Recently updated on January 12th, 2024 at 09:48 am
With the increase of global trade, having an international presence especially in the world’s largest eCommerce market is crucial for success. International businesses spend multi-million dollars a year on translation services because they understand the importance of speaking the native language of their targeted audience. If you’re expanding your business to the Chinese market or are already in China and want to make sure your message is being delivered appropriately, you need professional Chinese business translation services that can build a loyal customer base with engaging, compelling, and culturally relevant content.
In this article, we’ll review:
Table of Contents
- 3 Common Myths on Chinese Business Translation Services that You Should Avoid
- 5 Smart Strategies to Hire Professional Chinese Business Translation Services
- English-Chinese Glossary of Business Terms
- Frequently Asked Questions
3 Common Myths on Chinese Business Translation Services that You Should Avoid
Though machine translation is the go-to tool for people who want to save or with a tiny budget, professional Chinese business translation services providers are indispensable for specialized industries. We’ll debunk some of the common myths why you should avoid them whether you’re setting up a Chinese website, translating a business document into Chinese, etc.
Google Translate and Website Plugins can Automatically Translate the Texts
Google Translate is helpful for quick word-for-word translation or to get a general idea of a text written in another language. It might be suitable for personal use, but not for professional purposes. Some of the texts translated by Google from English to Chinese sound very funny, rude, and can be embarrassing at times as there are cultural and contextual aspects limitations. The same with extensions and plugins that you can easily install in web browsers for automatic translation. These poorly machine-translated words can’t represent the image of a professional business.
If you don’t have a generous budget to translate all the documents from English to Chinese, we recommend that you prioritize key materials to be handled by a professional Chinese business translation services provider.
Ignore Specialized Skills Required by the Software Industry
Some businesses tend to have the illusion that any bilingual speaker can translate, however, when it comes to the specific industry especially mobile applications, it’s a completely different story. For instance, software localization for the Chinese market is a specialized skill that requires special training and expertise beyond merely translating words and phrases. Software translators should have a background in programming, understand codes, words, and phrases they need to translate to avoid debugging.
The Chinese market for mobile applications is growing exponentially in recent years and many western app publishers are making their way to China for the lucrative market, you wouldn’t want to be beaten out of the competition due to poorly translated content. Hence, it’s essential to work with a professional Chinese business translation services provider.
Ignore the Specialization Required by Fiction Translation
Translation skills aren’t developed overnight. Fiction translators are creative, imaginative, and spent years studying linguistics and literature. On the contrary, nonfiction translators like technical translators might spend years honing their technical skills in their respective specializations. Chinese business translation services providers specializing in different fields might apply various principles to get the translation projects done. Not everyone is a Jack of all trades. When you’re hiring Chinese business translation services providers for your fictional novels, always choose pros with specialization in the field.
There’re key factors that will ensure you get the most accurate, faithful translation possible, whether it’s a website localization, marketing brochure, business proposal, or social media campaign.
5 Smart Strategies to Hire Professional Chinese Business Translation Services
Working with Chinese Translators Specialized in Relative Fields
Are your translation projects in technical fields like engineering, finance, and legal? If so, it’s paramount to work with Chinese translators possessing the right skill sets. Here’re three main things to consider when hiring a Chinese business translator.
- Academic background
- Years of experience
- The field of specialization
The first step is to find out whether the native Chinese translator has a degree from one of China’s elite universities. Next is to identify the translator’s area of expertise. This will help determine whether the translator has sustainable experience in specialized industries. If you need to work on finance documents, then a translator in the business management sector is more appropriate than someone with knowledge in engineering.
Building a Translation Glossary
The best way to cut off assumptions and speed up translation progress is to provide the Chinese translators with a glossary of key terms. When starting a new translation project with an unfamiliar audience or framework, many translators might struggle with choosing the correct words. Having a translation glossary will allow you to communicate fast, avoid misinterpretation, and ensure the consistency of some fixed terms.
Using Translation Memory Tool
Translation memory tools (TMT) and Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) have become quite popular in the field of translation industry as they increase efficiency drastically. Translation memory tools record all the previous translations that have been done before. When you translate a sentence similar to those in the memory, you can click on the segment to retrieve the previously translated version and reuse it for your new translation. You don’t have to type or figure out the translation again in case you forget it. All the changes including formatting, terms, etc. made previously will be updated automatically while maintaining the consistency of terms.
Proofreading by a Senior Translator
A common problem with translation is that tiny mistakes are often neglected, it can be formatting differences between English and Chinese, the misuse of English punctuation marks in Chinese translation, etc. Having the translation proofread by a senior and experienced translator can add an extra layer of quality guarantee, which is essentially important when it comes to the translation of important documents that require ultimate accuracy and precision such as contracts, financial and legal documents.
Working with a Chinese Business Translation Services Provider
Depending on the volume of the translation projects, the process of translating can be long and tedious, requiring loads of time, effort, and knowledge to translate from English to Chinese. That’s why some companies prefer to work with a Chinese business translation services provider especially when they have to meet a strict deadline on high-volume translation work. Working with a professional Chinese business translation services provider with a seasoned team who knows how important quality assurance is will allow you to get exactly what you pay for, and you have time to focus on what you’re good at to grow your business.
English-Chinese Glossary of Business Terms
| English | Chinese |
| Chair of Partnerships Committee | 合伙项目委员会主席 |
| credits | 信用额 |
| engagement referrals | （客户）服务推荐 |
| fast track collection | 快速收银（台） |
| first time fix ratio | 首次完修率 |
| journey mapping | 客户旅程分析 |
| publishing agent | 出版代理商 |
| brief stint | 短暂供职 |
| flat monthly fee | 固定月费 |
| a market ripe for the picking | 商机涌现的成熟市场 |
| a preferred client price | 优先客户的价格 |
| acts with honor | 言行有信 |
| after expenses | 扣除费用后 |
| all trademarks recognized | 所有商标均获认证 |
| apostilled originals | 经认证的原件 |
| at full market | 全价 |
| Attorney fees to prevailing party in any dispute | 在任何争议中（应）付给胜诉方的律师费 |
| customs duty | 关税 |
| back office | 后勤部门 |
| back-solving | 逆向思考解決方案 |
| brand manager | 品牌经理 |
| branding | 品牌塑造 |
| break-even | 收支平衡 |
| business & events manager | 业务及节目统筹经理 |
| business context for sales | 有利销售的业务环境 |
| English | Chinese |
| business filing | 商业申报 |
| business incubator | 企业孵化器 |
| business practices | 商业行为 |
| cash flow | 现金流 |
| Co-Chairs | 共同主席 |
| Commercial Excellence Team | 商务卓越模式小组 |
| commodity manager | 货品经理 |
| community call | 团体要求；群众呼声 |
| undertaking | 承担方 |
| compliance officer | 法规事务主管 |
| contractual partner | 签约伙伴 |
| convergent billing | 融合计费 |
| convincing pitches | 令人信服的（推销）说辞 |
| corporate recovery | 公司重整 |
| emerging markets | 新兴市场 |
| engagement management | 业务管理 |
| engagement module | 互动单元 |
| entire agreement | 完整协议 |
| entrepreneurs and businesses | 企业家和企业 |
| ethic code | 道德守则 |
| extra premium | 额外价值 |
| factual or legal issue | 事实问题或法律问题 |
| feel empowered to | 有权/有责任 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are China’s main imports in 2021?
Here’re China’s biggest imports in 2021:
1. Electrical, electronic equipment
2. Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products
3. Ores slag and ash
4. Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers
5. Optical, photo, technical, medical apparatus
6. Vehicles other than railway, tramway
7. Plastics
8. Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins
9. Copper
10. Organic chemicals
What countries does China import most goods from?
The following is a list of countries China import most goods from:
1. United States
2. European Union
3. ASEAN
4. Japan
5. Hong Kong
6. South Korea
7. Taiwan
8. Australia
9. Vietnam
10. Malaysia
What are the characteristics of Chinese business culture?
Chinese business culture is greatly influenced by Confucianism, which places great value on modesty, courtesy, diligence, collective efforts, pragmatism, hierarchy management, etc.
What is business translation?
Business translation is the process of translating written or spoken business-related content from one language to another. This can include a wide range of materials, such as marketing materials, financial documents, contracts, websites, and more.
What is Chinese business translation?
Chinese business translation is the process of translating written or spoken business-related content from Chinese to another language or from another language into Chinese. This can include a wide range of materials, such as marketing materials, legal documents, user manuals, websites, and more.
What do Chinese business translation services providers do?
Chinese business translation services providers translate written or spoken business-related content from Chinese to another language or from another language into Chinese. They work to ensure that the translated materials are accurate, clear, and effective for the intended audience.
Which language is used the most for business translation?
The language which is used the most for business translation varies depending on the specific industry and region. Some of the languages that are commonly used for business translation include English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
Chinese Copywriter Team consists of talented linguists, project managers, localization engineers, and SEO experts. Since 2012, we have been providing translation, localization, and marketing services for various international businesses targeting the Chinese markets as well as Chinese businesses expanding their global reach.