---
name: translation
description: Translation and localization — multilingual translation, terminology handling, context adaptation, format preservation, quality self-review.
---

# 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?
