Guidelines for translating and revising texts intended for the general public

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG TRANSLATION Swedish Language Department Guidelines for translating and revising texts intended for the general public October 2009

Table of contents PREFACE... 2 INTRODUCTION... 3 ADDRESS THE READER DIRECTLY... 4 NAME THE AGENT... 4 INTEREST THE READER... 5 MAKE SURE THE HEADINGS REFLECT THE CONTENT... 5 PUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION AT THE BEGINNING... 5 USE QUESTIONS INSTEAD OF STATEMENTS... 6 SIMPLIFY... 6 WHAT DOES THE READER NEED TO KNOW?... 6 USE EVERYDAY WORDS... 8 AVOID EU JARGON... 8 REPLACE NOUNS WITH VERBS... 9 CHOOSE THE SHORTER WORD... 9 USE SHORT PREPOSITIONS AND CONJUNCTIONS... 10 BE AWARE OF THE RHYTHM VARY THE LENGTH OF SENTENCES... 10 TAKE CARE WITH ABBREVIATIONS... 11 USE WITH CARE... 11 AMBITIOUS... 11 EUROPE... 12 CITIZEN... 12 ROLE... 13 AVAILABLE... 13 MEASURE... 13 LOCALISATION... 14 WEB LINKS... 14 1

Introduction to the English translation The Swedish Language Department in the DGT has drawn up guidelines for translating and revising texts intended for the general public. This is an English translation of those guidelines. It is not intended as a functional guide for English translators and revisers. The aim is to give non-swedish speakers an insight into the clear writing discussion within the Swedish department and to explain the actual content of the guidelines. We have tried to translate or adapt at least one example for each guideline to illustrate the point made in the text. In cases where the examples are too language-specific, the Swedish text has been left untranslated. Although few officials will be proficient in Swedish, many more will understand other Germanic languages and will therefore be able to recognise the problem illustrated by the examples. As the Commission communicates via translations in 22 languages out of 23, these guidelines for translators and revisers will be a useful addition to the new Clear Writing Campaign aimed at all Commission writers (both authors and translators). Clear writing principles tend to be similar in all languages and it is highly likely that part of this material will be relevant for other languages too. We hope this translation will stimulate debate on whether such guidelines are needed in other language departments. Preface Written guidelines for translating legal acts have been available since the beginning of the 1990s, when a large body of European legislation was translated into Swedish. Legal language can be stiff and formal, making it unsuitable for translating other types of texts, which usually require a more informal style to make the message clear. But writing clearly is not as easy as one might think, particularly if you have to explain complex facts. The need for advice and guidelines on other types of texts has become increasingly apparent. For this reason, producing guidelines for translating and revising different text types was one of the targets in the Swedish department s activity plan in 2008. The first such guidelines, on translating and revising communications, were published in April 2009. This booklet gives guidelines for texts intended for the general public. It was drawn up by the quality circle led by Maria Sandberg, with input from: Ylva Engsner Rickard Gimdal Kristina Hedtjärn Erika Jakobs-Meaudre Magnus Olsson Tarja Pajulampi Johan Palenius-Mansson Gun Söderlund Merila First edition October 2009 2

Introduction The Commission provides more and more information directly to the general public: brochures, letters, news articles and, not least, web texts. To build public confidence in the EU, such information must obviously be correct and reliable. It must also be presented in an accessible way. We must avoid alienating our readers! As in all translation, it is important to keep in mind who will read the text and why. Is the purpose to give information? Does the author want to influence the reader in some way? What is the reader supposed to think or do? Obviously, as a translator you cannot completely re-write an original of poor quality. Nevertheless, there is considerable room for manoeuvre to improve the text so that it matches the readers needs and knowledge. You do not have to provide a word-by-word translation or keep to the sentence structure. The important thing is that the message is clear. Think how you would express the idea in Swedish and try whenever possible to use normal Swedish. A clear document will be more effective and less likely to be misunderstood. In the annexes attached to the Swedish guidelines for the translation of legal acts (Att översätta EU-rättsakter Anvisningar) you will find a number of general linguistic guidelines which can be useful for other types of documents too. Glossaries produced at the Council 1 also contain useful hints on how to translate words and expressions which occur frequently in EU texts. 1 See under the heading Ordlistor (Glossaries) on the Swedish department s website. 3

Address the reader directly Use the word du (you) if possible, rather than the more impersonal man or passive forms. This involves the reader and makes the text more personal and accessible. French source texts are often less direct, possibly to avoid having to choose between vous and tu. This is not a problem in Swedish. Ni may be used in texts intended for more than one person, such as a letter to a company or an organisation. But even here du is often an acceptable alternative, given that the text is read by one person at a time. Another option would be to use a phrase like your company. Try different options and choose whatever suits your text best. Avoid capitalising Du and Ni initial capitals are excessively formal. In addition, capital letters are visually disturbing and make the text more difficult to read. EU rules now provide a two-year guarantee on all products bought in the EU. Polisanmälan måste bifogas när man begär ersättning från försäkringsbolag. Om man köper en ny bil måste man när man registrerar den i det land där man bor betala moms enligt den momssats som tillämpas där. Nedan följer några förslag på hur man kan delta i det europeiska året och dess kampanjer: EU rules now provide a two-year Europewide guarantee on any product you buy. Du måste bifoga polisanmälan när du begär ersättning från försäkringsbolaget. Om du köper en ny bil ska du betala moms när du registrerar bilen i det land där du bor enligt den momssats som tillämpas där. Så här kan du delta i kampanjerna under året: Name the agent Clearly stating who carries out each action makes the text easier and more enjoyable to read, whereas impersonal constructions can put the reader off. That s why it is important to name the agent instead of using a passive or the impersonal man. Sometimes it is not clear from the original who is carrying out the action and sometimes an impersonal construction is unavoidable. In such cases, an active verb used with the word man may be better than a passive. But be careful ensure that man refers to the same person each time it occurs in a passage. In texts intended for the general public you can also write we instead of the Commission, assuming that it is clear who we are. Progress has been made in the Member States. The unit price of products must be given by supermarkets to make it easier to compare prices. A similar convergence trend can be seen on regulatory issues. The Member States have made progress. Supermarkets must display the unit price to make it easier to compare prices. We see the same convergence trend on regulatory issues. 4

Interest the reader Make sure the headings reflect the content Headings are also important and should reflect the content of the text as far as possible. They don t have to be clever or witty, even if that is the case in the original. Making sure the reader quickly understands what the text is about is more important. It is often a good idea to use statements, exhortations (as we have done here) or questions. Headings should be short and to the point, but remember that a phrase says more than a single word. A heading such as Make sure the headings reflect the content is better than just Headings. Objective Mobile phones Time frame Multilingualism What do we want to achieve? Concrete aims of the project How are you affected by the proposal? Cheaper use of mobiles abroad How much do you pay for your calls? Lower charges on phone calls from abroad What happens now? EU promotes multilingualism Do you speak foreign languages? Learning languages pays off Headings are even more important on web pages. It is extremely unusual for people to read an entire web page usually we scan the page quickly to find the information we re looking for. To help impatient readers we need clear and informative headings. Remember to put the most important word at the beginning and avoid empty words such as information and important. Allowances Survey on road accidents Important information on EU s pet passports Measures to tackle the deep-seated problem of fleet overcapacity How to apply for an allowance Apply for an allowance Road accidents Rising death toll The Pet Passport How it works Fleet overcapacity EU intervenes Put important information at the beginning Interesting the reader is particularly important where texts will be read by the general public. You can do that by putting the most important information at the beginning and by presenting it in the most attractive way. When you write for the web, there are other more practical reasons for putting the most important words first: the way search engines work means that the words at the top of the page carry more weight. This also makes it easier for the reader to see what the text found by the search engine is actually about. 5

Remember that placing the subject at the beginning of the sentence often makes the text easier to read. EU legislation on food labelling laying down rules on ingredients, including genetically modified ingredients, colourings, preservatives, sweeteners and other chemical additives, enables you to check what you are buying. När du handlar i ett annat EU-land ingår moms och punktskatt i priset. Eftersom skattesatserna varierar från land till land kan priset skilja sig en hel del. Målet är att minst 20 % av EU:s totala energiförbrukning 2020 utgörs av förnybar energi. Nu finns det stränga regler för att övervaka kvaliteten på badvattnet vid badstränder i hela EU, vilket har gjort det säkrare att bada. EU legislation on food labelling enables you to check what you are buying. Full details must be given of ingredients, including genetically modified ingredients, colourings, preservatives, sweeteners and other chemical additives. Moms och punktskatt ingår i priset oavsett i vilket EU-land du handlar, men eftersom skattesatserna varierar från land till land kan prisskillnaderna vara stora. Målet är att förnybar energi ska stå för minst 20 % av EU:s totala energiförbrukning 2020. Nu är det säkrare att bada eftersom det finns stränga regler för övervakning av badvattnets kvalitet vid badstränder i hela EU. Use questions instead of statements Using questions instead of statements is another way to interest the reader. Whether you are travelling by car, by air or by train, you will find practical information in this section. For more information on national legislation, please contact the Data Inspection Board in your country. If you organise regional activities or events, you should fill in the form and send it to the EU Commission. Are you travelling by car, by air or by train? You will find practical information in this section. Do you want to find out more about your national legislation? Contact the Data Inspection Board in your country. Do you organise regional activities or events? If so, fill in the form and send it to the EU Commission. Simplify What does the reader need to know? Do not overload the readers with information. Ask yourself: What do they need to know? Cut out unnecessary words. Occasional EU sweeps or coordinated EUwide investigations are carried out to check for compliance with consumer protection laws. The EU checks for compliance with consumer protection laws. 6

A European Health Insurance Card has been introduced to make it easier to access healthcare in the EU. The EU allocates funds to help people in difficult economic conditions. You will find more information at the following website: http://... Listan över de länder vars medborgare måste ha visum för besök i Storbritannien eller Irland skiljer sig en aning från den som gäller för övriga EU-länder. De som anordnar verksamhet på nationell, regional eller lokal nivå bör ta kontakt med sin nationella samordnare och bevisa att deras initiativ uppfyller kriterierna för deltagande. För att passera EU:s yttre gränser behöver du ett giltigt pass eller ett ID-kort. Användbara länkar Syftet är att undersöka de eventuella konsekvenserna av att förbjuda rökning på offentliga platser. I de riktlinjer som kommissionen antog den 28 maj 2009. För att lösa problemet krävs en fortsättning av förhandlingarna. extra/ytterligare kostnader The European Health Insurance Card makes it easier to access healthcare in the EU. The EU helps people in difficult economic conditions. Read more: http://... Storbritanniens och Irlands visumregler skiljer sig något från övriga EU-länders. Som organisatör måste du kunna visa att ditt initiativ uppfyller kriterierna för deltagande. Kontakta därför din nationella samordnare! För att passera EU:s yttre gränser behöver du ett pass eller ID-kort. Länkar Syftet är att undersöka konsekvenserna av att förbjuda rökning på offentliga platser. I kommissionens riktlinjer från 2009 För att vi ska kunna lösa problemet krävs fortsatta förhandlingar. merkostnader It takes skill to explain complex issues clearly. You need to strike the right balance here, not underestimating the reader s intelligence or overestimating their knowledge of the subject matter. In most cases, you can simplify the text without losing important information. An air passenger who wants to find out if she will be allowed to carry her medicine in her hand luggage is not going to worry about whether these rules are laid down in a Directive or in a Regulation. So even if Regulation is used in the original, it is perfectly acceptable to write rules in a text intended for the general public. In the Swedish media, the EU is the commonly accepted way of referring to cooperation under the various EC and EU Treaties. For most people, the EC and the Community sound pedantic (and they have in any case been superseded by the Lisbon Treaty). So avoid using the word Community in a text for the general public. It is better to use EU here, even if it is not entirely correct. There are regulations laying down requirements for the labelling of products as organic. The Community The European Union There are rules for labelling products as organic. The EU The EU 7

Member States The European Commission Commissioner for the Environment member countries, EU countries The EU Commission Environment Commissioner Use everyday words When you translate texts intended for the general public, make sure that you do not to automatically apply the specific drafting rules for legislation. Avoid words and expressions which can be perceived as bureaucratic or old-fashioned. In most cases, there is a simpler word which has the same meaning. take into consideration eliminate numerous the majority of ämnar, avser återfinns tillhandahålla Consider stop, remove Many Most tänker, vill, planerar, ska Finns Ge Changing The corrective measures required should be taken by the Member States into The Member States should ensure that the errors are corrected clearly makes the text easier to read. Many more examples are given in Svarta listan ( the Blacklist ). 2 Avoid EU jargon Avoid unnecessary EU jargon and explain any circumstances which the reader cannot be expected to know even if there is no such explanation in the original. For instance, you cannot expect the reader to know which countries are the new Member States. It is better to refer to the countries which joined the EU on 1 May 2004, i.e. Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary, as well as Bulgaria and Romania, which joined on 1 January 2007. Also remember that some readers may not know what the Euro zone is. When writing for the web it is even more important to choose everyday words that might be used by the readers themselves. This not only makes the text more readable but also makes it easier for readers to actually find the web page. Which words would the average reader use when searching for information? Probably not third country or candidate country! candidate country third country the principle of subsidiarity harmonised rules The euro notes are identical in all countries country applying to join the EU non-eu country subsidiarity, meaning that EU decisions must be taken as closely as possible to the citizens consistent rules The euro notes are identical in all countries 2 Can be downloaded from: http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/243/a/19775. 8

but each country issues its own coins with one common side and one side displaying a distinctive national emblem. All the notes and coins can be used in the Euro zone. gränsöverskridande betalningar but each country issues its own coins with one common side and one side displaying a distinctive national emblem. All the notes and coins can be used in all countries that have adopted the euro. penningöverföringar mellan olika länder Replace nouns with verbs Texts which contain many nouns are often perceived as abstract and bureaucratic. If you replace some nouns with precise and concrete verbs, you will also make your text shorter and easier to read. reach agreement on put forward a proposal carry out an investigation carry out transport activities There is a need for action to be taken to ( ). There has been an increase in the number of applications. agree on Propose Investigate Transport Action is needed to ( ). The number of applications has increased. Sometimes nouns can be useful to make the text tighter and less wordy. Nouns can also be used to distinguish between general or abstract aspects and more concrete ones, or (in Swedish) to ensure gender neutrality. Rules on how the marine environment is protected, how fishery activities may be carried out and how energy sources may be used Den enskilde/a forskaren ska inte följa majoriteten när han/hon tar ställning. Rules on marine environment protection, fishery and the use of energy sources Forskaren ska inte följa majoriteten i sitt ställningstagande. Choose the shorter word Sometimes we are afraid of sounding too mundane and try to embellish the text in various ways. Choosing longer words or expressions is one way to do this. We may write objective when we mean goal, or add on extra words such as activity, process or resource. We often talk about human and financial resources when we really mean staff and money. Why complicate matters unnecessarily? methodology 3 development process preparatory action Method Development Preparation 3 Methodology = set of methods. 9

goods transport activity training activity At Member State level legislative measures problemställning, problematik 4 mötestillfälle goods transport Training by/in the Member States legislation Problem Möte Use short prepositions and conjunctions 5 Long prepositions are common in English and French source texts and often spill over into the Swedish translation. Prepositions like concerning, in connection with and with reference to can usually be replaced with shorter alternatives such as about, on, in or for. In addition, long conjunctions occur too frequently in Swedish EU texts. We often translate compared with as jämfört med instead of the shorter word än which works just as well. Information concerning air passenger rights. Problem in connection with the implementation of European environmental laws. Unemployment is higher compared to ten years ago. Allmänhetens deltagande i samband med beslutsprocessen. EU har skärpt reglerna när det gäller användning av farliga kemikalier. Information on air passenger rights. Problems in the implementation of EU environmental laws. Unemployment is higher than ten years ago. Allmänhetens deltagande i beslutsprocessen. EU har skärpt reglerna för användning av farliga kemikalier Be aware of the rhythm vary the length of sentences Texts intended for the general public need to be easy to read and coherent. Avoid overly long and complicated sentences with embedded clauses. We would also like information on the number of participants or, in the case of awareness-raising activities, the number of people reached. We would also like information on the number of participants (or people reached, in the case of awareness-raising activities). But remember that short sentences do not always make the text easier to read. They can sometimes have the opposite effect, as coherence may suffer. So why not vary the sentence length instead? Coherence can be improved by using linking words which connect sentences and passages and show how they relate to one another. For example: 4 Problematik = a complex of problems. 5 See also The Swedish Guidelines for the translation of legal acts (Att översätta EU-rättsakter Anvisningar) Annex 1 section 7.3 on simplifying some long prepositions, section 8 on some conjunctions and section 11.1 on long prepositions. 10

as, since, consequently, on the contrary and although. 6 We were unable to make a proper assessment. The data were insufficient. Vi har inte lyckats lösa detta problem. Vi måste nu utreda frågan ytterligare We were unable to make a proper assessment as the data were insufficient. Vi har inte lyckats lösa detta problem. Därför måste vi nu utreda frågan ytterligare. Take care with abbreviations Do not to abbreviate words, names and expressions unless it is absolutely necessary. Abbreviations make the text more difficult to read and, in extreme cases, can make it impossible to understand. Abbreviations are mainly needed where space is limited, for example in tables or when a long word or expression is repeated many times throughout the document. If you are using abbreviations which the reader cannot be expected to know, spell them out the first time you use them in a document. Short forms are an alternative to initial abbreviations. An example: you are translating a text about the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. In the English original, the title is written out in full the first time and then the abbreviation CLRTAP 7 is used (in every other sentence). What should you do? Avoid the temptation to use the English abbreviation in your Swedish text or, even worse, to make up a new one in Swedish. Why not just write the Convention instead? It can hardly be misunderstood, unless another convention is mentioned elsewhere in the text. It is for the Guidance Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) to contribute towards promoting rural development. EAGGF should, among other things, speed up the adjustment of agricultural structures. IPCC 8 It is for the Guidance Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) to contribute towards promoting rural development. The Fund should, among other things, speed up the adjustment of agricultural structures. The UN climate panel Use with care Ambitious The word ambitious is used frequently in EU texts as well as texts originating in Sweden. Nowadays there are not just ambitious people but also ambitious strategies, targets and actions. There is no reason to ban the word completely but remember that other options often work just as well or even better. Try determined, thorough or far-reaching. In some cases the word can simply be left out. The sentence The European Commission has presented an ambitious agenda to respond to the major social and economic challenges currently facing 6 See also the section on text cohesion in the Guidelines for the translation and revisions of communications (Råd om översättning och granskning av meddelanden). 7 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. 8 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 11

the EU can be translated as The EU Commission is determined to tackle the major social and economic challenges currently facing the EU. EU Member States have agreed on ambitious climate targets. Om jag får fortsatt förtroende av Europaparlamentet kommer jag att fördubbla mina ansträngningar för att åstadkomma ett ambitiöst EU. EU Member States have agreed on farreaching climate targets. Om jag får fortsatt förtroende av Europaparlamentet kommer jag att fördubbla mina ansträngningar för att åstadkomma ett målmedvetet EU. Europe 9 In our source texts Europe is often used as a synonym to the EU. So instead of always translating Europe as Europe and European as europeisk, it may be worth finding out what it really means. The whole continent of Europe or just the EU? If in doubt, contact the requester. If the source text states that 70 % of the European population live in urban areas it makes quite a big difference if you say 70 % of the population in Europe or 70 % of the EU population. And of course translating Europe s Member States as Europas medlemsstater would be completely misleading! I am convinced that Europe can and should assume the leadership required in the cooperation with our partners. Den europeiska politiken måste vara resultatinriktad. En av Europas främsta prioriteringar efter utvidgningen är att höja levnadsstandarden i de länder som blev medlemmar 2004. you can try I am convinced that the EU can and should assume the leadership required in the cooperation with our partners. EU:s politik måste vara resultatinriktad. En av EU:s främsta prioriteringar efter utvidgningen är att höja levnadsstandarden i de länder som blev medlemmar 2004. Citizen 10 According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word citizen has several meanings: 1) an inhabitant of a city or town (esp. one possessing civic rights), 2) a member of a State, native or naturalised and 3) an inhabitant. The French word citoyen also has several meanings and when the words citizen and citoyen occurs in our texts, they often refer to everyone living in the EU or in a specific region, including migrants holding a foreign nationality. The Swedish word medborgare has a narrower meaning as it refers to a person holding the nationality of a certain state. For this reason, in texts which will be read by the general public, you should avoid using a direct translation except in cases where the intended meaning does relate to constitutional law. Depending on the context, it may be better to use words such as inhabitants, the general public or people. 9 See also Språkrådet no. 76, 17.11.2008. 10 See also Mats-Peter Sundström s article Medborgare, samfund och gemenskap, published in Språkbruk no. 2/2008, http://www.kotus.fi/index.phtml?l=sv&s=2921. 12

It is only by working together across borders that we can put the potential of the markets at the service of citizens. It is only by transforming our good intentions into joint actions that we will meet the citizens expectations. Recently, the Single Market has increased EU prosperity at the rate of around 240 billion per year meaning an average of 518 extra per year for you and every other EU citizen compared to a situation without the Single Market. Enligt EU-omfattande opinionsundersökningar som gjorts under senare år är medborgare i alla medlemsstater oroade över denna situation och kräver att något görs. It is only by working together across borders that we can put the potential of the markets at the service of people. It is only by transforming our good intentions into joint actions that we will meet the expectations of the general public. Recently, the Single Market has increased EU prosperity at the rate of around 240 billion per year meaning an average of 518 extra per year for you and everyone else in the EU compared to a situation without the Single Market. Senare års opinionsundersökningar visar att människor i hela EU är oroade över situationen och kräver att något görs. Role The word role is used too frequently in EU texts. Sometimes you can translate role (or rôle in French) as function or task. It is often an empty word which can be cut out. Agriculture plays an important role in the EU. EU är särskilt väl rustat att ha en pådrivande roll för en globalisering byggd på värderingar och regler. Kommissionens roll är att driva på utvecklingen mot en koldioxidsnål ekonomi. Agriculture is an important sector for the EU. EU är särskilt väl rustat att driva på en globalisering byggd på värderingar och regler. Kommissionens uppgift är att driva på utvecklingen mot en koldioxidsnål ekonomi. Available The English word available is often translated (literally) as tillgänglig even though there are other options which may be better. One of the simplest is finns (exist). A number of services are available on the website. Rapporten är endast tillgänglig på engelska och franska. De flesta av kommissionens handlingar är tillgängliga för allmänheten. On the website you will find many services of various types. Rapporten finns endast på engelska och franska. Allmänheten har tillgång till de flesta av kommissionens handlingar. Measure The word åtgärd (measure) is another word which is used too frequently in EU texts. You can often use the word insats or handling instead. The verbal construction vidta åtgärder (take measures) can often be rendered as agera, handla or ingripa (act or intervene). 13

The Recovery Plan focuses on measures to improve healthcare. Vi måste vidta snabba åtgärder. Svårigheten är att omsätta denna enighet i konkreta åtgärder. Europeiska unionens solidaritetsfond inrättades för att man snabbt ska kunna vidta åtgärder vid naturkatastrofer och hjälpa katastrofdrabbade områden. The Recovery Plan aims to improve healthcare. Vi måste agera snabbt. Svårigheten är att omsätta denna enighet i konkret handling. Europeiska unionens solidaritetsfond inrättades för att man snabbt ska kunna ingripa vid naturkatastrofer och hjälpa katastrofdrabbade områden. Localisation Always make sure that texts intended for the general public are localised. This will give the text an authentic feel and make the reader feel included. One way to achieve this is to give amounts in both euro and kronor to make it easy for Swedish-speaking readers in Sweden as well as Finland to understand. If Sweden or Finland is mentioned in the text, this can be highlighted as in the example below. You can save 150 euro per year. The campaign runs between July and December in eleven EU countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Sweden and United Kingdom). You can save 150 euro (around 1 500 kronor) per year. The campaign runs between July and December in eleven EU countries. Apart from Sweden, they are Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania and United Kingdom. Web links Links are a great advantage offered by websites. Make sure they are clear and informative so that the reader can see where the link will take them, without having to click on it. There is no need to include words such as Go to or Click here. Do not hesitate to link other words in the source text instead. Also check if the link opens a pdf file in a new window; if it does, tell the reader (even if the original text does not). Many readers will be annoyed when they discover that they have to wait for another program to open, especially if they have a slow computer. If they are forewarned, they can decide for themselves if clicking on the link is worth their time. For more information on opening hours, click here Download the Guide Information on opening hours or Opening hours Download the Guide (pdf) 14