5 ways to ensure a smooth ‘translation transition’
What sort of things do you need to bear in mind when commissioning a translation? What makes the hearts of translators (and translation project managers) skip a beat with delight – and what breaks their hearts? Here’s a short guide for authors, marketing execs, and project managers.
1. Easy does it…
We all know Rome wasn’t built in a day. Indeed, stress and time pressures have never improved the quality of a text, whether it’s the drafting of a manuscript or its translation. Of course, time is often of the essence, but sensible planning always pays off. No text has ever been adversely affected by its author sleeping on it. In fact, not only does that minimise the risk of errors and/or howlers, it often eliminates the need for time-consuming last-minute corrections.
2. God Save The Queen or The Star-Spangled Banner?
If a translation is to achieve its maximum impact, it’s crucial to know which region it’s intended for. The list of differences between, say, British English and American English, or the French used in Switzerland and in France, is so long it makes the collected works of Shakespeare look like a pamphlet. And we’re not just talking grammar, spelling or terminology: it’s all about style and regionalism. Our translators work right there, on the spot, with their fingers on the pulse of the language as it is evolving locally.
3. With a Little Help from My Friends
Our specialist translators are superbly qualified, both linguistically and technically. Nonetheless, every conceivable technological resource (glossaries, websites, etc.) is precious since every company uses its own in-house terminology, something to which no outsider is likely to be privy. But once equipped with such insider knowledge, an external translator becomes a fully fledged member of your field staff – and a loyal friend.
4. Flowery language
Figures of speech are certainly fascinating, but all too often they cannot be translated literally into another language. So while Brits prefer to ‘keep their fingers crossed’, Swiss people will tend to ‘press their thumbs’. Ad campaigns rely on slogans and images, so it makes complete sense to find out early on whether or not they transfer to the other language. If not, the campaign will have to be adjusted, along with the budget.
5. Trust is a good thing, but double-checking is even better…
Translations are done by human beings, and to err is human, which is why translations can never be perfect, despite any claims to the contrary. So every time we send out a translation, we recommend double-checking the text before it is used. This is true particularly of texts that are to be processed by graphic editors once they have been translated, before going to print.
And last but not least:
No matter how big the obstacles or how complex the task, humour is a great motivator and troubleshooter. A laugh, a joke, or an exquisite pun at the right time can often work wonders. To paraphrase an old German saying, ‘humour is the medicine that costs the least and works the best’.
So rest assured: we’ll always put a smile on your face!
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