Introduction to Translations

Welcome to the Translation Guidelines for Demand Media Studios articles. The purpose of these is to inform your decisions when translating content from English to Spanish. As a general rule, the articles Demand Media will be translating are straight forward, simple and conversational. Complex and technical subject matter is the exception in most articles. However, these articles often use idioms, informal language, cultural or geographic nuances that can pose a challenge in the translated version. Your job as a translator of DM content is to ensure that articles get successfully translated into Spanish, carrying over the intended meaning from one language to another, while maintaining the spirit and voice of the original. Translations of Demand Media content are not literal transcriptions. All translations use correct, universal Spanish, which includes opening and closing punctuation marks when needed, keeping the copy free of spelling, grammar, syntax, and other errors, and using neutral language that can be understood by a diverse Spanish-speaking population. For style guidance, refer to the Manual de Estilo Demand Media Studios. Some of the most important points to look out for when translating articles have been covered in the guidelines below, but there may be circumstances that havent been referenced here. In those cases, we encourage you to use your best judgment. We trust that your expertise will help fill in the gaps that are not covered herein. The mark of a good translation is that it can hold up as an effective standalone piece of content.

Translation Guidelines
literal translations: the object of these translations is to convey the meaning of sentences in English without sounding like a literal translation. Translations that sound straight out of Google Translate are not acceptable. For example: Do works of art should translate to Haz obras de arte, and not Hacer trabajos de arte, which reads like a literal, machine-like translation. universal Spanish: avoid using words or phrases that apply only to one Hispanic-speaking region. Practice universal Spanish (see Addendum 1 - Universal Spanish Best Practices). Verify that the words you choose apply to all Spanish speakers by confirming their neutrality using the Diccionario de la Real Academia Espaola (RAE). If you find that a word you choose is common only in one or two countries, search for an equivalent word or phrase to encompass the idea. For example: translate Prepare a steak for lunch to Prepara un bistec para la comida, y no Prepara un bife para la comida, since bife is used only in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Per y Urugay not in the rest of the Spanish-speaking countries. One rule of thumb is that if you are sure the word in question is local, its probably not the best option. gender: many words in English do not specify a gender like their Spanish equivalents do. When translating a gender-neutral article, choose either a feminine or masculine approach. Do not attempt to use both genders in one article. For example: translate Talk to a friend who you trust to Habla con un amigo en quien confes or Habla con una amiga en quin confes, but never translate to Habla con un/a amigo/a en quien confes. dates: when you come across a date reference in an article that makes the article seem outdated, you can dispose of the entire sentence if by doing so the meaning is not altered significantly. The idea is that dates reduce the evergreen value of an article, so use your best judgment when you come across cases like these, and remove them if that will benefit the article. trademarks: when translating trademarks, maintain the original trademarked name. For example: a sentence like Tide was not just another laundry soap should be translated to Tide no era slo un jabn ms and never Marea no era slo un jabn ms. currency: include the letters US in front of the dollar sign every time you encounter a price reference. For example: write a sentence like Los precios se encuentran en el rango de US$40 and not Los precios se encuentran en el rango de $40 nor Los precios se encuentran en el rango de $40 dlares. Something to note, is that amounts should be kept in their original currency, and unlike measurements, there is no need to convert into any other currency. If the amount appears in dollars, it should stay in dollars. measurements: make sure all measurements appear in the metric system. Convert any units that come in U.S. Customary Units (U.K. imperial system) to the metric system. Place the equivalent measures in parenthesis next to the original. For example: translate the phrase Losing 5 lbs. in one month is an attainable goal to Perder 5 lbs. (2.27 kg.) en un mes es una meta alcanzable, and not Perder 5 lbs. en un mes es una meta alcanzable.

Note: You can access the following links to convert measurements, so you dont have to mathematically calculate them on your own: http://www.convertworld.com/es/ http://es.metric-conversions.org/calculadoras-para-conversiones.htm Since these are third party calculators, there may be occasions in which their system is down. For such cases, see Addendum 2 - Conversion between Customary Units and Metric below to convert these measurements manually. idioms/sayings/proverbs: never make a literal translation of an idiom. Its not the same for an Englishspeaking reader to come across a phrase like Remember that old saying we used to yell when we were kids: I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! and a Spanish-speaking reader coming across a phrase like "Recuerdas ese viejo dicho que en la infancia solas gritar: Yo grito, tu gritas, todos gritamos por helado!". The meaning doesnt translate. When you come across an idiom, you can do one of the following (in order of preference): 1. Find an equivalent idiom. For example: if an article includes a saying like A bird in hand is worth two in the bush, translate it a similar idiom in Spanish, like for example Ms vale pjaro en mano que cien volando. Never under any circumstance translate it to Un pjaro en mano vale dos en el arbusto, as this is not the correct use of the idiom and that it sounds awkward. Sometimes the equivalent idiom in Spanish may not be universally used in the Spanish-speaking world, but thats ok if it conveys the meaning and adds color to the writing

Note: Include a disclaimer to give readers from other countries some context for the idiom. For the example above, include a phrase to the effect of En Mxico se dice que [insert idiom here].

2. Translate the general gist or idea that the idiom is trying to convey in your own words. If you cannot think of an idiom in your native language, then make a reference to what the idiom is trying to say. For example: if you come across a saying like Dont throw the baby out with the bathwater, you can convey the meaning by writing a sentence like Distingue aquello que quieres tirar para que no se te escapen cosas que quieres, which translates the meaning without being awkward like if you attempted to translate the phrase as No tires el beb con el agua de la tina. Here are some resources for further guidance on translations: The World Bank Translation Style Guide, Spanish Edition Real Academia Espaola

Addendum 1 Universal Spanish Best Practices Avoid regionalisms: Spanish is spoken in a variety of geographical regions, and the people in each region have their own way of referring to certain things or naming certain objects. When writing a translation, be aware of words that may be proper only to your particular region, and search for their universal equivalent in RAE. Confirm whether its a neutral term, or if it is in wide use in Spanish. Examples of words that are proper to particular regions are bife, carro, checa, etc these should be avoided at all costs. Always consult RAE to find the term that can be understood by a universal Spanish-speaking audience. Be aware of Spanish conjugation: verb conjugations vary between regions of the Spanish-speaking world. The use of vos is popular in certain countries, but the majority of the Spanish-speaking population doesnt use that form of verb conjugation. Maintain your writing universal and conjugate verbs in a neutral manner. Ten en cuenta que should be Ten en cuenta, vestite con el vestido should be vstete con el vestido, etc. In addition, address the reader as t instead of usted, in accordance with the Manual de Estilo Demand Media Studios.

Addendum 2 Conversion between US Customary Units and Metric

WHEN YOU KNOW inches feet yards miles fluid ounces cups (liquid) pints (liquid) quarts (liquid) gallons cubic feet ounces pounds short tons (2,000 lbs) square inches square feet square yards square miles acres

MULTIPLY BY 2.54 30.48 0.91 1.61 29.57 0.24 0.47 0.95 3.79 0.028 28.35 0.45 0.91 6.45 0.09 0.84 2.59 0.40

TO FIND centimeters centimeters meters kilometers milliliters liters liters liters liters cubic meters grams kilograms metric tons square centimeters square meters square meters square kilometers hectares

Temperature Conversion between Celsius and Fahrenheit C = (F 32) 1.8 F = (C x 1.8) + 32 Source: Websters New World College Dictionary