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| [buildings and reflection on water*] |
One relatively stable translation niche is financial translation, which involves
any document required in the flow of money as well as various documents proving
place of residence. Many of the requests are for translations from PDFs that list personal
specifics on a standard form such as a tax declaration or utility invoice. In
practical terms, a previous translation
can be used as a template. However, entering different details onto an existing
form is not as simple as it seems. In first drafts, it can happen that the translator introduces errors, namely
in numbers, names and formatting. A proper QA process can essentially ensure
that the client receives a completely accurate translation.
To a non-translator, translating a water bill or bank statement may be
simple. It seems that all one has to do is run the PDF through a decent PDF-Word converter
and out comes a nice Word document. Alas, in almost all cases, the resulting
Word document is a mess, requiring more work to fix the formatting than to
translate it manually, i.e., line by line. This means that the first
translation of any such PDF can take significant time, up to 90 minutes for one
page if the format is complicated as in tax forms or some utility bills. On the
other hand, assuming the translation is accurate, that resulting Word document
can be used for any other customer requesting translation of a document in the same format.
Thus, it is worthwhile for the translator to invest time and effort to produce
a proper template. However, when entering the new details, the translator faces the danger of introducing errors. These can be eliminated by appropriate checking.
One major issue is incorrect numbers. One challenge is when a page is
extremely “busy” with numbers of which some change, e.g., the amount due, while
others remain the same, e.g., the company number of the utility. Furthermore,
since the numbers are being entered manually, the translator may reverse two
numbers, e.g. "27" becomes "72", creating an error. Finally, while the forms
may be same, some documents may include or not contain specifics appearing in the template, such
as a certain fee or service. Thus, the translator should compare all the
numbers on the original and translation and make sure that they are identical.
The ideal time for this process is the next day when the mind sees the actual
details much clearer.
Names can also be tricky. First, when working from a different alphabet
(Hebrew to English in my case), it is vital to confirm the relevant spelling of
any name on the document. Aside from any hurt feelings, it may impact the legal
validity of the document. Once the translator completes the translation, it is
important to confirm the name was spelled identically throughout the document.
The human mind is more than capable of switching spellings in the middle of a
project. A quick check of names identifies any such error before the client
discovers it.
The last issue, formatting, while generally irrelevant in terms of
content, is vital for customers. The translated document should look as
identical as possible to the original. If an item is boxed, bold, underlined or
white-in-black in the original, it should also be so in the translation just as
a text without margin lines should look the same in the translation. Adding
items to a template can further disturb the formatting. Thus, the translator
needs to compare the visual aspects of the target and source documents to make
sure that they match as much as possible. Customers value this result with the
users of the documents appreciating the ability to easily compare data. Proper
formatting is an essential part of a professional translation of a financial
document.
The QA processes described above involve checking multiple aspects of
the document. Ideally, the translator should do each one in turn, i.e., first
comparing numbers, followed by names and then formatting. Of course, the
translator should also take into account the time involved in this process in
setting the price. Not only does this QA process produce a proper translation,
it leads to repeat business from the same customer and recommendations. In
other words, proper QA of financial documents is time well spent.
* Picture captions help the blind fully access at the Internet.
Picture credit
