German Translation in FrameMaker

[Diane Gaskill]

Karyn,

All L10N vendors work with the tools you have mentioned below, but that is
only a starting point.  There are many more things to look for, all very
important.  Go to this link and download the (PDF) book called Localization
and Framemaker.

http://www.bapmf.net/resources/2000_localization_FM/locindex.html

It tells you in detail how to find, screen, and hire the right localization
vendor for your particular job.  Just because an L10N vendor can translate
stuff, it does not mean they understand the technology of your product, and
that is a requirement to get a well-translated docs, GUIs, etc.  The book
also tells you how to work with the vendor, what you need to provide to get
an accurate quote, and gives a complete list of average prices for the
various kinds of work that L10N vendors can provide, for 31 languages.

Here is a paragraph from the book.
--
Technology. Make sure that the translators who are doing the work are
technically
competent in the subject of your documents, as well as in Frame, Acrobat,
RoboHelp,
and whatever other tools you use. You may have to train them in your
products or
send them to one of your company’s training classes.  If they don’t
understand the
terms (even though you’ll probably be asked to provide a glossary), the
translations
may be incorrect. I’ve seen some bad translations because the vendor did not
understand anything about the product.  This is just the same as if you
hired a
technical writing contractor who knows nothing about the industry you are
in.
Even though you will be charged by the word, the linguists do not actually
translate word-by-word. They translate phrases, sentences, and ideas.  They
are writing to your customers, just as you are.  And that is why they need
to understand what you have written.
--

You will probably get vendor recommendations from others on the list (there
is a list of them in the book) and that is all well and good, but you will
likely be a lot more satisfied with the work if you hire an L10N vendor the
same way you would hire a technical writer.

Hope this helps.

Diane Gaskill

=========================



-----Original Message-----
From: framers-bounces+dgcaller=earthlink.net at lists.frameusers.com
[mailto:framers-bounces+dgcaller=earthlink.net at lists.frameusers.com]On
Behalf Of Karyn Hunt
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 10:49 AM
To: framers
Cc: lisa.infocus
Subject: German Translation in FrameMaker


Hi All,

   We’re in need of German translation services for our docs (an email
application) and I’m wondering if any of you has found a good person/agency
that works well with FrameMaker, RoboHelp and basic HTML editors (we use all
three). Any recommendations on good ones are as welcome as warnings about
bad ones. The latter can be as helpful as the former.

   Thanks muchly!

Karyn Hunt

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