Article,
Hiding Difference - on the Localization of Websites
The Translator, (2006)
Abstract
The localization process is described in industry documentation as the best solution a company can adopt to reach target-language users in a particular country or region. By eliminating foreignness or inaccessibility, localization allows target-locale users to access information or products designed specifically for them. However, the process adversely affects perceptions of Self and Otherness since localization relies exclusively on target-oriented adaptation to account for differences between source- and target-language communities. This paper uses examples from 3M, GE and Maytag to argue that when companies adopt target-locale images, icons and symbols on their websites, they disguise Otherness, making it easier for consumers to believe that the company is part of the target locale but difficult for them to determine whether or not it actually is. It further argues, using the Canadian and American versions of the McDonald's website, that when the cultural and linguistic differences between two locales are minimal, adaptation may not always be necessary. Finally, it considers the ways in which the localization process could ensure greater transparency with respect to Otherness.
