Creating Documents for Translation

To begin with, keep the following in mind when you are creating documents for translation:

• Be clear and concise. Don't leave the translator wondering what you mean -- leave no room for misinterpretation. Every word they need to translate directly affects the bottom line, so be frugal (but not at the expense of clarity -- that counts too!). Write out acronyms the first time you use them to avoid confusion. You want to make sure you and the translator(s) are referring to the same thing.
• Avoid slang and western-biased images. Slang is difficult to translate and understand in a foreign context. Be aware of your international audience -- are they going to get your reference to the Energizer Bunny®? Probably not, unless you are referring to "The Bunny" as dinner!
• Insert Proper Punctuation.
  Make sure you insert appropriate punctuation. Punctuation offers guidance for both humans and computers. It is used to divide a sentence into logical parts. Without correct punctuation, sentences can be interpreted in several ways.
• Check for Accurate Spelling.
  Check your spelling and use your spell-checker before clicking the translation icon. If you give the computer incorrect information, your translation will be misinterpreted
• Use Articles Whenever Possible.
  An article is a word used to indicate a noun and to state its purpose. For example, in English, the definite article is 'the' and the 'indefinite articles are 'a' and 'an'. Use of articles reduces ambiguities.
• Consistent Use of Terminology and Abbreviations.
  Always use the same word, phrase or abbreviation to describe the same object or actions each time that they appear in a document. Inconsistent wording can cause confusion for both humans and computers.
• Maintain a Simple Format.
  • Do not use tabs, manual hyphenation or hard returns within sentences.
  • Use tabs or indents at the beginning of a line and to separate paragraph numbering from the text.
  • Always leave additional space for text expansion near graphical objects in the source text. Since the translation may be longer than the source text, this will allow for that expansion while preserving your graphical objects.