- Avoid jokes, slang, idioms, proverbs and sayings. They are YOURS, not theirs. Allusions to books they probably haven't read, quotations, however familiar they are to you -- all that won't work.
- Be cautious with metaphors and similes (comparisons). Pretty clear and familiar to YOU, for others they might be not so obvious.
- Symbols can mean something very different in other cultures. If you can't do without one, find out what it means THERE.
- Abbreviations and acronyms are tricky, too ? they may be unknown to your audience.
- You will have to explain stuff you think to be trivial. Not everybody in the world knows what is eBay, Paypal, or Amazon. Celebrities' fame isn't worldwide, either. Big companies and brands may be unknown on the other side of the globe.
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 translator's vocabulary, the better your message will be expressed. Besides, a native speaker often has precious knowledge on the culture -- it's 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!
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Linguist by profession, Alexandra Gamanenko currently takes part in a design studio project. It offers localization and translation of websites into Russian and Ukrainian, among lots of other useful services.
Learn more -- visit the website
www.clever-crayon.com