What are some tips for ensuring clear and concise technical translations in business English?

1 Know your purpose and audience

Before you start translating, you need to know the purpose and the audience of your text. What is the main message or goal of the text? Who will read it and what are their needs and expectations? How will they use the text and in what context? Knowing these answers will help you choose the appropriate tone, style, terminology, and format for your translation. For example, if you are translating a user manual for a technical product, you need to use simple and direct language, avoid jargon and ambiguity, and provide clear instructions and examples. If you are translating a business report for a professional audience, you need to use formal and precise language, follow the conventions and standards of the field, and provide accurate and relevant data and analysis.

2 Use reliable sources and tools

To ensure the quality and accuracy of your technical translations, you need to use reliable sources and tools. Sources include dictionaries, glossaries, style guides, reference materials, and parallel texts that can help you find the correct and consistent terms and expressions for your domain and target language. Tools include software applications, online platforms, and databases that can help you check spelling, grammar, punctuation, formatting, and other aspects of your translation. However, you should not rely solely on sources and tools, as they may not always reflect the latest or best practices, or they may have errors or limitations. You should always use your own judgment and common sense, and verify your translation against the original text and the context.

3 Follow the principles of plain English

Plain English is a style of writing that strives to communicate clearly and effectively with the intended audience. This is especially important for technical translations in business English, as it can help you prevent readers from feeling confused, misunderstood, or frustrated. To achieve this, you should use short and simple sentences and paragraphs, active voice instead of passive voice, common and familiar words instead of jargon and acronyms, positive and direct language instead of negatives and hedging, logical and coherent structure with transitions, headings, lists, tables, diagrams to organize and present information, as well as examples, illustrations, and definitions to explain complex or technical concepts.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?