Translation principles

A COMPLEX PROCESS FOR A NEAT RESULT

1. First, we'll download your web site and upload it to a test file on our server.
2. One of our 400 writers, living in your target market, will translate your texts and your keywords. We will then upload the translation on our server.
3. Next step: One of our in-house national webmasters* reintegrates all the necessary tags, implements the proper encoding, writes the texts into GIFs when necessary, and makes sure the site is identical to the original (except in the case of Semitic languages, where the lay-out has to be inverted)
4. One of our editors, also residing in his home country, takes a fresh look at the web site and adapts it to his local culture (he may change a lot of things, particularly slogans and the like)
5. Our in-house editor-in-chief compares the original with the translation to make sur nothing is missing and that names and figures are properly written, and harmonizes the different language versions (i.e. presentation of dates, moneys...)
6. When you have given the go-ahead, we upload the translated site onto your server
7. One of our proofreaders checks the final version (typos, hyphenations, font sizes...)
8. Optional: we register your translated homepage with local search engines. This means that if you are selling a service or a product, you will have a significant start over your competitors. You may be the hundredth in the list if someone types <product and origin> in Yahoo But you will be right at the top if, say, a Japanese surfer types the same in Yahoo Japan.

THE COMPLEX REALITY OF TRANSLATION*

One of the fundamental rules for exporters is to have all supporting literature letters, brochures, contracts, sales, videos, technical specs, and operating manuals translated into the languages of your designated International audiences. In general, the more technical the product, the more essential that it should be translated for local audiences. The only notable exceptions to the rule are the English-speaking African countries; India, where English is the common business language (despite over 700 local languages), and Scandinavia, where populations speak and understand English as their second language.

One of the fundamental rules for exporters is to have all supporting literature letters, brochures, contracts, sales, videos, technical specs, and operating manuals translated into the languages of your designated International audiences. In general, the more technical the product, the more essential that it should be translated for local audiences. The only notable exceptions to the rule are the English-speaking African countries; India, where English is the common business language (despite over 700 local languages), and Scandinavia, where populations speak and understand English as their second language. Translation services are also required when targeting Britain and other Commonwealth markets. American English should be edited for use there, where rules of spelling, and idiomatic expressions are quite different. Exporters to those Eng!ish-speaking markets should also be mindful of eliminating product-appeals that are uniquely appealing to Americans. Most Americans assume that informality is the best way to break down barriers, so they start their sales letters with the recipient's surname ("Dear John"), or create an all-encompassing salutation, such as "Dear Friend. "
That approach can be deadly in most other cultures, where formal adherence to hierarchy is required, and titles, such as "Doctor", "Professor", and "Engineer" absolutely must be included. How to go about hiring a translation firm? There are four evaluation criteria. First, locate a firm that can handle a multiplicity of languages and cultures both from and into English and can acculturate your written texts into local markets. Relying on a one-language shop can prove very harmful if your foreign business suddenly starts to expand.
Second, make sure that the translation firm speaks the vocabulary of your specific industry; although it's tempting to choose any in-house native speaker, make sure, first, that he can translate key technical terms, such as computer-chip resistor and capacitor into that language.
Third, make sure that the firm will take responsibility for editing and reviewing your document for nuances, expressions, and word choice in the targeted language. This step functions as a critical quality-control.
Fourth, explore the firm's full spectrum of services including desktop publishing, camera-ready art, acculturation, interpretation, voice-overs and transcriptions. When you are ready to begin, fax or courier your document for a price-quotation. In the US, translation prices are usually based on the number of words in the final translation not the original word-count**. Be mindful that languages such as Spanish and French usually require about 20% more words to express the same concepts***.
Make you specify not only the language of the translation but the countries or region that you are targeting. It's not sufficient, for example, to say you want to translate into Spanish, because Spanish-language vocabulary varies widely, especially when it comes to food or consumer terms. Tambo, for instance, means a roadside inn in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. But in Argentina, it means a dairy firm and in Chile, a brothel. Similarly, if your Chinese language document is destined for the People's Republic of China, it must be written in that country's simplified characters. The traditional, more complex characters are required for markets in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities (including the US).
Next, determine whether you need layout and/or camera-ready art, critical elements in brochures and ads (and, often, in manuals).
Usually, the final translation will be laser-printed. You can also request to see the translation on a disk for your PC or Macintosh, or have it e-mailed to you or your distributors. In short, language translation is a complex and highly skilled art. Those who prepare properly will reap the benefits for years to come.

* currently: English, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Israeli, Russian, Arabic

** Word count is usually based on the source language
***12% would be closer to reality

*From:

The complex reality of translation
by Philip B. Auerchbach
Trade and Culture