“I need a translation… I would do it, but I don’t have time”, “It doesn’t have to be perfect; I just need it to be clear”… Most translators have heard this from a client. Sadly, some clients do not value the work involved in the translation process. This is why professional translators must strive to educate those who request our services about the importance of quality in translation, because as a matter of fact there are many unscrupulous people in the market who promote themselves as translators without really being one. Some people have a certain facility for languages; however, formal education in this field is essential. It is here where the basics in both languages are reinforced and the future professional translator is provided with the tools for an optimal performance of the profession: strategies, syntactic and stylistic aspects, specialized terminology, techniques, communication with the client, ethics and much more. The translation of any text involves research and revision, especially when it is a specific subject, such as medical, legal or technical texts. It is a dutiful job, without this meaning that it will take a lot of time to be completed, since an experienced translator will be able to offer his/her clients a reasonable turnaround time without sacrificing the quality of the final work in any way. Obtaining a quality translation is not always easy, which is why only professional translators are capable of producing a text that maintains the meaning and tone of the original. One of the guarantees of quality in a translation is who does it. Undoubtedly, hiring a well-trained translator with years of experience is crucial to ensure that the translation meets the standards of adequacy. When searching for a quality translation, the most advisable thing to do is to contact a translator with studies in the field; in the case of Costa Rica, a professional graduated from the Master’s Program of Universidad Nacional will surely be able to provide his/her clients with a service of the highest quality and if he/she is certified as an official translator by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Costa Rica, there is no doubt that his/her work will be outstanding. Translation is like any other respectable profession and in order to avoid bad experiences, the client should know how to make a choice and find out a little about the person’s background. It is not difficult at all; you just have to keep in mind that not everyone translates.
