Translation as a Profession (Benjamins Translation Library)

Chapter 2. Categories of translation 39– source code– text and messages– menus– screen captures– dialogue boxes– userinterfaces– graphics– video– sound– buttons– etc.5. Pre-translation: this includes tag processing; format conversions; setting upthe files and materials in the translation environment (in the required format);acquiring the relevant terminology and phraseology resources; doingthe necessary research into the subject, as the case may be.6. The various elements requiring translation into the target language aretranslated (the corresponding software changes are made to ensure that theapplication will be at least as effective and user-friendly in its ‘new’ culturalenvironment). The elements that are actually translated include:– actual contents (databases, text, downloadable files, access protocols, runtimes,scripts, and related sites),– user interfaces (messages, buttons, icons, dialogue boxes, menu bars, etc.),– on-line help files, product documentation, packaging, disk covers, andany marketing literature, press communiqués, etc. needed for the productlaunch on the relevant foreign market.7. Quality controls are carried out (quality of the translation, quality of thelanguage used, technical quality, functional quality, overall coherence).Functional tests are carried out with as wide a variety as possible of computerscreen formats and configurations and IT platforms.8. Interfaces are further processed as required (for instance, buttons or otherelements may have to be re-designed and resized).9. The application is re-assembled, which may include:– resizing,– re-assembling programme blocks,– modifying and/or re-integrating links into the translated files,– checking image sources in the translated files, etc.10. The various components and modules are integrated into the software package.