Attributes of a professional French translator

In earlier times, French translation was limited to the translation of literature, religious books and treaties or agreements between governments. The French translators who used to be responsible for carrying out such French translations were generally scholars of the language that were part of the courts. They followed a pattern for performing French translation that was convenient for them and accepdiv by the kings on whose orders such works would generally be executed. There were not many quality tests or standards that were followed. The quality levels depended solely on the knowledge of the linguists who used to perform such tasks.

However, with time, the scope of French translation has increased considerably. In the modern age, factors like quality and minimal turnaround time are of highest importance. Modern clients, such as corporations, small and medium size enterprises and individual entrepreneurs have replaced governments and publishers. These new clients search for French translators who have all the attributes of a professional French translator. The clients who require their information to be translated and are in search of a professional French translator for executing their translation work should examine the following characteristics of a French translator before offering him or her French translation assignments:

Native Speaker Translators

The first and foremost attribute of a professional French translator is that the translator should be a native speaker of the dialect in which the translation needs to be rendered. Having this characteristic assures that the translations provided will be of optimum accuracy, and that the assignments executed by such a professional French translator will be worth the time and money invested by the client seeking French translation.

The next attribute of a professional French translator is the possession of a certification from a standardization organization that has recognition at the international level. It could be a group like the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) or the DIN EN Standards. The other significant attribute of a professional French translator is being a member of a national level Translator’s Association. Being a member of such a renowned Translator’s Association helps the French translator to provide references to clients if requested. Second, seminars and workshops conducted by these associations enrich the knowledge of the professional French translator with the updated information of the profession.

The other attribute of a professional French translator is that the translator delivers translation of information related to only their specialized field. This feature of the professional French translator ensures that there are no chances of ambiguity in the interpretation of highly technical terms.