Content Translation

Should you Write in another language first, or just translate it after it’s written?

14:48 13 November 2019

Need a language translator? There is little doubt that content translation can help your business to reach a much broader audience, which can thereby improve and expand your business. Sure, English reaches out to a massive audience, but think of all the potential customers you are missing out on when English is the only language you generate content in.

Yes, the United States has a lot of people, but did you know that there are more people using the internet in China then there are here? While the United States has approximately 286, 942, 362 active internet users, China has over one billion! This means if you aren’t translating your content into Chinese, you’re missing out on a billion potential customers!

So how can you reach audiences that speak languages other than your own? With the help of a language translator of course. A good language translator can not only help you to translate documents, but can also help you to understand the process of good translation.

The Process of Good Translation

Which brings us to the question: Should you Write in another language first, or just translate it after it’s written? The truth is, there’s an argument for both sides.

The benefits of language translation

The best thing about language translation is that for you, it's super simple. All you have to do is create your content in your own language, and then pass that content over to a language translator. The translator then processes the content translates it into the language of your choice and delivers it back to you in ready-to-read form. Simple right?

Another benefit of language translation is that it’s super easy to manage. When working with a translation professional or company, all you need to do is provide them with the document that needs to be translated, answer a few simple questions, and hand it over. Translation, therefore, doesn’t require much effort on your end.

The Problem with Language Translation

For you, language translation is simple and easy. Just create the content, pass it over to a language translator, and then wait for content to be returned to you in another language. But on the end of the translator, the process of translation isn’t always so clear cut. Here’s why:

Every culture is unique and different in its own way. This means each culture has its own political ideals, it's own religious beliefs and its own cultural norms. As such, blog posts that translate well in your original language may not do so well in a different language. A joke that is made in English, for example, could be taken offensively in China.

Similarly, idioms that make sense here might not make sense there. If you were to say “Speak of the devil” here in North America, most people would know exactly what you meant. But if you were to translate that to Chinese, they would probably have no idea what you were talking about.

Therefore, English content doesn’t always translate to other languages well.

The Benefits of Writing in another Language

Because there can be difficulties with translation from one language to another, it’s not always a bad idea to just start off writing your content the language that you wish to translate to. When content is freshly created in the other language first, you can still use your original ideas, but you create that content with the ideals, values, and beliefs of the other culture in mind. This ensures that your content can be well understood by other cultures and that you will not accidentally offend anyone, causing yourself to lose traffic or followers.

So in reality, the two options really balance each other out. While language translation is the quicker and easier option, it can lead to content being lost in translation. And while this method prevents information from being lost in translation, it does require a little more effort.

So how can you get the best of both worlds?

Hiring a Professional Translation service

With the help of a professional translation service, you can have the best of both worlds. Translation agencies can work directly with you to help you determine which is the better option regarding the specific content you need translated at that time. If it is decided that your document can be easily translated, then a professional translator can help you to do that. If it is decided that your content should be written directly in another language, then they can work with you to do that too.

Similarly, a professional translator may suggest breaking your content down into sections – sections that can be directly translated, and other sections that should be written freshly in the other language.

What can a translation service do for you?

• Offer you professional translation advice
  
  
• Help to break decide which method of translation works best for you
  
  
• Help you to translate your content
  
  
• Guarantee high quality translations
  
  
• Offer translations in specialized areas like law or medical
  
  

Whatever the case be, a professional language translator can help to ensure that your document is received well in another language, without error, and without the risk of information being lost in translation. So what are you waiting for? Hire a professional translator to help you today – your business will thank you.