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Translation as a creative process is a concept rarely mentioned these days. When discussing translation, people usually tend to only think about literal translation, which is based on the mere transfer of words from one language into another.

Due to this simplistic approach, in recent years, the term “transcreation” has gained popularity to mean a comprehensive notion that provides a better description for what translators actually do on a daily basis. So, what is transcreation all about?

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In Chinese, “bensi” means “rush to die.” Mercedes Benz chose that word a few years ago to enter the Asian market. Although the mistake was quickly solved by the brand, other companies — such as Coca Cola, Pepsi, Audi, Dolce & Gabbana, Nike and Heineken — suffered the consequences of a poor translation applied to advertising.

The localization of advertising material requires special skills, because it involves a unique cultural adaptation to target a very specific market. What strategies should be followed in these cases?

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The writer and translator Jorge Luis Borges once said, “each language is a way of feeling and perceiving the universe”. And although the author of El Aleph did not prefer literal translations, he stated that “partial and precious evidence of the difficulties that (the text) undergoes remains in its translations,” he also warned that literal solutions are sometimes just as creative as non-literal ones.

Whether it is literature or any other subject area, the art of translation involves multiple processes in which various issues, both objective and subjective, come into play. And the conversation on whether translations should be literal or free always comes up in the linguistic field. What are the particularities of each?

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In Chinese, “bensi” means “rush to die.” Mercedes Benz chose that word a few years ago to enter the Asian giant. Although the error was quickly solved by the brand, other companies — such as Coca Cola, Pepsi, Audi, Dolce & Gabbana, Nike and Heineken — suffered the consequences of a poor translation applied to advertising.

Localizing advertising material involves special skills, because it involves a unique cultural adaptation to target a very specific market. What strategies should be followed in these cases?

Read More