The most effective way to translate a Sitecore website into 4 other languages ​​(without translators in Sitecore CMS)

Question

I am looking for a good way to translate a Sitecore boot installation (English is available) into 4 other languages ​​(Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, etc.). A special translation company will translate all the texts that we deliver to these languages, but I wonder how other companies did it. I thought about exporting all the Sitecore elements that need to be translated using the export function of the database language to Sitecore, and have a translation company to edit these files. Just replacing the language tags in XML, we should be able to import this file as a newly created other language, however, I am afraid that this XML structure will be absolutely useless for the translation company and that they will drown in the codes inside this XML. How can we do this efficiently? Is there any other way to simply give these translators access to the Sitecore environment and change them here? Any common source module for this? I still have a lot of questions, does anyone have experience in achieving this?

Answer 1

Your main parameters are either a language export / import function (as you mention) or a workflow-based solution that integrates with your Translation Management System translation agency (if they have one, I hope they do it).

The first for the original translation is better. Typically, your agency should be able to handle the translation of content in XML files. Good can. If you create all the necessary language versions in advance and copy the English content into them, this will simplify the work with files, since they already have tags for new languages. I have seen the creation of these layers done with Revolver (http://www.codeflood.net/revolver/), but can also be done using special code or a workflow.

For the ongoing maintenance of your translated content, you probably want to integrate into your workflow. Clay Tablet Technologies (http://www.clay-tablet.com/) has a Sitecore integration middleware component that can make this easier, depending on your translation agency. You can also do your own workflow-based integration, with workflow teams that allow your users to submit content for translation. Then you need some kind of listener who will return the translated content and continue the workflow.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

You can also check out Lionbrdige (http://en-us.lionbridge.com/sitecore-and-lionbridge-announce-partnership-to-help-companies-thrive-across-borders.htm) as a solution.

From our own experience, our customers typically use the Sitecore import / export feature as a first step, and then use the Lionbridge or Clay Tablet as a service.

One important thing to think about in translations is the current job. The initial translation is quite simple, but the second, etc. May be more unpleasant. What to do if different changes have been made in different languages. If local changes were made to the content for the syntax of the French version, you could not just send the English version (second translation then), since you would also have to post regional changes in the content.

Answer 3

Working with literally dozens of Sitecore clients around the world - and helped get content from all the largest and many small translation firms - I can confirm the inefficiency of the on-site translation attempt, that is, at Sitecore, I liken it to asking an electrician to come and reinstall your home, but when they get to their toolbox from the truck, you will tell them, "No, you have to do it manually."

The best way to manage anything more than a page or two content for translation is to easily export it. Deliver it to the LSP in the correct format (XML or XLIFF) and, when possible, automatically import it into your TMS. After the translation, the content should then seamlessly return to Sitecore.

You can program it yourself - but the pitfalls are non-trivial only on the Sitecore side. (If you want an intuitive user interface, scalability and all the features that suit the needs of the translation). Not to mention the problems of connecting to LSP systems. (For example, who knows the relative merits / risks of using the Nexus SLD connector versus their CTA to connect to the TMS?)

As mentioned above, there are commercially available solutions that meet all these requirements and much more. Therefore, if you even have a modest amount of content and want to send it to any translation provider of your choice, I would love to discuss how we can help.

Answer 4

The main problem with the translation is not technical, XML export is a fairly simple format, and all agencies should be able to deal with it without any problems. as others have suggested, service after the initial translation is somewhat problematic, but they also indicate tools to achieve this.

The main problem that we found with the translation is actually linguistic: how to achieve consistency in the wording and correspond to the original, but it is sufficiently adapted to local requirements. Translation companies usually have software to help this — the translation libraries they translated, etc. - Work with the exported XML file does not provide a context for viewing content in place. A certain element can be correctly translated and the site sequentially, but since each page can be built of several elements, there can easily be conflicts between the content presented.

This makes working with a Sitecore backend (possibly with local security restrictions) or in a page editor (possibly filling in fields with English values) a viable idea.