error categories in translation

[monashazly]

Accuracy

• Inaccurate translation misleading or leading to misunderstanding

• Omissions (Missing translation)

• Additions / Over translation (Adding extra text)

• Cross reference inconsistency

• Header/Footer inconsistency in documentation
 Terminology

• Glossary and style guide adherence

• Context

• Software/help and software/user guide inconsistency
 Language

• Grammar

• Syntax

• Semantics

• Punctuation

• Spelling
 Style

• General style

• Tone and register (slang usage)

• Words/expressions based too closely on source text

• Adherence to the customer or general style guide
 Country standards

• Adherence to the specific country formatting standards in date, hour, number, currency, measurement units

• Translation of local / market references, names, phone numbers etc.

• Cultural biases
 Major

• Localization error causing application to crash, or negatively modifies/misrepresents functionality of the software

• Legal misrepresentations (using real company names instead of fictitious ones, etc.)

• Un-translated words or phrases

• Previous QA feedback not being applied

• Error occurring in a highly visible part of documentation or software, i.e. header, table of contents, menu command or associated dialog box, help/CBT topic, etc