The secrets of creating a successful business from translation services
Stephan Grabovsky, the CEO of Fonetix Translations, is a key player on the contemporary Russian translation services market, as his company, which now employs hundreds of workers and specializes mainly in technical translations, has always been a market leader and vanguard of technical progress in the sector, including being the first company to use computer LAN applications in Russia. In this interview, Grabovsky talked about the current industry trends, his company and what it takes to become a real professional translator and create a successful business from translations services.
The level of activity on the translation services market depends on the state of the economy and the intensity of interactions between business partners in different countries. In this regard, how would you assess today’s Russian market, given the crisis of the past two years?
In our view, the demand for technical translation has not decreased, and at the same it is no longer growing at the rate it used to in the past. Our core portfolio is based on standing orders from large and famous foreign companies, but a lot also depends on the industry. Generally, the profitability of translation business has gone down, but remains stable. According to experts, up to 70% of clients both in Russia and abroad always choose their translation service providers by recommendations.
According to a popular saying, ‘the right personnel is a key to all issues,’ a statement that aptly underlines the importance of professional translations, as a lot depends on translation quality. From this point of view, what is required to be a good translator in general and a translator of technical documentations in particular?
Many would probably disagree, to put it mildly, with what I am about to say, but no university currently trains qualified specialists in technical translation. This is not an overstatement. A mere glance at the translation curricula offered by different universities will be enough to drive this point home. When it comes to written translation of technical documents, to qualify as a right specialist in this area, as we see it, such translators should primarily meet the three main requirements, each with its specific criteria: sound knowledge of the original or foreign language; sound knowledge of Russian language, or the target language, and subject area for translation. Of these factors, and without diminishing the relevance of having sound language competence, we regard mastering the translation subject area as the most decisive moment.
This is why in our company translation technique competence ranks only as No. 4 among the essential qualities that technical translator must possess. In other words, for technical translators, this means having engineering training, most preferably in a related industry. Thus, an average graduate, better a good one, of a technical college, who is decently versed in one or two foreign languages and this is hardly a rarity nowadays, has a better chance of becoming a first-class technical translator than a linguistic university alumnus, even though the latter might have studied the terminology used in the required industry.
“We provide translations using advanced linguistic tools, including Translation Memory technology, which we were the first to adopt and introduce in Russia.”
Your company has grown from a small firm founded in 1988 to become a huge company today with hundreds of employees. Briefly, what factors, in your opinion, have helped it to achieve such a sparkling success that makes it what it is today?
We keep abreast with developments in translation business via analysis of market behavior, promotion of our company through industry-specific journals and participations in expos. In other words, we do everything necessary to make potential customers be aware of and keep us in their minds. We carefully select and hire experienced and qualified professionals, such as translators, editors, proofreaders, page designers, IT experts. Noteworthy is the 1Ñ Enterprise based application adapted to LSP processes. The adaptation was tackled by translators – and they know what they need better than anyone. The application offers integrated, user-friendly tracking tools. Options for monitoring translation projects in progress are quite good. Work assignments including location of reference content, input and output data, assignment description, work beginning and end dates are distributed according to a set plan. Work assignment formalization helps avoid ambiguities and needless questions. And, finally, we provide translations using advanced linguistic tools, including Translation Memory technology, which we were the first to adopt and introduce in Russia. As we keep working with customers, their specific translation memories grow helping reduce translation costs.
Some of your employees underwent internship in the United States in the early 1990s. How has the knowledge gained during the internship helped your company to develop further?
In 1990-1991, some of our personnel received training at The Corporate Word, Inc., a major U.S. LSP. The training comprised two phases. At phase 1, at The Corporate Word’s head quarters in Pittsburgh, PA, we learned to handle computer LANs and mastered modern translation software. Phase 2 was dedicated to expertise in project management, large project handling technology and methods of generating paste-ups of finished projects. Thanks to this training, our company's personnel was able to gain great expertise in translation services. Here, and without fear of being accused of immodesty, I would like to note that my company was the first LSP to use a computer LAN in Russia. Moreover, we managed to purchase a few computers, network and peripheral equipment complete with relevant software in the United States.
Your company specializes mainly in the field of technical translations. How could you briefly characterize this type of translation and how does it differ from the other types of translations?
Translating technical texts in a narrow sense involves the use of consistent and unambiguous terminology, frequent repetitions of typical descriptions related to mechanisms and technologies. The objective of a translator is to use a target language to describe as clearly, concisely and precisely as possible any rules and outcomes of using a certain device or process, while taking into account the differences between systems and units of measurement, etc. However, based on our practice, we understand technical translation not just a description of technical devices and/or processes using a customer-specified target language, but also as translation of any texts related to development, manufacturing, sale, operation, maintenance, and disposal of machinery. Thus, texts referring to any industry or profession may require translation. Here one may come across structural analysis, economy and finance, legal relations, mining, environmental protection, advertising, etc. With technical translation construed in such a broad sense, translators and editors should have some skills in translating fiction literature and press publications. Such skills help evoke certain emotions in readers and elicit or incite some desired behavior. Therefore, technical translation today drastically differs only from translation of fiction, which is generally used as an aesthetic means of depicting people’s internal and external worlds, their attitudes to themselves, other fellow humans and reality.
The level of competition in this industry is very high. In this context, what would you say are your company’s main competitive advantages over other key players on this market?
Our translators have been tested for linguistic and technical competence, are university-trained in engineering and technology and boast hands-on field experience. They skillfully use our own time-proven best practices in the area of technical translation. Projects are handled by teams, comprising translators, proofreaders and editors, who check one another to ensure accuracy and consistency in terminology and style. We have created a comprehensive system of managing translation quality. Besides, the establishment of long-term relationships with customers makes the overall quality of our translations better, as we get to know their business and product subtleties on a more profound level. We create dedicated work teams and dictionaries and set up archives for all completed projects. Our translators know very well their subject areas of specialization, which is our main competitive advantage.
As already noted earlier, a lot depends on the precision of translations, as inaccuracies, say, for example, in manuals of complicated gadgets and equipment, could create real life-threatening situations. Have you ever come across examples of poor translations that pose health hazards?
This is absolutely true, as lots really depend on the quality and accuracy of translations. I have two examples of some poor translations that better illustrate this: Here is the first example: A translator representing a reputable LSP, rightfully proud of its ISO 9001 compliant quality management certificate, translated this statement, "Die 6 Kugeln fuer jedes Gelenk gehoeren einer Toleranzgruppe an," from German as "The 6 balls of each articulated joint have the same rated size and tolerance." Well, what is wrong here? The point is the correct translation, which goes thus, "The 6 balls of each articulated joint belong to the same size tolerance group," could only be provided by a translator with personal experience and profound knowledge of the subject matter, which is about the so-called ‘selective assembly.’ Here is another example: "Befestigen Sie die Masseleitung des Kraftstoffabsauggerats an einer blanken Stelle der Karosserie." The provided translation reads: "Fix the grounding wire of the defueling device to the body." Again, at first sight, this may seem entirely correct, but in reality is entirely wrong, and such translation could lead to very dangerous health hazards, as the correct translation should read: "Fix the grounding wire of the defueling device to a non-painted spot on the body." In plain language, this means the use of such device must ensure good contact in the electric circuit of a connected fuel pump, otherwise someone may get hurt. The moral here is that it is better to choose a good technical translator than spend money on lawyers later. Our customers understand this.
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