Translation errors can often be traced back to misunderstandings caused by word choice in the original text. Many ordinary English words and phrases have multiple meanings which can lead to confusion and, consequently, mistranslation. Streamlining a text into global English means making a document more straightforward. Simplifying the syntax, reducing the number of idioms, and adjusting the choice of words are all key ingredients of globalization. Of fundamental importance to this editing process is a global perspective, an awareness that other people might not understand some of the expressions that we Americans take for granted.
Translation is an intricate process with a very strong human element.
Consistency can be difficult to achieve and third-party verification of accuracy is sometimes challenged. As the number and diversity of target languages increase, the situation becomes geometrically more complicated. After a certain point, it becomes impossible to find any human being who can say with certainty that all of the translations convey the same meaning. For some documents, such as marketing materials, it is actually advantageous to have variations in meaning for different audiences. However, it is fair to say that most types of documents call for translation that is as faithful as possible to the original meaning and intention.