Upon receiving a document for translation in a simple format (i.e. with editable text) it’s important to bear in mind that, however simple it may appear, it may entail certain complexities, such as is the case with PowerPoint files.
Above all else, it’s important to take into account that the text present in this type of document is located in tables, which means that the text is inserted in a limited area. The potential expansion that may occur as a result of translating the text from one language to the other entails a special consideration when verifying that nothing has been left hidden due to possible restrictions related to the size of the table.
On certain occasions, this problem is solved by increasing the text area, but in other cases the size of the slide won’t allow it. In these cases, the translator must resort to two options: the first is to reduce the font size; the second, more drastic, is to express the idea more succinctly. When this problem repeats itself throughout the document, performing these modifications tends to become rather tedious, and it is an extra task that should be taken into account when preparing the quote.
Another factor to take into account is that oftentimes tables and images are added for presentations. The tables tend to be embedded in the document, due to which, depending on the translation tool used, they’ll need to be extracted and translated as a separate document. Then, once translated, they’ll need to be embedded back into the presentation.
And last but not least are the notes. These are often overlooked, but in the event that there are notes, they are to be found at the foot of the presentation. These serve as a reference in case the presentation is given orally in front of an audience, or also as an explanation of the slide. In some cases the client won’t ask for them to be translated, but most of the time they will, and since they’re not located in a clearly visible location they tend to be overlooked.
Every document has its particularities, and so we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be led on by the simplicity of the text that may be easily extracted; it’s very important to bear in mind all the elements that make up the file. PowerPoint presentations are a perfect example of this.
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