Translation of written documents is a subjective field because there are multiple ways of expressing the same point in any language. The translation process entails much more than converting text from one language to another; good translation actually focuses on conveying the meaning of the original text in a clear and culturally relevant manner. For this reason, computer translations often miss the mark because computers cannot recognize context, slang or acronyms. Trained translators with subject matter expertise, on the other hand, are able to understand the document fully in its original language and convey the same shades of meaning and context in the target language.
Whether you need a PowerPoint presentation translated for foreign investors or personal documents translated into English, TN Language Center provides high-quality translation services in over 70 languages. We also offer certified translations as well as transcriptions and translations of audio files.
At TN Language Center the translation process involves Translation Project Managers overseeing your translation project from start-to-finish. The Translation Project Managers work closely with clients to identify and meet project specifications including the target audience of the translation, terminology, formatting and deadlines.
TN Language Center translators are native-speakers of the languages they work with and are certified by or members of the American Translators Association. Translation Project Managers will carefully select a translator for your project based on his or her experience and areas of expertise.
Our quality guarantee means each translation project undergoes a four-point quality review including proofreading, editing, formatting and content review by our team of translators, editors and Translation Project Managers.
Certified Translations
Does your document need to be certified?
If the document you need translated will be used by a third party that requires a “certified” or “official” translation (college admissions, immigration, legal proceedings) we can issue your translation with a notarized Certificate of Accurate Translation. This document assures the person or organization you are giving the translation to that the document was translated by a professional translator to the best of their ability, and that it is a complete and accurate translation of the original document. If you know you will need a Certificate of Accurate Translation, please let us know when you submit your translation request.
Simply email your document to us at its@tfli.org or fax it to 615- 253-5488 with your contact information included, and we will reply with a quote for the cost and delivery date. Certified translations can only be delivered as hard copies (not via e-mail) because the notary stamp is only valid with the original signatures of the translator and notary. You may pick your translation up when it is ready or we can mail it to you for an extra fee. Please let us know in advance if you will need extra copies.
Transcription and Translation
If you have an audio recording of someone speaking a foreign language, TN Language Center can provide a transcription and translation for you. We will provide the transcription and translation in a table format with time stamps so a precise moment in the recording can be cued for review. All transcription/translation projects include proofreading and editing.
How it Works
- Email your audio file to us and we will review it for sound quality and length
- We will provide a no-obligation estimate for the cost and turn-around time required
- Cost is based on a number of factors including language, length of recording and sound quality. In general, we charge an hourly fee per minute of recording.
If your organization has an on-going need for interpretation and/or translation services and you are interested in establishing a Client Service Agreement, please contact Cesar Muedas by phone at 615-741-7579 or email to cesar@tfli.org.
These are the languages we have currently available for written translation.
Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cambodian (Khmer), Cebuano, Chin, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, or Taiwanese), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari, Dinka, Dutch, Estonian, Farsi, Finnish, Flemish, French, Fulani, Georgian, German, Greek, Gujarai, Haitian-Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Korean, Kurdish (Badini, Soreni), Lao, Lingala, Malay (Malaysian), Marathi, Nepali, Norwegian, Nuer, Oromo, Pashto (Pushto), Polish, Portuguese (+ Brazilian), Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tigrigna, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Wolof
Don’t see the language you are looking for? Contact us, we may be able to help.
615.741.7579
its@tfli.org
Think globally when creating your document
Idiomatic expressions (Hold your horses!), colloquialisms, acronyms and jargon do not always translate easily. Likewise, try to use a clear and concise writing style that minimizes confusion in meaning.
Allow plenty of time for translation
You spent a lot of time and energy creating your presentation or document, don’t you want the translation to be as accurate as possible? Translation is not simply converting the text from one language to another. Translators have to re-write the document in another language, making sure the original meaning is accurately conveyed in a culturally relevant way. After the translator is done, an editor must review the translation and make revisions if necessary. Finally, our Translation Project Managers conduct a quality review before releasing the translation to our clients. We usually estimate that it can take up to 3 business days to complete this process for a document containing up to 1,000 words; rushing this time frame could result in careless mistakes.
Know your target audience
Will your document be read by people in Hong Kong or mainland China? The answer will affect which form of Chinese is used in the translation. Similarly, while Spanish is fairly standard throughout Latin America, there are regional differences that may impact the translation, so telling us which country the document will be used in is helpful information. If you need help pinpointing your target audience, just ask our Translation Project Managers.
Submit your document in an electronic file that can be edited
Our translators typically overwrite the English text when translating, which ensures the translation is formatted exactly like the original document and reduces the completion time frame. We can work with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher files as well as Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress for desktop publishing files. If you only have PDF document, try to get the original file that was used to create the PDF.
If possible, please submit documents for translation via email to its@tfli.org.
Be sure to include the language you need the document translated into, your name, the name of your organization, phone number, and address in your message. Once we have received and reviewed the documents a Translation Project Manager will reply with an estimate of the cost and completion date of the translation.
If you do not have an electronic version of the document you may submit your request via fax to 615-253-5488, or you can bring it to our office in person.
