Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question that is not addressed here, please email us

How are your prices calculated?
Roevin has a minimum charge for small projects which varies according to the language combination and covers our administration costs. Our minimum charge starts at £40.00. Thereafter our prices are calculated pro rata to a set of rates based on one thousand words. Please contact us for a quotation.

Do I have to pay for a quote?
No, all quotations are provided free of charge. You can upload your documents and request a binding quotation online or alternatively get an instant quick quote online without uploading your document. This will give you an idea of the price but is not binding.

Who will translate my document?
All projects are carried out by translators working only in subjects which match their qualifications and experience and who are translating exclusively into their native language. All our translators are professionally qualified, educated to degree level and with a postgraduate diploma in translation. All also have at least five years’ professional experience. The vast majority are members of the professional bodies such as the Institute of Translation or the Institute of Linguists. We do not use academics or students.

What’s wrong with using academics or students?
Teaching a foreign language is a demanding activity that requires a special set of skills. However these are rarely the same as those needed to produce a smooth, stylish and appropriate translation. Professional translators are first and foremost writers, capable of producing texts that read well in the target language. If you would not consider using a student to write your original text, then don’t use a student to translate it, even though this may seem like an inexpensive option.

Do you have in-house translators?
No. The danger with in-house translators is that they are often used to translate texts that they do not have the expertise to master properly. We only place projects with our global network of freelance translators and strategic partner organisations overseas who have the correct linguistic and subject skills to meet your needs. Our project managers are linguists and some are qualified translators. They act as reviewers and proofreaders of translations to ensure that the final translation is linguistically and grammatically flawless.

Can you download my website for quotation?
We can, however we prefer to receive the source files on CD or by email. This ensures we are working from the latest version of your site.

What languages can you translate into?
Roevin translates into and out of over 100 language combinations. You can view a sample of the languages we offer.

What’s the difference between translation and interpreting?
Essentially, translation is the WRITTEN word whereas interpreting is SPOKEN.

How quickly can you deliver?
As a rule of thumb a good translator can translate and proofread approximately 2000 words per working day. However the first 2000 words take a bit longer, say 2 working days, and account must be taken of time required for research and queries, proofreading and administration. Turnaround also depends on our translators’ schedules.
We can also cater for urgent deadlines. Please contact us to discuss your requirement.

Who are your clients?
A sample of our client list is shown on our home page. Some of our clients have been kind enough to provide testimonials for us.

How do I become a translator with Roevin?
Click here for details of where to send your CV for evaluation and reference checks.

What about machine translation?
If you are pressed for time and want to get the gist of something for your own use (inbound), machine translation may be helpful. It is certainly fast. And you can’t get much cheaper than free.
As a general rule of thumb, do not use raw machine translation for anything outbound. It is simply not suitable: you run the risk of looking inarticulate. Machine translations are at best, 75% accurate, which means that one in four words will be wrong.
Careful editing of machine output by skilled human translators is one option, although not all translators will accept such assignments. Many insist that texts generated by computer programs are so skewed it is faster to start from scratch.
Give machine translation a try. Try to translate your phrase into a language, then back to English again. You’ll see what we mean.

What is Trados™?
Translation Memory (TM) Tools like TRADOS™ work as a kind of terminology database and are extremely useful when translating large-volume documentation containing a high level of repetition.
The benefits of TM tools are as follows:

• Consistency of terminology and style across different documents. This allows a different translator to work on the same account while remaining faithful to previously translated documentation.
• Speed. No sentence is ever translated twice so time is saved.
• Reduced costs. When any similar or identical sentences are detected you are charged at a much-reduced rate.
  Furthermore, TM tools do not entail any cost for the client whatsoever. Roevin will analyse all source files and manage and maintain the terminology databases, ensuring that translators are working on the latest versions.
  IMPORTANT: Translation Memory Tools are an AID to human translation, NOT a replacement.

How do I know my material will remain confidential?
All Roevin’s suppliers are bound by confidentiality agreements. Roevin has a standard confidentiality agreement which we can provide at the outset of a project, although we are also happy to sign our clients’ own confidentiality agreements for your added peace of mind.

Can my translation be supplied back in its original format?
Yes, Roevin has an in-house studio which undertakes high quality desktop publishing in both Mac and PC formats and can flow the translation back into the format of the original document e.g. Quark XPress, Adobe Illustrator, FrameMaker etc.

Our expert DTP operators ensure that no character corruption occurs. We can desktop publish over 60 languages, including those which use different character sets to English such as Russian, Chinese and Bengali and languages which read right to left including Arabic, Urdu and Farsi.

Typesetting is carried out by skilled operators, proficient in the language in which they are working, ensuring the highest quality throughout. By using Roevin’s experienced multilanguage DTP team, you will avoid common errors which creep in when non linguists typeset foreign language text. Sometimes a non-linguist typesetter, in an effort to make presentation consistent, will standardise punctuation across different languages, rendering it grammatically incorrect!

For example a Spanish question always has an upside down question mark at the beginning of the question, as well as an ordinary question mark at the end of the question; there must always be a space before a colon in the French language; days of the week and months of the year generally do not have capital letters in other European languages.

For further information go to our DTP page.