The following content is translated from Chinese source by machine translation without post-editing.
In the current wave of globalization, translation services have become a key bridge for cross language communication in enterprises. However, different enterprises and projects often have unique language style requirements, which requires translation companies to provide accurate, consistent, and personalized translation services. Shanghai Tangneng Translation Company stands out in this field with its professional style guide customized services, creating high-quality and tailored translation works for clients, and becoming a trusted long-term partner for many customers.
1、 Customer background
The client of this cooperation is a well-known pharmaceutical company, whose international registration department is responsible for the important task of preparing drug registration materials. These documents need to be submitted to foreign regulatory agencies, and only after approval can the drugs be legally sold locally, and translation work is an indispensable part of it. Although the company has internal translators, due to the phased concentration of data submission, the internal translation force cannot be fully absorbed. Therefore, external suppliers need to be sought to assist with the translation work.
The client has strict and fixed requirements and rules regarding translation time, terminology usage, file format, and other aspects. In the initial stage of cooperation, to ensure the smooth progress of translation work, it is urgent to develop exclusive style guidelines based on the actual situation of the client.
2、 TalkingChina’s Translation Strategies
（1） In depth requirement analysis
At the beginning of the project launch, the Tangneng Translation team engaged in in-depth communication with the client, striving to comprehensively understand their needs. Both key terminology specifications and detailed naming conventions for delivery files have been thoroughly discussed. During the actual project implementation process, team members continuously explore and explore potential customer needs, laying a solid foundation for subsequent work.
（2） Creation of Style Guide
After the initial project adaptation, the account manager (AE) and project manager (PM) of Tangneng Translation Company began to work on building the preliminary framework of the style guide. The creation work is carried out from two key dimensions: customer docking and production process: AE is responsible for sorting out the basic needs of customers, the types of documents involved, the communication points between quotation and delivery time, special requirements for layout and delivery, etc; The PM formulates standards for project production process, translation style definition, language asset management, quality control points, translator team configuration, and other aspects through customer demand analysis. Through a dual line parallel collaborative approach, a preliminary framework for the style guide is ultimately formed.
（3） Improvement of Style Guide
To ensure the scientific and practical nature of the style guide, the AE and PM invited other colleagues within the company to conduct a comprehensive and one-on-one review of the initial draft from an objective perspective as a third party, and encouraged suggestions for revisions. After collecting and summarizing suggestions, targeted adjustments and optimizations were made to make the final style guide clearer, more comprehensive, and easier to understand and implement. In terms of project management theory, it means that with a comprehensive style guide, the quality of project execution does not change due to changes in project personnel.
The summarized modification suggestions mainly focus on the following aspects:
1）. Structural optimization: The initial draft lacks effective connections, the overall structure is not clear enough, and the content appears slightly chaotic. After communication, AE and PM decided to take the entire process of serving customers as the thread, from macro style positioning to micro detail specifications, covering key links such as customer basic background information, early communication with customers, project production process, document delivery process, and post translation feedback. They reorganized and improved each part of the content to achieve clear hierarchy and organization.
2）. Highlighting key points: The initial draft is cluttered with text content, making it difficult for readers to quickly grasp key information. To address this issue, the team highlighted key content by bolding, italicizing, marking colors, and adding numbering. They also provided special annotations and explanations for key points that need to be paid attention to in project production, ensuring that guide users can quickly capture key information and avoid omissions.
3）. Accurate expression: Some of the expressions in the initial draft are vague, making it difficult for operators to clarify the specific operational steps. In response to this, the team optimized the relevant expressions by using concise, accurate, and unambiguous directive language to express various norms, avoiding vague expressions that may lead to misunderstandings. For example, in the translation of professional terminology in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, it is important to clarify industry terminology preferences and whether to use the Chinese Pharmacopoeia or the United States Pharmacopoeia translation method, providing clear operational guidelines for translators and ensuring the stability of translation quality.
4）. Complete information loop: Some key points in the initial draft lack specific context, making it difficult for users to directly understand and operate. Regarding this point, AE and PM provided specific explanations of some key points in the guidelines based on the characteristics of the customer’s text.
For example, to supplement the requirement of “checking the completeness of formula translation in the text” in the quality control points, first summarize and organize all the formula presentation forms that have appeared in the client’s original text (editable formulas in text version/non editable formulas in image version). Due to the non editable nature of formulas, there may be translation omissions when importing computer-aided translation tools (CAT). The style guide provides detailed instructions on how to handle formulas, including the steps to create formulas in Word during the translation preprocessing stage, and includes relevant screenshots to visually display the styles and methods of various formulas, forming a complete information loop.
Based on all the suggested modifications, a customer specific feedback section has been added to the finalized style guide document, covering feedback time, feedback person, feedback issues, and issue follow-up (whether resolved and which texts are involved), making it more rigorous, practical, and fully tailored to customer translation style needs, providing a solid guarantee for high-quality translation services.
4、 Application and maintenance updates of style guidelines
Style guidelines play a crucial role in the production process of translation projects and are not just empty words. In the actual project operation of Tangneng Translation, from the initial draft of the translation to the final draft, the team always adheres to the style guide as the standard, comprehensively controls the translation style, and ensures high-quality and consistent translation works are delivered to customers on time.
After each project is completed, TalkingChina Translation collects feedback from clients on the translation and regularly reviews and updates the style guide. Through this approach, in the long-term cooperation process, we always use the translation style that best meets the current needs of our clients, helping them grow their brands and jointly respond to the opportunities and challenges of the global market.
summary
In the wave of globalization, language is the bridge, and style guidelines are the solid foundation of this bridge. With professional style guidance and customized services, Tangneng Translation Company has elevated the quality of translation to new heights, helping clients’ brands shine on the global stage with precise and consistent translation styles. We not only provide high-quality translation services, but also safeguard every cross lingual communication for our clients through continuously optimized style guidelines. Choosing TalkingChina Translation means choosing an exclusive style guarantee. Let’s work together to embark on a quality journey of cross language communication, create a brilliant brand, and embrace the infinite possibilities of the global market!
Post time: Jul-06-2025