not brood over the fact that things don’t go the intended way. I believe this is a healthy mindset for all of us; to be prepared for both the best and worst.

There are some of us who think that planning isn’t as important and end up facing hiccups that can actually be avoided. And then there are those who take their planning too seriously and cannot accept any diversion that comes along. Eventually, I think it is best to achieve balance in all things. This mindset has helped me along since I started Yiu Translation. I plan and have a few expectations, but if things do not go my way, I may get disappointed for a while, but then I just have to make new plans. Overall, attaining a balance in life strengthens my mind.

Favourite Quote To Live By

Dream big; set realistic goals.

If we have big dreams but we are not practical in setting achievable goals, the dreams may remain too far for us to reach. Yet if we never dream big, we may always be confined in our familiar, limited zone. I feel that it is good to have big dreams, as they give us positivity and hope in life. But to achieve them, it is essential to set realistic, short-term goals that will eventually lead us to the big dream.

Work With Lee Ling¹

Good translation matters. Leave it to the professionals (that’s us!).

<sub>Edited by Nedda Chaplin
Image credit: Lee Ling Tan
References:
1. Yiu Translation website</sub>

Did you enjoy this post? Please comment, like and share!

The post In The Spotlight: Lee Ling Tan, Founder Of Yiu Translation appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

We all know that almost all things big start small, just like how millions start from cents. Yet, this fact is often forgotten as we tend to give our nods of approval only to businesses with big, reputable names, and moments of hesitation to small ones.

There are plenty of reasons why we are inclined towards big names. We believe that they owe their successes to strict protocols, high efficiency, brilliant customer relationships and, perhaps, even better after-sales services. After all, these are the reasons that give us a sense of security and confidence with them.

On the contrary, many often hold a tiny tinge of suspicion and unease about small companies, especially when they are fresh out of the pan. Question marks spring up in our minds as we wonder if these small businesses are trustworthy, safe and efficient enough to even give them a try.

I would say, why not?

Companies, no matter their scale, build on people who are the same asset for every other company. People are the ones who make a difference, and not the brand itself. If you find ease in communication and quality in the work, then this company will be worthy for future consideration, regardless of its brand or size.

In terms of finding translation companies, here are five reasons why you should give small translation companies (like us) a chance:

1. Save Time

Save time by communicating directly with the translator instead of going through a third person, usually a project manager. While big translation companies offer quick turnaround time with their wide pool of translators, clients often do not know who are the ones doing the work, and communication to the translator is usually through the project managers. Small companies like us allow clients to communicate with the translators themselves, thus, cutting the risk of miscommunication and increasing work efficiency.

2. A Sense Of Warmth

As queues form outside renowned chain restaurants and familiar international franchises, we find ourselves looking for intimate, one-of-a-kind cafés selling dishes that shout “home-cooked”. All due to the fact that somewhere deep in our hearts, we long for a sense of warmth that usually exudes from small businesses that remember clients’ names and preferences by heart. The same applies for small translation companies.

3. Quick Response Time

Some small translation companies work around the clock, so if you have urgent jobs that require attention over the weekend, chances are that these small businesses may be able to respond to you without that usual “working days” rule.

4. Easy Negotiation

Without all the big company rules and regulations to follow, there is a higher chance to negotiate rates and delivery time with small translation companies.

5. Consistent In Style

If consistency and translation style is a concern to you, small translation companies are often able to assign the same translator to your projects. Just like how we prefer to stick to the same hairdresser for our golden crown, stick to the same translator if his/her style is something you took a liking to.

Trust the people behind the brand. After all, it is the skills we are looking for.

 Visit Yiu Translation to find out more about Lee Ling’s work.

_{This post was first published on Yiu Translation Blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.}

_{Edited by Nedda Chaplin
Image credit: Business partners shaking hands after successful meeting from Shutterstock}

Did you enjoy this post? Please comment, like and share!

The post 5 Reasons Why You Should Give Small Translation Companies A Chance appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

It is natural for all of us to have misconceptions about things we are not familiar with, just like when we used to question how challenging being a homemaker can be.

It wasn’t until mother blew her top and left the house in our care for one day did we realize that almost nothing is as simple as we think. Similarly, for the translation industry, some people may have a few misconceptions, especially when this skill is being deemed as not being widely in demand. You may have, once or twice, made a few assumptions, but we are here to share the truth. Here are five common misconceptions:

1. Anyone Can Translate As Long As They Understand The Language Pair

This may be similar as saying that anyone can drive as long as he/she learns how to, which is true, but we all know that not everyone drives the same way. Some are born racers who can drift into a parallel park with their eyes closed, but there are also some who can never exceed 50km per hour. To put it simply, if we were to insist that anyone can translate, then perhaps the difference lies in the quality of the translation.

2. Translation Should Be Done Fast

While it is true that professionals might be able to complete a translation task faster given his skills and experience, it doesn’t mean that translation should be a quick job. Due to this misconception, translations are often left until the last minute and are almost always listed as “urgent” with minimal time given for completion. Any translator who takes pride in his/her job will take serious care to research background information so that the source text is being translated to its highest accuracy, and this pre-translation task takes time.

3. Translation Should Be Cheap

Besides researching and the actual translating work, a few rounds of proofreading and editing is necessary before handing the completed task back to the client. With such an amount of effort and time involved, translation is seldom a low-priced service. Other than that, specialized content, such as medical or legal documents will also ask for higher rates.

4. Translators Can Translate Any Word

As much as we would like to be known as a walking bilingual dictionary, it is unlikely that we can translate every single word. So don’t be surprised if you hear us saying “I don’t know” because, true enough, there are words that are simply untranslatable. But a true translator will be able to creatively use other measures to accurately express the same meaning of that untranslatable word. That explains the seemingly expensive rate that you are paying.

5. Translation Is Easy

This may not be a question, but the answer is simply … no.

 Visit Yiu Translation to find out more about Lee Ling’s work.

_{This post was first published on Yiu Translation Blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.}

_{Edited by Nedda Chaplin
Image credit: business ladies working from Shutterstock}

Did you enjoy this post? Please comment, like and share!

The post 5 Common Misconceptions About Translation appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..