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Translation Guide

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Editorial Note on Language Policy

Craftpedia is conceived as an international cultural and educational project committed to open scholarly exchange, institutional cooperation, and long-term accessibility of knowledge on traditional crafts and material culture.

At the present time, the project has made a conscious editorial decision not to develop Russian- and Ukrainian-language versions of its content.

This decision is not based on linguistic, cultural, or scholarly considerations, nor does it imply any assessment of the cultural value of these languages or the traditions associated with them. Rather, it reflects current geopolitical conditions and access restrictions that significantly limit reciprocal visibility, availability, and institutional accessibility of educational and cultural resources across borders.

The author and editor of Craftpedia considers such asymmetries of access problematic from the perspective of international cultural and educational exchange, which traditionally relies on openness, mutual availability, and the ability of institutions and individuals to engage with scholarly materials regardless of geographic location.

This language policy represents a temporary editorial position and may be revised should conditions for equitable access, distribution, and international scholarly interaction change in the future. This document defines how translations are created, reviewed, and maintained across the Craftpedia ecosystem. It applies to all language versions and all regional portals.

The goal of this guide is to ensure that translated articles remain accurate, consistent, and respectful of the original crafts and cultures.

Purpose of This Guide

The Translation Guide establishes:

  • principles for translating Craftpedia articles;
  • rules for craft names and proper nouns;
  • expectations for language quality;
  • the workflow between translators, proofreaders, and fact-checkers;
  • guidelines for the responsible use of machine translation.

This guide is valid for all languages unless a portal defines additional local rules.

General Translation Principles

All translations in Craftpedia must follow these principles:

  • Fidelity – The meaning of the original text must be preserved.
  • Clarity – The translation must be easy to understand in the target language.
  • Consistency – Terminology must be used consistently across articles and languages.
  • Neutrality – The tone must remain neutral, factual, and non-promotional.
  • Cultural Respect – Names, traditions, and communities must be treated with respect.

Translations must never introduce:

  • new facts not present in the original;
  • personal interpretations or assumptions;
  • romanticised or speculative descriptions.

What Should Be Translated

The following elements must be translated:

  • section headings and paragraphs;
  • captions and labels (unless defined otherwise);
  • navigation text that is part of the article content.

The following elements should not be translated:

  • original craft names in their source language (e.g., 有田焼);
  • official names of museums, institutions, and collections (unless an established exonym exists);
  • personal names of craftsmen, artists, or historical figures.

When in doubt, keep the original proper noun and add an explanation in parentheses if necessary.

Craft Names and Proper Nouns

Craft Names

Craft names usually combine:

  • an English (or local-language) descriptive name, and
  • the original-language name in script and transliteration.

Example:

Arita ware (有田焼, Arita-yaki)

Rules:

  • Do not translate the original-language craft name.
  • Use the standard transliteration system defined in the Craft Article Style Guide.
  • If a widely accepted local-language name exists in museum literature, it may be added after the English name.

Place Names (Prefectures, Regions, Cities)

Place names must follow the naming conventions defined for each language.

Examples:

English
  • Aichi Prefecture
  • Kansai Region
German
  • Präfektur Aichi
  • Region Kansai
Spanish
  • Prefectura de Aichi
  • Región de Kansai
Russian
  • префектура Айти
  • регион Кансай

The chosen form must be used consistently across all articles in that language.

Personal Names

  • Do not translate personal names.
  • Keep the original order appropriate to the cultural context (Japanese names may remain surname-first unless the target language strongly prefers inversion).
  • Provide transliteration when needed.

Use of Machine Translation

Machine translation (MT) is a tool, not a final product.

Allowed:

  • Using MT to create a preliminary draft.
  • Using MT to speed up translation of simple, repetitive text.
  • Using MT for internal understanding of the source article.

Not allowed:

  • Publishing unedited machine-translated text.
  • Relying on MT for culturally sensitive or highly technical sections.

Every MT-based draft must be:

  • fully read and corrected,
  • checked for terminology accuracy,
  • compared to the original text for meaning.

Translation Workflow

The recommended workflow is:

  1. Translation – The translator creates a draft based on the source article.
  2. Self-check – The translator reviews terminology, names, and factual accuracy.
  3. Proof-reading – A proofreader checks language quality and style.
  4. Fact-checking – A fact-checker verifies alignment with trustworthy sources.
  5. Publication – The article is finalised and properly categorized.

In smaller language communities, one person may temporarily perform multiple roles, but this should be documented.

Tone and Style in Translations

Translations must follow the same tone rules as original Craftpedia articles:

  • Use a neutral, academic tone similar to museum catalog texts.
  • Avoid subjective adjectives (e.g., “beautiful,” “wonderful”).
  • Prefer short, clear sentences.
  • Do not simplify technical descriptions to the point of inaccuracy.
  • Preserve the structure of the source article.

If the source article requires improvements (clarity, balance, or structure), translators may:

  • enhance clarity,
  • propose corrections to the original language version.

Terminology Management

Translators are encouraged to maintain:

  • a shared glossary for each language,
  • mappings of craft names, place names, and historical periods,
  • notes on preferred translations of recurring terms.

These may be maintained:

  • as separate wiki pages (e.g., “Glossary/de”),
  • in shared documents,
  • in translation memory systems.

If disagreements arise:

  • check usage in museum publications and academic literature;
  • document both variants and select one standard form;
  • mention alternatives in a note when needed.

Handling Missing Concepts

Some cultures have terms that cannot be directly translated.

In such cases:

  • keep the original term (in italics or quotes);
  • provide a brief explanation;
  • avoid creating artificial equivalents.

Example:

The Japanese term wabi-sabi describes an aesthetic concept focused on simplicity, imperfection, and impermanence. It has no direct translation in many European languages.

Partial Translations and Stubs

If only part of an article is translated:

  • The translated sections must be complete and correct.
  • The page should clearly indicate that it is incomplete.
  • Sections not yet translated may be omitted or marked as “to be added.”

Unedited machine-translated fragments must not appear in published articles.

Coordination Between Languages

Craftpedia portals are interconnected. Updates in one language may require updates in others.

Best practices:

  • Monitor significant updates to source articles.
  • Use watchlists for key pages.
  • Maintain accurate interlanguage links.

Translations should reflect essential corrections or new research added to the original article.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Over-translating proper names (places, crafts, festivals).
  • Adding personal interpretations or subjective language.
  • Losing chronological or technical precision.
  • Ignoring established museum terminology.
  • Trusting machine translation without thorough revision.

Version History

  • 1.0 – Initial release (English)