Localisation versus Translation
Most people think that localisation is just another word for translation,
but it is far more complicated than that. Translation is certainly
an important step in the localisation process, but it is only part
of adapting content and layout to the culture of a specific market.
Localisation isn't just translation
For
a translation to be localised it must be matched to the cultural
requirements of the target market, ensuring any images and concepts
are culturally appropriate. Taking website
localisation as an example, the text on a website can be
translated quite easily, but any cultural references, photographs
and diagrams must be adapted to fit in seamlessly with the target
market.
Localisation
issues can arise even in countries with a common language. In
English-speaking countries such as the UK, US, Australia, and
Canada, subtle differences in the culture and language can make it
vitally important to consider localisation. These countries have a
wide variety of currencies including Australian or US Dollar, and
the British Pound, so localisation would be required for any content
that involved currencies.
Dates
are also written differently, in Britain, 2/10/2006 means 2nd
October, but 10th February in the US. In Japan dates start with the year first, then the month, for example, 2006-10-2. As you can see, the commonly accepted date separators "/" or "-" in these countries also vary.
The differences
even spread to numbers, with English-speakers generally marking
thousands with a comma, and a full stop for decimals, but in much of
Europe it's the other way round.
Quotation marks also vary in different languages, for example in the English language “example” is acceptable, whereas in French these symbols are used: «example».
It
is important that the translator takes into account such factors,
alongside any country-specific references which may be unfamiliar to
a target audience. As attitudes to religion and politics, as well as
popular culture, vary in every country, it may be necessary to add
an explanation, change the reference to something more suitable or
leave it out altogether.
thebigword
only uses highly qualified linguists who translate into their mother
tongues and are fully immersed in their own cultures. After all, if
you're launching an English spell-checker, you need to be sure if
it's "aluminum" or "aluminium" "color"
or "colour?" or indeed, “localization or localisation”.