Professional scientific translation is the specialized translation of articles, reports, protocols, theses, and other scientific content by professionals who are able to use the terminology and understand the context of each discipline. The goal is to retain the meaning, precision, and consistency of the original so that the text works as it should in another language.
What makes scientific translation different?
A scientific text can convey a great deal of information in very few words. An acronym, unit of measurement, name of a compound, or technical term can have a very specific meaning in any given discipline.
A draft that “sounds good” is therefore not enough: the content needs to keep the same meaning.
What’s more, each area uses its own conventions. The fields of biomedicine, chemistry, physics, engineering, environment, and social sciences don’t share exactly the same vocabulary or the same ways of presenting information.
What documents need a scientific translation service?
A scientific translation service may be required for research articles, abstracts, doctoral theses, laboratory reports, research protocols, posters, speeches, technical manuals, or popular science outreach.
The degree of specialization will depend on the document and its end purpose. An article designed for an academic journal won’t have the same needs as a text for the general public.
Before translating, it is worth defining three matters: Who is going to read the content? Where is it going to be published? What terminology needs to be retained?
What must a professional scientific translation offer?
There are four particularly important aspects:
Thematic specialization. The professional must be familiar with the project’s scientific area.
Terminological consistency. The concepts must be translated consistently throughout the document and across related projects.
Revision. Figures, abbreviations, units, nomenclatures, and key terms require special attention.
Adaptation to the reader. The translation needs to respect the technical level, purpose, and context of the original text.
When there is recurring documentation, working with glossaries and previous references also helps to maintain consistency in terminology.
How do I choose an agency specializing in scientific translation?
Before hiring an agency specializing in scientific translation, it is worth checking that it assigns professionals according to the specialism, as well as how it manages terminology, what revision process they use, and whether they can ensure consistency across different documents.
It is also important to explain the purpose of the content from the outset. Publishing research, presenting results at a conference, and preparing technical information for international teams all require different approaches.
Frequently asked questions
Scientific translation involves specialized content and requires translators to understand the terminology, conventions, and context of a given discipline, as well as correctly translating the content.
Because using different translations for one concept can lead to ambiguity and hinder comprehension, particularly in large documents or inter-related documents.
When the content contains technical terminology, is intended for academic or professional purposes, will be published internationally, or needs to maintain homogeneous criteria across multiple documents.
At blarlo, we help companies, universities, and organizations to communicate specialized knowledge in other languages using professional scientific translation services adapted to each area and type of content.
Need to translate scientific documentation?
Request a quote and tell us what kind of content you need to translate.
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