Translate technical instructions naturally while preserving commands
Separate prose from executable text, keep exact identifiers and verify that the translated steps still describe the same action.
In brief
Technical translation has two jobs: explain the procedure naturally and preserve anything that must remain exact, such as commands, flags, file paths and product names. Translating both identically can break the instructions.
A small glossary and a final step-by-step review are more reliable than accepting a fluent paragraph alone.
Keep executable text intact
Leave a documented command in its original code block unless the command itself has a supported localized form. Do not replace ASCII quotes with typographic quotes or translate option names. In an RTL page, display code left to right so the characters remain readable in order.
Translate the meaning for the task
Explain what the setting does before using an unfamiliar label. Keep company and product names unchanged. For a menu item, provide the actual localized label or the original label where needed, with a useful explanation rather than a literal phrase that obscures the action.
Review as an instruction, not a sentence
Check sequence, condition, warning and expected outcome. Compare numbers, units and negation. Ask whether a reader can locate the control and complete the action; smooth language alone is insufficient if it changes the command or omits a required step.
Before you act
Interface labels vary by language and version. A term should help the reader find the control; an elegant replacement that no longer matches the screen can be unhelpful.
What to do next
- Mark commands, identifiers, paths and product names as text to preserve.
- Translate the explanation independently for the reader, defining unfamiliar technical terms.
- Compare each action and exact token with the original, including direction and punctuation.
