At Romo Translations, based in London, we pride ourselves on helping our clients by providing helpful hints and tips for getting the best translations. Here we’re looking at some useful pointers for when you are translating your business documents into Spanish from English, as there are some mistakes that people make and we would like you to avoid them.

Have you considered these possible scenarios when starting your Spanish translations?

Plan ahead with your Spanish translations

Not planning ahead is an easy mistake to make. Once you have written the original copy you decide to translate your documents without considering other factors. For example, if you simply translate the first draft, then it can cost you time and money if there are content errors that need changing or adding to once the draft has been translated in to Spanish. It can also delay the process if the original copy is riddled with typos and spelling mistakes.

To avoid these and make your Spanish translation, or indeed any translations easier and more cost effective, make sure that the document has been thoroughly proofread by people that know and understand the subject matter. This way you will reduce the risk of having to make costly changes.

It is worth trying to collate all materials that require translation into the same language in a single submission to the Spanish Translator. This can often lead to discounts due to the bulk of the work required.

Don’t ask a Spanish speaking member of the team to translate for you

Tempting though it is to have a member of staff undertake the Spanish translation for you, it could be a costly mistake. Translating accurately does not mean taking the original document and translating directly word for word. A professional Spanish translator will be experienced in writing in both languages as well as having a detailed understanding of the subject matter. This will allow the Spanish translator to include the right cultural and language nuances along with the right tone of voice in the final translated document.

Don’t use translation Software

Although translation software has improved over the years, it is still a recognised fact that it is not sufficiently accurate to be able to translate complex documents. This means that you could jeopardise your business if the Spanish translation is poor or indeed have to spend more money correcting the errors. Often it can be seen that, particularly in complex documentation, that the proofreading and correction process is as costly as having the Spanish translation done by a professional translator in the first place. In these circumstances it will almost certainly take longer. In short, it is better to have your Spanish translation carried out by a professional Spanish translator in the first instance.

Be clear when briefing an outsourced translation agency

A frequently made mistake when conducting Spanish translation using an external agency is not providing them with a clear brief on how the translated documents are to be used and where. As mentioned in point 2, there are cultural and language nuances that need to be taken into consideration when translating in to Spanish, so the agency will need to know that the document is to be used in Spain, Argentina or the US for example.

In order that the most appropriate translator is placed on the job, the agency will also need to have an understanding of the nature of the subject matter, for example is it a Legal document, financial or medical? Are the recipients going to be subject experts or is the document going to need to be simplified in the terminology for the layman to understand?

In addition, if there is more than one department in the business that requires translation, it is a good idea to centralise the translation process with the agency to ensure that the business benefits from the bulk purchase discounts and to help avoid any duplication of work.

Here at Romo Translations, conveniently based from our London offices, we are highly experienced Spanish translators dealing with practically every subject matter. If you would like to discuss further how we can help with your next Spanish translation, please call us on 0203 696 8680 and we’ll be delighted to help you.