Translating texts from one language to another calls for accuracy and a knack for detail. Like most projects, English to Hebrew translation requires that the translator pays attention to the most delicate details. That way, you can produce a naturally flowing script that reflects the source text.
Hebrew, also known as the “language of tongue twisters,” now has more than 9 million people who speak it. With so much to learn about the language, it’s best to let a native Hebrew speaker handle your translation.
Translating text can offer multiple benefits to businesses like :
- Localizing web content to fit a specific audience
- Sharing important industry news written in a foreign language initially
- Transcribing a translated text copy from a foreign audio
- Applying for a business permit in a foreign land
With so many applications, there’s a lot to gain from translation. However, to reap these benefits, all your translations must be accurate—no wonder most businesses hire professional translators to handle their projects.
Let’s discuss a translator’s job in detail and how to spot the right candidate for your next translation task.
What Does a Translator Do?
No matter the source or destination language, a translator has a vital role to play. In a nutshell, a translator is an individual who converts text from a source language to the next. Mainly, the primary requirement is fluency in English and maybe one other dialectal.
For instance, if we were to translate English to Hebrew, the translator must be fluent in the two languages. Thus, translation’s primary goal is to produce a naturally flowing script (in the intended dialect) out of a source language.
Remember, the mere ability to understand both languages isn’t enough. The individual must be familiar with the most delicate details, as well as the figures of speech.
Usually, translators turn text into their native language. So the right candidate for your English to Hebrew project should most likely be Hebrew or fluent in the language.
Nevertheless, translators don’t have to be native speakers; all that matters is their communication prowess in the required language.
Having full command of a language enables the candidate to incorporate the more subtle details required in translation, making it authentic.
Which Sectors Benefit from Translation?
From ecommerce to law and medicine, there’s no sector that these experts do not serve. Translators take on all sorts of work, from text-based work to audio. Jobs can be in the form of:
- Audiobooks: These are short video recordings businesses share with customers to provide instructions about their products or share industry news. You can hire translators to help you localize these contents for various audiences.
- Business material: In the ecommerce era, businesses serve clients from all over the globe. As a result, most enjoy the convenience of having content like blog posts in an audience-friendly language.
- eLearning localization: Localization focuses on translating course content to offer lessons in dialects that locals understand.
- Scripts: Moviemakers add subtitles to videos for many reasons. One of the primary uses of subtitles is to ensure multilingual accessibility of video content.
- Medical diagnoses: If a patient is going for treatment abroad, you may need to translate their previous medical records to help get the foreign doctor up to speed.
While some translators handle these projects as a full-time job, others consider it part-time. Moreover, some are registered to freelance platforms, others have their websites, while others work for professional translation agencies.
Tips to Find an English to Hebrew Translator
So, when looking to outsource translation work to an expert, what are your options?
You can:
- Hire a freelance translator
- Outsource to a translation agency
Before sharing the project details, it’s crucial to understand the benefits and downsides of each approach.
a) Hire a Freelancer
A freelance translator is an independent worker registered to a freelance platform. Often, these translators handle different types of jobs for multiple clients.
Freelance websites serve as a meeting point for translators and clients looking for these services. In addition, these platforms vet would-be translators and go through deliverables to ensure quality work.
You can find expert translators on freelance websites like Bunny Studio.
Other times, some solo freelancers pitch for jobs on their own. These ‘loners’ do everything alone, including searching for jobs, discussing deals, and managing themselves plus their time.
Before outsourcing work to a freelancer, double-check their know-how and experience. To do this, you can either request a sample of previous projects or ask them to translate a short script.
Clients prefer freelancers because they offer more for less. Also, they get to interact with the freelancer for a more personalized experience.
If you follow this approach, you will handle negotiations, issue feedback, and discuss with the expert until you achieve a tailored script.
b) Outsource to a Translation Agency
Translation agencies are service providers focusing on translation work. If you outsource to them:
- They will share the project with a professional translator
- Once you provide project details, they handle everything for you
- They translate your work professionally.
- They have a fixed rate, so you won’t need to worry about price negotiations
However, you must explain everything you need in detail when discussing the project to ease your work down the road. Explaining what you need thoroughly also ensures the company assigns you the right translator.
Before hiring:
- Confirm whether the service offers English to Hebrew translation.
- Ascertain that a human translator will work on your script
NB: Refrain from working with companies that use software to translate scripts as machines lead to erratic unnatural translations.
Manual Vs. Automatic English to Hebrew Translation
Manual Translation involves a human translator turning text from one language to another. Thus, it is different than automatic translation, which leverages tools to turn scripts from one dialect into another.
Human translation is deemed the best approach. This is because, often, machine-done translations are erratic, and in the worst cases, the content might lose its meaning.
Below are reasons why humans better are than machines in translating content from one language to another:
i. Figurative speech
People can understand figures of speech and convey the correct meanings in the destination language. However, translation tools may translate figurative language word for word, distorting the meaning.
ii. Attention to detail
Unlike machines that turn text into a foreign language, word for word, humans are more meticulous with details such as:
- Cold-reading to understand the source text’s topic/context,
- Counterchecking the two script for accuracy
- Rereading the translated transcript to ensure everything flows naturally
- Punctuating the script correctly to increase its readability
The translation process requires patience and a knack for accuracy, which computers can’t achieve.
iii. A mind of their own
People, unlike machines, have a mind of their own. They can notice source text errors that translation software cannot.
For instance:
- They can spot and finish incomplete thoughts in the destination language
- Eliminate errors, ensuring a viable final script
In comparison, machines are still far from this level of reasoning which matters in achieving natural translations.
iv. The ability to summarize
Humans can summarize translations for projects that do not need the entire script translated as it is.
Only a human translator can summarize pages of text into a foreign language, unlike translation software programmed to translate content word for word.
v. The ability to take tailored instructions
Human translators can take client instructions and apply them during translation. However, machines only adhere to the set of commands issued by developers–often, to translate words into a foreign language.
vi. Punctuation
Punctuation increases readability. Without it, some parts of your translated script may not make sense to a reader.
Translation software does not punctuate the final transcript. As a consequence, some sections of the piece may be difficult to understand.
How to Spot a Qualified English to Hebrew Translator
As hinted before, it’s crucial to ensure the translator you hire has what it takes to ace the project. To do this, start by understanding what makes an excellent translator.
Below are the top qualities to look for:
- Fluency: Remember, the mere ability to understand both languages isn’t enough. The individual must understand the most delicate details of both languages, including technical aspects like figures of speech.
- Cultural awareness: Language and culture go hand in hand; your translator should have a deep understanding of the two cultures. This way, they can resonate with the culture-specific aspects in a source text and create a destination script that users can resonate with.
- Expertise: Have they handled related projects? How long have they done English to Hebrew translations?
- Time management skills: Because most projects are time-sensitive, you want to hire someone who can manage their time and deliver work in good time.
- Relevance: All translators serve the same purpose, but some projects demand more attention, e.g., medical and legal translations. For these tasks, ask candidates for samples of previous work to gauge their expertise.
Remember to spend quality time writing down the project details. Crystal clear will ease the outsourcing process while increasing the likelihood of choosing a relevant candidate.
Concluding on English to Hebrew Translation
All translation is a matter of language fluency: no human can claim to have a good command of all dialects. Plenty of time, effort, and skills go into translation work. As a result, it can be hectic turning text from one language to the next. Nevertheless, as the world digitalizes into a global village, you need the convenience of switching between languages.
To ensure accurate translations, most brands hire a translator to handle technical translations. Still, it’s crucial to vet the company or freelancer you intend to hire. Vetting ensures an accurate and naturally flowing script down the road. It also guarantees timely delivery while reducing the to and fro correction requests.
So, have you prepared the project details for your next translation task? Well, share them with us and hire a translator from Bunny Studio.
