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How to localize finance blogs in 16 Minutes
How to localize finance blogs
So, you want to know how to localize finance blogs… If so, welcome to this “how to” that will teach you how to proceed and succeed. When you open your task, you will see automatically translated text in every text box including the headers. If you open the sample text, you will find the original text which the Google translated text is based on.
Now you are presented with two choices: Rewrite and edit the Google translated text so that it flows and reads naturally. Or, manually translate the text from the source language into the target language. To manually translate the text, you simply use the sample text and translate paragraph by paragraph. You decide what works best for you! The choice is yours.
Rule 1. Don’t do direct translation, localize
The key in doing perfect translations is to find words and sentences that convey the same message as the source text, but that doesn’t translate the text word-for-word. It is the meaning of the text you are translating. It is, therefore, completely fine to leave certain sentences out or to come up with new sentences that weren’t in the original text. However, the key message and important facts must, of course, be kept. The text should be as natural as possible and not look translated, which it does if one translates word-for-word.
Google translate simply translates the text, nothing more, which means that it needs to be localized. That involves changing the text to fit the target audience, which in this case is people interested in finances or potential loan borrowers from different countries. If the text is meant for the Swedish market, it will have to read as if a Swedish person has written the text from the very beginning. Some important parts of this are to use the correct sentence structure and to use the correct currency. If the original text uses USD or EUR but you write for Swedes, you will have to use SEK in your text.
When you translate or write financial texts, keep in mind that the writing style that you use needs to be rather strict compared to blog or product texts. It is important to keep the right tone throughout the text and not make it too “talkative”.
Rule 2. Always stick to the facts
You should be able to get enough information from the original text, but if you for some reason need to find more information make sure you use reliable sources. The client’s own website is, of course, the best source, so always try to start there. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Do not make up any facts! That’s never a good idea and it will be spotted by the editor or publisher. Instead, replace the facts with something just as relevant and interesting that you can find reliable sources for.
Rule 3. Keep a respectful and informative tone
It is very important when you write financial texts to explain and inform, but you should never minimize the reader. For example, never write things that are self-explanatory such as, “When you take a payday loan, you will have to pay it back”. Write instead about something that’s less condescending. Perhaps write about what type of fees that can be added if loan repayments aren’t met. Make it useful for the reader.
Rule 4. Keep an eye on expressions and idioms
“A penny saved is a penny earned,” you might write in English, but how does that translate into Swedish or German? Try to come up with an expression in your target language that conveys the same meaning, or you will end up with a translation that doesn’t make sense or feel natural. The English language has many idioms and sometimes it is impossible to find suitable expressions in the target language. If that’s the case, skip it completely rather than translate it word for word. However, idioms can give a text exciting “bells and whistles,” so if you can find a suitable replacement, go for it!
Rule 5. Get the melody right
It is common that the automatically translated text doesn’t flow naturally nor does it translate all the words correctly. In various languages, the sentences are structured differently and therefore you might have to rewrite the whole sentences rather than just edit the given text. Make sure that the melody is right! The easiest way to do this is to quickly read the paragraph you’ve written out loud. If it sounds off — change the sentence so that it flows more naturally.
Rule 6. Keep it country specific
All texts are meant to be used in the country of the audience. If you translate from English to another language and the text is “The UK Economy 2017,” you will obviously have to remove that and either replace it with “The German Economy 2017,” or “The Swedish Economy 2017,” etc.
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