   |
Questions :
- How much do translations cost?
- What else should I know when signing a contract?
- Translator or translation company?
- What kind of experience and qualifications do your translators have?
- What to look for in a translation company?
- How can you ensure that a translation is correct?
- What is your turn-around time?
- What is your privacy policy?
Answers :
How much do translations cost?
The cost of translations depends on the length and complexity of a project. We base our translations on a price per 1000 Chinese characters and marks. We would like to explain as far as possible how quotations are arrived at. Translation: Much of MTS’s translation is carried out in-house. Translation is charged per 1000 Chinese characters and marks. There is a minimum charge for smaller translations. Prices depend on the language; for a language such as English, German, Japanese, and French, for which there are many more translators and which is requested frequently, the price will understandably be lower than for Spanish, for instance. DTP: Desktop publishing at MTS is always carried out in-house. Projects can be undertaken in almost any software package, and on PC or Mac. The choice of package has little bearing on the final cost. Projects are returned to clients in the format of their choice. Format does have a bearing on final cost. DTP is charged either per page or per hour, dependent on the format. Included within the DTP costs are two proof readings, by a translator to confirm nothing has been cut from the text, and by a DTP operator, to check for consistency of style. Interpreters: A daily rate, excluding costs for accommodation, food, and transportation, is applicable for interpreters . Transcription: Transcription is charged per minute of tape. The details you provide will enable MTS initially to provide you with a full quotation, and subsequently, we hope, to complete your project more efficiently, by ensuring that we are fully aware of your specific requirements from the outset.
What else should I know when signing a contract?
Be specific:
Indicate the language and country affiliation to help MTS assign a translator with the appropriate background. Provide a final or near-final draft when requesting an estimate in order to receive a relevant quote. Specify your formatting needs well in advance.
Give us the right tools:
Share supporting materials (e.g. past translations, glossaries, references and brochures) with us, particularly in the case of highly specialized fields of knowledge. Edit out colloquialisms from your text unless their presence is essential to the meaning. Make grammatical corrections and simplify sentences .
Translator or translation company?
The majority of translators in China still work as freelancers. Some translation companies serve as little more than translation brokers, coordinating projects which are being worked on all over the country. This means that they will always specifically select a translator suited to a job. However, when facing tight deadlines, the fact that they have to send work out could lead to difficulties. Companies like MTS, however, not only offer a wider range of services, but also generally have a team of translators in-house. This not only makes it easier to meet tight deadlines but also helps keep your costs down.
What kind of experience and qualifications do your translators have?
All MTS interpreters and translators have been carefully screened and evaluated, are native speakers, or equivalent with at least three years of translation experiences , and are accredited by national and international translation organizations.
What to look for in a translation company?
It is important that you are confident in your translation company, that you believe they have the resources and capabilities to perform the work to your satisfaction. MTS has a large office base in Xiamen; all our clients and potential clients are always welcome to visit, to see how we work, to discuss projects with our staff face to face. Of course, all our project managers, including our translation manager and desktop publishing manager can be contacted by phone or email to answer any questions you might have about specific elements of a project. Further quality assurances come from other organizations that have used our services. Should you wish to acquire references concerning MTS, we can provide you with names and addresses of a variety of companies with whom we have worked.
How can you ensure that a translation is correct?
Our team of professional translators pay strict attention to your exact linguistic and cultural needs to ensure that your intended meaning is conveyed with style and precision.
What is your turn-around time?
Rapid, high quality work, including last-minute rush orders, is our hallmark. For large projects, we offer consultation and team coordination to expedite product delivery. MTS understands that there can be emergency translation needs and has the flexibility to accommodate rush jobs. However, planning ahead is the surest way to receive the highest quality that our translators are capable of providing.
The time requirement depends on the technical difficulty and length of the document as well as the language. An expert translator can generally translate 1,000 to 3,000 words per day. Additional time is required for proofreading, client review, revisions, re-editing, and the logistics of receiving and returning materials.
What is your privacy policy?
Every translator shall sign the contract of Privacy Policy after being employed, making sure that there is no leak of any information of the scripts.