Formatting: the be-all and end-all for translation-ready writing
In the first part of this blog series on translation-oriented writing, we looked at why this type of writing makes sense in the first place and what benefits it can bring. In the second part, we delved deeper into the topic and looked at the core of translation-appropriate writing: terminology and the creation of a terminology database. Now, in the third and final part of the series, we look at the formatting of a text and the use of style guides.
Formatting and style matter
Why is the formatting of a source text important for the translation?
The technical possibilities of a CAT tool (Computer-Assisted Translation), i.e. software that supports the translation process, are diverse, but not unlimited. To make the best possible use of its potential, there are a few points to bear in mind. For example, there are punctuation marks such as periods, colons or bullet points that cause a translation memory system to perform segmentation, i.e. to divide the text into sentences. The advantage of this segmentation is that the translation is saved in sentence pairs and can be reused for subsequent translations. This ensures consistency and therefore the quality of the translation, reduces costs and speeds up processing. Hard breaks are also a trigger for segmentation. This is not always intentional, as it can lead to difficulties with the sentence structure of the target text, especially if a hard break is located within a sentence and the sentence is thus divided into two segments.
The more simply and precisely a technical writer expresses themselves, the easier it is to translate into a foreign language. A negative example would be to divide a sentence into an incomplete introductory sentence before bullet points and a concluding sentence.
“The machine must
- before starting work
- during work
- and at the end of work
be cleaned.”
This enumeration is not segmented correctly by the CAT tool and the translator has to invest time in ironing out this error. The correct way would be as follows:
“The machine must be cleaned as follows:
- before starting work
- during work
and at the end of work.”
Your translation memory benefits from translation-appropriate writing
Sentences that appear exactly the same several times in the text can be reused with the help of a translation memory. Therefore, sequences that are repeated (e.g. the safety sections in operating instructions) should always be worded and, above all, formatted in the same way. While we learned in German lessons to write as creatively and excitingly as possible, the exact opposite applies to technical documentation: consistency is an advantage. Repetition and fixed structures are ideal prerequisites for translation-oriented writing: the number of errors is reduced and, over time, the workload for everyone involved in the project is reduced.
To ensure that the quality of technical documentation remains consistently high, many companies use style guides. Writing rules are defined there, e.g. that nested sentences or word constructions and compounds are avoided. Filler words such as “normally” or “actually” should be avoided altogether. Abbreviations must also be clearly understandable and generally known.
Your editorial guidelines could contain further rules on document structure, grammar, syntax and style. If you make your style guide available to your translation agency, it will help the translators to render the corporate language correctly in the foreign language.
Translation-oriented writing to perfection
Translation-oriented writing offers companies many advantages, particularly in terms of quality, costs and time. By using a terminology database and adhering to style guides, texts can be translated into any target language faster, more easily and with higher quality. This benefits your customers, the users of your product and you. We only work with native-speaker and professionally trained translators for all world languages. We have over 15 years of market experience and are certified to ISO 17100, ISO 9001 and ISO 18587.
If you would like to know more about this topic, we recommend our free e-book “Translation errors / translation-appropriate writing”. Feel free to contact our project managers(mail@comlogos.com). We look forward to hearing from you!
