Today, we will look at erroneous translations in a different light, a term loosely known as illegal translation.

One famous example would be JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series; perhaps the most widely read stories in the world. The Harry Potter series has sold an estimated 400 million copies worldwide and it has also been published in more than 64 languages.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last of the seven part series by J.K Rowling

For the authorized translated versions, the publishers even got some of the world’s best translators to work on it.

However on the flipside, as translation work could only start after the English version is released, many of the Harry Potter fans world-wide became impatient as the wait was way too long.

Some had to make do with the English version and the others who did not have an adequate grasp of the English language had to settle for the illegally translated versions.

Such demands had led to a widespread movement of illegal translations, which has allowed fans to get their hands on the book way before the official version is even ready.

The illegal translators worked in groups in order to speed up the process; the copies were either uploaded on the internet or published and sold off to unsuspecting fans who actually thought they were the official versions.

Some of these translators even went to the extent of using free online translators and converting it into the language of their choice.

Depending on the language, the translations were often full or errors and inconsistency, it might even look like a joke considering the amount of mistakes made and the hastiness of the translation process.

For the true Harry Potter fans, it would be disheartening to see JK Rowling’s masterpiece being tarnished by these illegal translations, as the context from the original story would have surely been lost with such a sloppy translation process.

As a good translation requires a great deal of effort coupled with a meticulous proofreading process, an advice for true fans of Harry Potter would be to wait patiently for the authorized translated version of the book. This would ensure true enjoyment of the story as its true context would be appropriately preserved.

Source [Wikipedia]

With the availability of translation engines on the internet, does this mean we can now communicate effectively in a new language with the click of a button?

As the companies below have found out the hard way, localization projects not only require proficiency in the target language but also a thorough understanding of the culture. Here are some pitfalls to look out for:

1. Slang
Matsushita Electric was promoting a new PC for internet users and commissioned Panasonic to produce an online guide for this purpose.  A huge marketing campaign was built around the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker after license to use it was granted. However, the launch had to be cancelled at the last minute.

The reason? The ads featured the slogan, “Touch Woody – The Internet Pecker”.  An American at the internal product launch had explained to the stunned and embarrassed Japanese what “touch woody” and “pecker” meant in American slang.

2. Pronunciation of names and abbreviations
When General Electric Company (GEC) and Plessey combined to create a new telecommunications giant in the 1980s, it decided on using GPT (the short form of GEC-Plessey Telecommunications) as the new name. Unfortunately, this branding proved to be a big disaster in Europe. GPT is “Jay-Pay-Tay” when pronounced in French. This sounds like “J’ai pete”, which means “I have farted”.

In a similar case, Wang, the American computer company, could not understand at first why its British branches were refusing to use its latest motto “Wang Cares”. To British ears, this sounds too close to “wankers”. Of course, it is of no surprise that the staff did not want to be identified in this manner!

3. Cultural associations
Mazda introduced a minivan called Laputa in the Japanese market in 1991. Because of the popular Japanese animated film “Laputa: Castle in the Sky”, the name had a positive association here. However, Spanish speakers would immediately think of “puta”, the word for prostitute.  In this light, advertisements claims that “Laputa is designed to deliver maximum utility in a minimum space while providing a smooth, comfortable ride” and possesses “a lightweight, impact-absorbing body” are humorous, if not inappropriate.

The vehicle was subsequently renamed when it was sold in Latin America.

4. Using the wrong term
When Parker Pen launched a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say “it won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you”. However, the Spanish word “embarazar” was mistakenly used to mean embarrass. The ads actually said “it won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant”.

5. Double meanings
Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux entered the American market with the slogan, “Nothing sucks like an Electrolux”. With the poor choice of verb, its advertisements were more effective in driving away customers than attracting them.

6. False language pairs
Though some words are used across different languages, their meaning often varies in each language. An example of such false language pairs is the word “mist”. In German, it refers to manure. Whisky company Irish Mist was apparently unaware of this when it marketed its product with the semi-Germanized name Irischer Mist in Germany. Sales for the product was expectedly poor, because few of the locals wanted to drink Irish dung.

7. Unfortunate word combinations
No, www.powergenitalia.com is not a porn website. It’s the website of Powergen Italia, an Italian maker of battery chargers. On the World Wide Web, whatever that sounds normal in one language does not necessarily translate well into another.

In short, it is not enough for translators to ensure grammatical accuracy and stylistic and syntactical appropriateness. A cross cultural analysis is also required in customizing a product, documentation or advertising to suit the conventions and market requirements of the target country.

This globalization movement has thus set the stage for an increasing number of firms to expand and establish their presence internationally, however when businesses venture into foreign markets, they are usually faced with the tough challenge of adaptation as product names and marketing messages might become meaningless or even offensive after translation into a different language.

An example of what happens when global branding goes wrong would be the case of Pepsi. When Pepsi entered the Chinese markets, they discovered that their slogan “Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation” was literally translated in Chinese as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead” and as “Come out of the grave with Pepsi”.

Examples of such blunders are endless, but it all boils down to the same point: there is a need for businesses to be communicating clear and precise messages that convey the true meaning of the original text.

Therefore before further expansion into their target markets, it is imperative for businesses to have effective brand localization strategies through the understanding of the target market’s language and culture, as it is illogical to market products and services through extravagant campaigns if consumers across the globe cannot understand the message being brought across.

Below are some fundamental practices that businesses should adhere to before going any further with their marketing strategies.

Anticipating and Highlighting potential pitfalls
By anticipating and highlighting potential pitfalls that are based on cultural difference, it allows businesses to carefully select messages to communicate what the brand stands for in the context of the target markets.

Conducting Cultural Analysis
A cross cultural analysis allows businesses to examine essential cultural elements such as values, norms and artefacts of the target markets.

Ensure that the product is properly localized for the target market
Last but not least; businesses should ensure that their products are properly localized to suit the target markets before officially releasing the products itself.

“To develop any content for today’s global multicultural audience requires accounting for linguistic and cultural difference from the very inception of the product to the very end of distribution”
- Tom Edward of Multilingual

With consumer demands becoming more diversified with a wider variety of choices, it is thus essential for businesses to implement effective brand localization strategies based on the different markets to cater to their target audiences; this would in turn enable businesses to acquire the competitive advantage in their target markets, ensuring that consumer experience is consistent across all languages and most importantly achieving global success for their brands and services.