Translators in the mobile world

ATA57

Dorota Pawlak

About me

• EN/DE into PL translator & localizer

• Specialized in IT, localization, photography

• Owner of DP Translation Services and Polish Localization

• Blog Beyond the Words

• Teaching online courses on website/app localization

• MA in Translation, MSc in Multilingual Computing and Localization

About the session

1. The omnipresent mobile world

2. Why is mobile app translation different

from document translation

3. Challenges in mobile app translation

4. How to be a great mobile app translator

App translation is fun!

There’s an app for everything…

Differences between document translation and app translation

1. Medium

Differences between document translation and app translation

2. Amount of available space

Differences between document translation and app translation

3. Reading mode

Differences between document translation and app translation

4. Structure

Differences between document translation and app translation

5. Non-translatable strings

Challenges in mobile app translation

1. Character restrictions:

small screen size

limited space

creative solutions for buttons or menu items

Challenges in mobile app translation

Settings screen in Android OS

Challenges in mobile app translation

On/Off buttons in Android OS

Challenges in mobile app translation

On/Off buttons in Android OS

Challenges in mobile app translation

Next buttons in Android OS 4.2.1

Challenges in mobile app translation

Next buttons in Android OS 4.4.4

Challenges in mobile app translation

2. Button names:

many shapes, colors or animations

check how it works

Challenges in mobile app translation

3. Pictures and images:

Suitable for the target audience?

Clear connotations?

Contain embedded text?

Challenges in mobile app translation

4. Variables:

Do you want to delete %s?

Removing %d song%sThere are %d songs in this category

Do you want to delete SongName?

Removing 3 songsThere are 6 songs in this category

Use colons or rephrase the string in highly inflected languages!

There are %d songs in this category Number of songs in this category: %d

Challenges in mobile app translation

4. Variables:

Wrong number + adjective/noun combination in the Polish version of Twitter

Challenges in mobile app translation

5. Handling files:

Technical skills may be needed

if you work directly with the app developers.

Translatable strings usually extracted to XML or XLIFF file.

Challenges in mobile app translation

4. Handling files:

Sample XML file:

How to be a great app translator

How to find your way out of this maze

• You don’t need higher maths to find your way out

• Simply move forward in one direction

• Go back if you hit the dead end

• Follow simple rules to end up with an app

adjusted to the expectations of your target users

Thank you for your attention!

Any questions?

Let’s stay in touch!

@DkPawlak linkedin.com/in/dorotapawlak

dorotapawlak.eu/blogpl_localisation

info@dorotapawlak.eu

You can find this presentation at: www.PolishLocalisation.com/ATA_presentation.pdf