Technical language
translation services

Whether you're a translator interested in providing technical language translation services or you're interested in technical language translation services for your own company's products, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Different types of translations have different needs and technical translations are no different. Any time specialized subject matter is involved, you will need to have a grasp on the project and what needs to be done to get it done effectively.

Imagine a medical equipment manufacturing company in the United States making a bid on a contract in another country that speaks another language, such as Guatemala. Everything from contracts to user guides to manufacturing specifications will need to be translated into Spanish. There is a lot of knowledge you'll need to have access to in order to do the job without embarrassing your client or any of the people they work with. Notice that I didn't say that there is a lot of knowledge you have to know in order to do the job; you need to have access to the required knowledge.

So the question becomes this:

How can you have access to the necessary knowledge so that you can provide technical language translation services?

Well, the most important thing to remember is that gaining knowledge is never a final state. There is always something more you can learn about your specialized field or someway new of saying something in your target language. Don't ever get complacent with yourself. The minute you do, you'll lose some of your abilities to translate effectively. With specialized fields, terms and definitions are always changing and you must keep abreast of them. Don't get caught translating a technical term using a term in the target language that is no longer current.

There are some simple steps that you can take to help you keep your knowledge up-to-date.

Trade Magazines
Trade magazines are an excellent place to learn more about your specialized field and how to best offer your technical language translation services. Books aren't published often enough and so trade magazines really take up that slack.

The best thing about trade magazines is that often you can find one that matches your particular specialization and not have to pay anything. Granted, these magazines rely heavily on ads in their magazines but they are free. I have gotten magazines from tradepub.com and was very impressed with their free service. Go now and see if they have a magazine that fits your technical field.

General News Sources
Another source for helping you retain (or build) your knowledge of a particular technical field is the news. Trade magazines give you the very meat of what's going on in your field, but general news sources will help you keep the overall picture of what is happening in your field. Oftentimes, your technical field will intersect with other fields and the general news will help you be informed about any changes that take place which will affect your specialization.

Internet Forums
I'm not a big fan of chat rooms or news groups; however, there are some Internet forums that could be useful to you in keeping abreast of your particular field. It will take some work to find one that is worthwhile and helpful, but once you do, it will have been well worth the effort.