An Introduction to Translating Software Documentation Ryan Ginstrom

An Introduction to Translating Software Documentation Ryan Ginstrom

What I will talk about today l l What is it? Honing skills Tools of the trade The good, the bad, and the ugly

Many different types l l Readers Targets

Readers l l l End users Programmers “Pointy-haired people” – – – Marketing Managers Purchasing departments…

Target: end users vs. developers End users Developers 不具合の究明 Troubleshooting Debugging 推奨されない Obsolete Deprecated Xモードでアプリ ケーションを起動 する Run the program Load the in X mode application in X mode (run also OK)

Targets l Platform – l Layer – l Microsoft / *Nix / Mac / Web application / mobile devices Device driver / desktop application / online shopping cart / Webmail Purpose – Instruct / inform / publicize

What is good translation? l l l Should read like a target-language document Not like a translation Write for the reader – – Needs Expectations

Honing skills l l l Technical knowledge Knowledge of source language Technical writing

Honing technical knowledge l Read one technical book in our target language per month – l Think about that Learn to program?

Learn to program! l Python – – – l Ruby – – – l www. python. org Easy to learn Powerful http: //www. ruby-lang. org/ Powerful “Made in Japan” Visual Basic – – Pros: Simple, useful Con: Dead (replaced by VB. NET)

Source language l l l Know the terminology in the source language Read fluently “Good enough” isn’t

Rite away… English original (method description): Performs last rites on the object. Japanese translation: オブジェクトに対して最終書き込みを行います。 ? ?

Target language l l Technical writing Pretending to sound like you know what you’re talking about

Weaknesses abound l l l We’re not engineers We’re not technical writers We’re not native speakers of one of our languages

We are translators l l l Humility (but not too much!) Keep an open mind Constantly learn

Tools of the trade l l Dictionaries Technical references Technical style guides Software

Technical references l O’Reilly’s “In a Nutshell” series Books on software development Textbooks l Mostly target language l l

Others… l l The Windows Interface Guidelines for Software Design Developing User Interfaces for Microsoft Windows

Technical style guides (online) l l Apple Publications Style Guide (PDF) http: //developer. apple. com/documentation/ Sun – Writing for the Web http: //www. sun. com/980713/webwriting/

Technical style guides (dead trees) l l Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry (Sun)

From Microsoft Manual of Style Correct On the File menu, click Open. Incorrect On the File menu, choose the Open command. Reference: [ファイル] メニューから [開く]コマンドを選択し…

But from Sun’s manual… Menu option names appear in the document’s default font and do not receive any special typographic styling. From the Edit menu, choose Paste. (or) Choose Edit Paste. -- Read Me First!

Microsoft Manual of Style on Usage application Avoid in content for home users and information workers; use program instead. button In general, refer to a button only by its label. Correct: Select the file you want to open and then click OK. computer Not PC or machine or box, regardless of audience. hint Do not use hint as a heading for a type of note; use tip instead. input Avoid in all content as a verb; use type or another appropriate verb instead. (c. f. 入力) menu item Do not use in content for home users or information workers. Use command instead (c. f. メニュー項目)

Software l l Translation memory Online/electronic dictionaries Text to speech/dictation Gluing

The good, the bad, and the ugly l l l Sample source and translation You make the call Then look at what I thought when I wrote this

Exceptional Japanese original English translation In this method, an このメソッドでは、要素 exception occurs if の取得に失敗する場 合、例外が発生します。 the acquisition of the element fails.

例外の発生: Throw/raise an exception UGLY このメソッドでは、要素の取 得に失敗する場合、例外 が発生します。 In this method, an exception occurs if the acquisition of the element fails. This method throws an exception if it fails to acquire the element.

Use the source, Luke! ファイルの保存時に保存元 と保存先のファイル内容 を比較する When saving a file, the contents of the save source and save destination files are compared

Don’t be afraid to write English BAD ファイルの保存時に保存元 と保存先のファイル内容 を比較する When saving a file, the contents of the save source and save destination files are compared When you save the file, the original file and the file to be saved are compared.

Count on it This reference count is この参照カウントは、 Load. Library 関数が呼び incremented each time 出されるたびに 1 増加し、 Load. Library is called Free. Library 関数が呼び and decremented each 出されるたびに 1 減少し time Free. Library is called. ます。

参照カウント: 1 増加: 1 減少: reference count increment decrement GOOD This reference count is この参照カウントは、 Load. Library 関数が呼び incremented each time 出されるたびに 1 増加し、 Load. Library is called Free. Library 関数が呼び and decremented each 出されるたびに 1 減少し time Free. Library is called. ます。

More on exceptions 例外: XYZException - 引数 foo が null の場合に 発生します。 Exceptions: XYZException – Thrown if parameter foo is null.

Convention! UGLY (trick question) 例外: XYZException - 引数 foo が null の場合に発生し ます。 Exceptions: XYZException – Thrown if parameter foo is null. Throws: XYZException – If parameter foo is null.

The dating game このサンプルでは、これらの テーブルを XML データ として保存します。 In this sample, these tables are saved as XML data.

データ: File BAD このサンプルでは、これらの テーブルを XML データ として保存します。 In this sample, these tables are saved as XML data. In this sample, these tables are saved as an XML file.

What’s your destination? 保存先のフォルダを開いて， Open the save destination 「foo. ｅｘｅ」をダブルクリッ folder, and double click the “foo. exe” icon. クして下さい。

The user just wants to get the job done UGLY 保存先のフォルダを開いて， Open the save destination 「foo. ｅｘｅ」をダブルクリッ folder, and double click the “foo. exe” icon. クして下さい。 Open the folder where you saved the file, and click on the “foo. exe” icon.

More API stuff インデックスが範囲外の場 合に 黒色 ( 0, 0, 0 ) を返 します。 If the index is outside the scope, returns black (0, 0, 0).

範囲外: out of bounds BAD インデックスが範囲外の場 合に 黒色 ( 0, 0, 0 ) を返 します。 If the index is outside the scope, returns black (0, 0, 0). If the index is out of bounds, returns black (0, 0, 0).

Thank You