Examples from the everyday life of a translator
Translation-friendly writing is good for any text
I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy reading real-life examples. Nothing contrived or far-fetched. Just what really happened and how it was dealt with. We received such examples from our translator Jamesas part of our “Translation-friendly writing” series. He explains very clearly what can go wrong with translations from German into English and where pitfalls lurk if you don’t think about a possible translation into a foreign language when writing.
How not to do it
Translation-oriented writing is often about omitting unnecessary words or using more comprehensible language. This sentence is a prime example of this:
EN: The machine is started by the operator pressing the red button provided.
For example, ‘available’ is such an unnecessary word: you can’t press a non-existent button, so why emphasize it? And what is the ‘respective operator’? The operator who presses a button. An operator who presses the button should press the button. Now let’s take a look at the English translation:
EN: Press the red button to start the machine.
The German text could take an example from the English translation. Simple, clear and still contains everything important.
Another common mistake when writing technical documentation is imprecise words, e.g. ‘plant’. This could mean ‘machine’, ‘factory’ or ‘stereo’. Such general words are often mistranslated and dragged along in the TM. James once noticed that a relatively small machine was translated as ‘factory’ because the translator simply couldn’t imagine what kind of machine it was.
Localization and transcreation: also an issue in technology
The USA in particular has its own translation rules. You should never describe a product or service as ‘perfect’ or ‘perfect’, even if it is in the original, because this could result in an expensive lawsuit. In America, in the rare event that something goes wrong, consumers can sue immediately instead of complaining. Large class action lawsuits that cost the company dearly are not uncommon. Therefore, such absolute adjectives should be avoided.
Furthermore, there are no lowercase brand or proper names in English. Since all nouns are written in lower case anyway, company names and brands are capitalized to emphasize them. In German, however, it is often the case that company or brand names are written in lower case for visual reasons, e.g. the mobile phone provider ‘easy’. Their slogan ‘an easy plan’ would not stand out in English, ‘easy’ would not be perceived as a brand name. If the translator then makes it ‘an Easy plan’, the client understandably doesn’t like it because it looks strange, almost like a typo. However, this is the only way that the English-speaking world would even notice that this is a trademark. Such examples regularly lead to discussions between clients and translators.
Another example is product names that have a completely different meaning when translated. There have been some amusing incidents, particularly in the bags and rucksacks sector. One product was marketed in Germany as ‘Body Bag’ – which means ‘body bag’ in English. Another product, made from recycled materials, was called ‘Comebag’ (as a humorous reference to ‘come back’) – although this word means something very obscene in English. When translated, this is immediately noticeable, but by then it is too late and the product is sent out into the wide world. Even with offensive or inappropriate product names. The well-known car name mishaps are also legendary. The ‘Mitsubishi Pajero’ and the ‘Ford Pinto’ are swear words or obscenities in Brazilian Portuguese. Peugeot has also had problems abroad – the translation into Chinese ‘Biaozhi’ sounds similar to the Chinese word for ‘prostitute’. Even big brands are not immune to such debacles.
Translation-oriented writing: indispensable in technical documentation
If technical editors, marketing specialists, product managers and bosses think about a possible expansion abroad right from the start, this also helps translators in the long term and saves costs and time. Elaborate solutions are no longer necessary, the language becomes simpler and easier to understand – with so many advantages, it is surprising that not every company focuses on translation-appropriate writing.
Are you interested in the topic of ‘translation-oriented writing‘? We will be happy to help you with this challenge. If you would like to know more about this topic, please request our e-book “Translation errors / translation-appropriate writing” . Or contact our project management team with your question at mail@comlogos.com. We will be happy to advise you and support you in creating your documentation with a view to subsequent translation.
