What is needed to prepare for a translation request? Creating drafts by organizing corrections and preparing instruction sheets

1. What is Translation Manuscript Preparation? — A Preliminary Process Necessary for Translation Requests

1-1. Definition of Translation Manuscript Preparation

Translation manuscript preparation is the pre-process before requesting translation, which involves creating a “manuscript with correction instructions” that can be used directly for translation and update work.

This is a service that supports organizing correction points and creating instruction documents required before requesting translation. It resolves the bottleneck where customers want to request translation but cannot prepare beforehand, enabling the project to proceed smoothly.

1-2. Difference from Mere Difference Organization

Translation manuscript preparation is not merely about organizing differences. It clarifies three perspectives: "What is changing?", "Why is it changing?", and "How is it changing?", and presents them in a way that translators and production staff will not be confused. By making these three points clear, it prevents omissions in instructions and misinterpretations, ensuring stable translation quality and preventing rework.

2. Case Study: Manual Update Project Due to Company Name Change and Preparation for Translation Request

2-1. Background of the Project

At an IT equipment manufacturer, changes occurred in the company name notation, model names, copyright notations, and trademark notations due to a corporate merger. The subject included multiple English manuals spanning several hundred pages. Furthermore, the revision instructions were based on the Japanese manuals, and there were unique expressions in the English versions, creating a situation that required urgent progress.

2-2. Challenges Faced by Customers — Reasons for Stalling in Translation Request Preparation

On the client side, organizing the corrections in Excel was the limit of their capacity, and they did not have the bandwidth to transfer that content into the English PDF. Additionally, they were unable to determine whether the Excel content could be used as-is. In other words, a typical bottleneck occurred where they wanted to request translation but could not complete the necessary preparations beforehand.

2-3. The Content of Our "Translation Draft Preparation" — The Process of Organizing Revision Instructions

As preparation before requesting translation, we organized the correction instructions into a form usable for translation.

① Deciphering and scrutinizing the correction instruction Excel

The provided Excel was created in a short period and included parts that could cause errors if reflected as-is. Therefore, we conducted tasks such as validity checks of the content, identifying inconsistencies and insufficient instructions, and organizing questions about unclear points.

② Review with Awareness of Differences Between the Japanese and English Versions

What was important was the "expressions that exist only in English and not in Japanese." For example, there were actual cases where the subject was omitted in Japanese but remained as the old company name added during English translation. Simply reflecting "only the Japanese correction instructions" carried the risk of leaving the old company name in the English version.

③ Marking up the English PDF = Creating a ready-to-use manuscript

Ultimately, while reviewing and correcting the Excel content, we directly marked up the English PDF, preparing it to be immediately usable for translation and update work. As a result, the client only needed to "review and approve" it.

Although it was not included in the scope of this work, the creation of translation drafts involves not only wording corrections but also adjustments tailored to the specifications and customs of the target countries and regions.

3. The Value of Draft Preparation for Translation Requests

Projects that "Don't Get Stuck"

The greatest value is being able to move forward with projects that had been stalled due to lack of preparation. You can smoothly advance the project without stumbling in the preliminary stages before requesting translation.

Stable Translation Quality

By eliminating issues such as missing instructions, misinterpretations, and English-specific expression errors in advance, you can significantly reduce rework and correction costs.

Peace of mind in entrusting tasks beyond translation

Even vague requests like "Can I ask for something like this?" can be concretized and proposed. This is the unique strength of support that includes the creation of translation drafts.