Frequently Asked Question - Translation Services
Producing high-quality translations using native speaker translators
We all certainly agree that translators must understand the source language and target language equally well.
The meaning of the source document must be conveyed in the target language accurately.
By ‘accurate,’ we mean nothing should be added or lost in the message/meaning of what the writer intends, including through the translator’s word choice.
However, the translation must be easily understood, without raising any speculation, and without giving way to multiple interpretations. It should be unambiguous, clear, and sound natural in the target language.
To achieve this result, we rely on native speaker translators who have a high level of mastery in both the source language and target language, and are highly capable translators.
If the source language is in Korean, and the document needs to be translated into Indonesian (Korean > Indonesian) then this means the target language is Indonesian, so we would use a native Indonesian speaker translator.
Conversely, if the source language is Indonesian, and the document is to be translated into Korean (Indonesian > Korean) then as the target language is Korean, we would use a native Korean speaking translator.
Please click here for detailed information regarding the native speaker translators in Hasta’s team.
The types of documents that to be translated by a sworn translator
An authorized and sworn translator is required to translate legal/official documents that are going to be used for legal/official purposes, including: diplomas, identity cards, passports, marriage books and certificates, agreements, business permits, deeds of incorporation, etc.
However, documents that are unofficial/non-legal, such as Whatsapp message, SMS, emails, and handwritten wills, which may be used for legal purposes, such as court cases, also need to be translated by an authorized and sworn translator.
In this instance, the document may be translated by a non-sworn translator.
There is. Please contact us for details regarding your specific requirements.
Guaranteed time to completion
To ensure that we are able to deliver the translated document in time, we will provide a well-considered and prudent estimate for the time to completion.
We do not accept translation projects with deadlines that are unreasonable, but can accept projects for our semi-express and express services that are of limited volume, taking into consideration the amount of material to be translated, availability time, etc.
A deadline that is impossible to meet even if the translator is working 12 hours a day (8 working hours + four hours’ overtime), over the span of no more than two days at that rhythm of work.
An overworked mind and body become counterproductive, due to exhaustion and tension.
Translating requires a great deal of focus, concentration, and a clear mind, and these qualities can only be achieved when the translator is physically well and provided enough time to work.
Exhaustion clearly affects focus and concentration, especially with regards to the mind and the eyes. If a translator is tired, but continues to force himself/herself to keep working, this will inevitably negatively affect the translation.
Additionally, this means his/her break time is reduced, which results in the following day’s work suffering a delayed start, where the translator may physically not have recovered from the tiring work of the previous day. This again, becomes counterproductive.
If this counterproductive condition is compounded by the mental strain of a pending deadline, this also raises the possibility that the translator may not be able to maintain a clear mental state, which can therefore lead to inaccuracy in word choice, punctuation errors, lack of time to check spelling, the inability to compose easily readable and effective sentences in the target language, and even misreading the source language document, along with a variety of other issues.
Bearing this in mind, please be sure to inform us of the volume of material you need to be translated, and we will be able to provide a timeframe for how long our translators need to complete it.
Translation fee
In determining the translation fee, we consider a number of factors beforehand, such as:
- the language pairs. For example, is the translation from Japanese to Indonesian, or from Indonesian to Japanese? This is because the fee for translating from Indonesian into a foreign language may be different than that of translating from a foreign language into Indonesian.
- the type of service required. For example, is this project standard, semi-express or express?
- the qualifications of the translator that is required, such as: native speaker or non-native speaker; sworn or non-sworn; certified or uncertified?
- the format of the document. Is it editable or non-editable?
Once we receive the information above from our clients, we are able to inform the client of the total fee and the time to completion on the project via a Price Quotation on editable documents (like Ms. Word, for example), or an Estimated Price Offer on non-editable documents (such as .pdf, .jpeg documents that cannot be converted, hard copy files, and the like).
For our clients’ convenience, we can also offer the fee as a lump sum.
If the source document is in an editable form, such as Ms. Word, the translation fee will be counted based on word count/character count of the source language.
If the source document is in a non-editable format, such as .pdf which is not convertible, the translation fee will be based on the word count/character count of the target language, if we are to follow the layout of the source language document; or per page in the format of A4 with size 12 font, normal margins, and double-spaced, if we are not required to follow the layout of the source language document. Therefore, we must make an Estimated Price Offer first, as the fee will be based on the actual final result of the translation.
In certain circumstances, a lump sum fee system may be applicable.
Because the volume/amount of material to be translated per page is highly variable. There may be very little per page, or there may be a great deal of material per page, so charging a fee per page is an unreliable basis for determining the translation fee.
If the source document is in an editable form, such as Ms. Word, we will not charge a translation fee for those elements. However, if the source document is in a non-editable form, those elements will incur a typing and formatting fee.
Example Translation
You can test us out beforehand. The test must be no longer than one page, meeting the following criteria: size A4, double-spaced, normal margins, size 12 font.
Or click here to see some of our sample translations.
Contact us now if you have any other questions regarding our translation services, either by clicking on the Chat Via Whatsapp icon on this page, or via email at cs@hasta-translation.com