We all agree that feedback from the end users is important in judging the quality of the finished product, but how does a company obtain effective feedback on the translations it contracts out? 

Sometimes companies will ask "native speakers" to read the translation and tell them if it's any good, and then have to contend with conflicting evaluations.  The problem usually is that the evaluators are either not qualified to judge, or afraid to offend.  Many times, although native speakers, they are people who have lived in the US for years and have lost touch with their native language, or never knew it very well, particularly if they were educated in the US.  Other companies have simply given up after years of struggling with the problem and have opted to take the approach that, unless someone complains, the translation must have been OK.

Often, feedback forms are handed out at meetings and conventions asking the participants to judge the quality of the simultaneous interpretation by checking the box labeled excellent, good, fair, or poor.  The assumption is that these are people who have come to the US for a convention about their field of expertise, and that obviously they would know if the interpretation was any good.  Wouldn't they?

Remember that your end user is not a qualified translator and is not judging the translation, but only the finished product.  The fact is that the average end user of a translation has no idea how to go about judging it, and usually gives an opinion based on politeness, orneriness, desire to please, or any number of other factors.   If you prefer a more systematic approach, the following questions will help you to obtain effective feedback from your end users:

1. Can you tell it is a translation?
This is the most important question to ask, as a competent translation never reveals that it is a translation.

2. Does it read like an original?
This question reinforces the previous one, as a competent translation reads like an original.

3. Are there any words or phrases that sound out of place?
Proper usage is the mark of a good translation.  An incompetent translator will  look words up in a dictionary; a competent translator will know which is the right word to use.

4. Is there anything that does not make sense?
Incompetent translators who do not know proper usage will often translate a phrase word for word, which will make no sense.

5. Are there sentences that are hard to understand?
Improper usage will make the text hard to understand.

6. Are there phrases that you understand but that you would never say that way?
Again, this evaluates proper usage.

7. Are there sentences with words that seem out of order?
Word order is extremely important, not only in conveying the correct meaning, but also in giving you a text that runs smoothly.

8. Are there any grammatical mistakes? This question is only significant when the answer is yes.  Acceptable grammar is much easier to produce than acceptable usage.

9. Are there any misspelled words?
Again, a question that is only significant when the answer is yes.

• Did the interpreter keep up with the speaker?
• Did the interpreter speak whenever the speaker spoke?
• Did the interpreter pause whenever the speaker paused or shortly after?
• Did you hear any hesitation in the interpreter's voice?
• Did the interpreter use any words or phrases that sounded strange to you?
• During slide presentations, were the interpreter's words well-timed?
• Did the interpreter mispronounce any words?
• Did the interpreter have a pleasant, well-modulated voice?
• Did the interpreter have a cultured voice and accent?

• Was there any time when your equipment did not work?
• Was there any time when you had trouble hearing?
• Was the sound over the headphones loud enough?
• Did you hear any crackling noise or interference in your headphones?
• Did you hear any background noise coming over your headphones?
• Did the interpreter's voice ever sound muffled or distorted?