From IT to scientific research, companies deal with documentation that needs to be translated, especially when launching a new product. However, it’s not a purely linguistic thing – technical translators must be aware of the market and industry features.
Fastidiousness
Poor technical translation can result in poor reputation, as subject matter experts will easily spot an error from a mile away. A professional technical translator knows how to avoid them and how to treat such documentation properly. Thus, potential business cooperation will be always safe and sound.
Consistency & Accuracy
Using the right terminology throughout the text is the top priority for technical translations. The number of synonyms should be strictly limited to minimize confusion.
Each industry operates with a series of standard words that have exact translations in both source and target languages. Incorrect translation can be misunderstood and lead to inappropriate usage of the product, which could even put people’s health at risk!
Glossary
No matter what field a translator works in, they should make research on industry-specific terms and jargon before starting a translation project. It’s essential to create a glossary the translation team could use as a reference. Glossaries greatly contribute to accuracy and consistency, speed up the workflow and ensure the best quality.
The Right Tone
Choosing the correct terminology is certainly not enough. A professional technical translator is also a marketer conveying a brand’s uniqueness into a foreign language and culture, so customers could get the most from the product.
All in all, professional technical translators need to know the market and particular industry requirements while keeping up with the accurate and relevant terminology. This means glossaries and marketing competence are key to success in technical translation.
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I have known the team of Lingvista since 2002. We worked together on a project which involved localization of golf management software and translation of system manuals. Besides, they provided interpretation assistance to me during my business visits to Tomsk and Moscow...
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