Understanding Translation as a Business Practice

What is Translation?

The concept of translation can have multiple connotations, the most obvious being the process of transferring a text (that is written, audio, visual or any form of language we use really) from one language into another. In the translation world, the original language is referred to as the source language (SL) while the newly translated language is referred to as the target language (TL).

For the purpose of our exploration of translation & globalisation, it’s important to consider translation as more than just the process of language exchange. A modern idea of translation has three main connotations that should be kept in mind:

1. The subject field of Translation in an academic sense
2. The product – being the finalised translation
3. The process – the actual act of translating from the SL to the TL.

If we wanted to look at it from a purely academic view, we could take Jeremy Munday’s definition of translation, “the process of translation between two different written languages involves the changing of an original written text (the source text or SL) in the original verbal language (source language or SL) into a written text (the target text or TT) in a different verbal language (the target language or TL)“

What are the aims of translation in a business context?

When looking at translation as a tool of industry, we move away from the traditional academic definitions which focus on the translation process and instead, we consider translation itself as a product.

In today’s world, translation has become an irreplaceable aspect of business and consumerism. Companies on a global scale must all reach the American + 24 hour model to successfully compete on the global market. Business operates outside of the traditional 9-5 schedule and instead is in a constant state of production.

This model extends to translation, where content is expected to be efficiently translated for various markets on a constant basis. As new content is being constantly released, new translations are constantly required.

It is here that we enter into the idea of ‘globalisation’

Globalisation, Localisation & The G.I.L.T. Model

The G.I.L.T. business model in translation stands for Globalization, Internationalization, Localization, and Translation. This model is a comprehensive strategy used by businesses to adapt their products or services for a global audience, ensuring cultural relevance and linguistic accuracy.

Globalization (G): This involves designing products or services with a global market in mind. It considers universal features that can be standardized across different region. The goal is to create a product that from the get-go will be adapted to various cultural markets.

Internationalization (I): Internationalization involves preparing the infrastructure and design of products or services to be adaptable to different languages and regions. This includes designing software interfaces that can accommodate various languages without altering the core functionality.

Localization (L): Localization takes the internationalized product and tailors it to specific regions or cultures. This includes translating content, adapting visuals, and considering cultural nuances to ensure the product resonates with local audiences.

Translation (T): Translation is the final stage where content, is translated from one language to another. This phase ensures that the information is accurately conveyed to the target audience in a way that is culturally sensitive and contextually relevant to the specific target culture market.