How to produce quality technical translations?

2 essential points for understanding everything about technical translation

A detailed answer to your questions, finally!

Technical translation will no longer be a mystery to you. Do you need a translation? Are you looking for more information?

Or are you simply interested in the principle, practice and definition of technical translation? You are in the right place!   

We will help you to understand technical translation simply and in detail and reveal all its secrets; we will provide a definition, outline the challenges it poses, as well as its purposes, including what it entails and where to find very good-quality technical translation.   

What is technical translation?

A member of the translation family

Translation is a rich field, which is why there are different types of translation. Some are more popular than others, such as localisation, machine translation or even legal translation. Today, we are focusing on technical translation. This translation style is in high demand, but very few people know what it is.   

A widespread translation style    

Find out everything you need to know about technical translation in our article! It is a meticulous method that is used to translate specific content. Technical translation is requested by product managers, technical directors, to enable the end user to understand how to use the products that they buy. The translated documents are often user manuals, catalogues and product data sheets, technical manuals or specifications. A number of sectors use this type of document:   

• Food industry: instructions for agricultural machinery, food product information sheet, etc.
• Industrial: electrotechnical manual for industrial machines (grinder), etc.
• Automobile: technical data sheet for various car spare parts, devices used in factories, etc.
• Retail (more specifically household appliances): user manual for an oven, etc.
• And many others.

What points must be considered when doing a technical translation?

A major challenge

The translation of a technical document is intended for the end user. The content must be adapted according to the status of the end user (professional or private individual). The challenge posed by this type of translation is to correctly convey technical information by using consistent and appropriate terminology. The translation must be an accurate reflection of the original, to ensure that the explanation is correct and that the purchased product is easy to use.   

A precise and detailed method   

As well as being precise, the vocabulary must also be simple and understandable to a private individual or an inexperienced user. This is why translating a technical document is so demanding – specific vocabulary must be used, but it has to be accessible.  

This type of translation can only be performed by specialists in the field. Linguists must master the sector, technical vocabulary and be familiar with the product in order to understand the document and to translate it perfectly.   

It is worth noting that these technical documents are often very long and translated into several languages. Therefore, the translation must be delivered quickly so that the final document (available in several languages) can be prepared. The layout must be maintained to ensure that the different pages and languages are consistent.   

It will have become clear to you that technical translation has high standards of requirement, which is why a professional translator is needed in order to guarantee the quality of the final document.   

At Intertranslations, our technical translations are meticulously produced by our experts with more than 20 years of experience in the technical field. We offer quality services in line with your expectations to meet your needs.

We handle all types of technical documents. Our experts use simple and precise vocabulary when the document is intended for the general public. We know that internal documents contain terminology that is specific to each company. Our expert translators are able to adapt to the needs of each company while meeting your expectations perfectly!   

Contact us if you would like to request an estimate, or for any further information.

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