Presentation

BK Translation® is a translation and interpreting agency located in Salou (Tarragona), Spain, which has been offering its clients an excellent ISO 9001/00-certified translation and interpreting service since 1999.
Thanks to our permanent and sustainable quality control systems, we can cater to the most stringent quality demands of our clients. Our company provides translation and interpreting services in almost all language combinations, doing so with superior quality.



For a decade now, the pressure to meet deadlines has been part of routine practice in translation and interpreting. We are therefore highly used to making deliveries punctually, and we always observe delivery terms. Translating and interpreting under pressure is part of our daily practice. We are more than ready to meet any deadlines required by our clients.
We realise that a translation is often the last or the second-last link in a long chain of processes and that our translations are needed urgently before printing, dummying and publication. Our clients rate us very highly thanks to our capacity to react and adapt, as well as our flexibility.

Rates and their configuration

At first sight, the client may have the mistaken impression that BK invoices only for interpreter’s work in situ.
All clients want to know how prices are calculated, which is why we offer a brief summary of the different jobs:

BK Interpreters® Project Management

The project manager will assess the time interval, language combination, the special nature and venue of the event after receiving the client's application.
An interview will then be arranged with the client to provide exhaustive assessment.
An estimate will be issued.
The client will accept the estimate.
BK Interpreters will ask the client for reference material.
Dialogue and working processes between BK Interpreters® and the interpreter.

Preparation of the interpreter:

The interpreter will prepare the job using the reference material supplied, will issue a list of terms and specialised expressions of the client's technical jargon and will source publications, links and other important documents on the Internet to prepare the job properly. The preparation time will begin at least one week before the planned event and will take between 10 and 15 hours, although sometimes, for very technical events, this preparation may be as much as 30 hours.

Preparation through BK Interpreters®:

BK Interpreters® will take care of the necessary sound or video checks, the inspection of the venue and preliminary interviews with the people in charge and other organisational work.

Preparation work by BK Interpreters®:

BK Interpreters will book flights and hotel rooms as necessary, and will prepare descriptions of the route, exact information for the clients and the interpreters' work times.

Interpreting services:

The interpreter and, as the case may be, the BK Interpreters® project manager, will travel to the venue, will talk to the speakers and check the equipment, console, microphones, etc., several times with the help of our technicians.

BK Interpreters®, interpreting service

After the interpreter has completed their work, they will debrief BK Interpreters®, which will then be able to report to the client.

BK Interpreters® subsequent work: 

BK Interpreters® will contact the client for feedback.
The invoices will be issued and sent to the client.
 
Conclusion: a professional interpreting service requires preparatory work and should be checked efficiently.
BK Interpreters® provides the organisational structure, works behind the scenes and configures the interpreting service.      

Outsourcing

One might wonder which interpreting technique best suits the congress or conference.

The decision between one type of interpreting and another is one of the most important when guaranteeing a successful talk, conference or congress. BK Interpreters strongly recommends that you talk to us so that we can assess you on the possible outsourcing of the services, so that you will have the closest possible idea as to the translation company. Only in this way will you be able to know if you are dealing with a professional who is familiar with the interpreting world.



We always recommend a professional interpreting company to our clients. The latter must always have an international and acknowledged quality hallmark, namely the ISO9001/00, which endorses excellent quality, will have its own personnel department that performs annual inspections on its personnel and should offer sufficient language combinations and availability.

Quality assurance is one of the strong points of BK Interpreters. We fully realise the importance attributed to the quality of the services that we offer, and concentrate all our efforts in guaranteeing impeccable quality. We know that our clients only want highest-quality service, which will also guarantee their loyalty. Quality requirements and assurance entail a use of personnel and capital in the form of investments which in turn are reflected in the service.
At the same time, BK Interpreters can provide a large number of booths, together with different exotic language combinations. We deal with the installation of the booth, the equipment, the audiovisual equipment and all the technical assistance. We organise the congress and all the work involved, such as the making of a presentation video or the congress website.

BK Interpreters will take care of all subcontracting work for events and congresses with the utmost professionality and seriousness.

Logically, we guarantee only services by BK Interpreters, and meet your specifications for the congress or meeting. Therefore, we provide only the international and acknowledged forms of linguistic mediation and accept only commissions that are compatible with interpreting requirements.

Thus, our clients place their confidence in a company specialised in interpreting and congresses and which defends interviews and prior assessment as an indispensable requirement for doing a professional job.
To achieve total success, BK Interpreters® must make investments and take ongoing improvement measures which all have to be recouped.
        

Venues and clients

BK Interpreters provides both national and international interpreting services.
One key point is also the Spanish national market, together with the Portuguese and French markets, which are very practical due to their geographical proximity.

Our conference, liaison and chuchotage interpreters will go anywhere in the world with you, they are totally mobile, are not tied to any place and are completely flexible.
We offer interpreters for VIP guests and managers of factory, banks or companies for visits to museums, official openings and exhibitions.

We also have interpreters or simultaneous interpreters if you need them for your yacht or private boat.

Just get in touch with us and ask what possibilities and options you have to choose from. We will be delighted to assess you on our services and their viability.

Types of interpreting

The different interpreting techniques and their field of application are described below:

SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETING
The interpreter works with another colleague in a booth (or with visual contact from a monitor) and they interpret the speaker/s simultaneously, i.e. at the same time and with a minimum lag. Resources: headset and console, interpreting equipment.

Recommended field of application:
Specialised congresses and working days, commercial reports and other conferences by international companies (recommended as of 7 people), presentations with more than 50 people, European board meetings, etc.

Advantages:
Agility, flexibility, time-saving and elegant.

Disadvantages:
It increases costs from the fees of 2 interpreters per language, besides booth/s, technicians, etc., it needs a lot of space (interpreting booths and equipment), visually unbecoming on solemn occasions (booth).

Other forms of simultaneous interpreting:

WHISPERED INTERPRETING (CHUCHOTAGE)

The interpreter works alone and simultaneously, but whispering for one, or at most two, listeners.

Recommended field of application:
The interpreting is for 1 or 2 participants at most during a congress or a presentation in a foreign language. Resources: notebook for taking notes and a pen.

Advantages:
It need not be a fixed place, it is flexible and cheaper.

Disadvantages:
An excellent sense of hearing is needed, and they must like the whispered technique.

Interpreting with portable interpreting equipment
The interpreter works alone. Resources: portable interpreting equipment with battery-operated headsets and microphones.

Field of application:
During visits to companies, as a guide for small groups

Advantages:
Flexible and easy to move about. No need for a fixed installation.

Disadvantages:
Only average sound quality, which negatively affects interpreting.
Only suitable for small groups. The cost of the portable equipment.


CONSECUTIVE INTERPRETING

The interpreter works alone. They take notes during the presentation and translate 5- to 10-minute sections of the speech into the other language. Resources: notebook for taking notes and a pen, sometimes microphone.

Recommended field of application:
Commercial meetings at round tables, official openings, solemn speeches, product presentations, speeches at banquets and the like.

Advantages:
Mobility, economical. Solemn atmosphere.

Disadvantages:
It is slower, out-of-synch, sometimes twice the time is needed. 

CONFERENCE INTERPRETING

The interpreter works alone and interprets one to two sentences during the pauses of the speaker's speeches in order to maintain a fluent speech. Resources: notebook for taking notes and a pen.


Recommended field of application:
Visits to companies, trade fairs, negotiation conferences, commercial meetings.

Advantages:
Mobility, more economical.

Disadvantages:
Out-of-synch. Only suitable for small groups.



COMMUNITY INTERPRETING

It is a new interpreting method and is applied in institutions, hospitals and other installations.


Training, experience and image of the interpreter

It is often thought that interpreters are simply translators. The difference between them is that the translator is always in front of their computer and translates written documents, i.e., they do not participate directly in a communicative situation, while the interpreter is directly in the place where the communication takes place, taking part in it, dealing with the interpreting, i.e., oral translation from one language into another. 
Both professions are linked and, depending on the situation, and with the right training, may be carried out by the same person.

Both professions have different training routes. Most university degrees specialise in general or technical translation, and mastery of interpreting is usually accomplished by means of a module or master in conference interpreting. Different schools also offer a basic course for translators and interpreters, followed by two specialised cycles, translation or interpreting.

Interpreting requires a great deal of practice, experience and general knowledge of the topic to be interpreted, which will render rapid verbal conversion easier.

For this reason, qualified professionals, such as the medical, technical or economic areas, as well as other academic fields of study, find a way to communicate with each other, and thanks to their mastery of two, three or four languages, subsequently take up interpreting.

Many people who have led a rather uncommon life have resided in different countries between nursery and university, and therefore speak several languages fluently. Further education or a master based on this proficiency opens up the way to international activity.

In this regard, it must be mentioned that the mastery of several languages does not in itself mean that there is only one training for doing translations or for rendering translation services.
Interpreters are initially academics with a great deal of experience who can bring high quality and category to the service rendered.

Interpreters that work at congresses and conferences are highly qualified professionals with utterly impeccable manners who know how to express themselves elegantly and feel at home in an international environment.

Generally speaking, they collaborate in working with politicians, authorities, universities, Nobel prizes, board meetings, representatives of international societies and delegations, and are linguistic intermediaries capable of facilitating excellent communication.

Remember that the BK Interpreters professional you contract also represents your company.            

The history of interpreting

Interpreting is as ancient as the creation of languages, and its existence has been known for 100,000 years. There are indications of the practice of interpreting as far back as Ancient Egypt, and also subsequently in Greece and Rome. Nevertheless, summarising, very little is known of the history of interpreting in general.

One famous figure, already known to some, but who is not usually associated with this field, is Marina, lover and translator of Hernán Cortés. The Spanish conquistador conquered Mexico and always used Marina's language skills to communicate with the natives. Marina is often depicted as a traitor who was said to have deceived the native Mexicans. She is enshrouded in numerous legends and myths.

By way of example, the need for interpreters is evident in the European diplomatic corps.

The so-called trade languages have always existed, and were used in the meetings of different heads of state and kings. Up until the First World War, French was used for bilateral meetings with the help of interpreters and translators into the respective national languages. 

Another example of the beginnings of interpreting is the multilingual children who were exchanged between European and Eastern countries, and who grew up in the other country to learn the language. They were then used in the court as interpreters.

It was not until the 20th Century that the profession of the interpreter began to develop into what we know today. Simultaneous interpreting is the most modern form, while whispered interpreting (or chuchotage) is the oldest and most classic. The first large-scale use of simultaneous interpreters was at the Nuremberg trials, which is regarded as the birth of modern simultaneous interpreting.

Nowadays, interpreters are used in most large congresses and conferences, particularly when English cannot be used as the common language.

Source: Lektorat.de

Contact data:

 To request a service, please send us an e-mail to bktraducciones@bktraducciones.com including the following data:

For translations:

ü      Your company's full name
ü      Your company's website
ü      Full name of the contact person
ü      Department and position
ü      Company telephone number and contact person's mobile number
ü      Important data for the issue of an estimate.
ü      Language combination
ü      Delivery term
ü      Other information

For interpreting jobs:

ü      Your company's full name
ü      Your company's website
ü      Full name of the contact person
ü      Department and position
ü      Company telephone number and contact person's mobile number
ü      Topic of the congress or meeting
ü      Date of the event
ü      Place, address and time
ü      Number of participants
ü      Language combination
ü      Technical and audiovisual equipment the client already has (including model and serial number)
ü      Other information

 
Thank you for your interest in our services, we will contact you as soon as possible (within 24 hours at most, on working days).

You can also call us on (0034) 977 35 14 77.

Our postal address is:

BK Translation-Interpreters®
c/Berenguer de Palou, 11 – local 1 – Edificio Dalí
43840 Salou (Tarragona) – Spain

Correction of translations into other languages:

Before accepting an order for the correction of a translation into another language, BK Translation® first makes an assessment of the whole text delivered and decides whether the text in the other language can be corrected or whether its use is not recommended because the text in general or specific points of it are not understandable.

In certain cases, a new translation may be faster and cheaper than a correction of the translation into the other language which would not be understandable, and rendered using technical terms and without taking the context into account.

Our team of professionals will always be available and will provide assessment so as to make it more economical for you, offering a customer-oriented service, albeit always depending on feasibility or workability.

Edition of texts in foreign languages

BK Translation® also offers its original text edition services in foreign languages, and also prepares them for printing.

Our specialised personnel in different subjects deals with this type of tasks and takes on all the responsibility of contextual, syntactic and semantic verification, as well as the necessary research tasks.
In original texts designed for conferences for a very broad target audience, rhetorical and non-verbal aspects are taken into account to subsequently prepare the speech orally, and moreover simplify presentation.

Documents on paper: sworn translations

BK Translation® usually works with electronic data.
Instruction manuals and other type of documents delivered on paper have to be assessed separately to be able to work with them.

In the case of sworn translations, the original must be submitted to be able to validate the translation.
Ask for information on our language combinations for sworn translations.


Tips on contracting translation and interpreting services

In what context is it really indispensable to obtain a translation?

Precisely when the documentation is denser, the client should call in a professional translator to analyse it first, so that they can check for superfluous fragments of text that are not relevant to the user abroad. 
In this way, savings of up to 50% on the cost of the translation into the different languages may be achieved.   

The client deals personally with the translation

If you wish to maintain your international image, then choose a professional translator. In different cultures, a wrong or incomplete translation may be taken as an offence or a lack of interest. 

Due to lack of time I would like to start the translation using the draft document

If a translation has to be started on the basis of an incomplete draft, the client should indicate the time and date of subsequent versions to avoid misunderstandings.

Definition of the target group and contextualisation

Documents, particularly advertising texts, may be adapted depending on the target group, provided that the translator is given the necessary information.
Therefore, information should be provided as to whether an advertising campaign will be implemented through catalogues or it is going to appear in a daily or magazine, or if the translation is for internal use. Similarly, the translator often plays the role of copywriter, providing all their creativity. Nevertheless, creativity and translation are two different matters, and therefore the translator needs time to be creative.

Translations by lecturers or professors and other academics

Many companies use the internal language services of universities and colleges to have their commercial documents translated.
Foreign language teachers and other academics have a very good academic education, although, and as occurs with translation students, they tend to lack fluent translation skills and a well-honed style.  
The same occurs with interpreting students, who interpret actively during the course, working in real conditions, instead of simply attending the course in order to learn their trade. Practice should be got at the University, since the client is not looking for a free service, but rather wishes to convey an image of excellence at national and international level.
Thus, the client should be aware of the importance of its documentation, such as financial reports, statistics or process descriptions, besides communication during a conference or congress, and should only let specialists participate in the image of their company.

Important: Therefore, BK Translation-Interpreters® only employs highly-qualified translators and interpreters, who can turn your investment into a veritable treasure.

The translator should always revise the text before it is printed or published

Texts for publishing on the Internet or advertising material may undergo last-minute modifications by the client and should therefore be rechecked by a professional translator.
Therefore, time should always be available to correct galley proofs.
Never have a text published or disseminated without having it proofread by someone else, since you might encounter unpleasant surprises and your client could make a wrong interpretation of an incorrect translation.
Remember that the translator needs enough time to guarantee an impeccable translation.    


Native translators only

For quality reasons, professional translators only translate into their mother tongue. People who work with languages will understand how difficult it can be to master your own mother tongue. This can only be achieved through lifelong learning, as well as with additional training. How many new words reach our ears every day which have to be processed and analysed by linguists for subsequent use in a suitable context?  
Translators and interpreters used to working to the highest standards, regardless of where they live, either in their own country or abroad, have reached a technical mastery of their own languages, which they continue to develop.
Therefore, BK Translation-Interpreters® only works with native translators.

Important: This does not apply to interpreters, who need to use at least two languages in oral translation, i.e. into their own and the other language. Having only one interpreter with an active mastery of one specific language would mean that the client would have to pay a double rate for a consecutive, simultaneous or interpreting service or a chuchotage.               

Language varieties according to the country

The different varieties of a language according to the country, such as the use of different linguistic forms and nuances in different areas of the same linguistic nation, deserve special mention.

BK Translation® identifies texts according to their market orientation and the target group and translates the text, after agreeing with the Client, and, according to needs, into British or North American English or Castilian or Latin-American Spanish, peninsular or Brazilian Portuguese, etc.

The client's requirements have to be analysed before issuing an estimate and have to be agreed upon so as to set the most profitable common denominator for the client's investment.

Typography and uniformity

BK Translation® guarantees that the original typographic adjustments correspond to the translated text and that uniformity is maintained in the target language.

In this regard, it must be mentioned that only an original text with homogeneous typographic characters will guarantee the uniformity of the target text, and that having to work subsequently on the test will simply increase the client’s correction costs.

One of BK Translation®'s tasks is therefore to act as a guide in the preparation of uniformity within a logical period of time, as well as on the transmission of information of the resulting possibilities.
Depending on the format, a decision will be taken as to whether the typography presented by the client can be maintained, or what other options are available.

Moreover, the uniformity must observe the specific demands of the language, such as those pertaining to punctuation: in several languages, a space must be left before punctuation marks (comma, period, hyphen, inverted commas, etc.), whereas in other languages these marks are placed right after the last word.
In some languages, punctuation marks are used to replace an “etc.” or some other expression; we also harmonise the number of these signs in order to guarantee uniformity in the corresponding language.

We address any special requests that take into account the translation of proper nouns or things in all languages or in specific ones with our clients. Even when different languages have different translation needs, we guarantee the correction of the translations and that the clients’ wishes will be observed as far as possible.

Workflow of BK Translation®

  • BK Translation® receives an enquiry on a possible order.
  • The documentation is evaluated according to the language combination, field, degree of difficulty, format, length and delivery term indicated.
  • Availability is checked and a prior reservation is made at no commitment for the client.
  • Depending on the format in which the client submits the documentation, it has to be formatted and configured so as to calculate an estimate for the total volume.
  • According to the criteria expounded, an estimate is generated and sent to the client without any commitment.
  • The client accepts our proposal with the deadlines agreed to.
  • If the client later decides to include something else, another estimated will be generated and sent to the client for the latter to give their consent.
  • BK Translation® reconfigures the document to be translated in a homogeneous fashion, it organises the group of translators for the order and coordinates the delivery internally.
  • The client is asked to submit the company's glossary for the translation.
  • Before the internal delivery, all the problems that arise with regard to the terminology, internal nomenclature of the company and other issues are collected and analysed as a group.
  • If necessary, the client receives a document with all the critical points to clarify and resolve them.
  • BK Translation® receives the file in Word with the client's comments and can thus proceed with the internal discussion of the group of translators.
  • The homogeneity of the format of the completed translations is checked by means of a scan reading of the text.
  • The client receives the translation and gives their acceptance.
  • BK Translation® issues the invoice on the basis of the budget and sends it to the client