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3 Ways To Earn “Translator Love”

May 11, 2016

Chances are earning your translator’s undying affection is not your number one goal in life. Still for those who utilize professional translation services, cultivating a little good will with your go-to translation service or favorite freelance translator might just result in a better working association and higher quality translations. To that end here are a few best practices to keep […]

Client Specified Preferred Translations for Specialized Terms

April 27, 2016

Professional translators are hired (presumably) because translation clients do not have sufficient language skills to perform translation themselves, or possibly because clients prefer the judgment of linguists who work with language on a regular basis. Translation is a specialized language skill. Professional translators refine their skills over time through experience from project to project. Translation clients might still […]

3 Ways To Earn “Translator Love”

May 11, 2016

Client Specified Preferred Translations for Specialized Terms

April 27, 2016

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3 Ways To Earn “Translator Love”

May 11, 2016

To that end here are a few best practices to keep in mind in when working with a professional translation service or translator:

1) Provide Target Audience Description

It’s always a good idea to provide information about the target audience for your material at the outset of a project. Language choices such as tone and word selection might be different depending on the target audience.

Translators can often infer the target audience based on the nature of the material. Still it’s better to provide more information that necessary instead of too little. Translators can filter out information that’s not useful.

2) Supply A List Of Preferred Translation Terms (If You Have Them)

Translators are a skilled and resourceful group of professionals. Still in general their talents do not include psychic powers. So if preferred translations exist, that is there is a preference for applying a particular translation in a specified context, translators need to know this in advance. A simple glossary list in an Excel file will usually be sufficient.

In the absence of having a preferred list of terms, translators will apply their best judgment based on research and/or their personal knowledge of language. This is often a good approach since it’s the translator’s judgment that’s of value. However, since there are often multiple acceptable ways to express the same or nearly equivalent meaning, a translator’s approach might not be a client’s preferred one.

3) Instruct Client-Side Translation Reviewers Carefully

Sometimes translation clients will have internal personnel with language skills review the work of a translator. When this is done it’s best to instruct reviewers to look only for what might be considered a mistranslation, or a departure from agreed upon use of preferred translation terms.

On occasion a reviewer will take license to completely redo a translation to suit their own language preferences. The practice begs the question why hire a professional translator in the first place? When purchasing translation services clients essentially buy the judgment of professional linguists.

Client Specified Preferred Translations for Specialized Terms

April 27, 2016

Translation clients might still have particular terms and/or expressions they prefer to be translated in a certain way. In such cases professional translators work with tools that allow clients to indicate these preferences.

In response to a client’s request we asked our translators assigned to a particular account three questions. The questions are numbered below along with the response.

_________________________________

Questions to Translator:

1) Do the software (CAT) tools allow incorporating a glossary?

2) Assuming yes, how reliable will this be? Will it catch some, most, or all cases for translating these words?

3) In what form (or format) should we provide the glossary of preferred terms?

_________________________________

Translator response:

The answer is yes, we can incorporate a glossary upon their request.

The CAT tool uses what is called a “termbase”, which is just that, a glossary. It uses an Excel file as the import format.

Anyway that Excel file has certain tabs and column names that need to be followed.

I suggest that the could send their glossary requirements and we should create the termbase. That is quicker and safer than to send instructions to the customer.

The answer to the question on point 2 is that it is quite reliable and it will help in most cases. However, the last word is on the linguist side who needs to decide if the glossary fulfills the context of course.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

3 Ways To Earn “Translator Love”

Client Specified Preferred Translations for Specialized Terms

3 Ways To Earn “Translator Love”

Client Specified Preferred Translations for Specialized Terms

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

3 Ways To Earn “Translator Love”

Client Specified Preferred Translations for Specialized Terms

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