Translation is really detailed work. At first glance, it seems like all you need to do is change language A to language B, but in fact, even if you want to translate a sentence, you have to consider various factors. Even if it's the same text, the translation results will be different depending on the person or company requesting it. Therefore, in addition to the original text, translation PM has a lot of information that needs to be grasped in advance and delivered to the translator. I don't think it's a big deal, but what are some factors that can affect not only the immediate translation results but also the long-term relationship with the client?
1. Purpose of using translation results
Simply put, it's about what situations the translated text is used in. For example, let's say you're translating an introduction to the Republic of Korea. The need to accurately translate objective information is a matter of course in any situation. However, the style, format, and tone and manners of the text vary depending on whether the result is provided to a foreign government agency or a foreign tourist. If the translator knows this information in advance, they can select terms that are more context-specific when actually translating. In fact, 'ah' different and 'uh' different are characteristics of all languages.
2. How to write proper names
The use of proper names, such as company names and personal names, is an important and very sensitive part. Therefore, there is a method that the client likes or the notation method they have always used. If the translation is carried out randomly without confirming this part, the client who saw the translated result may think that the translation itself is messed up because it is different from their own thoughts or experiences. “Beijing,” “Beijing,” “Shanghai,” and “Shanghai” are actually the same words, but when entering a company name, you may think that the company name, which is a proper noun, was misspelled if it is not written in the way the client always uses it. Since the client may not be able to take care of this part on their own, the PM must check in advance and deliver it to the translator so that the translation can be carried out more easily.
3. Translation format
The translation format refers to whether to cross-translate; cross-translation refers to putting the translated text directly after the original text in sentence or paragraph units. Cross-translation is most often requested in sentence units, but this also depends on the client, so prior confirmation is required. Cross-translation has the advantage that the client can directly read the original text and the translated text, but it also has the disadvantage of affecting overall readability because the volume of the translation results may be lengthened and the format may be broken. If the client does not request cross-translation before the translation process and later requests cross-translation revisions after receiving the results, the effort of the translation company and translator may double, so it is important to check.
4. Translation references
In fact, reference materials are not necessary because they are literally the reference part, but they can be an essential element if you think about translation quality or uniformity with previous translations. From the perspective of a client who is not a translation expert, it is easy to think that only the original text can be translated. Therefore, translation companies sometimes do not provide reference materials without first requesting them from the client. If these parts are checked in advance, the client is usually happy to share it for the quality of the translation results, as long as it is not confidential. If your client or company keeps a list of terms related to translation, there's no better reference material than this.
The quality of translation seems to depend entirely on the translator's competency, but it's actually a battle to secure information and materials. Therefore, securing this data is also the most important part for translation PMs to demonstrate their abilities and presence among clients and translators. In a translation project, how diverse and sufficient information is carried out is an important variable that determines the quality of translation. Maybe the client may find these and other questions bothersome. However, if you understand that it is essential to improve translation quality, wouldn't you not only provide more active information, but also increase your trust in translation companies even more?
*This content has been transferred from Gicon Studio to Letterworks.
