The expansion and contraction of language have a significant impact on translation provisions, requiring designers and location Experts to anticipate and manage these changes to maintain visual integrity and conviviality. Although the contraction of the text can lead to an excessive amount of vacant space, the expansion of the text can cause overcrowding, an increase in the number of pages or a decrease in spaces. These changes can have an impact on design components, interface performance and even referencing.
What is the expansion and contraction of language?
During the translation between languages, we often encounter a phenomenon called expansion or contraction of the text. This happens because different languages transmit the same notion with different numbers of words. The expansion of the text is the trend of a growth document during the translation, where a text of 1,000 words translated from Arabic in English often ends up being around 1,250 words. On the other hand, translating 1,000 words from English into Danish can lead to a shorter text, the final count with an average of around 900 words.
How the expansion and contraction of language occur
Several factors contribute to the expansion and contraction of the text:
- Grammar and syntax: The structure of sentences varies between languages, affecting the overall number of words.
- Use of words and terminology: The concepts that are short in one language are described with more words in another.
- Subject: Technical, legal or academic texts often become longer because they require precise terminology.
- Pair of languages: Some languages tend to be naturally more verbose, while others are more succinct.
- Cultural adaptation: Translating idioms, metaphors or specific references to culture often involves providing an additional context to ensure that they are both significant and adapted to target culture.
- Vocabulary limitations in the target language: When the target language has no direct equivalent for concise terms, it is often necessary to use descriptive sentences instead.
- Simplification: Languages that tend to use more words for expression often lead to more concise translations in other languages. For example, the Spanish expression “Iniciar Sesión en Su Cuenta” is made more simply in English as “connect to your account”.
Common problems caused by the expansion / contraction of the text
- Cast iron
Languages that do not use the Latin alphabet – such as Japanese, Arabic and Chinese – generally require different fonts from those used for Latin languages such as English, Spanish and French. This changes the composition of the part.
- Text width
The scripts used in languages such as Chinese, Thai and Korean are generally more complex than those of Latin languages. Even if the number of characters in a text remains in a way the same, the spacing between these characters may not be due to the change during the composition.
- Text height
Many Asian languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Japanese, often require more vertical space for better readability. These languages have complex characters, unlike English. During the translation of English to one of these languages, the expansion of the text is a crucial consideration for designers and translators, because the same content in English can occupy more space when translated in these Asian languages.
The German language poses a unique challenge for translators due to its tendency to combine short words in long, compound terms. This can be difficult for designers, because dividing a sentence into several lines is simple, but doing the same with a single long sentence is not such a simple word, namely a new.
As mentioned above, abbreviations in English are not universally applied and can create challenges in other languages. Abbreviations can present challenges in design and translation, as they are often difficult to interpret and translate properly.
Best practices to manage language length variations
The design with flexibility consists in using user interface components that can adapt to variable content sizes, eliminating the need to overhaul with each new language. By implementing flexible arrangements, such as automatic revision containers instead of fixed width text zones, the text can dynamically adapt to adapt to its container. This approach is particularly useful for locating mobile interfaces, where the screen space is generally limited.
- Test with pseudo-localization
Pseudolocation is an effective method for identifying potential layout problems before they affect users. He imitates LANGUAGES With more or shorter text, allowing you to test how a user interface manages different scenarios.
Icons have the capacity to transmit universal messages, reducing dependence on text. But make sure that the icons are culturally appropriate and supported by info-burners or labels.
- Prioritize the hierarchy of content
Cut unnecessary words into the source language. A simpler and clearer content generally translates more effectively and reduces expansion.
- The role of DTP specialists
DTP specialists play a crucial role in managing the challenges of expansion and contraction of language on provisions, ensuring that the translated content maintains the visual integrity of the original while adapting to different linguistic requirements. They are essential to maintain coherent brand image and ensure that the materials seem to be polite and resonate with the international public.
Conclusion
The expansion and contraction of language are natural linguistic phenomena, but their impact on design and layout is very real. Negligating them can lead to bad user experiences, expensive touch -ups and potential damage to your brand on international markets.
By planning in advance, designing flexibility and adopting best internationalization practices, companies can create multilingual content that looks and works very well in each language.
Whether you design an application, a website, a document or a software interface, always think of a global scale. The key is to create arrangements that respect and adapt to the beautiful variety of human languages – because global content deserves a ready -made design.
DTP Labs is an office publishing company based in New Delhi, India. We offer book publication services, PDF conversions to words, post-traduction DTP and online location services to translation agencies around the world. To take advantage of our services, see our website www.dtplabs.com or contact us at info@dtplabs.com.