‘Software Localization’ Archives
Universal Symbols
Symbols have many advantages over text. For example, a sideways triangle symbolizing "play" on a video player will take up less room than the text "play." The same symbol will be understood in many languages, will not require traditional translation in many markets, and will thus avoid problems with text expansion in translation. Some of the [...]
Don’t Trash Your Message
Symbols and icons often require translation. Years ago, some European users confused the cylindrical, U.S.-centric, Macintosh "trash" icon with a postal box (email). Similarly, Sun Microsystems found previously that email icons in SunView confused non-U.S. users who had never seen a red flag used to indicate whether or not a postal box had new [...]
Beware of Hand Gestures
Hand gestures do not always carry the same meanings across borders and should often be avoided in international product icons, marketing materials, and other cross-cultural communications. For example, in the U.S., icons using fingers in the thumbs-up, V-for-victory, or OK sign would indicate that something is good, but these can be vulgar [...]
Localization Terminology | Industry Glossaries
Whether ironic or appropriate, the language industry - especially the localization industry - has a language all its own. A basic understanding of many terms and acronyms specific to localization (ex: bi-di, simship, and MT) can make life easier when working in this arena. In our excessive use of acronyms and abbreviations, we even refer to [...]
Translation & Localization Style Guides: Introduction & Downloads
As listed in the tip on translation glossaries, three tools that help maintain consistency in a company's translation include glossaries, style guides, and translation memory. Glossaries help maintain consistency at the term level, translation memories help maintain consistency at the sentence level, and style guides help fill in the gaps by [...]
Translation & Localization Glossaries: Guide & Downloads
Consistency is an important measure of quality in translation. Three tools that help maintain consistency in a company's translation include glossaries, style guides, and translation memory. Glossaries help maintain consistency at the term level, translation memories help maintain consistency at the sentence level, and style guides help fill in [...]
Pee Pee Phone Brand Does Not Pass “the Snicker Test” | Japanese Brand Localization
A few years ago, International Systems Research (ISR) released a softphone in Japan called the PPPhone (pronounced "pee pee phone"). Unfortunately, that name does not pass what some people call "the snicker test" in English and many other languages where "pee pee" is understood to mean something else. ISR had some good reasoning for using the PP [...]
