Content: Translation

Guides translation workflow, terminology, style, and quality for multilingual content. Covers when to use human vs machine translation, glossary and style guide creation, and SEO considerations. For i18n implementation, hreflang, and URL structure, see localization-strategy.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Scope

Workflow: Brief → translate → review
Terminology: Glossary creation and management
Style guide: Voice, tone, formatting per language
Human vs MT: When to use each; post-editing
Quality: QA, consistency, SEO
Market-specific: Terminology by region

Initial Assessment

Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read it for brand voice, target markets, and product terminology.

Identify:

Content type: Product UI, marketing copy, blog, landing page, docs
Target language(s): Priority locales
Existing assets: Glossary, style guide, translation memory (TM)

1. Translation Workflow

Brief → Translate → Review

Phase	Purpose	Output
Brief	Context, audience, tone, glossary reference, style guide	Translator brief document
Translate	First pass; use glossary + TM when available	Draft translation
Review	Native speaker review; consistency, brand voice, SEO	Final translation

Translator Brief

Include in every project:

Context: What the content is for (landing page, product UI, blog)
Audience: Target market, user persona
Tone: Formal, casual, technical
Glossary: Link or attach; mandatory terms
Style guide: Reference or key rules
Constraints: Character limits (UI), SEO keywords to include naturally

Content-Type Workflow

Content Type	Approach	Notes
Product UI	Glossary-critical; short strings; consistency	Use TM; avoid machine translation
Marketing copy	Brand voice; cultural adaptation	Human translation; see terminology
Blog / Article	SEO; natural keyword placement	Re-research keywords in target language; don't translate keyword lists
Landing page	Conversion-focused; CTA clarity	Human; test localized CTAs
Technical docs	Precision; glossary	TM + glossary; consider MT + post-edit for high volume

2. Glossary & Terminology

Glossary Purpose

Consistency: Same term translated the same way across all content
Brand: Product names, feature names, approved phrasing
Compliance: Safety, legal, regulated terms
Cost: Reduces rework; accelerates review

Glossary Structure

Field	Purpose
Source term	Original (e.g., English)
Target term	Approved translation
Context	Where it appears; usage note
Do not translate	Brand names, product names (when applicable)

Market-Specific Terminology

Term	English	Chinese	Notes
Generative AI	Generative AI, GenAI	AIGC (人工智能生成内容)	Use "AIGC" for China; "Generative AI" for English
Influencer	Influencer	KOL (关键意见领袖)	"KOL" common in Chinese marketing
User	User	用户	Context-dependent
Dashboard	Dashboard	控制台, 仪表盘	Choose one; document in glossary

Principle: Don't translate terminology lists; research how target market searches and speaks. See keyword-research for multi-language keyword research.

3. Style Guide (Translation)

Elements to Define

Element	Purpose
Voice	Brand personality; formal vs casual
Tone	Varies by content type (support = helpful; marketing = persuasive)
Register	Formal (您) vs informal (你) in languages that distinguish
Punctuation	Quotation marks, spacing (e.g., no space before colon in French)
Formatting	Dates, numbers, units; locale-specific
Forbidden	Terms or phrases to avoid

Per-Language Considerations

Chinese: Simplified vs Traditional; measure word usage
German: Formal (Sie) vs informal (du); compound nouns
Japanese: Honorifics; keigo for formal contexts
Arabic: RTL; formal vs dialect

4. Human vs Machine Translation

When to Use Human Translation

Scenario	Reason
Product UI	Terminology, UX clarity, brand
Marketing copy	Persuasion, cultural nuance, CTAs
Landing pages	Conversion; tested copy
Legal, compliance	Accuracy, liability
Brand-critical	Taglines, campaign copy

When Machine Translation (MT) May Be Acceptable

Scenario	Condition
High-volume, low-stakes	Internal docs, user-generated content
Draft / triage	MT + human post-edit (MTPE)
Real-time	Chat, support; with disclaimer

Avoid

Raw MT for product/marketing: Terminology errors, cultural misfires, poor SEO
MT without post-edit for customer-facing content
Translating keyword lists instead of re-researching in target language

5. Translation Memory (TM) & TMS

Translation Memory

What: Stores approved source↔target sentence pairs
Benefit: Consistency; reuse; lower cost per word; faster turnaround
Best practice: Maintain TM; clean duplicates; align with glossary

Translation Management System (TMS)

Use for: Centralized workflow; glossary + TM integration; vendor management
When: Multiple languages; ongoing translation; team collaboration

6. Quality & SEO

Quality Checklist

SEO for Translated Content

Keywords: Re-research in target language; don't translate from source
Metadata: Title, description translated; see title-tag, meta-description
Hreflang: Technical implementation in localization-strategy; translation produces the content
Thin content: Avoid publishing many low-quality translated pages at once; can trigger penalties. See localization-strategy Multilingual Risks.

7. Integration with Localization

Topic	Skill
i18n implementation	localization-strategy
URL structure, hreflang	localization-strategy
Translation workflow, glossary, style	This skill (translation)
Keyword research by market	keyword-research; localization-strategy

When adding a new locale: create glossary, style guide, then translate. See localization-strategy for technical checklist (hreflang, sitemap, metadata).

Output Format

Translator brief (context, audience, glossary, style)
Glossary additions or updates
Style guide notes for target language
Human vs MT recommendation
Quality checklist

Related Skills

Strategy & Technical

localization-strategy: i18n, hreflang, URL structure, pricing by market; translation produces content for localized pages
content-strategy: Multilingual content planning; avoid thin translations
content-marketing: Content types and formats; translation as one channel adaptation

SEO & Content

keyword-research: Multi-language keyword research; don't translate keyword lists
page-metadata: Hreflang implementation
title-tag, meta-description: Translate metadata per locale
copywriting: Source copy to translate; brand voice
image-optimization: Localize image filenames for translated pages

translation