Types of translation and their uses

When we need a translation, we often contact the first translator that comes to mind or the first translation agency available. Every translation is different and not all translators are suitable for every type of translation.

To the untrained eye, a translation might seem quick and easy to do. There are, however, many types of translations requiring translators with specialist translation skills. Did you know that there are over 15 different translation types? Let's have a look at them!

• Sworn translation: A sworn translation is no different to other translations in matters of translation quality, but sworn translations conserve the legal validity of the original document before official bodies and they are accepted as a full and faithful version of the original.
• Art and culture: These translations specialise in documents related to Museums, Foundations, Universities, Cultural and Art Centres, Exhibitions, Galleries, Fairs, Festivals and Publishing companies, among others.
• Banking and finances: These refer to any financial or legal banking document, for example, the translation of a company's annual or quarterly accounts.
• Natural sciences: These include any type of scientific translation, and cover different disciplines, such as biology, physics, geology and speleology, among others.
• Social sciences: This area includes all texts related to the study of man and his relationship with the environment. They cover topics such as anthropology, sociology, psychology, geography and history.
• Sport: Sport translations cover sports ranging from football, one of the most universal sports, to little known or minority sports. Translators specialising in sports need to have an extensive knowledge of sport terminology.
• General translation: General translations cover subjects that don't fit into any specific field or don't focus on any specific terminology, science or topic.
• Industry and engineering: These would include translations on the automotive industry, the electricity and energy sector, construction, mining and telecommunications.
• Real estate: These often involve sworn and legal translations, as they provide information on real estate services and real estate property management, which also requires a certain level of knowledge in legal matters.
• Judicial and legal: As the name suggests, judicial and legal documents are court documents, such as depositions, minutes of meetings, commercial documents, notary documents and private or confidential documents, among others.
• Marketing and advertising: ATLS offers translations of blogs and sales brochures, and also emails, advertising banners, adverts, website content and presentations.
• Fashion: The fashion sector requires knowledge of specialised terminology that is unique to the sector. Some words have become universal and don't require translation. However, specialists in fashion translation need careful study and prior training in the industry and its terminology in order to deliver a correct translation.
• Press and communication: This includes various fields, such as press releases, announcements, news, radio and television reports and corporate communications.
• Hospitality industry: As with other types of translation, this area requires knowledge of the technical language and specific terminology used in the hospitality industry.
• Insurance: The translation of insurance documents requires in-depth knowledge of the insurance sector and also includes the translation of international invoices. This means that translators must have a good understanding of the content in each document order to deliver a correct interpretation of the clauses.
• Tourism: This often overlaps with the field of communications and marketing as it includes translations ranging from brochures and news from the tourism sector, to audio-guides, printed guidebooks and any type of content aimed at tourists.
• Websites and apps: This is one of our specialities! If you should need a translation of your website and/or applications of any type, you're in the right place!

Our most popular and most requested translations include areas such as sworn translations, banking and finances, general translation, industry and engineering, real estate, marketing and advertising, fashion, hospitality services, insurance, tourism and websites and apps. ATLS works with many expert translators, each one a specialist in their own field. Want to talk?