A patient of mine - who also tries to establish himself as a writer - wrote an article about me and somehow convinced an editor at the Japan Times to publish it. For people interested .. here the link to the electronic form.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2017/07/05/our-lives/unorthodox-acupuncturists-point-make-sure-never-come-back/#.WV2kJelpzcF
Most of it refers to my work as an acupuncturist. However, I am also working as a freelance translator. And if it comes to the translation of materials related to oriental medicine, or acupuncture in particular, just being a "native speaker" is not a sufficient qualification for the job. MUCH of the terminology used in this field is VERY unusual and often NOT understood without some additional explanation. Many attempts at a "standardization", or even the creation of glossaries, still have many problems to solve.
As a practicing acupuncturist with over 30 years of clinical experience I believe, I may be better "qualified" to handle this kind of material than many native speakers.
Personally, I would love to translate whole books and just articles for magazines. I presume, it would be much more gratifying than just articles. AND .. there are many very good Japanese books about acupuncture (or oriental medicine in general).
But the West has no access to this information, because the Chinese are deliberately trying to dominate the market - and to my dismay the West allows the Chinese to convince them, that they are the ONLY ones with any "authorative, genuine" knowledge about oriental medicine. I pity the people, who voluntarily choose to a "tunnel vision" perspective of the world.
Please feel free to contact me, if you do need/want to translate anything in this field.
Thomas Blasejewicz
Showing posts with label oriental. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oriental. Show all posts
7/11/2017
6/22/2014
WHO Standard Terminology
The WHO has edited and published what it calls a "Standard Terminology" (sort of a dictionary) pertaining to oriental medicine:
"WHO International Standard Terminologies On Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region"
That is just fine. AND all the listed editors are without question highly decorated academics. THEY are surely better educated and much more knowledgeable than I will ever be.
Nevertheless .. I cannot help but feel somewhat disappointed by this work - at least regarding some terms.
Example.
"1.6.84 瘀血 = STATIC blood = a pathological product of blood stagnation, including extravasated blood and the blood circulating sluggishly or blood congested in a viscus, all of which may turn into pathogenic factor, the same as blood stasis or stagnant blood."
The rendering of what the Japanese pronounce "oketsu" as "static blood" is to my taste highly inappropriate. EVERY persons working in the medical field and MANY laymen know perfectly well what happens, when the blood STOPS (completely) to move = becomes "static" (static means NOT moving).
The tissues deprived of their blood supply will quickly develop functional disorders and not much later DIE!!! Typical example: myocardial infarct.
But ... THAT is NOT what is meant when people talk in oriental medicine about "oketsu"!
I myself are not an academic and definitely not qualified to argue with these editors and propose a more suitable term.
Yet, I think, these people SHOULD come up with something more appropriate and as it is, all those academic decorations have produced unsatisfatory results.
In particular when one considers what is being attempted here: facilitation of communication between completely different cultures and concepts.
I expect, I will make myself many new enemies with this statement ...
"WHO International Standard Terminologies On Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region"
That is just fine. AND all the listed editors are without question highly decorated academics. THEY are surely better educated and much more knowledgeable than I will ever be.
Nevertheless .. I cannot help but feel somewhat disappointed by this work - at least regarding some terms.
Example.
"1.6.84 瘀血 = STATIC blood = a pathological product of blood stagnation, including extravasated blood and the blood circulating sluggishly or blood congested in a viscus, all of which may turn into pathogenic factor, the same as blood stasis or stagnant blood."
The rendering of what the Japanese pronounce "oketsu" as "static blood" is to my taste highly inappropriate. EVERY persons working in the medical field and MANY laymen know perfectly well what happens, when the blood STOPS (completely) to move = becomes "static" (static means NOT moving).
The tissues deprived of their blood supply will quickly develop functional disorders and not much later DIE!!! Typical example: myocardial infarct.
But ... THAT is NOT what is meant when people talk in oriental medicine about "oketsu"!
I myself are not an academic and definitely not qualified to argue with these editors and propose a more suitable term.
Yet, I think, these people SHOULD come up with something more appropriate and as it is, all those academic decorations have produced unsatisfatory results.
In particular when one considers what is being attempted here: facilitation of communication between completely different cultures and concepts.
I expect, I will make myself many new enemies with this statement ...
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