FM-11 Reviewed · v1.0
Translate with a fixed glossary and a back-translation check
Terms that must not drift are fixed up front, and a separate back-translation shows where meaning moved.
You end with
A translation that uses your agreed terms, a list of meaning differences found by back-translation, and a reviewer sign-off for public text.
- Level
- Practitioner
- Effort
- 1 h first time
- Works in
- Chat assistant, full support
- Model API and scripts, full support
- Local model on your machine, partial support
- Steps
- 5 with checkpoints
Is it the right skill?
Use it when
- Product names, legal terms or UI labels must stay consistent.
- You can read the source language but not write the target language well.
Skip it when
- The text is a contract or a safety instruction and no qualified translator will review it.
Before you start
- A glossary of fixed terms, including names that must not be translated.
- For public text, a fluent reviewer in the target language.
Steps
Do not move on until the checkpoint holds.
-
Build the glossary
List each fixed term with its approved translation, plus names and labels to keep as they are.
Checkpoint Every product name and interface label in the text is in the glossary.
-
Translate section by section
Provide the glossary with each section and ask for the approved terms to be used exactly.
Checkpoint A search for each glossary term finds its approved form.
-
Back-translate separately
In a fresh session without the source text, translate the result back into the source language.
Checkpoint The back-translation was produced without seeing the original.
-
Compare meaning
Compare the back-translation with the source sentence by sentence and list differences in meaning, not wording.
Checkpoint Each difference is fixed or explained.
-
Review public text
A fluent reviewer reads anything that will be published.
Checkpoint The reviewer's name and date are recorded.
What can go wrong
- Accuracy Fluent output can hide changed meaning. The back-translation is the detector, not the guarantee.
- Effect on people Readers trust published translations. Keep a fluent reviewer for anything public.
Revision history
| Version | Date | Change |
|---|---|---|
| v1.0 | First published. |