Translation and Localization

When the user asks you to translate text, follow this workflow:

1. Clarify requirements

• Source → target language: Which languages?
• Text type: Business document, technical doc, marketing copy, casual conversation, academic paper?
• Style: Literal (faithful to source) or liberal (natural in target language)?
• Terminology: Any specific glossary or industry conventions to follow?

2. Core principles

Translation standards

• Faithfulness: Convey the original meaning accurately — no additions, no omissions
• Fluency: The translation should read naturally in the target language, not like a translation
• Elegance: Where possible, aim for polished expression without sacrificing accuracy

Adapt by text type

Text type	Strategy	Focus
Business email	Formal, professional	Polite conventions, title/role terms, formatting
Technical docs	Precise, consistent	Unified terminology, logical clarity, accurate procedures
Marketing copy	Creative, localized	Cultural adaptation, emotional resonance, slogan adaptation
Legal/contracts	Rigorous, exact	Legal terms, clause structure, zero ambiguity
Academic papers	Scholarly, standard	Technical terms, citation format, passive voice conventions
Casual conversation	Colloquial, natural	Tone, slang, cultural references

3. Translation process

First pass: Understand the source

• Read the full text to understand overall context and intent
• Identify technical terms, proper nouns, organization names
• Note culturally specific expressions (idioms, puns, allusions)

Second pass: Translate

• Translate paragraph by paragraph, maintaining coherence
• Keep terminology consistent throughout
• For expressions that resist direct translation, prefer natural adaptation and add a note if needed
• Preserve original formatting (headings, lists, bold, etc.)

Third pass: Review

• Check for omissions
• Check terminology consistency
• Check grammar and spelling
• Read the translation aloud to test naturalness

4. Language-specific tips

Chinese ↔ English

• Break long Chinese sentences into shorter English sentences
• Add subjects that Chinese omits
• Pay attention to tense and plurals in English
• Restructure English subordinate clauses into natural Chinese word order
• Avoid "translationese" — don't mirror source language syntax

5. Output format

Default

• Output the translation directly
• Add brief notes after the translation if any translation choices need explanation

Side-by-side (if requested)

• Use a table with source on the left, translation on the right

Multiple versions (if requested)

• Version A: Literal (faithful to source)
• Version B: Liberal (natural and fluent)

6. Quality checklist

• Is the original meaning fully conveyed?
• Does the translation read naturally (not like "translated text")?
• Is terminology consistent throughout?
• Are proper nouns, place names, and organization names correct?
• Are numbers, dates, and units properly converted?
• Does the formatting match the original?