Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between translating (a written text) and interpreting (oral or signed communication between users of different languages); under this distinction, translation can begin only after the appearance of writing within a language community.
A translator always risks inadvertently introducing source-language words, grammar, or syntax into the target-language rendering. On the other hand, such "spill-overs" have sometimes imported useful source-language calques and loanwords that have enriched target languages. Translators, including early translators of sacred texts, have helped shape the very languages into which they have translated.
Any errors in this process increase the time it takes to enter a market or launch a certain product line. This has a knock-on effect on revenue. This highlights the critical need of timely and high-quality translation of large-volume projects.
To be successful, large translation projects require careful preparation, appropriate and qualified resources, and ongoing management. Here is how we just completed a large volume translation assignment in record time.
Large rush volume projects come with their own unique set of challenges.
- We received a rush project into three languages (Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian) with 70k words to be provided within five days; no extensions were permitted due to the client's unique requirement.
- This project's content was technical, which needed to be translated more carefully.
- When a project has tight deadlines, time limitations are typically more difficult, putting pressure on the translator and increasing the possibility of errors.
- Non-compliance with the quality process can also pose a risk, and thus it is vital to ensure that all activities are carried out appropriately.
- Due to the volume of the project, numerous linguists would be required to work on it with quality. This caused difficulties not just in acquiring the proper linguists with the right profile, but also in ensuring that quality was maintained even while working with several linguists. Many instructions had to be followed.
- Maintaining consistency and correctness in translation is essential. Working on a huge amount of content with several translators can be difficult in translation. When specific vocabulary or phrases need to be accurately and consistently translated throughout the document, this is extremely important.
- An essential step in the translation process is quality assurance (QA), which guarantees that the translated content is free of mistakes and meets the necessary criteria for quality. QA for large-volume translation projects may be time-consuming and challenging, particularly when meeting deadlines.
- A strong technological infrastructure would be necessary to work on this project. To make sure that all guidelines are followed and consistency is upheld, QA should be carried out properly.
Before the project began, we set about making a plan. What we did was as follows:
- A kick-off meeting was held before the project began.
- We engaged individuals who were experienced in translating technical content for all three languages and had a strong understanding of the target markets. We looked over the linguist's CV and previous job assessments.
- We put in place a progress tracking mechanism for better visibility and control of the project.
- We tracked each linguist's progress every day and set delivery dates for each of them. Working with numerous translators and managing various files is difficult. Our team created a well-organized plan that included information on the files, the translators' names, and anticipated completion dates for each task. We were able to see the work's progress more clearly with the support of regular tracking. We might also anticipate any potential delays and act quickly to fix the issue.
- We divided the work into batches and worked on them in parallel.
- We worked on the project using the online Smart cat tool so that consistency is followed.
- As time is short, so we used the Smart cat tool to keep live tracking of the linguist work as files were assigned to multiple linguists.
- We involved a single reviewer so that consistency is maintained.
- We provided the same rules and criteria for the linguists to follow while working on the project. The need to give the content and target audience higher quality attention was emphasised in this guideline.
We successfully finished a difficult assignment in the allotted limited time and at a high level. No unfavourable customer reviews have been submitted to us.
- The client appreciated the rapid turnaround we offered without compromising quality.
- We continuously followed all the guidance that was given.
- After submitting this project, the client could get further large volume projects from their end customer, and thus they will be happy to share these projects with us in the future.
Weare confident in our ability to complete such substantial projects on short notice in the future.
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