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Bilingual Publications
Spanish language visitor guide to San Antonio Missions NHP

Spanish language visitor guide to San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.

  

In the past Harpers Ferry Center has produced foreign-language versions of selected park brochures. Because of constraints on budget and staff, we are rarely able to do this now. Below is information on procedures and costs for obtaining a foreign language version of a park brochure.

Planning for Success: Developing a Script & Design

Involve management and public contact staff early in the process.

Keep it simple; keep it general.

Be sure that your original English version:

  • is clearly written.
  • deals with metric conversions and other specifics consistently.
  • deals with subject matter in a generalized way (to avoid immediate translation changes).
  • addresses unique considerations by language; minimizes English colloquialisms.
  • Use graphics liberally—pictures communicate in any language.

Finding a Translator

Ask the right questions of potential translators.

  • native speaker?
  • which dialect?
  • formal education in a country where the language is spoken?
  • their view/definition of audience/reader?

Make your specifications for translation quotes as detailed as possible.

  • number of words
  • proposed layout and output desired (diskette, paper, film)
  • second party reviews
  • special considerations

How much will the translator cost?

Coordinating a Review

Review is essential—ideally from someone who knows both the language and your facility/site.

Compensation for reviewer(s)—honoraria or other.

Selected Translation Resources

University Language Departments:

Contact individual foreign language departments; some offer translation services while others provide names of students who do freelance translation. Sometimes a professor is searching for “real world” projects for students to translate.

For Federal Agencies:

U.S. Government Printing Office

Any GPO office (central or regional) will write or have written contracts for translation as part of typesetting or desktop publishing contracts; talk to your regional GPO office.

For National Park Service:

Office of International Affairs, National Park Service (202-354-1807).

  • Skills roster for foreign language reviews
  
Author: Harpers Ferry Center
Last Updated: Friday, 15-Feb-2008 08:03:44 Eastern Standard Time
http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/pubs/pubs-03b.htm