Terminology

Technical Translation: Communicating in Global Markets

Have you ever bought a product with “assembly required” and found the directions to be a mish-mash of nonsensical word-salad? Those directions were not much help, were they? You were lucky if you didn’t break the thing trying to get it put together!


Technical translation is a whole sub-field of translation services, and it’s even harder to get it done right.


But technical translation is increasingly in demand as more specs, medical documents, engineering documents, instructions manuals, manuscripts and other specialized texts reach global audiences.


Why is it so tough to get these documents translated well?


Technical documents are difficult to begin with. Do you remember the last time you read a legal contract or waded through a medical paper? The language is dense and difficult, and unless you are an expert in the field it’s easy to get lost.


These technical documents use “jargon,” a specialized vocabulary for a certain field of study. These terms will not be found in an ordinary dictionary, and to use and translate them correctly, you really need to have some background in that field.


More than any other kind of text, these documents need to be perfectly translated in order for the other party to understand clearly. It’s not the time for interpretation; the words have to be there just as they are in the original, or the whole thing could be a failure.


Translators may find words that do not yet exist in the language! This may be hard to believe, but there are highly specialized technical terms that nobody has thought to translate into certain languages yet. This means that the translator will actually be coining new terms, and they have to have experience in their chosen field to do this.


If you need a technical translation done, there are a few ways to find a good service.


First, look for someone who specializes in your field. For example, if you have medical documents that need to be translated, get a service that specializes in the medical field, or has lots of experience doing medical translations. There are translation services that specialize in certain fields, and some that have a few specialties they deal in.


Try to find a translator who has some experience in the field, outside of the translation work they have done. Look for certification and experience. If you need an engineering document translated, look for a translator who is also an engineer. They will have a deeper understanding not only of the terminology specific to engineering, but also how to write for engineers.


You will need a translator who not only knows their field, but also knows the culture and country that you are selling your product to. Find someone who has lived and worked in that country for a long time, or is native-born and bilingual.


Finally, look for membership in linguistics organizations. The more language certification they have, the better.


Technical translation is growing in demand, and in today’s global marketplace, whether you sink or swim could be determined by the translation of your texts. Find a good technical translator once and you can stick with them forever.

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Do you want to become a translator or an interpreter in India?

Translation is considered as a serious profession that contributes to product or service marketing beyond geography. Businesses use translation to make product user assistance manuals, etc.  Where a translation is written and interpreting is spoken they are two different skills. Bilingualism is not sufficient to make you a translator or interpreter:

You need additional training.  Translation is more than word-substitution. Machine translation is not going to replace human translators.   Know your native language well including grammar, and culture.  Continue to improve your knowledge of your second language.  Use the media print, television, music and radio to hone in on your listening, speaking and written skills.  Start and grow your personal library of dictionaries, (i.e.: legal, medical, business…) Build a glossary of terminology based on specific subjects.

Be inquisitive and ask questions about varied subjects globally and keep up with current events.  For eg. If you are an engineering student, try to focus on translation related to engineering products and services. Or if you have worked with an engineering company and have sufficient knowledge then you can try to specialize.
Use the internet, workshops, classes & professional associations to network. 
Continue learning via travels, courses, seminars and staff development opportunities at work.

Be professional…be on time and dress conservatively.  Follow the professional code of ethics that you assure your hiring company. Nature of the Work Interpreters and translators enable the cross-cultural communication necessary in our society by converting one language into another. However, these language specialists do more than simply translate words-they relay concepts and ideas between languages. They must understand the subject matter in which they work in order to accurately convert information from one language, known as the source language, into another, the target language.

In addition, they must be sensitive to the cultures associated with their languages of expertise. Interpreters and translators are often discussed together because they share some common traits. For example, both must be fluent in at least two languages-a native, or active, language and a secondary, or passive, language; a small number of interpreters and translators are fluent in two or more passive languages. Their active language is the one that they know best and into which they interpret or translate, and their passive language is one for which they have nearly perfect knowledge. Although some people do both, interpretation and translation are different professions. Interpreters deal with spoken words, translators with written words.

Each task requires a distinct set of skills and aptitudes, and most people are better suited for one or the other. While interpreters often work into and from both languages, translators generally work only into their active language. Interpreters convert one spoken language into another-or, in the case of sign-language interpreters, between spoken communication and sign language. This requires interpreters to pay attention carefully, understand what is communicated in both languages, and express thoughts and ideas clearly. Strong research and analytical skills, mental dexterity, and an exceptional memory also are important.

Top 20 world spoken languages Chinese, Spanish, English, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, French, Italian, Japanese, Standard German, Javanese, Telugu, Marathi, Vietnamese, Korean, Tamil, Western Punjabi and Urdu.  Earnings depend on language, subject matter, skill, experience, education, certification, and type of employer, and salaries of interpreters and translators can vary widely. Interpreters and translators who know languages for which there is a greater demand, or which relatively few people can translate, often have higher earnings as do those with specialized expertise. Individuals classified as language specialists for in India earn around INR100, 000 to INR200, 000 annually. High-level conference interpreters working full time can earn more than INR100, 000 annually. For those who are not salaried, earnings may fluctuate, depending on the availability of work. Freelance interpreters usually earn an hourly rate, whereas translators who freelance typically earn a rate per word or per hour. Employment of interpreters and translators is projected to increase 24 percent over the 2006-16 decade. This growth will be driven partly by strong demand in health care settings and work related to homeland security.

Additionally, higher demand for interpreters and translators results directly from the broadening of international ties and the increase in the number of foreign language speakers in India. Both of these trends are expected to continue, contributing to relatively rapid growth in the number of jobs for interpreters and translators.

About Lyric Labs

Lyric labs is an ISO 9001, EN 15038 certified translation Services Company specializing in more 142 languages. Lyric labs works with more than 7000 translators worldwide for these 142 languages. Lyric labs has specialized project management team that can any time during the working hours assist you to take up translation or interpretation as an career option.

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