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As the Internet allows more businesses to establish a worldwide footprint, the need for technical translation services is on the rise. For a growing number of manufacturers and software developers, now marketing their products all over the globe, making sure that consumers can read and understand the required documentation in their own language is a critical factor for competitiveness. A mere word-for-word translation isn’t enough, however. Technical translation providers must deliver content in a manner that speaks to the cultural norms of their intended audience.
Growing Demand for Translation
According to a 2012 Common Sense Advisory study, the global market for language services is growing by about 12 percent per year. Thanks to the Internet, businesses have access to a worldwide pool of professional translation talent to choose from.
Prices have dropped, but the quality of service has not remained consistently high.
In technical translation services, low cost and low quality too often go hand in hand. Finding a freelancer or company online to translate technical materials into another language is one thing, but it’s another matter to find a technical writing professional with the language skills to translate those materials naturally, and present them to the target audience in an accessible and engaging way.
What to Look For
Cost is an important factor in the search for a technical translation provider, but it shouldn’t be the most important. You get what you pay for, as the saying goes – selecting the low-price option may not be the best call, as savings in cost can foreshadow a loss in quality. It is incumbent upon companies seeking translation services to vet their prospective vendors thoroughly, with respect to quality and cost.
A technical translator’s job goes beyond moving words out of one language and into another. It’s about conveying meaning, and when the documents being translated are training guides, operating manuals, parts catalogs, or other technical materials, there’s no room for error or lack of expertise. Even slight mistranslation can make technical documents unclear, confusing, or legally unsound. Technical writing professionals specializing in translation must show full mastery of the languages they’re working with, the subject matter they’re translating, and how the subject is best presented in the target language.
Goals for Technical Translation Providers
- Be readable – Technical translations must be linguistically correct, and easily comprehensible to native speakers.
- Be accurate – Technical translators must understand all concepts contained in the source material, and find ways to transmit the material’s meaning in translation, without changing the content or losing the original message.
- Be relevant – Technical translation must take into account the cultural norms of the intended audience. This ensures that concepts are relayed to the audience in an understandable manner, and that all information is presented in relatable terms (i.e.: describing a “clockwise” motion or giving measurements in “feet” may not make sense to the target audience).
- Consider images – Technical translators should verify that all images in the translated copy are comprehensible, accurate, and culturally appropriate. They should advise when images have the potential to confuse the target audience, or conflict with the text. Translators may also work with content creators and designers to avoid design choices that may be offensive to the audience (i.e.: the misuse of colors with special cultural significance).
What Good Technical Translation Providers Do
- Writing Like a Native – Top technical translation companies know that translators should only translate into their native language. Assigning work to native speakers ensures a thorough grounding in the culture and mindset of the intended audience, allowing them to adapt for context as needed.
- Laying the Groundwork – Effective technical translation requires a plan. The translation team will determine the scope of the project – turn-around time, resources needed, optimal team size, additional services to recommend, etc. Close collaboration and consultation with the client will enable them to strategize for the best and most timely results.
- Managing Terminology – Technical content creators make use of industry-specific terminology, customized for their company’s products. Translating this terminology, and applying it consistently across all projects, is an essential part of the translation provider’s service. They will create a terminology database and work closely with the client to ensure approval of all translated terms.
- Thorough Quality Control – Subjecting translated material to an intensive review process results in top-quality translations. Translated documents should be reviewed by additional expert resources who share the translators’ qualifications and expertise. A second pair of expert eyes goes far in ensuring that the content and message of the translation aligns with the original material.
How TrueLanguage Can Help
TrueLanguage provides fast and accurate translation and localization services for technical manuals and documentation. TrueLanguage’s professional translators, all native speakers and certified subject matter experts, furnish technical and industrial clients with readable, relevant, and faithful translations, optimized for target audiences around the world. TrueLanguage partners closely with client-side content creators and reviewers to meet their translation needs and specifications, and measures its services against ISO 9001:2008 standards.
By partnering with a top-shelf technical translation service provider, companies can be assured of readable, understandable technical material in all of the languages they serve. A professional, well-planned translation program will spark good will and enthusiasm in the target audience, no matter where in the world they are. And clear communication is always good for business.
Sources:
https://www.commonsenseadvisory.com/
https://www.truelanguage.com/translation-agency-what-we-translate/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_translation
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