How to enable and set up alternative translations
Introduction
Alternative translations are often used for transcreation projects. When this option is activated, the layout of XTM Workbench changes to enable the translator to enter alternative translations and back translations.
Guidelines
As a user with the Administrator role, go to Configuration → Settings → Projects → Project types, select Alternative translations, specify their default number and save the changes. If Alternative translations segmentation has been set, you can choose whether to segment the source text in paragraphs or using the standard segmentation rules for your system. The segmentation method will apply for all customers and projects when projects with alternative translations are processed.
The next time you create a project, select Alternative translations in the project’s Settings section and enter the number of alternative translations you want to receive.
In XTM Workbench, enter the translation, back translation and as many alternative translations and back translations as were defined at the project creation stage. XTM Cloud displays each source segment the specified number of times in XTM Workbench. There is a recommended translation followed by a set number of alternative translations, all of which can be completed by the translator. For each alternative translation, there is a field in which a linguist can enter a back-translation.
The explanation for each translation can be entered in the comments section. A reviewer can choose the required alternative translation and copy it to the recommended translation. Only the recommended translation will be used to generate the target document.
IMPORTANT!
Bear in mind that only the most recent alternative translation inserted for a particular segment (in this case, the third translation), is saved in the translation memory (TM) base.
Good to know!
An alternative translation report can be generated and downloaded in Project Editor → Files → Preview from the dropdown. This report is an Excel file containing all the translations, back translations, and comments in one sheet.