Introduction to Translations

Welcome to the Translation Guidelines for Demand Media Studios articles. The purpose of these is to

inform your decisions when translating content from English to Spanish. As a general rule, the articles

Demand Media will be translating are straight forward, simple and conversational. Complex and

technical subject matter is the exception in most articles. However, these articles often use idioms,

informal language, cultural or geographic nuances that can pose a challenge in the translated version.

Your job as a translator of DM content is to ensure that articles get successfully translated into Spanish,

carrying over the intended meaning from one language to another, while maintaining the spirit and

voice of the original. Translations of Demand Media content are not literal transcriptions.

All translations use correct, universal Spanish, which includes opening and closing punctuation marks

when needed, keeping the copy free of spelling, grammar, syntax, and other errors, and using neutral

language that can be understood by a diverse Spanish-speaking population. For style guidance, refer to

the “Manual de Estilo Demand Media Studios”.

Some of the most important points to look out for when translating articles have been covered in the

guidelines below, but there may be circumstances that haven’t been referenced here. In those cases, we

encourage you to use your best judgment. We trust that your expertise will help fill in the gaps that are

not covered herein. The mark of a good translation is that it can hold up as an effective standalone piece

of content.

Translation Guidelines

literal translations: the object of these translations is to convey the meaning of sentences in English

without sounding like a literal translation. Translations that sound straight out of Google

Translate are not acceptable. For example: “Do works of art” should translate to “Haz obras de

arte”, and not “Hacer trabajos de arte”, which reads like a literal, machine-like translation.

universal Spanish: avoid using words or phrases that apply only to one Hispanic-speaking region.

Practice universal Spanish (see Addendum 1 - Universal Spanish Best Practices). Verify that the

words you choose apply to all Spanish speakers by confirming their neutrality using the

Diccionario de la Real Academia Española (RAE). If you find that a word you choose is common

only in one or two countries, search for an equivalent word or phrase to encompass the idea.

For example: translate “Prepare a steak for lunch” to “Prepara un bistec para la comida”, y no

“Prepara un bife para la comida”, since bife is used only in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Perú y

Urugay – not in the rest of the Spanish-speaking countries. One rule of thumb is that if you are

sure the word in question is local, it’s probably not the best option.

gender: many words in English do not specify a gender like their Spanish equivalents do. When

translating a gender-neutral article, choose either a feminine or masculine approach. Do not

attempt to use both genders in one article. For example: translate “Talk to a friend who you

trust” to “Habla con un amigo en quien confíes” or “Habla con una amiga en quién confíes”, but

never translate to “Habla con un/a amigo/a en quien confíes”.

dates: when you come across a date reference in an article that makes the article seem outdated, you

can dispose of the entire sentence if by doing so the meaning is not altered significantly. The

idea is that dates reduce the evergreen value of an article, so use your best judgment when you

come across cases like these, and remove them if that will benefit the article.

trademarks: when translating trademarks, maintain the original trademarked name. For example: a

sentence like “Tide was not just another laundry soap” should be translated to “Tide no era sólo

un jabón más” and never “Marea no era sólo un jabón más”.

currency: include the letters “US” in front of the dollar sign every time you encounter a price reference.

For example: write a sentence like “Los precios se encuentran en el rango de US$40” and not

“Los precios se encuentran en el rango de $40” nor “Los precios se encuentran en el rango de

$40 dólares”. Something to note, is that amounts should be kept in their original currency, and

unlike measurements, there is no need to convert into any other currency. If the amount

appears in dollars, it should stay in dollars.

measurements: make sure all measurements appear in the metric system. Convert any units that come

in U.S. Customary Units (U.K. imperial system) to the metric system. Place the equivalent

measures in parenthesis next to the original. For example: translate the phrase “Losing 5 lbs. in

one month is an attainable goal” to “Perder 5 lbs. (2.27 kg.) en un mes es una meta alcanzable”,

and not “Perder 5 lbs. en un mes es una meta alcanzable”.

Note: You can access the following links to convert measurements, so you don’t have to

mathematically calculate them on your own:

http://www.convertworld.com/es/

http://es.metric-conversions.org/calculadoras-para-conversiones.htm

Since these are third party calculators, there may be occasions in which their system is down.

For such cases, see Addendum 2 - Conversion between Customary Units and Metric below to

convert these measurements manually.

idioms/sayings/proverbs: never make a literal translation of an idiom. It’s not the same for an English-

speaking reader to come across a phrase like “Remember that old saying we used to yell when

we were kids: I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” and a Spanish-speaking reader

coming across a phrase like "Recuerdas ese viejo dicho que en la infancia solías gritar: ¡Yo grito,

tu gritas, todos gritamos por helado!". The meaning doesn’t translate.

When you come across an idiom, you can do one of the following (in order of preference):

1. Find an equivalent idiom. For example: if an article includes a saying like “A bird in hand is worth

two in the bush,” translate it a similar idiom in Spanish, like for example “Más vale pájaro en

mano que cien volando.” Never under any circumstance translate it to “Un pájaro en mano vale

dos en el arbusto”, as this is not the correct use of the idiom and that it sounds awkward.

Sometimes the equivalent idiom in Spanish may not be universally used in the Spanish-speaking

world, but that’s ok if it conveys the meaning and adds color to the writing

Note: Include a disclaimer to give readers from other countries some context for the idiom. For

the example above, include a phrase to the effect of “En México se dice que [insert idiom

here].”

2. Translate the general gist or idea that the idiom is trying to convey in your own words. If you

cannot think of an idiom in your native language, then make a reference to what the idiom is

trying to say. For example: if you come across a saying like “Don’t throw the baby out with the

bathwater”, you can convey the meaning by writing a sentence like “Distingue aquello que

quieres tirar para que no se te escapen cosas que quieres”, which translates the meaning

without being awkward like if you attempted to translate the phrase as “No tires el bebé con el

agua de la tina.”

Here are some resources for further guidance on translations:

The World Bank Translation Style Guide, Spanish Edition

Real Academia Española

Addendum 1 – Universal Spanish Best Practices

Avoid regionalisms: Spanish is spoken in a variety of geographical regions, and the people in each region

have their own way of referring to certain things or naming certain objects. When writing a translation,

be aware of words that may be proper only to your particular region, and search for their universal

equivalent in RAE. Confirm whether it’s a neutral term, or if it is in wide use in Spanish. Examples of

words that are proper to particular regions are bife, carro, checa, etc – these should be avoided at all

costs. Always consult RAE to find the term that can be understood by a universal Spanish-speaking

audience.

Be aware of Spanish conjugation: verb conjugations vary between regions of the Spanish-speaking

world. The use of “vos” is popular in certain countries, but the majority of the Spanish-speaking

population doesn’t use that form of verb conjugation. Maintain your writing universal and conjugate

verbs in a neutral manner. “Tené en cuenta que…” should be “Ten en cuenta…”, “vestite con el

vestido…” should be “vístete con el vestido…”, etc. In addition, address the reader as “tú” instead of

“usted”, in accordance with the “Manual de Estilo Demand Media Studios”.

Addendum 2 – Conversion between US Customary Units and Metric

WHEN YOU KNOW MULTIPLY BY TO FIND

inches 2.54 centimeters

feet 30.48 centimeters

yards 0.91 meters

miles 1.61 kilometers

fluid ounces 29.57 milliliters

cups (liquid) 0.24 liters

pints (liquid) 0.47 liters

quarts (liquid) 0.95 liters

gallons 3.79 liters

cubic feet 0.028 cubic meters

ounces 28.35 grams

pounds 0.45 kilograms

short tons (2,000 lbs) 0.91 metric tons

square inches 6.45 square centimeters

square feet 0.09 square meters

square yards 0.84 square meters

square miles 2.59 square kilometers

acres 0.40 hectares

Temperature Conversion between Celsius and Fahrenheit

°C = (°F – 32) ÷ 1.8

°F = (°C x 1.8) + 32

Source: Webster’s New World College Dictionary