The Difficulty In Translating A Script

Posted by Charles G Brock on March 12th, 2020

Translation can come off as a difficult ordeal. Script translation offers a serious challenge during this translation because scripts are meant to be spoken and thus might contain more slangs, cultural references, and colloquial expressions. In this article, we will go through the difficulty a script poses during the process of translation and how online translation services can be of help in solving them.

The difficulty with script translation:

1. Cultural Differences: Scripts are meant to be acted out and spoken. As such scripts are bound to contain more colloquial expressions, slangs, and cultural references. These need to be expressed in a certain sense based on various cultures – these scripting references can make or break a product. For example, in Arabic god and prophets need to be referenced in a certain way such that it doesn’t flare up the audience, however, in English speaking world, there is no specificity associated with such references. 

2. Target Market Goals and Needs: Before translating any manuscript, the target market's exact needs must be first studied. For example, technical audiences anticipate to be spoken to in a particular technical lingo and are used to jargon specific to that industry. Thus, the use of technical translation services and the creation of scripts specific to the audience with the use of audience-specific jargon during the process of translation can help in better understanding and communication.

3. Idioms and Phrases: Certain idioms and phrases need to be handled with care; a seemingly inconspicuous piece of text can take an altered meaning when rendered into another language and can do more harm than good. For example, “ostie de câlice” is a very Quebec based French profanity that might not be easily understandable to an English or even a French individual. However, careful translations of idioms need to be employed during script translation to ensure the semantics are carried.

4. Types of script: when we talk about script it can be of different types – movie script, voice-over script, advertisement script, radio script, comic graphic script, etc. Each script poses a different level of challenge and requirements. Some have scripts that need a formal tone attached with them while others don’t, some need a convincing tone (say for advertisements), while others need more of an instructive tone (script for e-learning). Translations need to incorporate the requirement and needs of various scripts. 

Script translation services: Script forms the backbone of localization. A LISA (Localization Industry Standards Association) study suggested that for every spent on localization by businesses, they saw a (approx.) return of investment. This should help you in seeing the importance of script translation during the process of localization. Corporatescript translation services help you in this regard. 

Besides supporting hundreds of global languages, script translation also helps you in providing a quick translation of the scripts for movies, video games, and even e-learning videos. Whatever is the need of the hour, online film script translation services are here to guide you through the whole process and help you in making a global impact. Translate your scripts today exclusively with online script translation services  .