Translating a U.N Resolution vs. Marketing Campaigns by Hira Afridi

Translating a marketing campaign and translating a U.N resolution call for very different methods although they do share similarities. A marketing campaign can be translating with more freedom versus a U.N Security Council Resolution call. A marketing campaign would use localization in order to cater to the audience and communities it is aiming target. In many instances, translators would develop very different slogans and campaigns to advertise the same product due to the fact that some words and phrases simply cannot be translated in the same context. On the other hand, translating UN documents requires precision and a specialized lexicon, using a very specific vocabulary. In the case of translating UN documents, there was only one “correct” translation whereas translation in itself is not subjected to only one acceptable version. In the earlier chapters of Bellos’ book, we read that there were hundreds of acceptable translations of the same Italian poem. In the case of such documents, we are limited to one correct translation because any alterations could change the very nature of the document. Due to it’s specific formatting, this area of translation does not allow any room for creativity whatsoever.