Translating an advert into a foreign language needs to make sense and register an understanding in the target culture.

This is done by adapting the original document, which means a linguistic and cultural transference from the original to the target translation.

A well-adapted translation will fulfil the original document by reflecting the correct meaning and nuances in a way that is relevant to the culture in question.

There are many aspects that need to be considered when adapting a translation:

•    The aim of a good adaptation is for it to read as though it were originally written in the target language so it is a good idea to compare your own budget to the budget for the adaptation/translation and consider what damages may occur from a poor translation.

•    Consider where your translation will be going and what may be different in the following points:
-    Cultural differences
-    Religion
-    Humour- what they may find funny or offensive
-    How they may  view the product differently to you

•    Test your ideas in the target market before committing to them; hire a market- based expert to test your ideas so you know what will most likely work and what won’t.

•    When writing the copy you should think about the assumptions and associations the English copy relies on and see if these apply in other foreign markets. If so, the concept should work, if not, more problems are likely to occur and may need reviewing.

•    Ensure idioms and colloquialisms used have a translatable version that the target market will understand, good translators should be able to alter the words so that they will have the same meaning in the foreign culture.

•    Be careful using brand names, they may be well known in English speaking markets but not necessarily in other markets. If it is not a well know brand in the other markets the viewers may not fully understand your concept.

•    Use an adaptation brief to help ensure that the foreign adaptations will be a success. This should include the context of the wording to provide a background as to how the words need to be applied; who the target market is; what needs to be adapted and what issues could occur.

•    When using an adaptation brief make sure you invest a good amount of time and effort into creating it, as the more information you provide for the translator the better the translated copy will be.

•    If possible, include a visual reference with the adaptation brief as it will help the translator to understand the concept of the text given and to ensure the correct meanings are used.

•    Once the document has been translated make sure you get the work proof read, this reduces the risk of errors arising in the final copy. You could also get a back translation done, which means the document would be put back into the original language so viewers who cannot read the target language can make sure there are no omissions or misunderstandings in the translated document.

by +Steph Lyons

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