{"id":9843,"date":"2019-12-03T13:00:15","date_gmt":"2019-12-03T13:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stopasia.com\/?p=9843"},"modified":"2023-11-14T11:57:53","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T11:57:53","slug":"localization-in-disney-songs-and-why-they-stay-in-our-heads-for-a-lifetime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stopasia.com\/blog\/localization-in-disney-songs-and-why-they-stay-in-our-heads-for-a-lifetime\/","title":{"rendered":"Localization in Disney songs and why they stay in our heads for a lifetime"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is localization?<\/h2>\n

A lot of people nowadays can\u2019t tell the difference between translation and localization. It\u2019s an understatement to say that those two things are not one and the same. Translation means converting your content from the source language into the target language while respecting the grammar rules and syntax. In contrast to that, localization is about more than rewriting the text into a different language. It adapts your message to local audiences. If we\u2019re talking about localizing music content, the whole process becomes even more difficult.<\/p>\n

What are the biggest problems song translators meet?<\/h2>\n

Those who describe music as a universal language are both partially correct and partially incorrect, as music generally consists of an instrumental component and a verbal component. This verbal component usually can\u2019t cross the linguistic borders as easily as the instrumental one can. A translator must try to translate the song in all its aspects, rather than merely translating the lyrics. Though it\u2019s regrettable that the verbal component of songs cannot cross these borders as easily as the instrumentals can, it\u2019s not irremediable – songs can, in fact, be translated. Although finding the right words in the target language and building a wholesome meaning to convey to the target audience is a pretty hard task, there\u2019s no specific protocol for translators translating lyrics. As opposed to translators focusing on legal documents, the translators of songs are given \u2018a confusing freedom of practice\u2019.<\/p>\n

How does Disney do it?<\/h2>\n

\"DisneyWhen we speak about Disney songs, there\u2019s surely a song in our mother tongues that pops up in each of our heads. There is definitely some kind of magic that Disney does to make their musicals so appealing to both kids and adults, across different cultures and in different languages.
\nAs you can easily see, the company follows some very simple rules when translating and adapting their content for worldwide audiences. Disney’s translations help the audience understand the plot, as well as the characters\u2019 predicaments and emotions. They blend with the music and the production while also managing to remain unobtrusive.
\nLocalization in Disney’s songs is tricky because, in opposition to the rule, the words in the songs are more meaningful that the instrumental. Their songs often take a narrative form of a dialogue or a story being told, which makes them crucial for plot development.<\/p>\n

For example, the phrase \u201ca whole new world, a new fantastic point of view\u201d is localized to:<\/p>\n