Another aspect potential translation clients must be aware of is the need to have their translation performed by a native speaker of the language into which the translation is to be made. It is important not to overlook the fact that there are many bilingual persons out there but finding someone truly bilingual with the same level of linguistic proficiency in each language is a chore. This is why potential clients must be cautious when someone claims to translate perfectly from one language into another and vice versa. Typically, no-one really speaks more than one language for equal durations daily on a continuous basis; one always prevails over the other for some reason or another.

Some of the biggest signs of a translation having been completed by a non-native speaker of the target language are as follows. Let's take French by way of example. French punctuation typically appears in the format final word - space - punctuation mark, whereas English always follows the format final word - punctuation mark never with any space. This alone can be the bane of an editor's life as a 50 page document could contain such punctuation errors numerous times on each and every page!

Very often when the target language is drafted by non-native speakers it contains a structure that is so close to that of the source language structure that it makes no sense and only comparison with the source document can clarify the intended meaning. A typical example is the structure "the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the company" which is everso faithful to many a source language, including the French mentioned above. A structure that is easier on the ear and eye would be "the company shareholders' annual general meeting". Too many "of the's" in a text clog it up, look clumsy and lack both a professional and natural touch.

It is not to say that only non-native speakers commit such errors, the inexperienced or, dare it be said, less attentive to detail are equally guilty. Such examples highlight the need for care in the translation process and why many established translation companies include editing and proofreading in their fees. No matter how qualified, experienced and careful a translator is, translators are human beings who can overlook the odd out of place comma and hence the importance of paying a little a bit extra to receive a different language version of your document that reflects the professionalism and meaning of your original document in every sense without every "of" and "the" being literally transposed into the new version.

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