Re: introducing steps - translation issues

[Bill Swallow <techcommdood -at- gmail -dot- com>]

> 1) Isn't it the translator's job  to figure out how to most effectively restate what I've written for their target audience?

Yes, but in the interest of saving money, most translators use a TM,
and therefore have to return a translation for every string in the
source. It's the most basic corporeal manifestation of the GIGO
principle.

> 2) If a person doesn't understand English well enough to figure out the syntax of a "To do" introductory phrase... do they have any hope of understanding the actual procedure?

Good question. So what are you doing to ensure they get it?

> It is really worthwhile to contort and possibly make my English content less efficient/suitable for my core audience, to suit potential peripheral audiences?

That depends. Are you sure you know who your core and peripheral
audiences are? Remember, people don't design for the silent majority,
but for the vocal minority.

> And given that different languages can follow different syntaxes, how can you write to conform to what could be a variety of divergent grammatical rules?

You don't. You stick with one and execute it brilliantly so your
localizers can do the same for their target languages.

> Seems to me that the key is same as always: just write as clearly and simply as possible.

Provided you understand what "clearly and simply as possible" truly
means, I whole-heartedly agree.

Bill
(I work for a LSP)

-- 
Bill Swallow

Twitter: @techcommdood
Blog: http://techcommdood.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/techcommdood
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