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Sometimes people ask me if I ever get bored, sitting behind my computer all day, “just typing away”…

Of course not! One of the greatest things about being a freelance translator is the variety of the job! And you would be surprised to know how interesting many texts are… I learn new information all the time.

For many years now, translation agencies have been trying to push MTPE – the post-editing of machine-translated text – onto freelance translators, while freelance translators have been pushing back.

There seems to be a huge gap between the mindset of project managers, who – understandably – argue that MTPE is the new way forward, that we should embrace new technologies, that machine translation will help us translate faster.

And that is true.

But let me tell you why we, freelance translators, are not keen on accepting MTPE : the rates we are offered, do not reflect the work that is required.

If you want to reach the entire Dutch market, meaning all 24 million speakers of Dutch living in The Netherlands and Belgium, you need to hire a Flemish translator!

Why?

Because Flemish translators - i.e. translators who speak Belgian Dutch - can write in a neutral version of Dutch that is fit for use in both The Netherlands and Belgium.

And that is a result of the history of the evolution of the Dutch language.

Great news : Google announced Google Translate is now applying its new machine learning algorithms to the English into Dutch language pair. Does that mean Google Translate has evolved from a rudimentary tool that helps people understand the essence of the message in a language they do not master, and the infamous source of jokes like Google Translate fails and Google Translate sings, to a translation service that is useful in a professional environment? Can you finally use it to translate your product brochures or website text into new languages to reach new markets all over the world? Can you address potential business partners in their own language when you write them an email?

Let's do a quick check.

You have a text that want to have translated and you want to find a translator… It sounds easy, but you will soon find that it is not as easy as you think. At least, not if you care about the quality of the translation. If you want to have a text translated, it is probably because you want to reach an audience that you cannot easily reach with the original text. But if you want the translation to appeal to your target audience as much as your source text does, you do need a translator who has the right skills and who can deliver quality.

What better country to visit trade fairs or participate in trade fairs than Belgium? Its strategic location in the heart of Europe make small Belgium a great business hub. Brussels is in the top 5 of European cities that attract businesses. No wonder a small country like Belgium is host to so many interesting trade fairs! No matter what your industry is, no matter where your interests lie, Belgium will have a trade fair for you.

It is widely known that Belgium is a great country for business: a strategic location, a great logistical infrastructure, a skilled workforce and an ideal test market for new projects and products. And while the high level of language skills will be useful for businesses that want to enter this market, the only way to attract customers is to have your materials translated into the local languages. After all 75% of potential clients want to see your products in their native language, according to a Common Sense Advisory Study. In Belgium that means Dutch (spoken by 60% of the population, based in Flanders), French (50%, based in Wallonia) and German (1%, based near the German border).  That's right, Flemish is not in the list. How come?

A while ago a potential client told me his company did all their translations in-house because they used their own specific terminology and did not feel an external translator would be able to use these specialist terms.

Do you have the same concerns? Then let me put your mind at ease.