RE: Translation service

Subject: RE: Translation service
From: "Thomas Johnson" <tajohnson -at- microlinetc -dot- com>
To: <ceffyl -dot- aedui -at- comcast -dot- net>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 11:09:34 -0500

Hi Kim,

I'll answer #2 first. I would pick three or four translation
vendors/companies that you think might be good. Perhaps from recommendations
you get on this list. In addition to bids for the project, I would ask them
to provide a sample of their work based on a short section of the manual.
This might be one or two pages. Then, I would have someone fluent in the
target language review the document. I would use this process as a trial run
to see how well the translation company works for you and maybe work out a
few of the inevitable kinks in the process. Hopefully, you can use that
process to help you answer question #1.

As for services I'd recommend, I'll refrain.

<war story>I worked with one vendor who did a very good job for us on
several projects--maybe 7 or 8 over a few years' time. They were responsive,
did great work, and required a very little involvement on my part until the
project from Hades. Apparently, a key member of their staff (project manager
or translator) just picked up and left in the middle of the project. We lost
all momentum on the project and it went from a four week project into
something like three or four months. Besides creating a strained
relationship between my employer and our customer because the docs were very
late, it turned into a huge mess between them and our purchasing department.
I was ready to turn it over to another vendor, but they refused to turn over
what they had completed. In the end, they finished the project and did a
good job, but the time element and lack of communication in the midst of the
chaos was terrible. From what I've gathered through the grapevine, that
company has gone out of business. I suspect the person that left during our
project was a symptom of some deeper underlying problem that the vendor just
couldn't bring under control. All that to say, "Don't always rely on past
experience--yours or anyone else's--as an indicator of future
performance."</war story>

Tom Johnson

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+tajohnson=microlinetc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+tajohnson=microlinetc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of ceffyl -dot- aedui -at- comcast -dot- net
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 10:40 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Translation service

Greetings.

A client of mine is interesting in having a software manual translated from
American
English to Spanish and French. He asked me for any recommendations. I have
limited
experience with translation services (and it's been a while).

My question is threefold:
1. What should be done to prepare the manuals for translation? (Vernacular
has been
removed.)
2. Any advice or guidelines for choosing a translation service?
3. Any translations services you would recommend?

Thanks.

Kim Nylander

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References:
Translation service: From: ceffyl -dot- aedui -at- comcast -dot- net

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