探究軟體即服務（SaaS）產品本地化：以兩間線上旅行社為例

Abstract

在過去的二十年中，全球化和資訊與通信科技（ICT）的發展帶動了本地化翻譯的崛起，重新塑造翻譯領域的樣貌。本地化翻譯（localization）為全球化、國際化、本地化和翻譯（globalization, internationalization, localization, and translation，簡稱GILT）產業的一環，與傳統意義上的文字翻譯不同，還涉及全球經濟下的大規模產品開發週期，以適應不同區域目標市場的消費者習慣。

雖然已存在針對軟體系統和網站等不同數位型態（digital genre）的翻譯研究，但對於軟體即服務（software as a service，簡稱 SaaS）此一數位型態的研究仍相對缺乏。由於具有高度與用戶互動的特性、複雜的產品設計，以及融入人們日常生活的特性，SaaS成為現今數位時代中的代表性型態。因此，本文旨在研究SaaS本地化翻譯，尤其是本地化SaaS產品的製作過程，以探究此數位型態如何重塑翻譯領域。

本文以Airbnb和Expedia作為研究對象，因兩者皆為全球知名的線上旅行社（online travel agency,簡稱OTA），亦為SaaS的一種，且其以成熟的本地化網絡而聞名。本研究分析深入訪談、相關文件，以及Airbnb和Expedia用戶界面上的文本和圖形資料，並採用行動者網絡理論（Actor-network Theory，簡稱ANT）和用戶中心翻譯（User-centered Translation，簡稱UCT）模型的概念作為分析框架。

研究發現，人類與科技間的協同是SaaS本地化產品成功的關鍵，且非人行動者包含語言服務供應商（language service provider，簡稱LSP）和科技在網絡中具有關鍵作用。此外，SaaS本地化的翻譯人員運用具有介面脈絡意識的心態和文化適應性的本地化策略，打造令人愉悅的使用者體驗。就貢獻而言，本研究不僅是ANT及UCT在翻譯產業的應用前導性研究，並提供從業人員適應GILT產業以用戶體驗為核心的本地化方向，以呈現日新月異的翻譯領域樣貌。

Localization has been shaping the translation landscape in the past two decades as a result of globalization and the advancement of information and communications technology (ICT) starting from the end of the twentieth century. As one of the phases in the globalization, internationalization, localization, and translation (GILT) industry, localization is beyond translation since it involves in a large-scale product development cycle adapting the product for target markets in different locales. Despite the wide array of studies on localization in various digital genres including software systems and websites, there is a sparsity of research focused on SaaS, a recent and burgeoning digital genre featuring a high level of interactivity with users, complexity of product design, and rapidly increasing normalization into people’s daily life. Thus, this paper aims to examine SaaS localization, particularly on the production of the localized SaaS product to explore how translation landscape is reconstructed through this complex digital genre representative of the digital era nowadays. To this end, Airbnb and Expedia were taken as the research subjects since both are leading online travel agencies (OTAs), the web-based marketplaces that are also a type of SaaS, across the globe renowned for their mature localization network. Incorporating data from in-depth interview, documents, and texts and graphics on Airbnb and Expedia’s user interface, this paper utilized the actor-network theory (ANT), the concepts from the user-centered translation (UCT) model, and the speech act theory as analytical frameworks. This paper found out that the coordination between humans and technologies is key to the success of SaaS localization and that the role of user determines translators’ localization strategy since they not only translate as if they were users, but also translate for users. By exploring the SaaS localization network, this paper presents a holistic view of how SaaS contributes to the ever-changing translation landscape in the GILT industry.