The realm of professional translation isn’t always apparent in how it employs language, despite the fact that it sells language. Translators have their own slang, much like everyone else in the industry. Transcreation vs localization are often used terms, but what do they signify and how are they different? Understanding the difference can assist you to decide which service to request when, for example, you require your company website to be translated into Spanish.
For a deeper understanding, go beyond the written word through localization.
The cultural expectations of a target audience are taken into account while localizing material. When it comes to translation, the attention is on the two or more target languages. Starting with the brand’s and content’s themes and issues, it is important to verify that everything is culturally appropriate. For example, a UK-targeted beverages firm may show a group of friends watching a football match in an advertisement. US and Central Asian audiences may not be best served by a strategy that emphasizes a sport that is less popular in those countries. However, even the little cultural variations may have a significant impact on profitability. Additionally, localization can help you avoid upsetting foreign cultures or infringing advertising laws or censorship rules. It’s not only about broad ideas like “culture,” “politics,” and “law,” though; localization also focuses on specifics like “language” and “dialogue.” Everything from the time and date format to your marketing colors and even the photos you use may be customized to the smallest of details.
Transcreation: go one step farther and unleash your inner artist.
Transcreation is a further step in ensuring that your marketing communications are heard the way you wish them to be if localization continues beyond the language to handle cultural expectations. In order to elicit a certain response from their target audience, brands typically employ a complex combination of verbal, narrative, and visual cues. Some nuanced subtleties just can’t be transferred directly when it comes to translation. Consider a cleverly worded corporate slogan, for instance. Taking your phrase out of its original language erodes its effect, yet it’s critical that it elicits the same reaction from people throughout the world. With transcreation, the goal is to identify the ideal approach to convey your message in another language and culture so that it resonates with your audience. A fresh market might result in an entirely different phrase that has the same or a very near influence on your brand.
The fundamental concepts of transcreation.
The following are three key concepts of transcreation:
- When compared to translation and localization software, transcreation offers greater scope for originality. There will be no new material created when a game’s translation is localized, but the linguist can make changes to make the text more relevant to the player’s world. The process of transcreation gives the linguist “additional” latitude in re-imagining the content. Your product’s tone of voice will be preserved even if the material is totally rewritten.
- Transcreation is more dependent on the emotional aspects of a piece of content. Transcreation opens the door to radical revisions. It is necessary, however, that the words elicit the same feelings as the original.
- In the transcreation process, the content that was developed is different. As an illustration, consider the Final Fantasy X video game’s American English adaptation. Weapons of several types were available in the game. The names of each weapon were distinct.
When it comes to translating vs localizing, there are some key differences.
The major distinction between translation and localization is that the latter considers cultural distinctions as well as linguistic ones. In order to be successful in a new market, entertainment material, goods, or advertising campaigns need to be localized in order to fulfill cultural standards.
Medical literature, for example, in which the original meaning must be preserved at all costs, sometimes needs the use of direct translation services. Both processes are vital in expanding the reach of language, but the key is to know how to employ each process to its advantage.
Understanding the differences between Transcreation vs localization can help you better connect with your target audience. All of the resources you need to develop a targeted website translation and localization plan are available from the companies.
