Software has become such an essential part of our world that it’s impossible to imagine a life without it. There’s hardly a service or product around us that wasn’t created with software or that runs on software.

軟件已成為我們世界的重要組成部分，因此無法想象沒有它的生活。 我們周圍幾乎沒有任何不是由軟件創建或在軟件上運行的服務或產品。

We’re all familiar with software on computers in the form of operating systems, office applications and web browsers. Of course, there’s a lot of software on mobile devices too. And then there are household appliances, vehicles, production facilities and so forth. The whole world seems to run on software!

我們都熟悉操作系統，辦公應用程序和Web瀏覽器形式的計算機上的軟件。 當然，移動設備上也有很多軟件。 然后是家用電器，車輛，生產設施等。 整個世界似乎都在軟件上運行！

The trouble is: most software is created in English. That’s fine if you want to stay local but can become an issue when your product or app is meant to reach users around the globe.

問題是： 大多數軟件都是用英語創建的 。 如果您想留在本地，那很好，但是當您的產品或應用打算覆蓋全球用戶時，可能會成為一個問題。

This is precisely where software localisation comes in. But how exactly does it differ from standard translation? Let’s find out.

這正是軟件本地化進來的地方。但是它與標準翻譯有何不同？ 讓我們找出答案。

什么是軟件本地化？ (What is software localisation?)

Software localisation can be a lot more complex than standard translation. According to leading language services provider SDL, ‘software localisation is the process of adapting a software product to the linguistic, cultural and technical requirements of a target market’.

軟件本地化可能比標準翻譯復雜得多 。 據領先的語言服務提供商SDL稱， “軟件本地化是指使軟件產品適應目標市場的語言，文化和技術要求的過程” 。

Like translation, it involves translating a software interface from a source language into other (target) languages. But it also comprises localising measurements, dates and currencies to the respective target language and region, and culturally adapting terminology to the local culture of the target region in each case. A successful software localisation process will also cover other elements such as help files, licence agreements, user manuals or installation instructions.

像翻譯一樣，它涉及將軟件界面從源語言翻譯成其他(目標)語言。 但是它還包括將度量，日期和貨幣本地化為相應的目標語言和區域，并在每種情況下在文化上使術語與目標區域的本地文化相適應 。 成功的軟件本地化過程還將涵蓋其他要素，例如幫助文件，許可協議，用戶手冊或安裝說明。

While a regular translation would certainly convey the words in the software in another language, it would not necessarily focus on the level of user-friendliness of the interface for users in the target markets. Software localisation, on the other hand, adapts the entire content perfectly to the specific needs in each region or culture. This can go all the way down to aspects like widening menu items because some languages are naturally more wordy and need more space than others. As you can see, this improves the user experience in a way a standard translation might not.

雖然常規翻譯肯定會以另一種語言傳達軟件中的單詞 ，但它不一定專注于目標市場用戶的界面用戶友好性水平 。 另一方面，軟件本地化可以使整個內容完美地適應每個地區或文化的特定需求 。 這可以一直擴展到諸如擴展菜單項之類的方面，因為某些語言自然比其他語言更羅word，需要更多空間。 如您所見，這以標準翻譯可能無法改善的方式改善了用戶體驗。

這個怎么運作 (How it works)

Software localisation is usually performed by translation experts using computer-assisted translation programs. There are, of course, also specific programs for extracting, editing and merging strings.

軟件本地化通常由翻譯專家使用計算機輔助翻譯程序執行 。 當然，還有用于提取，編輯和合并字符串的特定程序。

While the regular translation process includes terminology research, proofreading and sometimes even desktop publishing, software localisation comprises further steps such as localisation strategy design, multilingual project management and file format conversion.

常規翻譯過程包括術語研究，校對甚至有時是桌面出版，而軟件本地化則包括進一步的步驟，例如本地化策略設計，多語言項目管理和文件格式轉換。

Initially, the source file needs to be created by extracting the content from the program. The source file format you need will depend on your software localisation provider. While standard localisation programs support a variety of file formats, some may require you to provide the content as XML Localization Interchange File Format (or XLIFF) files. At the end of the process, the translated text is simply imported back into your source code.

最初，需要通過從程序中提取內容來創建源文件。 您需要的源文件格式取決于您的軟件本地化提供商。 盡管標準的本地化程序支持多種文件格式，但有些可能要求您以XML本地化交換文件格式(或XLIFF)文件的形式提供內容。 在該過程結束時，翻譯后的文本將被簡單地導入到您的源代碼中。

為什么計劃很重要 (Why planning is important)

When you are planning to have your software localised, bear in mind these guidelines early on in the process:

當您計劃對軟件進行本地化時，請在此過程的早期牢記以下準則：

• Make sure you already schedule enough time for the localisation process during the software development stage to avoid a last-minute rush. There’s nothing worse than a great panic just before your scheduled launch date.

  確保您已經在軟件開發階段安排了足夠的時間進行本地化過程，以免造成緊急情況。 在您預定的發布日期之前，沒有什么比大驚慌更糟糕的了。

• Your software should be designed in a way that makes it easy to adapt it to different languages later on without requiring any programming changes. So using the right structure and source code from the outset will save you time and additional costs down the track.

  您的軟件應該以一種易于設計的方式進行設計，以便以后無需更改任何程序即可將其適應不同的語言 。 因此從一開始就使用正確的結構和源代碼可以節省您的時間，并節省大量成本。

• Other languages may be longer than English, so allow for at least 30% expansion in your interface design to make sure the text in the other language will fit. There’s nothing more annoying for users than a cut-off sentence in the target interface.

  其他語言可能比英語更長，因此請在界面設計中至少擴展30％ ，以確保其他語言的文本適合。 對于用戶而言，沒有什么比目標界面中的短句煩人了。

• Run your files through a pseudo-localisation process. This replaces real text with dummy translations to help you identify potential technical issues before investing in the actual localisation, thus saving money.

  通過偽本地化過程運行文件。 這將用偽翻譯代替真實文本，以幫助您在進行實際本地化投資之前確定潛在的技術問題，從而節省了資金。

• Avoid phrases that span multiple strings. Since other languages have different conventions than English, grammatical elements like gender, and especially the word order will most likely change. Having linked strings makes it harder to accommodate these differences and may result in nonsensical output.

  避免使用跨越多個字符串的短語 。 由于其他語言與英語的約定不同，因此諸如性別(尤其是單詞順序)之類的語法元素很可能會發生變化。 擁有鏈接的字符串會更難適應這些差異，并可能導致無意義的輸出。

• Give the translators context and avoid stand-alone single-word strings. You’ll not only make the process so much easier for them, but you’ll also ensure that the localised version is more accurate if you add comments to the strings that provide the context of each phrase, especially if they might be ambiguous.

  為翻譯人員提供上下文，并避免使用獨立的單字字符串。 您不僅使它們的處理變得如此簡單，而且如果您在提供每個短語上下文的字符串中添加注釋 ，尤其是當它們可能含糊不清時，還可以確保本地化版本更加準確。

• Don’t forget to check that all currencies, measurements, and time and date formats have been correctly localised for each target market.

  不要忘記檢查每個目標市場的所有貨幣，度量，時間和日期格式是否都已正確定位 。

為什么要投資軟件本地化？ (Why invest in software localisation?)

It’s clear that having your software professionally localised can give you a competitive edge in a market. Going beyond simply translating your software will make your product more useful for customers in your international target markets and set you apart from the competition. Local buyers will very much appreciate your efforts. A CSA Research study surveyed people between the ages of 18 and 64 in 29 countries who use and/or purchase products/services online or by mobile app, and confirmed that delivering localised content throughout the customer journey significantly increases companies’ ROI.

顯然，對軟件進行專業的本地化可以為您提供在市場上的競爭優勢。 超越簡單地翻譯軟件的范圍， 將使您的產品對國際目標市場中的客戶更有用，并使您在競爭中脫穎而出。 當地買家將非常感謝您的努力。 CSA Research的一項研究對29個國家/地區中18至64歲之間在線或通過移動應用程序使用和/或購買產品/服務的人們進行了調查，并確認在整個客戶旅程中交付本地化內容可以顯著提高公司的投資回報率。

It’s fair to say that for non-English-speaking users, the most important aspect of a software is its user interface. The more idiomatically everything been translated into the users’ languages, the easier it will be for them to use your software. The resulting enhanced user experience will, no doubt, increase user engagement and ultimately boost customer loyalty. Satisfied users are also more likely to recommend your product and keep buying it. What’s more you’ll likely save on support costs too, as users are less likely to log tickets and ask for help when they can easily find the information they need in their own language.

可以說，對于非英語用戶，軟件最重要的方面是其用戶界面。 一切習慣用法都越被翻譯成用戶的語言，他們使用您的軟件就越容易。 無疑，由此產生的增強的用戶體驗將增加用戶的參與度并最終提高客戶忠誠度 。 滿意的用戶也更有可能推薦您的產品并繼續購買。 此外，您還可以節省支持成本 ，因為當用戶可以輕松地以自己的語言找到所需信息時，他們不太可能記錄票證和尋求幫助。

The CRM system provider Insightly, for example, was able to increase their customer base by 10% after localising all its digital content across the web and its mobile apps in five languages. Today, 60% of all of Insightly’s revenue comes from markets outside their home country, the U.S. This would not have been possible without the company’s investment in software localisation.

例如， CRM系統提供商Insightly在將其所有數字內容本地化為五種語言的Web和移動應用程序后，能夠將其客戶群增加10％ 。 如今，Insightly所有收入的60％來自其母國(美國)以外的市場。如果沒有該公司對軟件本地化的投資，這是不可能實現的。

最后的想法 (Final thoughts)

Software localisation is, no doubt, a sound and sensible investment. It’ll strengthen your credibility in multiple markets and ensure a much more enjoyable user experience for your customers. After all, a successfully localised software application looks and feels as though it was originally designed in the user’s own country and language — and that’s your end goal.

毫無疑問，軟件本地化是一項明智的投資。 它將增強您在多個市場中的信譽，并確保為客戶提供更愉悅的用戶體驗 。 畢竟，成功本地化的軟件應用程序的外觀和感覺就像是最初以用戶自己的國家/地區和語言設計的一樣-這就是您的最終目標。

Just make sure you follow the guidelines outlined above and work with a specialist provider to get the best possible result for your users.

只要確保您遵循上述準則，并與專業提供商合作，即可為您的用戶帶來最佳結果。