Close-up Translations

Think of a global audience

Your document shall be culturally correct and clearly understood by anyone.

That in mind, I recommend you write short sentences and use the active voice. Your text shall be simple, dynamic and straightforward.

Likewise, avoid using slang, local colloquialisms or regional expressions as they are generally hard to translate and tricky to adapt to the target culture.

Don’t forget to provide an alternative telephone number if you are from Canada or America as toll-free numbers do not work outside of North America. You need to think globally!

Check your documentation

To facilitate and accelerate the translation process, your text should be free of grammatical errors and typos. Thus, verify that the punctuation is correct and consistent.

In addition, make sure that the text is finalised before starting the translation process: turn off the track changes option in Word, accept or reject any suggested change and delete comments if applicable. The file should be clean and ready for translation!

Space out your text

Your document shall be clear and spaced out. Bear in mind that sentences in Romance languages, like French, are typically much longer than the English ones. To avoid amending the original design to fit to the translated version, use as much line feeds and double spacing as possible to white out the text.

Ensure the format is easy to amend

Your document shall be designed in a simple manner. For instance, create as much editable pictures and tables as possible and avoid using narrow columns or line breaks. Sending Word documents instead of non-editable PDF files will also speed up the translation process and be more cost effective for you.

Choose a suitable typeface and font size

Certain languages require specific accents and characters like Arabic or Greek, which may not be seen by anyone. Serif fonts like Times New Roman should be avoided for the web as they hinder legibility on the screen. Be aware that font sizes below 12pt are generally difficult to read. If you choose a 10pt font size in English and decide to translate your documentation into French, the amount of text expansion will most probably lead to formatting issues and the French version will barely be readable!

Compile a glossary

Imagine you have a 200-page document, which contains very specific terminology and jargon to translate. Developing a glossary of frequently used terms and expressions will be extremely useful as it will help translators better understand your company’s profile and products. Also, it will ensure consistency throughout your documentation.

Explain acronyms

If your document contains acronyms, make sure to explain their meaning the first time they appear in your text. Also indicate if you want to keep the original acronym in the translated version or if you want the translator to use the approved target acronym, if any, or to create a new one.

Send reference materials

Think of sending any reference materials you may have to make the translation process easier. For instance, provide links to websites about your products and services and send previous translated documentation (source and target versions) if applicable.

Choose your colours carefully

Colours are culturally very different and should be chosen carefully. For instance, red symbolises life and luck in China, whereas in Europe, it is often associated with blood. In Asia, black denotes celebration and happiness. However, in Europe, black has a dark connotation as it is generally associated with evil and bad luck.

Provide instructions regarding web links

If your links go to websites in the source language only, consider whether they should be removed in the translated version. If the readers click on the link and are directed to a foreign language website version, will that make sense to them?