Acronyms, the initialising of names, phrases and titles is ever more prevalent in all kinds of documents. Many of these abbreviations are industry specific. This can prove difficult to interpret in certain cases. For example, AI meaning Artificial Intelligence, also stands for Artificial Insemination. Similarly, AA which in the UK stands for the Automobile Association is also the acronym for Alcoholics Anonymous.
Another problem comes when acronyms are used to spell out a particular word in a marketing campaign. These are commonly used as tools to illustrate a particular product or service. It may well be very inventive and even amusing in one language, but impossible to replicate in another. If such campaigns are to be translated, then marketing departments and advertising agencies should be aware that their creativity may not work outside their own native language.
For example, imagine a food company with designs on expanding their range of ready meals across Europe using the acronym G.R.A.N.D for “Great Recipes and Novel Dining”. Try translating that into other languages and retain both the same acronym and the identical meaning.
In many cases it comes down to the creative ability of the translator. The same situation exists with the use of specific proverbs and sayings. A clever play on words in one language may not work in another. Avoiding these problems calls for content creators and translators to work together with the aim of preserving the original message, by adapting it to the linguistic and cultural nuances of the target audience. Certainly, we at arb limited, look forward to these challenges.