viaLanguage.com -Translation Articles

Looking for a Laugh?

When was the last time you were confused (or even amused) by the instruction booklet for some new purchase you’ve just made? Doesn’t it always seem just a little strange? It’s in English, but it reads like the writer may have had a little too much to drink or maybe it was written by a Third Grader. A phrase such as “do not put in place where child hand can reach” may seem humorous, but imagine what would happen if consumers that purchase your product in other countries encountered the same confusion and frustration. Here are some tips to think about, regarding the translation of your technical communications, to ensure that your customers will clearly understand your translated technical communications, and get the most from your products or services.

So you’re ready to translate technical communications (user manuals, software instructions, product guides, etc.). What is the best approach to translating those materials? Have you been wondering how to incorporate translations of graphics into your manuals? What different steps should you take when doing desktop publishing for these materials in different languages? Let’s look at these issues one at a time.

First, what qualifies as technical communications? Generally, these could be anything from product guides, software manuals, scientific instructions to carry out a chemical process, or a manual to operate machinery safely. Technical documents are created by professionals knowledgeable about their company’s products in the hardware, software, or high tech field. The goal of technical communication is to provide the most useful guide or manual to the end user. This means that the writing must be clear, well-thought out, and easy to read.

If your end user is a part of the international marketplace or even a member of an immigrant market in the U.S., you’ll want to provide them an easy-to-read and understand, culturally relevant document so that they can also buy and be satisfied with your product. Keeping their language requirements in mind will ensure a good reputation for your company and enthusiastic recommendation of your product to others within that marketplace.

Leave Some Elbow Room
As with many other desktop publishing projects, be sure to follow best practices when working on technical communications in other languages. This means that wide margins should be left for notes. Leaving enough white space and using big enough fonts can really improve the readability of a document in Traditional Chinese, for example. Also, keep in mind that translating into other languages sometimes involves shrinkage or expansion of the number of words, so those margins may come in handy in the translated version. Be sure to allow some space in the English document so that the translated document is not crowded. Before beginning translation of a technical communication, look at the font conventions you’ll be using for your descriptions of processes, menu items, tasks, etc.

What Are Your Current Conventions?
Be sure to take note of material that should be italicized or bold in English and in the new language. Having a good proofreading team who knows the language is essential, so that consistent word usage is maintained and your conventions make sense in the translated document. Translated English words aren’t always broken apart the same way in the target language, so having a style guide and glossary for key expressions and directions that covers their consistent application of your text style and usage conventions will save you countless hours further into the process.

Embedded Graphics, Screen Shots and Call-Outs
When translating labels or graphics, ensure that there is enough space on the graphic to place the title in the same area as on the English version. Consider whether or not you want the screenshots to appear in the audience’s native language. This might require extra time and effort to have a professional in your field generate these and get them back to you in time for the round of translation and proofreading. Make note of any special material in the screenshots that you want to duplicate in the translation text. For example, if the phrase “Accounting Error” is translated the same way every time in the screenshots, you’ll want it to be translated the same way in the body of the translation. If you have call-outs that describe areas or text in screen shots, ensure that you’ve allocated enough room for text expansion in the target language. The last thing you want is text that is so tight or in such a small type size that its readability suffers. Thinking ahead here will save you in desktop publishing time and expense down the road.

In-Country Reviews are Important
Because of the multitude of potential consistency issues, translation of graphics, and the extra time involved in reading the material for clarity and style, a good translation agency will recommend taking more time for a review by your in-country reviewers. Catching any mistakes or inconsistencies before publication will save time and trouble for your team in the future. Sometimes all it takes is an oddly-phrased or misused term to cause a serious and well-thought-out piece to lose credibility and reflect negatively on your brand.


	viaLanguage Translation Articles *Looking for a Laugh?* When was the last time you were confused (or even amused) by the instruction booklet for some new purchase you’ve just made? Doesn’t it always seem just a little strange? It’s in English, but it reads like the writer may have had a little too much to drink or maybe it was written by a Third Grader. A phrase such as “do not put in place where child hand can reach” may seem humorous, but imagine what would happen if consumers that purchase your product in other countries encountered the same confusion and frustration. Here are some tips to think about, regarding the translation of your technical communications, to ensure that your customers will clearly understand your translated technical communications, and get the most from your products or services. So you’re ready to translate technical communications (user manuals, software instructions, product guides, etc.). What is the best approach to translating those materials? Have you been wondering how to incorporate translations of graphics into your manuals? What different steps should you take when doing desktop publishing for these materials in different languages? Let’s look at these issues one at a time. First, what qualifies as technical communications? Generally, these could be anything from product guides, software manuals, scientific instructions to carry out a chemical process, or a manual to operate machinery safely. Technical documents are created by professionals knowledgeable about their company’s products in the hardware, software, or high tech field. The goal of technical communication is to provide the most useful guide or manual to the end user. This means that the writing must be clear, well-thought out, and easy to read. If your end user is a part of the international marketplace or even a member of an immigrant market in the U.S., you’ll want to provide them an easy-to-read and understand, culturally relevant document so that they can also buy and be satisfied with your product. Keeping their language requirements in mind will ensure a good reputation for your company and enthusiastic recommendation of your product to others within that marketplace. Leave Some Elbow Room As with many other desktop publishing projects, be sure to follow best practices when working on technical communications in other languages. This means that wide margins should be left for notes. Leaving enough white space and using big enough fonts can really improve the readability of a document in Traditional Chinese, for example. Also, keep in mind that translating into other languages sometimes involves shrinkage or expansion of the number of words, so those margins may come in handy in the translated version. Be sure to allow some space in the English document so that the translated document is not crowded. Before beginning translation of a technical communication, look at the font conventions you’ll be using for your descriptions of processes, menu items, tasks, etc. What Are Your Current Conventions? Be sure to take note of material that should be italicized or bold in English and in the new language. Having a good proofreading team who knows the language is essential, so that consistent word usage is maintained and your conventions make sense in the translated document. Translated English words aren’t always broken apart the same way in the target language, so having a style guide and glossary for key expressions and directions that covers their consistent application of your text style and usage conventions will save you countless hours further into the process. Embedded Graphics, Screen Shots and Call-Outs When translating labels or graphics, ensure that there is enough space on the graphic to place the title in the same area as on the English version. Consider whether or not you want the screenshots to appear in the audience’s native language. This might require extra time and effort to have a professional in your field generate these and get them back to you in time for the round of translation and proofreading. Make note of any special material in the screenshots that you want to duplicate in the translation text. For example, if the phrase “Accounting Error” is translated the same way every time in the screenshots, you’ll want it to be translated the same way in the body of the translation. If you have call-outs that describe areas or text in screen shots, ensure that you’ve allocated enough room for text expansion in the target language. The last thing you want is text that is so tight or in such a small type size that its readability suffers. Thinking ahead here will save you in desktop publishing time and expense down the road. In-Country Reviews are Important Because of the multitude of potential consistency issues, translation of graphics, and the extra time involved in reading the material for clarity and style, a good translation agency will recommend taking more time for a review by your in-country reviewers. Catching any mistakes or inconsistencies before publication will save time and trouble for your team in the future. Sometimes all it takes is an oddly-phrased or misused term to cause a serious and well-thought-out piece to lose credibility and reflect negatively on your brand.