L08 Human Translation

title: "Human Translation for Technical Documentation" weight: 8 description: "Learn human translation for documentation: working with professional translators, translator selection, briefing, quality evaluation, and building long-term translator relationships for consistent quality." date: 2026-06-28 lastmod: 2026-06-28 tags: [technical-writing, localization] }

Human translation by professional translators provides the highest quality for technical documentation, with domain expertise ensuring accurate terminology and natural language flow.

In this lesson, you will learn how to work with professional translators, select qualified translators, write briefs, evaluate quality, and build long-term relationships.

What You'll Learn

You will learn translator selection criteria, briefing best practices, quality evaluation methods, and relationship management for consistent translation quality.

Why It Matters

Professional human translation costs more but delivers superior quality. For customer-facing documentation, the investment pays off in user trust and adoption.

Teacher Mindset

Think of translators as partners, not vendors. Good translators understand your product and style. Invest in their domain knowledge. Provide context and answer questions.

Common Mistakes

1. Choosing Cheapest Translators

Low-cost translators often lack technical domain knowledge. Pay for quality.

2. No Style Guide for Translators

Without style guidance, translators apply their own style, creating inconsistency.

3. No Feedback Loop

Translators improve when they receive feedback. Provide constructive feedback.

Practice Questions

1. What should a translator briefing include? Product context, style guide, glossary, reference materials, and target audience description.

2. How do you evaluate translation quality? Accuracy, terminology consistency, fluency, and adherence to style guide.

3. Challenge: Write a translator briefing for a documentation project.

FAQ

Mini Project

Write a comprehensive translator briefing for a documentation page. Include product description, style guide, glossary, and audience information. Use the briefing to request a sample translation and evaluate the quality.

What's Next

Translation Memory in the next lesson.