Germany’s DIN 2345 Standard

In 1998, the German Institute for Standardization published the DIN 2345 standard, which sets out terms and conditions for agreements between clients and the translators. The five sections of DIN 2345 are summarized below.

1. Original Text

The client is entirely responsible for the accuracy of the original text from the linguistic and technical points of view. The client must be in constant contact with the translator in order to answer any questions the latter may have. The translator must constantly update and expand his or her knowledge of the subject matter and, if necessary, contact experts in the field for advice or any other information required.

2. Selection of Translators

The client has an interest in selecting only highly-competent translators and in this shall be guided the following criteria:

• technical competence of the translator
• the translator’s ability to complete the work by the required deadline
• the translator’s access to technical tools (internet, translation memory software, etc.)

3. Agreement between Client and the Translator

The client begins by providing the translator with the original text or, at least, with detailed information about it. If the translator takes on the job, he or she informs the client of its approximate cost. If the parties conclude a formal agreement, it must contain the following information:

• deadline for delivery of the translated text
• agreement on additional services, such as layout, proofreading of the text by a subject expert etc.
• if necessary, the client shall provide the translator with special terminology or glossaries, background information and literature.

4. Target Language

The translation must conform to the linguistic standards of the target language, while its contents must be as close as possible to the original. Unless otherwise stipulated in the agreement, all footnotes, appendices and tables must also be translated. The client must be informed of any sections of the text that, for whatever reason, have not been translated or added to the translation. Any comments inserted by the translator must be clearly distinguishable from the text itself. All features of the original, such as page numbering and table formatting must be accurately copied from the original, and symbols and units of measurement must be converted into their equivalents in the target language.

5. Proofreading

Before delivering the translation to the client, the translator must make sure that it meets the following criteria:

• no parts of the text have been omitted
• the technical content and terminology have been accurately rendered

The translated text must comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement between the client and the translator.