Let me give you some information about the field in
which I am currently working in. I cannot simply give you just single name
of the field. However, it is a combination of fields such as Globalization,
Internationalization, Localization, Translation etc.
Still Interested? Then here is more info.
Globalization
These days, you might heard the word Globalization
many times. I am not going to give a political definition of Globalization.
The term Globalization is often abbreviated as G11N where 11 indicates
the number of letters between the "G" and the "n"
The term Globalization and internationalization are related
terms and localization is one of the parts of globalization.
Internationalization
The term Internationalization is often abbreviated
as I18N where 18 indicates the number of letters between the "I" and the
"n".
Localization
Localization is one of the buzzwords and one of the
fastest growing industry in today's world. Companies who want to sell their
product into other countries needs to localize their products into local
language of the country. If you ask what is localization, most of the people
will answer Localization? What's that?. Some will say it is just a translation.
But localization is not simply translation. Then, what is localization?
Localization can be defined in many ways. A Practical
Guide to Software Localization by Bert Esselink defines localization as:
It is the process of adapting and translating a software
application into other language in order to make it lingustically and culturally
appropriate for a particular local market.
Localization covers translation of software, online-Help
and documentation, liguistic & functionality testing of the software
and help. The term Localization is often abbreviated as L10N where 10 indicates
the number of letters between the "L" and the "n"
Translation
In the process of localization, translation occupies
significant place. It is one of the factor which detemines the quality
of localized product. The translation and it's style should be consistent
and appealing to the local market. It language should be more precise and
user-friendly. With the introduction of new specialized localization tools
and software, the task of translation demands technical knowledge. The
translator need to know not only the language very well, but he/she also
need to learn about various localization tools and software.
