Properly preparing your materials before sending them for professional translation can save you money and time and guarantee you get excellent translating results. Following these important guidelines can help you:
Know Your Audience
Before translating any document, it’s important to understand who your target audience is. Consider elements like:
Language and Culture. What language and culture does your audience speak? We need the translator to understand nuances that resonate completely.
Background Knowledge. How familiar are your audience with the topic? It may require depth of explanation.
Purpose. Are you seeking to inform, persuade, entertain or inspire your readers? Documents meant to motivate require a different tone than technical materials.
Keeping the end user in mind at all times and leveraging an online translation service when needed enables translators to make appropriate word choices while adapting meaning and intent.
Organize Source Documents
Well-organized source materials save time and cost while enabling more accurate translations. Here are some ways to streamline documents:
Use Styles and Formatting. Word processing programs can leverage styles to handle formatting details like fonts, spacing and headings consistently across documents.
Avoid Text Boxes and Tables. Text boxes, tables and similar embedded document elements can complicate and slow down translation work.
Consolidate Graphics. Where possible, consolidate graphics in an appendix or separate document, referencing their placement in the text. This simplifies handling and tracking.
Provide Glossaries. Furnish glossaries detailing industry- or company-specific terminologies, abbreviations and acronyms used in materials, along with equivalent terms in the target language.
Add Comments. Use document comments to provide explanatory notes or flag areas needing special attention from translators for fact-checking or adaptation.
Choose File Formats Wisely
Certain file formats facilitate translation work better than others. Recommended formats include:
- DOC and DOCX. These Microsoft Word files allow translators to leverage formatting while working directly in the files easily.
- XML files tag content by type, guiding structural changes. They also integrate with translation memory software.
- HTML documents enable precise handling of text that needs to remain embedded within the files for web placement.
- The XML Localization Interchange File Format (XLIFF) represents content separate from layout as stand-alone translatable data.
In contrast, file types like JPG and PDF are less ideal, as text cannot be directly edited during translation.
Use Translation Memory Tools
Translation memory (TM) tools create databases of previous translations, “remembering” commonly used phrases, terminology and style choices for translators to leverage. This promotes consistency while accelerating work. Consider:
Maintaining TMs. Translation memories, like any database, require formal maintenance as an ongoing business asset. Assign roles for prompt data updates and keeping TMs current.
Sharing TMs Across Vendors. Some client-vendor arrangements allow TMs to follow contracted work, adding value to the next project. However, intellectual property considerations apply when sharing TMs.
Localizing Software and Apps. TM software dedicated to translating software applications and interfaces is designed to translate different software and app user interfaces (according to their UI/UX) to ensure consistency in the US and across linguistics and cultures.
Choose Translators Carefully
Not all translation providers are equal. Top-notch outcomes require translators with:
Subject Matter Expertise. Opt for translators who are well-versed in the specific topic of your content, whether medical, legal, technical, or other industries.
Linguistic Skills. Native linguistic and writing skills in the target language are vital for readability. Evaluate sample translations before committing.
Research Capabilities. Experienced translators know how to research elements needing clarification or fact-checking if questions arise independently.
Style Considerations. Translators accustomed to your organization’s tone, voice, and terminology will produce results that are aligned with your brand.
Confirm the Translation Process
Understanding your translator’s process helps set expectations for optimal results. Key points to address:
Handling Queries. What methods and timeframes can you expect for translator queries? Established procedures reduce delays.
Quality Assurance Steps. Will a separate linguist review translate content? What other QA checks are in place?
Revisions Allowed. How many rounds of revisions are possible within the scope of work? Flexibility varies across vendors.
Secure Handling. What data protections are taken with files? Encryption, restricted access, and other measures guard privacy.
Plan for Translation Early On
Too often, translation is an afterthought, creating schedule pressures. Avoid undue haste by:
Budgeting Accordingly. Factor professional translation and associated costs like software, QA checks and project management into budgets at the outset.
Building in Timeframes. Translation takes time, particularly for longer documents. In timeline estimates, account for multiple linguistic reviews as well.
Allowing for Expansion. Most translated text expands 15-30% over the source language, requiring additional space in layouts. Flag text areas require size flexibility.
Guide Translators With a Glossary
Industry jargon and company terminology often have no direct equivalents in other languages. Develop custom glossaries to inform translators, ensuring consistency across languages. Include:
Product Names/Descriptions. Provide official translated names and descriptions for branded products, equipment and trademarked assets requiring use across linguistic content.
Common Phrases/Acronyms. List commonly repeated descriptors, slogans, taglines, and acronyms with preferred foreign language versions for translators to use for accurate repetition.
Style Considerations. Note required adaptations like expanding more concise phrases for languages needing added context. Also flag insensitive words or phrases likely to poorly translate.
Image Descriptions. For graphics without embedded text, provide translations for titles, captions and alt text descriptions to guide visual context in non-English versions.
Prioritize Areas Getting Translated
Rarely should every company document be translated at once. Prioritizing helps maximize resources for the most impact. Consider:
- User Manuals/Instructions. Safety and compliance information remain top priorities for translation to minimize liability risks.
- Marketing Content. Translate marquee messaging guiding global brand positioning and perception next.
- Support Materials. Contextual content like internal memos and policy documents often takes lower priority.
Identify must-have materials first, using available resources to meet broader needs over time methodically.
Review Translations Thoroughly
Before finalizing foreign language content, rigorously review all translated materials. Watch for:
- Accuracy Issues. The source text intent is checked for facts, figures, addresses and URLs, and they are conveyed correctly.
- Formatting Consistency. Does the text flow correctly? Do fonts and headings work? If not, request adjustments.
- Conversational Tone. The translation will sound natural, it will use nuances to sound natural, and its voice will resonate with speakers of that language.
- Localization Misses. Are culture-specific references like monetary units, date formats and idiomatic phrases localized appropriately?
Identifying necessary changes early prevents problems down the line. Budget ample time for reviews.
Manage Assets in a CMS
Centralizing translated content in a content management system (CMS) simplifies updates moving forward. Consider:
Streamlining Workflow. It allows for editor changes to be made in one language and sync across languages, as source files are connected to translated versions by a CMS.
Maximizing ROI. Centralized storage of expensive translated assets reduces redundant costs in recreating identical content.
Quality Control. While CMS platforms control assets, they cut down on outdated, inaccurate materials in circulation.
Translation complicates content operations, but doing so well from the beginning will save money and increase global brand consistency over time. Success is paved by following structured best practices in preparing and managing multilingual materials.
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