Detailed Information on Our Services

File Formats

At Aiki-Translations, we translate from your originals on paper and the most diverse digital formats. Whether your information is saved in databases, embedded in programming code or via independent files in word processing or graphic formats (Word, RTF, Open Office, plain text, PDF, Quark, Excel, AutoCAD, HTML, XML, etc.), we can help.

Required time

Turnaround time depends on many factors. Translating or editing a large document is different from working on a few medium or small ones. There are tasks inherent that may be done in tandem as well. You may also need help with myriad small documents or text snippets (which may require additional organization and administrative tasks, and can often create more interpretative questions due to lack of contextual reference). Graphical processing tasks can also depend on a variety of factors.
Tasks that require work during weekends and certain holidays will be considered as urgent, along with all works that require translation and editing of over 2,500 words which are needed in less than 48 hours.
The table below reflects maximum approximate times required to complete tasks. This may be used to calculate a reasonable time frame for completion at normal prices. It assumes a unique source document, to be received and returned in Word format. Times shown start when you contract with our service or your files are received (whatever happens last).

 

Translation

Translation basically implies the deconstruction of the original information in its source language and its reconstruction in a different target language. This includes the many different layers that comprise the message and its format.
In some cases, additional issues must be resolved which involve the original and the completed version of the text. If so, some pre- and post-translation processes may be necessary — some are directly related to the translation (glossary creation, terminological consistency controls); others may involve format conversion (from graphical to text and vice versa) and/or content separation (translatable text from untranslatable source code or tags). The selection of the most appropriate and efficient tools for each task is inherent and assured.
Word counting: at Aiki-Translations, specific programs are used for this task, that allow for the evaluation of the relationship between the text and the required workload for translators.

Editing

This is an exhaustive translation control, one that consists of the comparison of the original and the translated texts. It serves the purposes of detecting interpretation errors, improving wording and syntax, and ensuring terminological consistency.

Proofreading

This revision is performed solely on the final translated text. Text flow and syntax problems are detected and corrected, as some text units are split during translation and editing.

Mechanical revision

This is an additional revision in which text is checked for specific errors, such as number format, punctuation at end of sentences, missing brackets or parentheses, accuracy of proper names, and details of that sort, that need to be fine-tuned.

Why do we provide this service? Because, often times, our linguists’ attention is focused on other issues during the initial processes. Additionally, in this step, the original document is compared to the final version in the target language.

Desktop Publishing (DTP)

This also involves the design and addition of any graphical adjustments necessary to present the final version of your content in the required format.

Back-translation

In cases in which it is absolutely necessary to guarantee the accuracy of the translated text, or for legal purposes, it will be translated back to the original language (by a linguist that has not participated in any of the previous steps); the new translation is then compared to the original text to detect any possible semantic differences and correct them (this is not done to evaluate the original translation, but to provide a final opportunity for improvement) on semantic accuracy.

Alignment

This is a process that allows for the incorporation of previous translations to a translation memory (a database of translated text segments) so they may be re-used. This may diminish your future costs and help to maximize inter-text coherence (in the case of a translation of new versions of legacy documents, subsequent versions, or information that tends to be repeated).

Optical character recognition (OCR)

This is a procedure that converts an image in text (for example, from a scanned page).This may be arduous, but in many cases, it is much more efficient than retyping the original text.

Transcription

We generate text in the original language from both audio and video recordings.

Subtitling

We translate and add subtitles to your films and animations.

Localization (l10n)

Adaptation of a product or software in such a way that it results in the natural dialect for a certain region or particular culture.

Internationalization (i18n)

Generalization of a product (particularly software) that makes it usable in diverse languages as well as tuned to different cultural dialects without requiring further redesign.

Globalization (g11n)

We resolve any issues related to the global launching of a product, i.e. integrating localization after internationalization as well as product design.

Training

If it is found out that certain processes may be optimized through the use of new methods or programs within your organization. There may exist advanced functions that require or would benefit from specialized training. Aiki-Translations provides such instruction for those in your organization who may need it.

Other services

We create or adapt interfaces to your databases to allow for the translation of their contents. This may be required for content management systems (CMSs) and dynamic web sites. It is usually performed via a globalization management system (GMS) that allows for administration of translation and localization cycles, while simultaneously centralizing the newly generated data and resources.

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