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Think of the work involved in creating museum exhibitions. The concept development, design, fundraising, negotiation and construction. And that’s before storytelling or interactive features have even been considered!
Museum exhibitions are designed to communicate with visitors in a way that is historically and culturally relevant. So, what happens when an exhibition is likely to be viewed by visitors from across the globe? How can you ensure that all of that research, messaging and careful design lands correctly with your new target audience? Well, that’s where museum translation comes in.
Museum translation is the process of translating the content in a museum or any museum-related material from one language to another, ensuring it resonates with the target audience and cultural context while maintaining the meaning, tone, and nuance of the original material.
Any text or source of language found in a museum can benefit from museum translation. This includes maps, brochures, exhibition labels, audio guides, museum websites, apps and more.
The purpose of a museum or exhibition is to connect visitors through the power of exploration, education, and stewardship. This aim should extend to visitors with different linguistic backgrounds.
Additionally, museums aim to deliver knowledge, stories, and facts accurately. When a museum's content is translated well into visitors' native language, they gain a better understanding of historical contexts, artistic nuances, or scientific concepts.
For museums to reach a wider audience, they must consider museum translation as part of their strategy. Offering multilingual material is likely to attract a wider range of people with different linguistic backgrounds.
It stands to reason that a museum is more likely to appeal to someone if they know they can access the material in their language, thus enriching their experience.
When a museum translates its material, it shows that the museum welcomes a diverse, international cohort of visitors. Museum translation ensures that more people can access and enjoy the exhibits.
Additionally, a museum’s purpose is to preserve cultural artefacts and cultural heritage. Translating this material into different languages helps to foster the understanding and preservation of history across borders.
Without translation, museums run the risk of excluding a portion of their visitors as they would be unable to engage fully with exhibits.
When museums use museum translation, visitors can fully connect with the artefacts, stories and exhibits on show. This is particularly true for interactive elements of exhibitions, which would otherwise serve little to no purpose if left untranslated.
With museum translation, families whose members speak different languages can enjoy the experience together. Equally, groups of friends may have linguistic differences, an obstacle which museum translation overcomes. This means that groups of friends or families can visit the museum without relying on others in the group to explain exhibits to them.
The inclusive nature of museum translation results in visitors feeling more welcomed into the space. As they don’t have to struggle to interpret the material, they are more likely to feel comfortable and enjoy their experience.
When translating museum content, translators must be aware of the target culture’s customs, traditions and context. By being sensitive to potential cultural differences between the source and target languages, a translator can adapt the content accordingly. Read on to find out more about cultural adaptation in museum translation.
Cultural adaptation is a vital part of museum translation because it takes into account the cultural context surrounding the language used.
So, not only is the translation linguistically correct but it is translated so that it resonates with the target audience in a way that makes sense within the target culture.
Cultural adaptation avoids the risk of mis-translating culturally-bound content in a way that may confuse the target audience.
As a result, content that has been culturally adapted is more likely to engender engagement and have the desired effect in the target market.
With multiple translation options for the same word, consistency is key when implementing a museum translation strategy.
To maintain consistency, museums should keep to a single provider. The translation team should collaborate closely with one another to avoid variations in word choice.
When translating for museums, translators must take care to consider the language alongside its corresponding exhibition.
Exhibits are inherently visual, and mistranslations can occur when translators don’t know what the exhibit looks like or where the text will be located around the exhibit.
As such, museums must liaise closely with translators to ensure they have all the information they need to provide a translation that’s as accurate as possible.
There may not be a lot of space available for the translated text, requiring translators to be economic in their translation.
Audio translations should use language which matches that displayed on the exhibition label.
Furthermore, if listening visitors are following a specific pathway around an exhibit, translators must be provided with the map and any additional details they may need to produce a corresponding translation that works effectively.
There are several factors to consider when choosing a provider for your museum translation services:
Consider the type of museum, the target language(s) required and the amount of content needed to be translated. If the content includes a lot of niche terms requiring specialist knowledge, this should be taken into account when choosing a provider.
If you require multilingual translation for multiple audiences, then it’s sensible to choose a provider who works with multiple languages.
Choose a provider with in-depth knowledge of your target market and, if possible, your industry. For example, are you a museum of science and industry or are you an art history museum? Different providers will have different specialisms.
Check reviews of museum translation service providers to verify their efficacy.
Check for certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). When a translation company is ISO certified, it indicates that the translation process follows specific requirements for quality, accuracy, and consistency, such as qualifications of translators, review procedures, and client satisfaction.
Regular translation focuses on accurately conveying the meaning of the original text. Museum translation, however, focuses on ensuring that the target audience can access exhibitions on the same or a similar level as that of the original audience.
Museum translation must take into account the visual aspects of the exhibition, its layout and location within the museum, as well as the space available for the translated text. Sometimes, the content requires adapting to fit the cultural context of the target audience.
Performing excellent museum translation ensures your exhibitions resonate with your target audience. It avoids the risk of mis-translating culturally-bound content in a way that may confuse the target audience.
Museum translation is a fundamental choice for the translation of any museum material. This can include maps, brochures, exhibition labels, audio guides, museum websites, apps and more.
Due to its need for in-depth research and an extra level of creativity, museum translation can take longer than regular translation.
Due to the increased need for research, time and creativity in the museum translation process, museum projects tend to be more costly than regular translation projects. However, museum translation is likely to result in a higher return on investment because the message will resonate better with the target market.
Find out more about museum translation services at Absolute Translations.
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