鈥淭he difference between the right word and the almost right word is really a large matter 鈥 it鈥檚 the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.鈥
鈥 Mark Twain
It can be easy to think of the translation of engineering and technical texts as cut and dry, with words pumped out by machine translation software like sweets out of a factory, each as perfect as the last, with no need for further thought.
But the precise translation of texts like these requires specialised training, prior experience and an understanding of the surrounding context, which can have a profound impact on how the end user interacts with your content and ultimately your brand.
Considering that the translation product can be an operating manual or even a safety manual, badly translated terms and unclear instructions can drastically alter the way the product or service is perceived. An otherwise satisfied customer will become frustrated, grappling with a piece of machinery or software product as they attempt to puzzle out the meaning of the text.
One and the same word form can have different meanings in different areas of science and engineering. A specific term will therefore be different depending on its context of use and may result in a nonsensical translation. At the very least, this can culminate in a lower NPS () and mean that instead of waxing lyrical about a product to friends and colleagues, the dissatisfied end user is likely to damage your brand鈥檚 reputation by negative word of mouth.
A clear example of the importance of accuracy in translated text is the , which was developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers to tackle the inaccurate translation of automotive documents. Incorrectly translated documentation can have large repercussions, such as higher warranty costs, damage to vehicles and even injury to those operating a machine. Just like we wouldn鈥檛 put a one-year-old behind the wheel, we wouldn鈥檛 ask a linguist with no understanding of automotive vehicles to translate a manual for a tractor.
Knowing your pocket from your elbow
Our Lead Finnish Translator, Antti, is convinced of the benefits of translators who are knowledgeable in their subject area. 鈥淭he most important benefit you can draw from being familiar with the subject content is being able to spot if a phrase or term is incorrect, either in a reference text or a previous translation done by someone else. Any good translator should be able to handle several types of texts, so although in-depth knowledge doesn鈥檛 automatically guarantee better results in any given text, experience can sometimes help you put right something that may have been wrong in previous texts for years. It feels good when you can improve the quality of the client鈥檚 translations in this way.鈥
Senior Norwegian Translator 闯酶谤苍 is particularly interested in diligently researching terminology. 鈥淚mages are often very helpful for clarifying a term, as you can see exactly which part of the product a specific word or phrase refers to. Terminology is often the first thing you research when you translate a new technical text, because a good understanding of the terms will help you translate with a better flow.鈥
Considering how a term is used in the real world is therefore imperative. The translation of 鈥減ocket鈥, for example, is entirely dependent on context, as it can have several different meanings. 鈥淧ocket鈥 can indicate an 鈥渁ir pocket鈥 in aviation, 鈥渟urroundings鈥 in military use, a 鈥渄ead zone鈥 in radio, a 鈥渄eposit鈥 in geology and a 鈥渃able channel鈥 in electrical engineering.
It鈥檚 easy to imagine that can arise if 鈥渁 pocket of gold ore鈥, for example, is translated in a military context, where a pocket refers to isolated, surrounded pockets of combatants who are being attacked by an opposing force . Similarly, an air pocket in aviation simply refers to turbulence. Getting the term wrong here will baffle the end user who is attempting to access a particular product or service.
What鈥檚 the context?
Translation errors of this nature, where the translator has disregarded the context, can lead to confusing or misleading representations of the client product. This can happen when low-quality machine translation is used or when somebody translates without the proper training. An example from the German language is 鈥淜raft鈥, which can be translated as 鈥渇orce鈥, 鈥減ower鈥, 鈥渟trength鈥 or 鈥渢hrust鈥 .
The term 鈥減ower鈥 can have very different meanings depending on context in the Nordic languages as well, as Antti explains. 鈥淭here are several Finnish translations for 鈥榩ower鈥, ranging from teho and voimakkuus to 蝉盲丑办枚惫颈谤迟补. The first one is what you would use when describing the power output of an engine, for example. Voimakkuus could refer to the power or strength of a signal, and 蝉盲丑办枚惫颈谤迟补 (or just virta) is what鈥檚 involved when you鈥檙e talking about electrical power.鈥
The same issue arises in Norwegian. 鈥淧ower can be translated in several ways for technical applications depending on what kind of power the text refers to,鈥 explains 闯酶谤苍. 鈥淓lectrical power (蝉迟谤酶尘, and there are different types of electrical power, such as sterk蝉迟谤酶尘聽鈥榩ower current鈥 or 鈥榟eavy current鈥 and nett蝉迟谤酶尘 鈥榤ains current鈥 or 鈥榩ublic current鈥 or simply 鈥榩ower鈥), or mechanical power (arbeid听鈥榳辞谤办鈥, energi聽鈥榚nergy鈥 and kraft听鈥榝辞谤肠别鈥).鈥
But there are ways we can help our translators understand the context behind a term. For example, the original PDF of a user manual, containing images and diagrams relating to the product and its constituent parts, is often indispensable. Screenshots of single-word strings in help pages can also help the translator understand if the string refers either to a call to action framed as a button or to a menu item.
Singing from the same style sheet
Although understanding the context of a term and the concept behind it in the target language and culture is vital, there might sometimes be other necessary requirements. Some manufacturers may simply prefer one term over another. This can be down to stylistic preferences or there may be a technical reason for a particular usage.
Termbases, which are databases containing preferred terminology and other information such as meanings and examples of usage, can be incredibly useful for linguists to keep your content consistent and accurate across different languages. They can be maintained and built upon over time, for specific domains, products and customers, meaning that linguists can find out preferred terms with a few clicks of the mouse.
The value of termbases cannot be underestimated.
鈥淭ermbases are particularly helpful if entries have definitions explaining the terms so that we know it is right in the context. Sometimes terms can have several synonyms, and the termbase is then good for showing which term our clients prefer,鈥 says 闯酶谤苍.
Our translators and project managers have extensive experience in using termbases created using specialist software. Instead of a translator having to search through a large, convoluted Excel spreadsheet full of preferred terms and definitions, the software efficiently identifies the entries that are most useful for the translation of a particular word or phrase. The value of termbases can therefore not be underestimated. As your colleagues supporting you in the launch of your products in new markets, there鈥檚 only one thought in our mind: that we use all the resources at our disposal to represent your product in the best light possible.
In summary, the importance of employing a translator with subject matter knowledge and experience cannot be underestimated. Not only will the translator provide high quality translations, they may also spot past errors or be able to contribute towards improving the termbases and translation memories.
But a good linguist does not translate in a vacuum. They require the original source text or helpful screenshots to allow them to comprehend the full context of a term in its original context of use. Termbases are also incredibly useful in maintaining consistency in style and terminology. When all these conditions are met, you will be well on your way to producing a translation of a high standard.
If this article wasn鈥檛 convincing enough, I鈥檒l leave you with a few inspiring real-world examples. reading 鈥淏lasting In Progress鈥 in Wales was translated as 鈥淕weithwyr yn ffrwydro”, which literally means 鈥渨orkers exploding鈥. Although not very accurate, it鈥檚 probably enough to keep people away! But it doesn鈥檛 always have to be so dramatic. When I was in a restaurant in Portugal on holiday a couple of years ago, I sat down and started leafing through the English menu, only to find that I could order 鈥渁 wild ox running over the hot coals鈥. It didn鈥檛 sound particularly appetising, but points for creativity.
