Re: Updating foreign language translations

["Peter Ring, PRC" <prc -at- prc -dot- dk>]

Linda Hughes asked:

..

> However, six months to a year down the road, comes
> the new revision of the software. New features, altered features, improved
> algorithms, etc. Now we need to update the manuals not only in English, but
> in 10 other languages. There are new sections, new paragraphs, new
> sentences, sometimes only a few words in a sentence need to be altered.
> 
> Has anyone out there found an efficient and cost-effective way to handle
> incremental updates? We are using two different translation services (with
> translation memory databases), with mixed results. If anyone has developed a
> formal procedure, I'd love to see it. Recommendations for translation
> services are welcome also (third-party only please, I am not soliciting
> spam).

The answer to your question is to use translators using a "Translation 
Memory System", e.g. Trados, which I use. Here the translators only 
needs to translate the changed texts + spend a little time on checking 
the rest and calculate the number of characters/words/lines actually 
translated. The translation can be made with a personal dictionary for 
your preferred professional terms, controlled by you or by the 
translator.

For further information, see e.g. the Trados website at 
http://www.trados.com. 

Neither I nor my company (PRC) are related to Trados except as a user 
of their products.

If you are interested, I can do the translation into Danish.


Greetings from Denmark

Peter Ring
PRC (Peter Ring Consultants)
- specialists in user friendly manuals. 
  prc -at- prc -dot- dk
- the "User Friendly Manuals" website with links, bibliography, list 
  of prof. associations, and tips for technical writers:
  http://www.prc.dk/user-friendly-manuals/
- special software for technical writers:
  http://www.prc.dk/software/