Translation is often misconceived as a mere linguistic substitution, but it's far more intricate. It's a cultural bridge, not just a linguistic switcheroo. Even seemingly simple phrases can unravel complexities. Consider this scenario: two friends meeting in town. They have not seen each other for a while. After greeting and briefly catching up, one says to the other: ‘Let’s go and get a cup of coffee?’ What happens next? How long will they stay? What, exactly, will they do?
In the UK, they'd likely head to a café for coffee -probably a cappuccino, an americano, or a simple black coffee, served in a mug-. They may also decide to have a slice of cake. Then they will sit down and have a chat, spending at least 20 minutes catching up. Eventually, once they have finished their drinks, they will leave, going their separate ways. In Argentina, it's different: the invitation '¿Vamos a tomar un café?' initiates a leisurely bar visit, where hours are spent chatting without interruption, even if they finished their drinks a while ago (there's an internal code: the waiter will never hurry you up). Italy's take? A brief espresso at the bar, drink it quickly (before it gets cold), a quick exchange, and off they go.
If we take this into professional settings, they can stumble in translation. A casual 'Let's meet for coffee tomorrow morning' might, when translated literally, lead to a misjudged expectation of time, potentially causing offence.
So, dear reader, publicist, scriptwriter, author, marketing director, strategist, translator: whatever the industry, whatever the communicational need or creative setting, we must keep in mind that the answer lies in the nuances of each culture or "localization". At NCA, we got this and our contribution goes beyond translation, we build that cultural bridge.
We are NCA, we are not-a-copy-agency, WE BETTER YOURS
Link al artículo en español: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/la-gente-y-sus-costumbres-traducir-cultura-de-origen-destino-5frcf
*Based on a case study on Cultural Translation, Cardiff University
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