Why your overseas agent or distributor might not be a good translator.

（Edited by freelance Chinese translator li – English to Chinese or Chinese to English translation services）
It may appear to be ideal to use you overseas agent or distributor to do the translations themselves – they speak the language, know the product and don’t charge the same as a translation agency.

Unfortunately, the end result is usually a major disappointment for all concerned. All too often, such agents or distributors have their own ideas about what the promotional material should say and re-write it rather than translate it. They may also lack the fluency in English to fully understand technical terms, not to mention the fact that the typical salesman is not a professional writer who has the skills to ensure that document is grammatically correct. Finally, they have other responsibilities so it is unlikely that they will be able to undertake the translation within a reasonable time scale.

However, overseas agents or distributors are ideal for checking that a professional translation has the correct style and terminology that they are require for their market. Their feedback to polish the translation is invaluable.