Translation Guidance
Please always remember, for the security of you, TH and our clients:
When working with Talking Heads, you agree that:
You will not disclose to anyone that you are working on this project for Talking Heads – our clients instruct us to keep this project confidential.
You will not advertise any project or your relationship with Talking Heads on social media including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn (including not adding Talking Heads as your employer).
You will not disclose our client’s name, brand names or project details at all, under any circumstances, including on your CV or professional profiles (proz.com, etc.), unless you receive permission to do so from an authorised person at Talking Heads.
You’re very welcome to write that you have worked for Talking Heads on your CV, but without revealing client names. :-)
Instructions Provided by Your PM
Ensure that you adhere to any special project notes supplied by your Project Manager.
Language / Style / Localisation / Content
Always Avoid Literal Translations - remember that the target content is not supposed to look like a translation of the source - it is supposed to look like it has been written in the target language.
Your choice of formal/informal language should be consistent throughout - ensure it matches the language register of the source text.
Adhere to any style guides, reference material or glossaries that have been provided.
Make decisions regarding grammatical structures in order to achieve fluency.
Different languages follow different rules for the use of lower case or capital letters. Ensure that you have applied the correct standard in the target language.
Apply the punctuation rules of the target language – these may differ from the source language (please remember that even if the source text punctuation is incorrect, it is our job to ensure that ours is. Please do not mirror incorrect punctuation).
Consider use of a Corpus (such as Linguee) if you need to double check your translation in context. These searchable sets of text allow you to search phrases within various contexts.
Make use of language forums on website such as Proz and WordReference if you would like to discuss a specific query with other translators.
Always keep in mind the purpose and end user of the translation.
Spellcheckers are useful but not to be solely relied on, set aside time to proofread your work.
Spelling of names must be consistent and accurate.
Please stick with the language’s rules, even on 'concept' phrases which have every word capitalised in English.
Whenever there is a URL accompanying text, please open the URL to see the page, this will provide context to the text you are translating.
Do not hesitate to ask questions or highlight areas of uncertainty for review by the proofreader
What to translate and DNT (Do Not Translate)
Please do not translate web and email addresses.
Please do not translate brand / company / product names, unless you have been specifically asked to do so.
Show any illegible/indecipherable handwritten text as [illegible] – please do not guess any content if you are unsure.
Glossaries
If you feel it is not appropriate to adhere to a glossary term, please advise your Project Manager of why you have made a decision to use a different term.
If you are instructed to use the glossary term, even if you do not agree to it, please use it. It is an instruction from the client.
If you have to amend a glossary term for grammatical reasons, please highlight this.
Make use of bilingual/monolingual dictionaries wherever necessary.
Make use of terminology databases wherever necessary which provide terms, definitions and translations.
CAT Tools (Trados Studio)
When working in Trados, use Translation Memories and Term Bases to ensure consistency with previous projects.
If you are using different software, you should ensure (and be confident) that the format you deliver the translation in is compatible with Trados Studio.
Formatting
When working outside of Trados, always mirror the source formatting, unless otherwise instructed. This includes: font type and size, colour, bolding, italics, formatting of paragraphs etc.
Ensure consistency in all areas: style, terminology, presentation etc.
Apply local conventions on numbers and currency – this includes formatting rules.
If there’s a table of contents, make sure it still refers to the right pages in target translation.
Format all handwritten text in italics.
Show any signatures / stamps on the document as [signature], [stamp].
Script Languages: Please deliver the file in the source format AND PDF format. If you are concerned that the font / characters will not show correctly, take a screen grab / screen shot from your machine and send it with your delivery, so that the PM can compare this, to ensure they are seeing the characters correctly on their machine.
Acronyms / Abbreviations / Using Initials
Where possible, we would always retain an acronym in the source language. This is because in a lot of cases, they are used for names and are within graphic logos and designs.
Example 1
A prominent acronym is that of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization:
In English - NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
In French - OTAN (Organisation du Traité de l'Atlantique Nord)
You would decide which of these is used in your language most (English or French). To assist the reader, you may decide to translate a description to explain what the acronym means.
German example: NATO (Nordatlantikvertrag).
The English acronym, accompanied by a German description of what it means.
Example 2
Even if the acronym is not commonly well known / famous, where possible we would try to retain it. Let's invent a company called Sports Clothing for Teenagers. They use the acronym 'SCT'. In fact, their website could be something like 'sct.com'. The Spanish translation 'Sports Clothing for Teenagers' is 'Ropa Deportiva para Adolescentes'. However, you can see why we wouldn't want to translate the acronym to 'RDA' in the Spanish text. We could do this:
SCT (ropa deportiva para adolescentes)
The English acronym, accompanied by a Spanish description of what it means.
We might only do this in the first instance of the acronym in the content. After that, we would be happy to simply put 'SCT'.
CONTACT YOUR PM IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES ABOUT THE ABOVE INSTRUCTIONS.
Proofreading Guidance
Proofreading by a second translator is a vitally important part of a Talking Heads translation project. Therefore, when it isn’t handled correctly, it can prove counterproductive; slowing down the process and possibly causing tensions between translators.
1. Don’t correct for the sake of correcting: Proofreaders sometimes feel obligated to find something wrong with the translation, if only to justify their fee. They may worry that if the translation is returned with no corrections at all, the client won’t know if they really proofread it. There’s no need to feel this way. Be sparing with your corrections, limiting them to objective grammatical or typological errors or serious deviations from the source text. Too many corrections can slow down the final review process; unnecessary changes can cause otherwise avoidable delays.
2. There is never a single “right answer” in translation: “I never translate it that way” is not a valid argument for a proofreading change. There are many different ways to translate any one sentence, all of which may be equally valid. For example, in legal documents the Spanish term “Registro Civil” is often rendered literally in English as “Civil Registry". On the other hand, some translators believe it is more appropriate to apply one of the terms used in English-speaking countries for similar institutions which fulfil the same functions as a registro civil, such as “Vital Statistics Office”. Both options are perfectly valid and it is not the proofreader’s job to impose a preference, unless a glossary specifies a term. If you doubt the validity of a particular translation choice, add a comment, but it shouldn’t be changed unless it has been researched and found to be problematic. The reasons for the change should be noted and supported by the research.
3. Check your facts: Never make a grammatical or spelling correction to a translation unless you are 100% sure that it is correct. Consider the case of a proofreader who “corrects” an English sentence that employed subject-verb inversion (e.g. “On the edge of the river sits a quaint little cottage” changed to “On the edge of the river a quaint little cottage sits”), and added a comment complaining that the translator failed to recognise that “verbs ALWAYS follow subjects in English!”. Do they? And what about interrogative clauses (like “do they?”)? It is a serious concern that a professional proofreader would not know that there are a range of cases in English where subjects and verbs are inverted. Furthermore, it’s a worrying that the proofreader didn’t investigate the construction before “correcting” it with an awkward and questionable construction.
4. Be diplomatic: Many translators have worked as language teachers and when proofreading can easily fall into “teacher” mode. It is important to remember that the translator whose work is being proofreading is not a student, but a colleague or client. It is therefore important to adopt a diplomatic tone in comments, suggestions and explanations of corrections and to bear in mind that the proofreader’s job is to check for errors, not give a grammar lesson. Consider the example of a proofreader who “corrected” the capitalisation of all titles in document, annotating them with the comment: “Please inform the translator that it is standard practice in English for all words in a title to have the first letter capitalised, except for words with three letters or less.” There are two problems here – firstly, the proofreader is factually incorrect: capitalisation of words in titles in English is governed not by the number of letters the words have, but by whether they are “content” words or “function” words. Secondly, the comment sounds obnoxious (facts must be checked!) - even if the proofreader had been correct, the tone of the comment was inappropriate.
THE PROOFREADERS’ CHECKLIST
GENERAL
Has the translation been carried out according to instructions, supplied reference material, glossary, style guide etc., where provided?
ACCURACY
Is all of the content in the original document present in the translation?
Has all the content been translated?
Is all spelling and grammar accurate?
Are all numbers rendered correctly?
Are all names rendered correctly?
Have technical or industry specific terms been double-checked for accuracy?
TONE & REGISTER
Is the style of language suitable for this kind of text for the target culture/audience?
Is the reader addressed appropriately for this type of text for the target culture/audience?
FLUENCY
Does the translation read like an original document in the target language?
Have grammatical structures been adapted to achieve fluency?
Has literal translation been avoided?
PRESENTATION
Does the text in the translation follow the same formatting as in the original document, e.g. fonts, font size, colours used, line spacing etc.?
If there is a contents page, have the page numbers been updated?
Are tables and diagrams formatted well, so that they are ready for presentation?
If the translation has expanded/contracted in comparison to the source text, has the content been formatted so that the document is ready for presentation?
Have local conventions on numbers, currency, etc. been taken into account?
CONSISTENCY
Is the translation consistent in terminology?
Is the translation consistent in style?
Always contact your Project Manager if you have any queries - no questions are silly! It's always better to check, than to assume. :-)
Please also visit the Translator's Guidance page for notes on language, style, formatting, etc.
If you are reviewing a typeset file, please visit the Typesetting Guidance page for assistance.
CONTACT YOUR PM IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES ABOUT THE ABOVE INSTRUCTIONS.
USING TRADOS
Opening the file
If you are asked to work on a translation in Trados, you will be sent a ‘Project Package’. To open this in Trados, double click the file. Further instructions here: producthelp.sdl.com/sdl%20trados%20studio/client_en/Projects_View/Packages/P_Open_a_Project_Package.htm
Once the ‘Project Package’ has been opened in Trados go to: ‘Projects’ > double click Project > right-click the file > ‘Open For Translation’
Segments
‘Segments’ are each row in Trados that the translation has been split into. ‘Segment status’ is shown with symbol located between the ‘Source’ (English) and ‘Target’ (translation) column.
Repetitions are automatically populated based on your previous translation; therefore please ensure that you ‘Confirm’ every translation as you finish each ‘Segment’. A handy shortcut for this is ‘CTRL + Enter’. This changes the segment status from ‘Draft’ to ‘Translated’ (you can also right click the segment number on the left-hand-side to change this status).
Draft
Transl.
Only segments which are confirmed as ‘Translated’ will populate future repeated segments.
Translation Memory (TM)
A Translation Memory is a file containing all previous translations for a client, which were completed in Trados. Segment statuses showing as ‘100%’ or ‘CM’ mean they have been fully translated previously. It is not necessary to stick to the TM if you believe there is an error or if the translation could be improved. Fuzzy matches (‘99%’, ‘89%’ etc.) show previous translations that are a close match to the selected segment and in the ‘Translation Results’ it will show how this segment differs from the TM.
Review
The ‘Review’ tab in the top Ribbon is a great tool for consistency. Search for a word or phrase here and Trados will filter and show only ‘Segments’ containing the search term(s).
If you keep on top of the ‘Segment Status’ and change them as you translate, you can also filter out ‘Segments’ with a certain status. If you would like to revisit a ‘Segment’, it could be useful to change the status to ‘Draft’, so you can easily revisit these segments later; however, do bear in mind that ‘Draft’ segments will not populate future repetitions.
Concordance Search
Whilst translating, click ‘F3’ whilst highlighting a word or phrase in the ‘Source’ or ‘Target’ column to show how you previously translated it. This will also search the Translation Memory, which means you can check whether this term has been used before and how it was translated. (You can also right click these words or phrases to start ‘Concordance Search’.)
Comments
To add a comment highlight text, or click in a segment > right click > ‘Add Comment’. Please use this to pass on any messages to the proofreader or Project Manager – this could be notes to research you did, or an explanation for why you chose to complete a translation a certain way.
Save
Always periodically save your work by clicking the ‘Save’ in the top left corner.
Return Package
Once complete and saved, go to ‘Projects’ > right click the ‘Project’ > ‘Create Return Project’. Further instructions can be found here: producthelp.sdl.com/sdl%20trados%20studio/client_en/Projects_View/Packages/P_Create_a_Return_Package.htm
Questions
We are very familiar with the software and happy to help. Trados can take a little while to get used to, but should greatly improve your translation experience. There are many tips and tricks that can be employed in Trados, so if you’re wondering whether it is possible to do something in Trados – ask us, we may know! :-)
There is full documentation on the SDL Trados website here: docs.sdl.com/LiveContent/web/ui.xql?action=html&resource=publist_home.html
Proz also supplies detailed information and there are lots of answers to common questions in the forums: proz.com/forum/sdl_trados_support-65.html
CONTACT YOUR PM IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES ABOUT THE ABOVE INSTRUCTIONS.
Translator's Code of Conduct
Translators must:
Act with integrity and maintain high standards at all times.
Be of good character, which may preclude those with certain criminal records.
Observe confidentiality in relation to every individual assignment (this duty extends beyond the completion of the individual assignment), unless otherwise required by law.
Not seek to take advantage of any information disclosed during an assignment.
Comply with current Data Protection legislation.
Not use any information obtained in the course of an assignment for any purpose other than as authorised.
Keep safe any document provided and ensure that it is not copied and is returned at the end of the assignment.
Act impartially and not discriminate between parties (to their advantage or disadvantage).
Not give advice, legal or otherwise, to the person for whom they are interpreting or within a document.
Disclose any conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest in relation to each individual assignment.
Disclose any previous involvement with a case.
Disclose any relationship with any parties involved in the assignment or their family.
Disclose any information, including any criminal record, which may make them unsuitable for any particular assignment.
Undertake assignments only for which they are competent (both linguistically and in terms of specialist knowledge or skills).
Disclose professional limitations in relation to each individual assignment.
Always translate to the best of their ability.
Decline any reward other than agreed fees and expenses.
Seek to increase their knowledge and skills
Working Together
Talking Heads is a language services agency which uses a massive pool of linguists based around the world, to provide written translation, face to face interpreting and other language and cultural services to clients in all sectors. The Translation Team is the function which manages all translation projects, using CAT tools and our company-developed resources to ensure great customer service, account management and quality, on time deliveries. For us to do this we all have to maintain a great working relationship with the Project Managers and Finance team.
The Translation Process
Before we send you any work you must have registered fully on our system - this includes having a Skype conversation with one of our team. We see this as a key part of the on-boarding process as it gives both parties an opportunity to speak face to face before we start working together.
Once point (1) is complete, we will contact you if there is a job (email, phone, mobile etc.)
If you say yes, we send you an email confirming all the information by email. At this stage you will be given all of the information you need to complete the translation as well as information on how you invoice and how we like to work with our linguists. Please note that you may not have been the only translator to have been contacted about this project - especially if the deadlines are tight.
It is imperative that you cooperate with us. If you have any questions, it is your responsibility to flag these concerns to the Project Manager.
You will deliver the files in the agreed format.
PLEASE REMEMBER:
You represent TALKING HEADS – the quality of your delivery is very important.
All orders are placed in accordance with our Terms and Conditions of trading; available on request.
You must always show to us that you are a PROFESSIONAL LINGUIST.
You must follow all of our instructions and procedures.
You MUSTN’T have any direct relationship or make any direct contact with our client (or their client).
If you are not a preferred linguist please do not assume rates paid. This varies from job to job.
Please be prepared – take the time and trouble to treat the work with respect, e.g. proofreading your work once you have completed the translation.
Please communicate with us; communication is key to a successful working relationship.
If you are interested in being a 'preferred' linguist, please contact us.
Offers of Work
Each time we have an assignment that matches your profile, you will be contacted by us to check your availability. You can expect contact from us via email or phone (if the requirement is urgent).
In the email / phone call, we will give you as much information as possible so you are in the best position to decide whether you can accept the assignment or not.
Please reply to the offer email even if you can’t take a job! Even knowing you are not available helps us enormously.
Ensure that you are comfortable with the subject matter before accepting a job and can meet the required deadline.
Please make sure to check the offered fee before accepting a job. Any fee negotiations should take place before the PO is sent to you.
Once you have agreed to take the assignment you will then be sent a full confirmation by email, which includes complete details of the assignment, i.e:
Order information
TH reference number
Software requirements
Project Manager's name and contact details
Project brief
Delivery date required
Invoice information
Order value
Once you have received this email, you are fully committed to the assignment and the details cannot be changed (unless our client changes the brief to which we will discuss/negotiate as and when that happens) – this would risk letting Talking Heads and our client down.
Before commencing a job
When you receive the order email, review the file and additional material you have been sent before commencing any job, to ensure you have all the information required or expected.
Please make sure that the files attached with the PO opens properly on your machine (Trados packages, compressed files, etc.). If there are any technical issues, please flag them to the Project Manager immediately.
Alert your Project Manager straight away if you foresee any issues completing the translation or meeting the deadline. Communication with your Project Manager throughout is key.
We will always aim to be as fair as possible and keep up good communications in turn - we look forward to working with you!
Delivering your project
Consider creating your own quality assurance checklist that you reference before delivering a job.
Remember that your translation should be 'Client Ready' before being delivered to your Project Manager.
Ensure your translation is complete and that there are no missing paragraphs, numbers, dates or sentences.
If you are proofreading a project, always deliver showing track changes.
Proofread your own work before delivery to your Project Manager.
Naming files is very important. When you submit a translation to us, please ensure the filename is exactly the same as when it was sent to you, but with an underscore, then your two digit language code after it. Eg. source: Globalmanual.docx - your file globalmanual_FR.docx
Please do not change file names (including Trados packages) - this is especially important when you are handling more than one file as it can get very confusing for us, and the client.
Please put our reference/job number in the subject line of all the emails you send us.
Once you have delivered the project, ensure you then follow the invoicing procedure strictly to avoid delayed payment.
Technical / Commercial Guidance
Carry out the required research to complete the project, including visiting the client's website and other online resources.
Double-check technical or industry specific terms for accuracy.
Before commencing work on the project, please familiarise yourself with the tone, brand and style of the source content - reference the client’s website if possible for a clearer understanding.
Ask your PM to provide guidance.
Food & Drink Translation Guidance
Most of our food translations are for product labelling, which must be compliant with EU FIR Legislation / GCC Legislation / Chinese Legislation etc – please follow the Term Base strictly and advise your Project Manager if you feel a given term is inappropriate. However please note that whether you agree with a term or not, if it is on the legislation it must be used, as governed by law.
Research the product / ask your Project Manager for reference material if this is not provided.
Please carefully check punctuation (you can use the 'Verify' option in Trados for this).
Please be consistent with the Translation Memory. If you want to suggest changes to previously delivered translation, please leave a comment in the file explaining why you believe this is a better option.
Please do not unlock and change locked segments. If you want to suggest a change to a locked segment, please include it in the delivery email.
Please make sure that the formatting tags in Trados are reflected in the target segment (i.e. the right word is put in bold, which sometimes requires moving the tags within the segment).
Translating Food Packaging: A Guide for Linguists
Top tips for working on food projects and information about in-house checks.
This guide has been created to help you when translating and proofreading text for food packaging. We hope that the checklist below and insight into what Project Managers check when the file is returned to them, will reduce the number of queries sent to you following your delivery.
Linguist Checklist - when completing a food project, please ensure that the following are true before delivering your file:
All translations have been checked to ensure that there are no inaccuracies. Has ‘blueberry’ definitely been translated as ‘blueberry’ and not as ‘raspberry’ in error? This may seem basic, but these commonly catch people out. :-)
A ‘verify check’ in Trados has been run before creating return package. This identifies any inconsistencies/non-usage of TB terms/missing punctuation etc. Verify settings need to be correctly set and checked first – please find below a set of screenshots showing how to set the Verify function.
Terms present in the TB (extracted from legislation) have been used. If you believe a term cannot be used because it is not appropriate for the context in question or would lead to an unusual/incorrect translation, you have left a comment to explain your decision.
Terms in bold in the source are also in bold in your translation.
Terms in the singular/plural in the source are also in the singular/plural in your translation e.g. - If the source text says ‘raising agent’ please don’t translate as ‘raising agents’. We understand that sometime it is the industry standard to translate as singular or plural in a way that does not reflect the English (e.g. ‘egg’ will often be translated as ‘eggs’) - if this is the case you have left a comment to explain this.
All commas/full stops/semi-colons/brackets in the English source are reflected in the translation.
The number format for your country has been applied correctly (e.g. for some countries 1.5g should be localised to 1,5 g and 6% to 6 %).
The TM has been referenced and the same phrase/terminology is used for consistency with previous deliveries. If you have chosen to use a better/more appropriate translation, you have added a note to advise us of this.
You are happy that product names/ingredients have been correctly translated where the ingredient/product type may be unfamiliar to you. These are often mistranslated due to lack of research on the linguists’ side and differences in cultures. Examples of terms mistranslated in the past include:
mincemeat (which is a sweet cake filling as opposed to minced beef or pork for example).
wheat biscuits (this shows how important it is to make sure you understand context and have taken notice of any reference material/websites sent by the Project Manager as ‘wheat biscuits’ can also be a type of breakfast cereal not only a biscuit in the usual sense).
Project Manager Checklist – when completing an in-house review of your translations, Project Managers at Talking Heads do the following to check and ensure accuracy. Please also adopt these checks to reduce questions/queries following delivery:
Checking all of the above – if we need to make changes or have questions, this is when we contact you.
Checking Google Images search results. The product name in English when searched should display similar images to the product name when translated.
Where possible, finding the same product being sold in a target country (on a supermarket website for example) and seeing what terminology is already being used.
Checking the number of exact hits on Google. If there are two equally good ways of translating something, we’d like to proceed with the term/phrase that appears to be the industry standard/most commonly used. When we check exact hits we put the phrase/term into Google in quotation marks, i.e. “example phrase” and compare the results, wherever possible we apply the version that gives the most hits.
If you have any questions or suggestions of tricks that you use that we could add to this guide, please let us know!
To verify settings in Trados (click to enlarge):
Fashion Translation Guidance
Carry out appropriate research – use the websites of your favourite fashion retailers to ensure you are using up to date terminology and look at fashion magazines.
Follow style guides closely.
Search products on the Client’s website – the images will provide excellent reference material to ensure your translations are spot-on.
Follow the Term Base strictly – advise your Project Manager if you see any incorrect terms or descriptions that are out of date in the fashion world.
Size guides: If you come across text relating to sizes and if the text says LARGE, then this can be translated, but on the size guide, it must stay as L, even if the translated word doesn’t begin with L - because this is what it says on the clothing label.
The intention with EN product descriptions is usually to use the imagination enthusiastically and sell, sell, sell! Your translations should reflect this.
Legal Guidance
Please conform to the existing format / formatting shown if a template has been provided – please do not amend the template to your preference unless there is an error.
Please leave all addresses in English (and following the English formatting of left to right).
When translating a letter, do not translate the headers and footers containing client information.
Translate all the other text in the document, including,. letter heads and footers (unless these are addresses), handwritten text, stamps etc.
If you are translating into a script language, please deliver the file in Word and PDF format.
Write any handwritten text in italics.
Show any illegible/indecipherable handwritten text as [illegible] – please do not guess any content if you are unsure.
Show any signatures / stamps on the document as [signature], [stamp].
Please do not translate acronyms such as 'NHS' but please do translate what they stand for.
DO translate specific terms: ICO = Interim Care order.
Public Sector Guidance
Please remember that ALL work for any public sector body is HIGHLY confidential. You must not discuss the contents with ANYONE, including Talking Heads staff.
Please do not translate acronyms such as 'NHS' but please do translate what they mean, to explain this to a potentially unfamiliar person (see Translation Guidance).
DO translate specific terms: ICO = Interim Care order.