抄録
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.
