tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post781397995711839508..comments2024-03-06T02:46:19.929+00:00Comments on Translation Tribulations: Fluent failure in translationKevin Lossnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727800526216764023noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post-44071004297044204472016-07-19T21:27:27.240+01:002016-07-19T21:27:27.240+01:00Hello Kevin
Always interesting to read another fru...Hello Kevin<br />Always interesting to read another frustrated author/poet – personally, I am no closer to writing that novel about Peter Abelard or my modern day version of Jude the Obscure, but have instead wasted my days translating computer user manuals, brochures, and annual reports. Or more, recently, evangelising, for a new approach to helping the world communicate.<br />And my words have been ‘sketchy’ indeed, if you have so totally misunderstood them. Not that you are the first: my colleagues at TextMinded fear I’m a crazy old hippie intent on saving the world at the expense of the business; and you that I wish to use Machine Almighty to wipe out cohorts of skilful wordsmiths in the pursuit of filthy Mammon.<br />What is it exactly I am evangelising for? It is called Sustainable Communication, which has as its goal to empower everyone, everywhere to communicate anything to anyone in any language. In other words, Sustainable Communication is at heart a fight for transparency, for democracy. To provide information in their own language to people disenfranchised by not having access to that knowledge; to people who die because simple facts have not been made available to them – in their language.<br />There will always be translation work for professional translators of, dare I say it, our calibre. Damn I was good ;-) <br />That has never been the issue. My wonderful colleagues around the world, bashing out prose perfect texts ten hours a day, six days a week, cannot keep pace with the amount of digitised information out there. We, the pros, have helped the world gain access to, wait for it, less than 0.01% of all information into more than one language.<br />Having worked in this industry for more than 26 years, I cannot accept that we have produced so little information for so few. It’s tantamount to the 60 richest people in the world owning more than the poorest 60%! We, the multilinguistic intelligentsia, are monopolising access to information, to knowledge. Shame on us.<br />The beauty of the modern world is that, of course, we can do something about it. We can share. We can make our linguistic data available on platforms that empower Everyman to help EveryOtherMan to understand; to communicate.<br />So Kevin, it’s all about the Power of Sharing. The more you give, the more you get. TextMinded believes in Doing Better Business, and I’m sure that you, with your linguistic skills, do not require me to explain what better means in this context.<br />Thanks for your blog!<br /><br />Robert Etches<br />Robert Etcheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02436174835312279230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post-67010551829496569832016-07-17T13:42:18.241+01:002016-07-17T13:42:18.241+01:00Good article, Kevin, thanks. Indeed, I agree that ...Good article, Kevin, thanks. Indeed, I agree that human interaction is essential to me. Only by talking to your client you get to know what he really wants or needs and you can give him the best service. Therefore I would never consider using such platform. Good that translators as well as customers (those seeking high quality) seem to agree on this point.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01351598797193081653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post-57848982175192147352016-07-15T15:40:12.156+01:002016-07-15T15:40:12.156+01:00That's a thoroughly excellent post there, Kevi...That's a thoroughly excellent post there, Kevin. Good work. Insightful and well written.Steeviehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07191240580778434527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post-93274543640741162016-07-15T13:53:08.613+01:002016-07-15T13:53:08.613+01:00"a platform with pretentions of replacing hum..."a platform with pretentions of replacing human interaction in translation project management with a glory hole of electronic anonymity"<br /><br />Wow .... that's taking descriptive prose in a blog post to a whole new level. <br /><br />So much so that it reminded me of the famous Baudelaire's poem "Une Charogne" (Carrion)<br /><br />I hope you don't mind if I copy the text of the poem here. Non-francophones can have some fun with GoogleTranslate.<br /><br /><br /> Une Charogne<br /><br />Rappelez-vous l'objet que nous vîmes, mon âme,<br />Ce beau matin d'été si doux:<br />Au détour d'un sentier une charogne infâme<br />Sur un lit semé de cailloux,<br /><br />Les jambes en l'air, comme une femme lubrique,<br />Brûlante et suant les poisons,<br />Ouvrait d'une façon nonchalante et cynique<br />Son ventre plein d'exhalaisons.<br /><br />Le soleil rayonnait sur cette pourriture,<br />Comme afin de la cuire à point,<br />Et de rendre au centuple à la grande Nature<br />Tout ce qu'ensemble elle avait joint;<br /><br />Et le ciel regardait la carcasse superbe<br />Comme une fleur s'épanouir.<br />La puanteur était si forte, que sur l'herbe<br />Vous crûtes vous évanouir.<br /><br />Les mouches bourdonnaient sur ce ventre putride,<br />D'où sortaient de noirs bataillons<br />De larves, qui coulaient comme un épais liquide<br />Le long de ces vivants haillons.<br /><br />Tout cela descendait, montait comme une vague<br />Ou s'élançait en pétillant;<br />On eût dit que le corps, enflé d'un souffle vague,<br />Vivait en se multipliant.<br /><br />Et ce monde rendait une étrange musique,<br />Comme l'eau courante et le vent,<br />Ou le grain qu'un vanneur d'un mouvement rythmique<br />Agite et tourne dans son van.<br /><br />Les formes s'effaçaient et n'étaient plus qu'un rêve,<br />Une ébauche lente à venir<br />Sur la toile oubliée, et que l'artiste achève<br />Seulement par le souvenir.<br /><br />Derrière les rochers une chienne inquiète<br />Nous regardait d'un oeil fâché,<br />Epiant le moment de reprendre au squelette<br />Le morceau qu'elle avait lâché.<br /><br />— Et pourtant vous serez semblable à cette ordure,<br />À cette horrible infection,<br />Etoile de mes yeux, soleil de ma nature,<br />Vous, mon ange et ma passion!<br /><br />Oui! telle vous serez, ô la reine des grâces,<br />Apres les derniers sacrements,<br />Quand vous irez, sous l'herbe et les floraisons grasses,<br />Moisir parmi les ossements.<br /><br />Alors, ô ma beauté! dites à la vermine<br />Qui vous mangera de baisers,<br />Que j'ai gardé la forme et l'essence divine<br />De mes amours décomposés!<br /><br />— Charles Baudelairepatenttranslatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13726078818136964713noreply@blogger.com