Compatible with GB standards

Manuals published in China must comply with GB standards (National Standards, guo jia biao zhun). Unlike Japan's JIS, these GB standards are mandatory regulations that must be followed when creating manuals and operating instructions published in China.
At Human Science, we handle the production of manuals that comply with GB standards and also have experts in GB who check for compliance with standards that are applicable in China.

Example of content specified in GB standards

・Contents to be included in the instruction manual
・Font size
・Regulations for including Chinese and foreign languages
・Display of safety marks, safety text, illustrations, symbols, etc.

Things to check before requesting Chinese translation

There are many types of Chinese, such as Mandarin, Cantonese, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, but the ones mainly used in written form are "Simplified Chinese" and "Traditional Chinese". Therefore, before translating, it is necessary to confirm whether to translate into Simplified or Traditional Chinese.

Simplified Chinese
(Simplified Chinese)

• ・Generally for mainland China (excluding Taiwan and the Guangdong Province and Hong Kong area)
• ・Also known as Beijing dialect and Standard Chinese

Traditional Chinese
(Traditional Chinese)

• ・For general use in Taiwan and Guangdong Province/Hong Kong area
• ・There are two more types of Taiwanese vocabulary and Cantonese/Hong Kong vocabulary
  →If there is no specific designation such as "for Cantonese/Hong Kong", it usually refers to Taiwanese vocabulary
• ・Also known as Taiwanese and Cantonese

Conversion between Simplified and Traditional Chinese Characters

Simplified characters reduce the number of strokes in traditional characters and simplify them for easier reading and writing. Therefore, it is possible to convert from simplified characters to traditional characters (or vice versa) using a tool.
However, because there are slight differences in vocabulary and grammar between simplified and traditional characters, the text converted by a tool may be understood by native speakers but not read smoothly. After conversion with a tool, it is necessary to have a review by a native translator for each language.

- For projects that prioritize "easy-to-read" writing, such as in the advertising industry, it is recommended to have native translators translate simplified and traditional characters separately for each language.
- By translating either simplified or traditional characters first and using a tool to convert the other language, cost reduction can also be achieved.

If you use a tool to convert simplified characters to traditional characters after translation

1. Japanese (・English) → Simplified Chinese Translation
2. Quality Check by Native Simplified Chinese Translator and Review Tool
3. Conversion from Simplified Chinese to Traditional Chinese using Tool
4. Quality Check by Native Traditional Chinese Translator and Review Tool
(Check for garbled characters and incomprehensible sentences)

Recent Chinese Translation and GB Support Achievements

Case Study 1

Target:

Domestic Electrical Appliance Manufacturer PC Instruction Manual, Catalog

Language:

Japanese → Simplified Chinese

Production Period:

2 months

Volume:

Approximately 600 pages (300,000 characters)

Task Content:

GB Standard Survey and Support, Chinese Translation from Japanese,
Screen Capture in Chinese OS Environment, DTP (InDesign)

Case Study 2

Target:

Domestic Semiconductor Manufacturer Technical Manual

Language:

English → Simplified Chinese

Production Period:

In progress

Volume:

10-20 items (each 300-2000 pages)

Task Content:

Translation from Japanese to Simplified Chinese, DTP (Word, FrameMaker)

Translation Services (Handled) Fields

• IT equipment (computers, printers, copiers, scanners, projectors, multifunction devices, mobile phones, smartphones, etc.)
• Communication and Internet
• Optical equipment, video equipment, audio equipment (digital cameras, lenses, video cameras, car navigation systems, etc.)
• Core business systems (payroll management, customer management, financial management, etc.) · Web applications · Package software
• Electronic devices, electronic components, semiconductors, panel displays
• Measuring Instruments, Analytical Equipment, Machine Tools
• Automobile
• Retail, Distribution, Management, Marketing
• Education, Human Resource Development, Training, e-Learning
• Narration recording, subtitle (telop) creation
• Contract, Patent
• Medical