Translating Culture

Translating Culture for World Language Markets

A Conversation with Mike Collins and Nicholas Strozza

For the uninitiated, accessing software, video games, websites, and eLearning in languages other than English would seem to be merely a question of translating whatever is there, and most likely a task for a machine translator with some cleanup from a human being. Despite the astounding leaps that are being made in linguistic and idiomatic accuracy in machine translations, local consumers are often not sold on global, monolingual marketing strategies. In this conversation Mike Collins and Nicholas Strozza will show us how translating agencies localize advertising products for world language markets. Translation is only one of several actions in the localization process, which includes steps such as rewriting content to appeal to consumers from target markets, adjusting the design and layout to properly display the translated text, adapting the graphics, converting to local currencies, units of measure, and formats for dates and addresses, and complying with local regulations and legal requirements. The goal of localization is to give a product the look and feel of having been created expressly for a specific market, independently of language, culture, or location. Localization requires an intimate understanding of the target culture that surpasses mere mastery of the target language. After a brief introduction, each speaker will speak about 15 minutes and then we will invite students to respond and ask questions. Finally, we will open it up to the room for discussion.

This event is organized by Joan Munné and Melissa Simmermeyer, Lecturers in the Department of Romance Studies, and has been made possible with the support of Forum for Scholars and Publics, the Mary D.B.T. and J.H. Semans International Exchange Fund, Romance Studies, and Duke Service-Learning. For more information: http://sites.duke.edu/advancedspanishtranslation.