09 Dec Medical translation step by step

Posted by - Rubén

When facing a medical translation, there are some very important steps that must be carefully followed. If you are responsible for a big project, it would be better if you are aware of its GILT strategy. But, at any case, even for a small translation project, you should follow these steps:

Knowledge

Be familiar with the text. So, apart from a previous knowledge of its healthcare area, you should read and pay attention to any detail. And after a good comprehension of the source text, ask yourself the following questions: are you familiar with the whole idea? Do you understand all the terms? Do you consider yourself able to express the same ideas into your target text? If all these questions have a positive answer, then you can go on.

Adaptation

Before translating these kind of texts, a further researching clears up any doubt. Focus such research on cultural adaptation, a linguistic targeting and/or national regulations. That is to say: the audience.

Translation

This process in medical translation involves several procedures. A further documentation in dictionaries and glossaries would solve some medical translation doubts, and a documentation and searching of healthcare articles will offer fidelity and coherence to the target text.

Proofreading

Proofreading is an essential process in translation, but it is even more important in the medical translation field as health and lives are involved. Apart from a rereading – which is mandatory for any translator – a proofread may correct some mistakes or misleading. If this process is made by another native professional, the final medical translation will provide a higher quality. But there are also some alternatives, such as the back translation for comparing results.

Note that it does not exist a perfect medical translation, but it can be close and precise. Besides, take into account that more than a single option might be valid for a translation. So, just focus on these steps for assuring the most reliable and trustworthy medical translation. Lives are on your hand.