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Document Translation Help: Tips & Techniques Page 2

Use natural writing styles: Authors of your source documents will have a variety of styles. A single document may have been written by different authors, and you may detect a variety of writing styles. Unless otherwise specified by your client, it is often best to harmonize the styles to best convey the messages found in the source documents. This means choosing a natural writing style in the target language.

Document Localization - You should keep document localization in mind; that is, be aware of the geo-linguistic origin of the final readers of your translation. This can be as simple as know in which country the intended readers live, or more complex, such as know in which geographical region the intended readers live. For example, you may be translating for Spanish of Spain as opposed to Spanish of Mexico, Puerto Rico, or Argentina. These countries are relatively far apart, so finding country specific lexicons may be more simple. There may be clearly defined regional differences, such as the need to use Simplified Chinese in the China mainland. But, remember, you can localize - that is, make local to the reader - down to a specific block in a city. Ensure you are clear on how specific your translation client wants you to localize their document.

Natural language - How many times has a language learner asked you if their translation is right, and you said "no" because it's just not the way it's said - even when the translation is technically correct? Even the most intelligent and gifted translators can become "corrupted" by the source language. English is notorious for making its way into the professional translator's mind. In Spanish, for example, you can often find translations that contain grammatical errors called anglicismos de frecuencia. This is an Anglicism caused by preferring one Spanish word over another because that word is used more in English. Think about the tradition of your language. What would an intelligent speaker say if they had never been peppered by English words, English syntax, or even English ways of looking at the world.

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