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How do I know if a Japanese translator is doing a good job?

cutepanda

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2 Jul 2017
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I got a Japanese translator to translate some phrases. Here is an example of his work:

Watching children's show is a good way to learn Japanese as the dialogue is simple.
Kaiwa ga tanjun nanode, kodomo muke no bangumi wo miru nowa ii nihonngo gakushuu houhou desu.


I think there should be more choice in candidates
Kouhosha erabi ni wa motto sentakushi ga aru beki dato omoimasu.


She will worry if we are gossiping about her
Watashi tachi ga uwasa wo shite iru no dewa to kanojo ga shinpai suru deshou.


She says it is stressful but very rewarding (work).
Kanojo wa "sutoresu ga tamaru kedo yarigai no aru shigoto" da to itte imasu.


What steps can I take to assess the quality. I don't know enough Japanese to tell myself. (I only know the very basics).

Steps I have tried:
1) Check his qualifications.
He says was born and raised in Japan, which is good, but of course, I can't verify this!

2) Check against translation software.
His translations seems different from translation software, so I know he is doing it manually. That seems to be a positive point.

3) Check against a dictionary.
I have checked his words against a dictionary and they seem to be correct.

Many people would recommend hiring a proof reader/editor. But then I have the problem of making sure the editor/proof reader is good. Plus as I understand it, it is possible to say the same phrase in many different ways in Japanese. So the editor might dislike the work because it is different from how he would do it and not because it is actually wrong.

Another good tip would be to get recommendations, but I don't really have access to anyone who can give me such things.
 
There is no mistranslation. It can be said that the translator is at least reliable.
 
You could get a random Japanese person to check his work. Toritoribe has helped already. Or you could ask someone at a college language department, too.
 
Thanks for the help! Unfortunately, I don't have access to Japanese people or colleges. But I think based on the checks I have done, it seems ok. Thanks again everyone, especially Toritoribe.
 
I don't understand how you can say you don't have access to colleges. You're listed as from the UK. They have colleges. This is the age of the Internet, as if you couldn't phone up or send a postal mail to someone there. Honestly! What the heck is the problem?
 
It's a bit tough to judge based only on four short sentences, but the samples provided, at least, are very good. The translations are accurate and the writing is clear and 'natural' (ie, they don't read like translations).

So the editor might dislike the work because it is different from how he would do it and not because it is actually wrong
That's what is known as 'bad editors'. Don't hire those, hire the other kind.

Curious as to why you need things translated into Japanese but don't have access to any Japanese?
 
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