Many people wonder why they need to use a professional translation service. After all, an online translation tool could do just as well, couldn't it? Unfortunately, that line of thought couldn't be more wrong. Tools such as Google Translate can help to give you a general understanding of a text. However, the quality isn't good enough for your business. When translating from English to Japanese, it is essential to use a professional Japanese translator. You may think that bypassing the process will save you money, but it will, in fact, cost you more. The Japanese language is very different to the English language word order. Japanese people also have a very different way of expressing themselves. A direct Japanese to English translation will make no sense to English speakers, as the word order is back to front. If you're not sure why you should use a professional Japanese translation service, have a look at one of our presentations on English-Japanese machine translation challenges and the important reasons below.
Pangeanic's presentation at the Japan Translation Federation - Courtesy of Slideshare
Remove Barriers to the Japanese Market
If you want to break into a new market in Japan, you will undoubtedly need to produce material in Japanese. However, why should you use "traditional translators" when there are cheap online translation tools available? The primary reason to seek out a professional translator is accuracy. A person who has acquired a deep fluency in non-related languages such as Japanese and English has spent years learning not only the language but also expressions and cultural references. The right skills and qualifications cannot be beaten by a machine when it comes to translating from English to Japanese or for Japanese to English translation. Many translators also spend long periods of time in the country in question. Using a cheap translation service usually means you end up with material that makes no sense. Even worse than that, it could also be offensive and you will end up having to translate it again. By that time, you have already made it known to your audience that you are prepared to cut corners in the quality content department. What does that say about your business?
Reduce Your Business Costs
You might think that avoiding the use of a professional translation services will save you money. However, it's much more likely to do the opposite. If you use a poor service to begin with, you might end up having to pay again to fix it. Using a professional service ensures that you get it right the first time. It can be especially difficult to translate from or to Japanese. It's not something you want to leave in the hands of someone who doesn't know what they're doing.
Speed Up Your Marketing Process
If you don't choose the right service, your launch on the Japanese market could suffer delays. A less than professional service could take a long time to get your documents and material back to you. When they do, they might not be as accurate as you had hoped. The worst part is that you might not realize that until it's too late. By selecting the right Japanese translation service at the beginning, you can ensure you don't have to waste time.
Ensure You Have a Respectable Business Image
If you use a service that doesn't deliver top results, how will you know if your materials are accurate? You don't read Japanese, so you have no idea of the validity of your documents. That's why it's essential to be careful about which service you choose to use. Sending out anything that's inaccurate or even unintelligible could damage your reputation in Japan. Once your business image has taken a hit, it can be tough to come back from it. Using a professional translation service is essential when you're entering a new market. Don't skip it if you want to save time, money, and your reputation.
