Source of Concern: How to Translate Proper Nouns

　One of the major source of concern in translation is how to translate proper nouns.

　A typical example is a company name.

　In Chinese, a joint-stock company is write as "股份有限公司." For example, if the original Chinese text write as "北京第一設備股份有限公司," the general rule is to translate it literally as "北京第一設備股份有限公司", not as "北京第一設備株式会社."

　Provisions vary depending on the wording.

　For things like "法定語文条例" that can be understood in Japanese, we simply replace them with Japanese kanji, but for things like "広播電影電視管理条例" that would not be understood by Japanese readers, we translate the meaning of each word as necessary, such as "ラジオ映画テレビ管理条例."

　When translating Japanese text into Chinese, the process is often reversed.

　What should we do about katakana and English spellings, which are common in Japanese company names?

　Globally known company names such as "Sony" are generally translated into Chinese as "索尼," a transliteration of the Chinese character. If there is a standard translation, follow it.

　So, what about "カラコロ PLAZA," the facility in Shimane Prefecture that introduces local food and culture?

　"カラコロ" comes from the sound of geta clattering, and it is only in Japanese that it is understood. It would be redundant to translate it as "The sound of gata clattering PLAZA."

　In such cases, the name is often written in roman letters as "KARAKORO PLAZA."

　Similarly, in recent years, hiragana names such as "さくら" and "すみれ," which are common among Japanese people, have been translated into the common kanji "桜" and "菫" in the past, but are increasingly being written in roman letters as "Sakura" and "Sumire."