Yeah, yeah, yeah …

 

先日通訳の仕事でアニメ関連のビジネス展示会に行った。アニメの世界は知らないが、出展している業者は大半日本人、何か所が中国人、そして２－３点はヨーロッパやアラブ系だった。私を雇った者はドイツ人の業者だった。ブースの担当業者と話したい時雇い主は先ず英語を話せるかを訪ね、そうであれば私の出番はなかった。

しかし、雇い主も、展示会に出展した業者も所謂正式の「ビジネスマン」でありながら、相談中で相手の意見に賛同する事を表現するために、機関銃が発砲するように英語の "yeah" を繰り返すに "yeah, yeah, yeah" と言い、近くにいた別のドイツ人からもそのドイツ語版：ja, ja, ja" と聞こえた。こちらの話と無関係で左右、前後の他のブースどこでも同じだった。お言葉ですが、その展示会を充満した "yeah, yeah, yeah" は猿の騒ぎ声のように聞こえた。

そもそもこのばに使われた "yeah" は通俗な言葉。

同じく「話の内容を理解しました」あるいは「了解です」ではなく、"yeah, got it!" と言う言葉が交わされた。それも俗語や隠語になり、ビジネス（ウ）マンに相応しい言葉遣いや振る舞いだと思えない。いくら「アニメは若者の世界だから、古臭い事を言うな」と言われても。

しかも、使われた「英語」はほぼ全員がテキサス州辺りに使われる方言、つまり常にチューインガムを噛んでいるような不自然な発音だった。個人的とても「耳障り」だった。

私だって Queen's English で話せる能力はないが、その会場にいるだけで不快感を覚えた。私は恐らく時代遅れの化石でしょう。

"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

Femail???

You have heard of "email" or "e-mail", right? (who hasn't)
But do you also know what "femail" is?
No. Of course not!

This appeared in a Japanese professional journal related to acupuncture, in an article written by Japanese researchers in Japanese about Japanese patients for a Japanese audience. I have absolutely NO IDEA, why a questionnaire for the patients had to be in "English".
It is supposed to be an ACADEMIC journal. There I think it would be appropriate to expect something with some degree of an "academic level".
What they wanted to express was: male - female.
Apparently incapable of using a dictionary, this "female" mutated into "femail".
Elementary school students would be scolded for that.

Naturally, paired terms come in certain predetermined sets, like here: man - woman / male - female.
But no, it had to be Man - Femail.

WFAS 2016 --- oh, please ...

I have thought for a while, whether I should say/write this here. Finally I made my decision.
  In November this year a world conference about acupuncture (WFAS 2016)  will be held in Japan. People working in this field probably know this  for a long time already.
 When I registered the other day via the  website set up for the WFAS 2016 I noticed, that the English of that  website is of embarrassingly poor quality. Although I contacted (mail)  first the secretariat of the conference and second the secretariat of  the "Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" (JSAM = organizer),  neither of these offices considered it necessary to reply to my mail ..  or what would have been MUCH better .. correct the mistakes.
I have been trying to 'advertise' the good aspects of Japan (and/or Japanese acupuncture) to the world for about 20 years.
  This website looks to me like a deliberate attempt at demonstrating to  the world at large, that the Japanese are stupid and don't give a dime  about what other people think. Thereby also thwarting my efforts to  promote the "MADE IN JAPAN" brand.
I am not really open to the  suggestion/excuse, that the organize has not enough money. The general  participation fee is about USD 500. Assuming 500 participants register, a  not very unrealistic figure, the organizer collects USD 250,000 to run  the show. There surely should be 500 USD to ask an agency to draft a  proper text. If anybody would ask me (which nobody does!), I would call  it a disgrace.
Please! Send them a note. Maybe if a number of  non-Japanese people would complain about the strange English, the people  in charge might finally wake up ...

Term Assist

A littel earlier today I received an advertisement from Proz.com for "Term Assist", something that is supposed to "make your translation easier and faster by helping finding terms".

No offense, but after trying it out A LITTLE, I find it at best "useless".
I set my language combination to Japanese-English.
Select a term.
-> NOT the term selected is displayed, but the different characters taken apart and translation for the individual characters given.
That is NOT what I am looking for.
The given translation are "strange" too.

Apparent "Term Assist" is a Chinese product.

Obviously another example of the "Chinese quality" I have referred to several times before. The kind of "quality" nobody in his or her right mind would spend any money on.

I have seen similar things with "StarDict" - a dictionary software for Linux.
Even considering it being "free" (most of its contents seems to be pirated anyway), that thing too is for me as a translator useless.
I have other software (als FREE!) that works a hundred times better!

Volkswagen - the real "German"

The other day I had to do a translation job involving material from Volkswagen. That company is supposed to be a sort or "representative German" company. Founded by German engineers is may be considered a "pure blooded" German company.
They have their own online glossary - to which I as a translator was supposed to refer to.

Well, let's have a look.
The list of terms when copied into a text file, removing unnecessary elements amounts to 308 lines of text (441 words). It includes about 19 abbreviations. Excluding those, I counted the English words in that list: about 74. That represents 25% of the total.

If one would include also terms that END in English terms -> better call those "attachments" - the ratio would be still higher.

Now, my dear German engineers. Are there really no German terms? Or are the people, who come up with these terms in the first place are incapable of creating good sounding, comprehensible (new) German terms?
Pity.

And how can I as a translator determine what's right and what wrong? The hybrid language is neither English nor German. Maybe "Gerlish"?
Is there a dictionary for Gerlish I could refer to when in doubt?????

*********************
http://www.volkswagen.de/de/Volkswagen/InnovationTechnik/technik-lexikon.html
    10-Wege-Sitz
    12-Wege-Sitz
    18-Wege-Sitz
    1-Zonen-Temperaturregelung
    2-Batterien-Konzept
    2-Zonen-Temperaturregelung
    3-Zonen-Temperaturregelung
    4MOTION
    4XMOTION
    4-Zonen-Temperaturregelung
    6-Gang-DSG-Getriebe
    7-Gang-DSG-Getriebe
    Abbiegelicht
    Abgasnormen
    Abgasrückführung
    Abgasturbolader
    ABS
    ABSplus
    Abstandsradar
    ACC
    Adaptive Fahrwerksregelung DCC
    AdBlue
    Aerodynamik
    Aeroscheibenwischer
    Airbag
    Airbag-Steuergerät
    Aktive Rückstellung
    Aktive Sicherheit
    Aktives Zylindermanagement ACT
    Alarmanlage
    Allradantrieb
    Anhängerkupplung schwenkbar
    Antiblockiersystem (ABS)
    Antriebsschlupfregelung (ASR)
    Area View
    ASR
    ATL
    Ausgleichswellengetriebe
    Außenspiegel asphärisch
    Autogas
    Auto Hold Funktion
    Automatikgetriebe
    Automatische Distanzregelung ACC
    Automatische Leuchtweitenregulierung
    AUX-IN
    Batterie-Energiemanagement
    Benzindirekteinspritzung
    Bergabfahrassistent
    Berganfahrassistent
    BiFuel
    Biturbo
    Bivalenter Antrieb
    Bi-Xenon-Scheinwerfer
    blue-e-motion
    BlueMotion
    BlueMotionTechnologies
    BlueMotionTechnology
    BlueTDI
    Bluetooth
    Bordcomputer
    Bordwerkzeug
    Böschungswinkel
    Bremsen
    Bremsenergie-Rückgewinnung (Rekuperation)
    Bremskraftverstärker (Duo)
    CDC
    City-Notbremsfunktion
    Climatronic
    CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)
    CO
    CO2
    Coming home-Funktion
    Common-Rail-System
    Continous Damping Control (CDC)
    Crashsensoren
    Crashtests
    CSC-Dachsystem
    cw-Wert
    DAB
    Dämmverglasung
    Datenbus
    Dauerfahrlicht
    DCC
    Diebstahlwarnanlage
    Diebstahlwarnanlage „Plus“
    Dieseldirekteinspritzung
    Dieselpartikelfilter
    Differenzial
    Differenzialsperre
    Digitaler Radioempfang DAB
    Digital Sound Processing (DSP)
    Direkteinspritzung
    Diversity-Antenne
    Doppelkupplungsgetriebe DSG
    Doppelquerlenker-Achse
    Drehmoment
    Drehmomentwandler
    Drehwinkelsensor
    DSG-Getriebe
    Dynamic Light Assist
    Dynamische Leuchtweitenregulierung
    Dynamischer Anfahrassistent
    Dynamisches Schaltprogramm
    Dynaudio Soundsystem
    Early-Crashsensoren
    Easy Entry
    Easy Fold
    Easy Open
    EBV
    EcoFuel
    EDS
    E-Gas
    Elektroantrieb
    Elektrohydraulische Servolenkung
    Elektromechanische Servolenkung
    Elektronische Bremskraftverteilung (EBV)
    Elektronische Dämpferregelung
    Elektronische Differenzialsperre
    Elektronische Differenzialsperre XDS
    Elektronisches Gaspedal
    Elektronisches Motormanagement
    Elektronisches Stabilisierungsprogramm
    eMotion
    Erdgas
    Euro NCAP
    Fahrdynamikpaket mit adaptiven Wankausgleich
    Fahrerassistenzsysteme
    Fahrgastzelle
    Fahrlichtschaltung, automatisch
    Fahrwerk
    Fernlichtregulierung „Light Assist“
    Feuchtesensor
    Freilauffunktion
    Frontantrieb
    Front Assist
    FSI
    Funkfernbedienung
    Fußgängerschutz
    Fußschutz
    Gangempfehlung
    Gegenlenkunterstützung
    Geschwindigkeitsabhängige Lautstärkenanpassung (GALA)
    Geschwindigkeitsabhängige Servolenkung
    Geschwindigkeitsregelanlage (GRA)
    Gespannstabilisierung
    Global Positioning System (GPS)
    Gurtkraftbegrenzer
    Gurtstraffer
    Haldex-Kupplung
    HBA
    Heckklappe elektrisch
    Hybridantrieb
    Hybridtuner
    Hydraulischer Bremsassistent
    Infotainment-System
    Infrarotreflektierende Verglasung
    Innenraumüberwachung
    Innenspiegel, automatisch abblendend
    ISOFIX-System
    Karosseriequalität
    Karosseriesteifigkeit
    Karosserieverzinkung
    Katalysator
    Kessy
    Keyless Access
    Klimaanlage
    Klimaautomatik
    Klopfsensor
    Kohlendioxid
    Kohlenmonoxid
    Komfort-Bremsassistent (HBA)
    Komfortöffnung/-schließung
    Kopfstützen
    Korrosionsschutz
    Kraftstoffstrategie
    Kurvenfahrlicht
    Ladeluftkühlung
    Lambdasonde
    Lane Assist
    Laserschweißen
    Leaving home-Funktion
    LED-Technik
    Lendenwirbelstütze
    Light Assist
    LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)
    Luftfederung
    Luftgütesensor
    Massagefunktion (Sitze)
    McPherson-Achse
    McPherson-Federbein
    MEDIA-IN
    Mehrlenker-Hinterachse
    Memory-Funktion
    Mobiltelefonvorbereitung
    Mobiltelefonvorbereitung Premium
    Motormanagement
    Motorschleppmomentregelung (MSR)
    Motorsteuergerät
    Motorsteuerung
    MP3
    MPI
    Müdigkeitserkennung
    MultiFuel
    Multifunktionsanzeige (MFA)
    Multimediabuchse AUX-IN
    Multimediabuchse MEDIA-IN
    Multi-Point-Injection (MPI)
    Multi-Purpose-Heckscheibenantenne
    Nachhaltigkeit
    Navigationssystem
    Niveauregulierung
    Nockenwellen-Verstellung
    NOx Abgasnachbehandlung
    Off-Road-Fahrprogramm
    Offroad-Modus
    Offroad-Navigation
    Offroad-Technik
    Oktanzahl
    Online-Dienste
    Oxidations-Katalysator
    Pannenset
    Panoramaschiebedach
    Park Assist
    Parkbremse, elektronisch
    Parklenkassistent „Park Assist“
    ParkPilot (Parkdistanzkontrolle)
    Passive Sicherheit
    Proaktives Insassenschutzsystem
    Pumpe-Düse-Einspritztechnik
    Quasi-monovalenter Antrieb
    Querbeschleunigungssensor
    Querneigung
    Raddrehzahlsensor
    Radio Data System (RDS)
    Radio-Navigationssystem
    Rampenwinkel
    Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE)
    Recycling
    Regensensor
    Reifenfülldruck-Kontrollsystem
    Reifenkontrollanzeige
    Reifen mit Notlaufeigenschaften
    Rekuperation
    Reparaturfreundlichkeit
    Rückfahrkamera „Rear Assist“
    Rückhaltesystem
    Schaltsaugrohr
    Scheinwerferreinigungsanlage
    Schiebe-/Ausstell-Solardach
    Schlechtwegefahrwerk
    Schließ- und Startsystem schlüssellos
    Schräglenkerachse
    SCR-Katalysator
    Seitenaufprallschutz
    Seitenwindkompensation
    Servolenkung
    Sicherheitsgurt
    Sicherheitslenksäule
    Side Assist
    Skyhook-Dämpfung
    Sperrdifferenzial
    Sportfahrwerk
    Sportsitze
    Spurhalteassistent „Lane Assist“
    Spurwechselassistent „Side Assist“
    Stabilisator
    Standheizung und -lüftung
    Start-Stopp-System
    Steckdose(n)
    Steigfähigkeit
    SunFuel®
    SunGas®
    Supercharger
    Synfuel
    Tagfahrlicht
    TDI
    Tiptronic
    Tire Mobility Set
    Torsendifferenzial
    Traffic Message Channel (TMC)
    Trapezlenker-Hinterachse
    TSI
    TSI EcoFuel
    Turbolader
    Überrollschutzsystem
    Umfeldbeobachtungssystem „Front Assist“
    Umgebungsansicht „Area View“
    Umluftschaltung, automatisch
    Umweltschutz
    Unterbodenbeplankung
    Untersetzungsstufe
    USB-Schnittstelle
    Variable Turbinengeometrie
    Verbundlenker-Hinterachse
    Verkehrszeichenerkennung
    Vielwegesitz
    Vierlenker-Vorderachse
    Volkswagen Sound
    Wärmeschutzverglasung
    Wasserlösliche Lacke
    Wattiefe
    Wegfahrsperre, elektronisch
    W-Motor
    XDS
    Xenon-Scheinwerfer
    Zentraldifferenzial
    Zentralverriegelung
    Zielführung, dynamisch