Lost in Translation: The Chinese English Translator
Therefore, you are visiting China! You have to learn some label translator if you are planning to have his words translated from his Chinese hosts to understand, and his words.
Here are some of the things I learned in China, from translators who work as translators to translate Chinese into English.
You can see some of his efforts published in Public "Lost in Translation "… AES ActiveEnglishSpeaking Forum
- Not a joke. His taken seriously and you end up with an injured person who feels he has lost face because he laughed. for example, "Oh really are an idiot …" He understands "Being silly"
- Do not try to correct their English. Because the translated, must be correct.
- Do not try to explain a joke. You get in more hot water than it's worth, and do not think it's funny.
- Not correct "bad English" and does not see the inaccuracies and believes it is strange, or crazy, or do not really know the language they were born.
- Do not wait because if you do something right you have been asked to proofread. We only ask for them to correct show how smart they are to have translated all this for themselves.
- You are expected to say, 'very good' and 'well done' and nods a lot. They do not want their test corrections, and are recognized even if you do it correctly, you can not control obvious errors.
- If you see an error in a newspaper or magazine, and point that out, you take it staff as a stain on his ability to translate.
- They will not understand the error and feel slighted because you have indicated.
- They get very upset if it shows an error in translation … anywhere. Even in a traffic signal the facade of the establishment, and never will understand what's funny in a hair salon called "FKT-done". Engrish mistakes take personally.
- They get even more upset after explaining the error as they have to lose face, as they still do not understand what they are talking, and never, even when they say they do because they can not.
- Failure to correct a translator in front of your boss or peers, and who do not understand English anyway and I think is good because it speaks words that do not understand … and neither do you, because words are misleading and meaningless.
- Never try to explain their error to a translator to translate it to your boss. The message is always opposite to what you said and have no idea what has been said, I think I will not be in their favor. I asked her to tell my male boss next time you send wine to my room, instead of presenting myself at the table, and he was there the next night with wine and a big smile. I still wonder what was said but not what I said.
- Do not ask a translator to translate something that has multiple or compound sentences and waiting to be read correctly.
- Never laugh one meaning, especially if you know its right to leave a Chinese dictionary and is totally wrong …. as "founded" the word … Who founded the company? Smile! What was the income?
- Never argue with a translator. If she says strawberries are cherries, simply nod and smile. The correction leads only to lose face, as others around you do not understand 'Strawberry' or 'Cherry' so what the hell! She knows Engrish …. If she says its a cherry is a cherry. Correction of her when she insists that is correct, a serious mistake and a total loss of prestige.
- …. Always smile that covers his confusion and fear.
- Do not ask him to translate the menu … have no idea what the fish is called in English, or Engrish word of beans cooked with salt pork ear and feet. Insisting that you must know is very bad. Just nod your head and eat whatever you choose … even if you do not like tomatoes and eggs, sliced ??raw potato or soup of algae … appear to be specials translators. And the wines … forget that. Pick a number and order, or hot green tea, orange juice and hot.
- Do not ask the price of an item. She did not really know how to calculate the percentage of the account. It is better to just pay rather than make it lose face being given a task that can not handle, which is the work of the bill and tell him that no matter what.
- When you have done something wrong, give him another task, and never point out that this was wrong. for example, when page 32 is copied instead of 34 and 35 and done 24 times instead of 12, saying this is not acceptable. Shut up and give the task again, and say thanks for the disorder and for the first time that the circle of files with discretion.
- Be patient. Learn to say something six times in different degrees of speed and ease until the message is understood smiling. Implies that it is not as competent as it is believed by those above it, or those who have been hired, and they have no Engrish and never will.
- When she feels offended by his lack of touch, do not forget to smile becomingly and review everything he said, until all we know are the Clot, and she is the perfect translator of sensitive words which is being pushed to extreme stress, because of … foreign devil lacks charm and delicacy
- Last but not least, do not throw the English Dictionary and say you read it. The Chinese dictionary is used tactfully when nobody is looking, and that's where he gets erroneous translations. She will not listen to what you are trying to tell you about the meanings of words, so give and work for you same.
- Do not expect her to be sympathetic understanding or even a little empathy, or even. You are the devil Foreign and the martyr of China need to work for you and solve your words as best I can. Any mistake is yours, as you have said. She simply translated his words.
- Tell speak slowly is a waste of time. He has learned to speak Engrish fluid fast as anyone else understands it well, is having great face for its fast communication speed. What if you do not understand, and nobody else can understand words and phrases, collected from bad movies and recorded CD is still expected impressed by his ability to speak, and you too.
- Smileeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! His security guard. the time smiling, is out of favor … then you know he is not happy with it, and that's bad Karma and Joss worse.
Margaret Carstairs June 2008
About the Author
writer, Poet and Photographer with an interest in Travel, Art and Social Anthropology and Learning Research