|
Using Style
Guides |
A Style Guide is a small book or publication with the main purpose of
providing guidance on language use. Such manuals, as we may also call
them,
specify details of writing style such as punctuation, capitalization,
spelling, word usage, grammatical conventions, syntax and sometimes
even structural and formatting issues.
In our case - the world of localization - there is often extra specific
information, a good example of which would be the translation of
variables
or the localization of the user interface.
We assume everyone who wants to translate has a good command of their
own native language at the written level. However, being a good
writer does not always equate to being a good translator. Both
activities
require practice and experience, but in the second case, that of the
translator, a good Style Guide can help enormously in preventing the
typical errors a beginner would make when translating.
Such booklets, guides or manuals are designed to aid translators,
especially those who are starting to learn the profession, to avoid
such
errors from the beginning and provide the best translation possible.
The main goal of a Style Guide is therefore to provide future
translators with the main and most important translating rules,
normally including not only the basic grammar and syntax of every
language, but also, and most importantly, the most common errors that
can occur when translating from a specific language to another, that is
the case of the famous "false friends", most of which are only known by
professional or very experienced translators.
A Style Guide will offer guidance on those "typical errors", not
only on the translation of single words, but also complete sentences,
that is to say, the syntax of every language. That will constitute a
great help for beginning translators, helping them avoid errors which
they otherwise would not know.
Last but not the least, the use of a Style Guide also helps to bring
clarity and consistency to the style of the documentation translated
into a target language, i.e. the final product information the users
receive, ensuring that language is used consistently.
You can download the style guide for your translation language
here.
If you would like to share your opinion regarding the content
of this page, please
contact
the Open Translation team.
