Q: |
Can't I
translate documents by myself or have employees who are
"fluent" in the target language translate them? |
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| A: |
Specialized fields require specialized knowledge, and
translation is a highly specialized field. In order to eliminate the risk of
errors in your translation, make it a rule to recruit
only true translation professionals. |
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Q: |
Why should we use a
translation company instead of having our distributors
(or clients) in the various countries translate our materials? |
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| A: |
Using the services of a multi-language translation provider
for all your company's translation needs offers several important advantages: |
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Faster Time to Market - Using
a distributor for translation means that you frequently
end up with frustrating delays in delivery of
localized products and documentation. Remember
- your distributor's focus is elsewhere. |
|
Better Quality Control - Using
a translation agency means you can implement multiple
levels of quality control. After receiving a complete
and polished translation from the vendor, you
can forward it to your distributor for comment
and fine tuning. As translation is outside their
core competency, distributors tend to ask in-house
staff with no translation experience to translate
your material. What's more, there is no additional
proofreading and no linguistic editing of the
files. As they are not linguistic professionals,
distributors do not use translation memory tools
and cannot ensure consistency. |
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Project Management - By centralizing
project management and technical activities, you
free up your employees to do what they do best.
In doing so, you will not only save time, but
also money. |
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Consistency - When you work with
a single translation and localization vendor,
it is easy to ensure that all printed material
looks the same, contains the same text, and is
as comprehensive as you would like it to be. Distributors
tend to take shortcuts and translate only part
of the material they receive. |
|
Copyright - Many companies decided
that they needed professional translation services
only after having copyright issues with their
distributors. When the companies took legal action
regarding the translations, the distributors claimed
that the translated software and documentation
were their own, refusing to return them. Having
lost the legal suit, the companies were left with
no alternative but to begin the lengthy process
of translating the material from scratch. Had
the companies worked with a professional translation
company, they could have prevented such translation
disasters. |
|
Experience - International
translation agencies specialize in software
localization and translation and serve hundreds
of clients. The net result is that they know
the best, most efficient and cost-effective way
of localizing products. |
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Q: |
When is the best time
to approach a localization vendor? Should I wait for the
software to be complete? |
| |
| A: |
Software localization should be treated as an integral
component of the development process. Decisions regarding
localization have a great deal of influence on the development
and technical writing procedures and processes. You should
consult with a localization vendor on internationalization
issues at a very early stage in the development of your
software, since doing so will save you time, money, and
frustration during the localization stage. |
| |
Q: |
What is the difference between
internationalization and translation? |
| A: |
Internationalization (I18N) is the process of generalizing
a product so that it can handle multiple languages and
cultural conventions, without the need for re-design.
Internationalization takes place at the program design
and document development level. Localization (L10N), on
the other hand, takes place after the product/documents
are internationalized, meaning that localization refers
to the process of taking a product and making it linguistically
and culturally appropriate to the target locale (country/region
and language) where it will be sold and used. |
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Q: |
What is a localization kit? |
| A: |
A localization kit is a set of files, tools and instructions
created by the software developer and sent to the localization
vendor at the beginning of a software localization project. |
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Q: |
What are CAT and Translation Memory? |
| A: |
CAT (Computer Aided Translation) is a term used to
describe computer technology that automates or supports
translators in the process of translation. Translation
memory is a technology that enables the user to store
translated phrases or sentences in a database. These tools
(such as Trados and SDLX) facilitate the translation process,
ensure translation efficiency, and reduce costs. |
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Q: |
What is Simship? |
| A: |
Simship refers to the simultaneous shipment and release
of different localized versions with the domestic product.
In order to ship and release several different language
versions of a single product at the same time, you must
involve your localization experts in the process of development
from the beginning. |
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Q: |
What specifications should I prepare for my translation
project before contacting a localization/translation
company? |
| A: |
Before contacting potential translation companies, ask
yourself the following questions: |
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What is the purpose of the translation? |
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Is it for publication or for
in-house use? |
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Will I need two rounds of proofreading? |
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Who are the target clients,
and where are they located? |
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How many words are in the document
to be translated? |
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Do I have reference material
to help the translator become familiar with the
industry and company-specific terminology? |
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Do I have a glossary to send
to the translator? |
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In what format are the source
documents? |
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In what format do I need the
translated documents? |
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Do I need desktop publishing
services? |
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What is the deadline? |
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What is my budget? |
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