Translating into Digital
Age:
The expanding horizons
of localization
Dr Minako O’Hagan
Centre for Translation and Textual Studies
Dublin City University, Ireland
minako.ohagan@dcu.ie
1
Overview
•
Context – Changing Scope of
Localization
•
Video Games Localization
•
Games Localization Research Issues
•
Research project at DCU
2
Scope of Localization
“ just a linguistic process” (Bill Gates)
“ the process of modifying products or
services to account for differences in
distinct markets” (LISA)
“localization evolves around combining
language and technology to produce a
product that can cross cultural and
language barriers” (Bert Esselink)
3
Scope of Localization
Adaptation of digital content to marketspecific requirements
•
Linguistic dimension: functional
translation
•
Content issues: adaptation of
information and functionality
•
Technical issues: enablement of
the above in a given digital
environment
4
Scope of Localization
LINGUISTIC
• IT-oriented text types
• technical translation
• informative purposes
CONTENT
TECHNICAL
5
Changing Scope of
Localization
Adaptation of digital content to marketspecific requirements
•
Linguistic dimension: emotive
translation
•
Content issues: adaptation of
information and functionality
•
Technical issues: enablement of
the above in a given digital
environment
6
Changing Scope of
Localization
LINGUISTIC
- wider variety of text types
- literary translation
- entertainment value
CONTENT
TECHNICAL
7
Functional Value
Catalan Calendar of Microsoft XP Home Edition
D D D D D
D
D
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
Every day a D-day?
(Source: Pym, 2004: 4)
8
Functional Value
An Error in Spanish Windows XP Error Message
Video CD Player
Error has been occurred.
unusual English
syntax
Aceptar
text in Spanish – no choice
but to accept…
(Source: Pym, 2004: 4)
9
Emotive Value
Translation issue:
Appropriate register - colloquial language
“No Prob!”
“Alrighty”
10
Emotive Value
Localized American Yuna “I love you.”
Original Japanese Yuna “ありがとう。” [thank you]
Foreignization vs
Domestication
(screenshot source: http://www.ffwa.org/ff10/script-p3-07.html)
11
Games Localization
• Games for International markets
– 70’s games localization limited to packaging,
documentation & marketing materials
– localization as marketing issue independent
of development
12
Games Localization:
background
• Since its birth in the 70’s the video game industry
grew to be a worldwide phenomenon with over
18 billion Euro annual turnover (Source: ISFE)
• Demands for localization growing (Trainor, 2003)
• Source languages predominantly Japanese and
English
• Combines software localization and features of
screen translation
13
Games Localization:
unique features
• Interactive multimedia content requiring written text
and spoken dialogues to be translated
• Certain game genres heavily reliant on detailed
storylines and nuances (e.g. RPGs)
• Requirement for the game localizer(translator) to be
familiar with the underlying game culture and the
nature of the medium
• Factors contributing to foreignization and
domestication
14
Games Localization
What needs to be localized:
• printed material (instruction manual)
•
•
•
•
•
•
online help
menus
warning messages
written and audio dialogues
textual graphics
songs
15
Games Localization
What needs to be Internationalized:
• Character set support for Asian
languages (DBCS for CJK)
• IME support (PC and online games)
• Platform porting
• Content culturalization
16
Games Localization Typical Cycle
Native documents
with delivery
instructions
Localization
project
management
Linguistic review
for spot-check
Voice-over
recording
Files integration
through software
engineering
QA testing bug
report and
suggestions
Language vendor
commission
Language vendor
verification
Translation into
each target
language
Released
candidate for
submission
Linguistic review
for confirmation
KEY
developer
language vendor
interactive publisher
freelance translator
Process occurring at least once
Optional process
Voice-over actors
manufacturer
(Roturier, 2003) 17
Games Localization
On-screen menus
18
Games Localization
Warning messages
On-screen customization
19
Issues for Further Research
•
Effective international design
•
Market-specific game player profiles for
indigenous vs localized games
•
Quantifying the link between sales and
quality of localization
•
Training gamer-linguist for high quality
localization
•
Use of translation tools
20
Implications
• Globalization needs for a wide variety of
digital media expanding the horizon of
software localization
• More communication needed among
parties getting involved in GILT
• Industry-academia partnership essential
for research and training
21
Research Project:
CAT-based localization of
multimedia content
• Increasing demand for localization
– increasing volume
– increasing variety
– shortening time-frame
declining
quality
• Use of Computer-Aided Translation
– availability of text in electronic form
– consistency of terminology & phraseology
– recycling of existing translations
22
Problem with Human Subtitles
• LOTR error examples
Frodo:
[Eng. script] You are not yourself.
[Japa. subtitle] You are a liar!
----------Frodo: [Eng. script] Can you protect me from
yourself? Would you destroy it?
[Japa. subtitle] Don't you need this?
Can you destroy it?
Source: http://herbs.tsukaeru.jp/english_top.html#list
23
Problem with Human Subtitles
• In the case of LOTR Japanese subtitles
– diversions of the subtitles from the existing
translated versions (e.g. proper names)
– dynamic translation and interpretation
– a heavy reliance on a few subtitlers for high
profile projects – closed shop
– time pressure from marketing strategy
applied to big market
– tendency for non-computerization
24
Results
LOTR (Film:The
Fellowship of
the Ring)
LOTR (Book:
Chapter 1 of
Book 1)
HP (Film:The
Chamber of
Secrets)
English Text
No. of English
words
8606
9821
10383
HT into Japanese
No. of Japanese
characters
15007
31850
23341
MT into Japanese
No of Japanese
characters
27211
28024
34333
HT to MT wordage
ratio
0.55
1.13
0.68
Unintelligible MT
sentences
317 (20%)
637 (63%)
961 (51%)
25