How much will it cost to translate a one-page document from Spanish (or French, Portuguese, German, Chinese etc.) into English (or vice versa)?
It's impossible to say without analyzing it because there are so many variables that can influence the translation cost. Does your "page" contain graphics with text? Is the document a hard copy or available electronically, handwritten or printed? How many lines, columns, and words does your "page" contain? What's the topic? Since the translation industry charges by the word, we really have to see the document (and sign a confidentiality agreement if necessary) to provide you with an accurate quote that contains the details of the translation services, a final price and the delivery details. We're more than happy to provide you with a free quote within one working day - simply fill out our request form. Or you can send us an e-mail with the document to be translated attached.

What's the difference between translation and interpretation?
Translation deals with written words, interpretation with the spoken word. Translators translate written communications, interpreters interpret verbal communications. As our company's name states, we specialize in high quality translations of business communications for private and public sector companies around the globe. We currently don't offer interpretation services unless a client specifically requests this.

Why should I pay for the translation of my document or website content if I can get it for free on the Internet?
Software-generated (machine) translation may be sufficient if you're in a hurry and just wanted to get the gist of something for your own, personal use. It's certainly fast and - depending on the software you use - it's also cheap or even free. As a general rule, though, it is highly recommended not to use a raw machine translation for any outbound communication if you don't want to look inarticulate or, even worse, stupid. The Wall Street Journal tested two free online translation services and concluded: "These services are passable for travelers or for those wanting to translate a letter from a distant cousin. I definitely wouldn't use them for anything that remotely requires accuracy" (Source: The Wall Street Journal, A closer look, 10/00).

Lanzillotta Translations only uses machine translation software as a support tool for creating customer glossaries, since nothing can replace the truly accurate and nuanced translation that only an experienced, well-trained human being can perform. For a detailed explanation about the limits of translation software, to view a machine-generated translation sample or to perform your own test click here.

Can you do translations from Hebrew to English?
Certainly! We not only regularly perform translations in Roman-alphabet languages like Spanish, German or Portuguese, to name just a few, but also in non-Roman languages or so called "double-byte" texts such as Hebrew, Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese etc. As a matter of fact we provide translation, DTP and localization services in more than 60 languages around the globe.

According to our web statistics we get quite a lot of traffic from foreign countries. Would you recommend translating websites and what are the costs?
A website is your business card to the world. International online access is growing by leaps and bounds world-wide. For companies who want to expand their business, website translation is a MUST! We've listed the most important reasons for website translation together with information on how to do it. The price for website localization depends on a lot of factors, but in general terms, the costs are far less than the initial costs for your web site development. We're happy to provide you with a free quote via our RFQ form or simply provide us with your URL for an evaluation.

We're confused with the different terms of translation, localization, globalization etc. What's the difference?
Translation in general converts your written communication into a foreign language, also referred to as the target language.
Localization is the adaptation of an entire computer program (software) or application including websites and related communications into one or multiple foreign languages. It extends the translation of text to the translation of graphics, menus, dialog boxes etc.
Globalization/Internationalization goes even further. They are terms for designing software in a foreign language to be implemented in websites and other communications to accommodate multiple cultures and languages. Far beyond simply providing translated text to visitors in their own language, Globalization/Internationalization adapts the content to the appropriate currency, weights, measures etc. and may vary according to the country/language selected by the user because of the different products, services, technical support and warranty policies etc. that are available.

Our marketing material contains a lot of graphics and special formatting. Can you maintain our graphic design in the translation?
Yes! By using specialized software we can extract the text for translation from any graphics file. Our translators then translate this text directly into your source document. Once the translation, following our Quality Control Process, is finalized, the translated text will be imported back into your document, keeping the original design and formatting in tact. Our DTP department is capable of working in virtually any file format on both Windows and Mac platforms according to the requirements of your project.

The documents we need to translate are frequently confidential and sensitive in nature. Can you assure confidentiality during the translation process?
Most certainly! We know from our long-term translation experience with legal documents, patent applications, business plans, etc. how important proprietary information can be. On request Lanzillotta Translations will sign a confidentiality agreement and ensures that all documents are securely stored and no proprietary information is ever released during the translation and management of your foreign language project. If requested, we'll also delete all related files of a particular project once it has been delivered to the client's satisfaction, and return all original documents to the client.

How long will it approximately take to translate a one-page document?
It depends on a variety of factors like the language, the amount of words, the business topic, the formatting, the style etc. An experienced translator is capable of translating about 2,500 words per day; an editor may be able to proofread about 4,000 words a day, if the topic of your document is general in nature. For more complex medical, technical or legal translations the daily output can be considerably lower.
Font size and spacing of text in a document also can vary dramatically and so can the amount of words. More words to be translated equals more time required. If your document contains graphics, tables, pictures with text etc., additional time and effort will be required to extract the text for translation and reinsert it afterwards, if you want to receive your document formatted like the original.
At Lanzillotta Translations, we have the subject expertise, the long-term experience and highly qualified translators for any of your foreign language projects. We encourage you to use our RFQ form or to send us your document per e-mail for an evaluation and a free quote.