7 Things to Avoid When Translating Your Corporate Guidelines to Other Languages
As you branch out to other regions, countries, and nationalities, your company faces many challenges, not the least of which is translating your corporate guidelines and other critical documentation into other languages. This isn’t always as easy as it sounds. It requires translators who are able to understand the principles, technologies, and corporate culture, not just both relevant languages. Here are some top things to avoid when having your corporate guidelines translated to another language.
Avoid Using Cutesy Inappropriate Fonts
You want all of your corporate documentation to have the same look, so that it’s always obvious to those inside the company what belongs to you and comes directly from your corporate offices. It’s called cohesiveness. But what might be easily readable in English might be very difficult to decipher in Japanese, Chinese, or Korean. It’s best to always use an easily readable, basic font for all of your corporate documentation, so that you can maintain a cohesive look, while keeping your documents easy to read after translation.
Be Sure There are No Idioms, Slang, or Unclear Jargon
Even the best technical writers easily slip into using jargon or idioms when writing documentation. This is especially true if you try to maintain a friendly camaraderie with your readers in your corporate guidelines and other critical communications. But these terms and phrases aren’t always directly translatable, and may be confusing or even carry an unintended meaning when translated. Have the documents carefully scanned for any slang, idioms, or jargon before giving the documentation to the translators. Rewrite it to be as straightforward as possible, so that even a layman could grasp the concepts and meaning.
Define Any Terms That May Be Unclear or Untranslatable
Some terms simply have no translation in a particular language, or indeed, outside English. In these cases, it’s important to provide a glossary of terms, or define any unclear or obscure terms at the beginning of each chapter. Alternately, you can use breakouts or text boxes in the margins on each page to define terms as they are used within the body of the text. You can add the glossary in the front or back of the guidelines, just be sure to include a table of contents directing your readers to the appropriate section.
Use Only Brief, Concise Sentences
Remember the old saying, “Keep it simple, silly”? This is particularly true for any corporate guidelines or other documentation to be translated to another language. Go through the documents and break up complex, compound, or run-on sentences into clear, concise sentences. Express no more than one thought per sentence. This way, it can easily be translated into any language without becoming cumbersome or taking on unintended meanings.
Have the Documents Carefully Proofread Before Submitting to the Translators
It is difficult to produce a document of any size that does not have a few errors. But those errors are greatly compounded once translated. Get a fresh pair of eyes on the corporate guidelines — someone who has not read the documents before, but does have enough inside information to recognize what is correct and what is not. Pass it through as many eyes as you need to in order to assure 100% accuracy before handing the guidelines over to the translators.
Hire Translators Familiar With the Industry, Not Just the Language
One can easily know both English and the second language without having any real understanding of the industry, your company, or the topics discussed in the materials. This puts the translator at a disadvantage, especially when dealing with abstract concepts and company policy. Choose a translator with experience in your industry, and be transparent with them about company culture, policy, and information that would help them be more effective at translating the corporate materials.
Be Sure the Technologies You Describe are Available in Your Overseas Facilities
When discussing policies and procedures regarding the latest technologies, be sure those technologies are available in your overseas offices and facilities. For instance, adding a section on your state-of-the-art 3D printer or same-day delivery might not be advisable if the guidelines are going to a region that lacks those technologies or the infrastructure to do those things. The last thing you want to do is hinder the morale of your remote workforce by causing friction over who “has” and who “has not”. Consider deleting those sections before translation, and reissuing the corporate guidelines again as the remote offices and foreign facilities get access to more new technologies.
With some careful planning before translation, your corporate guidelines will be as clear, easy to follow, and well-received in your remote offices as they are in your headquarters.
Ready to have your corporate guidelines translated? Get started today by contacting the pros at TrueLanguage.com.
