In his introduction to the book, Chief Operating Officer John Watkins explains that the first edition was intended "to educate our clients on the processes of translation and localization." The third edition has a wider audience. It is available from the publishers, Lingo Systems and The Localisation Industry Standards Association (LISA), as well as from Amazon Books and the Silicon Valley Localization Forum.
Don't let the book's humble beginnings and modest aspirations fool you. There's hard information here.
The book starts by sorting out the terms of the trade: globalization, internationalization, localization, translation and interpretation. An eight-page glossary provides more definitions of terms and acronyms. An overview of the process from the client's point-of-view helps answer tough questions: What to localize, how to prepare a localization kit, how to set deadlines, how to choose a vendor and how to cost-out a project.
The following chapters, written by Lingo Systems' staff, introduce the reader to the various aspects of the process. While not a definitive compendium, the book does not shy away from the tough stuff like dealing with double-byte languages.
Again, in the introduction, Watkins stresses that the chapters "stand alone," designed to address the specific concerns of specific readers. The approach succeeds in this and also in conveying the importance of each step of the process and the professionalism that each author brings to the task. Unlike conventional textbooks in many ways, The Guide to Translation and Localization publishes photos of its contributors. Call me kitsch, but I like seeing the faces behind the words and the smiles behind the work.
"Can't talk...have a deadline. No, really...I have a deadline! OK! I fell into computers and I can't speak any language other than English, which is amazing considering I took 12 years of Spanish. But I know how to format! Boy, do I know how to format!" — Janet Zamecki
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