Re: Translations Costs with Online Help

[tom -dot- kohn -at- kodak -dot- com]

Mary,
You've hit upon a problem and benefit of what most localization agencies 
call "Translation Memory." You'll find cost savings in retranslating 
versions of a source, if you send the versions to an agent who uses 
Translation Memory. They sent the first version through TM, and send each 
later version through TM also, to find locations where 
1. There was no change at all.
2. There was a low percentage of changes.
3. There was a high percentage of changes, or change throughout. This 
would include completely new material.

In the three cases, different treatments occur from the translator.
1. The former translation is used, with minimal charge (if any).
2. The translator looks at the original and version, to determine whether 
minor tweaks or isolated replacements can be done. If the difference is 
fuzzy --for example, changes in voice, tense, terminology-- the translator 
has an option to make minor tweaks or to translate the passage entirely 
because the subtle differences are deemed substantive.
3. The translator tackles the work from scratch, with little reference to 
any existing version and its translation. These portions are the most 
costly, but the most certain part of the quote cost.

In writing for localization, you should advise writers to limit "mere" 
stylistic changes in voice, word choice, etc., for text that has been 
translated already. And in the same case, to make changes only for 
substantive issues.

In writing for localization, you should very carefully review and edit the 
first version that goes to translation. It would best use simplified 
English, non-complex sentences, and an extremely consistent use of terms.

Thomas G (Tom) Kohn | Technical Editor | GCG WW Versamark Engineering 
Services | 
Eastman Kodak Company | 3000 Research Blvd | Dayton, OH 45420-4003 | 
tom -dot- kohn -at- kodak -dot- com | +01 937-259-3210 Office | +01 937-271-1484 Mobile | 
+01 937-259-3784 Fax | 
www.graphics.kodak.com 
------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:29:46 -0700
From: "Norman, Mary" <Mary -dot- Norman -at- xerox -dot- com>
Subject: Translations Costs with Online Help
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Message-ID:
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We are trying to keep our translations costs down as we update our
software documentation. However, what kills us is not the addition of
new topics, but the topics that have small phrase changes or a set of
topics that contain the same change-the only way to get around sending
all the topics to translations would be to do a manual change across all
six languages, and that is tedious and would introduce more opportunity
for error. Does anyone have some good suggestions and/or best practices
for using existing tools like RoboHelp to keep the translations costs
down to a minimum?

 

Thanks!

 

Mary
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