For companies looking to expand their brand globally, effective document translation is necessary to accurately convey their message to targeted audiences. Part of the process to ensure accuracy in document translation requires an additional step to ensure utmost quality—proofreading.
This added value provides an extra layer of security for document translation, assuring the translated document retains the conveyed message of the original source document clearly and accurately. While accurate document translation is vital for any business looking to reach foreign markets, the importance of proofreading and review should not be underestimated.
Let’s look at three reasons why proofreading is vitally important for your technical translation:
Proofreading Adds an Extra Layer of Security to Your Document Translation
Companies wishing to expand their presence on a global scale must ensure their branding and messaging is correct and effectively conveys their intended message to targeted audiences. Proofing and document translation review are important steps that help ensure documents are accurately and clearly translated.
In any type of work environment, having two sets of eyes reviewing content-based projects can help ensure quality for the project’s end result. The same applies to document translation. Translation companies that don’t provide the added value of proofing can fail to catch inconsistencies in language and nuances that can completely misconstrue your intended message.
Translations that aren’t proofread may contain mistakes in grammar and tone, and can end up costing you more in time and money when hiring a top-quality translation services company to do the retranslation. At ILS, we understand the added value of proofing, and that’s why we include this important extra step as part of our quality control process for document translation.
Proofreading ensures your document translation preserves the tone and message of the original source document. It also recognizes cultural and regional variations to account for a target audience’s sensitivities to ensure they can understand your message clearly and effectively.
Proofreading Goes Beyond Just Translating Words in Your Document Translation
While the proofreading process helps ensure accuracy in document translation, it goes beyond simply translating words. Aside from making sure the initial translation is correct, proofreaders are checking off other aspects of the document to make certain the translation is of optimal quality.
They first do this by ensuring the essence of the source document is properly conveyed.
This includes using the most appropriate words to avoid confusion and possible offense in the target audience.
Some languages such as Spanish, for example, use words that have different meanings in different Spanish-speaking countries or even regions. A professional proofreader ensures the correct words, nuance, and phrasing is used for the intended audience.
Another way proofreaders add value to document translation is by ensuring graphics and text are consistent with the original documentation. When appropriate, they make corrections in translated content to suit a company’s established style guide. This process includes checking for accuracy and consistency in page numbering, indexing, images, captions, and enclosed text in the document translation.
Proofreading Ensures Accuracy And Efficacy in Document Translation
While any type of miscommunication between customers and your company can negatively affect your brand image, inaccurately translated technical documents can result in serious consequences for your company and your target audience.
A professional proofreader can ensure that translated technical documents, such as user manuals, are clearly understood by the reader. This is essential because a mistranslated technical document can result in misuse of a product—potentially causing serious injury and harm to the end user and resulting in costly lawsuits or liability for your company.
Hiring a translation services company whose staff includes professional proofreaders will ensure your technical translation is accurate the first time around. This eliminates the need to have your document retranslated, saving you time, money, and possible embarrassment and liability because the original translation failed to convey your intended message.
