@Alex
If it does not work, you did it incorrectly.
Problems are usually in following:
1) you've updated PO file manually via some editor and not PO Editor and/or MO file was not updated at all
2) translated PO and MO files are in incorrect location
3) using incorrect language code (folder name) for PO & MO files
4) incorrect naming of MO and PO file, that in themes is called theme.po, theme.mo; but in plugins is called messages.po, messages.mo