Quality for Technical Translators - We Want to Hear Your Thoughts Thread poster: TN Translations
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Our colleague Michael Ward is conducting a 2-minute survey ( https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/translationqualitysurvey ) for translators who work with technical documents. He's trying to find out what quality means to you using a specific measurement tool, and he is hoping to publish the results in an article.
Here is the introduction to the survey:
A... See more Our colleague Michael Ward is conducting a 2-minute survey ( https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/translationqualitysurvey ) for translators who work with technical documents. He's trying to find out what quality means to you using a specific measurement tool, and he is hoping to publish the results in an article.
Here is the introduction to the survey:
As a technical translator, you are asked to be a reader of a document and its translator. This gives you a unique perspective. You have to work within the framework of the document’s format, structure, and content to produce a translation that takes into account the original language while at the same time consider the language of the end reader.
With this in mind, please consider the following words that describe documentation quality. Although the questions might seem repetitive, your response to each question is critical to the success of the study. Please give the first response that comes to mind and try to use the full scale range available.
Please approach these ratings from a translator's perspective. If you think an adjective does not apply at all to your role as translator, mark it as "N/A. This does not apply to translators."
Your responses are completely anonymous. If you would like to receive a summary of the survey's results, please email Michael Ward at [email protected] .
Please consider participating in the survey!
Survey link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/translationqualitysurvey
[Edited at 2019-04-24 17:31 GMT]
[Edited at 2019-04-24 17:32 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jean Lachaud 
United States
Local time: 01:40
English to French
+ ...
| wrong hyperlinks | Apr 24, 2019 |
The first link to the survey (on the first line) results in a 404 error. However, the link at the bottom works.
The E-mail address is wrong, too.
| | | | | Post Updated | Apr 24, 2019 |
Thanks for catching that, Jean. We've updated the post.
| | | | | puzzling bits | Apr 24, 2019 |
Most of the questions in the first question seemed to pertain to technical writers, and not to translators. Am I misunderstanding an aspect of this type of translation? For example:
- concise - Our translations have to reflect the original. Unless you are asking for a summary of content, the length of the translation is determined by the length of the original document (the technical writer's role)
- timeliness of the information - again, the information is set out by the writer, ... See more Most of the questions in the first question seemed to pertain to technical writers, and not to translators. Am I misunderstanding an aspect of this type of translation? For example:
- concise - Our translations have to reflect the original. Unless you are asking for a summary of content, the length of the translation is determined by the length of the original document (the technical writer's role)
- timeliness of the information - again, the information is set out by the writer, not the translator. However, we must use current terminology, and by up to date with whatever we're translating
- completeness, of sufficient breadth etc. - Our translation must contain everything that is in the original. If the original writing is too narrow in scope, the translation will reflect that
- valuable - If we're asked to translate a document, then surely the client finds this valuable or they would not request it. The question seems to be more about content.
- trusted in terms of its content -- only insofar as it is an accurate reflection of the original
- quantity and volume of information - again, determined by the original author of the document. The translation reflects the original ▲ Collapse
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| Not relevant | Apr 25, 2019 |
Maxi Schwarz wrote:
Most of the questions in the first question seemed to pertain to technical writers, and not to translators.
I agree. I answered N/A to most of the questions. As a translator, it's not for me to judge the quality, comprehensiveness, etcetera, of the source text - just to ensure the translation has the same qualities as the original.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:40
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Yes to everything. | Apr 25, 2019 |
I did the questionnaire and the obvious answer to all the questions was an unequivocal YES. So I didn't see the point of it. But you have my answers.
[Edited at 2019-04-25 08:13 GMT]
| | | | Phil Hand
China
Local time: 13:40
Chinese to English
| Most of the questions were interpretable | Apr 28, 2019 |
I had to think a bit laterally, but I managed to interpret most of the questions into something I could answer.
For example: Conciseness - there are often multiple options for technical terms; sometimes source texts are loosely written, and there isn't a single, concise term in English that captures the source meaning. In those situations, how much weight should conciseness be given?
Timeliness - sometimes source texts can be out of date. Do we translate using older (s... See more I had to think a bit laterally, but I managed to interpret most of the questions into something I could answer.
For example: Conciseness - there are often multiple options for technical terms; sometimes source texts are loosely written, and there isn't a single, concise term in English that captures the source meaning. In those situations, how much weight should conciseness be given?
Timeliness - sometimes source texts can be out of date. Do we translate using older (sometimes deprecated) terms and concepts, or current terms? How important is this consideration?
I'm not sure if these were the best interpretations, but they gave me a way to think about these questions. ▲ Collapse
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