The Benefits of Accurate Technical Documentation Translation

Various departments of multinational corporations such as production, engineering, and procurement require their technical documents to be translated into the target language spoken in the local market for numerous purposes. Such technical documents include, for example, product specifications, technical drawings, bill of materials (BOM), product and service catalogs, etc. and it is crucial that such translation services are provided by a professional LSP with a team of experienced translators and editors in such content.

Technical translation is not limited to using the correct terminology. Here are some key points to consider while translating technical documents:

• Using concise and clear sentences. As the majority of technical documents include facts and figures, there is no room for errors. Particular attention is given to using active tense to provide the target reader with more direct, clear information and instructions that are easy to understand.

• The terminology must be consistent throughout the contents of the document. In this context, a professional LSP manages terminology by using translation memories, termbases, and term banks bundled together in an in-house translation software, which ensures consistency in quality as well as protection of proprietary information of multinational and multibillion-dollar corporations since such technical documentation often contains know-how, which is protected under intellectual and industrial property rights. Consistency in terminology is also ensured by referring to other related manuals and procedures of similar content.

• Compared to other types of content such as local marketing and promotional materials, which often involve using various localization strategies, idiomatic expressions and cultural references are kept at a minimum in technical documents since the main objective of such documents is to offer factual information.

• Visual elements such as tables, flow charts, graphics, etc. are designed carefully in the same format as the original. Any necessary conversions (e.g., unit of measurement, currency, etc.) are made in accordance with the style guides for the relevant local market. In some cases, such visual elements are not editable in the source files, and thus require manual translation to avoid any content from being left untranslated.

• An LSP must assign translators, proofreaders, and editors who are specialized in the specific industry or business sector(s) of the client corporation to offer the best service possible. This team of experts has in-depth knowledge of the industry and the subject matter in addition to valuable insights into the target market and the target audience, i.e. customers.

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