By Arianna Thomas
In the field of translation, quality standards demand a certain level of professionalism and accuracy from the translator as well as the consumer. Due to the fact that there was a great communication explosion in the ’90s, there was an increasing desire for translation and localization, however, there were not enough rules and expectations that governed the process as a whole; this is where the implementation of quality standards appeared.
Quality standards are beneficial in improving the quality of work because it allows the translator and consumer to be on the same page about the caliber of work that is supposed to be produced and the goals of the project. By acknowledging the goals and the expected caliber of work both parties are more likely to be satisfied with the end result. Furthermore, these quality standards protect the translator because many consumers do not fully appreciate the art of translator, and will try to take advantage of you and your services. Establishing these standards and presenting them to your client protects your business, and is an agreement that you business transaction can be based on. Furthermore, the quality standards can act as a checklist for the translator to assure that she or he is producing the best work possible. For example, certain linguistic errors are easy to get by when translating, such as syntactical errors, misspellings, punctuation errors, wrong terms or even omissions. When a body of work contains these errors it shows a level of carelessness on the translator’s part and your client will take note of these errors. There are a plethora of quality standards worldwide, stemming from the first set of standards in Germany; the DIN 2345 that was adopted in 1998. Also, there are the Austrian ONORM D1201, the ASTM of the United States of America and the Canadian standards. These standards have the hope of emphasizing cooperation between clients and translators/contractors. In addition, quality standards improve the quality of work of translators by helping to rectify potential errors in the work. For instance, there is a potential for issues regarding copyright regulations, that should be clearly stated before any action takes place. All areas of regarding the quality of the work such as quality management, assurance, and assessment. Technology and translation are soon becoming two entities that cannot exist without the other, therefore, all translation tasks that are carried out using technological advances must be precisely described using in the existing standards. Also, all the services that are outside the realm of translation must be determined, listed and described as clearly as possible.
In conclusion, assuring quality standards improves the quality of work for all members involved. It is great that young professional translators construct these quality standards because it is a good foundation for them to grow from for future endeavors. Especially because translation is heavily based on linguistic abilities, the majority of clients would be at a loss for what are the barriers and regulations for this skill, it is best for us to refer to the quality standards as well as those that are set up by organizations such as the American Translation Association, to cover the legal bases as well.
