WORDS & FIGURES
BUSINESS & FINANCIAL TRANSLATIONS
There are certain essential qualities that business and financial translations must possess if their content is to be accurately conveyed ...
Professional translation means more than simply changing words from one language to another. In the world of business and finance in particular, there are many nuances and niceties that must be observed if the meaning of a text is to be preserved and accurately conveyed in the target language.
A fundamental understanding of financial terminology is essential for this kind of work. This in turn demands that the translator not only knows the meaning of a term or context, but is familiar with the concepts and usages of this sector.
Among the target groups at whom financial reports and statements are aimed are fund managers who base their investment decisions on considerations of quality. It is the ability to put him- or herself in the fund manager’s shoes, to think in the same way and judge by the same standards, that enables a good translator to create a target-language version which not only employs the correct terminology but also conveys the correct tone.
Ideally, financial translations should be entrusted to a translator who is not only familiar with the industry-specific terminology and usages, but has himself worked in the industry. Some one who has worked as an analyst is far better placed to know how investors should be addressed, and can integrate this knowledge into the translation process. An experienced marketing specialist with a background in investment understands the needs and wishes of investors first-hand. Someone who has worked at the cutting edge with target groups such as CEOs, CFOs and other capital market and investment professionals is ideally placed to translate keynote speeches and PowerPoint presentations.
When selecting suitable translation specialists, it is not only their linguistic qualifications that Baker & Harrison weighs in the balance, but also their professional background and experience of life. The resulting high-quality translations which fully convey the meaning as well as the substance and tonality of the original speak for themselves.
ABOUT JONATHAN SPINK
Jonathan Spink is Baker & Harrison’s translator of choice for business and finance. He studied modern languages at the University of Oxford before setting out on a career in the financial sector. As a former investment banker with 14 years of professional experience at financial institutions including Deutsche Bank and UBS, he is our expert in financial services communication.