Translating Restaurants?
When you translate restaurants, do you keep the original name or can it be translated? What I am the most curious about is the restaurant, Dairy Queen. Some websites say it is just Dairy Queen. Others are word-by-word translation (that I am not sure if I can trust). I am very confused. Please answer this ASAP. Thank you!
3 Answers
In Spain it is not common to translate the restaurant names. If the restaurant name is in English we use to pronounce it in "Spanish", but we never translate it.
The name of the restaurant is the name of the restaurant and should not be translated. However, depending on your purpose and audience, you might want to give a parenthetical translation, as in, "This type of garbage is typically found at restaurants like Dairy Queen ('la reina de los lacteos') and Burger King ('el rey de las hamburguesas')." Many restaurant names cannot be translated even if you want to do so, like McDonald's.
Names of businesses and products are never translated. They take on a Spanish pronunciation, but that's about it.
In fact, if you fail to pronounce a product or business name the Spanish way, you may not be understood.
