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“Translation is not a matter of words only: it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture.”
-- Anthony Burgess
Translation & Localization
TRANSLATION
LOCALIZATION
Translation refers to interpreting the meaning of a written document (the SOURCE TEXT) and subsequently producing an equivalent content in another language (the TARGET TEXT) so as to communicate that same meaning.
Any translation project involves the translator's skill and discernment to best capture the essence of the original message, its tone and intent, taking into account cultural and regional singularities. That is why no two translations will be exactly the same even though both might be equally accurate. For instance, there will be much more variance between different translations of a poem -- loaded with emotion and personal interpretation -- than there will be in the translation of a set of operating instructions for a home appliance.
REVISION
Localization is the process of adapting a product or content to a specific location or market. The aim is that the content looks and feels as if specifically created for the target audience. In a localization project, translation is involved as one of several elements, which may include adapting graphics or images, modifying content to suit tastes of target audience, converting currencies and units of measure, addressing local regulations and legal requirements, etc.
TRANSCREATION
Transcreation refers to translating plus recreating the original text in a new language while maintaining its intent, style, tone, and context. The transcreator must understand the desired outcome thoroughly so that the new message evokes the same emotions and carries the same implications in the target language as it does in the source language. This form of translation is so creative that it becomes copywriting -- the transcreator generates new content from the seed of the original material. This may involve working with brand names, slogans, advertising contents, and visuals.
Transcreation
Review
Revision requires a skilled translator with the appropriate language combination who is able to ensure that the newly produced text contains no translation errors and is adequate for the purpose for which it is intended. This is done comparing the source text and the translation, side by side, so it involves both texts and both languages. The reviser must have solid experience in translation techniques and tools, have good analytical and writing skills, be conscientious and ask questions about anything in the text that is not clear. The purpose of this bilingual revision is to focus on checking the correct transfer of concepts or messages, terminology, terminology consistency, completeness, and transfer of untranslatables (coding, figures).
SUBTITLING
Subtitling
PROOFREADING
Translating subtitles implies specific rules and criteria. It consists not only in translating the textual context, but also taking into account images and audio, with determined time and space constrains. The ideal result is that the text on screen is atune with the audio in a way that the translation sounds natural and fluent, so much so that the viewer is undisturbed by the subtitles and almost unaware that he or she is even reading.
Proofreading
Proofreading a translation, or indeed any other text, requires working only in the target language. It is the monolingual revision of a translation in order to check grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, naturalness and fluency, and compliance with client’s instructions and/or style guides, without modifying terminology or messages. The purpose is to produce a linguistically correct piece of work.
TERMINOLOGY MANAGEMENT
Terminology Management
“Words travel worlds. Translators do the driving.”
-- Anna Rusconi
Terminology management refers to a set of activities which includes identifying, collecting, storing, reviewing, translating, and updating specific terminology, in order to ensure correct terms are used consistently in all materials. The process makes texts easier to understand by eliminating any possible ambiguity among terminology, which may be specific to a field of knowledge or action, a company, or a product.
Organizing terms based on a clear set of rules for their usage can greatly improve both the copywriting and the translation processes.
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