The flat world internet business model very much applies to the translation and language services industry. Our product is ‘words’ and words are easily transported anywhere in the world there’s an internet connection.

The effect is to make the competitive environment very efficient, and also to improve translation quality. Specialist translators, those well-versed in a particular subject domain, can be tasked according to their areas of specialization. It matters not whether the translator is local or multiple timezones away. The most highly skilled linguists are a variable cost and not a fixed one.

At Affinity Spanish we strive to apply the optimally suited resources to each translation project we perform. Our network of translators is extensive, always growing, and ever-eager for the next project.

When we began our company (Affinity Spanish) we did so with the intention of specializing in the English-Spanish language combination. In order to consistently deliver the highest quality language services we wanted to focus.

As a result we have the Spanish-English language combination covered across every major specialization, whether corporate documents, legal agreements, or marketing materials, we can do it and we can do it at a very high level. We trust this gives our clients confidence in our services and capabilities. We take what we do seriously because we recognize how important it is to our expanding base of clients.

Whenever a prospective client has a need for Spanish translation services, we generally get a call and there are a few standard questions that people will ask. How much does it cost? How soon can we get it? And what are the qualifications of your translators? There are sometimes other questions, those these are the most common.

Cost: We determine the cost of Spanish translation projects by assigning a per word rate to the project and then multiplying the rate by the number of words. The per word rate is determined based on several criteria including the relative complexity of the subject matter, the length of the project, and the delivery schedule.

Delivery Schedule: This varies with the length of the project. We always attempt to meet the schedule needs of clients. Most projects we do require a few days to a couple weeks. Shorter schedules can mean assigning more translators to the project. Whenever possible we prefer to have the same translator/editor/reviewer team do a complete project end-to-end to maintain continuity.

Translator Qualifications: All translators are experienced professionals and native to the target language. That is, for English-to-Spanish translation work the linguist’s first language will be Spanish, though fluent in English. The reverse is true for Spanish-to-English translation work.

Often when our company takes on translation projects from Spanish to English it’s for legal documents of one sort or another. Sometimes the legal documents govern a joint venture between US and Latin American companies. Sometimes it’s business that’s originated in the past, or it may be business associated with new ventures. In either case there’s typically a fundamental communication challenge present due to language, and translation of documents is required.

As mentioned before in this blog our policy is always to assign translators that are native to the target language. Spanish to English translation work is therefore performed by translators whose native language is English.

Today’s quote:

“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.”   - Winston Churchill 

If all that’s needed is the translation of a sentence or two in Spanish then the options that exist are pretty much consulting a bilingual acquaintance or friend, using an in-house translator, or trying one of the free online tools that exist. The Google language tool that can be accessed from the main Google search page is one of the better online options.

Professional translation companies will often have a minimum charge of perhaps $100 or so for an individual project. Translation fees based on per word rates might range anywhere from 12 to 25 cents per word, depending on the relative complexity of the material, the turnaround time (whether rush charges apply or not), and the total volume/word count of the project.

Today’s quote:

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”       - Oprah Winfrey

We’re told there is an elderly man in Texas that lives somewhere near the US-Mexican border who provides free translation from Spanish to English. His name is Pedro Lopez and he’s provided these free translation services for many years.

Mr. Lopez is reportedly a very generous man and is also known for his sense of humor. For example he enjoys inserting random humorous anecdotes into his work (just to liven things up a bit he says). Admittedly his English language skills are not that good, and his Spanish is questionable, inasmuch as he’s had no formal education. However, he provides his services at no charge. As a result his translation services are in demand by some of the top companies in the US and Latin America.

One operational challenge though stems from the fact that his daily translation capacity is about 25 words. As a result, despite the high demand for his free services, his backlog is tremendous. Last we heard Mr. Lopez has sufficient translation work for the next 135 years, with new projects coming in daily.

For those who can’t wait 100 years for translation services (or even 10) there are organizations like Affinity Spanish. While our company’s services are not free, we do employ professional, highly-trained English-Spanish linguists, with a commitment to delivering high quality Spanish translation services. More information about these services is available here.

Today’s quote:

“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.”  - Roy Disney

In need of Spanish word translation? Consult an English-Spanish dictionary. Or, browse any of the numerous online resources. However, the correct translation of individuals words without context may not be unambiguous. A complete sentence or other context reference will usually be needed.

“Too many notes, Mozart”, the famous complaint of Emperor Joseph II about The Marriage of Figaro is generally perceived to be a gaffe by a blockhead. Thus individual words like each note in musical composition might only be understood in connection with what surrounds them.

Today’s quote:

“Run your fingers through my soul. For once, just once, feel exactly what I feel, believe what I believe, perceive as I perceive, look, experience, examine, and for once; just once, understand.”  - Anonymous

The phrase ‘translation in Spanish’ is somewhat ambiguous and could mean several things. For starers it’s not clear from this reference out of context whether the Spanish language is the source or target language. The phrase in isolation does not clearly infer English-to-Spanish or Spanish-to-English translation services. It could be either.

At our company (Affinity Spanish) we offer both categories of these Spanish translation services and employ linguists with specialized backgrounds in a number of domain areas. For more information on Spanish translation services please feel free to contact us or refer to the main website from the blog navigation options at left.

Today’s quote:

“One who understands much displays a greater simplicity of character than one who understands little.”  - Alexander Chase

Without a doubt the majority of our translation work is in taking English language text and translating it into Spanish. Sometimes the target Spanish language version is intended for the US Hispanic population, other times more for Mexico, and then at other time for Latin America as a whole. In each case our translators will tune the translation so it matches as closely as possible the objectives set out by our clients.

Though in the comparative minority, we of course also take on a significant volume of Spanish-to-English translation work. No matter the language combination, we always observe the practice of having the translators assigned to the project be native speakers of the target language. By this we mean that for English-to-Spanish translation projects, assigned linguists will be native Spanish speakers. For Spanish-to-English translation work, assigned translators are native English speakers. In project after project this has proven to be the best practice. While the practice is generally observed by many Spanish translation companies, it may not be by all. For consumers of language services it’s best to confirm this point with your chosen language services provider.

Today’s quote:

“If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true were really true, there would be little hope of advance.”  - Orville Wright

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!

–Rudyard Kipling