Frequently asked questions
Getting started
Document and file
types
The translation process
Payment
Getting
started
Why should I use a translation agency?
- Agencies have access to several translators at
a given time and are more flexible and better able to meet tight deadlines.
- Proofreaders/editors are used to provide independent
checks for terminological accuracy, punctuation and appropriate style
or register.
- Agency project managers save you time by supervising
all aspects of a translation project and acting as a point of contact
between you and the translator.
- Translators are carefully vetted by agencies in
order to ensure that they possess the necessary qualifications, experience
and skill level.
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How do you price translations and how can I
obtain a quote?
In order to provide a detailed quotation, the following information is
taken into account:
- Number of words in the source document (charged
on a ‘per 1000 words’ basis for each target language requested)
- Complexity of the translation project, e.g., technical,
scientific or general texts
- Your required deadline
- Format of the source document
- Format of the translated document
- Language pairs you wish your document to be translated
from/into and the total number of target languages you require
Based on these factors, our project manager produces
a project description, which is passed on to you at the time you receive
your quotation. Editing and proofreading costs are incorporated into this
quote and we provide free-of-charge
certification upon request for all completed translations. We also
offer volume discounts for large-scale projects.
For a free-of-charge, detailed quote, please contact
Laurence Auffret, Project Manager, on +44 (0)845 226 9494 or by e-mail
at info@cinetique.co.uk.
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How can I obtain a quote for non-translation
services?
We will be happy to give you a quotation for other services such as interpreting,
DTP/formatting, project management or website localisation. Please contact
Laurence Auffret, Project Manager, on +44(0)845 226 9494 or by e-mail
at info@cinetique.co.uk,
indicating the relevant information for the type of service you require:
For DTP/formatting, please indicate:
- The language in which your document is written
- The language(s) into which you would like it to
be translated
- The intended target audience or readership of
the translated document
- The document type, e.g., medical report, material safety data sheets
or legal proceedings
- The document format, e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel,
Powerpoint, PDF or HTML
- Whether you require translation only or translation
plus DTP/formatting
- Approximate word count
- Your expected deadline
For interpreting services, please indicate:
- The languages to be interpreted
- The type of venue, e.g., conference, business
meeting, legal proceedings or telephone conference
- The topic(s) to be discussed
- Date of event and duration, e.g., half-day, full
day
- Whether you need us to provide any special equipment,
e.g., interpreting booths or microphones
For website localisation, market research or project
management services please provide us with a full description of the services
you require and an estimated delivery date. We will contact you to discuss
your project in greater detail so that we can provide you with an accurate,
comprehensive quote.
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What is the difference between translation and proofreading?
Once the translation of your document is complete, it is then edited by
industry specialists working into their mother tongue who check for linguistic
accuracy and consistency. We ensure accuracy by using appropriate terminologies
and glossaries, thereby avoiding potential misinterpretation of industry-specific
references.
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Who can I contact with any questions?
Please contact Laurence Auffret, Project Manager, on +44(0)845 226 9494
or by e-mail
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Documents/files
Which document types and file formats can you
handle?
We translate a wide variety of document types of varying sizes, from birth
certificates to user manuals containing hundreds of pages. To see a full
list of document types that we can translate, click
here.
Cinetique Translations can provide DTP/Formatting
services for your document. We work with a variety of software packages
and file formats for Windows and Macintosh operating systems, including:
- Access
- Adobe Acrobat (for PDF files)
- Corel Ventura Publisher
- Excel
- FrameMaker
- Illustrator
- InDesign
- Macromedia Freehand
- PageMaker
- PhotoShop
- PowerPoint
- QuarkXPress
- Scripting languages such as ASP, JSP, INC, HTML,
SGML and XML
- Word
Full DTP and formatting
services are provided for all European and non-European languages
(such as Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian, etc.).
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My document type is not listed. Can you still process my translation?
If you cannot find your document type listed here, we may still be able
to help. Please contact us.
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How can I get my document to you and how is it returned to me?
You can send us your document electronically via e-mail or alternatively
you can post it to us. We will send you the original file and the final
translated documents by e-mail. We can also deliver them by post or by
courier. Large files can be delivered on CD-ROM.
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The translation process
How do you guarantee the quality of any subcontractors
used?
We follow a rigorous selection process for our translators, recruiting
staff according to their suitability for the project(s) in hand and the
languages they offer. All candidates are required to complete a translation
test, which is then analysed by our editors for technical and grammatical
accuracy, coherence and completeness, and consistency in the choice of
terminology.
We work with qualified language professionals who specialise
in technical, scientific and medical translation and work only into their
native language to guarantee a correct and ‘natural-sounding’
translation for your target audience. We also employ bilingual scientists
and engineers with expert language skills who act as consultants and researchers
to further ensure a technically accurate product.
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Which languages do you offer?
Cinetique Translations offers services in the following languages. If
you do not see the language(s) that you require in the list below, please
contact us.
- English
- French
- German
- Italian
- Portuguese
- Spanish
- Arabic
- Russian
- Japanese
We also provide DTP and formatting
services for a variety of European and non-European languages. We
can also handle non-Latin scripts including Greek, Middle Eastern,
Asian and Cyrillic languages.
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The language I want does not appear to be on your website. Can
you still do my translation?
If the language you require is not listed here, please contact
us.
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How long will my translation take?
The length of time taken to complete a translation project will vary according
to the language and complexity of the subject area. Typically, however,
a 10,000-word document can be processed in five to seven working days.
In order to meet tighter deadlines, we are able to assign several translators
to the same project. In such cases, we use a use a single editor to ensure
consistency and quality.
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How are changes dealt with throughout the translation
process?
- Any changes required by you will be evaluated by
the project manager.
- If amendments need to be made to the schedule
or to the resources required, then these will be reported to you by
the project manager.
- Once an agreement is reached between you and the
project manager regarding these changes, this will be confirmed in writing.
Any supporting documentation such as the project specification or quote
is amended to reflect these revisions.
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What is translation memory (TM) software?
In computer-aided translation (CAT for short), the TM program automatically
investigates previous translations between the same languages so as to
identify similar or identical strings of text. This helps even expert
translators to speed up the translation process and to guarantee consistency.
Translation memory (TM) software, also known as terminology
management software, stores previously-translated sentences, phrases and
terminology. By using it, we can create and develop a database for any
client, specific to their requirements or industry. TMS can be particularly
useful when dealing with large projects consisting of several documents
that require consistent terminology.
Translation memory software is useful in that it provides
a consistent terminology database. However, it must be remembered that
trained, professional translators are still needed in order to deliver
an accurate, elegant text rendered in the target language.
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Payment
Which methods of payment do you accept?
We accept payment by cheque and cash. Thee following credit/debit cards
can be accepted through the Paypal and Moneybookers websites:
Visa, Visa Delta, Visa Electron, Switch/Maestro, Solo,
MasterCard and American Express.
To make a payment or for more information, please visit
our Methods of Payment
page.
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What are your terms of payment?
Standard UK payment terms (30 days net of delivery) apply to all translations.
A deposit of 50% of the total is required prior to commencement of the
project. To learn more about our conditions of sale, please contact
us, specifying the type of service that you require.
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