Why “accurate translation” isn’t enough: a behind-the-scenes look at how localisation transformed a client’s global report
- Ka Yee Meck
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
A few months ago, I began reviewing a series of Chinese-to-English business reports for a new client via a translation agency. These were substantial, data-driven documents covering SaaS, gaming, payments and digital commerce across global markets. At first glance, the translations appeared broadly accurate: the data was correct, the key arguments were present and the overall structure reflected the source. Although some grammar and phrasing required attention, I initially approached the project as a straightforward proofreading task.
However, during a video call with the client, it became clear that accuracy was not the issue.
What concerned them was the quality of the English.
The translations, while technically correct, felt overly literal and lacked the fluency and professionalism expected by global merchants and senior decision-makers.
When I suggested that a more localised approach might better serve their needs, the response was immediate and emphatic:
“Yes, we want localised copy!”
This conversation underscored an important point that many organisations still overlook. A good translation is not defined by accuracy alone. A good translation is one that has been fully localised – one that conveys the original meaning while reading naturally, clearly and persuasively to the target audience.
This distinction is critical, and it has a direct impact on how effectively your content performs.
Why literal translation falls short (even when it’s “correct”)
Chinese business writing tends to have some unique stylistic quirks. Think military metaphor, long stacked clauses, sudden jumps in logic and quotation marks where you wouldn’t expect them.
When translated literally into English, you often get copy that, despite being factually and technically “accurate” and “faithful”, reads stiff and clunky, sometimes even confusing or unintentionally dramatic or comical.
In translation, we always need to ask ourselves two key questions:
What purpose does this piece of content serve?
Who is the intended audience?
The answers to these questions should guide how a piece of text is translated or localised. For official documents and scientific papers, it is often good practice to err on the side of caution – to stay as close to the source text as possible while making the target copy readable and comprehensible. However, for marketing copy and anything that is customer-facing, a more localised approach is often preferable.
One thing translators must remember is this: in most cases, your target audience – whether it is a customer scrolling an e-commerce website or a business executive reading a report – does not have access to the source text.
They do not care about the source text！
They care about what the text helps them achieve: whether it’s understanding the features of a home appliance before they make the plunge, or business insights that will guide their investment.
They should be able to digest the text without the idea of translation even entering their head. In short, the translation should be seamless and invisible.
A literal or straight translation rarely delivers that.
And this is exactly what the client sensed, even if they didn’t initially have the language to articulate it.
What localisation looks like in practice
Once the client confirmed they wanted content that reads as if it were originally written in English, I approached the reports very differently.
Below are some of the most common issues we tackled – and how localisation solves them.
1. Overuse of quotation marks
In Chinese reports, quotation marks are used to signal special terms and emphasise features. However, carrying these quotation marks over into English without considering context can result in copy that feels hesitant, amateurish or even sarcastic.
Chinese source text:
SaaS成为中小企业迈向数字化的可行路径。其“按需订阅、低初始投入、快速部署、无需复杂维护”的特性【。。。】
Original, Chinese-influenced translation:
SaaS offers “on-demand subscription, low upfront cost, fast deployment and minimal maintenance”.
Localised:
SaaS offers several advantages, including on-demand subscription, low upfront cost, fast deployment and minimal maintenance.
What was improved?
The localised version removes the unnecessary quotation marks and introduces a brief contextual phrase to frame the list of features. This results in copy that is cleaner, more professional and aligned with standard English business-writing conventions. The meaning remains unchanged, but the presentation is significantly more natural and credible to an English-speaking audience.
2. Dramatic metaphors that simply don’t work in English
Chinese business writing frequently relies on militaristic metaphors because Chinese corporate discourse is deeply influenced by classical strategy texts like The Art of War. These expressions create a vivid sense of urgency, competition and high stakes, which resonates strongly in fast-moving sectors such as tech, fintech and gaming.
Terms like 护城河 (moat), 战略制高点 (strategic high ground), 围绕战场 (encircling the battlefield) and 提前卡位 (occupying a position in advance) feel natural in Chinese, where short, compressed phrases carry rich strategic meaning. But when translated literally, this imagery often sounds overly dramatic or strange in English business contexts.
This is why localisation matters – the translator’s job is to retain the strategic intent while expressing it in clear, neutral business language that aligns with global expectations.
Here are some real examples.
Example 1
Source:
这正是UGC类游戏能够超越传统游戏模式，构筑起强大护城河的关键所在。
Original translation:
This is the key reason why UGC games can surpass traditional game models and build powerful moats.
Revised translation:
This is why UGC titles have been able to outperform traditional models and gain a strong competitive advantage.
Example 2
Source:
使其成为全球手游竞争的战略制高点
Original translation:
…making it the strategic high ground in the global mobile gaming competition.
Revised translation:
…making it the most strategically important market in global mobile gaming.
What was improved?
In both examples, dramatic metaphors have been replaced with neutral, industry-standard business language. The meaning is preserved, but the delivery is far more professional and aligned with global expectations.
3. Implied logic that needs to be made explicit in English
Another common challenge in Chinese-to-English translation is the way Chinese sentences often place two ideas side by side with an implicit logical relationship. Native readers instantly understand that one clause causes or enables the other – the connection is felt rather than spelled out. English, however, relies heavily on explicit connectors to guide the reader through the argument.
Source:
云厂商重金布局本地数据中心，基础设施为SaaS建立护城河
Literal translation:
Cloud providers heavily investing in local data centres, infrastructure builds a competitive moat for SaaS.
To an English reader, this feels grammatically disjointed and logically unclear. The causal link is lost.
Localised:
Cloud providers are investing heavily in local data centres, creating the infrastructure foundation SaaS companies need to strengthen their competitive position.
What was improved?
The revised version makes the cause-and-effect relationship explicit, clarifies who is doing what, and removes the unnecessary metaphor. The sentence now reads as clear, fluent English rather than a literal reproduction of the source structure.
4. Collocations that simply don’t exist in natural English
Another frequent challenge is handling collocations – the natural pairing of words in English. Chinese allows nouns like “needs” to combine with verbs such as “replicate” without sounding unusual. In English, however, “replicable needs” is not a natural phrase. Even if the translation is accurate, it will feel subtly wrong to a native reader.
Source:
更关键的是，拉美SMB的数字化需求具有高度同质性和可复制性
Original translation:
More importantly, the digital needs of SMBs in Latin America are highly homogeneous and replicable.
Revised translation:
Just as importantly, the digital needs of SMEs in Latin America are highly similar, making the solutions easy to replicate.
What was improved?
The revised version shifts the focus from the needs to the solutions, which are what can realistically be “replicated” in English usage. Small adjustments like this significantly improve readability and professionalism, demonstrating how localisation goes far beyond word-level translation.
Why this mattered for the client
Once we shifted to a localisation-first approach, the transformation was immediate. The reports no longer sounded like translations; they read like polished, analyst-grade English content that global merchants, partners and investors instinctively trust.
The client was much happier with the revised translations because their style now aligned with their commercial objectives:
• communicating complex ideas with clarity
• appealing to an international professional audience
• supporting sales conversations with global merchants
• strengthening brand credibility outside China
This is the commercial value of localisation – it enables your content to fulfil its purpose, not merely exist in another language.
What businesses often misunderstand – and what seasoned translators know
Many organisations, especially those new to multilingual content, assume that accuracy alone is sufficient.
But accuracy is only the baseline.
It ensures the information is technically right – not that it is persuasive, credible or effective for the target audience.
A seasoned translator – and especially a seasoned reviewer – understands:
• the difference between word-level translation and localisation
• the difference between fidelity and readability, and how to strike the right balance
• how English-speaking business audiences expect information to flow
• how to adapt Chinese rhetorical logic so it works in English
• how to improve clarity without altering meaning
• how to produce copy that feels genuinely native to global readers
This is why having a specialist reviewer matters. It goes far beyond proofreading and line editing to producing natural, idiomatic copy that speaks to your target audience.
Ready to elevate your Chinese-to-English content?
If you want translated English that reads naturally, persuasively and professionally – not like a literal rendering of the source – I can help.
A Chartered Linguist and full member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, I specialise in expert translation review and localisation across a wide range of materials, including corporate communications, marketing content, product copy, technical documents, websites, reports and more. My role is to ensure your English is not just accurate but genuinely effective for the audience who will read it.
If you are looking for translations that sound native, build credibility and deliver impact, I would love to work with you.
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