You're a professional translator. How can you improve your translation quality?

Hey there! So, a senior technical writer is like the Sherlock Holmes of the tech world. They unravel complex mysteries (tech jargon) and translate them into simple stories (user manuals). Think of them as language architects, building bridges between tech wizards and the rest of us. They make the manual sound less like a snooze fest and more like a captivating novel. It's like turning a tech symphony into a catchy pop tune. 🕵️♀️📚🎶

Most translators work through agencies, like @Chin Communications. Often translators are left in the dark about the purpose and audience for a text and not given instructions to assist them, like to leave certain terms in English or make them bilingual. As a translator and agency, CHIN always endeavours to provide this important context to our translators and consequently to arrive at a better end product that meets the needs of the client and reader. Translators should always request this information up front.

In my experience as a translation specialist in the field of life sciences, I have found that collaborating with specific subject matter specialists is the most efficient way to enhance quality. For instance, as you gain more expertise in invasive cardiology, you will work more closely with an invasive cardiologist to correct your terminology. However, in addition to this, the invasive cardiologist will also improve the entire style to make it sound more natural, as if you were an expert in the subject. Not only do you improve the document that you are currently translating, but you also improve all of the translations that will be done in the field in the future. Similarly, this is true for each and every other field of expertise.

My fave word: "Research" Do your homework; scout for references on the subject matter. Dedicate time, a day or two to learning in-depth about the topic; take your notes, create your own glossary, run it by the Client and see if they agree with the chosen equivalences; if they have suggestions, make the appropriate changes.

Improving Translation quality goes beyond understanding the context: it's not a matter of being bilingual, which remains non-sense if you've not the skill of conveying accurately the explicit and implicit meaning from the source language to the target language. It's a kind of all for one. In other words, achieving this noble goal requires assembling the following essential ingredients - Maintain good physical, mental and psychological health. -Specialization in fields and topics that you master. - Practice makes perfect (e.g voluntary activities online is a good solution) - Good peers blow all fears. (LinkedIn network is unvaluable) - Constructive criticism is the key to growth. (seeking feedback is a must) - Seeking knowledge continuously

📚 For translators, access to reliable resources like dictionaries, glossaries, style guides, and translation platforms is vital. These aids ensure accuracy in terminology, grammar, syntax, and style. However, it's crucial to critically evaluate these resources for their relevance and consistency. While automated tools and online sources offer convenience, their quality and suitability must be verified to avoid errors. Balancing the use of these resources with a discerning approach ensures translations are not only precise but also culturally and contextually appropriate.

É muito importante usar recursos que você confie: como bons dicionários, glossários, sites de clientes e até mesmo de concorrentes dos clientes para conhecer as terminologias utilizadas. Dependendo do texto, pode-se usar o recurso de Corpus também.

Industry- and company-specific, sometimes even product-specific vocabulary is relevant. In many companies, the terms vary from product to product. Such inconsistencies, which often cannot be easily eliminated, must also be taken into account.

With lots of machine translated content out there, beware of resources that are in your target language but don't sound 100% natural - the technical expressions they use may be machine translated and not the ones that are actually used by experts in the target language.

Quality translations rely on the use of credible resources such as dictionaries, glossaries, translation tools, and industry-specific references. These resources can ensure accurate terminology use and improve the overall quality of your translations.

I think it is essential to first compare tht original and the translation.Very carefully. Afterwardas I always read thorougly the transalation witout looking at the original to make sure that it sounds natural.

Budget enough time for reviewing and proofreading your work. If possible, let your translation "rest" for a day or two, so you can take some distance from your own wording and style. In my experience (and following the sage advice from fellow translators), an even better suggestion is to bring a fresh pair of eyes into the process: someone —another language professional, who should be paid accordingly— to go over your work. This person is more likely to detect any inconsistencies or readability issues than you, since they have not been involved in the translation process per se.

There are different types of reviews that must be addressed for a successful outcome in a technical translation. These include formatting and presentation, grammar and spelling, and peer review by experts in the field. By dedicating time to improve and polish the target text with these revision strategies, we will guarantee the quality of our work, its accuracy, and clarity.

I review and edit in four stages: 1) check translation against original to make sure no accuracy errors 2) read translation to make sure it reads well and also to catch out any obvious errors missed in stage 1 3) do a final proofread to make sure the style is consistent, the text reads well and the translation is fit for purpose 4) run automatic spelling and grammar checks

Translating words is easy, but capturing meaning isn't. Some important points for Review and edit your work. 1. Strip down, then rebuild: Read the translation bare, ignoring the source. Does it stand alone, clear, and coherent? Use the preview and Clean document feature in CAT Tool. 2. Channel your audience: Imagine their cultural lens. Are idioms clear, and jokes culturally relevant? 3. Match the Tone or manner: Is the tone formal or playful, serious or light? 4. Fact-check your journey: Did proper nouns, dates, or references get lost in translation? Double-check! 5. Polish the prose: Read aloud, listen for awkwardness, and refine sentence structure and flow. 6. Run QA report to ensure terminology and inconsistency.

🌟 Learning from feedback is crucial for improving translation skills. It, coming from clients, colleagues, reviewers, or self-assessment, highlights strengths and weaknesses, providing insights for enhancement. Welcome feedback as a growth opportunity, using it to refine your skills. Track feedback to update your resources and knowledge systematically. This proactive approach to feedback helps in evolving your translation quality over time.

Os tradutores devem estar dispostos a experimentar, cometer erros e aprender com eles ao longo do caminho. Ao adotar uma mentalidade de aprendizado contínuo e valorizar o feedback como uma ferramenta para o crescimento profissional, os tradutores podem alcançar níveis cada vez mais altos de excelência. Cada comentário, seja positivo ou construtivo, pode fornecer informações úteis para melhorar a qualidade das traduções.

O feedback é uma ferramenta muito importante para o trabalho do tradutor. Através dele podemos saber se estamos no caminho certo com o cliente. Infelizmente nem todos os clientes enviam feedbacks ou ainda temos clientes que consideram a palavra feedback negativamente, e usam somente para "reclamar" e não com o intuito de melhorar os resultados e habilidades do tradutor.

Be open to feedback, whether from clients, peers, or mentors. Constructive criticism can help identify areas of improvement and enhance your translation skills over time.

In agile software localization, it is paramount to establish an efficient and direct line of feedback between the UX designer, the developer, the translator/localizer and the product owner (user perspective) or ideally even users themselves. This feedback needs to be managed and put to use for further improvement of the ongoing localization process (sprints)

Every new book you read, every new movie you watch, any new contact with language can be a lesson. You should never stop learning new words or new applications for the words you already knew, both in source and target language.

I usually say: if I’m not inventing, that is not me. As far as I remember, I was always a very curious girl and wanted to know how things work. I guess that for a translator, this is a very unique and helpful characteristic. A translator is a researcher by nature. We need to seek knowledge in order to provide the most accurate translation. The more we research, the better we become, not only in our mother tongue but also in the source language. Researching also helps you in your private life. What have you been researching lately?

Being a technical translator means that you have specific knowledges in a specific field of activity. Then the most important is to keep updated about any innovation, any news existing in this field, whatever the language is (source and target). This is, in my opinion, the best way to help translation quality.

For me continuous study is a key factor. You are always learning new things. It is the best part of translation! Specialization is a must. You cannot know everything about everyting

📈 Continuous learning is key for translators. Stay updated with trends and innovations in your field and languages. Expand your expertise across domains by engaging in courses, webinars, reading, and joining professional associations and communities. This ongoing education enhances your translations and career prospects. Embrace lifelong learning to excel in your profession.

The main aim of translation is to make it appear as if the text were originally written in the target language. I prioritize ensuring that the translation sounds natural. Then, I consider cultural differences, adapting the text accordingly to convey the right feelings. In the localization industry, CAT tools are commonly used for consistency. Understanding the context is crucial. Once the subject matter is known, we input the necessary terms. We also handle HTML tags cautiously, as their positions may need adjustment due to differences in syntax between the source and target languages.

Agile software localization is practically impossible without the deployment of a web-based translation solution which brings together all stakeholders, like UX designer, software developers, QA, product owner, and the localizer/translator. Those system ideally need to accomodate a responsive UI with string context, visual aids (like screenshots), translation memory, machine translation, spell-checks, automated QA and integration with software repositories.

Every translation project might not require the same approach. Be adaptable and familiarize yourself with various platforms and tools that can aid in different translation scenarios (website localization, technical translation, etc.) By being flexible and proficient with different platforms, you can improve efficiency and quality of your work.

When you are looking to improve translation quality assurance, audience comprehension should be at the forefront. To achieve this, you need to look at the following: - Spelling and grammatical errors. -Consistent use of proper terminology. -Accuracy in meaning Readability and flow. -Consider the cultural factors of the intended audience. -Prepare extra time between translation and edits.

Understand Platform Requirements: Each platform, whether it’s a website, app, or print media, has its own set of requirements for text. Tailor your translations to fit the platform’s tone, style, and space limitations. Use Technology Wisely: Leverage software and tools designed for specific platforms to ensure your translations are compatible and display correctly.

Never stop learning. Keep abreast of developments, look at how your customers' competitors translate. Do slams with other translators. Understand where cognitive load becomes cognitive overload, and how you can use QA tools to reduce the overload to then be able to focus on translation. Ensure you also have exposure to subject experts and read around the subject material.

* Develop a deep understanding of the cultures associated with the languages you work with. This is crucial for capturing nuances, idioms, and cultural references accurately. * Specialization in certain subject areas (legal, medical, technical, etc.) allows you to develop a more in-depth understanding of the terminology used in those fields, leading to more accurate translations. * Maintain ethical standards by respecting confidentiality, avoiding bias, and ensuring accurate representation of the source text.

Some tips to remember before starting translation: Admit works that you can understand the subject; If the text in the source language needs edition, do not accept translating; Request for a quick check of the text before accepting the work; Ask for enough time; Hesitate if the time is not enough; AI is a better tool for doing things too fast. The result of translation should not sound as if it is not written by a native person. A good translation should resemble creating a piece of writing in the target language. It is necessary to keep reading well-written books in both the source and the target languages on different subjects.

Be curious and ask questions, but do it at one time. Read the text carefully and as questions arise, note them down. Even corrections will come to light - no one looks at a text with more scrutiny than a translator. The client will be delighted if you help iron out any errors, inconsistencies or vague wording. We do it all the time at CHIN. But please one communication rather than multiple emails, is preferred.

Work collaboratively with a good editor that provides feedback. Lose your pride and study carefully every change and suggestion the editor provides, and learn from your mistakes. Best way. Not easy at first; but best way.