Translation of Technical Texts and Computer Software

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Through the years I have translated lots of software from English into Swedish, and been project manager for translation projects: the programs as well as their help systems and handbooks. My very first job was Ventura Publisher version 2, an advanced typesetting program, from the beginning owned by Xerox Corp. The very first translation stretched two weeks, in total. Nowadays it's not so easy. On-line help systems have overflown their river banks long ago, and are now the parts that take 80% of the translation's time. Texts around one million characters are not unusual.

Good Swedish and good command over terminology are my hallmarks. I had one customer commenting: “I just wanted to say that our seasoned proof-reader was very impressed by your translations... This is the way to translate press releases - that's smooth.”

Subjects and Document Types

Through the years I have translated many hundreds of technical texts to English and Swedish on many subjects. Here are some of them.

3G network technology Access control systems Antennas Antique technology Cameras Computer viruses Computers Cooling plants Copy machines Digital cameras

Document management Drawing software EMC EMI Encryption Exploding CD records Fax systems Fibre optics, splicing Flight recorders Image processing

Industrial printing Internet, how to use it Java and compilers Laser scanners Lighting control systems Measuring instruments Mobile phones Navigation equipment Network administration Networks

Oils Operating systems Palmtop computers Particle research Player pianos Postal systems Printing technology Radio astronomy Radio transmitters Staffing systems

Starch dryers Time planning systems Web cameras Wireless networks

I have seen many different types of documents:

Articles Contracts Course materials Course programs

Handbooks Help texts Magazines Manuals

Offers/Tenders Presentations Requirement specifications Scientific papers

Software Systems documentation Technical specifications Web sites

Shrunken Handbooks

It is quite common that customers wants a smaller Swedish version of an English handbook, to keep costs down. I will choose the most important chapters, compress the text, and if need be, also adapt it for Swedish conditions. Measurements should be in metres, names of cities should be Swedish and prices in kronor. Strange product names, or conventions which don't work in Sweden also has to be adapted.

If you want to sell to some Swedish Government Office, some governmental authority or municipality, you have a great advantage on your competition if your software or handbooks are in Swedish.

Press Releases, Web Sites and Other Short Texts

I have translated close to 500 press releases covering various technical subjects, for companies like Staffware (workflow management), American Power Conversion (UPS, uninterruptable power supplies), Hewlett-Packard (printers and measurement equipment), Microsoft, Gateway (tailor-made personal computers), Silicon Graphics (graphical workstations), Xircom (communications accessories for personal computers), Force Computers (CompactPCI embedded servers), Logitech (mice, trackballs and sound systems), Iomega (storage systems), Storagetek (storage systems for mainframe computers), Analog Devices (advanced semiconductors), Alcatel (telecommunications products) etcetera.

Long-time Experience of Various Products

I have translated programs, on-line help and handbooks, and the typeset the printed matter for, among others:

UMTS/IMT-2000 bid	I translated parts of the technical specifikcations in the bid for UMTS Telephony in Sweden 2000 given by Bredbandsbolaget and Orange. I was also responsible for terminology in the goup of translators.
Adobe Illustrator 9 (vector drawing software)	ARI Network Services PartSmart (elektronic spare parts directory)
Helvar Litghtning Control Ltd. lightning control, remote control, thyristor units and networks (data sheets, installation instructions, DigiDim a. o.)	Castrol motor oils (advertisments and texting of training video)
nVidia graphics board (help texts and strings)	Sun Microsystems Java Software Development Kit (update information)
PSION DACOM Gold Port products (help texts, general texts)	TALK Telecom Ascom Avena (handbooks for DECT telephones, several models)
Aldus (now Adobe): Freehand (vector drawing software)	Aston-Tate (now Symantec): Framework IV (an “Office”-package long before Windows)
Bonnier (Swedish book publisher): Parts of the CD-ROM for Bonnier's World Atlas 1997	Borland International (now Symantec): Sprint (unusual word processor), Sidekick+ (an office sidekick)
Computer Associates: SuperCalc for PC and mainframe computer (spreadsheet program)	Corel Systems (earlier Xerox - Ventura Software): Corel Ventura, PC and Macintosh (advanced typesetting, DTP)
Digital Equipment (now Compaq): Contractual texts, service specifications	Documentum: Documentum Workspace for Windows (document management system)
FTP Software: Mosaic (WWW-browser)	IDG Books: Visual Basic Secrets
IIR (Institute for International Research): Course material on PCs, networks, Ethernet, internetworking, negotiation techniques, etc.	Ingram Micro: Mainframe computer based order processing system
Inset Systems: Inset (early graphical word processing)	Learning Tree: Course specification sheets
Logitech: Finesse (typesetting), various mouse and pointer products	Lotus: Amí Pro (word processor vith layout capability), Freelance Graphics (presentation graphics)
Microsoft: Word 6 for Macintosh (word processing)	Novell: Courses in network administration
Progress Software: Progress (database management language)	QA Information Security (Sweden), now Network Associates: The whole handbook suite for Dr.Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit (anti-virus software for several platforms)
Smith Micro Software: HotFax, HotLine MessageCenter (all-in-one fax central)	Symantec (Peter Norton Inc.): Norton Commander (navigating tool and helper)