Do you think that translation only consists in changing written words from one language to another? Let’s break the myth and see what is the best translation process! Translators need to analyse, look for information and create glossaries before being able to translate a document. This is part of a 7-step process that you will discover as you read this article.
1. Project request
When translators receive a project request, they usually start by looking at the client specifications and ask themselves the following questions.
Questions translators ask themselves during the first step of the translation process:
- Who is my client and which company is he working for?
- What is the format and the word count of the document?
- What are the source and target languages?
- Does the subject meet my specializations? Are any reference materials such as translation glossaries provided?
- Who is the target audience and what is the aim of the translated document?
- How much time does my client give me to complete the work? Does it match my schedule?
- What is my client’s budget?
Once the project request has been reviewed, translators send a quote including the delivery date, the total cost of the project and all the conditions to the client. If he accepts the estimate, the client will have to sign it, and it becomes a contract.
2. Project analysis
Once the project has been accepted, translators can move to the second step of the translation process and read the source text entirely and try to understand the general meaning. Then, they analyse it more deeply, for example by underlining the words and expressions they do not know how to render in the target language.
Translators can also answer these general questions during the second step of the translation process:
- What is the style and register of the text?
- What is the writer’s purpose?
- What technical vocabulary is used?
- What are the key elements such as proper names, places, dates, numbers, and so on?
3. Terminology research
Now that translators are done with the analysis step of the translation process, they have a look to the words they have underlined, find their nature and the context they are used in, and look for them in a dictionary. They can start looking in a bilingual dictionary, but they need to final check their choices in a monolingual dictionary to provide a consistent translation. They can also have a look at online terminology databases which store complete translated segments.
In addition, they try to clarify any doubts of understanding or errors contained in the source text, do some research on the subject, study reference documents, create their own glossaries or update those of their client if needed.
4. Translation
After finishing all the preparation work, translators can finally start translating. It is important to note that translation into a target language needs to be done by a native speaker and professional translator of this language to ensure a certain level of accuracy, fluidity, and consistency. Nowadays, most translators work with Computer-Assisted Translation tools (CAT tools).
Before going on to step 5 of the translation process, translators like to take at least a one-hour break to stand back from the text.
5. Proofreading and editing
Translators then compare the source text and their translation in order to check that there are no omissions, that the style and the tone are correctly rendered, and that the layout and typography are conserved.
In other words, translators pay attention to the following elements during the translation process:
- punctuation,
- spelling,
- grammar and syntax,
- conjugation,
- numbers and mathematical symbols,
- units of measure and conversions.
6. Quality assessment
Finally, during step 6 of the translation process, translators leave aside the source text and read their translation as if it had been written directly in that language. It is quite important to ensure that the final version of the translation is complete, clear, and reads as natural as possible. In other words, it has to be “invisible”, and that is why quality control is usually carried out by other language professionals using professional software.
7. Project delivery
Last but not least, translators have to deliver the translated text to the client according to the agreed conditions and within the allocated time. This step marks the end of the translation process.
To cut a long story short, here is a simplified model of the translation process.
As you will have understood, the translator’s job is more complex than one might think at first glance. If you have worked with translators who follow a similar (or different) translation process, feel free to share your own experience in the comment section down below. And if you are looking for French translation services, I invite you to consult my Services page or visit my LinkedIn profile. Thank you! 🙂