Localization

Localization is a type of translation which involves adaptation of a text to be more fitting for the target, i.e. local area, or in most cases, the local market (and we’ll explain why). It goes without saying that no translation should sound like one, but quite the opposite—it should be as natural and idiomatic as possible, meeting the target speakers’ expectations to ensure maximum readability. However, this is especially important in localization, where the accuracy is not as important as it is in sworn translation. What’s important is to create content that is attuned to target readers to achieve the desired effect (continue reading to find out what the most common effects are).

Of all types of translation, localization gives translators the most freedom to be creative, deviate from the source text, and even modify the content to the extent necessary to achieve the desired effect. Translators are even allowed to omit a part of the text if deemed fit. This is usually done when certain phrases, structures, or concepts are not common in the target culture, or even sound offensive. For instance, the word please at the beginning of an instruction is often omitted in translations to Serbian, simply because it is not common in this type of text. So, Please try again should be translated as Pokušajte ponovo, without the molim te part, as this is the usual way of giving instructions in Serbian, and the ultimate goal is to render a translation which is as natural as possible.

Translators doing localization often employ a technique called adaptation, where a source culture-specific concept (a concept specific to a given culture, known only to its members and connoisseurs) is replaced with a target culture-specific concept. For instance, there’s a great chance that the term sloppy joe won’t mean much to a Serbian speaker, but they’ll definitely be familiar with the term pljeskavica. So, the point is to look for the closest equivalent.

What kinds of text are usually localized?

We mentioned that, more often than not, texts are localized for a certain effect, and in the vast majority of cases, the goal is to get the readers to buy a certain product or start using a service. As a result, it is apps, software, blogs, video games, marketing materials, websites, etc. that are mostly localized.

To illustrate what makes localization so different from other types of translation, let’s compare translation of a contract to translation of a marketing blog. According to Skopos theory, which we deeply admire, before getting down to work, a translator should first consider what is the purpose of the translation at hand. If it is a contract that they’re translating, it is important that the client, i.e. the end reader, and most probably a party to the contract, understands their exact rights and obligations. Needless to say, every translation requires a certain degree of adjustment, but in such cases, that should be done with utmost care. Omission of a part of the text is absolutely unacceptable, as maybe, it is precisely this word that can be crucial for interpreting an article or a paragraph, or even the whole contract. On the other hand, when translating a marketing blog, the point is to attract the reader, as they are also a prospective buyer of the product or service. The problem is that, what may sound attractive to a buyer from, say the US, might be completely repulsive to a Serbian buyer. This is why it is crucial to choose the right words, tone, and style, even when it puts precision at risk, and creativity is more than welcome. There’s a classic example of sale failure with Nova cars at the Spanish market due to a lack of proper localization, which was more than necessary, as no va in Spanish means it won’t go, it won’t start.

Finally, we’d like to point out that, as a rule of thumb, every translation should be as close as possible to the source text as long as warranted, i.e. as long as it doesn’t jeopardize the naturalness of the translation and its ultimate purpose. This is the recipe for a perfect balance.

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