Frequency Ask Questions

ASAP Translation is your multilingual languages provider

Frequency Ask Questions

What types of translation and interpretation services do you offer?

Translation : Certified; Legal; Commercial & Technical

Interpretation : Simultaneous; Consecutive & Individual

How are translations priced ?

The price is based on a rate per 1000 words of source text (often referred to as the "original"

text). Our price includes proofreading and delivery to our client by e-mail or fax.

How can I determine the word count of my document?

If your document is in MS Word format, you can obtain the word count of the text by using

the "Word Count" tool from the menu in your Word file. We will be happy to analyze the text

for you in Word or any other format (PDF, Quark, InDesign, PowerPoint, hard copy, etc.).

How can I deliver my documents to you?

If the documents have an electronic form, you can easily send them to us via our FTP

(if the file size is large, please use our ftp (ftp.asaptranslation.com)) or by e-mail

(enquiry@asaptranslation.com). Paper materials can be posted to our office address

and many clients located outside of Hong Kong use this mode of delivery. If you are sending

original documents, we suggest using registered mail. However, we also offer a service

whereby we can translate photocopied documents sent by e-mail or fax.

How fast do we translate ?

A reasonable workload for a translator is approximately 1,500-2,000 words per day depending

on the complexity of the subject matter.

What areas does our translation service cover?

Sales, marketing, economic : business & research reports, questionnaires, product and

sales catalogues, brochures, policy and economic papers, publicity materials, forms, sales

and marketing materials, economic and political texts.

Technical, legal, administrative : legal and financial texts, instruction/operating manuals,

tenders, specifications, contracts, listed company annual reports, medical correspondence

and papers, patents, certificates, technical documentation, supply chain management manual.

Business support : HR evaluations and assessments, training courses, websites,

letters/faxes/emails, seminar/conference materials, credit references, presentations,

newsletters, press releases

If you have someone to check the translation, does it still have to be checked by us?

Despite our translators being of the best quality, it is still significant to check a translation

whether it be for publication, as hard copy or electronically, for legal use, or merely for sharing

within your business. If you wish to decline ASAP's service of having the translation checked

by a second translator or editor, then please ensure that person who is checking the translation

has a copy of this document. If the person checking is not an employee of the translation

company, you need to be sure they are competent, with a thorough knowledge of the

original language from which the translation is made, so that no unauthorized

changes that are made (no matter how necessary) alter the original sense. The checking

can be done by marking a printout, or on screen with the use of "Track changes".

Make sure the checker:

1. Compares translation and original to ensure there are no omissions or mistakes.

2. Checks that any technical terms are consistent with your company’s usage.

3. Checks that these terms, as well as spelling, abbreviations, style etc are consistent with your

style sheet or other documents or reference sources.

4. Is aware of the purpose of the translation, ie for whom it is intended, and the style of the

original, so that the translation follows this and any improvements made to it do not alter the meaning.

5. Ensures that any alterations they make to the translator’s work, which differ from the original

for reasons of the checker’s preference or for any other reason, are shown as being amendments

to the translator’s work.

6. Ensures that the layout and presentation are as requested by you, eg. font size and type, format,

case etc.

If you wish to request alterations to the document that will entail further translation and checking,

this must be agreed with ASAP prior to work commencing.

Why is proofreading a document better than a back-translation?

In order to check the accuracy of a translation you have had done in-house or by another agency,

we recommend that you have it proofread. This should be done by a second, equally qualified,

mother-tongue translator. Their job is to pick up on any spelling or grammar mistakes and to ensure

that nothing in the source text has been misunderstood and wrongly translated. Some people

prefer a back-translation but this can throw up new problems. Imagine, for example, a text contains

spelling mistakes. Ideally, the back-translator would obviously not misspell the same words in their

translation but point them out when returning the translation. However, some may slip through the

net. By having the translation proofread, such mistakes and others would be spotted and corrected.
　

Who does the translation ?

Our native language professional specialists. Our translators must have professional qualifications

and, more importantly, experience. A degree is not enough.

Will it be a mother tongue translator ?

Naturally – our translators work only into their own mother tongue language. In addition your

translator will have the necessary expertise to do full justice to the special nature of your text.

What languages do you offer in ?

We can translate between almost all languages. Please refer to our Language Index page

What is the difference between consecutive and simultaneous interpreting?

The main difference is that in consecutive interpreting the interpreter carried out his job during

pauses made by the speaker, whilst in simultaneous interpreting the message is relayed with only

negligible delay, working during the source text production.

How do I book an interpreter ?

You can book an interpreter by calling and sending us an email with all the information required.

You can call us at (852) 2264 8323 or enquiry@asaptranslation.com

How much do you charge for interpreting ?

All prices are available upon request. Please email us for more information.

What is the cancellation policy for booking an interpreter ?

We require 24 hours notice for cancellations (not including weekends or bank holidays). If you

give us more than 24 hours notice, we will not charge for the booking. All cancellations within

24 hours incur a charge.

On what basis do you charge for transcription service ?

The amount quoted will depend on the clarity and complexity of the recording, and therefore

how often the transcriber will have to rewind in order to pick up the words said.

Factors that make transcribing more time-consuming include:

background noise

more than one speaker talking at the same time

speakers switching between different languages

poor quality of recording.

Can you transcribe in languages other than English?

We can transcribe in almost every language

How long will it take to get a transcription completed?

Normally a transcription of an hour recording will be completed within 2 days. Longer recordings

may take more time.

We are concerned about the confidentiality of the document(s) we need translated.

Can you assure us that the document(s) will remain confidential and protected

while in your hands?

We understand the importance of proprietary information always being treated as CONFIDENTIAL.

If requested, ASAP will sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to assure the confidentiality of the

document to be translated. All documents are stored in a secure environment and no proprietary

information is ever released to any person or entity that is not bound by our non-disclosure

agreement. Hard copy original documents are always returned to the client. All of our

translators sign confidentiality agreements with ASAP as a standard employment feature.

Please refer to our Privacy Policy.

How can I pay ?

We can accept different payment methods : Bank Check, Bank Transfer, Paypal & Western Union.

Call us on (852) 2264 8323

or email us : enquiry@asaptranslation.com

Email : enquiry@asaptranslation.com

Website : http://www.asaptranslation.com