Achieving Technical Translation Excellence for International Success

Hastily done translations of product names, manuals, and other documentation rarely go unnoticed.

In the best-case scenario, they might become memes in dedicated Reddit threads, bringing smiles to users’ faces, except those who needed such instructions to start using a device.

For instance, a member of the electricians’ community wasn’t impressed with the translation quality of the fan’s safety instructions, which included, “In order to reduce electric shock or from accidents, do not use non-local governors or switch product requirements.”

Precise technical translation of texts helps companies elevate user satisfaction from a top-notch product as much as a poorly done one can ruin it. So, organizations that cater to international customers and take their reputation seriously have no other way but to ensure specialized information about their products and services is localized well.

In this article, we will discuss the specifics of technical translation and explain the purposes of translating various document types. We will also define the characteristics of high-quality translations, touch upon best practices to follow, and guide you through crafting new language versions using translation management systems.

What is Technical Translation?

Technical translation entails presenting technical information from user manuals, software documentation, patents, employee safety guides, and similar paperwork to an audience speaking another language.

Researchers emphasize the communicative role of this type of translation. The specialist’s primary goal is to transfer “knowledge across language barriers, accurately reproducing both its semantic content in the target language and the technical precision and clarity of the source text.” To achieve this, a technical translator must have a deep grasp of the fundamentals of science and technology and research skills to familiarize themselves with a specific subject area to nail the task. In addition to their proficiency and language pair fluency, of course.

Types of Technical Translation

Translating technical documents is required by organizations that must effectively communicate complex information about their products and services and share expertise with diverse audiences. These businesses include software vendors, medical, pharmaceutical, and biotech companies, consumer electronics, industrial machinery, and car manufacturers. 

Let’s explore the technical texts companies mainly send for professional translation and the purpose of having numerous language versions of a single document.

Why Technical Translation Matters: Benefits and Challenges

Technical translation bridges language barriers, enabling effective communication of complex technical information across cultures. Accurate and precise technical documents translation is essential for a myriad of reasons:

Benefits of Technical Translation

• Market expansion. Translating technical documentation enables businesses to enter new markets and attract a broader customer base, enhancing their global footprint and competitive edge.   

• Brand reputation. High-quality technical translations reinforce your brand's reputation and foster trust among international clients, leading to improved market acceptance and customer loyalty.

• Risk mitigation. Accurate translations of safety manuals, compliance guidelines, and legal documents are essential for minimizing risks, such as accidents and legal disputes, and safeguarding your business from potential liabilities.   

• Compliance. Technical translations help companies navigate and comply with varying local regulations and industry standards, preventing compliance issues and ensuring smooth operational integration across different jurisdictions.   

• Knowledge transfer. Effective technical translations enable the seamless transfer of knowledge and best practices between regions, fostering innovation and enhancing global collaboration.

Challenges of Technical Translation

The most popular roadblocks of technical translation include:

• Terminology consistency. Consistent and precise use of specialized terminology requires expert knowledge. Develop and use a comprehensive glossary and consult subject matter experts to maintain accuracy.

• Cultural adaptation. Translating technical concepts across cultures can be complex. Work with translators who understand the technical content and cultural context to ensure clear and respectful communication.

• Document complexity. Translating documents with detailed diagrams and complex data demands specialized skills. Employ experienced translators and advanced tools to handle the technical intricacies and formatting.

• Time management. Balancing tight deadlines with high-quality translation requires careful planning. Set realistic timelines and choose translation services that offer expedited options while maintaining accuracy.

• Adapting to emerging technologies. Keeping up with new translation tools and technologies is essential. Invest in ongoing training and adopt the latest tools to enhance translation efficiency and accuracy.

What Makes a High-Quality Technical Translation? 

Usability. Usability in technical translation reflects how effectively the target audience can use the provided information. A new language version must instruct a reader and provide them with the necessary knowledge as successfully as an original one. For instance, guide a user in assembling a coffee machine and making their first cup of coffee with ease.

Consistent and correct usage of technical terms. It is crucial to ensure that the same terminology is used in particular contexts throughout the document so as not to confuse readers and maintain text uniformity. Check out our guide on translating technical terms to highlight your professionalism and build customer trust. 

Correspondence to a source language version. However, simply getting the terminology right is not enough. Translated texts must be identical in style, sentence structure, and word order to those created by technical writers in the source language. In other words, the text should feel like written in the mother tongue of the customer.

Adaptivity to cultural nuances. Considering cultural contexts is essential for creating a relatable and understandable text. We advise that you follow local formatting guidelines (presentation of numbers, dates, time, units of measure, percentages, etc.). 

Next, we will discuss how to ensure all language versions of your texts are straightforward, accurate, and easy to read and act upon.

Mastering the Art of Technical Document Translation

Get the Best from Both Words: Combine Human and Machine Translation

Ten years ago, before the mass adoption of neural machine translation (for example, by Google in 2016), one could easily spot a technical text translated with an online tool. Such content often mirrored the sentence structure of the source language, included words that did not fit the intended context, and had grammatical errors and inconsistencies in terminology, among other issues.

These days, the gap between human and machine translation continues to shrink. Organizations that avoid machine translation miss benefits such as faster translation speed and greater efficiency, cost savings, and the ability to handle large volumes of text documents.

Machine-translated texts still need some level of post-editing. Hence, the optimal approach to technical translation is to run the text through translation software and let professionals review and refine it to perfection. This hybrid approach is known as machine translation post-editing, or MTPE.

Let’s get to the human part of the equation first. No matter if you work with external contractors or manage an in-house team of technical translators, ensure they follow these best practices:

• Localize content to ensure it contains cultural references and adheres to text conventions of a target language

• Utilize the segmentation technique, which involves breaking down the text into smaller, more manageable parts

• Build and use a glossary of terms to maintain their consistency and accuracy along the text

• Gather comparable corpora — a collection of texts in two or more languages that share similar content but are not translations of each other. Comparable corpora can provide contextual information about the meaning and usage of terms, phrases, or concepts.

Use NMTs like Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, DeepL, and Amazon Translate

While each offers varying degrees of accuracy and features, they all leverage advanced neural machine translation (NMT) to produce more human-like and contextually relevant translations:

• Google Translate is a widely used, free service that supports many languages and offers additional features like image translation and real-time speech translation.

• Microsoft Translator provides accurate translations across multiple platforms and integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products. It also provides speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities.

• DeepL is praised for its high-quality translations, especially in European languages. It excels in preserving nuances and producing more natural-sounding text.

• Amazon Translate is part of the Amazon Web Services suite and offers integration with other AWS services. It provides customizable machine translation models for specific domains.

Use a translation management system (TMS)

Companies can seamlessly implement and embrace the hybrid translation approach by integrating a translation management system (TMS), a well-suited tool for orchestrating such a workflow.

Here is what the TMS brings to the table: 

• Efficient project management: TMS platforms streamline project setup, file management, and workflow automation, saving time and resources.

• Real-time collaboration: Multiple stakeholders can access and work on projects simultaneously, facilitating efficient communication and feedback.

• Consistency in translations: TMS ensures consistent terminology, style, and tone across all translated materials through features like translation memory and terminology management.

• Cost-effectiveness: By automating tasks, reducing manual intervention, and optimizing resource allocation, TMS helps control translation costs.

• Quality control: Built-in quality assurance checks, such as consistency checks and terminology verification, help maintain high translation standards.

• Centralized repository: TMS serves as a central hub for all translation assets, including source files, translations, and project history, ensuring easy access and management.

• Integration with other tools: Many TMS platforms integrate with machine translation engines, CAT tools, and other software to create a seamless translation ecosystem.

Quality Assurance and Control

A robust quality assurance (QA) and control (QC) process is indispensable for delivering exceptional technical translations. By implementing a structured approach, organizations can significantly enhance the accuracy, consistency, and quality of the translated materials.

Key Components of a Successful QA/QC Process

To ensure the highest quality technical translations, a comprehensive QA/QC process should incorporate these essential steps:

• Define clear quality standards. Establish specific criteria for evaluating translation quality, such as accuracy, consistency, terminology adherence, and cultural appropriateness.

• Develop checklists. Create detailed checklists to guide the review process, covering different aspects like grammar, punctuation, formatting, and terminology.

• Implement a review process. Establish a multi-level review process involving translators, editors, and subject matter experts to ensure comprehensive evaluation.

• Utilize technology. Leverage QA tools and software to automate certain checks and identify potential errors.

• Collect and analyze feedback. Continuously gather feedback from clients and end-users to identify areas for improvement.

• Train your team. Provide ongoing training on QA best practices to enhance the skills of your translation team.

Common QA issues and solutions

Identifying and addressing common quality issues is crucial for delivering flawless technical translations. Here is how you can achieve it:

• Terminology Inconsistencies. Develop and maintain a centralized terminology database to ensure consistent usage throughout the document.

• Cultural misunderstandings. Conduct thorough cultural reviews and involve native speakers in the translation process.

• Formatting errors. Use style guides and templates to maintain consistent formatting across different documents.

• Typographical errors. Employ spell-checking and grammar-checking tools, followed by human proofreading.

Conclusion

Technical translation is crucial for global success, ensuring clear communication of complex information and protecting your brand’s reputation. By integrating best practices and leveraging modern tools, such as machine translation and translation management systems, businesses can overcome language barriers and meet regulatory requirements. Focus on accuracy, consistency, and cultural relevance to enhance user satisfaction and achieve operational excellence across international markets.