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Capabilities Case Study: Tackling Schematics
THE CHALLENGE
A biopharmaceutical company is seeking translation from Japanese to English for 14 large schematics in seven files within 10 business days. The project includes desktop publishing with language expansion issues.
THE SOLUTION
A schematic is a diagram that represents the elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures.1 The schematics in this instance were of a highly technical and complicated nature. The decision that needed to be made was how to best accomplish both translation and formatting in the allotted time.
The job began with the project manager reviewing the files and identifying that there would be custom formatting issues. Files were immediately sent to the lead DTP specialist to develop a solution up front that would streamline the work of the translator, while also saving time on the back end to keep the focus on proper proofing and quality assurance, rather than having the heightened pressure of reformatting each file from a translator’s keyed version.
The decision was made to begin by electronically keying all text in red so the translator could easily spot where a translation was needed. Then a second version of each file was created where all Japanese text was replaced with text boxes containing the number corresponding to the version keyed in red. All the translator would have to do would be to select each number and type in the English text. Once all prep work was complete, the translator received 3 versions of each file: the original, the keyed, red-typed Japanese version, and the cleaned version prepped for English text insertion.
As the assigned translator completed each file, the DTP specialist fine-tuned the formatting and sent it to proofing and quality assurance, keeping each piece of the job moving through the standard workflow and staying on top of the delivery deadline.
THE BENEFIT
To the client: top-quality translation and formatting for complicated schematics within the time requested.
To the translator: the ability to focus on content and terminology of the subject matter at hand, without getting lost in the technicalities of the design.
To the proofer: because the translator was typing in text boxes that had been previously set to red type, the proofer was able to quickly determine whether there were omissions and/or issues with the text, enabling them to turn the entire project around within 24 hours.
1 Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schematic
