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Hola:
El cliente de una traducción nos pidió que usáramos plain language para traducir el texto. Parece un término obvio pero seguro que tiene características particulares, ¿ustedes saben cuáles son? Sé que en el ámbito legal se está tratando de implementar para evitar confusiones y zonas oscuras.
Hello Max:)
I think the client wants "ordinary" or "everyday" language with a minimum of technical or flowery (superfluous) language, i.e., language that would be understood by even the least knowledgeable reader. Another way of saying "plain language" could be "layman's terms".
I always thought it would mean "literal translation" as close to the source as possbile, without any "creative syle adaptations".
Ex: Gina's actions-> Acciones de Gina (plain)-> Acciones para Gina (adapted translation)
Was I wrong all this time?:p
I found one good example:
Original Text:
High-quality learning environments are a necessary precondition for facilitation and enhancement of the ongoing learning process.
Plain Language:
Children need good schools if they are to learn properly.
Well, the term itself tells you that it means clear and understandable language.
A very common expression in the US is "Give that to me in plain language". Lawyers, doctors, technicians, educators, etc., tend to talk in the language of their profession, using technical jargon and excessive verbiage, and often overstate what could be said in a simple sentence. Plain language simply means to say it in a way that is easily understood.
Max's example is a perfect. Eliminate all the pretentious multi-syllable words and say it plainly.
P.S. No nablym, you are not wrong. Your example is fine. Just another way of saying keep it simple.:)
Hi Max, far as I know plain English is a movement first implemented in the legal area.
For centuries, legal language has always been the centre of controversy among legal practitioners and linguistics due to its complexity and ambiguous meaning. So the plain English movement was born due to the necessity of making legal English plainer for the common public. Even though, there is no exact instruction regarding the extent of "plain" level is required as to be considered plain English, but by definition, I think the best one is what has been given by the co-founder of plain English campaign, Martin Curtis: "A written communication is in plain language if its wording, structure and design are so clear that the intended reader can find what they need, understand it and use it."
So, I guess whenever someone asks you to do some translation work in plain English, we should first ask who is the intended reader as to make sure the translation is done in the proper register and vocab.
I have found a very good explanation:
Plain language is not dumbing down content, and its intention isn't to offend the PhDs of the world.
Plain language is content written for everybody, including degree-bearing individuals. A study of how users with lower literacy skills read and navigate on the web, for example, found that even users with graduate degrees completed tasks faster when language was simplified. They also didn't have a negative reaction to the simplified content.
"It's not a matter of dumbing down," says plain language and user experience specialist Ginny Redish. "It's a matter of meeting people where they are and saving people's time."
If you're writing instructions for an app, know then that none of your users will be offended when you save them time, no matter how many degrees they have.