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.

Fudschijama

English: Mount Fuji, Japan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is always amazing how superficial knowledge and wrong information prove to be so much stronger than the "real" thing.
This picture shows an entry in a German-Japanese dictionary, published 1972, calling the highest mountain in Japan "Fudschijama".
I have seen this on English sites too, even official sites of the American government!!!

However, no Japanese ever calles the mountain by this name.
It is "Fuji-san", where "san" is the character for MOUNTAIN - and NOT the honorific "Mister".

In Germany there are probably MANY more people who know the "Fudschijama" than those who know its real name.
This kind of artificially created 'misunderstanding' is NOT helping to improve communication between different cultures ...

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 ...

Japanese-English glossary

Three years ago I posted the below text on an acupuncture forum (http://acmac.net/forum/), where it has been viewed about 300 times ... although nobody is responding ...

Maybe it can be seen from my profile, that I am apart from being a (German) acupuncturist practicing for 30 years in Japan also a translator.

During my translation work, I occasionally also get work related to oriental medicine. Here comes the problem then.
To the best of my knowledge (I did a rather extensive search), there is only one VERY little Japanese-English Dictionary of oriental medicine.

So, during translation work I do rely on several "standard" Chinese-English dictionaries and other source. If I find something that suits the context, as well as my interpretation of the matter, I note that term in a spread sheet. Including items like:
-> Chinese characters / Japanese reading in Kana / romanized Japanese reading / English translation / alternative translation / romanized Chinese reading / links (if any) / pictures (if any) / comments / discussion.
(I am thinking of adding German translations too)

My question / request:
Are there any people on this list that speak/write Japanese, who might be willing to help me by contributing a few possible terms?


Wordwide everybody tends to believe that Chinese acupuncture (or oriental medicine in a wider sense) is the one and only "authentic" branch in this field of knowledge. However, it is common knowledge and need not to be detailed here, that in China EVERY piece of information is censored. There is absolutely no reason to assume, that oriental medicine is an exception.
If the world then has access to only one (permissible) interpretation, it very much restricts its horizon.
Here in Japan nobody (I mean of people in power and with influence) really gives a "r**ts a**" about oriental medicine. That precisely provides for real freedom of speech. And given the fact, that there is a 1500-year history of oriental medicine here, the Japanese have quit a bit to say, that differs from the Chinese points of view.
Even with basic concepts like yin and yang, I am always under the impression, that interpretations vary. Therefore the use of Chinese-English dictionaries does not provide satisfactory results when translating Japanese material.

* Material: the Japanese have a funny way of collecting all sorts of "material". To the best of my knowledge (again), the largest collection of Buddhist sripts is found in Japan, the largest character dictionary of the world has been edited by a Japanese and is standard issue in every library. I would have to check, how these superlatives read in correlation to classic oriental medical scripts, but I would not be surprised, if they have here a larger collection .....
And if they do, you could be rather sure, that those not replicas modified to suit communist party guidelines.

I would like to help make some of these materials available to the world. The Japanese themselves are apparently not very keen to do so.
And if anybody could help me out with hints at possible translation (I can provide the file I made so far), this could be a first step.
I also have a lot of fancy ideas (dreams) about other = further aspects, but maybe I should not get ahead of myself.

Thank you.
Thomas Blasejewicz

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

barefoot coffee

During lunch break I frequently ride my bicycle along the coast for exercise.
On one of my "standard routes" I always pass a sort of "container" near the beach that has been set up as a coffee shop.
Fine so far.

But its sign says, the place is called "barefoot coffee".
"Barefoot" - since this thing is only 50 m from the beach, this probably alludes to the possibility to come over and walk in with sandy feet, possibly barefoot (which is not necessary welcome in restaurants).

However, the way the name is written "barefoot" becomes a modifier for coffee, like for example in "outdoor exercise".

Well, if that is so, then the coffee comes walking in barefoot?
A rather unusual idea.

Probably the people wanted to express
1) "barefoot cafe
or
2) "barefoot coffee shop"

This is again a manifestation of the annoying laziness of the Japanese people to look up one or two terms in a dictionary.
It may sometimes reach literally "unbelievable proportions".
see:
http://transcurio.blogspot.jp/2012/01/fuckin-sale.html