Why “correct” is not enough for manuals
A translation may be linguistically correct and still non-compliant. In instruction manual translation, what matters is how the user understands and applies the information, not just semantic accuracy.
Clear examples of correct but non-compliant translation
Example 1 – terminological inconsistency
“Press the POWER button.”
➡️ translated as “power button,” “on/off button,” “power supply button”
➡️ the user no longer knows which button to press.
Example 2 – softened warning
“Warning: Risk of electric shock.”
❌ “Attention: there is a risk of electric shock.”
✔️ “WARNING: risk of electric shock.”
➡️ losing the warning hierarchy weakens the message.
Example 3 – incorrect procedural structure
Long, literal sentences combining multiple steps into one.
The role of the specialised translator
The human translator establishes clear rules: naming, order, units, style. They translate the document as a functional system, not isolated sentences.
A compliant translation reduces user errors and increases product safety.