Facebook.com users now have the option of checking their perfiles for new mensajes on their muros.
Since Feb. 11, anyone who accesses the Web site from a Spanish-speaking country automatically sees it in Spanish. Other users can change their settings to display the new translated version of the site.
According to Facebook.com, more than 60 percent of its users are outside of the U.S., with 2.8 million accessing the site from Latin America and Spain. The translation project involved some of these users writing the Spanish version of the site, according to a company press release.
"It's definitely a reflection of the strength of the Hispanic community, especially in the U.S.," said David Meyer, a history senior and Spanish tutor.
Meyer said translating can be difficult and requires "getting into the cultural mindset" of a group.
"You have to know a lot of nuances of the language," Meyer said.
And finding equivalencies, especially for technical terms, can present problems. To translate the site, the site put the task to its users, who submitted ideas, then voted on their favorites, according to the release.
So, instead of sending a "poke" to their friends, Spanish speakers can now "dar un toque," which literally means to give a touch.
"Spanish has a lot more recycling of words than English," Meyer said, adding that "dar un toque" can also mean to take a hit of a drug.
Finding words that work in a specific setting are the most important goal of a translator, said Maria Teresa Martinez of the ASU Spanish translation certificate program.
"Ultimately, the usage is what's going to take precedence over anything else," she said.
When translating technical terms, finding the right phrasing is a trial and error process, Martinez added.
"You don't really know what's going to work," she said.
But Martinez said using the language structure that works is especially important for Web sites.
"You have to create a language that will permit the users to navigate with as much ease as English-speakers," Martinez said.
As Facebook continues to create new features, the site says it will continue to offer translations, including French and German, according to the Web site. The translation application will also be available to outside developers to use with applications.
Because development of Web sites is ongoing, Martinez said translators have to keep up with any links or content that may be added.
"You have to be available to translate everything," Martinez said. "It's never-ending."
Creating this language is especially difficult when the population is from diverse areas and educational levels, like the Spanish-speaking population is, Martinez said. Because of this cultural diversity, language varies among Spanish speakers.
"There is no unifying guide," Martinez said.
Some Spanish speakers who might use the Spanish version of Facebook may not even be Latino, said Darlene Menjivar, a communications senior and president of Adelante, a club for Hispanic or other interested students.
"[Spanish Facebook may be used by] those students who would like to learn the language, those who are Spanish majors, or simply those who are curious to give it a try," Menjivar said.
Menjivar added that she liked the idea of a "Latino-friendly" version of Facebook and hoped it would become a resource for all students.
"Knowing more than one language literally expands the brain and ultimately gives us all the potential to benefit from it," Menjivar said.
Reach the reporter at: ckoerner@asu.edu.
