本文是一篇英语语言学论文，本研究把产品本地化调整和改造的语言和文化因子作为研究核心，希冀为更多的企业产品提供具有一定价值的建议。因此，本研究具有一定的现实意义和研究价值。
Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Research Background
With the ever-expanding information technology, the world is becoming increasingly interconnected, propelling globalization to unparalleled heights. To seize the opportunities brought by globalization, domestic and international enterprises are implementing global strategies, intending to gain a larger market share. To achieve this goal, Chinese companies must customize their products and services to the language and culture of the target markets to enhance their appeal and competitiveness. The localization service exactly caters to the above companies. In the process of localization, the language and culture of a prod uct are the prior factors that should be adjusted and accommodated to the habits and preferences of the target country. The translation is the means to achieve this process.
Although translation is a step of the localization, the language and culture of the source text can be appropriately adjusted only through translation. Translation ensures that the source text is accurately and effectively conveyed in the target language, maintaining the intended meaning and context. It plays a crucial role in localization by bridging the gap between the original content and the target audience. The related translation studies have been booming in recent years.
However, many domestic scholars focus on how to properly localize foreign products to adapt to the Chinese mark et and discuss the translation strategies of English to Chinese, and there are relatively fewer translation studies on the localization of Chinese products to the English market. However, as a significant part of the world’s economy, China has a huge demand for localizing domestic products to overseas. The studies on Chinese-to-English localization get increasingly important. Therefore, this study aims to enrich the translation studies in Chinese-to-English localization by analyzing a successful localized software - HelloTalk.
1.2 Introduction of Software Localization and HelloTalk
This study selects the English-localized texts of HelloTalk as the research object. HelloTalk is an application specifically designed for social language learning on mobile devices. According to the interpretation of Techopedia1, mobile application software is one type of all sorts of software. In the article “Localizing a Covid phone app - A University class experience”, Kara Warburton (2022) also uses the definition of “software localization” to explain application localization. Therefore, this study will focus on the definition of software localization.
First of all, it is necessary to clarify the meaning of "localization" in "software localization". Many scholars at home and abroad have given their understanding of the definition of localization, but the definitions offered by the two prominent localization organizations, LISA (Localization Industry Standards Association)2 and GALA (Globalization and Localization Association)3, enjoy widespread recognition. LISA defined the term "localization" as Localization involves taking a product and making it linguistically and culturally appropriate to the target locale (country/region and language) where it will be used and sold. (LISA 1998: 3)
GALA gives a more detailed definition of “localization”: Localization is the process of adapting a product or service to a specific locale. The translation is only one of several elements in the localization process. In addition to translation, the localization process may also include: [...] Localization aims to give a product or service the look and feel of having been created specifically for a target market, no matter their language, cultural preferences, or location. (GALA, 2024)
Chapter Two Literature Review
2.1 Software Localization and Translation at Home
The localization industry in China commenced its emergence in the early
