Abstract

Localization of software and websites makes up the largest share of business in the language industries of our time. Its uniqueness in discourse and use of technologies such as computer-aided translation distinguishes localization from other translation work. The business requirements of localization mean that large volumes of text must be translated in a short period of time, and therefore requires multiple translators working as a team. Under these circumstances, Translation Memory technology has become the de facto standard. It works not only as a text recycling tool but also as a bridge among translators to maintain quality levels. While there are pros and cons, discussions on these topics seem of interest to only professional translators. Very little academic research on localization discourse has been conducted in terms of linguistics and translation theories, perhaps because localization is new to translation studies, and vice versa. Thus, the challenge here is to make closer connections between the two. In this regard, this paper provides a brief survey of the localization industry from perspectives of business workflow, people associated, and technological support (such as Translation Memory). Also attempts are made to look at particular problems with localization in terms of current translation studies, such as Skopostheorie and Pym’s (2005) Interlingua architecture.