Finding A Translator

Portions of this page are used by permission of Elisa Gustafson, an ATA-certified translator who works for Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis, MN. Ms. Gustafson specializes in translation of Spanish language documents on agricultural, medical and technical subjects, and she can be contacted directly for translation services at jorgeyelisa@juno.com or 612-378-1789.  

Before submitting referral materials to the International Adoption Clinic for preadoption consultation, we ask that you have the materials translated into English. While we do not offer translation as a service, nor do we recommend any particular translation service, we have included the following tips and resources. In most cases, your agency will provide you with a translation of medical documents.

SUGGESTIONS FOR OBTAINING TRANSLATIONS
Translation is a rather unregulated field in the USA. Most translators do not have a degree in translation, but have training in other areas and now work as private contractors or for translation service bureaus.

A translator should work into her/his native language. In other words, if you want something translated into English, it should be done by a native English speaker who has learned the other language through extended exposure and study. Note the translator’s background before enlisting their services. For less common languages it might be difficult to find a translator who fits this description, and in which case, look for a person who has lived in the U.S. for a long period and/or took their college degree in the U.S. Having said this, however, medical, academic or legal documents from each country could contain information that is high in context and therefore most likely understood best by a native of that country. You might wish to consider this aspect of the translator’s background in favor of a native English speaker.

RATES
Rates are typically by number of words in the original document (e.g., the document has 274 words, then the charge would be 274 words x 0.X $/word), or by document (e.g., a driver’s license may contain only 50 words but would be charged at a standard per-page rate). Charges usually range from 10 to 30 cents per word, depending on the scarcity or availability of translators in that language, the complexities of the language, and the characteristics of the document you are having translated. 

American Translator’s Association (ATA) has one of the only “certifications” available for translators. Certified members have passed a rigorous exam that tests skills from another language into English, or from English into another language. Their member listing can be accessed at www.atanet.org.