Project
On the occasion of the grand opening of the Pelješac Bridge in 2022, we were entrusted with translating a richly illustrated monograph that tells the complete story of the bridge across 348 pages. From the initial idea, through political, economic and engineering challenges, to its final completion.
Through the testimonies of numerous people directly involved in the project, the book details all stages and versions of the bridge, explains why the initial attempt at construction failed, and shares stories about the Chinese company that successfully completed this engineering achievement. The demanding work on the access roads, which are among the most complex projects in Croatian infrastructure history, is described in particular detail.
The monograph features as many as 248 photographs that visually document the course of construction and the scale of the project. Its author, Krešimir Žabec, a veteran journalist and transport expert, frequently visited the site, recording stories and events firsthand.
Given the significance and scope of the subject, the monograph was published in a bilingual format (Croatian–English) to make it accessible to both domestic and international audiences.
Challenge
This project brought two key challenges:
- Very tight deadlines – the translation needed to be completed in time for the planned release to coincide with the bridge opening.
- Non-linear delivery of content – the author sent us chapters as they were finished, rather than in the order in which they appeared in the book. This required special attention to ensure that terminology and style remained entirely consistent throughout the text.
In addition, the book contained a large number of specialized construction and engineering terms that had to be translated precisely, while keeping the text comprehensible for a broader audience.
Process
- Terminology management – we created and updated a glossary to ensure consistent use of technical terms.
- Quality control and team selection – the entire project was handled by our in-house team, consisting of a project manager, translators, editors and proofreaders, to achieve maximum consistency and quality control.
- Proofreading after layout – once we received the book in PDF format, we eliminated any remaining typographic and technical issues and confirmed the content was ready for print.
Result
The final version of the monograph was presented to the public together with the opening of the Pelješac Bridge. Seeing the completed, printed book in hand was a particular source of pride for the entire team – a tangible result of weeks of intense work and collaboration.
This project was our opportunity to contribute, through translation, to the documentation of one of the greatest infrastructure achievements in modern Croatian history.
