Writing manuals
When translating and manual, most problems occur due to there not being enough information or context in the original to allow the translator to fully understand the intended meaning. Often, this is a fault of the original and not the translator.
There have been cases where manuals translated into other languages have led to accidents and injuries due to there being a lack of information. If there isn’t enough information to accurately translate a manual, then there isn’t enough information for that manual to be used in its original form.
If a manual is well written, easy to understand and contains all the necessary information in simply constructed sentences, it will be regarded well by all those that use it.
We you can help you review and rewrite your manuals and other documentation so that they are easier to use, revise and translate. Specific attention is needed to ensure the following.
- Sentence subjects are clear
- Sentence objects are clear
- Quantities (singles and plurals) are made clear
- It is made clear to which of the following nouns an adjective applies
- Consistency of terminology
- Consistency in expressions
- Sufficient information about the directions of movements
