Comments on: I played myself http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/ Random scribbling about programming, translation, and Japan Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:27:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Ryan Ginstrom http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/comment-page-1/#comment-243 Ryan Ginstrom Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:29:30 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/#comment-243 @Durf I agree. I think it's more a matter of proportion than all-or-nothing. @Durf

I agree. I think it’s more a matter of proportion than all-or-nothing.

]]> By: Durf http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/comment-page-1/#comment-242 Durf Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:44:54 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/#comment-242 I think about both. I don't know of many types of texts, technical or non, that are content-free. I think about both. I don’t know of many types of texts, technical or non, that are content-free.

]]> By: Ryan Ginstrom http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/comment-page-1/#comment-244 Ryan Ginstrom Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:33:39 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/#comment-244 @Durf "we’re working hard to position fiscal 2007 as the springboard to growth in the medium term" Yes, that's exactly the type of text I'm talking about. It's OK once in a while to exercise my translation muscles, but not all the time. Glad to know that some people like it. :) However, I want to point out that technical translation isn't always repetitive, and the most interesting kind is quite challenging. I don't mind being forced to think when I translate, I just like to think about content rather than form. @Durf
“we’re working hard to position fiscal 2007 as the springboard to growth in the medium term”

Yes, that’s exactly the type of text I’m talking about. It’s OK once in a while to exercise my translation muscles, but not all the time. Glad to know that some people like it. :)

However, I want to point out that technical translation isn’t always repetitive, and the most interesting kind is quite challenging. I don’t mind being forced to think when I translate, I just like to think about content rather than form.

]]> By: Durf http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/comment-page-1/#comment-245 Durf Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:01:11 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/#comment-245 Nuance plays a very important role in corporate communications. It's the whole "we had a terrible fiscal 2007" versus "we're working hard to position fiscal 2007 as the springboard to growth in the medium term" thing. Anyway, give me the fuzzy stuff every time. I prefer dealing with things that actual human beings wrote, and that are meant to be read by actual human beings (investors, or shareholder rights activists, or whoever might be the intended audience for the document at hand), to straightforward repetitive text churned out by the guy with tape on his glasses. :-D It's a good thing there are translators who like to work on these various sorts of things, since there are clients who want them all worked on! Nuance plays a very important role in corporate communications. It’s the whole “we had a terrible fiscal 2007″ versus “we’re working hard to position fiscal 2007 as the springboard to growth in the medium term” thing.

Anyway, give me the fuzzy stuff every time. I prefer dealing with things that actual human beings wrote, and that are meant to be read by actual human beings (investors, or shareholder rights activists, or whoever might be the intended audience for the document at hand), to straightforward repetitive text churned out by the guy with tape on his glasses. :-D

It’s a good thing there are translators who like to work on these various sorts of things, since there are clients who want them all worked on!

]]> By: Ryan Ginstrom http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/comment-page-1/#comment-246 Ryan Ginstrom Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:26:13 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/#comment-246 You're right that <i>emotional</i> probably isn't the right word. How about fluff, spin, PR? I do introduce other translators when I can't take a job or don't want to. That's been a mixed bag, because if the translator doesn't work out then I feel responsible. If this particular agency starts sending me much more CSR work, though, then I'll definitely be doing some introducing... I suppose that could be dangerous if the agency likes the other translator more than me, but so far it's been my experience that although there are translators who are better than me, they also charge a lot more :) You’re right that emotional probably isn’t the right word. How about fluff, spin, PR?

I do introduce other translators when I can’t take a job or don’t want to. That’s been a mixed bag, because if the translator doesn’t work out then I feel responsible. If this particular agency starts sending me much more CSR work, though, then I’ll definitely be doing some introducing…

I suppose that could be dangerous if the agency likes the other translator more than me, but so far it’s been my experience that although there are translators who are better than me, they also charge a lot more :)

]]> By: Sako http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/comment-page-1/#comment-241 Sako Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:59:19 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/07/25/i-played-myself/#comment-241 Although I also prefer straight-up technical material, CSR generally isn't all that bad, in the greater scheme of things. Working in-house probably gives me a higher tolerance for spin, but nuance is really something that has no place in corporate communication. The goal, after all, is to communicate, right? Subtlety is probably not the right approach in that case. Emotion? Can't say that I've seen much in the way of <em>emotional</em> CSR, but I don't doubt that it exists. In terms of backing out gracefully, do you ever offer to introduce someone else for jobs you would rather decline? I generally try to, and it is generally well received--both by the client and by the translator who gets the introduction. This approach requires a bit of caution, though. I wouldn't recommend introducing just anyone. That could end up being worse than being too smart for your own good. Although I also prefer straight-up technical material, CSR generally isn’t all that bad, in the greater scheme of things.

Working in-house probably gives me a higher tolerance for spin, but nuance is really something that has no place in corporate communication. The goal, after all, is to communicate, right? Subtlety is probably not the right approach in that case. Emotion? Can’t say that I’ve seen much in the way of emotional CSR, but I don’t doubt that it exists.

In terms of backing out gracefully, do you ever offer to introduce someone else for jobs you would rather decline? I generally try to, and it is generally well received–both by the client and by the translator who gets the introduction. This approach requires a bit of caution, though. I wouldn’t recommend introducing just anyone. That could end up being worse than being too smart for your own good.

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