Translation as a Profession (Benjamins Translation Library)

Chapter 1. An overview 19when, as often happens in bilingual environments, an ill-advised work providerwith poor competence decides to straighten things out his own way.Adaptations are designed to make sure the translation complies with specificconstraints (such as regulatory requirements for instance) or fulfils a differentpurpose and reaches a different target audience (as when a promotional brochureis derived from the translation of purely technical data) or is suitable for a differentmedium or a new format. Adapting the material to constraints, purposes, targets,media and formats is in fact tantamount to providing an additional service anddeserves extra financial consideration.Translations may also undergo ‘finalisation’, which may mean anything fromupdating the translated material (changes may have been introduced since thetranslation ended) to introducing administrative components (safety warnings,phone number, copyright notices, etc.)○10.Validation or ‘qualification’The finished translation is generally validated or qualified for use, in particular if:– the document or the material translated is used as a tool or instrument (asis the case with operating instructions and user guides, which can easily betested in situ, or with ‘localised’ software applications which must necessarilybe tested and quality-controlled before being launched on the market). Thetranslation is then said to be qualified.– the work provider knows that the translated document is of critical importance,either because the company’s or organisation’s international brandimage is at stake or because considerable financial or technical risk is involved.○11.Formatting, integration or implementationOnce the translation has been completed, checked, amended and validated, thetranslator may need to re-assemble or rebuild a document. This may meangetting the manuscript ready for print or dissemination: reincorporating graphics,images, screen captures, image arrays, etc. either into the paper version or theelectronic files.Once this first-stage integration is effective, it may so happen that the translatorhas to transfer the translated material – together with its support if the caseso happens – to the medium used for dissemination. This may mean printingthe document or burning a CD-ROM or returning translated (localised) files toaWebsite.In most cases, though, the formatting, integration and publishing process willof course be carried out by experts in those fields rather than by the translator. Thisis usually the case in translation companies, which employ in-house specialists.It is also the case if the work provider has its own document production and