Original instructions and translations
The instructions drafted or verified by the manufacturer are the original instructions. Versions in other languages are translations of the original instructions and must be marked as such. The languages to supply are those required by the countries where the machine is sold: each country sets them in its national rules.
Why translations cost so much
At most SMEs the manual is a single Word file per model, often duplicated per variant. At every change the whole document goes out for translation again, for every language. The cost grows with the number of variants times the number of languages, and the translated files drift away from the original.
Splitting the manual into blocks
A manual made of reusable blocks, for example warnings, installation, maintenance or a specific option, lets you:
- write the texts shared by several models and variants once;
- translate only the blocks that changed, not the whole manual;
- always know which translations have fallen behind the original;
- compose the manual of a configuration automatically, starting from the machine's options.
AI translation with human review
Machine translation is a good starting point for technical texts, on three conditions:
- a fixed glossary, so the terms for components and controls always stay the same;
- an automatic check on numbers, units of measurement and signal words such as DANGER or WARNING;
- review and approval by a person before publication, recorded with name and date.
Safety warnings are the most delicate part: a wrong translation there is not a matter of style.
How it works in TARGA
In TARGA the manual is made of blocks linked to the variants of the model. Translation uses AI with the company glossary, flags differences in numbers and signal words and blocks publication until every segment has been approved by a person. When an original block changes, its translations are flagged as needing an update.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use machine translation alone for manuals?
It is not advisable. Machine translation must be reviewed by a competent person, especially for safety warnings, and the manufacturer remains responsible for the content.
In which languages must I supply the manual?
In the languages required by the countries where the machine is made available. Each country sets them in its national rules.
How do I avoid retranslating everything at every change?
By splitting the manual into reusable blocks and translating only the blocks that changed, with a translation memory and a glossary.