Smooth Multilingual Expansion! 5 Key Points for English Translation in Manufacturing and IT

1. Appropriately supplement the omitted content in the translation

Technical documents in Japanese often contain abbreviated expressions. It is important to intentionally supplement these during translation. By clarifying the omitted parts, translation accuracy improves, and multilingual translation becomes smoother. Additionally, clarifying context and implicit assumptions can help prevent misunderstandings.

Example 1

In the revised translation, "will be hidden" has been specified as "the icon will no longer be displayed." This appropriately supplements the information about the "icon" that was omitted in the original text, preventing misunderstandings and the generation of unnatural translations in multilingual deployment.

Example 2

In the revised translation, "will be hidden" has been specified as "the icon will no longer be displayed." This appropriately supplements the information about the "icon" that was omitted in the original text, preventing misunderstandings and the generation of unnatural translations in multilingual deployment.

Example 3

In the revised translation, the part "release it" has been specified as "please release (that) state". By supplementing the omitted "state" from the original text, the translation becomes clearer.

2. Break long sentences into shorter ones to make the translation easier to read

Japanese documents tend to be lengthy, often containing multiple pieces of information in a single sentence. Translating this directly into English can sometimes make it difficult to read. By appropriately splitting the sentences, the translated text becomes easier to read and understand. This approach helps avoid mistranslations and confusion, while also improving the accuracy of multilingual translations.

Example 1

The original text states, "(This device) is equipped with a main chain for suspension and a secondary wire" and "it has a fall prevention mechanism that supports in case the main chain breaks," which are combined into one sentence. In the revised translation, separating them into two sentences makes each piece of information easier to understand independently, improving readability.

Example 2

Using 'which' in a structure is grammatically correct, but for some readers, it can make the referent of 'which' unclear, leading to difficulty in reading. Therefore, it is recommended to improve readability by splitting the sentence into two.

Example 3

In Japanese, constructions such as subordinate clause + main clause, like "~ so, please ~" are often used, but it is not always necessary to maintain the same structure when translating into English. By translating the two pieces of information, "The device will be delivered after it has been properly adjusted" and "Please do not touch the fixed adjustment parts" as separate sentences, the text becomes easier to read.

3. Avoid literal translation

When performing a literal translation from Japanese to English, careful handling is required as translators may become confused during multilingual deployment. Here, we will introduce some specific examples.

Example 1

In the revised translation, "turn left" has been specified as "counterclockwise." Indeed, the original text states "if you turn to the left," which would directly translate to "turn ... to the left," but by using "counterclockwise," a clearer instruction appropriate for the operation is provided, preventing misunderstandings.

Example 2

In the revised translation, the Japanese-English term "mouse over" was specifically translated as "Hover the mouse cursor over." If we simply translate the Japanese-English term "mouse over" as "mouse over," there is a risk that the translator may not understand its meaning, so it is necessary to use a clearer and more common expression.

Example 3

In the revised translation, I changed "cross-line cursor" to "cross-hair cursor." It is common to translate the katakana "cross-line cursor" directly as "cross-line cursor," but in English, it is expressed as "cross-hair cursor." Therefore, it is important to be careful as katakana expressions may differ in English.

4. Avoid unnecessary formal subjects and pronouns

Having too many unnecessary formal subjects and pronouns makes the text verbose and ambiguous. To maintain translation quality, it is important to strive for concise and clear expressions, directly indicating the subject and action.

Example 1

In the revised translation, the unnecessary formal subject "There" has been avoided, and the subject has been brought to the front to create an SVO structure. This makes the translation more concise and clear, allowing the information to be conveyed directly.

Example 2

In the revised translation, unnecessary pronouns such as "them" and "they" have been avoided. Care should be taken when using pronouns, as they can make the appearance of the sentence worse and may lead to ambiguity regarding the subject.

Example 3

In the revised translation, the unnecessary formal subject 'it' was removed, and an SVO structure was used.

5. Correct irregular formats and notations

In Japanese-English translation with a view to multilingual deployment, it is important to appropriately modify the unique format of the Japanese original text. For example, irregular double quotation marks and abbreviations that are frequently seen in Japanese can lead to misunderstandings after translation. It is essential to correct these to a unified format and accurately convey the intent of the original text.

Example 1

In the revised translation, double quotation marks have been removed. In Japanese, double quotation marks are sometimes used even for proper nouns or non-UI elements, but reflecting them directly in the English translation can lead to confusion for translators during multilingual translation deployment, increasing the risk of inquiries and mistranslations. Therefore, it is important to address this appropriately at the Japanese-English translation stage.

Example 2

In the revised translation, "interval" is indicated as "interval". This sentence is an explanation of the term, and enclosing "interval" in double quotation marks makes the meaning clearer.

Example 3

In the revised translation, "MC" has been specified as "memory card." Properly addressing such abbreviations is an important point when considering Japanese-English translation for multilingual deployment.

6. Summary

In Japanese-English translation considering multilingual deployment, it is important to appropriately reflect the characteristics and expressions of the Japanese language in English. By paying attention to complementing omitted content, splitting long sentences, and avoiding literal translation, the quality of the translation can be improved, preventing misunderstandings and confusion. This makes the translation clearer and more user-friendly, enabling a smoother deployment in subsequent multilingual translations.

Human Science offers human translation services and post-editing services. We are a translation company that handles translations in a wide range of fields including software, manufacturing, IT, automotive, and distribution. Since 1994, we have been assisting many companies with their translation needs. If you have any concerns like the ones below, please feel free to consult us.

・Translation takes too long!
・Quality is poor and there are many complaints!
・Translation costs are too high!
・Many issues are caused by the Japanese manual!
・Unfamiliar with overseas laws and standards!

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