Chantal Pradines

“BUILT-IN QUALITY”TRANSLATIONS

• • Words. Imprecise terminology, especially in technical or scientific texts, leads to information loss or even mistranslation.

“Built-in quality” translation :

- harnessing my engineering knowledge, which I keep up-to-date by regular reading

- a richly populated term base which I have personally compiled.

• Phraseology. If the style is wrong, your image suffers. The translated text misses the mark. In scientific texts, this makes them difficult to read and vague to understand.

“Built-in quality” translation :

- a translation which reads like an original text

- a well-crafted style, appropriate for the audience.

• Meaning . A text is more than a string of words and phrases on a page. It is a message, a train of thought, a piece of reasoning. If any of this is lost, the text does not fulfil its purpose.

“Built-in quality” translation :

- the ability to understand even the most abstruse message, thought process or reasoning

- the ability to identify defects in the source text and suggest corrections

• Format. If the text is for publication, any defect in its appearance detracts from the care taken in producing the source text and its translation.

“Built-in quality” translation :

- checking the final proof before it goes to print.

• Method. Translation is not a solitary, silent process. Translation is an interactive dialogue in which the client has the final say.

“Built-in quality” translation :

- a translation done by me and signed by me

- providing a glossary specific to that particular text

- providing a list of comments, questions, proposed corrections to the source text, for discussion