Often, when sending a document to a technical translator on an Excel spreadsheet there is no context to help the translator. The lack of any context could end up in a mistranslation taking place and then you would have to ask the translator to have another go at the translation. One way of making it easier for the translator is to add screenshots showing where the translation is going to be used. Otherwise, you need to make yourself available to answer any questions while the translation agency has your document.
As soon as the initial translation has been completed, the translated strings will be reintegrated into the software. The main problem with putting the translation back into a software program is whether there is sufficient space to accommodate the words. Most languages when translated don’t have the same number of words as the original text. Having more words is common when a language is translated from English.
Alternatively, when translating from English to Japanese or to a Chinese language, fewer words are the outcome of the translation. The impact of having to deal with more words can be quite serious as it may mean the software designer has to get the words retranslated by a technical translator, so they fit into the right place on the software.
1.If you think this possibility is likely you need to inform the translator before the translation takes place that a word limit has to be imposed. By doing this you may not end up with quite the translation you are after.
2.You should get your software tested before finalising it. There are many professional translation services that offer to test as part of their translation service. You present the software to them and they can provide the translators and the testing environment. You could ask the testing to take place in your environment where you have the software set-up for the testing to take place.
When localising a product to meet the demands of the global word these are matters to consider before the localisation proves its worth.
