Visual Communication: Crossing International Boundaries
http://www.stc.org/confproceed/1996/PDFs/PG438439.PDF

Bosley, Deborah S.
STC Proceedings
1996

Abstract:

Technical communicators often produce documents that are then translated into another language. Much has been written about creating a text that is “translatable” by eliminating analogies and metaphors; using short, clear sentences; organizing information according to the cultural preference for order; and eliminating jargon. whenever possible. Because technical communicators often provide both text and graphics, such attention to the translatability of graphics is essential to producing documents that fit the cultural conventions of the country in which the document is to be used.