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Lost in translation
Okay, so one of the main reasons I took this job again this summer was that I would actually get to use some of my skills by doing some English-French translating. And now I've got a document to translate. And now I'm scared.
I never realized it, and it may not seem like it, but translating is stressful work. You're putting words in someone else's mouth. You may make them say something they didn't mean, or you may make them sound like a five-year-old, or you may make them completely incomprehensible. I fear that I am being trusted where I shouldn't be.
srah - Thursday, 19 June 2003 - 9:23 AM
Tags: language, work
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Comments (5)
katie - June 19, 2003 - 10:02 AM - ℓ
During the Renaissance, when they discovered all the old Greek texts, everyone was concerned about how to accurately represent the exact words/ideas of the original author. They were so worried, in fact, that it was the common practice to read out loud even when reading to one's self, since they thought that the spoken word brought the ideas to life somehow. So in places like the Laurentian Library, you would hear a constant, low humming mumble as all the patrons read quietly out loud to themselves.
History!
Cheryl - June 20, 2003 - 12:43 PM - ℓ
I enjoy translating. I translated a medical article for a Chicago law firm earlier this year. I've gotten better since 6th grade.
Don't worry. You get used to it.