Re: Humor 'n' more

[Max Wyss <prodok -at- PRODOK -dot- CH>]

Bill,

Humor is indeed extremely difficult to translate. However, banning humor
from a documentation just because it will be translated is rather dumb.

BUT, you will have to get a good translator, and you will have to accept
that this translator will essentially rewrite your documentation ... with
the humor and cultural references for the target culture.


Max Wyss
PRODOK Engineering AG
Technical documentation and translations, Electronic Publishing
CH-8906 Bonstetten, Switzerland

Fax:  +41 1 700 20 37
e-mail:  mailto:prodok -at- prodok -dot- ch    or    100012 -dot- 44 -at- compuserve -dot- com


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_____________





>Humor, like idiom and metaphor, doesn't translate well. The IDG series is a
>good example. One example in our new writing-for-localization seminar
>includes an Italian translation of *Mac for Dummies*. However, trying to
>sell such a title in Italy would've failed miserably. The title for the work
>there was translated "Macintosh without effort." I don't remember if the
>Italian version  retained the comic strips, but I doubt it did considering
>the different conventions cultures have  for humor.
>
>Humor may have its uses in informal technical documentation. However, in
>technical documentation that will be localized, it really isn't appropriate.
>In some cases it can be condescending or offensive.
>
>Bill Burns
>ILE Communications/Eccentric Technology Consultant
>billdb -at- ile -dot- com