Localization Services for Tech Products

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The initial step in a localization project typically revolves around creating a comprehensive terminology list and identifying suitable equivalents for terms, phrases, and even text chunks. This list should encompass product names, help file titles, manual titles, and commonly used verbs or phrases like “right-click” in the documentation or online help. Core software user interface terms, such as those found in dialog boxes and menu items, should also be extracted.
‎ ‎ ‎ One crucial aspect of terminology setup is considering the target audience for the translated material. For instance, when translating a reference guide for network administrators, certain key terms may remain in English. However, for a getting started guide aimed at novice computer users, some basic terminology may need translation.
‎ ‎ ‎ When translating a product for a specific operating system like Windows or Mac OS, it is crucial to ensure consistency with the terminology employed in the localized version of the operating system. For instance, when the localized application contains standard menu commands like File, Open, Print, Edit, and View, the chosen translations for these commands should align with those used in the operating environment.
‎ ‎ ‎ Software developers like Microsoft often maintain their own style guides and glossaries, accessible through their Microsoft Learn website. These glossaries comprise translations in over 100 languages for standard software elements such as dialog boxes, drop-down lists, and checkboxes. Within the localization industry, Microsoft glossaries are frequently regarded as the standard reference for achieving terminology consistency.
‎ ‎ ‎ Software publishers typically assign a sales representative or product manager in the target language country to validate the translation. Their involvement in the terminology research process is vital, and approval of terminology should be obtained before the translation begins. Any new terms or changes in terminology must be communicated to them throughout the project.
‎ ‎ ‎ To ensure a smooth localization process and prevent potential issues with the final acceptance of the localized product, direct communication between the Language Lead (lead translator) and the publisher’s reviewer is established. This ensures any concerns or discrepancies are addressed promptly.

 ‎ ‎ ‎ Isolated strings refer to segments of text that are presented without any surrounding context or information about where they appear in the user interface or application. Translators, lacking this crucial contextual information, may struggle to fully comprehend the intended meaning of the isolated string, leading to potential inaccuracies or misunderstandings in the translation.
‎ ‎ ‎ Take, for instance, the isolated strings “Logged in” and “Removed the sign-in URL.” In the absence of additional context, translators face serious difficulties in accurately translating these strings into other languages, primarily due to the lack of an explicit subject.
‎ ‎ ‎ In the first example, uncertainty arises concerning whether a single person or multiple individuals have logged into a corporate email account. Similarly, in the second example, it remains unclear whether “a person has removed the sign-in URL” or if the action was attributed to a technical glitch. As a result, a wide array of potential scenarios could apply depending on the specific application features, rendering the task of translation a challenging endeavor. In light of these complications, providing an impersonal translation may be the safest and most neutral approach.
‎ ‎ ‎ Furthermore, placeholders pose another hurdle in the translation process. These are dynamic elements within the text, such as variable data, user names, or dates, which are replaced with real-time information when the application is running. Consider the following string:

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 ‎ ‎ ‎ Plan changes will be applied to your next billing date on

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‎ ‎ ‎ When processed by a standard translation tool, it will typically be displayed as:

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 ‎ ‎ ‎ Plan changes will be applied to your next billing date on [tag].

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‎ ‎ ‎ The element behaves as a placeholder and is not visually evident in the source text. Consequently, translators may encounter difficulties in discerning its purpose and function. In this scenario, translators might assume that the proposition beginning with “on” is followed by a date with a specific format, such as “July 1st, 2023.” However, alternative interpretations, such as “the last day of the month” or “Friday, July 1st,” are equally possible. This uncertainty can lead to inconsistent translations across different languages, potentially impacting the user experience and functional accuracy of the localized product.
‎ ‎ ‎ To overcome these hurdles, close collaboration between developers and translators is essential. It ensures that translators have access to the necessary contextual information, enabling them to deliver translations that maintain the integrity and functionality of the original product in the target language.

 ‎ ‎ ‎ Working within space and length restrictions is a unique challenge that arises during the localization of tech products. In certain development environments, fixed form or dialog box layouts are utilized, employing a single-screen layout for all languages. Consequently, translators are required to demonstrate creativity in their approach, selecting shorter translations or abbreviations to fit within the limited space available. This often leads to variations in the length of specific terms, such as the term “Connection Speed,” which can have two length variants, “Conn. Speed” or “CoSp.”
‎ ‎ ‎ The maintenance of consistency with abbreviations becomes particularly crucial in firmware translations, especially when it comes to messages displayed on printer or mobile phone displays. The inclusion of standardized abbreviations or length variants in the terminology management process ensures a consistent and cohesive user interface translation throughout the software.
‎ ‎ ‎ Another vital consideration in the localization process is the main menu bar (File, Edit, etc.), which must fit on the screen, regardless of the screen resolution. In cases where space limitations occur, the Help menu name can be modified to a question mark, a practice that has become standard in many localized versions of Microsoft Windows-compatible products. It is imperative to keep in mind that strings in the Windows environment typically have a length restriction of 255 characters, including spaces, necessitating careful attention during the translation of software strings.
‎ ‎ ‎ To optimize user interface items during translation, adhering to the general rule of maintaining menu names, commands, and other software text in a concise manner proves to be beneficial. This approach not only reduces engineering time but also minimizes resizing efforts. However, it is essential to recognize that the translation ratio of words and sentences is not one-to-one due to the inherent nature of languages. For example, translating English text into French might lead to a length increase of 15 to 20 percent, while translating it into Hindi could result in a significant 80 percent increase. This discrepancy underscores the significance of interface design that takes into account these differing space demands.
‎ ‎ ‎ Designing menus and tabs can pose specific challenges as well, illustrated by the translation of “Preferences” in Windows interfaces, which becomes “Bildschirmeinstellungen” in German. Consequently, menus, boxes, logos, and other graphics containing embedded words must be self-sizing to avoid incurring additional costs in redesigning elements for each localized interface. Emphasizing self-sizing design is of paramount importance to ensure a seamless and visually appealing user interface that caters to the diverse language requirements encountered during software localization.