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Each industry has its own set of terms. The translation industry is no different. You are reading this because you are either working with a translation company or are looking to work with a translation company. Either way, we want to help you get to know our jargon. It is our goal to build a partnership with each one of our clients that extends beyond being just a vendor. Let us help you understand what you are buying! Here is Part I of our two-part series of common translation industry terms!

BACK TRANSLATION

Back translation is the process of translating previously translated text back into its source language. This is completed by an independent translator with no prior knowledge of the original source content. Back translation is typically a required (but sometimes requested) quality assurance step.

CAT TOOLS

CAT tools stands for computer-assisted translation tools. Note – this is not machine translation. CAT tools allow a human translator to use software to assist with translation.

CERTIFIED TRANSLATION

A Certificate of Accuracy (COA) is a signed statement that verifies that the translation is complete and accurate. A translation can be delivered with a notarized COA upon request.

CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS)

A CMS is typically used to manage website content. In our industry, a CMS is also a term for technology used to manage the translation process. A CMS allows for the secure and efficient transfer of files from the client to the language translation partner to the linguists and back to the client for delivery.

DESKTOP PUBLISHING (DTP)

Desktop Publishing (DTP for short) is the process of using applications such as Adobe FrameMaker, QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, etc. to take translated text and rearrange it, along with the images, to create a culturally appropriate and print-ready file for publication.

DIALECT

Dialects are varieties of languages spoken by people in a particular locale. There may be differences in grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary. (We touch on the differences between Spanish dialects in a previous post.)

DUBBING

Dubbing is the recording of audio (in a different language) and replacement of the source audio in a motion picture or video file.

EDITING

Editing is the second letter in the acronym TEP (Translation, Editing, Proofreading). A second linguist edits the translations by reviewing both the source and translated text to ensure accuracy, consistency, readability, and style.

EN 15038

The European standard for translation quality measurement.

EXPANSION

During translation, the total number of words or characters in the target text can increase (versus the source text).

FUZZY MATCH

A fuzzy match is a partial match for previously translated material, but different enough to warrant a translator and editor to examine context. This is billed at a discounted rate.

GLOSSARY

A glossary is an alphabetical list of terms. In the translation industry, a glossary is a bilingual list of words that has the source language on one side and the target language on the other side. A glossary helps explain concepts that may be unique to a particular industry, company, or brand. It serves as helpful reference material for your language translation partner. You can provide a glossary to your language translation partner, or your language translation partner can work with you on creation of a glossary.

INTERPRETATION

Interpretation is the oral form of translation. There are several different types of interpretation from consecutive to simultaneous to over-the-phone to video.

LANGUAGE CODES

Languages are named according to International Standards Organization (ISO) 639 codes. For example: Spanish = ES

LANGUAGE SERVICES PROVIDER (LSP)

LSP is the common abbreviation for a Language Services Provider (like LinguaLinx).

LEVERAGE

This term is often used when talking about leveraging translation memory. Previously translated terms and segments are used (or leveraged) in new translations which allows for consistency and cost savings over time. The more you translate, the greater your leverage.

LINGUISTIC AND LOCALIZATION TESTING

Linguistic and Localization Testing is important for software and website localization. It occurs after translation. Linguistic and localization testing is performed to make sure all content displays correctly and functions properly for your target market. This step is important because it provides the linguist with an opportunity to see the translations in context, rather than in an export file or within a translation tool.

LOCALIZATION

The best definition for localization can be found on the Globalization & Localization Association’s (GALA) website. Localization can be abbreviated as l10n, and it takes translation a step further by adapting content, products, services, websites for new language, culture, and/or regional markets.

Coming soon: Speak Our Language: Common Translation Industry Terms – Part II.