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process |
No two projects are ever the same, but whatever the project,
no matter how big or small, we employ strict standards to ensure
it is expertly translated, thoroughly checked and free of errors.
The workflow for each project will generally follow these steps:
The
first step in any translation project is to determine the
purpose and intended audience so that we can assemble a suitable
translation team. We will work with you to determine...
- Who is your target audience?
- What do you hope to achieve from the
translation?
- What cultural and site-specific differences exist between
your home and target markets?
Once we've gotten a good feel
for the purpose of the project, we comb trough your documents
to look for specific issues that must be further researched in
order to produce an accurate, complete, and natural rendering in
the target language. In particular, we keep a sharp eye out for
the following:
- Company-specific
and field-specific terminology
- Applicability of text to target market
- Cultural
phenomena that might affect the rendering of the translation
- Any concepts
that should be introduced, elaborated upon or discarded to make
it appropriate for the target audience
Nailing down these preliminary issues is essential
to getting the translation right, so we devote plenty of time
to working them out.
The next step is to assemble a glossary of terminology
for the project. Terms must be chosen appropriately so that they
meet any pre-existing standards you may have. This step is essential
in ensuring consistency with your legacy and current materials.
We therefore work closely with you to develop complete lists
of company lingo and other internal terminology used in the project.
When all of the
background research is complete, it’s time to translate your
project. From the Groundwork stage, we are able to determine what
specific expertise the translators will need, and assemble a translation
team accordingly. Each team will consist of, at a minimum, a lead
translator, an editor/proofer and a project manager. Additionally,
at least one Subject Matter Expert (“SME”) will be
involved (whenever possible, the translator herself) and when
the project requires, a graphic designer. Everyone on the team
works closely together to ensure that each phrase is being interpreted
properly, correct terminology is used, style is appropriate
and any typographical errors are caught and removed.
Many projects,
including web sites, Flash files, Word documents and PowerPoint
presentations to name a few, contain text in graphical format.
This text must be translated and then carefully reproduced by
a graphic designer. We use designers versed in the typographical
conventions of the target language to re-create the graphics. Our
designers pay close attention to details such as observing correct
target-language hyphenation, using appropriate fonts and looking
out for graphical elements that might clash with the target audience’s
sensibilities.
After your
files have been translated and edited, graphics have been recreated,
and all technical issues worked out, we submit a draft of the documents
to you for your review. Web site projects will be uploaded to a
staging server (either yours or ours, according to your preference)
where an additional review will be performed by the translation team
to ensure consistency and identify any un-intended consequences that
may have crept in during the site development phase.
Any issues identified
in the Staging and Review phase are addressed and the documents
are re-worked one more time before being submitted to you. Although
this is often the end of a translation project, there are
many times when more assistance is needed to keep up with changing
content and changing priorities. We are always at your side to
help keep you on top of things, even after the bill has been paid.
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