Are Translation and Localization the Same?
Learn the difference between website translation and website localization and why you need both for global success.
 阅读需18分钟 |  Jessica Rivera |  2025年3月14日 |
| 阅读需18分钟 | Jessica Rivera | 2025年3月14日 |
To reach new global markets, it is critical to 翻译您的网站 to communicate with new customers in their preferred languages. While website translation helps attract international visitors, combining translation and localization is what truly fosters genuine connections and drives higher conversion rates.
Many people use "translation" and "localization" interchangeably, but they are not the same. Both processes help businesses expand internationally, yet each serves a different role in delivering an optimal user experience. Without effectively "speaking" your audience's language-both literally and culturally-how can you engage them successfully?
While translation and localization offer similar functionalities, there are essential differences between them. Understanding what distinguishes these terms, processes, and services, helps you extend the reach of your website more efficiently and profitably. To understand how website translation and localization services differ, you need to define the two concepts.
The concept of 网站翻译 is very straightforward. Website translation is the process of adapting your website content from its original language into other languages, often word-for-word, to make it accessible to global customers. Translated content mirrors the style and tone of source content but doesn’t consider the context.
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Website localization services go beyond a word-for-word translation experience. 这涉及通过文化、语言和思绪来精炼网站内容，从而为用户提供最有价值和最相关的体验。本地化将目标地区或国家使用的语种方言考虑在内，以便让所有的网站内容元素适应当地或区域的消费需求。The localization method modifies the language and website elements to appeal to the linguistic and cultural preferences of the target customers.
在决定如何开发多语言网站时，必须考虑以下几项网站本地化要素：
While translation is one aspect of localization, localizing website content is a fundamental next step after translation. Therefore, the two concepts are important for multilingual website development, both as standalone concepts 和 together.
创译 is a creative way of translating a message from one language to another. It keeps the same tone, style, and context, and makes sure the original meaning is not lost. The goal of transcreation is to recreate the message in a way that resonates with the target audience and maintains cultural relevance.
Transcreation is useful in advertising, marketing, and branding to adapt campaigns and slogans to different cultures and languages. Unlike traditional translation, transcreation allows more freedom in the creative process by using cultural research and adaptation to ensure that it is appropriate and relevant.
When travelling to another country, it’s helpful to know simple phrases in the local language such as "please," "thank you," and "how much". But if you weren’t fluent in the language, you probably became frustrated by your inability to communicate in other situations.
Your target market may face a similar challenge when interacting with your business online. 他们需要网站“使用他们的语言”，以便轻松理解您想要传达的内容。不能让客户感到沮丧或困惑。如果出现摩擦，他们往往会离开您的网站，从而无法实现转化。
Websites presented in local languages yield better market responses than those that aren't. According to Common Sense Advisory, nearly 73% of customers prefer to purchase a product or service from a site that provides information in their own language, and 56% of consumers said the ability to obtain information in their own language is more important than price.
So, why should you localize your website? In a nutshell, while translation is vital, it will only get you so far.
您不能让您的全球客户在访问您的网站时遭遇任何障碍。如果遇到摩擦，他们就会离开您的网站。
Machine translation (like Google Translate) is cost-effective for basic translations, but it lacks cultural and contextual accuracy. It also doesn't generate SEO-friendly, indexable pages, limiting organic traffic potential.
Human translation, on the other hand, ensures nuance, accuracy, and cultural appropriateness. Combining AI-powered tools with human review often yields the best results.
Google Translate also doesn’t create searchable, indexable versions of those translated pages, which is important from an SEO standpoint.
Website localization goes beyond the word-for-word linguistic conversion of conventional translation and instead uses words and phrases that resonate within specific markets.
不具有地区性的翻译非常有效，但本地化对于许多多语言客户而言往往更具说服力。
举例而言，思考一下“trousers”和“slacks”的区别。这两个词的意思相同，但一个是英语，另一个是美语。
But website localization can go beyond word choice. 精明的营销人员通常会对多语言网站进行定制，以凸显出特殊节日、庆祝活动或习俗。这展示了对当地市场文化的熟悉程度，从而快速赢得客户的信任。
本地化的其他实例包括在特定市场举办特别促销活动，或者通过有助于建立信赖关系的信息在新的市场树立起信誉。
In the early days of serving a multilingual market, it was not uncommon for a company to be greeted with local skepticism. 当地客户往往会怀疑企业对该市场及其需求的投入程度。如果品牌使用了本地化内容，看起来就不像是投机取巧，而是真实可信。
Website translation technology does not consider the nuances of your chosen language, your website, app, or marketing content may present differently. Website localization includes things like layout adjustment, reading technique, and word count.
For instance, certain romance languages like French and Spanish need about 30% more words than English to get the same message across. Conversely, Finnish actually requires 30–40% fewer words. Website translation only deals with the language, but localization makes sure copy looks right.
At this point you're probably asking yourself: should I invest in translation or localization for my website? Both options differ on a strategic level, so the answer may not be black and white. 对于特定的市场，简单的翻译可能适用于某些类型的内容。对于高度情绪化的创造性营销内容则通常必须采用本地化方式，以便能够在整个地区产生清晰的共鸣。
Websites usually contain several content types, from marketing copy to legal and technical information and user-generated forum content. 出于效率和成本原因，请考虑哪些类型的内容需要本地化，还有哪些内容只需简单的翻译。Website translation and localization help you connect with your target audience and reach them on a more personal level.
翻译本身可以帮助应对许多人使用相同母语的情况，即使他们可能来自不同的国家。广义的翻译可以让读者掌握信息，无论他们来自何处。在美国，这种现象常见于使用同一种语言（如西班牙语）的人群。
虽然美国有来自世界各地的西班牙语使用者，但他们受到不同的文化差异、惯用语和方言的影响。在此情况下，精心撰写的广义译文会有意识地避免使用来自任何特定国家的区域性惯用语或词汇，并在本地化的美国市场中对更为广阔的西班牙语市场予以认同。
仅进行翻译是成本较低的选项。某些网页或翻译任务的重要性未达到需要进行人工翻译的程度。MotionPoint可能对某一页面使用机器翻译，而对其他更加重要的页面使用人工翻译。
本地化可以创造更大的凝聚力，但成本更高。Localization also requires content verbiage translation upkeep and considers web design as well. 这可能包括根据原始网站与目标语言及文化之间的差异来修改图像或开发全新的网页。
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Localization would benefit you most if:
MotionPoint对业务需求进行审视，并可以提供网站翻译或本地化定制服务（或者更常见的是两者的结合）。以下是几个个案研究，它们突出展示了需求如何促使企业决定将一个网站发展成为强大的多语言网站，以满足客户需求并助力业务增长。
玛斯特锁, a leading U.S. manufacturer of retail and commercial security and safety products, needed both website translation and localization when they began expanding globally. 本地化网站为玛斯特锁提供了真正的战略价值。经销商和销售团队利用玛斯特锁的网站为区域客户收集产品信息，同时客户也可以访问玛斯特锁的完整在线产品和服务信息。此外，玛斯特锁的网站会根据新产品或细分市场在推出时所做的频繁更新进行定期更改，因此准确的翻译对于其业务至关重要。到目前为止，玛斯特锁已经拥有了采用简体中文、荷兰语、法语、德语、意大利语、日语、葡萄牙语和西班牙语支持的翻译和本地化网站。
Rio Bank is a community bank with branches throughout the heart of Southern Texas, many of them near the Mexican border. 业务在持续增长，但Rio Bank发现，他们没有获得足够的客户反馈，而客户反馈对营销和客户服务来说十分重要。在使用西班牙语进行客户调查时，反馈急剧增加，Rio Bank很快意识到，他们需要更好地与其西班牙语客户沟通。为此，Rio Bank委托MotionPoint翻译其网站，并为所有客户创造沉浸式的双语体验。对其网站的翻译瞬即提升了客户满意度，其中90%以上的客户使用西班牙语。
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Expanding into new markets requires accurate translation and engaging localization. If your website doesn't feel native to your target audience, you risk losing potential customers.
MotionPoint了解，在多语言网站上发布与市场相关的本地化内容实际上更具挑战性。It requires powerful website translation technology to customize website code to present the appropriate localized content to the right customers. 这需要能够轻松发布、追踪和更新定制化内容的翻译管理技术。
It also requires world-class translators who are fluent in languages, cultures, and customs. MotionPoint helps your business find the solutions you need for anywhere you want your business to be in the world.
