Not better. Not worse. But the same. At Tessier Translations, when we talk about total quality translation, we mean translation that has the same impact in the target language as in the original.

In the introduction to the Concise Oxford French Dictionary, editor Abel Chevalley writes that: "...the value of an English translation lies in the similarity of its impact on the English mind with the impact of the original on the French mind."

As a firm of certified translators, it is our duty to ensure that your text has the same meaning and impact in the target language as in the source, and that meaning only. Accuracy in translation is critical. There is no room for personal interpretation.

To be a professional translator, then, is to overcome the urge to "correct" a text during translation. We believe it is not our role to edit, revise or pass judgment.

It is our belief -- and the reason behind our success -- that the impact must remain the same. Our goal is to reproduce our clients' communication materials using consistent terminology, phraseology, style and mode of expression. Be it elegant, technical, opinionated or dense, the style of the translation must mirror the original.

A speech on modern translation by Philippe Tessier (In French only)

Translation: a mirror of the original (In English only).