When creating an English document that will be translated into one or more foreign languages many things can be done to make the translation process simlpler and cheaper.
Expansion or contraction of text is one thing to be aware of. French can expand over 50% while Chinese can be 50% less than the original English.
Other useful advice is:
- Avoid text on images
- Do not fill the page with text if the target language is one which expands (most of them!)
- Don’t go overboard with exotic fonts as these often cannot be reproduced in other scripts
- Do not over-complicate the design of the text e.g. using bold or italics or different colours throughout the body text as a design element
- If one of your target languages runs right to left language, such as Arabic, Dari or Farsi, take this into account when making graphics that may need to be flipped
Original English text
Technical text is usually ok, as the translator should be well versed in the subject. Marketing materials, on the other hand, can sometimes be very difficult to translate. Even the English can be ambiguous and difficult to understand. Marketing speak is characterized by the heavy use of buzzwords, neologisms, and terms appropriated from specialized technical fields which are eventually rendered almost meaningless through repeated use in inappropriate contexts.
Some buzzwords that may be difficult, or impossible, to translate accurately are:
ballpark figure
be proactive not reactive
bring it to the table
mission critical
move the goalposts
think outside the box
blue-sky thinking
pushing the envelope
there is no ‘I’ in team
knowledge base
core competencies
win-win situation
client focus
deliverables
incentivise
take it to the next level
If possible, and resources allow, have your copy created by a professional writer. If the original English is grammatically unsound or uses inappropriate vocabulary it will be very difficult for even the best translators to create a good translation.
Giving some thought to your English layout and content from the start can save a lot of time, frustration and money if you are aware that the document will be translated in to other languages. Keeping it simple is the mantra to follow. If you need any further advice on preparing documents for translation our in-house experts at Adelphi is on hand to help.
