It is common knowledge that translation is something that is translated, or the process of translating something, from one language to another

Nikonova, E.

SocioEconomic Challenges Journal (Sumy State University)

TO  THE  TECHNICAL  TRANSLATIONS  FEATURES 
Nikonova E. 
(Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia) 
Scientific adviser – senior lecturer Kobzeva N. A. 
It is common knowledge that translation is something that is 
translated, or the process of translating something, from one language to 
another [1]. 
Translation is the means of international and interlingual 
communication as people have to translate from the origin language into 
target language in all spheres of human activity: art, business, law, politics, 
medicine, science, technology and engineering.  
Nowadays, technical translations are one of the demanding aspects of 
global manufacture, science, business for the exchange of special technical 
information between people speaking different languages.  
Most international companies need to translate technical 
documentation. Manuals and instructions for production equipment, user 
guides for consumer goods, data sheets, software documentation, science 
works, research papers, articles for science and engineering journals, 
science reports, textbooks and educational documents, drafts, diagrams, 
architectural drawings and charts  need to be reproduced in foreign 
languages as companies operation expands over the world.  
The aim of this paper is to outline and point the technical translations 
features.  
Views from several practitioners and theorists indicate that technical 
translation is an indispensable human communication practice. This 
problem was investigated by the following scientists: G. Wilson (2001), 
J. Munday J. (2001), R. Douglas (2003), J. Byrne (2006) and others [2, 3, 
4, 5]. The materials of this paper are based on the analysis of the above 
literature.  
Technical literature can be divided into three basic groups: 
a) periodicals press specially intended for the exchange of 
information: branch bulletins, which contain abstracts, summaries and 
titles; bibliographic indicators which contain titles, summaries and reviews, 
etc. 
b) patent literature, which contain information about new inventions;  
с) periodicals and other types of publications which are not specially 
intended for the exchange of technical information but can be used for this 
purpose: special books, instructions. 
While translating technical papers must take into account some 
features. 
1. Definitely, technical texts have stylistic, grammatical and lexical 
characteristics. The principal stylistic features of scientific and technical 
texts are: 
  
a) information, which is given precisely, clearly, logically as 
technical translators often deal with the newest information, concepts and 
words, which often don't exist in the target language; 
b) absence of emotions and expressive elements, avoidance of free 
interpretation.  
The very important technical translator’ task is to reflect precisely, 
clearly, logically the ideas of the author. 
2. The length of the text should be controlled. For example, French, 
Italian, and especially German can be up to 30% longer than their English 
equivalents, while ideographic scripts like Chinese and Japanese are 
usually shorter. When translating technical documents translator should be 
ready expand or contract text blocks.  
3. Exact terminology management is vital when translating technical 
documentation. The style and structure of original text affects the quality of 
technical translations, therefore it is necessary to keep sentences clear, 
short, and avoid idioms and florid style.  
4. It is important to keep grammar and sentence structures as simple 
as possible and limit the use of dependent clauses.    
So translators should not only know and master the target language 
perfectly but also understand the problem, be good specialists in the fields 
and gifted writers to express the message in the target language. 
Thus, technical translation has its own specific character, and the 
main features include the need for the most accurate description of 
technological processes, competent translation of specific terms and 
observance of an appropriate presentation style.  
 
1. Oxford Dictionary URL: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/ 
english/translation. 
2. Wilson, Greg Technical Communication and Late Capitalism: 
Considering a Postmodern Technical Communication Pedagogy. Journal of 
Business and Technical Communication, 15.1 (Jan. 2001):72 – 99.  
3. Jeremy Munday Introducing Translation Studies, London and New York, 
Routledge, 2001.  
4. Douglas Robinson Becoming a Translator. An Introduction to the Theory 
and Practice of Translation, Second Edition, London and New York, 
Routledge, 2003  
5. Byrne, Jody Technical Translation: Usability Strategies for Translating 
Technical Documentation. Springer, 2006. 
 
  
Nikonova, E. To the technical translations features [Текст] / E. Nikonova ; 
academic supervisor N.A. Kobzeva// Перекладацькі інновації : матеріали 
V Всеукраїнської студентської науково-практичної конференції, м. 
Суми, 12-13 березня 2015 р. / Редкол.: С.О. Швачко, І.К. Кобякова, 
О.О. Жулавська та ін. - Суми : СумДУ, 2015. - С. 80-82. 
 


To the technical translations features

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To the technical translations features

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