Many of my translation clients are museums and other organizations in the culture and tourism sector. And I have translated countless marketing texts and other material, including audioguides, into German for major museums in the United States and elsewhere.
All stakeholders in this field know that mastering translation is essential for museums aiming to be inclusive and globally accessible. Prioritizing quality translations, collaborating with professionals, and regularly reviewing content can help museums connect with audiences worldwide and fulfill their mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding. A recent article by the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) underscores the importance of working with professional translators who are also experts in the subject matter:
Cultural understanding and nuance: Human translators have a deep understanding of the cultural context, connotations, and subtle shades of meaning in both the source and target languages. They can respond appropriately to nuance, tone, humor, and complicated cultural references.
Specialized subject knowledge: Most translators specialize in a chosen subject area. Examples are medical translation, patents, and travel but there are also translators who specialize in culture and museums. Their knowledge of the cultural sector helps to ensure accurate and appropriate translations that are appropriate for a museum context.
Consistency and coherence: Human translators take pride in maintaining a consistent style, terminology and voice across an entire document or project. Consistency helps to build credibility and trust with your audience and aids comprehension.
Creativity: Sometimes a literal translation is not the best way to convey meaning to a non-English speaker. Idioms are a good example of this. Human translators can find the right way to express an idea in another language. They can also help to solve problems such as space constraints that might limit the available word count.
You can read the entire article here: https://www.iti.org.uk/find-professional-translator-interpreter/why-use-a-professional/sector-specific-translation-tips.html