Single-Sourcing, Translation Savings

If you output your content into different formats, you know how important single-sourcing is in content creation. When you consolidate recurring information and build your files from a single source regardless of formats, you are also able to maximize the leveraging power from your translation memories and minimize your costs. For instance, if you have a lot of content for brochures and marketing materials, you can re-use a lot of it for websites without re-writing it for html files. Therefore, the translations used for those brochures are re-used for the website.

Many of the current authoring tools offer the flexibility to single-source. Quark 8® offers the option to create XML based content and output files in Flash. Adobe FrameMaker® also allows outputting content for help files when the structured content is stored as raw content in XML format instead of a manual. When you consolidate your material and start single-sourcing, you are able to save time and re-use your content across your output formats. Translation consistency is also enhanced, and you are able to maximize the use of translation memories.

ICD on Facebook

ICD has a Facebook page now. We are trying to diversify our internet presence. Facebook is a large social network and we hope that you, the reader will join our Facebook page and hopefully it will get our name out. Facebook is a great tool to advertise a business and it allows interaction between fans who are interested in our company and us. You can post questions on the "wall" and post ideas or notes.

So, if you have a Facebook account, please join our Facebook page and help get the word out about our company and services, and hopefully we can keep the world connected through translation and localization.

Free Translations, Are you Really Saving Money? Jeff tells it like it is

Hi Readers, I am back after a two week vacation. Jeffrey Jorgensen, International Accounts Manager at ICD has written an article in World Trade Magazine about the hidden costs of having product materials translated by foreign distributors at minimal cost or free of charge.

Here is an excerpt:

As you decide whether or not to use distributors to translate your content, remember they often do not have the expertise and credentials to conduct professional translations. Even if the “translator” is a native speaker of the target language, that person may not be fully versed in such things as the correct grammar of the target language or idiomatic expressions.

The alternative is to use a professional language service provider (LSP) to translate content. With an LSP, you should expect the translator to have experience in the discipline of translation, be highly knowledgeable in the grammar of the target language, and be accredited by the American Translator’s Association (ATA).

You can read the full article if you are interested.

Unwanted Files

The horror of digging through files that are not required for translation and localization has made the idea of driving of the bridge seem like a dream. I understand that sometimes people don't really know what files they are sending, they request it from a department in their company, that dude zips everything and forwards it to you; you send it of to us, and it's a mess.

This is particularly true for websites. Websites are usually composed of various files that are supplied by different groups and compiled by the webmaster. So, when it is sent for translation, the webmaster usually sends the entire package without indicating what needs translation. Usually, html, flash, xml, and graphic files are translated. PDFs that relate to another document are not translated unless specified. CSS and RESX files are excluded because they do not hold any literary content. Well, please try to specify what needs translation when you send a bunch of files. Accurate navigation will help the translation process, and keep my car from crashing through the guard rails.

Keeping Up

We live in the instant popcorn society where everything we want is at our fingertips. At least we think that is how life is right now, but the downside to this is the ever-changing technology, and developments in software and translation technologies. Recently, our production and sales teams sat down for a presentation on a new software that claims it will revolutionize the translation industry. The translation industry is heading towards a more vendor-client interaction system. Clients want to review their translations before it is desktop published, and they want access to their translation memories.

There are several programs that are hosted on the web, and with license keys, both translators and clients have access to the translation memory. One problem that arises with this new technology is the unauthorized editing and updating of the translation memory without a notification system. Now, the client's reviewer changes some part of the translation, updates the memory and forgets to notify the translation vendor. What happens, it becomes inconsistent the next time the translator uses the memory for future projects. A setup that allows access without notifications or a status ticker that indicates the last time the memory was accessed will alleviate the inconsistencies and the future use of unapproved translations.

Esprit d'ICD and New Tag Line

Things are really busy at ICD. I had a business trip planned with Catherine, but Ike beat us to the punch. Well, an evolution has taken place at ICD. Our Fall 2008 newsletter is out, and our new tag line takes center stage. The new tag line is actually the title of this blog without the no. 2, "Translate to Evolve". This tag line demonstrates ICD's belief in assisting companies with their translation needs as they move forward and attempt to capture international markets. Your business cannot evolve and grow if you don't take risks and move into new markets. The first step is getting your marketing collateral translated so your presence is known in these new markets.

The new tag line also highlights ICD's evolution as we grow and continue to expand our client base. ICD's philosophy of providing quality translations and superior service is constantly evolving. We are developing and enhancing our techniques, and exploring new software developments in the translation and localization industry. If you would like to subscribe to our newsletter, just email: info@icdtranslation.com

Fonts Fun

Desktop Publishers will sympathize with me on this topic. Fonts are a big problem when translated materials are desktop published. It is important to find out what platform the original document was created on: MAC or Windows, and then if there are compatible fonts for that language. Most Western European languages have fonts that are built into most of the software programs, and are compatible with both platforms. True Type Fonts (TTF) are a universal font type that you can install on both MAC and Windows. There are certain groups of fonts that are specific for Adobe's software, checkout the list at: Adobe Fonts

Asian languages have various fonts that are specific to each language based on the character type. For example: PMing Liu (包含鋰離子電池) for Traditional Chinese, and Sim Sun (包含锂离子电池) for Simplified Chinese. They may look similar to the common eye, but an expert desktop publisher will know that there is a difference, and you don't want your readers reading the wrong thing. Therefore, you can have your content translated correctly, but if you use the wrong fonts then it's a complete waste of time and money. On a side note, as I was writing this post, a client sent me an email asking what fonts I used for Arabic, Chinese, Polish, and Russian. What a coincidence since I was blogging about the importance of knowing and having the correct fonts for translated content.

Straight to the Point

Technical Communicators know the importance of getting to the point. The instructions they write are straight forward and easy to understand. When it comes time to translate, a good translator will not expand or embellish the text. They will translate it using the most concise terminology available. European languages tend to expand when they are translated from English, so a good translator will know how to make it as straight forward and understandable as possible. This maintains the integrity of the English content, and the original intent of the Technical Communicator.

5 Rules You Need to Know

Here are 5 basic rules when you send files for translation and localization:

1) Send the final version you want translated without any comments or markups.This ensures things that don't need translation don't get translated.

2) Include all the fonts and links with you source file in an organized folder structure. This allows us to find what we need easily, and locate any words if they appear in the graphics. (If you can't get those links and fonts, please send a printer optimized PDF of your source file. Thanks!)

3) Avoid sending content typed in emails. I know it's time consuming to write two lines or two words in text editor or MS Word. This eliminates confusion, and it's easier to manage and track the file.

4) Specify your target language and regional flavor, for example: Spanish (Europe), Spanish (Mexico), etc. This will allows us to conduct an accurate analysis for your target audience.

5) If you need a website translated, provide a list of what's in the website that actually needs translation, for example: just the homepage, only webpages and not flash files, etc.

Thank you for reading and following these rules.

Paper Out, Websites In

During lunch today, my colleagues and I had a discussion about the end of printed materials. Will magazine printing and book publications finally come to an end? Will we stop reading printed copies of newspapers? Well, almost every publication has an online subscription, and most major news organizations have reports and videos on the web. It's a natural progression from print media to online reading or viewing. I used to get subscriptions for auto magazines (yes, I'm a big car geek), but now I just read blogs and edmunds.com for the latest news. Occasionally, I would print an article or two if I wanted to read it at the gym, or if I have to wait in line at the DMV (hell on earth). I think it's safe to say that printed publications may come to an end in the near future, but what does that mean for translated content?

Many websites are translated, and most marketing content that appears on the web is translated. As the print media slowly dies off, the shift to web based formats will see steady birth rate. This will change the game for translation companies as they have to adapt to on-demand or live translations as content gets updated frequently, and there is no boundary to the 24 hour news cycle. Some companies have employed machine translations that are linked to an existing term base to generate professionally translated terms and ensure a certain level of consistency. It may work for smaller volumes of non-scientific or non-mechanical content, but the lack of a human translator in those fields will cause major terminology errors. The resulting effect will devastate a clients reputation. The move to CMS and database driven websites eases the translation and localization process, but a 24hour on-call human translator is still a few years away. The hybrid alternative is having a machine translation do most of the work, and a translator or editor review and edit the content. This is a little time consuming, but it will have a better result than purely relying on machine translations.

Only time will tell how far we move away from print media, and how much of the internet will consume us all. In the mean time, translation companies are starting to adopt online management tools to handle content. Server based technology has come along way with XML content and DITA constantly evolving, we might have a shot at a purely online world.

China's Dilemma

While the Olympics are going on, the Chinese are wondering what's going to happen to their economy, and the hype when it's all over. Well, China's translation companies have a bigger problem that keeps them up at night in cold sweats. While these companies are able to offer US and European clients competitive prices on Chinese and Asian language translations, they are finding it hard to offer those prices for European and English language translations to local clients. Part of the problem is the lack of native European and English speaking translators in China. The cost of living in Europe and North America are considerably higher, and it's hard for them to compete with translation companies in Europe, and North and South America. With the increasing number of exports from China, the local manufacturers need their materials localized into English and European languages, and the Chinese translation companies aren't able to meet the demand.

So, is this a blessing for state side translation companies? Yes and No. Most translation companies use the same pool of ATA certified translators for European languages, and some Chinese companies are able to strike partnerships with North American translation companies by offering lower prices for Asian languages in exchange for lower prices on European languages. The problem arises when the Chinese companies make deals directly with the same pool of translators. Now they are able to negotiate lower rates with those translators; overtime eliminating the need for partnerships with North American translation companies. So you're thinking: Why doesn't this work in reverse? Well, the companies in North America don't have access to large pools of qualified domestic Chinese or Asian language translators in the North America, and the Chinese companies have a monopoly on the translators in China. Therefore, the North American companies have to rely on the Chinese companies who offer lower prices in comparison to an independent translator.

The Update Nightmare

Every Technical Communicator knows this tale. The horrors of updating translations of manuals, or updating content on a website. Is there too much content that I might get charged full prices? Maybe there's recycled content in the memory? Should I just send the updated text and not the whole manual? These are the questions facing Technical Communicators as they decide what they want translated for their updated content. The job isn't any simpler for Project Managers at translation companies. We have to see how much content is in the memory, and figure out the best way to get the content translated and placed back into the document, if required without it costing our client an arm and a leg.

You have some options for waking up from this nightmare. You can build a glossary of terms that you frequently use in your manuals. Then get that glossary translated. If your content is constantly updated, those terms will probably remain the same and appear again, and now those terms are already translated. For websites, if you use a CMS or database driven website, you can ask your translation company to provide you with an authoring tool that links the memory or glossary file with your server (you may have to pay for the licensing, and it all depends on the compatibility of your CMS and the translation companies TMS). This authoring tool will enable you to access the memory and translated glossary as you write the updates. Now you can choose translated phrases or terms, and incorporate it instead of writing completely new phrases that you have to get translated. These options allow you to maximize your translations and ensure consistency on your website's updates.

The Funny and Sad Side of Translation

Here are a few poorly translated signs. They are pretty funny, but it does bring up the importance of translating and understanding the context of the text in question. You can't just translate strings of text without considering the structure of the phrase, or the context that goes with it. I don't think I would order "crap eggs".

Translation is Expensive! Really?

Many manufacturers believe that translation costs are a miscellaneous expense. An afterthought when a buyer or distributor actually needs to understand the products functionality. The realities of translation costs finally set it when they receive a quote from a translation company and then they wonder why it cost so much? Why is is so expensive to translate something when it could be figured out by looking at the diagrams. There are exceptions when translation is required, or when it's a matter of choice. For instance Canada requires both French and English content on manuals and packaging that are marketed and sold there. The EU requires that languages spoken in the member countries appear on products and accompanying literature. I know, most of you reading this entry know this little secret about globalization, but my point boils down to a matter of needing or wanting translation.

Yes, you will need to translate materials if you want to sell it in Europe and Canada, you don't want to, but you will need to do it. Therefore, should you dole out thousands of dollars to have it translated correctly? or just use the cheapest possible means as long as it's translated, and what appears to be German or Italian appears on your labels. Who cares if: "Warning: Acid is harmful" reads "Warning: Acid is possibly harmful" in German. On the other hand, if you were not required to translate your materials, but you wanted to make it easier to market and sell your products overseas, then maybe you are more inclined to spend the money getting it done right. If you're a company who is beginning to take a step into the big bad world of international markets, maybe it's not such a bad idea to spend a little extra at the beginning. Have your materials translated correctly, and have your products marketed successfully without anything being "lost in translation" (Jeff from sales loves to use this line). When your profits grow from international sales, and you have tons of material that needs translation, you can consolidate and lock in some better prices with your translation vendor, and of course you are also building a memory that ensures consistency and re-use of content. This will save you tons of money in the long run. Translation is a long term investment like your retirement plan, or that condo in South Beach. It will pay off in the end.

The Measurement Game, Metric or American?

Ever since I started working at ICD, I have been obsessed with reading translated labels on packaging and instruction manuals. Recently, I bought a lock for my bicycle, and I noticed the measurements on the packaging were Metric (American) 12.7 cm (5") on the English section and American (Metric) 5" (12.7 cm) on the Spanish section. I found this odd because most countries outside the US use Metric measurements, and if this packaging was geared towards South America (assuming the Spanish was geared towards South America, and the company also used it for US consumers since it was at Target) then the measurements in the English section should remain the same in Spanish or the American measurements deleted completely.

After thinking about it for a while, I realized that the packaging could have been specifically localized for Spanish reading people in the US, and since we use American measurements instead of Metric it was logical to use the American measurements first, but why was it in Metric first in the English section? The only reason I came up with was that they probably wrote the English section localized-ready for any market, but decided to switch the measurements for packaging in the US. This is a very important consideration and this manufacturer considered it's Spanish reading consumers in the US.

Most manufacturers have a hard time choosing what unit of measurement to use for different markets. Do you want to use bilingual packaging like the example above for the US market only, or do you want to use it for the rest of the world? In most cases ICD has advised their clients to standardize their measurements: American (Metric) for the US market and metric only for the rest of the world. However, discrepancies have occurred when bi, tri, or quad lingual packaging was used. Then, the question of consistency in all languages needs to be addressed. Whatever you decide to choose, just remember what markets you are using it in, and what unit of measurement is most applicable for your consumer. Consistency, accurate conversions, and ease of localization are the key factors in the measurement game.

First Post. Welcome to ICD's blog

Hello all readers,

I welcome all of you to the first post on ICD's blog. Basically, ICD decided to start a blog that will provide some input and insight about the translation industry. With the age of Google, everyone and their subsidiary has a blog, and it's a new way to connect with the world.

I believe that this will make ICD more accessible to our clients and you will be able to understand the industry a little better. On future posts, there will be ideas and thoughts from both the production and sales teams, experiences dealing with localization and translation, and other fun and exciting updates on the industry. Hopefully, this blog will give you a better understanding about the translation industry, and the benefits of translating and localizing you content for the global market. For more info visit: www.icdtranslation.com