Providing materials that are free from errors and well-written is crucial for any successful translation project. Such aspects can significantly impact the accuracy and efficiency of the translation process. From typos in Word documents to missing sentences and problematic PDF conversions, let’s explore why high-quality source materials are essential for smooth and precise translations.
Typos and Translation Memory (TM) Matches
Imagine working with a Word document riddled with typos. Not only do such errors affect readability, but they also prevent Translation Memory (TM) tools from finding exact matches. A typo might seem minor, but it can lead to significant inconsistencies and reduce the overall quality of the translation. A consistent, error-free source text ensures that TM tools can do their job effectively, saving time and improving accuracy.
Missing Sentences and Clarifications
Occasionally, source documents arrive with incomplete sentences or missing sections. That disrupts the translation flow and necessitates back-and-forth communication for clarification. Each query can delay the project and lead to potential misunderstandings. Providing a complete and coherent source text from the outset helps avoid such interruptions and keeps the project on track.
Converting PDFs to Word Files
PDFs are often used for their convenience and fixed formatting, but they can be a nightmare to convert into workable Word documents. The conversion process can introduce errors, such as misaligned text, missing characters and formatting issues. Such problems make the document difficult to work with and increase the risk of translation errors. Whenever possible, it is best to provide original, editable files like Word documents to ensure that the text remains intact and is easy to translate.
The Value of High-Quality Source Materials
High-quality source materials streamline the translation process in several ways:
Consistency: A consistent source text allows TM tools to function optimally, ensuring unified terminology and style.
Efficiency: Complete and accurate source documents reduce the need for clarifications, speeding up the translation process.
Accuracy: Providing clear and error-free source files minimises the risk of mistakes slipping in during translation
Conclusion
Providing well-organised, well-written, and error-free documents is essential for accurate and efficient translations. By making sure your documents are typo-free, complete and in an editable format, you can help your translation team deliver the best results. At Eurideas, we recognise the importance of such materials and are dedicated to delivering translations that adhere to the highest standards.
Providing us with your reference materials can make all the difference, enabling us to deliver translations of even higher quality to your benefit. Such resources, including glossaries, style guides and previously translated documents, help our translators capture your unique style and terminology, leading to more accurate translations.
Boosting Accuracy
Reference materials are indispensable in achieving the highest accuracy in translations. They provide a wealth of specific information that guides translators to uphold your brand’s unique language and style. With access to glossaries, style guides, and previously translated content, translators are better equipped to use the correct terminology and stylistic nuances that your organization prefers. This approach not only prevents the common errors that can occur with less informed translations but also ensures that each piece of translated content is consistent with your established brand identity. Furthermore, this attention to detail helps in preserving the integrity of technical or industry-specific terms that might otherwise be misunderstood or inaccurately rendered.
Capturing Your Voice
Every company has a distinct voice that reflects the brand. Reference materials offer translators a window into that voice, allowing them to adapt their translations accordingly. Whether your tone is formal, professional, casual, or conversational, accessing such resources ensures the translation feels authentic and true to the brand.
Increasing Satisfaction
When translations align closely with your expectations, satisfaction is naturally the result. Accurate, on-brand translations build trust and demonstrate a deep understanding of your needs. That not only leads to repeat business but also strengthens the overall relationship.
Streamlining the Translation Process
Reference materials can also make the translation process more efficient. With clear guidelines and examples to follow, translators can work faster and with greater confidence. That reduces the need for revisions and back-and-forth communication, saving both you and the translator time.
Conclusion
Incorporating reference materials into the translation process is a win-win for everyone involved. Translators can produce higher-quality work that resonates with your brand, while you enjoy the benefits of accurate, consistent, and engaging translations. By using those valuable resources, we can ensure that every translation project meets and exceeds expectations.
Providing translation services for a complex sector like agriculture might be tricky and difficult for agencies without specialised translators and proper terminology databases. Before joining the language services industry, for many years I had worked for agricultural companies.
Challenges of translation in agriculture and in agro-industry
Providing translation services for a complex sector like agriculture might be tricky and difficult for agencies without specialised translators and proper terminology databases. Before joining the language services industry, for many years I had worked for agricultural companies. Recently I’ve contacted my old colleagues and managers to get to know more about their personal experiences about translation and interpretation services: what challenges they have to face and what expectations they have in terms of agro-translations. Here is a summary of what I have learned about their insights, needs and expectations:
Translating agriculture-related texts is not only about perfect language knowledge, it requires complex knowledge of different fields
“We have to comply with all legal and registration standards – follow strict timelines, use digital forms in different file formats in different languages.” EMEA registration manager of a crop protection company
“Mutual recognition, REACH, ECHA, DG SANCO (DG SANTE), BVL, CTGB, ANSES, bio-dossiers, ANNEX1, trial reports, SDS, label, SPC. I’m responsible for 23 countries… this means almost two dozen languages. Give me someone who can simplify my work.” Registration and field trial coordinator, EMEA
“Authorisation documents for placing products on the market and using them, product labels, safety data sheets, product leaflets, or online product databases, etc. should follow a common jargon that complies with all the rules and should follow the local professional vocabulary…when the translation of these docs are split between different translation agencies, it usually ends up in ‘word-chaos’.” Product manager for field crop pesticides
Translating agricultural-related documents encompasses a specialised language combining biology, chemicals, or life sciences, as well as the registration information needed for trading in different countries, and legislation knowledge required for the contracts, statements and permits necessary to move products to market. Materials are provided in different file formats and are handed-in/provided on different platforms.
Local translators specialised in agriculture – is it a myth?
“It’s crucial to choose competent interpreters when you organise an international conference or multilingual field events in the agriculture industry. I wish I could work with a specialised language service agency that can provide us with translation experts for all EMEA languages…Native agro translation professionals wanted. “ Regional PR and Event manager at an market-leading agro-machinery company
“If our promotional texts in brochures or our websites uses the wrong local terminology, the farmers think we don’t understand the market and their needs…we make them laugh instead of make them believe our messages and buy.” Communication expert at a seed breeding company
Field crops and horticulture, animal nutrition, fertilisers and pesticides production, pest control, chemical or biological crop protection, seed and plant breeding – so many fields, so many special terms. Translators or interpreters should have the know-how in each particular field and they have to be experts in the terminology of the sector as there is no room for translation error.
Some of my former colleagues have highlighted that long-term cooperation with a specialised translation partner allows them to build a terminology database for technical jargon for processes, weeds, diseases, species, machine parts, and accessories, – it’s a huge help. When they can find a confident interpreter for a language pair, they call him/her regularly for onsite or online meetings or events.
In global or regional positions the key challenge is to find a trustworthy and professional service provider with multilingual solutions – it’s a lot easier to find an agro-translation expert for traditional language pairs like English-German, or English-French, than someone (a native speaker!) who translates from Croatian to Spanish, or Polish to Chinese.
Translation or adaptation?
“Product presentations, landing pages or brand videos are usually created in English by our global marketing team. The local versions (text translations, subtitles, voiceovers) are passed to global advertising agencies…when I get the translated version for a final check I usually have to re-translate every fifth sentence because end-users might misunderstand the messages due to the wrong expressions or non-agro-related wording.” Marketing coordinator at a fertiliser distribution company
In the case of sales or marketing texts, translation may not be the right service. Messages need to be adapted not only to the language but also to the social needs of local customers. Cultural context, local agro traditions and practices and associations can be the key to local business success.
When it comes to translation in the agricultural sector, it’s best to surround yourself with specialists. Working with a specialised agency means that you do not need to find one single translator who knows all these fields like the back of his or her hand. You can have your pool of local translators with language experts in each field and for all target languages. Long-term cooperation with the right translation partner allows you to build a terminology database to make your communication more consistent, whether it is translated documents or interpretation at an online event.
Maybe you have your regular translator for English-to-German label translations. But what about the remaining 22 languages of the European Union? What if it’s a sales brochure, and requires layout work as well? And how about less common language pairs like Croatian-to-Spanish or Polish-to-Chinese? Challenges for you, regular business for us… A professional translation agency with many satisfied partners from the agro-sector can make your daily work easier and can contribute to your business success.
Finding one agency to cover all the countries your organisation operates in is not a myth! 😊 Feel free to contact us via our website form or at translation@eurideastranslation.com and our colleagues will be happy to assist you.
Written by Csilla Dömötör, marketing communication manager, Eurideas Language Experts
