Table of Contents
What is Transcreation?
The Transcreation feature allows linguists to create alternative versions of translations, add explanatory comments, and validate meaning through back translation. This provides more flexibility, creativity, and accuracy for projects that require language adaptation, such as marketing campaigns and creative content.
How to configure
To use the Transcreation feature, you only need to enable a single option:
Enable Alternative Translations:
When this option is enabled, vendors can provide alternative translations for segments directly in the editor.
How to enable:
Go to: Organizations > Organizational Units > [Organizational Unit] > General > More settings > Enable Alternative Translations
Note: This feature is not retroactive. Projects created before enabling this option will not have access to the Transcreation feature. The setting will only apply to new projects created after the option is turned on.
How the Transcreation Feature Works
If the Enable Alternative Translations option is enabled, Alternative Translations are collapsed by default within each segment inside the editor. To view or edit these alternatives, simply expand the corresponding section.
When you expand the dropdown, you will see the screen as shown in the image below. At this point, the segment does not have any alternative suggestions yet. To add one, simply type in the Add an alternative translation... field and click the + button.
When a segment already has one or more alternative suggestions, it is marked with a specific icon (1). This icon serves as a quick visual indicator, making it easier to identify segments with available alternatives in the editor. When you expand the dropdown, a list named Alternative Translations (2) will appear, showing all the alternative suggestions added for that segment. This allows you to easily review and manage each one.
Alternative Suggestions
Alternative Suggestions allow linguists to propose different ways to translate the same segment, offering options for style, tone, or cultural adaptation. This is especially useful in contexts where a single translation might not capture all the nuances or creative possibilities required by the project.
How to add:
In the editor, expand the segment's dropdown and use the Add an alternative translation... field (1) to enter your suggestion. Then click the + button (2) to save it.You can also add an alternative suggestion using the Fill with Existing option (3). If you want to add the content currently in the target segment as an alternative suggestion, simply click this option and the suggestion field will be automatically filled with the target content. If the target is empty, the system will use the source content instead. After that, just click the + button (2) to add the alternative suggestion.
Managing alternatives:
All alternative suggestions for a segment appear in the Alternative Translations list. For each alternative, you can perform the following actions:Edit: Click the lock (unlock) icon to unlock the suggestion, make the desired changes, and then click the lock again to lock it.
Remove: Click the trash bin icon to delete the suggestion. Note: Removing alternative suggestions is only available in the first step of the workflow (for example, Translation).
Apply alternative: Click the Apply alternative translation option to make the alternative suggestion become the main translation for the segment (target segment).
Back Translations
In addition to the back translation for the main segment translation (1) - target segment -, each alternative suggestion can also have its own back translation (2).
Back translation is a reverse translation of the alternative suggestion back into the source language. The main purpose of back translation is to allow reviewers and clients to evaluate whether the alternative suggestion preserves the meaning, tone, and intent of the original text. This provides greater confidence and transparency in the adaptation process, helping to identify any potential shifts in meaning or loss of nuance.
Note: The back translation can be generated automatically by the Machine Translation (MT) engine or by the CS system, if enabled.
Comments
In addition to the comments that could already be added to each segment in the editor, with the Transcreation feature it is now also possible to add comments directly to each alternative suggestion.
Comments can be added to explain the linguist's choices or provide additional context for the alternative suggestion. This helps reviewers and clients better understand the reasoning behind each translation, making the decision process more transparent and collaborative.
To add a comment to an alternative suggestion is very simple and works similarly to how you would add a comment to a segment. With the segment in focus, follow these steps:
Select the Comments tab.
Type your comment in the Create a message field.
In the Quote field, select the alternative suggestion you want to comment on.
To finish and submit your comment, click Submit.
Exporting Transcreation
When exporting a task in the xlsx format (see How to import and export bilingual files in Bureau Works), for a project with the Transcreation feature enabled, the spreadsheet will not only include the main translation of each segment but will also display all alternative suggestions for each segment. Each alternative suggestion will be accompanied by its own back translation and related comments.
This makes it easier for clients and reviewers to analyze all translation options, back translations, and the reasoning behind each suggestion directly within the exported file.
Feature Limitations
Below are the main limitations of the Transcreation feature:
Not retroactive:
As mentioned earlier, the feature is not retroactive. After being enabled in the Organizational Unit, it will only be available for new projects created from that point onward.Limit of suggestions per segment:
You can add up to 30 alternative suggestions per segment.Comments cannot be deleted:
Comments added to alternative suggestions cannot be removed—only added.Alternative suggestions are not saved in TM:
Alternative translations and their back translations are not saved in the Translation Memory (TM), only the main translation of the segment is stored.Alternative removal is restricted:
Alternative suggestions can only be removed during the first step of the workflow (for example, Translation). After the initial step, it will no longer be possible to delete alternative suggestions.