The DIN 2345 standard
The DIN 2345 standard was published by the German Institute for Standardization
in 1998. This standard contains different conditions for concluding contracts
between translators and clients. We would like to give a short overview of the
five sections of the DIN standard.
1) Original text:
The client
is responsible for the linguistic and technical correctness of the original
text. He is obliged to inform the translator about mistakes he finds
afterwards. The client should also be available for the translator to answer
questions. It is the translator's responsibility to acquire the necessary
subject related knowledge. He may also contact experts to obtain such
information.
2) Choosing the translator
In his own
interest, the client should only choose competent translators. The following
criteria should be considered:
- Technical
competence of the translator
- The
translator should keep the deadline
- The
translator should have access to technical tools such as the Internet or the
Translation Memory Program (a special computer program for translators)
3) Setting
up a contract between client and translator
The
translator receives the original text or at least further information. After
accepting the job, the translator sends a cost estimate to the client. If a
contract is drawn up, it should contain the following points:
- Agreement
on the deadline
- Agreement
on additional services such as graphic design, proofreading by others etc.
- The
client should provide special terminology, background information and secondary
literature if necessary
4) Target text
The target text must correspond to the linguistic standards of the target
language, and the content must be true to the original text. If there is no
further agreement with the client, footnotes, appendices and tables must be
translated as well. The client must be informed about parts that are not
translated or added to the translation. The translator's comments must be
marked clearly. Formal aspects such as numberings and tables must be copied
from the original text, whereas symbols and measurements must be adjusted to
the target language.
5) Proofreading
Every translation should be checked for the following criteria before it is
handed over to the client:
- Completeness
- Technical
and terminological correctness
- Target
text corresponds to demands drawn up in the contract
For anyone, who would like to know
more, there is further information available in German: