Translation as a Profession (Benjamins Translation Library)

38 Translation as a ProfessionThis includes all ‘things’ that people use and everything (mostly documents)that facilitates their use. Thus, localisation is basically ‘instrumental translation’or translation that literally produces instruments. Failure to adapt contents, format,and form in any way carries the immediate penalty of non-understanding,non-acceptance and/or non-usability.Be that as it may, localisation is technically a variety of translation. Yet, forreasons of marketing (the hope of getting more money for a high-tech translation)and self-appraisal, most translators do claim a different status for localisation. Andthis is in fact fully acceptable provided localisation is not simply a bigger name fortranslation – meaning localisation actually involves more than translating text orcontents that come on new, and mostly hyper, media. As the following will show,most people wrongly use the term ‘localisation’ to cover the translation of anythingrelated to software packages or Web sites or videogames when, in fact, very littleof the ‘transfer’ activity would not qualify as translation. And many more make anuntenable distinction between ‘localisation’ (which, they say, is adaptation) and‘translation’ (which, the same say, closely fits the original). What it amounts to istragic ignorance of the history of translation.A description of the three domains and cycles of localisation will help clarifymatters and establish the true differences between translation and linguisticlocalisation proper.2.4.1.1 Software localisation Technically speaking, software localisation refers toall the operations required to produce specific national or regional versions of anapplication (including Readme files, CD covers, on-line helps, user instructions,installation instructions, etc.) so that the product will be just as effective and userfriendlyin other languages and contexts as the original version is or was in itshome market.Software localisation usually includes a dozen or so different stages requiringseveral different types of professional skills, involving one or more operators,depending on the techniques used (and the tools available), the degree of specialisationrequired for the particular product and the range of professional skills available.The localisation team generally includes a software engineer. The successivestages can be defined as follows:The shaded parts identify what the ‘translators’ would do as a matter of course.1. The structure of the application and its documentation is analysed2. The project is planned, starting with a definition of the stages involved and theresources required.3. The work provider specifies the service required.4. The product is disassembled: the application is broken down into its variouscomponents, which may be stored in different files i.e.