Translating Ukrainian messages and screenshots: contents, sequence and source

Screenshots, exports and printouts as different materials

A screenshot shows part of an interface in a particular state. A conversation export may contain text in a different layout, while a printed email may include additional headers and attachment labels. The specific form of the material and information about its scope are supplied for translation. If the client has several forms of the same conversation, they identify which is the translation source and which serve as supporting comparisons. A printout from an email application and a photograph of a phone displaying a message do not necessarily contain the same data. Distinguishing them helps describe the basis of the translation and establish what information actually appears in the source.

Digital material is organised before work begins: each image receives an identifier and file order follows the agreed sequence of the set. Several conversations may be separated by participants or dates. A file title assigned by the client is organisational information; elements visible in the image remain source content. If the order concerns a printout or electronic file, the certification describes that basis to the extent required by Art. 18(2) of the Act on the Profession of Sworn Translator.[1] Clear identification of material allows a passage to be located later when the recipient compares the translation with the attached image.

Visible participants, dates and message order

A conversation may show a contact name set on a device, a nickname, telephone number, email address or profile name. Each identifier is reproduced as shown in the material. A separate comment from the client explaining a participant’s identity is supporting material and should be recognised as information supplied by the client. If the same participant appears under different names within a set, linking the files requires particular care. A forwarded message may also show the original sender’s name alongside the person who forwarded it. Maintaining these distinctions helps make the whole exchange clear.

Dates and times are translated as shown in the source, preserving the designations present. If the material contains a time zone, it forms part of the information to be reproduced. If no time zone is given, assigning a particular zone would require additional material, rather than the appearance of the time alone. Email threads may display messages from newest to oldest, while chat screenshots may contain overlapping sections. The source list should explain the adopted file order. This helps distinguish a repeated message visible in two images from two separate statements with similar wording sent at different times.

The passage's scope and necessary context

An assignment may cover the entire conversation supplied or a specified range of messages. For an extract, its start and end and the files belonging to it are established. “I agree” may refer to conditions stated earlier, while a reply containing a pronoun may refer to a person or document in a preceding message. Directly related statements therefore matter to the translation. In material concerning cyberbullying, the official Gov.pl guide stresses preserving messages and other evidence.[3] When organising translation, preserving the source and preparing a separate set covering the agreed scope is similarly helpful.

If only part of the correspondence has been selected, its scope should be clearly defined in the order and in the preparation of the material. Related attachments, quoted replies and indications that a message was deleted or edited can affect how the visible exchange is read. Additional explanations from the client remain separate from the message content. With several pages of screenshots, it is necessary to check whether there is a gap between the last statement in one image and the first in the next. The description of the set may indicate this boundary without filling in missing content. An extract prepared this way allows the recipient to compare the translation with the actual scope of the submitted material, even where the case involves a much longer conversation.

Abbreviations, emotions, images and attachments

Messages may contain abbreviations, mistakes, unfinished sentences, colloquialisms and forms specific to the messaging app. Translating them requires identifying their function in the particular statement. A brief reply may confirm an earlier proposal, express refusal or refer ironically to a situation; the choice of equivalent depends on the visible context. Work on the text preserves its character, relevant markings and the distinction between a statement and an interface comment. Repeated abbreviations are handled consistently. If an extract is cropped or obscured, that condition must be marked appropriately; a clearer source may allow a fuller reading.

Emojis, stickers, photographs and recordings are different components of correspondence. A visible symbol or file thumbnail identifies only the element shown in the image. Translating a document attached to a message requires providing that document in legible form and including it in the scope of the assignment. Likewise, a voice recording requires separate material that can be listened to and agreement on whether the assignment includes transcription and translation. The filename, description and document contents should be clearly linked. In business messages, this applies particularly to specifications, invoices and confirmations referred to in brief exchanges.

Translation certification and authenticity examination

Certification of a translation concerns the source material presented and its translation. Technical examination of an image's authenticity requires other data, such as the source file, device or application record, depending on the subject of examination. In a study of communication records, Graeme Horsman analyses tools that create realistic mock-ups of messages and the importance of assessing their authenticity.[4] This research scope shows why content visible in a screenshot and the image's technical origin are separate issues. When a translation is commissioned, the source is described according to the form presented, allowing the recipient to know what material the translation was compared with.

In civil proceedings, the significance of documents and other records is governed by the relevant evidence rules. Art. 243¹ of the Code of Civil Procedure concerns documents containing text and allowing the issuer to be identified, while Art. 308 governs other documents, particularly image recordings, sound recordings or both.[2] When preparing correspondence for a case, the source format, identification of extracts and their connection to the translation therefore matter. A document prepared by the translator can help the recipient read the Ukrainian content in the material supplied. Information about an image’s provenance, how it was obtained and any changes is separate material that can be presented to the appropriate recipient.

Supplying material and delivering the completed set

An initial enquiry should specify the type of correspondence, languages, approximate number of images or messages, date range, deadline and required delivery format. Before a particular set can be priced, the legibility and amount of text in each image must be checked. For multiple files, a source list may include a number, filename and range of messages. Supporting material, such as a description of participants or an explanation of the sequence, is labelled separately. If images contain data unrelated to the commissioned scope, the preparation of a working copy is agreed with due regard for retaining the proper source. This establishes what material will actually be translated and described.

When a translation is issued, identifiers enabling the corresponding images or files to be located are retained. The set should remain consistent after being passed to a law office or institution: renaming sources without updating the list makes comparison difficult. The office of Vadym Rekel, sworn translator and interpreter of Ukrainian, TP/27/17, accepts digital material within an agreed scope of Ukrainian–Polish translation. The deadline and form of certification are agreed for each assignment. If an additional section of a conversation or a better source image appears after work begins, its relationship to the earlier set and its impact on the completed translation are established.

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