As a translator and localization specialist, my candy is a well-translated headline. While most people will find that geeky or crazy, the few of you reading this likely know exactly what I mean. Headlines, by their nature, should not be literally translated. Instead, they require transcreation<\/i>, the process of translating a text creatively for its expression and tone, rather than its literal meaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week I came across this clever headline for Apple Pay coming to Mexico in 2021:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Literally, it says “The most effective form of payment is cashless.<\/em>” But this simple reading omits the transcreation play-on-words the Spanish translator employed with the words “efectiva<\/strong>” — effective<\/em>, and “efectivo<\/strong>” — cash<\/em>. It’s brilliant. Immediately, I wondered what the original English was, so I checked it out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cashless made effortless<\/strong>. I don’t know about you, but I like the Spanish transcreation better. A lot better.<\/em> I further looked at the British, Canadian, and Australian versions of this Apple Pay headline and they were all identical. If I were the Head of Localization at Apple, I would push for the English to be changed to something more along the lines of the Spanish. Maybe “More bang. Less bucks.<\/strong>“? I don’t know, but the whole English-speaking world was given this uninteresting headline and heads should definitely roll. (I don’t blame the copywriter, by the way, as having been there myself, I know the copywriter definitely didn’t have the final word on this choice and likely provided various more edgy options.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine my surprise, though, when I checked the Spanish (Spain) version of the headline, where Apple Pay has been available for some time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pagar te costar\u00c3\u00a1 menos.<\/strong> Paying will cost you less. <\/em>Am I missing an idiomatic phrase in Spain here? Either way, I still really like the Mexican advertisement’s transcreation better. Isn’t it interesting how Apple marketing chose separate translations\/transcreations for Spain and Mexico, but not for the US, UK, Canada, and Australia? All French-speaking countries also used identical headlines (see below). I wonder what the reasoning for this is. Swiss German got its own translation, but Swiss French and Italian did not. Go figure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, my interest piqued, I had to check out a few more languages where Apple Pay is available. In Russia you have a rather mundane translation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00d0\u2018\u00d0\u00b5\u00d1\u0081\u00d0\u00ba\u00d0\u00be\u00d0\u00bd\u00d1\u201a\u00d0\u00b0\u00d0\u00ba\u00d1\u201a\u00d0\u00bd\u00d1\u2039\u00d0\u00b5 \u00d0\u00bf\u00d0\u00bb\u00d0\u00b0\u00d1\u201a\u00d0\u00b5\u00d0\u00b6\u00d0\u00b8. \u00d0\u2018\u00d0\u00b5\u00d0\u00b7 \u00d1\u0192\u00d1\u0081\u00d0\u00b8\u00d0\u00bb\u00d0\u00b8\u00d0\u00b9<\/strong>. That is, Contactless payment. Effortless. <\/em>Now compare that to the more considered Polish translation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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