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Literary translations

“Reading books is the most glorious pastime that humankind has yet devised” – these words by Wisława Szymborska come to mind whenever we embark on translating literary works. It is astounding how words, suitably arranged by the author into sentences, paragraphs and chapters, gain completely new meanings and potency that simply cannot be compared with anything else.

Masterful literary translations

In order to convey this magical power of words to readers across the world, the creative contribution of a talented translator is mandatory. The international success of Olga Tokarczuk was contributed to by the inimitable Jennifer Croft, who translated the novel “Flights” into English, for which the Polish writer received the Booker Prize. Let us not forget the magnificent translation of the Lord of the Rings by Maria Skibniewska, enjoyed by countless Tolkien fans in Poland.

In the realm of hidden meanings – the art of literary translation

Literary translations require excellent writing skills and a special faculty of sensitivity and creativity. The emphasis on the content must go hand in hand with aesthetics. The translated text should make exactly the same impression on readers as the original, and to achieve that it is insufficient to simply employ one’s matter-of-fact grasp of lexical and grammatical rules. Exemplary literary translations are penned, or rather typed by talented and well-read translators. Their linguistic intuition, talent and skills enable them to endow their translations with the same artistic value as that which characterises the original. They are always ready to give advice on further modifications to the text.

What do you gain?

  • Literary translations in 85 languages – everything you need in one place
  • Projects carried out by experts with extensive experience in literary translations
  • Editing and proofreading by a native speaker
  • Localisation of the translation process
  • Free trial translations carried out by different translators
  • Typesetting services

What is translated most often?

Novels and stories

Poetry, plays

Children’s literature

Popular science books

Film and theatre scripts

Handbooks

Religious literature

Articles related to literature studies

Quotation in 15 minutes

Fill in the short form or send an inquiry to the Customer Support and you will receive a reply within 15 minutes.

Literature in 85 languages

Alingua offers its clients literary translations in 85 languages – creativity is a force that knows no geographical boundaries. To ensure that the translated text has a natural sound to it when read by the target recipient, Alingua clients can also take advantage of proofreading and editing services of literary translations, which are carried out by a specially selected team of native speakers. Their creative input gives the translated texts the originality and depth that book lovers appreciate so much.

Free trial translations carried out by several different translators

In the case of literary texts, the choice of a translator and the development of an appropriate style are particularly crucial – that is why our clients can request a free trial translation in several different variants, this being a showcase of the translation skills of our linguists. Each sample will be translated for you by a different translator, which will allow you to choose the version which best reflects the unique character of the literary work.

Pillars of trust

ISO 9001

ISO 9001 certification provides evidence that Alingua applies certified procedures to ensure consistent high quality of its translation services.

ISO 17100

Projects completed in compliance with ISO 17100 undergo a two-step revision process by professionals with appropriate competencies.

ISO 27001

Information security system at Alingua is consistent with the provisions of the ISO 27001 standard and all our cooperation agreements signed with translators contain a confidentiality clause.

Sample translations

In the case of larger projects, clients can request a sample of text translated by several different translators in order to choose a style most suited to their expectations.

Customer satisfaction

In-house statistics from the last two years show customer satisfaction at 99.7%.

Professional liability insurance cover

Your translations are protected by an insurance cover of up to PLN 300,000.

Membership

The Alingua Translation Agency is a member of a number of industry-specific organisations which aim to maintain the highest quality of translation services in the world of advancing technology and growing expectations.

Foundation

1% of the value of our projects is donated to Alingua Helpful Word Foundation (Fundacja Alingua Pomocne Słowo). Each submitted order helps those in need.

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