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My English level is average. I can write fluently and my vocabulary is not too limited.

With the thought in mind that the end result must be perfect, is it better for me to write my long text (100 pages) in English and then get copyedited by a native English speaker, or write in French (my native language) and then get translated by a professional?

I'm concerned about the quality of translations. Long texts (such as reports, offers, books, etc.) that have been translated into French from English are usually done very poorly.

I'm also concerned by my inability to use English correctly, especially with expressions and with typical ways of constructing sentences in particular contexts.

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  • @Dori: corretly was a typo, but unability is a typical case of invented "translation"
    – Pierre 303
    Jan 30, 2011 at 9:41

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Translation really is an art.

I recommend writing in the language where you have the largest vocabulary and where you feel most comfortable. In your case, that would be French. Then a translator can take your words, figure out how to say the same thing in English, and make readers feel exactly the way French readers react to the original.

If you wrote in English, though, you might use a word that has a different meaning in that particular context, or use a word you think exists that doesn't, and so on. And then the editor would have to guess at what you actually wanted to say—which isn't playing to anyone's strengths.

My advice: write in your strongest language, and then let translators do their magic.

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    And then read the result, checking if it does say what you wanted to say. As you said, translations are often done quite poorly (translators are paid pretty badly), so it's good to check. Which may mean having to put appropriate stipulations into the (eventual) contract with a publisher.
    – Jürgen A. Erhard
    Jan 29, 2011 at 13:58
  • @jae: good point, for my important business letter, my native English speaking assistant send me her copy-edited version, and sometimes (maybe 1 time on 10) I have to fix some glitches that change the meaning of something.
    – Pierre 303
    Jan 29, 2011 at 14:02
  • Since you know English well enough to proof the translation, I think this makes the most sense. Being in a position to verify the translator's work for conceptual accuracy while benefiting from their expertise is a great place to be in :)
    – topicref
    Feb 21, 2018 at 16:15
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My experience with this is two-fold:

  • I did translation work for some time. I come from a family of professional translators (my aunt still being in the business).
  • Working for a company routinely ordering translations from third parties and reading the translated documents.

The first concern is financial: translating stuff is way more expensive then editing and the better the translation, the more expensive it may be.

The results may also be quite variable. I had experiences with translations from companies with great reputations that ended up absolutely horrendous. If you're unlucky the end result of a translation may be the same thing you would have produced yourself sans the benefit of copyediting from a native english speaker (and you ending up paying a ridiculous fee).

Writing it yourself also has the added benefit of beefing up your experience with a foreign language which never hurts.

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I think another aspect here is what you're writing, especially if it's non-fiction. Sometimes the subject matter itself has a "native language".

For example I would never even start writing technical, IT-related stuff in my native German language. Most of the time the original English terms are far more common than their translated counterparts which often feel clunky and forced.

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Yeah, I'm afraid I'm with Dori on this one, as much as it pains me.

I tried my own hand at translating something into French a while back. Then I sent it to a publisher-friend. His reply was kind, but direct:

If you had been a professional translator, I'd have said thanks, but no thanks.

And that was for something that I was particularly proud of...

I know exactly what you mean about translation quality though. I've seen some things translated where the translator completely missed the point of the original. So proof-reading the text afterwards is absolutely essential. Of course, you then have to discuss to work out if the translator has misunderstood your text, or if you've misunderstood their translation.

And I don't need to explain to you all about the edge cases where there isn't any direct translation and they have to 'make it up'...

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