In a recent Legal App localization project, I finally got to use Passolo. Its visual WYSIWYG feature was a game-changer, making it super easy to adjust and fine-tune everything. But, as expected, Passolo didn’t solve all the issues—especially when it came to character mismatches in translations.
Some legal abbreviations, like “KYC (Know Your Customer)” are just impossible to convey with a single Chinese term. A lot of times, one English term would require seven or eight Chinese characters to get the meaning across. And with the app’s interface having fixed space for text, any mismatch would mess up the layout. I spent quite a bit of time working with the client to confirm the translation lengths, ensuring everything fit without disrupting the design.
Most legal translators in China I know don’t bother with tools like this, but I’ve always felt that a little technical know-how can make a big difference, boosting efficiency and even preventing some avoidable mistakes.