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

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?