Chinese Translation Service – Gateway to largest market in the world

09 Oct Chinese Translation Service – Gateway to largest market in the world

What is Chinese language?

The first important thing to note is that if a translator advertises their services as “Professional English to Chinese translation”, chances are that they aren’t as professional as they claim to be. Technically, there is no such thing as a “Chinese language”, because there are many diverse languages spoken in China, and the biggest language groups are Mandarin and Cantonese. Therefore, when seeking a Chinese translation service for an English text, make sure to clarify whether the provider offers both Mandarin and Cantonese translation service (or just one – depending on your needs). It is common practice for good translation agencies to offer both.

Mandarin

Like with many other languages, fluency in Mandarin doesn’t automatically make one a professional translator. One amongst many features of Mandarin is that there are many characters that can only be used in one or two specific circumstances, depending on the context. An amateur translator or a language student who wants to earn extra money would be unlikely to know how that would work. This is of particular concern for complex texts like a contract or a medical text, where it is very important to translate everything correctly. Such characters don’t have the necessary experience of Chinese culture or the stamina for deciphering thousands of Chinese characters on a daily basis either, unlike professional translation service providers. It goes without saying also that truly professional Chinese Translation Companies hire translators that either have experience living in China, or are both fluent in the language and have a background in one of the industries in which the company specializes, or both.

Cantonese

Cantonese is a majority language of Hong Kong – one of the largest financial capitals in the world. While English might be widely spoken in the city and the Guangdong and Guanxi Provinces, it’s important to remember that Cantonese is a large part of the cultural identity for the native speakers of the regions, including businessmen. For that reason, most professional translation agencies that offer English to Cantonese translation services, also offer interpreting services. It is common practice for agencies to employ different translators for interpreting and translation services, mostly because written Cantonese is a lot less in demand than spoken Cantonese, and unlike Mandarin, it’s written and spoken in different ways. Like translators, professional interpreting service providers expect their interpreters to have experience in relevant industry, be it financial/corporate, legal, medical or any others. They also require specific interpreting qualifications. It is important to note that someone with qualifications but little or no experience would be unlikely to do as good of a job as a professional Cantonese interpreter. This is because interpreters often work in high-pressure environments where attention to detail and ability to respond quickly are vital skills. Such skills can only be developed through experience, and a professional provider would always take that into account when assigning an interpreter to a client.