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Surprisingly many people think that creating, say, a website in a foreign language means just to translate the existing English version. Good translation by all means is very important. But what about putting your message into the context of the particular culture, which is native to your new audience? This process is called website localization. It is like tuning your website (both content and design) into unison with mentality of other people -- the prospective visitors. Here I wont describe the part of web site localization which deals with programming; this issue itself is complex enough. I will focus on writing content for your website and its further translation. What part of this work you can do yourself? Probably not all of it, but quite a lot. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you in the process. Step Zero: Remember: Your Website is Not for You. It is for VISITORS. So it is logical to consider what THEY think such websites should look like. It is their points of view that matter, not yours. When you memorize this axiom, go to Step One: Learn! Self-education is useful in itself; besides, this knowledge is going to save you money and bring profit later. Learn as much as you can about your prospective audience. The more, the better. Its a rather time-consuming but exciting process. I hope you will manage, as Ancient Romans used to say, Miscere utile dulci (to mingle the useful with the pleasant). You will find out plenty of interesting things about another culture. Customs and traditions, rules of etiquette and moral principles, stereotypes, superstitions and lots of other stuff for you to consider when addressing people from a country other than yours. You can find plenty of information in the Internet. Search Groups as well. Show your interest in other culture, and almost any native will appreciate it and help you as an expert. In addition, you will make good friends with great people. Travelers guides can be an excellent source of information; they will help you avoid costly mistakes not only during a trip abroad. Just one example. You must have seen websites with pictures showing people gesticulate. Note that any gesture which is quite OK in the USA may be misunderstood somewhere else. By the way, do you know what the OK gesture means in some Asian countries? Demand for money, thats what. In Tunisia it will be interpreted as a threat to kill; in Arab countries -- go to h In France it means just zero or nothing. In Denmark or Italy it can be taken as an insult; and so is in Brazil, Guatemala and Paraguay -- here it is considered very obscene. So, youd better make pictures of your website culture-neutral. The farther in, the deeper What is considered rude, impudent, offensive, or impolite in this culture? What is respected, valued, venerated? What traits of character are appreciated most? What are the favorite colors and what are they associated with? What are the most noticeable differences between your culture and this one? Dont be surprised if points of view on what is beautiful and what is ugly will also differ from yours. When you come to the conclusion that your text wont do and the design probably needs changing as well, go to Step Two: Analyze! Turn your findings into tips for writing another text. Donts here are of much more important than Dos Realize how you shouldnt write. Learn what wont work. Find out what to avoid in graphics and website design. When arranging content and graphics, it is very important to know whether the audience reads left-to-right, right-to-left or vertically. Step Three: Write for your audience. What to begin with when writing for a person from another culture? Put on his shoes first. Well, thats second. First, take off your own shoes. I mean dont be a representative of your own culture -- just for a short time youll be writing the content.
Step Four: Find a RIGHT translator If you can, get a well-educated native speaker of a language you are going to have your text translated into (it is called target language) The reason is that nobody can ever say: I have learned this language -- only I have been learning. We all have been learning our mother tongues since birth. That is why native speakers have an advantage. The larger the translators vocabulary, the better your message will be expressed. Besides, a native speaker often has precious knowledge on the culture -- its precisely what you need for website localization-- and will help you in the process. Step Five: Bring it to Perfection How to check the end result? Ask somebody from this culture to proofread the text before launching the website. Encourage feedback when your website is launched. Correct mistakes, if any, at once. Improve your website all the time. Getting your messages understood in other languages and cultures is a tricky task. It takes plenty of effort -- but it will pay. Not only will you make profit and avoid bitter losses caused by misunderstanding. As a bonus you will get deeper undestanding of people whose languages, cultures and even ways of thinking are different. This understanding is the key factor of your success in doing business or communicating with these people. Good luck to you! Success be to your efforts! |
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