Translation as a Profession (Benjamins Translation Library)

Chapter 4. The translating profession 125native speakers in the country of the target language and culture, which is no meanadvantage.While globalisation carries on apace, intranational networks are also beingset up to bring the translation business closer to each potential client. Largenational translation companies have therefore set up local branches (or simplyoffices) in areas where demand is significant, so that clients get the local businesscontact that is essential in a business firmly based on trust and reliability (andtherefore proximity), even if the actual translations are carried out anywhere elsein the same country or abroad – which the client need not know, and probablydoes not want to know, or would even appreciate if he was told that having thedocument translated by a native speaker in a target language and culture countrywill enhance quality.A further trend that concerns translation companies is the development offranchises, as in any other business sector. This means that a translation companywill ‘sell’ its name and its marketing know-how to other companies, and providesupport in marketing, prospecting, installing new premises, purchasing equipmentand software, as well as, more generally, in project and business management.As with acquisitions and mergers, the end result is the development of networksof companies which all mesh together to form worldwide translation ‘Webs’.Concentration goes hand in hand with extended responsibilities for thetranslation company translators. Each salaried translator is now likely to behanded a portfolio of clients to manage, often with a considerable amountof leeway (providing the results are there). Salaried translators are thereforebecoming more autonomous within the company at a time when more and morefreelance translators are pooling together in what are, to all intents and purposes,business organizations.6.3 Brokerage companies and agenciesBrokerage companies are business entities (often single-person businesses) thatsell translation (as a finished product) to clients and buy translation (as a service)from translators (or translation companies) usually taking a significant amount ofcommission for their pains.Technically, translation agencies are also brokers, but unlike the brokeragecompanies, they usually actually play some part in the translation process itself,at least as regards file preparation, proof-reading and formatting for instance.The most basic types of agencies are no different from brokerage companieswhen they buy and sell translation contracts for a commission without actuallygetting involved in any way in the translation process. The more sophisticatedagencies lie somewhere between a broker and a translation company. All agenciesshare the following features: