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I must say as a translator (I write and translate technical content) I would find this quite difficult to handle. However, here are the first things that pop to my mind.
- If you can, write in the longuest langage first, it is easier to add blank spaces on a page then to fit extra text. If you cannot do it, find the size ratio for languages. For exemple, French is usually 30% longer than English.
- Maybe you can also use bigger fonts in some languages?
I have never heard of users who read the same book in two different languages side by side. Therefore I do not see the use for it. However, if your clients came up with that specification, they probably already have a system to manage it. If they don't they probably do not understand what they are asking for.
Exception: Is it for marketing pamphlets? For online help, in which pages can be longer? In marketing, you can usually ask the translators to be careful about length, when there are many ways to say the same thing, they usually choose the shorter expression or use fewer images (images as in "Riding this motocycle is like taking a trip to the moon" not as in .jpg or .gif). Translators are used to these limits in the marketing industry because they often deal with posters and pamphlets that have limited space. However, there are limits to what can be done, without taking out any content, and for technical manuals there are too many specific rules to follow to keep the content readable and presentation consistent. Also, since doing this is quite time consuming, you cannot expect translators to do it for books.
France Baril
Rédactrice Technique / Technical Writer
IXIASOFT
(514) 279-4942
france -dot- baril -at- ixiasoft -dot- com
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