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What is a good translator?

With a really good translation, you will have the impression that you are reading an original text. If this is the standard that you expect from a translation, the following guidelines may be a help.

The translator you propose to commission must not only have an excellent command of foreign languages, he must also be thoroughly acquainted with the culture and history of the country for which he is translating.
Then too, he needs to have a reliable feel for the typical patterns of communication.

If you want a good translation, it is not enough to find a translator who is just linguistically competent. The translator must also combine in his own person a high level of general culture, effectiveness in handling his mother tongue and the foreign language, a knowledge of the cultural specifics of other countries, well-grounded specialist knowledge and the ability to translate technical texts in such a way that they will be understood by the intended target group.

Methodical knowledge is also indispensable if typical translation problems are to be avoided.

The following criteria give the customer a basis for determining the quality of a translator's work:

The translator should have studied at a university or technical college (in Bavaria, at a Fachakademie or Professional Academy), specialising in a variety of subjects. As a rule, qualified translators based in Germany have taken a state exam in one of ten Federal States. Some courses offer an all-round training, in others the students specialise at an early stage. For example, the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf offers a Literary Translation course, while Fachhochschule Flensburg [Flensburg Technical College] has a course in International Specialised Communication.
Sometimes courses in language studies or in the ICT area are given by dedicated institutes. The Sprachen & Dolmetscher Institut München [Language and Interpreters Institute of Munich] is one such that has made a name for itself, and there are four other Professional Academies of its kind in Bavaria. (A list of the relevant institutes and universities will be found in the Appendix).

NB: 'translator' is not a legally protected job description. Even the appellation 'sworn translator' or 'authorised translator' is not an absolute mark of quality but only indicates juridical status.
The following qualifications are professional designations protected by law: Diplom-Dolmetscher [Qualified Interpreter], Diplom-Übersetzer [Qualified Translator], Diplom-Fachübersetzer [Qualified Translator in Specialist Subjects] and Diplom-Technikübersetzer [Qualified Technical Translator].
The translator must be able to handle electronic aids, such as terminology management databases, desktop publishing programs and translation memory systems, and have these resources at his disposal.

Besides his linguistic qualifications, the translator should have practical experience in the specialist area in which he offers translations. In this way he will be sure to have an in-depth understanding of the subject matter he works with. There are some translators who specialise in engineering, others may specialise in medicine, law or marketing. Many translators specialise in two or three different subjects.
In any case you would be advised to exercise a modicum of caution if you find a translator who claims to specialise "in all subject areas".

A further mark of quality is the way the translator handles his time when working on a translation.

A translator may manage something like 1200 to 1500 words a day, or between 150 and 185 standard lines – sometimes perhaps more, when dealing with very straightforward texts that do not call for a lot of research. Some translators here and there may do as much as 2000 words a day – but this is almost bound to mean a lot of overtime work. With complex texts that need to be carefully adapted, a day's output may be well below the 1200 word mark.

Any translator who offers the client a service that is very much in excess of these figures can hardly be expected to deliver quality, or to produce a translation that meets the customer's expectations.
The translator should offer the prospective client the option of a sample translation, either free of charge or at a cheap rate, and should be willing to show references. When references are offered, it is important to distinguish between a blanket reference or statement issued by the company as a whole, and one in the name of a specific person who works for the company.

In case of doubt, only references with a personal bearing carry any weight.
Word of mouth recommendation from other institutions or customers is also a factor to be taken into account.
And finally, the translator should be able to show that he has some years of professional experience behind him.

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