When writing text that will be translated, it’s important to consider your audience. Are they really young or part of the baby boomers; professionals long in the business or brand new interns? Not only is that information to be considered, but it’s important to consider the culture the text will be translated for. Do they prefer the sensitive, generalized, or factual writing? How large is their language and are you using words and phrases that are easily interpreted into it?

Choosing the appropriate age group for your content is important. Your targeted age group will generally determine whether your content will be written professionally or with a more lighthearted tone. If you are targeting all ages, write somewhere in the middle. Writing both professionally and casually can be stating the facts with a friendly approach. The way you write your content is the way you portray your company—customers will perceive you based on your website.

Choosing the right context for your end-reader is also important. You don’t want to come off sounding brash to a reader who prefers sensitive undertones and you don’t want to be emotional with a customer who wants to read straight-up facts. Study the culture you are translating to in order to determine the most appropriate way to write. For example, the Finnish language has two different versions of their language: standard language for professional writing and spoken language which is used in personal communication. Another example shows that some languages of Southeastern Asia do not have a word for “no”. When writing for these cultures, it’s important to know the differences between your own language and the end-readers.

Another important thing to consider is your text length. What is said in a sentence in English can be said using one word is other languages. Or where one word is used in English, it may take a full sentence to portray your meaning when interpreting. According to a leader in international translation, translating from English to other languages usually results in a 33% increase in words to correctly interpret your text. Because of this, linking, pictures, and other items relating to your text may have to be altered for the end result.

Remember to proofread everything you write. Correct grammar and punctuation are important when it comes to translating from one language to the next. Consider this sentence by Groucho Marx in the 1930 film, Animal Crackers, “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas, I’ll never know!” Using incorrect sentence structure or punctuation can be very confusing for the interpreter, making the end result confusing for the reader. Make sure your language is clear, concise, and written for your targeted audience in a form they will approve of.

For more information regarding website translation, or to begin your industrial website, contact us! We’ll help you find the easy way to design, develop and maintain your industrial website. Whether your clients live next door or you work with customers across the country and around the world, we’re there to help you gain maximum online exposure.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 4:26 pm and is filed under International Internet Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.