Technical Translations: 4 New things you need to know right now.
Technical Translations
Accuracy, consistency, and perfection.
“Technical Translations” is a catch-all term that encompasses projects related to machinery, industry or technology. The exact subject matter can vary, but the projects share the same set of characteristics that make them especially challenging.
We will explain some key points about how to handle this type of project properly:
- All industries have their specific terminology, it is important to locate good sources of industry-specific references before the project starts. The best option will always be to refer to customer-approved previous translations, but if that is not available then Scientific or industry related publications or glossaries from industry associations will be a good starting point.
- The style should always strive to be direct and the meaning of the words should be unambiguous. There is no room for purple prose or unnecessary flourish that may obscure the meaning of the sentences.
- The content is aimed at people with technical knowledge on the subject matter, there is rarely a need to adapt the content to make it accessible to a more general audience.
- Terminology consistency is KEY, and every single source term needs to be represented by a single translated term.
- For this reason, it is critical to keep both the TM and the Glossary up to date and follow them strictly.
- Whenever possible, a single editor should work on the whole project to prevent divergence on the terminology. If more than one editor is needed (because the client needs a short TAT) there should be constant communication between Editors and a single version of the TM should be shared and maintained.
At Australis Localization, we have Technical translation experts with wide experience in areas such as Manufacturing, Engineering, Automotive, Construction, High-Tech, Automation/Robotics, among others.
Give us the chance to help you with your next Technical Translation project. We have the knowledge. We’re ready.