The translation of documentation for distribution in new markets involves many challenges, especially when trying to manage different lines of products, multiple languages, and multiple versions with increasingly tight times. However, with proper preparation and an experienced ally, you can save time and money.
Follow these tips when preparing your translation documents. With this guide, your documents will meet the minimum requirements for translation into one or several languages.
Edit the wording of the original document, including:
Use the least amount of words possible. In this way your document will be clearer and more precise; also, the translation will be clear and less expensive.
Use short sentences; that is, don’t use conjoining sentences in order to optimize the clarity of the text and benefit from savings by repetitions in the translation.
Avoid the use of regionalisms or colloquial expressions that could be misinterpreted during translation or that may not have a direct translation to the target language.
Avoid including cultural references because when addressing a different culture, these references may not make sense and should be replaced by some other generic phrase or explain the meaning.
Use the automation functions
For example, content, indexes, references, variables and links. Also, make use of style sheets for the format of your documents. This will reduce the amount of text to be translated, maintain the homogeneity of the terminology and facilitate editorial design.
Consider the text space.
Some languages require more space in the document to express the same idea as other languages. When formatting or writing a document, consider the language or languages to which you are going to translate it and select a design that allows the expansion or contraction of the text in the document. Graphic elements and tables should also allow the text to expand and contract. Likewise, it should be considered that the same page sizes are not used in all countries. In some places, the letter size is common, for example, but in others, the A4 size is used. Ideally, these size changes should also be considered.
Hire a professional translation service.
Probably the most important recommendation. The automated translation services, the computers, the receptionist and the intern who went to a bilingual primary cannot substitute the experience and level of specialization of a professional translator. A dictionary or machine translation software can help you get a general idea of the text, but to produce a document completely adapted to another culture to the degree that it seems to have been written with that market in mind, a professional translation service is required. If you want to hire an experienced translation agency, you should get in touch with Pangeanic. Pangeanic has established itself as one of the leading global translation agencies. The company was founded by Manuel Herranz in 2000 and has grown by leaps and bounds. The company now specializes in machine translation and several other natural language processing areas in the Fintech and LegalTech areas. They offer their services to customers through their website.