When recently working on translating a compliance training course, I was given instructions to adapt certain passages for a spoken word as some parts of the course were going to be narrated. I found it a bit challenging at the beginning, mainly due to the fact that I had to “sacrifice” accuracy at some points, but when I thought of the audience of the course, I came to a conclusion that their following of the training material was far more important than a 100% accuracy with the original. The working method I resorted to was basically to shorten really long sentences and “insert” conjunctions that made the speaking flow naturally and logically.
Upon completing the project, I was asked to review two samples of voice-over recordings of selected passages. The voices were great, but one version was definitely too quick and too condensed. In my opinion, for a compliance course to be successful, its participants have to be able to follow it at ease. I was positive about the second sample and I hope that was the one that was selected in the end.
More on compliance and FCPA shortly.