Where translation fails (part 1): How to know if transcreation is right for you

In our next blog post, we'll described one of our projects that started off fairly routine and quickly became something much more involved. One-to-one translation was impossible. This project required us to stretch our brains, flex our creative muscles and not translate, but transcreate.  

But what exactly is transcreation? And how do you know if you need it instead of translation?

In part one of a two-part series, we’ll compare and contrast these similar-sounding but different-in-every-way services and show you how you can decide which one is right for you … and for your text.

What is transcreation and how is it different from translation? 

Say “transcreation” fast enough, and it almost sounds like “translation”. But these two services could not be more different. We’re going to use the one we are all familiar with – translation – as a comfortable starting point. Think of it like a cozy cabin where you are warm and safe from the elements. From here, we can venture out to explore terrain that might be unknown to many of us – transcreation. So pour yourself some tea and throw another log on the fire. It’s time to get comfy.

Loosely defined (and we mean very loosely), translation is the act of transposing text from one language into another. The focus of translation is to recreate every word of the source text in the target text, insofar as this is possible. Of course, some interpretation is inherent to any good translation if it is to sound natural in the target language, but mostly it is the business of the translator to neither invent new text nor leave out any ideas that the original words express.

Ok. Cozy time is over. Set that tea aside, put out the fire and grab a flashlight. We are about to enter the unknown territory of transcreation.

For all its differences, transcreation does have one thing in common with translation: it attempts to transpose information from the source text into a target text of a different language. And that’s where the similarities end. While that may sound like basically the same process, transcreation leaves room for the linguist to drop some information, invent new information, restructure the order in which that information is presented, and generally play fast and loose with style, tone and content. (We warned you this was scary …)

Why on earth would someone pay to have their text chopped up and reassembled into something unrecognizable? For emotional impact. And this is what distinguishes it from translation.

How to know when you need transcreation 

If you want your reader to do something – buy your product, subscribe to your social media channel, apply to the job your advertising, or any number of actions – you need to stir their emotions. Make them curious. Inspire them. Leave them in awe. If you are calling the reader to action, your text needs to move them. This is a job for transcreation.

Any text attempting to elicit a certain emotion relies heavily on the culture in which it is communicating. One straightforward example is humor. What makes a German laugh won’t necessarily make, say, a Brit laugh (and honestly, could you imagine the anarchic comedy troupe Monty Python coming from the same country that gave us … well, we’re struggling to think of a German comedy troupe, but that only proves our point). So if your company has a clever marketing tagline that is sure to put a smile on German faces, you shouldn’t expect the same tagline to get a laugh in London just because you had it translated into English. Irony, sarcasm, surprise, double entendre and most other tools of the comedy trade simply can’t be translated along with the words.  But where translation fails, transcreation thrives.

A skilled transcreator knows the emotional context of the target language and culture. When feelings matter most, the transcreator can craft copy in the target language that takes liberties with the words for the sake of scoring emotional points. They might turn a statement into a question, use emotionally charged language that deviates from the source text, rearrange the order in which the information is presented, insert cultural references and go to any other lengths to arouse certain feelings in the reader. This might make customers nervous, but their trust will be rewarded with a final product that is not merely informative, but effective.  

So if you’re wondering if transcreation is right for you, ask yourself this: is your text trying to convey information or prompt an action? Press releases, financial reports, user guides, instruction manuals, whitepapers and the like typically exist to provide the readers with facts, which have nothing to do with feelings, and thus can usually get by with a classic translation. On the other hand, travel brochures, marketing texts for products and services, cover letters, mailouts, calls to action, job ads and many other types of copy are all seeking to get the reader to do something specific and achieve this by awakening certain emotions within them. This is where a different language requires a different approach.  

This is the realm of transcreation.

(And yes, you can go back to your fireplace in the cabin. The adventure is over … for now.)

If you’d like to know more about our transcreation services, send us an email, give us a call, or schedule a time to talk to us. We are always there for you and always happy to help!