How can you ensure your translations meet the specific needs of your target audience?

my go-to strategy is to take on work from clients that offer assignments that are the closest to my area of specialization and knowledge . meaning that I have to do the digging once or once every while coz it is only with digging that you learn the intricacies of a topic / geography / demographic segment ...

Start tailoring your translations to resonate with the audience's expectations, technical expertise, and cultural background. Before you start, anticipate the desired response or reaction from the reader and craft the translation accordingly. Whether the goal is to inform, instruct, persuade, or comply with industry standards, the translation should be a strategic communication tool. Utilizing appropriate terminology, syntax, and format ensures that the translated content not only conveys accurate information but also resonates with the target audience's professional expectations of such documents.

This means having a comprehension of the culture of the texts or articles, where you are obliged to dig deeper into your research and perceive to which respective disciplines of the vocabulary and terminology will applied.

Delve into reliable sources, including (online) dictionaries, glossaries, and reference books, to comprehend the specific subject matter and terminology of the text. Additionally, understanding the cultural, social, and historical context is imperative. This contextual awareness enhances the translation's resonance with the target audience, ensuring a nuanced perception and understanding. By integrating these research elements, you can produce translations that not only convey precise information but also align seamlessly with the cultural and contextual expectations of the audience.

In technical translations, artistic style takes a back seat. Focusing on conveying information accurately is paramount. Adjusting style and tone involves navigating formality, politeness, and audience expectations, prioritizing precision over artistic nuances. You have to understand that, with certain text types, there are specific requirements that come with it - you shouldn't channel your inner Shakespeare when translating a mere patent claim.

Always proofread with a native speaker of the language you are translating into. One major issue is that there are words in English that translate into two different words in another language depending on context - in which machine translators cannot differentiate at times. For example, the verb 'to play' is different in Cantonese. Whether it is music (播), games (玩) or instruments (彈/拉/打 etc.)

To make sure your translations are done properly, use your imagination as a tool. Convert your translation into an image generated according to a sentence or section of your texts in your mind, and consider if the image shows all the concepts you want to provide to your audience. If the image accordingly generated meets the expectation of fully recreating the spirit or scene rendered by the source language, you are doing it right.

The good thing that a translator must have is to be patient, relaxed and enjoying a trust and confidence in himself. Before initiating translating, read the material to be translated very well as understanding the content will help you too much to gather your ideas, expressions, vocabulary and let you feel that you're really producing a complete unit of coherent subject that easy to be apprehended .

I’m surprised it doesn’t emphasize knowing the public. Get to know their context, the most important concepts; read the news. The more you understand how they think, the better the translation will be.