This thesis explores how metaphors can humanize a technical document and more effectively facilitate user comprehension. The frequent use of metaphor in technical communication reminds us that the discipline is highly creative and rhetorical. Theory demonstrates that a technical text involves interpretation and subjectivity during both its creation by the technical communicator and its application by the user. If employed carefully and skillfully, metaphor can be a powerful tool to ensure users' needs are met during this process. The primary goal of technical communication is to convey information to an audience as clearly and efficiently as possible. Because of the often complex nature of technical content, users are likely to feel alienated, overwhelmed, or simply uninterested if the information presented seems exceedingly unfamiliar or complicated. If users experience any of these reactions, they are inclined to abandon the document, automatically rendering it unsuccessful. I identify metaphor as a means to curtail such an occurrence. Using examples from a variety of technical communication genres, I illustrate how metaphors can humanize a technical document by establishing a strong link between the document and its users.

The aim of this thesis is to provide an insight into the translation of technical texts from German to Czech. The theoretical part discusses the present state of knowledge of technical translation in Czech and German speaking countries, the scientific discourse, text typology and classification of texts with regard to the context. Furthermore, this thesis describes contrasts of technical texts, and their characteristic features on a lexical, syntactic, semantic, pragmatic and text level. This thesis focuses on technical translation of medical texts with their most common text types and specific features, and explains implications for their translation from German to Czech. The empirical part of the thesis includes translation analysis of a chosen text type and an overview of main text types in medicine, followed by examples of parallel texts in Czech and German. To provide more objective information about translation of technical texts, a survey was carried out among translators and translation services agencies. The subsequent results were compared with the findings presented in the theoretical part. In the conclusion, this thesis summarizes the results of the research into the translation of technical texts from German to Czech with regard to medical texts and offers suggestions for further research.