Ever since we opened for business back in 1995, we have been the trusted language partner of a major North American rail carrier, working closely with the company’s various departments to meet their translation and revision needs. As true experts in the field, we also translate a variety of documents for other logistics service providers.
Gearing up for its 100th anniversary, one of our corporate clients wanted to publish a coffee-table book that traced the company’s journey as a rail carrier. The book contained menus, maps, and drawings, and each page—with its sleek, eye-catching design—featured a short historical account, a story, a biography or the words of a railroader, recalling memories of a not-so-distant past.
Our job was to take care of the translation, and that was no easy feat. We had to make sure we got the railroad engineering terminology right while being mindful of the terms and position titles used at different times in the company’s history. Many of those terms and titles had changed and were no longer listed in any terminology bank, whereas others simply had no French equivalent and had to be adapted in a way that preserved their original flavour. What’s more, we had to contend with space constraints while crafting beautiful, sometimes stirring, prose that would keep readers riveted until the very last page. As the project took us back in time, we also had to do quite a bit of research to ensure the consistent use of style and terminology and the accuracy of historical facts.
A company that had been in business for 100 years deserved no less than for us to give it 110 percent. So, to make sure we met all deadlines and delivered a translation that was enjoyable to read, we began by setting up a team of seasoned translators, terminologists, and proofreaders. The team spent many months working tirelessly on translating the book and doing extensive research, at times digging deep into old paper archives and other printed publications to confirm job titles used in the past. A great deal of collaborative thinking went into maintaining consistency across all translated content and finding the most evocative and compelling turns of phrase. We also worked closely with the client to make sure all requirements were met. As our client had requested a turnkey solution, the team handled the revision and proofreading as well.
Our client was extremely pleased with the quality of the end product, and we were immensely proud to be part of a significant milestone in the history of a true North American railway icon.
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