Customer Name: Lansinoh
Customer Sector: Cosmetics, Mother Care
Within the scope of this project, we were commissioned to translate an excerpt from an on-site COVID-19 survey related to complying with the rules at the workplace of the client from Turkish into English. The items listed in the survey consisted of certain behaviors and actions that should be avoided at the workplace by the employees.
CHALLENGES
- Survey items were structured as a checklist and contained gerundial clauses, i.e., phrases in gerund form rather than full sentences.
- Some missing punctuation marks made it difficult to distinguish certain noun phrases.
- Colloquial expressions are commonly used throughout the text which required the right approach to whether or not to adopt the same colloquialism in the target text.
- Recent terms introduced with the implementation of the COVID-19 measures should be used in the right context.
SOLUTIONS
- The structure of the relevant section of the survey was maintained by using parallel gerund forms in the target text. Various verbs and nouns as well as noun phrases used are reformulated in gerundial clauses and used accordingly in the target text in line with common grammatical rules.
- The problem for the lack of punctuation marks was resolved by adding necessary punctuations in the target text for further clarification. Noun phrases were accurately identified and used in a consistent manner throughout the target text.
- Colloquial phrases were substituted with equivalent phrasing whenever required while the degree of such colloquial references was adjusted to the satisfaction of the target audience as required.
- Terminology used within the context of COVID-19 was reviewed to ensure consistency.
SOLUTION ELEMENTS
- Contextual and semantic analyses of the source text.
- Additional grammar and spelling checks in both source and target texts to ensure that there is no room for ambiguity.
- Review of colloquial phrases and determination of equivalent phrases in the target language to be used to give the same effect in line with the right context.
- Use of the up-to-date terminology adopted in communicating the COVID-19 measures to the public or otherwise those used in communications for internal use.
BENEFITS
- Providing a consistent and accurate checklist for reviewers as well as a reader-friendly survey section for employees.
- The adapted version of the survey for English speaking employees is intended to help employees to comply with the applicable rules on the COVID-19 measures implemented at the workplace, which in turn contributes to efficient implementation of internal procedures of the company.
- With this survey, the employees are efficiently reminded of the COVID-19 measures as well as behaviors and actions to be avoided by such employees, which serves as an effective communication tool in addition to being an assessment and evaluation instrument adopted by the company.
