Software localization, the process of translating and adnpting a software product
into another language, is by definition an extreme example of target-oriented
translation. This strong target-orientation derives from the very particular nature
of the textual components contained in a software product. Typically, these are
text strings embedded in the software interface and on-line and printed
documentation. These components not only transmit operational information
but also help in giving the product its commercial appeal. The translation
process is thus subject to a double constraint: on the one hand, it must provide a
text which is as effective as the original in transmitting information; on the
other, it must ensure that the translated product has the same commercial appeal
as the original. A cursory survey of the strategies and techniques adopted by
localizers in the translation of software applications from English into Italian
reveals that the source-language text is often substantially adapted, if not
reworked, to meet the stylistic and cultural requirements of Italian
users/consumers. Nonetheless, far from being a special case of language transfer,
software localization can be considered as just another example, however
extreme, of the cultural and extra-linguistic constraints placed on any act of
translation.
