Translation
Translation?
Transcreation?
Localisation?
What is the difference?
Translation
Translation is everywhere, but is often not recognized as such. This is due to the fact that translation is much more than simply replacing words between two languages. A translation conveys the content and meaning precisely and with style into another language. In doing so, one has to pay careful attention to context, target audience, and the function of the text.
Why do you need a professional translation?
credibility & trust
international reach
targeted communication
efficiency & consistency (terminology work)
Localisation
Localisation means adapting content culturally, contextually, and technically to a target region. The goal is to present a product, a video, etc., without any linguistic pitfalls or cultural misunderstandings so that it feels as if it was originally created for the intended audience, without any linguistic pitfalls or cultural misunderstandings.
- Linguistic nuances (idioms, tone, audience targeting)
- Cultural conventions (humor, colors, symbols, etiquette)
- Technical details (date and time formats, units of measurement, layout adjustments)
- Legal or normative requirements in the target region
- for films, series, and subtitles
- for websites, apps, and software
- for marketing campaigns and advertising copy
- for product descriptions and user manuals
Transcreation
The term “transcreation” comes up quite often in the context of translation, as a mere translation, most of the time, is not enough. Especially when it comes to emotions, wordplays, or cultural nuances, creative language solutions are needed to ensure that the message is not lost.
>> localisation vs transcreation <<
Localisation
When it comes to localization, a text is not only translated linguistically but also adapted to cultural, regional, and technical factors (e.g., date, currency, etc.).
Transcreation
Transcreation builds on localization. However, it is more elaborate. The original text is creatively reworked to ensure that it achieves the same emotional impact and intent in the target language. This often involves a significant amount of linguistic freedom, which means that the result can differ substantially from the original (e.g., marketing texts, slogans, etc.).
PRICING
My rates for translations, localizations, and transcreations are generally based on a per-word price, which is an internationally established model. However, in Austria, it is also common to create prices based on standard lines.
The price of a translation depends on the overall scope of your project, the type of text, the subject area, and the urgency. Additionally, when working with CAT tools, the repetition or matching of segments (matches) can lead to a reduced price.
Post-Editing
Post-editing refers to the revision of machine-generated translations. The advantage of large language models is that they can produce translations quickly. The downside: these translations are prone to errors, especially when it comes to technical terminology, idioms, and cultural nuances! In post-editing, the text is revised linguistically, stylistically, and in terms of content.
- Light Post-Editing: correction of major errors (suitable for purely informative texts)
- Full Post-Editing: thorough linguistic, stylistic, and content optimization
- High text volumes in a short time
- Internal company documents
- First drafts
- Cost-efficient solutions with a focus on quality
PRICING
The amount of work involved in post-editing depends heavily on the quality of the source text or the initial machine translation. Typically, billing is based on time (hourly rate) or word count. If the machine translation is of usable quality, the cost is often lower than that of a full human translation.