Q: What is I18n/L10n? A: Internationalization (I18n) is the process of designing an application so that it can be adapted to various languages and regions without engineering changes. The abbreviation is based on the fact that the rather lengthy word 'internationalization' starts with an 'i' followed by 18 characters followed by an 'n';
Localization (L10n) is the process of adapting software for a specific region or language by adding locale-specific components and translating text. The abbreviation is based on the fact that the rather lengthy word 'localization' starts with a 'l' followed by 10 characters followed by an 'n'.
And the same interpretation goes with G11n (globalization) and T9n (translation).
Q: What does the abbreviation GILT refer to? A: GILT is an alphabetic acronym for Globalization, Internationalization, Localization and Translation.
Q: What is the relationship among translation, localization, internationalization and globalization? A: The relationship between translation and localization/internationalization/globalization can be described as follows,
GILT = G11n + I18n + L10n + T9n;
G11n = I18n + L10n;
L10n > T9n.
Figure: GILT Pyramid
Q: What is the difference between internationalization and localization? A: Internationalization (I18n) is the process of generalizing a product so that it can handle multiple languages and cultural conventions, without the need for re-design. Internationalization takes place at the program design and document development level. Localization (L10n), on the other hand, takes place after the product/documents are internationalized, meaning that localization refers to the process of taking a product and making it linguistically and culturally appropriate to the target locale (country/region and language) where it will be.
Q: What is the difference between translation and localization? A: Localization is much more than translation. Translation is just one aspect of the localization process. The localization process continues after the translatable parts of the product (e.g. software) have been translated. The translated text has to be imported back into the software application, graphics have to be adapted to suit the needs of the target language audience, changes to the user interface structure might have to be made, the software has to be tested, and a final QA must be performed.
Q: What are the heavily used localization tools? A: A serials of localization tools are adopted including but not limited to:
Computer Aided Translation (CAT) Tools: SDL Trados, SDLX, IBM Translation Manager, Wordfast, MS Helium, Transit, etc.
Engineering Tools: RoboHelp, Help Workshop, Html Workshop, Trados S-Tagger, Html QA, Authorware, Premiere, Flash, etc.
Desktop Publishing (DTP) Tools: Adobe FrameMaker, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, Adobe Acrobat, CorelDraw, Adobe Flash, Adobe Fireworks, Adobe Dreamweaver, Microsoft Office, WordPerfect, etc.
Q: What are CAT tools? A: CAT means "Computer Aided Translation", referring not to machine translation, but to translation done with specialized software providing functions to increase workflow while providing quality assurance, glossaries and other assistance.
Q: What is DTP? A: Desktop publishing (also known as DTP) combines a personal computer and WYSIWYG page layout software to create publication documents on a computer for either large scale publishing or small scale local multifunction peripheral output and distribution.
The term "desktop publishing" is commonly used to describe page layout skills. However, the skills and software are not limited to paper and book publishing. The same skills and software are often used to create graphics for point of sale displays, promotional items, trade show exhibits, retail package designs and outdoor signs.
Q: What is a translation memory (TM)? A: A translation memory, or TM, is a database that stores segments that have been previously translated. A translation-memory system stores the words, phrases and paragraphs that have already been translated and aid human translators. The translation memory stores the source text and its corresponding translation in language pairs called “translation units”.
Translation memories are typically used in conjunction with a dedicated computer assisted translation (CAT) tool, word processing program, terminology management systems, multilingual dictionary, or even raw machine translation output.
A translation memory consists of text segments in a source language and their translations into one or more target languages. These segments can be blocks, paragraphs, sentences, or phrases. Individual words are handled by terminology bases and are not within the domain of TM.
Q: What is machine translation? A: Machine translation, sometimes referred to by the abbreviation MT, is a sub-field of computational linguistics that investigates the use of computer software to translate text or speech from one natural language to another. At its basic level, MT performs simple substitution of words in one natural language for words in another. Using corpus techniques, more complex translations may be attempted, allowing for better handling of differences in linguistic typology, phrase recognition, and translation of idioms, as well as the isolation of anomalies.
Current machine translation software often allows for customization by domain or profession (such as weather reports) — improving output by limiting the scope of allowable substitutions. This technique is particularly effective in domains where formal or formulaic language is used. It follows then that machine translation of government and legal documents more readily produces usable output than conversation or less standardized text.
Improved output quality can also be achieved by human intervention: for example, some systems are able to translate more accurately if the user has unambiguously identified which words in the text are names. With the assistance of these techniques, MT has proven useful as a tool to assist human translators and, in a very limited number of cases, can even produce output that can be used as is (e.g., weather reports).
Q: Which factors influence a translation price? A: Usually the translation price depends on a variety of factors, such as:
• Language combinations: different target languages account for different translation rates even when the source language is the same, vice versa.
• Complexity of subject matter: legal, technical, medical, marketing etc.
• Document word count: the longer the document, the higher the price
• Desired turnaround time: the shorter the timeframe, the higher the price
Depending on the desired file format and/or additional graphic adjustments required, further fees may be applied.
Q: What to include in a price quote for localization projects? A: Generally speaking, the quote includes more than just the translation, editing and proofreading of the files or contents to be translated. It may also include localization engineering, linguistic testing, regression testing and debugging, DTP among others if applicable.
10 Tips for a Successful and Cost Effective Audio Localization 1. Make sure you have an accurate as-recorded script
2. Format your script according to audio recording specifications
3. Create a character list
4. Limit the number of voices needed in a foreign language
5. Avoid audio files containing several different characters
6. Prepare pronunciation guidelines
7. Leave space inside your video for language expansion
8. Provide samples of English audio
9. For Flash recordings, limit synchronization of on-screen text and voice
10. Choose an audio provider that knows foreign languages and is familiar with audio localization
Q: What is I18n/L10n?
A: Internationalization (I18n) is the process of designing an application so that it can be adapted to various languages and regions without engineering changes. The abbreviation is based on the fact that the rather lengthy word 'internationalization' starts with an 'i' followed by 18 characters followed by an 'n';
Localization (L10n) is the process of adapting software for a specific region or language by adding locale-specific components and translating text. The abbreviation is based on the fact that the rather lengthy word 'localization' starts with a 'l' followed by 10 characters followed by an 'n'.
And the same interpretation goes with G11n (globalization) and T9n (translation).
Q: What does the abbreviation GILT refer to?
A: GILT is an alphabetic acronym for Globalization, Internationalization, Localization and Translation.
Q: What is the relationship among translation, localization, internationalization and globalization?
A: The relationship between translation and localization/internationalization/globalization can be described as follows,
GILT = G11n + I18n + L10n + T9n;
G11n = I18n + L10n;
L10n > T9n.
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