Spanish Translation and Transcription

Translation is the action of interpretation of the meaning of a text and subsequent production of an equivalent text that communicates the same message in another language. Spanish translation involves listening to an audio or video tape in Spanish language and producing an English translation or vice versa.

Transcription, on the other hand, is the conversion of a spoken source into written or printed format in the same language. The Spanish transcription is generally done by a Spanish person, while translation by an English speaker translating into English.

Spanish translation is more than just putting words into another language; it requires an understanding of the information being translated, so that the spirit, meaning, tone and style of the communication are preserved, While Spanish transcription requires a good listening skill, understanding of the subject matter and ability to write the same information in the same language.

To perform Spanish transcription and translation, one has to listen and write down the content in the language in which it is presented. Then translate it to the target language required.

Spanish translations of official documents, such as driver’s licenses, birth/death certificates and school or university transcripts for submission to govt. offices require certification. That means the translator must be certified by the certifying body of the province in which the document will be submitted. Translation should ensure localization, clarity and overall cohesion of message for the target audience.

Whether you need to transcribe interviews, focus groups, depositions or conferences, the goal is the same-conversion of audio into text format.

The most common type of transcription and translation is legal translation, where clients are interviewed in their native language-Spanish, but the court will require the event to be recorded in another language-English. However, it is more common for transcription and translation to be conducted for video clips and radio interviews.