Localization

“Localization” is defined as the process of linguistic-cultural adaptation of a product/device/text aimed at making the product/device/text usable by the users of the target language-culture, or the market of destination of the product/device itself.

Localizing first of all means recognizing the specificity of the “culture of the place” or receiving culture, going beyond literal translation to convey nuances and subtleties of meaning from the source text, related to the product/device, to the translated text, while respecting the principles of terminological consistency, stylistic uniformity and appropriateness of cultural references.

The localization process is inherently interdisciplinary as it involves other disciplines such as design, engineering, marketing and generally every discipline necessary for the completion of the adaptation process.

The localization process may involve profound modifications of the source text in accordance with the principles of linguistic acceptability (maximum fruition of the product/device/text by the receiving culture) and usability (as defined by ISO – International Organization for Standardization: the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which certain users achieve certain objectives in certain contexts), therefore the degree of ease and satisfaction with which the interaction between man (the receiving culture) and an instrument (the product/device/text) takes place, and requires the application not only of specialized techniques, but also of cultural, language and translation skills in both the source and the receiving language-culture.

The products/devices subject to the localization process are various: from communication activities to advertising campaigns across television and all the other media, from films and television series to software (operating systems, applications and programs), from websites to usage manuals, from medical and scientific publications to labels for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and consumer products.

The elements of the product/device/text involved in the localization process include: alphabets and writing systems, units of measurement, time and date formats, time zones, calendars, road signs, names and titles, telephone numbers, address formats and postal codes, chromatic symbolism, figures of speech, double meanings, puns, anecdotes, proverbs and cultural quotations.

In many cases localization requires targeted planning of the product/device sales philosophy, which needs to be studied according to the peculiarities of the receiving culture: images, words or concepts familiar in the source culture may indeed be incomprehensible, embarrassing or even offensive in the receiving culture. At this stage, the translator provides their linguistic professional advice and cultural expertise to the professionals from all the disciplines involved in the localization process and collaborates with the customer in the search for the best solutions.