Menus are without a doubt the first tool to impress clients in restaurants, bars, cafes, etc. When considering opening a business as such, it is extremely important to invest time and thought into the creation of the menu. Additionally, we must consider that in a world ever so globalized our clients can come from around the world and might not only be locals. Therefore, comes the need to translate menus into different languages.
While one may think that translation is a simple task of simply expressing the text provided in a different language, translation can be a complex task to accomplish. A menu should be rather more than a simple list of entrees and prices, but should be an introduction of the quality a customer can expect. Thus, a menu can in fact be a great marketing and sales tool.
As so, the translation of a menu should be trusted not only to a professional in the translation field but also an expert in the hospitality food and beverage area, who can be able to convey the message in a different language. Otherwise, what can result is a literal and ordinary translation potentially portraying a poor image of the business.
On the other hand, menus often have a cultural aspect frequently difficult to translate to a different language. A typical dish for example might be impossible to translate, some strategic thinking might have to take place for this and any typical preparation processes in the making of the dish. A translator must also have in mind the regional aspects that factor into translations. Sometimes a name given to an ingredient or food will be different depending on regions, cities and most likely from country to country.
To conclude, it is safe to say that translating a menu is a task a bit more complex than what one might think. Typical foods and beverages around the world are a strong cultural element of societies and a menu should convey this to our clients.
To read the original version of this article in Spanish, visit: https://www.trustedtranslations.com/los-menus-una-carta-de-presentacion-al-publico-2013-11-06.html
