Correcting Misimpression

[Bruce Brill <Bruceb -at- ACCENTSOFT -dot- COM>]

> On 23 Sept 96 Vanessa Wilburn asked:

>>Could we have this [response to a previous query by Robbie Rupel
>>about translation services] on the list? I'm interested, I'm sure
>>there are other interested parties. --Vanessa

I responded by including a letter from my firm's translation services
department. Bernie McCann [who apparently provides translation
services of his own] quoted snippets and responded [25 Sept.] as
follows:

> Accent combines state-of-the-art software with a unique
> approach to multilingual challenges.

BEWARE THE TRANSLATOR WHO USES COMPUTER TRANSLATION!

Nowhere, Bernie, in spite of your reaction [all caps,
exclamation mark] was it stated or implied that Accent Software's
translators use computer translation.  They don't.  The
state-of-the-art software that they do use are Accent products such as
Accent's line of multilingual word processors, publishers, and Web
browsers.  These tools allow the translator to work efficiently in
more than 30 languages including non-Western European (e.g. Cyrillic,
Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Korean) and even right-to-left alphabets
such as Arabic and Hebrew.   Furthermore, all the languages can be
used within the same document.  This is unique in languageware.

> To assure highest quality, our Translation Department employs only
> the finest, most reliable translators.

WE HOPE THAT THERE ARE ALSO "QUALIFIED TERMINOLOGISTS,
REVISORS AND
TECHNICAL ACCURACY CHECKERS?

Affirmative, Bernie.

> they are on top of fast-changing computer
> terminology and technology.  Furthermore, we always insist on
> independent proofreaders checking all work.

> Our Translation Department, managing a staff of 100 translators

100 ... PLEASE!

Bernie, are you calling someone a liar?  Is this the kind of
professional discourse that should be characteristic of the Tech
Writers' List?  I invite you to check out Accent's multilingual Web
site and see for yourself:  www.accentsoft.com

> over 20 languages,

20, AND STILL MAINTAIN HIGH TECHNICAL QUALITY?

Affirmative.  Again, see: www.accentsoft.com.  From this Web site you
can download free Accent's browser and plugin with menus in the major
European languages.  The complete range of languages is available in
Accent's retail products.  Again, check the Accent multilingual Web
site for details.
.....................................................................
....... Bernie McCann
        Professional technical writing, remarkable translation, and
        efficient turnkey management of engineering and scientific
        publishing.


On Tue, 1 Oct 1996 22:32:52 GMT the thread (Re: Machine translation)
continued :

>>  Bernie also wondered about quality control with 100
>>  translators and 20 languages. A very valid concern, but the
>>  same issue arises with one translator and one language: how
>>  can you verify the quality of a translation? The best
>>  answer I've been able to come up with is to pick someone
>>  with a good track record and a willingness to work with you
>>  on revisions. Then, find an audience member in the 2nd
>>  language who can evaluate the translation.

>I agree, and wish that I had stressed that point myself. So I will:

>DO NOT RELY ON THE TRANSLATOR FOR QUALITY CONTROL - USE AN
>INDEPENDENT
>NATIVE-TONGUE SPECIALIST OF THE SUBJECT MATTER.
>....... Bernie McCann


Bernie, and interested TW-List readers:

Using independent native-tongue specialists is precisely what Accent
prides itself on doing. (This was stated clearly in my original
posting, BTW.) The bottom line is, the proof is in the pudding.  Check
out some of Accent's customers that have used Accent's Translation
Services.  These include Corel,  Packard Bell, AT&T, NCR, CompuTime,
ITI, Mercury, and Kiss . ---Bruce Brill---

bruceb -at- accentsoft -dot- com