Why Translation Services Are More Important for Short Translations
by Chad Richardson
You might think that formal translation services are only required for large, intricate works like novels, collections of short stories and other full-length books. Why would you require a translator for something much shorter like a slogan, a business letter or a blog post? Isn’t it possible to just get someone who understands a smattering of the destination language to do this? Do you really need a professional translator?
Shorter Translations Are Harder
It might surprise you to learn that sometimes, it’s actually harder to translate something shorter and this is why a professional translator is needed. The reason why it’s harder to translate something short is that you have to be very precise. You don’t have the luxury of using many words in order to convey something.
Reading a Novel vs. Reading a Slogan
When you read a novel, sometimes, your eyes glaze over a few words. But then, you move on to the next and you’re still able to follow the story. The fact that you missed out on a sentence or a paragraph isn’t that significant.
But if you miss out on a company’s slogan, there aren’t going to be any other words to tell you what that company is about. This is the reason why most companies have their slogan printed up front and center on everything that bears their name—from ball point pens to billboards with advertisements. Those few words, usually numbering from 3 to 5, encapsulate everything that the company is trying to say.
For example, let’s take the Nike slogan, “Just do it.” This has so much more punch than saying, “Why don’t you just do it?” or “Don’t you think you should do it?”
Translation Services for Short Translations
So it’s harder to convey something in few words rather than more words. And this is the reason why you should get a professional translator who understands the nuances of words to translate slogans, business letters, advertisements etc. There may not be many words in these materials to translate but that is exactly the reason why a professional is needed.
Remember that you’re not going to have a do-over as far as slogans and branding are concerned. Once the public starts associating your company name with a certain slogan, it tends to stick. So contact us to make sure that you get your slogan right the first time around.
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