"Gobbledygook"

 

About 15 years ago a Japanese publisher (Idononippon) specialized in Oriental medicine asked be to write a book about some of my personal views regarding the practice of acupuncture. Apparently the director of that publisher who used to come for treatments did like my approach.

The published (printed on old-fashioned paper) was made available to all bookstores in Japan as well as Amazon (where it may possibly still available ).

The title of the book written in Japanese is "トーマス先生の話を聞いてみませんか"　(Thomas sensei no hanashi wo kiite mimasen ka).　

However, when you switch the site language to English, you get a "title" that makes absolute no sense (regardless of whether you can read the Japanese or not):

"Gentleman Acupuncturist Thomas Teacher You Have To Listen To Me. A Good Night Sleep – Good Forever Birthday For The Health Of Law"

Well done, Amazon!

If that is the level of computer aided translation, maybe there is after all still some work to be done as a translator.

My books - a little boasting ...

 

My books in the order of their publishing

Preparing my sixth book, is something I think I can be a little proud of.

1) Printed (published) book pertaining to acupuncture written in Japanese by me

トーマス先生の話を聞いてみませんか

Amazon

2) My autobiography, written on patient request 10 years ago; Japanese = original

鍼灸界の異端者 ebook

ISBN: 9781311666192

Amazon

3) My autobiography, written on patient request 10 years ago; Japanese = original

Sonderling in Ost und West ebook

ISBN: 9781310040382

Amazon

4) Some personal views regarding acupuncture

Acupuncture: The Easy Way - Or the Hard Way ebook

ISBN: 9781311525796

Amazon

5) Translation of the autobiography of a Japanese priest involved in kyudo

"Startanew - Look again" ebook

ISBN: 9798224117635

Amazon

6) coming soon: my autobiography in English, rewritten

The book is finished

 

Finally!

After 10 years of effort, the translation of the autobiography of pries Suhara Koun is finally finished – a little earlier than expected. Admittedly, I did not have the time to work on the project for a few years, but it nevertheless stayed on my mind.

Written by a Buddhist priest who took up kyudo late in life, something which became a defining element for him, it contains a lot of ‘old-fashioned’ / unusual Japanese even Japanese people have difficulties understanding. Apart from that Buddhist, zen, kyudo terminology, Chinese poems etc. I really had to struggle with this material.

Yesterday I published the book on Amazon and through another site worldwide. Although I submitted the required file format to those sites, they somehow “converted” the material, which resulted in a rather unappealing appearance. Even though I tried hard to look nice.

On the said sites, it is listed with a price tag of $9. One of the Japanese pronounciations for “9” is KYU. Put together the Dollar, you get “kyudo”. In the hope, you allow me to indulge in this little word play.

If interested

https://books2read.com/u/mlM2aq

or contact me, if you are looking for a little better looking files:

buch@thoacu.com

#book #Suhara Koun #zen #kyudo #autobiography #Japanese #archery

Russian war

  I have been a freelance translator for about 35 years now.
Over that time I have registered on multiple translator sites like Proz.com, Aquarius, Translators Directory. Go Translators, translatorscafe and more that I do not even remember.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine and continues to kill everyone in their path (just like the orcs in ‘Lord of the Rings’) I did raise my voice on facebook (which is most likely totally irrelevant) and pledged never to work for any Russian agency again.

And since the devil Adolf Putin is systematically blocking news and all forms of information about his atrocities to reach the Russian people, I believe it would be appropriate to urge all those translator sites to block all Russian agencies from posting job offers. This may not have any “real” effect on the war, but as an indirect message it could result in a few more people in Russia wondering what is going on in the world.

So, personally I urge those translator platforms to do something.
And if any other freelance translator might be willing to add his or her voice, that would be wonderful.

The current situation is NOT something one should “let slide” - like the Chinese are doing!

New website

 I am currently trying to modernize my webpage.
I created that with a piece of software that came with "Microsoft office 2000" = FrontPage 2000 - which is now 20 years old.
As such my present website is not able to keep up with smartphones and all that kind of modern hi-tech stuff.
Maybe the new version
*    http://einklang.com/wordpress/

can help there.
With an instruction manual in one hand I am still trying to figure out, how this Wordpress thing works.
Probably I am making a lot of mistakes all over the place.
Please let me know, if you do have any suggestions.
Thank you.

「うみの」ってなんでしょうか

 

又も文句ですから、嫌われるのは間違いないだろうが、長年言葉の仕事＝翻訳をやって来ましたから、妙な言葉はどうも飛びつくものだ。
以前別の目的に使われていたビルが比較的最近ホテルになってしまいました。
こちらは口を挟むものではないだろうが、その名前は「海のホテル」。
日本語は何処もおかしくないでしょう。
但し、横文字は・・ "UMINO HOTEL" となっている。つまり、日本語をただ横文字に置き換えています。
ならば、辞書を引いて「うみの」とはどういう事でしょうか。"umi" + "no" が（少なくとも横文字の場合）異なる言葉です。
従ってスペースを入れるべきです： "umi no".
Shokutakuwakireinisettosareta. これだって分かり難いでしょう。
更に言うと尚更に嫌われるだろうが、"on the shore" となっている。
砂浜に建設された訳ではないので、"by the shore" にすべきでしょう。
恐らく "on" - "by" の違いは中学の頃で勉強したはずです。
看板作成費用は最低十数万が掛かったと思います。だったら作成する前に一度でもいいから確認すればいいのに。

デザインの問題でしょうが、"umi" という**横文字**はどうしても "uui" にしか見えません。本来「i」の上の点はどうも「m」の最後の山の上に
あるように見えます。普通に "m+i" じゃダメのでしょうか。

石碑で永遠に残る間違い・・・

 

私は長年澄んでいる葉山町の森戸神社傍にエルヴィン・フォン・ベルツ（独: Erwin von Bälz）の石碑あります。大分前の人の功績を讃えるのは大変結構ですが、（私はいつも煩く言う癖）横文字を使うならば、一度でも結構です：間違いないかどうかを確認して欲しい！

上記の ベルツ博士ともう一人の方　(Renati de Martino) に捧げる石碑あります。後者の名前はちゃんとなっていますが、ドイツ人の名前は変です！これは昔のコンピューターの問題としてドイツ語文字が使えない時 "ä" → "ae" で表現したが、その人のちゃんとした名字は Erwin von Bälz　 です。おまけに名前は Erwin → それが　"Erwini" にされてしまいました。

そのような形に（偉い）人の名前を間違えて、その間違いを石に刻み込んで永遠に消えないようにするのは恥ずかしくないのでしょうか。

私のようなどうでも良い変な外人の名前を間違えたりするのは「仕方ない」かも知れませんが、かなり高額の偉い人の石碑を作って初歩的なミスするのは？

https://www.town.hayama.lg.jp/material/files/group/2/98630760.pdf

その間違いを直す事はお金が掛かるから、恐らく最初から検討もしないでしょう。

*　私はこの国に少なくとも20-30種の名前あります！行政機関、保険会社、銀行、お店、ネット上（例えば問い合わせフォーム）などなど気が遠く成る程の「バリエーション」あります。