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Frequently Asked Questions
Languages
Which languages do you translate?
We translate most languages both from and into English. The most
common languages are:
Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bahasa, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari, Dutch, English, Estonian, Farsi, Finnish, Flemish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Korean, Kurdish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Maltese, Marathi, Mirpuri, Nepalese, Norwegian, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Serbian, Shona, Sinhala, Slovakian, Slovenian, Slovenian, Somali, Sorani, Swahili, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Welsh, Zulu.
Translation
Do I need a translator or an interpreter?
Translators deal with written text, interpreters deal with the spoken
word. We specialise in top-quality written translations, audio transcriptions
and multilingual voiceovers all done by professional (human!) linguists.
We don't provide interpreting services, but can recommend a suitable
partner for your interpreting needs. Please contact us on +44 (0)
115 9705633.
Why should I pay for translations if I can get them for free on
the Internet or use automatic translation software?
Free machine translation can sometimes be useful. Using machine
translation will provide a level of comprehension of up to 40 percent
for a reader unfamiliar with the source language, giving him/her
a "gist" of the contents of the document or webpage, which
will in a few cases be all that is required.
However the purpose of most translations is to communicate ideas and
information accurately and to provide much more than just a "gist"
of the meaning. For this professional translation is still absolutely
essential.
I need a professional translation. What's the difference between
translations for-publication and for-information?
"For-publication" is the service required when you're sending
or presenting documents to a client, to senior management in your
own company, or whenever else you really need to give a good impression.
"For-publication" translations are clear, well-written,
idiomatic and stylish and make up the majority of our translation
work.
"For-information translation", which for the English-speaking
world is a draft translation into English, is suitable for situations
when you need to know what a document means but don't require it in
perfect English. Our translators produce a translation which is accurate
but unpolished. Because the document will not undergo our usual final
proofreading stage, we can offer special discounts off our price-list
charges. Please note however, some types of text, particularly technical
texts, are unsuitable for "for-information" translation.
There is a third type of professional human translation "Creative
copywriting". Put simply, this is similar to advertising copywriting,
but in a foreign language. Click here
for more details
If you are unsure which service you require, please send us your
text and we will advise you about the translation options available,
or call us for more information on +44 (0) 115 9705633.
Website localisation
Why should I have my website professionally translated?
By offering alternative language versions on your website, you can
take advantage of the huge online markets in other major world languages.
The most important of these are the German, French, Spanish, Japanese,
Italian, and increasingly, Chinese online markets.
Recent research into internet usage has shown that visitors to a website
are three times more likely to buy from a site if it is in their own
language. But the readability of the text is also extremely important
- visitors are much more likely to read to the bottom of a webpage
in their own language if it is clear, well-written and stylish. This
can only be achieved with a professionally-produced translation!
The value of goods and services sourced direct from the internet is
increasing rapidly year-on-year and organisations that open themselves
up to international opportunities will have an increasing competitive
advantage.
Quality
Why should I choose AST? How can I be sure of the quality of
the translation?
1. Our reputation: please take a look at the high
profile clients we work with.
2. Our quality assurance procedures.
3. Our people: We always use
native-speaker translators of the target language who are specialists
in the relevant subject matter. Our translators come from numerous
disciplines but all have professionalism, attention to detail and
'flair' in common.
Our project managers are all graduate linguists who recognise our
reputation is based on our providing consistently top-quality translations.
In summary, we will work with you to ensure your translation is carried
out to your complete satisfaction and delivered promptly in the correct
format.
Your Deadline
How long will the translation take?
Every translation is different and the time required to translate
different texts of similar length can vary greatly. To put it simply,
turnaround times depend on the difficulty of the text and our current
capacity for the specific language combination. As a general rule,
we can translate 1500 - 2500 words per language per day, which normally
allows enough time for project management and proofreading.
Send us your enquiry via email, indicating your required deadline,
with an exact time of day if appropriate, or give us a call on +44
(0) 115 9705633. We'll respond within one hour, either confirming
delivery by your requested deadline, or suggesting an earliest achievable
turnaround time.
Rates
How much do you charge?
For detailed pricing please logon and go to our full prices page,
or email us the text and we will send you an all-inclusive final quotation.
Payment
How do I pay?
Generally we will set up a credit account with you. We usually ask
new clients to pay a deposit with their first order. Payments can
also be made via Paypal or Moneybookers.
We accept payments in Pounds sterling, Euros or Dollars.
Confidentiality
How do I know my documents will be kept confidential?
AST has established procedures for ensuring that sensitive documentation
in our charge remains confidential. Our employees are contractually
bound to confidentiality in their dealings with our clients' business
information and our translators sign a general non-disclosure agreement
before working with us. Upon request, we will also sign project-specific
NDAs.
Privacy
Will my personal details be stored securely?
Yes. Your contact details will be securely held on our database and
no third party will ever be given access to them. Please read our
privacy statement here.
Company
What’s the history of AST?
The company was founded by Andrew Schlich in 1995. Following graduation
from Oxford University, Andrew spent a number of years working in
industrial exports in the UK and Germany before spotting an opportunity
to provide top-quality translations into English via modem transfer
(at that time a new technology!) to clients based in Germany, Switzerland
and Austria. Much has changed since those early days, to read more click here.
I need AST's Company registration number and VAT number…
AST Language Services Ltd is registered in the UK with company no.
is 3918642 and VAT no. 648211249.
Translators
How do I register to receive freelance work from AST?
We welcome contact from professional translators of all language combinations.
Priority will be given to applicants with a higher degree (MA or equivalent)
in translation studies, accreditation with one of the translator associations,
and/or with at least three years experience as a staff or freelance
translator. Please visit our Translators’
Area
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