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Technical Translations - Software and Web Site Localization |
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Technical Translations - Software and Web Site Localization |
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_________________________ Translation of Technical and Scientific Documents
Ipse Communication offers translation services for a wide range of documents and texts, for example: - Books Contact us with detailed information about your translation project. We will be pleased to provide
you with our best offer. If, for some reason, we are not 100% qualified or lack the required experience to deliver a quality translation, we will notify you immediately and, if possible,
redirect you to another agency or freelance translator. At present, we translate from and into the following languages: - From French, Spanish, and German into English We are planning to expand our services to other language pairs in the near future - and if your business requires a particular language combination we would be happy to talk to you about it. In all cases, our primary goal is to ensure accurate, quality translations and the most competitive prices. Main technical fields: information technology, electronics, automotive industry, aeronautics, avionics and armament, medicine, pharmacy, steel
industry, and automation. Whatever the size of your project, the translation process at Ipse Communication always directly involves at least two members on our team: the actual translator and a proofreader. Both of these share the same linguistic background: they are native speakers of the target language and are knowledgeable in the subject matter being treated. The proofreader is your guarantee the translated text is read and corrected by someone casting a critical eye on the translation. In large and very large projects, a third person actively steps in. He or she is the project manager and is responsible for coordinating the project, scheduling tasks, choosing which translators are best qualified to work on the translation, tracking of project progress, and communicating with you. The project manager is your contact with Ipse Communication and knows all there is to know about your project. He will keep you informed of progress, submit questions the translators may have about fuzzy points, and most importantly give you quick and precise answers. If he meets the linguistic and subject matter criteria, he may also participate in proofreading the translated document. If you have printed material in the source language and are preparing a new version of your product, hold off printing the new version until it has been translated. This is especially true if you have not had it proofread by a professional. No one reads your texts more carefully than your translator. Along the way he is likely to identify fuzzy bits and sections where clarification is needed. Wait for the translation to come back before "going to press" with your source-language document. Please contact us for more information or a price quote.
_________________________ Why Ipse Communication is qualified to localize your software applications Software localization requires several different skills. As in the case of text translations, linguistic and technical language expertise is needed. In addition, for reasons inherent in this kind of project, an excellent working knowledge of the software development process should not be overlooked. Since its creation in 1993, Ipse Communication has provided educational software solutions as one of its linguistics-oriented services. These products include language-learning courses in English phraseology for international radiotelephony, general English for beginners, German for beginners, and business English for French speakers. The design, authoring, and programming of these language methods were all fully carried out in-house. We apply the experience we gained in developing our own products - from start to finish - to successfully localizing our clients' software and finding the best solutions to their individual needs. We have had the pleasure to translate and localize applications in fields such as: graphics and 3D animation, project scheduling, system management, training and education, games, and finance. Software localization may seem tricky or complex to the beginner even if he is a qualified and experienced translator. There are generally numerous files and different formats to cope with: documentation, resources, help, plain text, DTP files, graphic elements, etc., several of which require specific tools and an understanding of how these units function in the software application as a whole. Thanks to our experience in software development, our translation skills and the translation memory tools we use, localization is as straightforward as translating technical documentation. At present, we translate from and into the following languages: - From French, Spanish, and German into English We are planning to expand our services to other language pairs in the near future - and if your business requires a particular language combination we would be happy to talk to you about it. In all cases, our primary goal is to ensure accurate, quality translations and the most competitive prices.
The software localization process can be broken down into several major steps. 1 - Analysis and Creating a Localization Kit The localization kit is one of the results of the detailed analysis of your software product. It describes the project in groups of similar files or files having related functions, e.g. resource scripts, help files, graphic elements, user manual, installation procedures, read-me files, etc. The localization kit also contains statistical information on the content: number of words to translate in each file and estimated number of hours of work required on non-text elements such as graphics. Finally, the localization kit can specify task scheduling. Some of our clients supply their own localization kit. If not, we must create it ourselves, if only to give you a definitive quote. This requires more work and may result in a slightly higher cost to you. However, once this kit has been created, it is your property and can be used by your company for localizing your software into other languages. 2 - Translating the Contents of the Files Once the localization kit has been created and task scheduling agreed upon, the actual translation process can begin. Our project manager coordinates activities, keeps you posted on progress or the difficulties we may be encountering and oversees the translation team if several translators are needed. Translation memory tools are used to maintain uniformity and consistency across the entire project. 3 - Testing, Proofreading, Making Corrections This is the third main step of the software localization process. Full-scale testing necessarily takes place once all the files have been translated and your program has been recompiled. However, proofreading/editing is carried out at key points in the translation process in all cases and incremental testing is implemented early in the project. In fact, the user interface is tested as soon as it has been translated, thereby eliminating unpleasant surprises during final testing. Testing your translated program is a crucial step in ensuring there are no mistakes and that menus, dialog boxes, and error or warning messages appear as they should. This step is very similar to software debugging: it is very difficult to explore every side street of a program or simulate exceptions or unexpected user actions. This is why we maintain the most rigorous quality control during the actual translation process. Indeed, it is much easier to locate and correct errors "on paper" than it is to find them at run-time. Software Localization Solutions We can discuss your project with you and suggest what we believe to be the best global solution. In our experience however, we have found that our clients already have a very good idea of what they want and how they want it done - most likely because deciding to localize is a major turning point in the life of a product and has required considerable planning. The localization solutions we offer range anywhere from the simple translation/localization of the files you send us to a complete turnkey option. Simplest solution You supply us with a localization kit and all the files you want us to translate/localize. We translate/localize the files and send them back to you. We can also translate embedded text in graphic elements but it is then up to you to make the required changes to these elements. We will, of course, check these elements to make certain the changes were made correctly. The turnkey solution includes: - translation/localization A consultancy service is also available for marketing educational software in France. Ultimately, the solution you choose depends on how much of the work you want to carry out yourself and how much you want to entrust us with. Please contact us for more information or a price quote. Tips for Software Localization 1) Prepare your own localization kit (determine the word count, etc.). Advantage: You know beforehand how many words there are, therefore making it easier to compare quotes from different translators. 2) When you design the user interface, keep in mind that strings, labels and other texts will be longer in French, Spanish, or German than in English. 3) Do not "hard-code" any elements of the user interface. Keep all the text strings together in resource files. 4) Avoid embedded text in graphic elements. 5) If you have printed material in the source language and are preparing a new version of your product, hold off printing the new version until it has been translated. This is especially true if you have not had it proofread by a professional. No one reads your texts more carefully than your translator. Along the way is likely to identify fuzzy bits - sections where clarification is needed - and spot typographical errors. Wait for the translation to come back before "going to press". 6) Finalize your project before submitting it to a translator unless you are on a very tight schedule. Make sure to date and number new versions. 7) If this is a new version of an existing product, supply the previous version and its translation. Advantage: Savings and consistent terminology. 8) Supply a glossary if you have one. Advantage: Consistent terminology 9) If possible, remove, mark off, or label debugging information in your resources. Advantage: Why pay for something you will not be needing? 10) Decide who will be your contact with our project manager. This person should have a thorough knowledge of your project. 11) Even if you are sure of yourself, do not make any last-minute translations yourself. These are likely to introduce errors.
_________________________ Why we are qualified to localize your web site Thanks to our technical expertise in software development (see Why we are qualified to localize your software) and our experience in working with HTML and associated source code, we are capable of handling the most complex web sites. The translators on the Ipse Communication team all have a thorough knowledge of the institutions, culture, attitudes and practices in the countries where that language is spoken. They are your assurance that your highly target-sensitive web site will let your customers feel as if the site had been designed specifically for them. At present, we translate from and into the following languages: - From French, Spanish, and German into English We are planning to expand our services to other language pairs in the near future - and if your business requires a particular language combination we would be happy to talk to you about it. In all cases, our primary goal is to ensure accurate, quality translations and the most competitive prices. Web Site Localization Methodology The web site localization process can be broken down into several major steps. 1 - Analysis of the web site The objective of this step is to identify pages, links, rollovers and graphics with embedded text. Word count is obtained using special parsing software so as to eliminate irrelevant text. 2 - Analysis of your objectives This step is required to determine target audience, language- and culture-specific content and what changes may need to be made to adapt your site to the local market. 3 - Translating and adapting the web pages Once the analysis and task scheduling ha>ve been agreed upon, the actual translation process can begin. Our project manager coordinates activities, keeps you posted on progress or the difficulties we may be encountering and oversees the translation team if several translators are needed. Translation memory tools are used to maintain uniformity and consistency across the entire project. Proofreading/editing is carried out at this point as part of our quality control process. 4 - Adapting the illustrations and graphic elements We can generate new illustrations, animations, and other graphic elements and maintain or recreate image mapping where required. 5 - Web engineering and quality control The web site is then assembled and checked to ensure no errors were introduced during the translation and that the layout is satisfactory. Link validity is verified using our web publishing tools and a translator or proofreader browses the entire site to test the links and rollovers manually. Web Site Localization Solutions We can discuss your project with you and suggest what we believe to be the best global solution. In our experience however, we have found that our clients already have a very good idea of what they want and how they want it done. The localization solutions we offer range anywhere from a simple translation/localization of the pages you send us to a complete turnkey option. Simplest solution You supply us with all the pages you want us to translate/localize. We translate/localize the files and send them back to you by email. We can also translate embedded text in graphic elements but it is then up to you to make the required changes to these elements. We will, of course, check these elements to make certain the changes were made correctly. The turnkey solution includes: - Translation/localization/formatting of all web site pages and tags Ultimately, the solution you choose depends on how much of the work you want to carry out yourself and how much you want to entrust us with.
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(c) 2003 Ipse Communication |
Updated: 2007-03-09 |
