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.

软件已成为我们世界的重要组成部分，因此无法想象没有它的生活。 我们周围几乎没有任何不是由软件创建或在软件上运行的服务或产品。

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!

我们都熟悉操作系统，办公应用程序和Web浏览器形式的计算机上的软件。 当然，移动设备上也有很多软件。 然后是家用电器，车辆，生产设施等。 整个世界似乎都在软件上运行！

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.

问题是： 大多数软件都是用英语创建的 。 如果您想留在本地，那很好，但是当您的产品或应用打算覆盖全球用户时，可能会成为一个问题。

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

这正是软件本地化进来的地方。但是它与标准翻译有何不同？ 让我们找出答案。

什么是软件本地化？ (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’.

软件本地化可能比标准翻译复杂得多 。 据领先的语言服务提供商SDL称， “软件本地化是指使软件产品适应目标市场的语言，文化和技术要求的过程” 。

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.

像翻译一样，它涉及将软件界面从源语言翻译成其他(目标)语言。 但是它还包括将度量，日期和货币本地化为相应的目标语言和区域，并在每种情况下在文化上使术语与目标区域的本地文化相适应 。 成功的软件本地化过程还将涵盖其他要素，例如帮助文件，许可协议，用户手册或安装说明。

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.

虽然常规翻译肯定会以另一种语言传达软件中的单词 ，但它不一定专注于目标市场用户的界面用户友好性水平 。 另一方面，软件本地化可以使整个内容完美地适应每个地区或文化的特定需求 。 这可以一直扩展到诸如扩展菜单项之类的方面，因为某些语言自然比其他语言更罗word，需要更多空间。 如您所见，这以标准翻译可能无法改善的方式改善了用户体验。

这个怎么运作 (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.

软件本地化通常由翻译专家使用计算机辅助翻译程序执行 。 当然，还有用于提取，编辑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.

常规翻译过程包括术语研究，校对甚至有时是桌面出版，而软件本地化则包括进一步的步骤，例如本地化策略设计，多语言项目管理和文件格式转换。

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，需要通过从程序中提取内容来创建源文件。 您需要的源文件格式取决于您的软件本地化提供商。 尽管标准的本地化程序支持多种文件格式，但有些可能要求您以XML本地化交换文件格式(或XLIFF)文件的形式提供内容。 在该过程结束时，翻译后的文本将被简单地导入到您的源代码中。

为什么计划很重要 (Why planning is important)

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

当您计划对软件进行本地化时，请在此过程的早期牢记以下准则：

• 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.

  确保您已经在软件开发阶段安排了足够的时间进行本地化过程，以免造成紧急情况。 在您预定的发布日期之前，没有什么比大惊慌更糟糕的了。

• 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.

  您的软件应该以一种易于设计的方式进行设计，以便以后无需更改任何程序即可将其适应不同的语言 。 因此从一开始就使用正确的结构和源代码可以节省您的时间，并节省大量成本。

• 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.

  其他语言可能比英语更长，因此请在界面设计中至少扩展30％ ，以确保其他语言的文本适合。 对于用户而言，没有什么比目标界面中的短句烦人了。

• 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.

  通过伪本地化过程运行文件。 这将用伪翻译代替真实文本，以帮助您在进行实际本地化投资之前确定潜在的技术问题，从而节省了资金。

• 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.

  避免使用跨越多个字符串的短语 。 由于其他语言与英语的约定不同，因此诸如性别(尤其是单词顺序)之类的语法元素很可能会发生变化。 拥有链接的字符串会更难适应这些差异，并可能导致无意义的输出。

• 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.

  为翻译人员提供上下文，并避免使用独立的单字字符串。 您不仅使它们的处理变得如此简单，而且如果您在提供每个短语上下文的字符串中添加注释 ，尤其是当它们可能含糊不清时，还可以确保本地化版本更加准确。

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

  不要忘记检查每个目标市场的所有货币，度量，时间和日期格式是否都已正确定位 。

为什么要投资软件本地化？ (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.

显然，对软件进行专业的本地化可以为您提供在市场上的竞争优势。 超越简单地翻译软件的范围， 将使您的产品对国际目标市场中的客户更有用，并使您在竞争中脱颖而出。 当地买家将非常感谢您的努力。 CSA Research的一项研究对29个国家/地区中18至64岁之间在线或通过移动应用程序使用和/或购买产品/服务的人们进行了调查，并确认在整个客户旅程中交付本地化内容可以显着提高公司的投资回报率。

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.

可以说，对于非英语用户，软件最重要的方面是其用户界面。 一切习惯用法都越被翻译成用户的语言，他们使用您的软件就越容易。 无疑，由此产生的增强的用户体验将增加用户的参与度并最终提高客户忠诚度 。 满意的用户也更有可能推荐您的产品并继续购买。 此外，您还可以节省支持成本 ，因为当用户可以轻松地以自己的语言找到所需信息时，他们不太可能记录票证和寻求帮助。

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系统提供商Insightly在将其所有数字内容本地化为五种语言的Web和移动应用程序后，能够将其客户群增加10％ 。 如今，Insightly所有收入的60％来自其母国(美国)以外的市场。如果没有该公司对软件本地化的投资，这是不可能实现的。

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.

毫无疑问，软件本地化是一项明智的投资。 它将增强您在多个市场中的信誉，并确保为客户提供更愉悦的用户体验 。 毕竟，成功本地化的软件应用程序的外观和感觉就像是最初以用户自己的国家/地区和语言设计的一样-这就是您的最终目标。

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

只要确保您遵循上述准则，并与专业提供商合作，即可为您的用户带来最佳结果。