Cross-language communication
Simplify a message before translating it
Idioms, jokes and vague phrases often translate poorly or not at all. Before translating, rewrite them as plain statements of what you mean, then confirm that every condition and request survived. Translate the simpler version and keep the original for reference.
A text to start with
Here is my message: [paste text]. It will be translated into [language] for [reader]. Find idioms, slang, vague phrases and sentences with unclear subjects. For each one, state what I most likely mean and offer a plain replacement. Keep these details unchanged: [names, dates, amounts, conditions]. Show the original phrase beside each replacement and ask me before changing any meaning.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Simplification worksheet
Full original message: [ ] Target language and reader: [ ] Original phrase: [ ] Why it may not translate: [ ] Literal intent: [ ] Simpler version: [ ] Fixed detail that must stay: [ ] Original phrase: [ ] Literal intent: [ ] Simpler version: [ ] Fixed detail that must stay: [ ] Conditions in the original: [ ] Where each condition appears in the simpler version: [ ] Requests in the original: [ ] Tone I want to keep: [ ] Who approved the simpler wording: [ ]
What simplifying can remove
A plain rewrite can quietly drop an if-clause, such as a request that applies only when something else happens. Check that a polite hedge, such as asking whether someone might be able to help, has not become a flat demand. Words like soon or a few may have been replaced with something more precise than you intended, so confirm any new number or time with the writer. Make sure sentence subjects stay clear after merging or splitting sentences. If a phrase had two possible meanings, the simpler version should reflect only the one you chose.
Ask another agent to check the result
Compare my original with the simplified version. Check that no condition, deadline, request or softening phrase was removed or changed. Point out any simpler phrase that now means something stronger, weaker or more specific than the original, and quote both versions.
Lock the plain version
Read the original and the plain version side by side and confirm each request and condition appears in both. Settle any phrase where you are unsure of your own meaning before translating. Send the plain version for translation, then keep the worksheet so you can explain a choice if the reader asks about a particular word.