Writing for Translation (human or machine)

Writing for translation is not a complicated task. Quite the contrary – the simpler the better!

I have spent the majority of my adult life translating texts written by someone else. Sometimes the texts have been written for translation, sometimes the translation process hasn’t been the writer’s original intent. However, it could be useful to write a small list about some things to consider when writing for translation!

These instructions are valid regardless if you write for human or machine translation. However, the list is most suitable for non-fiction, technical and commercial texts. And if all this is clear and self-evident, good for you! Keep on writing.

First of all: translation means the text will be translated into different language(s). These languages use different vocabulary, grammar and syntax – a different logic of how the world will be converted into words. That is the entire point of translation. Try to keep this in mind when penning your piece.

What to avoid?

• Avoid ambiguity. English can be very vague: words can be verbs or nouns, ”you” can be singular, plural or passive, and it is often unclear which words written together belong together (”display update setting”).
• Avoid words that can have several meanings if the correct one is not made clear in this context.
• Avoid sending prepopsition-only strings for translation, especially without context. Some languages do not use prepositions, so these cannot be just translated ”directly”.
• Avoid supposing you can just take one translation of a word and use it different places without re-translating or checking it, or that it is a good idea to replace brand or product names with tags or placeholders. You do not want your brand name seem odd and clumsy, do you?
• Avoid sending partial sentences for translation (on the pretense that some part remains the same and only some parts need to be translated). Chances are the change might require rewriting the entire sentence anyway. If the sentences need to be split, indicate clearly how the sentence is going to continue or end, and how the rest of has perhaps been translated.

What not to avoid?

• Try to write clearly. Translation tends to be better if the source text is well written. Sometimes the translator is like a filter – they can spot errors and inconsistencies. Or if they don’t understand what you are trying to say, it is likely that the reader wouldn’t do it either.
• Try to be consistent. In some texts, variation and synonyms are an asset, but especially in technical texts they just cause confusion.
• Try to provide references and context as much as you can, or be prepared to reply to queries.
• Try to indicate clearly what any placeholders will be used for. Even if in English the sentence could be written with them without a second thought, in other languages they most likely will cause trouble. ”{1} view”.
• Try to provide options: If you want to provide automatic translation on your website, provide the user with the possibility to easily switch the language to the original version. Do not force-feed machine translation as the only alternative especially if it hasn’t been checked and revised.
• Try to have patience and an open mind for the requirements of other languages.

The translator sees the text from another point of view and pays attention to different things than the writer or the customer. Often the translator is not an expert in the subject field, so be ready to share your expertise. The translator will then do the same with their target language knowledge. Then translation becomes co-operation, creating meanings together in several languages.