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Flow is the way your eye moves or is led through a composition. While most of us will naturally move from one element to another in our own fashion, a designer can control to some extent where the eye moves next.

Verbal Flow – the path taken when reading text on the page Visual Flow – the path taken when looking at images and graphics on the page

To make copy easier to read you can: Develop a consistent typographic style across your site – Be consistent with your use of font size, face, and color Choose a font for your copy that is easy to read – Your copy is not the place for a fancy font Remember the principle of proximity – Place headings close to the text they refer to, captions close to images. Organize your text elements so it’s clear what goes with what Watch the width of columns – Don’t make columns to wide or too narrow as each hinders reading Develop a vertical rhythm in your type – Use consistent line heights and vertical margins and paddings

consistency and harmony

repeat

immediately a sense of harmony

Be consistent with your instructions

sing consistent language is one of the cornerstones of technical writing. Use the same phrase repeatedly, again and again and again. The reader gets used to the phrase and can more easily skim to what is important rather than concentrating on reading the same thing, but phrased differently. Variety, so the technical writing law goes, is great for works of fiction, or indeed most other forms of literature, just not for technical writing.

日本翻訳者協会 Working with Translators What is the difference between translating and interpreting? Translation means the transfer of written messages from one language to another, while interpreting refers to the transfer of spoken messages. Sometimes ‘translation’ is used as a generic term covering both practices, but when hiring someone’s services it will be less confusing if you distinguish between these different skills. What can a professional translator do for you? give you access to documents written in a language you don’t understand enable you to communicate your views in another language enhance the image of your company or organization by producing a professional document that is accurate and uses a style and terminology that are consistent and appropriate for your target audience help sell your products or services and ensure that a bad translation does not compromise your reputation or the quality of your products or service save you money by reducing the number of errors in your documents and eliminating delays and the need for expensive patch-up jobs later save you the worry and problems that arise from working with amateurs save you from possible embarrassment by pointing out any problems in cross-cultural communication. If you care about the quality of the end product, it is essential to use a professional translator rather than somebody who simply has a knowledge of two languages. What are the qualities of a good translator? a sophisticated understanding of the foreign language an understanding of the topic being translated an ability to transfer ideas expressed in one language into an equally meaningful form in the other language an above-average capacity to write well in the target language (the language in which the translation is written), using language appropriate for the topic and readership broad general knowledge a sound knowledge of the two cultures involved mental agility sensitivity and attention to detail an understanding of specialized terminology in the field of the translation and a willingness to do further research if necessary training or experience. Translation is more than just a mechanical exercise in looking up words in a dictionary and substituting the grammatical constructions of one language for those of another. Often there is no one-to-one equivalence between words in different languages–for instance, a particular word might have different emotional connotations in the other language. A professional translator will be aware of these potential difficulties and know how to cope with them. What are the characteristics of a good translation? Accuracy, logic and clarity in expression are key characteristics of a good translation, along with an appropriate tone and level of language (e.g., level of formality or technicality). On-time delivery is also essential. Above all, a translation must fulfil the function you require of it. With a translation for use in court, accuracy will be of paramount importance, even if the translation reads somewhat awkwardly, whereas with texts for publication it is vital that the translation reads smoothly. Tell the translator about your needs, what and who the translation is for, and what you expect the final product to look like. This won’t take a minute, but could save you a great deal of money and frustration and will help ensure a good translation. Can translators work in both language directions equally well? It is very rare

Clients are sometimes surprised at the high cost of translations.