Japanese translation & interpreting Frequently Asked Questions

This section tells you all you need to know to get your job done. Less than 10 minutes spent reading this page will save you both time and money when you come to commission your work. Links are included  throughout for those interested in more in-depth treatments.

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Table of contents

1. Which do I need. A translator or an interpreter? (and what's the difference anyway)

2. How are translation jobs priced?

3. How are interpreting assignments priced?

4. Will my computer be able to handle Japanese text?

5. What are the most significant differences between English and Japanese?

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1. Translator or interpreter?

Translators work with documents and usually work remotely using specialised software such as word processors and web design tools. Interpreters work with people and usually work on-site along side you and your customers.

Translating and interpreting are two very different skills and, although some people offer both services, it is important not to confuse the two when commissioning work. With some notable exceptions, translators are usually much better at translating into their mother tongue.

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2. How are translation jobs priced?

For English to Japanese assignments prices are based on UK Pounds per thousand words of the source document. 

For Japanese to English assignments prices are based on UK Pounds per thousand Japanese characters of the source document (there are no such things as words in Japanese).

As there is no direct equivalence between Japanese and English languages, the space which your finished translation takes up may differ significantly from that which your source text does. Click here to learn more.

The actual price you pay will depends upon factors such as,

• Presentation: In what format do you require the completed document? A Word for Windows file is much cheaper than the same document presented on bromide.

• Complexity: How complex is the document? How much specialist knowledge will the translator need? Computer patents are more expensive than, say, standard business letters.

• Deadline: When do you need it back by? Whilst 'yesterday' is never an option 'tomorrow' might be. Next month is likely to be cheaper however.

• Number of translators (and third parties) required: A function of the points above. For Japanese to English assignments, most translators aim to translate approximately 2000 Japanese characters into English a day. For English to Japanese assignments most work on an average of 1000 English words. High volumes and short deadlines and/or demanding presentation requirements necessitate use of multiple translators and other third parties, the management required for such projects increases the price.

Click here to learn more about translating documents and pricing.

Note: Unlike some agencies, future implications never quotes on the number of words/characters in the target language document and are suspicious of those who do. Why would you want to give your supplier an incentive to produce 'sloppy', overly long winded text?

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3. How are interpreting assignments priced?

Interpreting assignments are charged in multiples of half a day (4 hours) and are usually classified as one of the following,

• Simultaneous: Sometimes also known as 'conference interpreting'. This is the most well known, although not the most widely used, form of interpreting. One person speaks and many listen through headphones as interpreters interpret what is being said in real-time. Usually used at business/political conferences or other formal occasions. This is highly skilled work requiring considerable planning and specialist equipment. Click here to learn more.

• Consecutive: This type of interpreting is less famous but much more commonly used. One person speaks and then pauses, one or many people listen whilst what has just been said is repeated in the target language. Usually used at less formal events such as retirement speeches and product launches.  The main difference is that specialist equipment is not required and the interpreting is not real-time. Click here to learn more.

• Facilitating: This covers a range of activities. Typically many people talk and many people listen alternately. This type of interpreting is often used in business meetings (or factory visits etc) where one or more delegates has a less than perfect grasp of the languages being used. A delegate will speak and the interpreter will repeat what has been said or clarify points which are not well understood. Click here to learn more.

Note: Although less of an issue with interpreting than with translating, interpreters are usually more comfortable and efficient when interpreting into their mother tongue. Therefore, if your target audience is Japanese it may be better to request a native Japanese speaker.

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4. Will my computer be able to work with Japanese text?

Probably not unless you are using a Japanese operating system or have installed Japanese language support for your English system.

Computers running under English language versions of Windows can not normally work with Japanese text as they don't recognise the codes used to represent Japanese characters. 

Without getting into technical details, most English language versions of Microsoft's Windows operating system use 8 bit character sets whereas Japanese character sets are based on 16 bits. Click here for a more detailed discussion.

Are there any work arounds?

Luckily yes ... two actually (excluding installing Japanese Windows)

1. Install Microsoft Japanese Language support on your English Windows system

2. Use graphics files instead

Each is described in more detail below.

Microsoft Japanese Language Support: Microsoft provide software which can be installed upon your English version of Windows which will let you work with Japanese text. It is distributed as part of the Office suite of programs or can be downloaded from Microsoft's web site at  http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/iebuild/ime5_win32/en/119244.htm

Graphics files: Japanese text can be made into graphics files suitable for incorporating into documents and www pages. future implications. In this way, neither you or your customers need a system capable of handling Japanese to display them. There are both advantages and disadvantages of using graphics. Click here to learn more.

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5. What are the most significant differences between English and Japanese?

Perhaps the question should be turned on its head. There are many more differences than similarities. Here are 3 fundamental differences. Click here to learn more.

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Would you like to know more? Contact future implications today. Alternatively, click here to have us call you.