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Subject:Re: Languages and reality From:Damien Braniff <dbraniff -at- iss-dsp -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 01 Nov 2000 08:35:34 +0000
> As Tim Altom said, translation IS expensive and you pay for good translators.
> If you're looking at translation there are a couple of things to bear in mind:
1 If translating, pick a good agency that use 'technical' translators. Build
up a relationship with the company so they learn how you work, can make best use
of translation memory software etc. At my last job we used the same company all
the time I was there and had the same two translators do all translation into
French. This meant that they learned the vocabulary specific to the industry
(access control) and even got to the stage of spotting errors (inconsistencies)
in docs sent to them.
2 As in all things TW, remember the audience. NOT translating into the host
language can make a big difference in some countries (even if English is read
and understood) - it pays to translate as it shows 'you care' and are making an
effort for the customer (French and German spring to mind); can also be quite
nationalistic -WHY don't you use our language, after all you'd expect us to
write in English for export
3 In some countries it's a legal requirement to have at least some of the
documentation in the host language. For example, anything relating to safety
MUST be in the host language for most European countries.
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