translation-expertise — Claude Code skill: EN-JA-ZH translation

---
name: translation-expertise
description: Expert translation methodology and best practices for English-Japanese-Chinese (Traditional) trilingual translation. Use when translating any content between these languages, including handling idioms, cultural nuances, and language-specific expressions. Provides translation workflows and quality assurance methods.
---

# Translation Expertise

## Overview

This skill provides comprehensive translation expertise for English, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese. It covers translation methodologies, cultural considerations, and best practices for producing high-quality translations.

## Technical Documentation in This Workspace

Most translation here is engineering content. These rules take precedence over the general guidance below.

**Never translate**:

- Code blocks, inline code, identifiers, file paths, commands, CLI flags, URLs, frontmatter keys
- Markup and macros (HTML, JSX, Confluence storage format) — translate only the text nodes
- Severity prefixes and verdicts in review reports (⚠️ Critical, 💡 Suggestion, ❓ Question, 💅 Nit, 🎉 Praise, APPROVE / REQUEST CHANGES / BLOCK)

**Preserve structure 1:1**: same heading levels and order, lists, tables, links and anchors, so an `-en`/`-ja` (or `-zh`) pair diffs section by section.

**Japanese house style**:

- です/ます form for guidelines, specs and reports — not である調
- Keep framework and product names in English: React, Next.js, TanStack Query, Zustand, Zod, pnpm, PR
- Use the established katakana/Japanese for general concepts: コンポーネント, フック, 状態管理, デプロイ, レビュー
- Headings use `日本語 (English)` form, e.g. `コア原則 (Core Principles)`
- Full-width punctuation in Japanese prose; half-width inside code and identifiers

**Traditional Chinese house style**:

- Use 繁體中文 and Taiwan terminology by default (軟體, 網路, 資訊)
- Keep framework and product names in English
- Full-width punctuation in prose; half-width inside code and identifiers
- Use 成語 sparingly and only when it reads naturally

**Document pairs** (`*-en.md` / `*-ja.md` / `*-zh.md`): when one side changes, update the matching sections of the other in the same change, translating from the side that changed. Don't retranslate untouched sections.

**Output**: write the translation in place or to the requested file; list uncertain term choices briefly at the end, not inline.

**Web sources**: use `WebFetch` for simple pages; use the `agent-browser` / `browser-use` skills for interactive or JS-heavy pages. Don't use Playwright for text extraction; it is reserved for e2e tests.

## Translation Philosophy

### Core Principles

1. **Meaning over Literalness**: Convey the intended meaning rather than word-for-word translation
2. **Cultural Adaptation**: Adapt content for the target culture while preserving the original intent
3. **Natural Flow**: Translations should read naturally in the target language
4. **Contextual Accuracy**: Consider the broader context, not just individual words
5. **Tone Preservation**: Maintain the original tone (formal, casual, technical, emotional)

## Language-Specific References

For comprehensive information about each language, see the dedicated language reference files:

### [English](./english.md)

**Key Features**: SVO word order, explicit subjects and articles, direct communication style, active voice preference.

**Contains**: Structural features, formality indicators (informal/formal/academic), punctuation conventions, common idioms, phrasal verbs, modal verbs, translation strategies, regional variations (US/UK).

### [Japanese (日本語)](./japanese.md)

**Key Features**: SOV word order, context-dependent subject omission, three writing systems (hiragana, katakana, kanji), elaborate honorific systems (keigo).

**Contains**: All five politeness levels (plain, polite, respectful, humble, beautification) with detailed explanations, gendered speech patterns, particle usage, writing system guidelines, translation strategies, cultural concepts.

### [Chinese Traditional (繁體中文)](./chinese-traditional.md)

**Key Features**: SVO word order like English, no verb conjugation, measure words (classifiers) for counting, rich idiomatic expressions (成語).

**Contains**: Comprehensive measure word list, regional variations (Taiwan/Hong Kong/Macau), four-character idioms (成語), formality indicators, punctuation conventions, translation strategies, terminology differences.

> **Quick Reference**: For translation work between any language pair, open both relevant language files side-by-side for comprehensive reference.

## Translation Workflow

### Step 1: Initial Translation

**Process**:

1. Read the entire source text to understand context and intent
2. Identify key terminology and create a glossary
3. Translate section by section, maintaining context
4. Mark uncertain translations for review

**Considerations**:

- Understand the source culture and references
- Identify the target audience
- Determine appropriate formality level
- Note any ambiguities requiring clarification

### Step 2: Proofreading & Review

**Grammar and Syntax Check**:

- Verify sentence structure is natural in target language
- Check verb tenses and aspects
- Ensure particles (JA) or measure words (ZH) are correct
- Validate punctuation follows target language conventions (see language-specific files)

**Terminology Consistency**:

- Ensure consistent translation of key terms
- Verify technical terms are accurate
- Check proper nouns are handled correctly
- Confirm units and measurements are appropriate

**Cultural Adaptation**:

- Verify idioms are culturally appropriate (see [translation-challenges.md](./translation-challenges.md))
- Check for culturally sensitive content
- Ensure examples and analogies work in target culture
- Adapt humor if necessary

**Tone and Style**:

- Maintain consistent tone throughout
- Ensure formality level matches the source
- Verify the text flows naturally
- Check that emphasis and nuance are preserved

### Step 3: Refinement Translation

**Enhancement Process**:

1. Review feedback from proofreading
2. Resolve all marked uncertainties
3. Improve awkward phrasings
4. Polish for naturalness and readability
5. Final consistency check

**Quality Markers**:

- Reads naturally to native speakers
- Accurately conveys source meaning
- Maintains appropriate tone and style
- Consistent terminology throughout
- Free of grammatical errors

## Common Translation Challenges

> **Detailed Examples**: See [translation-challenges.md](./translation-challenges.md) for extensive examples with reasoning.

### Challenge 1: Idioms and Expressions

**Strategy**: Find equivalent expressions, not word-for-word translations.

**Examples**: "Break a leg" → 頑張って (JA) / 加油 (ZH); "Piece of cake" → 朝飯前 (JA) / 小菜一碟 (ZH)

### Challenge 2: Cultural References

**Strategy**: Adapt or explain references unfamiliar to target culture.

**Approaches**: Direct + explanation, cultural adaptation to equivalent concept, or generalization depending on context importance.

### Challenge 3: Wordplay and Puns

**Strategy**: Recreate the effect, not the exact wordplay.

**Approach**: Either explain the original wordplay with translator's note, or create new language-specific wordplay that achieves similar humor effect.

### Challenge 4: Formality Levels

**Strategy**: Match formality indicators across languages.

**Key**: English uses vocabulary and contractions; Japanese uses verb endings and honorifics; Chinese uses vocabulary and pronouns (你/您).

### Challenge 5: Ambiguity Resolution

**Strategy**: Use context clues, research, and informed judgment when source is ambiguous.

**Process**: Analyze context, research domain-specific meanings, apply logic, choose most likely interpretation, and document reasoning.

> **For Detailed Examples**: See [translation-challenges.md](./translation-challenges.md) for comprehensive examples with solutions.

## Punctuation Quick Reference

**Key Differences** (See language-specific files for complete details):

- Period: . (EN) → 。(JA/ZH)
- Comma: , (EN) → 、(JA) / 、or , (ZH)
- Quotation marks: "..." (EN) →「...」(JA/ZH) or "..." (ZH alternative)
- Book titles: "..." (EN) → 『...』(JA) /《...》(ZH)
- Ellipsis: ... (EN) → …… (JA/ZH - six dots)

**Important**: Use full-width punctuation for Japanese and Chinese text. Maintain consistency throughout the document.

> **Detailed Conventions**: See [english.md](./english.md), [japanese.md](./japanese.md), or [chinese-traditional.md](./chinese-traditional.md) for complete punctuation rules.

## Quality Assurance Checklist

Before finalizing any translation:

**Accuracy**:

- [ ] Meaning accurately conveyed
- [ ] No omissions or additions
- [ ] Numbers, dates, names correct
- [ ] Technical terms accurate

**Naturalness**:

- [ ] Reads fluently in target language
- [ ] No awkward phrasings
- [ ] Appropriate word choice
- [ ] Natural sentence flow

**Consistency**:

- [ ] Terminology used consistently
- [ ] Tone maintained throughout
- [ ] Formatting preserved
- [ ] Style guide followed

**Cultural Appropriateness**:

- [ ] Culturally sensitive content handled well
- [ ] Idioms adapted appropriately
- [ ] References understandable to target audience
- [ ] Examples relevant to target culture

**Technical Correctness**:

- [ ] Grammar correct
- [ ] Punctuation follows conventions
- [ ] Character encoding correct (UTF-8)
- [ ] No typos or errors

## Best Practices

1. **Always Translate in Context**: Never translate sentences in isolation
2. **Maintain Terminology Consistency**: Use glossaries and translation memories
3. **Research Thoroughly**: Look up unfamiliar terms and verify meanings
4. **Read Aloud**: Natural translations sound good when read aloud
5. **Get Feedback**: Have native speakers review when possible
6. **Iterate**: First draft is rarely perfect, refinement is essential
7. **Document Decisions**: Keep notes on difficult translation choices
8. **Stay Updated**: Language evolves, keep learning new expressions and terms
9. **Know Your Limits**: Flag areas requiring subject matter expertise
10. **Preserve Intent**: When in doubt, prioritize the author's intended meaning

## Tools and Resources

> **Comprehensive List**: See [tools-resources.md](./tools-resources.md) for detailed resources.

**Essential Dictionaries**:

- Jisho.org (Japanese-English)
- MDBG (Chinese-English)
- MOE Dictionary (Chinese official)
- Weblio (Japanese)

**Example Sentences**:

- Tatoeba (multilingual examples)
- Reverso Context (translation in context)

**Grammar References**:

- Tae Kim's Grammar Guide (Japanese)
- Chinese Grammar Wiki (Chinese)
- Purdue OWL (English)

**Verification Tools**:

- HiNative (ask native speakers)
- Google N-gram Viewer (frequency analysis)
- Reddit language communities

> **For Complete Resource List**: See [tools-resources.md](./tools-resources.md) for comprehensive dictionaries, corpora, grammar references, verification tools, and professional resources.

## Companion Files

This skill includes the following companion documents for detailed reference:

### Language-Specific References

1. **[english.md](./english.md)**: Complete English language reference including structural features, formality indicators, punctuation conventions, common idioms, phrasal verbs, modal verbs, and translation strategies.

2. **[japanese.md](./japanese.md)**: Complete Japanese language reference including all five politeness levels, gendered speech patterns, particle usage, writing system guidelines, and cultural concepts.

3. **[chinese-traditional.md](./chinese-traditional.md)**: Complete Traditional Chinese language reference including measure words, regional variations (Taiwan/Hong Kong/Macau), four-character idioms (成語), and formality indicators.

### Cross-Language References

4. **[translation-challenges.md](./translation-challenges.md)**: Extensive examples of common translation challenges with detailed solutions, reasoning, and multiple approaches for idioms, cultural references, wordplay, formality, and ambiguity.

5. **[tools-resources.md](./tools-resources.md)**: Curated list of dictionaries, corpora, grammar references, verification tools, and professional resources organized by category and language.

## Quick Reference

**When translating, remember**:

1. Read entire source text first for context
2. Create terminology glossary for consistency
3. Choose appropriate formality level early
4. Handle idioms culturally, not literally
5. Verify punctuation conventions for target language
6. Proofread for naturalness and accuracy
7. Get native speaker feedback when possible
8. Document difficult translation decisions

**Default choices when uncertain**:

- **Japanese**: Use です/ます polite form unless clear context suggests otherwise
- **Chinese**: Use 您 for formal contexts, 你 for casual; prefer Taiwan terminology unless specified
- **Punctuation**: Use「」for quotes in JA/ZH Taiwan style; use《》for book titles in Chinese
- **Idioms**: When direct equivalent unclear, prioritize conveying meaning over preserving metaphor

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**Note**: This is a core skill for trilingual translation work. For writing conventions specific to each language (document structure, essay formats, rhetorical patterns), see the `document-writing` skill. For technical terminology, see the `engineering-terminology` skill.