Writing for Human and Machine Translation

The Red Hat Localization Services team translates technical product documentation from English to other languages required for Red Hat customers. Translators from Localization Services collaborate with Red Hat technical writers to clarify statements in the documentation and answer technical questions related to the documentation as they translate content. This industry insight report examines the team's translation workflow and explores how the machine translation technology used by the Localization Services team impacts the translation progress, for better and for worse. We take a closer look at how this intersection of technology and design both limits and enhances the documentation design and translation processes. This report also examines the role of the technical writer in the translation process, how the writer's documentation design decisions impact the machine translation process, and how the writer should be influenced by the translation process as a whole. This report discusses several methods that can be used by technical writers to write clear and concise content for both human and machine translation. Taking a proactive approach to writing for a global audience makes the translations process more efficient and increases content quality.