Advertising aims to pass an intended message about a product or service to a specified audience. Among the challenges advertisers face when advertising for a foreign audience is translating technical terms. Despite this challenge, simple and easy-to-understand terminologies are the only choice when advertising to the Chinese audience.

Translating technical terms in advertising to Simplified Chinese requires a broad knowledge of the technical terms and linguistic knowledge of the target language. Why is it important to maintain accuracy and clarity when translating technical terms? Keep reading to get the answer.

Significance of Translating Technical Terms in Advertising for Simplified Chinese Audience

In business writing technical terms shouldn’t be used unless the advert is for audiences with technical background. The Simplified Chinese audience amounts to 1.1 billion. To successfully earnest this mass following, simplified Chinese translation services is a wise option.

Why it’s important to translate technical terms in advertising?

1. Translation Helps Reach Larger Audience

Every industry is characterized by technical terms. These are terms only a few Simplified Chinese audiences will understand. To counter this alienation of your audiences, translation of all technical terms in advertisements is highly advisable.

Since not every Mandarin speaker understands technical terms, translating the terms to Mandarin will make the message reach a larger audience.

2. Translating Technical Terms Bridges Culture Barriers

Cultural nuances are common barriers to effective communication in business. Partly because most words have culture elements that define their perspective if subjected to interpretation in a different culture. The solution to avoiding misinterpretation of technical terms due to different cultural elements is translation.

Having a translation team with a deep understanding of the Simplified Chinese audience culture, technical terms are adapted to fit their cultural elements. 

3. Translation in Advertising Helps Increase Conversion

As personal experiences improve due to emotional and cultural connections after translation, conversions equally improve. Technical terms when used in advertisements make their intent difficult to comprehend. The connection with the product or service advertised is lost which translates to losing potential customers.

If you want to sell more or introduce your brand to Simplified Chinese audiences, let translators translate all technical terms in your advertisements.

4. Translation Brings Out the Advantages of Localization

Translation isn’t limited to translating texts from one language to another. It also involves aligning the cultural elements with the target audience’s culture. This culture alignment or localization has many business advantages. They include decreasing new market entry barriers, improving customer experiences, and results in business expansion.  

Challenges of Maintaining Accuracy and Clarity When Translating Technical Terms

We all strive to ensure accuracy and clarity are maintained in any communication. Even more attention is required when conveying complex concepts in the business world. Inaccuracy and lack of clarity in advertising losses the advert message.

It’s difficult to maintain accuracy and clarity in conveying complex concepts due to the following reasons:

1. Language and Culture Barrier

The main challenge of maintaining accuracy and clarity in technical translation is the language and culture barrier. Imagine translating a technical terminology into a culturally sensitive language like Simplified Chinese. Conveying complex concepts accurately and with clarity requires time, expertise, and a native.

A trained and professional translator can promise accurate translation. But unless he’s an expert in the subject matter and a native speaker of the target language, clarity is difficult to achieve.

2.   Lack of Technical Knowledge

Without technical knowledge, how can an individual promise accuracy and clarity in technical translation? Translating technical documents whether for tech products, or service terms as in healthcare is best done by experts. They understand the background and circumstances under which the term lies.

Emerging new technology and its related terms is another challenge translators face while trying to ensure accuracy and clarity in conveying complex concepts.

3. Time Limitations

Complex concepts require time to accurately translate. Adding that you’ve to consider the audience’s culture, translation becomes more challenging. Assigning such kinds of translation projects under time constraints is much more likely to cause challenges in maintaining the translation accurate and clear.

In technical translation, it’s prudent to agree with the translation team on the most appropriate time length they need for the translation process.

Importance of Maintaining Accuracy and Clarity in Conveying Complex Concepts

What’s likely to happen after translating a patient’s medical diagnosis report inaccurately? Or a machine operation process wrongly? Complex concepts are usually sensitive and are likely to cause devastating effects if not accurately explained with the clarity they deserve.

The importance of conveying complex concepts includes:

1. Effective Communication Maintains Good Brand Image

Among the consequences of misinformation is tarnishing a company’s brand image. Translating complex concepts wrongly will result in a negative perception of your company. On the contrary, if the same concepts are conveyed accurately and clearly to the target audience, your brand image is elevated.

2. Helps Convey the Source Message and as Intended

Accurate translation of technical terms equals accurate information and correct information results in effective communication. By maintaining the accuracy and clarity of your content, you convey the source message as intended. In other terms, the receiver gets an undiluted message.

3. Avoiding Legal Issues

Wrong decision due to inaccuracy and clarity when conveying complex concepts in most cases results in litigation. Whether it’s an advert or a technical document, correct translation helps avoid court issues which are sometimes costly and time-consuming.

Conclusion

When translating technical terms in advertising targeting Simplified Chinese Audiences, ensure you employ every translation strategy to get them right. Despite the many challenges in maintaining accuracy and clarity in conveying complex concepts, navigating them has many benefits. Building trust and brand image, and avoiding court issues are some examples.

Kenneth

Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].