Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
1
Translation vs. localization: Anything new?
Anthony Pym Universitat Rovira i Virgili Tarragona, Spain © Intercultural Studies Group Universitat Rovira i Virgili Plaça Imperial Tàrraco Tarragona Fax: (++ 34)
2
The state of translation theory
Equivalence died. Description, Skopos, deconstruction and localization survive. No debate. Just data. © Intercultural Studies Group
3
© Intercultural Studies Group
And yet… We train translators And defend translation … especially when there is a new kid on the block. © Intercultural Studies Group
4
What localization is not:
Unconstrained adaptation (Skopostheorie) Translation with technology (TMs, websites, and as you were) A return to natural equivalence (Nida in the machine?). © Intercultural Studies Group
5
Visible localization:
© Intercultural Studies Group
6
Partial localization:
© Intercultural Studies Group
7
© Intercultural Studies Group
D-day localization © Intercultural Studies Group
8
So what is localization?
Localization: taking a product and tailoring it to an individual local market (i.e. ‘locale’). © Intercultural Studies Group
9
© Intercultural Studies Group
Here is a locale: © Intercultural Studies Group
10
And within localization…
Translation: converting user-visible natural-language strings from one language to another. Localization = translation + factor X. © Intercultural Studies Group
11
© Intercultural Studies Group
What is factor X? Internationalization (e.g. character encoding) Adaptation (e.g. dates, time, currency conventions) product reengineering product testing project management. © Intercultural Studies Group
12
© Intercultural Studies Group
Don’t think like this: ST TT © Intercultural Studies Group
13
© Intercultural Studies Group
Think like this: Interlingua ST TT1 © Intercultural Studies Group
14
The world is not like this:
© Intercultural Studies Group
15
© Intercultural Studies Group
It might be like this: Locale 4 IC Locale 2 Locale 1 Locale 3 © Intercultural Studies Group
16
Language technicians focus on...
Controlled writing Multilingual terminology (controlled equivalence) Multilingual content management (chunks) Use of translation memories (updates) Integration of MT project management © Intercultural Studies Group
17
1. Diversity at Microsoft:
© Intercultural Studies Group
18
© Intercultural Studies Group
2. Linearity at Dragon: Welcome to Dragon NaturallySpeaking, the world’s most acclaimed large-vocabulary continuous-speech dictation system. With Dragon NaturallySpeaking you can dictate to your computer instead of using the computer to enter and revise text. © Intercultural Studies Group
19
© Intercultural Studies Group
Two pages later: Welcome to Dragon NaturallySpeaking, the world’s most acclaimed large-vocabulary continuous-speech dictation system. With Dragon NaturallySpeaking you can dictate to your computer instead of typing. © Intercultural Studies Group
20
© Intercultural Studies Group
And again: Welcome to Dragon NaturallySpeaking, the world’s most acclaimed large-vocabulary continuous-speech dictation system. With Dragon NaturallySpeaking you can compose messages, create reports, draft letters, edit proposals, and more, all by speaking to your computer instead of typing. © Intercultural Studies Group
21
© Intercultural Studies Group
This means: Texts become ‘information objects’. They lose linearity (we read with the Find function). Text production is also non-linear (modifications and updates). © Intercultural Studies Group
22
Globalization at Ikea:
© Intercultural Studies Group
23
© Intercultural Studies Group
In Malaysia: © Intercultural Studies Group
24
© Intercultural Studies Group
In Greece: © Intercultural Studies Group
25
© Intercultural Studies Group
In Poland: © Intercultural Studies Group
26
Globalization at Ikea:
© Intercultural Studies Group
27
© Intercultural Studies Group
In Germany: © Intercultural Studies Group
28
© Intercultural Studies Group
In France: © Intercultural Studies Group
29
© Intercultural Studies Group
In Hong Kong: © Intercultural Studies Group
30
© Intercultural Studies Group
This means: The most global product is the most symbolically domesticated. There is a clear professional distinction between natural-language replacement (‘translation’) and complete localization. The dehumanizing processes are at the level of natural-language replacement. © Intercultural Studies Group
31
© Intercultural Studies Group
Work space at DejaVu... © Intercultural Studies Group
32
© Intercultural Studies Group
This means: Translators are being separated from the most lucrative IT techniques of localization. Translators are being separated from the most humanizing marketing techniques. We remain mere technicians. © Intercultural Studies Group
33
© Intercultural Studies Group
So, what’s new: Internationalization (centralized production) Content management (work on chunks and updates) Fabricated equivalence Lousy jobs for translators Big money for cool techies. © Intercultural Studies Group
Similar presentations
© 2025 SlidePlayer.com. Inc.
All rights reserved.