Software localization
Translation: Kristin Addis
Abstract
In modern society, which is led by new technologies in the field of telecommunications, it is essential to translate not only computer programs and webpages intended to facilitate work in any professional or personal field, but also all the information that can be transmitted by computer. The notion of localization has arisen as a consequence of the phenomenon of globalization and of the consolidation of the so-called information technologies. Although the verb localizar is defined by the Royal Spanish Academy as "to fix, to enclose within specific limits, to determine the place in which someone or something is found, to determine or indicate the location that someone or something should have," it is clear that there exists a new meaning that could be defined as the adaptation of a product for the particular market in which it is to be sold. This article defines the basic issues surrounding localization, as well as the most important aspects of it within the sphere of translation.
