By Moez Sghaier
Updated August 18, 2024 2:31 p.m.
There are several elements I look at in order to maintain a high quality while translating English – French business (marketing, finance, corporate/general, travel/tourism) documents.
· I start with thoroughly understanding the source text.
· I also strive to work on topics I really like.
· Using the right word for the right market is something essential in any English – French business translation I do.
· I also use software that helps me detect any misspellings and inconsistencies that I couldn’t see with the naked eye.
· After I finish a translation project, I read my copy out loud to eliminate any awkward words/phrases that do not belong to a natural target language text.
· I finally listen to any feedback I receive from my clients to make my future English – French business translations even better.
Thoroughly Understanding the English – French business document source text to translate
First and foremost, the source text must be understood at every single nuance. Failure to do so will obviously result in a target text that will not be a true reflection of the source text.
To achieve this, a professional translator has to consult a reputable general English dictionary to check the meaning of any word that he/she has even a small doubt about. Obviously, it does not matter whether the source is in paper or electronic format even though the latter being the most common nowadays. A free good source in this regard is the Cambridge Dictionary.
In case the text to translate is more of a specialty text, a specialty dictionary becomes more suitable to use. In finance/investing for example, a reputable source to check every single concept before even starting to translate is Investopedia. This source has a comprehensive dictionary at the bottom of its homepage, displayed in alphabetical order.
Liking the topic of the English – French business document source text to translate
Liking the topic and learning from it is a real incentive for me as an English – French business translator to do my job properly and professionally. It is obvious that topics that are related to my business background encourage me to dig deeper into the topic giving me an opportunity to learn even more about an already familiar topic to me.
For instance, investment instruments that did not exist in a recent past such as cryptocurrency and derivatives apps would give me the opportunity to reinforce my status as a subject matter expert in that particular field.
Another example is digital marketing as opposed to traditional one. As everyone knows, nowadays almost all of a business’ marketing is done online as customers are now located almost exclusively behind their screens looking for bargains and good deals. Thus, as an English – French business translator, I am learning on a daily basis while doing my job
Localizing i.e. choosing the right terminology in the English – French business document target text
When it comes to localization, how can an English – French business translator like myself ensure a translated word/expression is the right one i.e. the one used in the target language’s country. For this purpose, a well researched text is a must.
To do so, I use bilingual dictionaries. Like monolingual ones, those have the advantage of providing me with an equivalent word that is most likely used in the target language market using the principle of concordance.
A general source in this regard is Linguee which returns words and phrases that are shown in context in the target language. When it comes to specialty texts, there are of course concordance bilingual dictionaries too allowing me to propose an equivalent word or a concept that really makes sense in the target language.
An example in the accounting/finance world is the Dictionnaire Ménard that gives the equivalent technical word localized in the target language environment.
Using software aids while checking the English – French business translation
Nowadays, English – French business translators like myself use computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools such as Trados Studio and memoQ to ensure translation consistency i.e. a same word translated in a same way throughout the text.
Once I finish my project translation, I check it using translation software aids to enhance quality. These software aids have also built-in functions allowing spell checks, and plug-in modules added to them such as Xbench. When run, the latter produces a report that allows me to uncover whatever the naked eye could miss.
Last as a professional English – French business translator, I look also among some of the previous translations that were done for the same client. This also helps with consistency as it puts the newest translation in context especially if it is destined for the client’s website to be published beside previous translations.
Reading out loud the English – French business document target text
Once the target language text is ready, I read it preferably out loud to make sure it resonates perfectly and reads naturally for a reader whose first language is the text’s target language.
This reading allows me to detect any awkwardness due for example to duplicating any word/phrase/structure straight from the source language without looking if it even exists in the target language.
Another check that comes together with the precedent one is proofreading the target language text. At this level as an English – French business translator, I proceed to a thorough check aimed to detecting any spelling and/or conjugation mistakes.
In this regards, a trusted general French dictionary such as le Dictionnaire Larousse can be very useful.
Listening to feedback from clients once the English – French business translation delivered
Finally, a professional English – French business translator like myself is always listening to the client’s feedback as it provides a real guidance to my work. In this regard, I am always ready to modify a portion of the job, no matter small or large following the client’s feedback.
I always keep in mind that satisfying my client’s needs is the ultimate goal of the translation exercise. This, in turn, allows that client to propose his/her products/services to a new or an established market, having the target language as its first language.
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