This article is based on the survey of the costs on translation.
There are rules on translation, one of the basic rules of translation is that translators must only translate into their mother tongue. So, for example, Chinese native speakers should only offer English to Chinese translation and never Chinese to English translation. Similarly, native Japanese translators should offer only English to Japanese translation and never Japanese to English translation as the output would be very unauthentic, even for those with a mastery of English. This means that to translate these languages, one must find a native speaker with a mastery of English. In some cases, Chinese and Japanese translators working aboard fit the bill but in most cases, in-country linguists are required.
And that is where the laws of economics come into play. Japan is a very high-income country with a population much smaller than China and as it might follow the supply of qualified translators offering Japanese
translation services is much lower than the case of China. Japanese translators also require far higher rates per word to justify the time spent due simply to the higher cost of living in Japan. The case of Chinese translation is quite different. At present, China has an abundance of qualified translators and the cost of living is relatively low. In as much, a Chinese translator can charge less (and is forced to do so due to higher competition) while still maintaining a good living standard.
However, the biggest factor remains the supply of qualified linguists in the labor pool. Many African languages, though spoken in the worlds poorest countries, are the most expensive to produce due to a near total shortage of quality translators. In as much, the few qualified translators that exist can often command 2 to 3 times the rate of what even Japanese translators can expect according to market norms.
Aunes Oversettelser AS has been in the business for 26 years, and we are specialized in technical translations. We are specializing in the Nordic languages, and can offer services into Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Icelandic. The premier translation agency for Norway and the Nordic region! Technical translation services for businesses in the Nordic countries and translation agencies world wide.
