Steps to Translation Quality

Before the process of translation begins, it is always better to see how well the quality of translation meets the objectives that are set. When it comes to conformance to requirements, quality is a manageable factor for the translation company. The quality of a translation must be defined by before the translation begins and this quality depends on the following factors:

• Define key areas
• Set requirements
• Hire the translator
• Monitor the process
• Evaluate results

Define key areas
In the case of translations, there are certain key areas that must be clearly defined, and before the translation begins, their requirements should be formulated. These requirements can also be referred to as keys to translation management:

• What? First of all a translator must collect all the elements that forms the complete translation project and define how they are related to the whole. For example, when translating a technical document or manual, you should also have with you the index tabs, binder cover, registration cards, or any other items that will be used together. The translator must know the interaction between all the elements and translate them. Otherwise, there is the chance that you make a translated manual whose chapter headings do not match with the language of the binder's index tabs, or a graphic which do not quite match the relevant content or a video which do not match the dubbing dialog.
  
  
• Who? You should know your target audience because your target audience is not the same as the original. Adapt your translation to fit the class background, political orientation, psychological make-up, income, buying habits as well as culture etc. of the international market you are trying to cater to.
  
  
• Why? Know the purpose of the translation. Why is the document needs to be translated? What are your objectives-teach, sell or persuade? Your objectives form the base for defining the translation style that you are going to adapt. For example, a translated document for the purpose of teaching factory worker how to operate a technical product requires a writing style quite different from that of the document used by the CEO of the company to know the technical superiority of the very same product. While in the first case, the style must be clear, simple, and straightforward, in the latter, the language must have a certain refinement and polish.
  
  
• Where? Business communications require the same standards of precision, clarity, and professionalism, no matter what the language is. It is very essential that translators have complete knowledge of the regions, countries, and dialects represented by the target audience, so that translated words do not lead to misunderstandings or offense because of their different meanings in various dialects.
  
  
• When? Always plan before hand to produce a realistic and cost-effective translation schedule. Keep in mind that quality, cost, and schedule of the translation project and accordingly proceed.
  
  
• How much? Lastly the cost of the entire translation project should be considered.

Set requirements
Once you know key areas, you can set the requirements for your translation. We give below a hypothetical example:

Product Requirements Sample

• (What) Translation of a sales presentation into Spanish language consisting of 100 pages of text, 50 slides and a 20-minute video (part dubbing, part voiceovers, some graphics). You should also define format requirements for the finished product.
  
  
• (Who) The language must conform to the language presently used in medical device journals sold in Latin America and Spain.
  
  
• (Why) The sales presentation gives an idea about new polymers developed by the company to be used in medical devices.
  
  
• (Where) The presentation must be adaptable for both small and large audiences in the US, Europe and Latin America, cater to trade shows, professionals and also cater to formal and informal settings.
  
  
• (When) The translated package must be ready by August 15, 2008.
  
  
• (How Much) The total cost of the project must be within a budget of $10,000.
  
  

Half of the translation job becomes very easy when you have these set requirements.

Hire the translator
Once you have set your requirements for the product, you can proceed to identify and hire the translator. This job also becomes very easy when you set requirements for the translator as well. Let us continue with our above hypothetical example:

Translator Requirements Sample

• Translator must have knowledge, experience, skill in the translation of technical text, slides and videos from English into Spanish.
  
  
• Translator must be familiar with the writings of people residing in Latin America and Spain.
  
  
• Translator must also know the sales process and the language of technical sales in the countries mentioned above.
  
  
• Translator must be familiar of approaching different settings like formal, informal, trade shows presentations.
  
  
• Translator should be able to complete the project by August 20.
  
  
• Translator must be able to work within the budget and he should be able to produce the finished product in the format stated.

After the requirements are set, search for a translator who meets your requirements. A quality translation project must be able to achieve a perfect balance between the requirements of the finished product and the ability of the translator to fulfill those requirements.

Monitor the process
Monitoring the translation process is very essential, though this may not be preferred by translation companies. In such cases, the translation company should itself fix certain requirements. This process can be divided into the following main areas:

• Task Definition: Defining each individual task that build up the total translated project.
  
  
• Task Sequencing: Defining the order in which tasks must be completed.
  
  
• Task Scheduling: Determining the time required to complete each task. Starting date and finishing date of each task must be known or fixed.
  
  
• Task Evaluation: Determining what milestones will define each task. Here it is also better to monitor at each milestone, whether the task is being carried out according to the requirements.
  
  
• Task Approval: Determining at what point each task can be considered as complete so that it is ready to integrate it into the next step.
  
  
• Task Integration: Determining how and when each task is integrated into the next step in the monitoring process. It is also better to evaluate whether the integration has been carried out according to requirements.

When translating simple document, monitoring process is quite simple. But in case of large or complex projects, it is not so easy. Under such circumstance, a competent translation company makes your job easy and you can demand that the company provides you with detailed project monitoring charts which in turn give you a clear picture of the complete process. It is here that the true worth of a translation company can be measured as well as known.

Evaluate results
Lastly, you need to evaluate the quality of a translation. Once the translation is completed, check whether it conforms to the requirements that you set for it. If all the steps have been followed correctly, it is definite that translation will conform to all the requirements and, therefore, will be a quality translation.