Most companies today aim at reaching a global audience, but in order to offer their products and services they need to address their potential customers in a language they understand. This is where translation and localisation come into play: a good translation provides companies with an attractive business card.
Translating company websites means localising them as well, adjusting their structure and contents to a specific foreign market: once again, translating from a source language into a target language also entails building a bridge between two different cultures and providing potential customers with clear and consistent information.
A translator’s highest goal is to produce a text which sounds natural to the readers, so they don’t even realise they’re reading a translation: this is even of greater importance for company websites, product and service descriptions, communications addressing customers and potential customers and so on. In order to achieve this objective, a translator should “get a feel” for the company he or she is working for, be familiar with the company’s organisational culture and with the culture the company operates in and be knowledgeable about the target market and culture.
Each of us likes reading clear, well-written information when considering purchasing a product or service: typos, grammar mistakes and expressions which don’t sound natural in the target language must be avoided, which is the reason why translation tasks should always be performed by professional translators. After all, a translator – just like any professional – needs to study and learn to do his or her job: knowing two or more languages doesn’t mean being able to translate simple or complex texts.
Companies should bear in mind that a “simple” translation can have a great impact – either positive or negative – on their image. This is why they should always choose the right professional, considering their needs and the results they want to achieve. Translation can help them accomplish their goals and should be regarded as a stepping stone to success: every investment in this sense should be considered as a potential gain rather than a potential loss.
Erika Trabattoni 