TECHNICAL

TRANSLATION

WHAT IS TECHNICAL TRANSLATION?

• Technical Translation is a very important practise as it involves the translation of specialised documents produced by technical writers (most commonly appearing in the form of owners’ manuals and user guides) which relate to highly technological subject matters and the application of scientific and technical information.

• In order for a Technical Translator to be able to translate a ‘technical’ document, they are required to have a very high level of understanding of the topic sufficient for them to master the relevant terminology whilst observing traditional writing conventions.

• However, Technical Translation is not merely the practice of making a text involving highly specialised and technical language assessable for a far wider audience as it can also involve the linguistic features of translating these technological texts from one language to another.

WHO PROVIDES TECHNICAL TRANSLATION?

• The majority of Technical Translation is carried out by translators who work within a specialized field such as the translation of legal or medical technical documents, thereby demonstrating the importance of having an interdisciplinary background. It is also advisable for any prospective Technical Translator to become familiar with the industry of professional translation by undergoing training to compliment the translator’s solid knowledge base of technological skills.

• It is often the case that a Technical Translator also doubles as a Technical Writer. This is demonstrates by the fact that research has shown that Technical Translators do, in fact, create new meanings for words or phrases rather than simply ‘repackaging’ the information.

• This in turn stresses the vital role that is played by Technical Translators in creating meaning for relevant words and phrases, regardless of whether they are practising technical translation in one language or in several.

TECHNICAL TRANSLATION SOFTWARE

• Some Technical Translators may choose to use computer-assisted translation (CAT) or machine translation (MT)

• Machine Translation uses various computer programmes which generate translations from the source language of the document to a second language all of which is completed without the presence of a human.

• There are several online versions of such software which have been proven to be almost as efficient as a human-dominated Technical Translation process

USAGE OF TECHNICAL TRANSLATION

SOFTWARE

• Although some Technical Translators elect to complete all of their translation activities without the use of MT and CAT software, this is particularly the case regarding documents that require some degree of creativity. On the other hand, documents concerning mechanics and engineering and which contain frequently used and translated phrases and concepts are most often translated using the MT and CAT software.