Beyond the European translation quality standards
Metzger Quality: effectiveness in the quality of texts + efficiency in processes and time management
Metzger Translations: the professional solution to the challenges of the evolution of multilingual management
Beyond the European translation quality standards
Metzger Quality: effectiveness in the quality of texts + efficiency in processes and time management
Metzger Translations: the professional solution to the challenges of the evolution of multilingual management

CLIENTS / FAQs

FAQs

What helps to make a good technical translation?

  • While we adapt well to our clients’ deadlines, to ensure a good technical translation it is important that the delivery date takes into account the difficulty and length of the text. All time spent on understanding the text, improving the draft, and adjusting the technical vocabulary to client needs directly affects the quality of a technical translation.
  • All reference material (revised translations, leaflets, glossaries, manuals, and so on), both in the language of origin, and especially in the target language, increase our capacity to respond to the needs and vocabulary of each company.
  • Whenever possible, it is preferable to have the final and full text. Fragments and first draughts do not help streamline the process and or ensure delivery within the time required by the client.
  • Knowledge of the internal lexicon of each company, particularly of the terms and abbreviations that may appear in the text, improves the quality of translation.
  • It is also important to know who is the translation target audience; this allows the translator to adapt the style of the language, and the type of vocabulary (a mechanical workshop and a mechanical engineering and industrial design department do not use the same vocabulary).


How is the price of a technical translation calculated?

  • Although there is no common standard, the base price is usually the number of words, lines or characters. A rate that takes into account the language combination, the difficulty, volume, urgency, and so on is applied to the word count. The costs of any other services provided (layout, desktop publishing) are added to the translation cost.


How I can make sure the documents I send will be treated confidentially?

  • We are well aware that the confidentiality of the documents we translate or proofread is critical for our clients. Therefore, before receiving any document, we sign a confidentiality agreement with each client, ensuring that the data protection regulations are correctly applied, either through a contract provided by the client or by our own language-services confidentiality agreement. Furthermore, to ensure the confidentiality of their content, Metzger Translations signs a comprehensive agreement with all natural or legal persons who can access the documentation provided by our clients at some point in the production process.


What term should be considered for a technical translation?

  • This depends on the length of the text, its difficulty, the font size, line spacing, margins, the format in which it is provided and the format in which it is required. However, approximately 2000 to 3500 words of source text can be taken as an average output for each working day. If you wish to receive a precise deadline, please provide the text and we shall provide one with no commitment on your part.


What makes a good technical translator?

  • Metzger Translations requires that all its employees to have mastered at least one additional mother tongue and have specific technical academic background. They must also be capable of writing texts and of adapting to different types of documents for different target audiences. To ensure work of the highest quality within the required deadlines, we consider it essential for translators and proofreaders to have received a technical background in the languages into which they translate and that they have a good knowledge of the most advanced computer assisted translation tools.


What is a sworn translation?

  • It is a translation done by a translator approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of a country, or by an authorised public administrative authority, that represents and warrants that the translation provided is true to the original, which makes the translation binding for official, administrative and judicial bodies.


What is interpreting and what kinds are there?

    • An interpreting service consists of transmitting an oral message from one language to another. Depending on the location it can be done on-site or remotely (telephone, online, among other media). On-site interpreting services can be classified into:

      • Simultaneous interpretation services: Simultaneous interpreters translate a speech into another language while the speaker speaks, allowing fluid and fast multilingual conferences. Simultaneous interpreters, also called conference interpreters, work in a cabin specially provided for this purpose in teams of 2 people; the cabin requires a fixed or mobile communications infrastructure. Simultaneous interpretation is used in conferences, international events, and the like.
      • Consecutive interpreting services: Consecutive interpreters perform interpretation during the pauses that the speaker makes for the message to be communicated into the target language; these fragments of speech can last for several minutes at a time. Consecutive interpreting is often used in bilateral meetings, negotiations, press conferences, interviews, meals, welcome speeches and in speeches and presentations.
      • Liaison interpreting services and support: The liaison interpreter accompanies and liaises between two or more people who speak different languages, interpreting in both directions. The accompanying interpreter performs the same functions as the liaison interpreter, but also goes with the client wherever he or she needs to go, and is often used in business, dealings with foreigners in international organisations, sightseeing, etc.
      • Whispered interpreting services (chuchotage) is a variation of simultaneous interpretation, done in a low voice by whispering the words to the participants. This type of interpretation is often resorted to when only one or two people do not speak the working language at a meeting and the use of consecutive interpretation or technical equipment for simultaneous interpretation is not justified. It is often used in seminars, conferences or events with a small number of foreign participants who do not wish to intervene, as well as guided tours of companies, production plants, etc.
      • Sworn interpretation services are provided by an interpreter, approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of a country, or by an authorised public administrative authority, who usually interprets consecutively; the content is binding to government, administrative and judicial bodies. Therefore, it is usual that this kind of service is provided in Courts, Notaries Public and other public bodies.


What is a translation memory and what is it for?

  • A translation memory is a database in which segments of text are stored in bilingual format (in original and translated versions). These fragments usually correspond to whole sentences. Managing a client’s translation memories means that each new translation can be compared to similar, previously translated texts. This reduces costs and working times for the client, as well as ensuring the consistency of the translated texts.


Are companies obliged to have their manuals in Spanish when selling products in the Spanish market?

  • If they belong to the European Economic Area, Switzerland or Turkey, with certain exceptions contained in Directive 2006/42/EC, machine manufacturers are obliged to provide operating and user manuals in the languages of the countries where the equipment will be marketed. For products to be sold in Spain, it is mandatory to translate the manual into Spanish, but it is not compulsory to translate them into the other official languages. Applicable Legislation*:
    • Machine Directive (Directive 2006/42/EC of 17 May 2006)
    • Royal Decree 1644/2008, of 10 October, establishing the regulations for the marketing and commissioning of the machines
    • Regulation 765/2008 on CE marking.
    • Act 21/1992 of 16 July.

* This list is for informational purposes only. To know exactly which ones apply to your products or services, please contact our company.


What means are used to ensure that translations maintain the company’s corporate language?

  • In Metzger Translations we use all the resources at our disposal to ensure that our translations employ each client’s corporate language. Among others, we create specific glossaries, blacklists of words that a client wants to avoid, we align the client’s previously translated and approved corporate documentation, we update translation memories and glossaries based on feedback provided by the client.

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