Regarding the internationalization of one’s own website or content these terms go hand in hand and seem to be substitutable for one another.
What exactly is the difference between these two terms?
Translation
The translation of a text is the transfer of the given content into another language preferably as precisely as possible for any word and context.
This might be necessary when translating legal text or user manuals where exact wording is preferable. Here there is no need for beautiful text or that looks great stylistically, the focus is aimed at the rules of the language.
Localization
When one is talking about localization, the meaning in this case focuses more on adapting the whole product to the respective market. The cultural characteristics and the product and of course the language itself is of special importance.
It is also a question of the design and the general impression of the trademark or/the product. Wordplays, cultural distinctions and the individual tastes of the target audience have to be taken into account as well.
Slang, dialects and humor
Slang and dialects of the target language have to be considered just as well.
For example: In Spanish slang, Mitsubishi’s ‘Pajero’ means ‘wanker’ and so it had to be renamed ‘Montero’ for Spanish speaking regions.
In the 1960’s the Scandinavian company Electrolux, producing vacuum cleaners, advertised with the slogan "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux" which for Americans meant "Nothing is as bad as an Electrolux’.
This list can be continued endlessly but these two examples make the difference between translation and localization very clear.
Localization strategy
So, it is not enough to just translate the texts into the target language when launching a product into a different market. Professional tools used by everyone involved in the translation process can be very efficient in covering all necessary aspects and facets of the target market.
It is important to think about the appropriate localization before launching a product to a new market and which helpful new methods and tools are available to be successful.
