Musings of a Translation Trainee: The Responsibility of a Translator

BigT news, New, Professional translators16 February, 201615 July, 2021

The responsibility that is taken on by a translator is huge! This is the overwhelming impression that I am left with whenever I stop to think about what it actually means to be a translator, the profession which I have chosen and the role which I am working towards!

The translator’s responsibility

The responsibility that is taken on by a translator is huge! This is the overwhelming impression that I am left with whenever I stop to think about what it actually means to be a translator, the profession which I have chosen and the role which I am working towards! This is both terrifying and incredibly exciting at the same time! We all know that those jobs which hold the most responsibility are also, very often, the most rewarding!

A translator needs knowledge and creativity

The job of translator requires not only skill but also great cultural knowledge, good judgement, and also a generous helping of creative problem solving. Let’s have a little think about just one of the anecdotes which have been recounted to me during my studies, which I have retained and springs to mind when I think of the importance of contextual adaption and a target orientated approach. I was told of the situation where a Jamaican politician said to his French counterpart that an event he had seen in France was as exciting as the best cricket game. Nevertheless, the interpreter facilitating the communication between the two of them decided to translate it as “what I saw here was as exciting as a cycling race”, which undoubtedly speaks more to a French speaker.

Consideration and courage

Whilst, obviously, not all situations call for this kind of alteration to the content, (and caution should always be exercised) I do think that bearing in mind the effect of the text on the target audience is something which cannot be overestimated. I know that we have all witnessed examples of literal translations which have lost the message among the jumble of verbatim words…

Be brave my fellow translators, translate the message of the text and not just the words on the page!

Lithuanian Translation: Style and Formatting Guidelines

New, Professional translators8 February, 201615 July, 2021

BigTranslation is very proud of the high quality of our Lithuanian translations. When carrying out Lithuanian translation on the platform, please follow these guidelines.

Lithuanian Translation

Lithuanian Translation: Style and Formatting Guidelines.

BigTranslation is very proud of the high quality of our Lithuanian translations. When carrying out Lithuanian translation on the platform, please follow these guidelines. They will explain exactly how to format product descriptions correctly, and they also contain valuable general information on our style preferences for any Lithuanian translation undertaken for us.

Style and Formatting Guidelines-LT

Why BigTranslation Adores Style and Formatting Guidelines

We are big fans of style and formatting guidelines and we make them available for all of our team working in every target language. This document is a useful tool, not only our translators, but also for our validators, editors, project managers, etc. We know that you, like us, take content seriously and we believe that this is the optimal way to provide a structure and framework that is easily accessible to everybody and avoid any uncertainties or ambiguities. We find that it is an especially useful tool when working with such a large team, via our platform.

In addition, style and formatting guides are very important for BigTranslation as a professional translation agency. They help us to maintain our credibility and to ensure that we stand out from our competitors, ensuring consistency between translators and individual texts in terms of style and quality.

What’s more, having a style and formatting guide to consult helps to unify all of the content and create a strong and reliable brand for each of our clients. This, in turn helps them to gain the turst of their target market.

As translators, we need to have a keen eye for detail, and a style guide helps to take care of the nitty-gritty grammatical points. It also helps us to have confidence in our choices, aiding us when selecting between more than one correct option and clearing up any uncertainties about the best way to format our work!

Traductores Autónomos: Invoice Template for Translators from Spain

FAQs, Invoices and payments, Professional translators22 October, 201513 May, 2020

Below you will be able to download a template of the invoice required from those translators registered as self-employed or as a company in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands. In the upper left-hand corner, you need to enter your personal details and then, in the row below, the corresponding invoice number as well as the date on which you are invoicing us.

Below you will be able to download a template of the invoice required from those translators registered as self-employed or as a company in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands. In the upper left-hand corner, you need to enter your personal details and then, in the row below, the corresponding invoice number as well as the date on which you are invoicing us.

In the concept, all you need to enter is the language or languages into which you have translated, the translation period (month and year) and the amount earned (without VAT or Personal Income Tax).

The next step is very important-you need to indicate your bank details in order for us to make the transfer.

Lastly, you need to enter the total again and apply the VAT and the Personal Infcome Tax withholdings. The final total will be the amount which BigTranslation will go by when paying into your account. Remember that if you are registered as self-employed in Spain or the Balearic Islands, you need to add 21 % VAT and the correct percentage of Personal Income Tax withholdings.

On the other hand, companies registered in Spain and the Balearic Islands only need to apply the 21 % VAT in their invoices.

Please do not forget to sign all invoices and clearly indicate your full name.

We recommend that you contact an administrative agency so that they can resolve any queries regarding the emission of these invoices as BigTranslation accepts no responsibility and/or claim if any error occurs with them (wrong bank details, IVA, PIT, etc.).

Invoice template Spain