| When
translation is for onward transmission in print, rather than simply for information,
greater care and creativity are needed. If a translation is merely to know what
the original says, a professional translator will ensure that the translation
is true and faithful, but that's a legal definition. For marketing purposes, making
sure that what you're trying to get across is totally understood is a great deal
more difficult. The golden rule is that if you have engaged the services of a
copywriter to write the English, you will certainly need a more creative translator
to interpret the meaning behind the words - the sense, the feeling, the rhythm
- in order to create a foreign-language version that truly reflects every nuance
of the original. Expect to pay twice as much for translating hard-sell marketing
material as you would for straight translation required for information only purposes.
This allows the translator twice as long to consider such creative concepts as
attention-catching headlines with clever word plays or slick tag lines and straplines.
Brand names should never be translated - you'll see some examples of how this
can go wrong under Test your
knowledge. Always ensure you are careful to consider all aspects of
cultural adaptation. Our pocket
guide to multilingual
publishing will tell you more about this specialist area. You can find
providers of translation services and multilingual publishing services on BLIS
Professionals and BLIS
Facilities, services which are maintained by CILT, the National Centre for
Languages and its Regional Language Networks.
|
