Several foreign language translations exist, but your audience and location will help you decipher what you need. Someone going to France will need a French translation of essential documents. Meanwhile, a USA-bound traveler from a non-English-speaking country needs an American translation.
Don’t confuse American with British translations, as they’re different variants of the English language.
So, if you want to live, work, or study in the USA, you must hire a competent translator. But first, you must understand the nature of your document to get the right professional for the task.
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5 Types of Translations in the U.S.
There are many translation types, so you must understand the nature of your document to decipher the specialist you need. This way, you’ll get the best rendition considering cultural sensitivity, technicality, grammatical nuances, and industry terminologies.
So, here are five translation types you should know.
1. USCIS Translation
The USCIS is an abbreviation for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. It’s a government agency that handles immigration-related appeals and applications from individuals, including visa applications, green cards, residency permits, etc.
So, immigration document translation is another exciting translation category. Processing immigrant applications requires submitting certified translations of foreign documents. USCIS translators understand all the agency’s standards and requirements.
They also know the immigration laws of America and can thus guarantee a high chance of acceptance by the USCIS.
2. Legal Translation
Legal translators know national laws and can handle court proceedings, tribunals, decrees, and declarations. With an understanding of legal systems, a translation specialist in this field can fine-tune renditions to fit all contexts properly.
These translators are present in courts. Sometimes, they can pursue a career in document notarization since they work pari passu with the judiciary. They also assist intelligence agencies in translating the statements of suspects and convicted criminals.
Apart from these, legal translators in the USA also translate personal civil documents of individuals from foreign languages to English.
For example, they handle translations of birth certificates, marriage, divorce, death certificates, and other vital records.
3. Academic Translation
Thousands of students troop into the United States yearly. However, prospective students must first send applications to various universities and institutions. Therefore, individuals must translate academic transcripts according to each institution’s standards.
Besides transcripts, academic translation covers learning materials and resources, research papers, theses, journal articles, and books.
Translators convert many scholarly materials to English, making this a budding translation category.
4. Corporate Translation
Corporate translation entails converting business, official, and administrative documents. The demand for corporate translators soars as international marketing expands for transnational and multinational corporations.
Corporate translations facilitate business efficiency between multilingual teams. Therefore, corporate translators imbibe caution regarding cultural sensitivity.
Hence, they avoid passing the wrong message or using offensive terms, fostering peaceful negotiations and agreements.
5. Medical Translation
Medical translation is a distinct category with many peculiarities. The terms, context, and records are of the utmost importance. Inaccuracies can lead to misdiagnosis and complications.
That’s why you need a translator whose skills supersede linguistic talents, one with a detailed understanding of the subject matter.
Translation style and material also differ in this field. Some documents medical translators handle are patients’ medical records, drug labels, data sheets, and medical reports.
The Purpose of Official English Translations
You may wonder why you need to translate your foreign documents into English. Document translation is helpful as it fosters better communication and enhances information accessibility. It serves several purposes in different situations.
For example, it enables the fluent exchange of information by removing language barriers. That’s why it’s necessary to translate foreign documents; otherwise, officials and authorities cannot comprehend your personal information.
It also promotes cultural assimilation, understanding, and dialogue, thus broadening people’s perspectives. Translations make people more versatile in knowledge. Additionally, translation facilitates education by spreading groundbreaking discoveries.
In every field of human endeavor, document rendition introduces simplicity and enhances global interconnectedness. So translation plays a multifaceted role in fostering interaction & understanding and leads to new opportunities.
Becoming a Part of the American Translators Association
The American Translators Association (ATA) is an organization meant to propel the translation career and aid the professional growth of translators. This association is globally renowned for its strive to inculcate ethical practices and standards in translations.
Therefore, it’s a great professional group in the industry that established and upcoming translators should join. ATA offers resources and training materials while facilitating individual networking and collaborations.
By joining the associations, you’ll get updates on industry trends, style guides, and ethical translation codes to improve your services. ATA also offers a certification course that produces a new class of professional translators.
Moreover, the organization advocates for its members, so becoming one brings multiple benefits.
So, interested translators can join this association by applying to become associates. After four weeks, they will be eligible for active or corresponding membership. However, they must complete the membership review or pass the ATA certification examination.
ATA produces credible, proficient, and efficient translators who enjoy global recognition because people trust their standards. If you’re a client seeking a specialized translator, getting one with an ATA certification would be a plus.
How Much Does American Translation Services Cost?
There is no static price for American translation services. The cost of document translation varies depending on the service provider you patronize. While some charge by word count, others charge per page. On average, you can access translation for $10 – $30 per page.
To determine how much you’ll spend on a translation, contact your preferred service provider and ask for a quote. But in preparation for what to expect, you should know some considerations that influence pricing.
Translators always consider the nature of your documents, so those requiring more attention to detail are costlier. They also weigh the length and complexity of documents, so bulkier tasks are pretty expensive.
Before drawing up quotes, translators also consider the availability of translators in the language pair. Another factor is delivery speed, as faster services like rush notary require intense effort.
Though revision and editing should be part of the translation package, some translators charge extra for these services. But despite all, endeavor to communicate your expectations clearly and bargain or ask for discounts.
Remember, you can get an American translation for an affordable price without settling for less.
Hence, if you need a translation agency with competitive pricing, quality translations, and fast turnaround times, patronize RapidTranslate. We are a professional translation company with human translators in over 60 language pairs, and our services are available globally.
Place your order, and let’s help you break all global communication barriers today!
