Addressing peculiaritites – National mail quirks

 

[tall buildings*]

In these days of email, text messages and whats app groups, to name just a few media, people often forget that physical address is still important not only for those rare people and ever fewer organizations that send snail mail but also in legal documents. In practice, no lease or contract is complete without formal addresses. Furthermore, people who correspond or have lived abroad learn that every country has its nuances on how the address should be written. These distinctions are meaningful to translators, who must properly formulate the address in the target language, often in a different alphabet, which is not as simple as it seems.  To demonstrate , I will look at addresses in English, both in the US and UK as well as their form in France, Russian and Israel and show their translation into English as I would do.

[Royal mail truck]

Both the US and UK use a system involving name of recipient; house number, street name and apartment/office/suite number; city, state (US) and postal code. The differences between the two systems are minor. In the United States, the sender would write apt. (for apartment) if needed and adds the two-letter state abbreviation (CA, MI, etc.) while in the UK, flat is preferred while the letters UK automatically include Britain, Scotland and Wales. However, postal code policy does differ. The United States uses both a five and nine number postal code. While I find the five-number version easy to remember and type correctly, the nine-number code is an invitation to error (if you are not using a CAT tool). Statistically, the more numbers, the greater the chance for mistakes is. Also, the city, state and postal code are on the same line. Furthermore, some cities have their special code. For example, in Seattle, Washington, the letters, SW, SE, NE and NW after the street name indicate quadrant, creating the possibility of the address: 20 East Pine St. NW. By contrast, the UK mail system uses a six or seven postal code with both letters and number with a space before the final three. Not only do I find it harder to remember mixed codes but the similarity between the capital letter “O” and number “0” can lead to errors. Here are two examples of addresses, UK and US:

US	UK
Mr. John Johnson 20 Pine St. Apt. 4 Boring, OR 97009	Mr John Johnson 20 Pine St. Flat 4 Wits End United Kingdom YO62 6PG

[statue - De Gaulle]

Across the channel, France has its own system, of course, adding vital information. First of all, the last name of the person is entirely in capital letters as is the name of the city. Curiously, many street names are not capitalized. Postal codes often include the arrondissement, the city district, which is quite convenient. For example, the Paris postal code 75008 indicates the 8^th arrondisement of Paris. To add interest, business addresses have a CEDEX number added, a reference to a system for bulk commercial mailing. The issue for translators here is how to relate to these differences when translating them. In my view, the culture of the intended reader should apply. In practice, I only capitalize the first letter of the last name and city. However, I use the French words rue, avenue, etc. View the following source and target:

French	English
M. Jean LEGRAND 25 rue de Rigny PARIS 75008 CEDEX PARIS 1	Mr. Jean Legrand 25 rue de Rigny Paris 75008 CEDEX Paris 1

 

[Soviet statue]

Russian addresses traditionally were formulated for the ease of the postal workers. In the past and still in official documents, the order of information is reversed, i..e., postal code; city; address, sub address. According to Wikipedia, the Russian mail service has adopted the Western order but I have not seen the change on official documents. I tend to “westernize” the address as it is much easier for English readers to follow the address although there is an argument for keeping the formal Russian order in the case of the legal address for sending notices.  Compare:

Russian	English
127486 Moscow Korovinskoe Shosse House 10 Building 2, 4th floor, Office 9	10 Korovinskoe Shosse Building 2, 4th floor, Office 9 Moscow 127486

 

[Beach statue - Ben Gurion]

Finally, there is the curious case of Hebrew, especially in street and city names. Many official street signs have the prefix ה, meaning the, added to the street name but may not include the word street. For example, quite a few locales in Israel boast a street sign with “ha-oren” on it with or without  רחוב [rehove], street., literally the pine street. No convention seems to exists in regards to whether the “ha” needs to be included in the English. Furthermore, the actual English spelling of the street name, especially of historical figures, varies significantly depending on where you look.  As compared to English practice, the house and apartment number follow the street name, with a dash between them. Even city names tend to have several variations, as Tel Aviv – Yafo, Tel Aviv – Yaffo and Tel Aviv – Jaffo. The best policy for cities is to check the official municipal web site and follow their example. It’s their city; they can spell it as they want to. Some places don’t even require street addresses, such as kibbutzim and some Arab villages. The postal workers know everyone by name, apparently. Regarding Israel postal codes, I find remembering 7 numbers quite difficult and am even incapable of remembering my own.  Here is a final translation example:

Hebrew	English
Amit Cohen Rehov Ha-Oren 5/2 Tel Aviv – Yafo 6329302	Amit Cohen 5 Oren St., Apt. 2 Tel Aviv – Yafo 6329302

 

In Hebrew, there is an expression “there is nothing more permanent than the temporary”. In the same spirit, “simple” matters of translation often pose complicated issues. In my mind, each national addresssing formula has its logic but the understanding of the reader should rule supreme in most translations. In short, addresses are quirkier than you thought.

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All pictures via Pixabay.

All in one and one in all – Balancing salaried and freelance work

[Unbalanced scale*]

Many freelancers, including translators, hold two jobs, one salaried with regular hours and one as an independent. The benefits of such a dual existence are clear. However, the relative load is asymmetric and variable, creating stress not only in terms of being able to properly perform the job but also in terms of expectations of one’s self. The key in this arrangement, as in all imperfect situations, is accept natural limits, however frustrating they  may be, at least most of the time.

For transparency’s sake, I state that I am a full-time freelance translator and a half time (8 hours a week) college English lecturer at a local engineering college. After starting my translation career in my  40’s,  I continued working as a full-time teacher for some 8 years until circumstances allowed me to cut that down to half time. I still maintain and enjoy the salaried position as I get to be around people, even more in their 20’s with their future in front of them, an invigorating experience, and also have a vested pension. Thus, I see great benefits in having dual careers.

These benefits include financial security, risk management, benefits and flexibility. Clearly, given the uncertainty of freelance income, the knowledge that the mortgage or rent will be paid significantly reduces financial stress. In practical terms, a stretch of poor business does not endanger the roof. On the same line, having a salary creates the basis of a budget and facilitates budgeting. Salaried positions may carry benefits, such as paid pensions, health insurance and vehicles, all expensive items for many freelancers, depending on your country. Retaining the paid position also allows freelancers to build up their freelance business until such a time that they can change their status. Looking from the opposite perspective, having an independent business allows time flexibility to deal with family and health issues. It also creates a sense of personal ownership of the success, a experience often lacking as an employee. An independent business may also better express the talents and ambition of the person. Thus, both holding a salaried position and having an independent business can be recipe for happiness.

However, maintaining the balance can be stressful as the loads vary but people’s ability to excel at two positions is limited, creating disappointment among colleagues and in themselves. Most company positions have peak work periods, such as after the tax year, during holidays and before the end of the semester. During these times, employers expect a full effort and do not care about the other obligations of employees, including family and other work.  Colleagues also expect no less effort than they invest. As most people wish to meet these expectations, whether it is to receive the respect of their peers, their own pride or both, it is uncomfortable to be limited in one’s contribution. In simple words, you are only one person with some 16 hours a day available. The option of burning the midnight candle is only practical for short period and harmful in the long term. Even during normal period, it is difficult enough investing time in career advancement, including attending seminars and conferences, in one profession. For most people, there is not enough time to invest in two professions as they would ideally do so. As a result, people’s skills become relatively static in one of two positions. Two work positions, no matter how well balanced, create an internal tension.

The key to emotional acceptance of this situation, aside from dropping one of the jobs, is accepting the greyness of the world, i.e., people can only do their best even if the result is less than ideal. It is clear that nobody chooses occupational schizophrenia as a first option. Circumstances lead to that situation. A person needs to understand and accept that others are often either unaware of or apathetic towards individual circumstances, whether in regards to work, family or health. As in the old story about the man, boy and the donkey, we need to do what is good for us, not what pleases others, within limits of course. More importantly, freelancers holding another position almost have no choice but to accept that ultimately, they have to choose which position to put their ego in. In my case, I am a professional translator that also teaches, albeit generally rather well after more than 30 years of experience. Most of the time, I am happy with that description. I no longer strive to be the best lecturer in my department, which I would have if I only taught, due to a lack of time and energy. Some people may consider that unprofessional but employees live in our own reality and can only do their best, however unsatisfactory that may seem to others and themselves.

Thus, while employers may act as if employees are all in their job, many entrepreneurs must or choose to split themselves among two  jobs as well as family. The benefits, financial and otherwise, of trying to manage two work worlds are clear but the stress and challenge of properly serving two bosses creates emotional dissonance. However, with an effective personal attitude, it is possible to properly balance asymmetric loads, at least most of the time. I made that choice some 18 years ago and have never looked back. I hope that those that have made or will make the same choice feel the same.

It would be interesting to learn about the work balance of freelancers. Please respond to the following one question survey: 

Work load survey

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Picture credit: Pixabay

The drama of translation – Beit Berl’s study day on translation in theatre

 

[Woman and shadow*]

Strangely enough, I most enjoy lectures that are in those areas of which I know very little and in which I have no intention in entering. It is fascinating to discover the magic of the unknown. This week, I had the pleasure of attending a study day organized by the translation faculty of Beit Berl College, headed by Judith Rubanovsky-Paz, for its current and past students. The program was entitled “Translation in the spotlight” and discussed translation of theatre. Several leading translators in the field, including in sign language, shared their wisdom. Among the many pearls offered, I especially appreciated the insights regarding the place, plus figurative and literal, of written translation in theatre, the need for periodic retranslation and the art of translating classic plays.

Tami Rubin, an established and recognized theatre translator, brought out the conflict between the requirement and disturbance of translation during a performance. On the one hand, given the monolingual nature of the performer as compared to the multilingual nature of the audience, surtitles, as they are called when placed above the stage, allow the entire audience to fully follow the action and reduce the language barrier to enjoyment. On the other hand, the traditional practice of running translations above or even to the side of the stage requires the audience to constantly switch its attention from the action to the translation, a sometimes difficult and tiring maneuver. She noted that a few productions have integrated the translation into the background of the scene, allowing the viewer to read the translation and follow the action simultaneously. She remarked that such an arrangement requires the set designer to consider translation when planning the background. The talk brought out the difficult of integrating translation into performance.

Eli Bijaoui, an award-winning theatre translator, discussed the need for periodical retranslations of classics, including Molière and Shakespeare, in order to properly reflect their content. He noted that these playwrights, notwithstanding their current status as pantheons, wrote theatre to be understood and appreciated by all the people of their time, i.e., in a language grasped to one degree or another by the entire audience. In other words, they did not write in the language of the elite. He gave the example of Romeo speaking to his friends, who are hassling him for spending too much time with Juliet. His language is slangish and crude as is typical of young males in a such a situation. Eli argues that retaining the slang of even 10 years ago causes the text to lose its earthiness, an essential part of its content. He notes that the translation should not go overboard on slang but still should transfer the tone of the conversation. Thus, classic translations, regardless of their quality, are not written in stone but should flow like water for their time.

In regards to the actual text, Eli distinguished form from word choice. On the one hand, notwithstanding the challenge, the translation of texts written in specific meters, such as the comedies of Molière or the , should retain that or a similar structure in order to remain loyal to the spirit of the original, taking into account the fact that the actors must speak the text. On the other hand, the translator can and should adopt the choice of idiom, example or joke such that the audience reacts as the playwright intended, e.g., laughter or sadness. Clearly, an image or reference alien to most people viewing the play will not translate the intention of the original. He gave us wonderful examples from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Molière’s Ecole des femmes of how he translated the original text in to Hebrew. It was a brief but fascinating glimpse of the challenge and joy of successful theatre translation.

Lee Dan, a sign language translator also active in theatre, noted that the translator must be transparent, i.e., invisible to the audience, and  explained that it is a difficult task. In other words, the purpose of the theatre translation, especially since the text is spoken and not written, is to facilitate understanding, not complicate it. Thus, even more than technical translation, theatre translations is truly an art and worthy of great appreciation. In transmitting that message, the Beit Berl study day showed great light on that subject.

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Translation as transcreation: garbage in, garbage out?

 

[water sewage plant*]

The daily fare of most translators is too often poorly written source texts. Thoughts such as “Did the writer bother to reread the text” and “Does the writer know how to write” pop in the mind far too frequently. The errors vary in type, quantity and cause but obligate translators to decide to what degree to intervene and improve the text in translation. To make this decision, translator has to consider the purpose, audience and practicality of this transcreation and choose which changes to make. Ideally, the proposed price should take the extra time and effort into account but reality is generally different. Thus, translators sometime have to decide whether the effort is worthwhile, a difficult decision, as translators are judged by the final product but paid by the source text.

Some common writing errors, found even in corporate texts, involve syntax, vocabulary, punctuation and spelling. A person may be very skillful in a certain field of knowledge and activity but never really has invested time on language. As a result, their sentences can become so complicated that the reader has to reread it several time to understand it, mainly because of its structure and word order. For example, the verb may appear many subordinate clauses after the grammatical subject. Sometimes, the writer uses a verb + object structure where a verb only would be perfectly acceptable, as in make a payment to instead of pay. Furthermore, poor vocabulary leads to the use of incorrect words, mangled expressions, overly repeated roots and undesired connotations. In technical documents, precision prevents law suits and even deaths while in marketing, inappropriate language can destroy a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign. Even more basic, some writers place commas and periods as creatively as children make strokes with finger paint, entirely by intuition. The most shocking common error is the seeming lack of knowledge or interest in using spell check to catch errors. It is distressing to translate an apparent first draft. While in an ideal world, translators would always work with truly finished texts, reality is often quite different.

The cause of this negligence varies by circumstances, ranging from time constraints to organizational structure and occasional illusions of grandeur, to name a few. Organizations occasionally have to quickly issue a press notice or technical documents and lack the time to properly edit the documents. More often, the document is co-written by several people with each one contributing and making changes. If no single person is responsible for the final product, a hodgepodge can result with mismatched elements and inconsistent terminology. Finally, occasionally some people truly believe they are proficient writers. If they have enough authority, formal and personal, nobody contradicts them. Unfortunately, their texts are not appropriate for the purpose as they are simply poorly written. While of academic interest to the translator, the cause of poor source texts is not always clear.

Clearly, the decision to intervene and improve the text depends on the ultimate use, with the amount of improvement related to the type of text. On one end of the scale, translators must show all warts in literature and court transcripts because the errors themselves are part of the content. Poor language in many stories shows the background of a character while the indirect and vague answers of witnesses can demonstrate their lack of willingness to understand or their grasp of the situation. John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath and Hannah Arendt’s analysis of Adolf Eichmann’s language in Eichmann in Jerusalem: a Report of the Banality of Evil are quite interesting in that respect. On the other end of the spectrum are marketing documents, online and otherwise, whose message must be persuasive. The translator becomes a transcreator, often completely changing the wording in order to best reach the target audience. In the middle are technical documents in which the active translator corrects terminology and syntax errors in order to ensure that the document serves its goal, i.e., to clearly and accurately provide information. Thus, the number of required changes can greatly vary.

Unfortunately, deadlines and budgets often do not allow proper transformation. If the customer is unaware of the magnitude of the problem, they do not allow sufficient time to make all the required changes. If the changes would implicate massive review of previous term bases and computer string files, it may not be practical to produce a proper document in the short term even if the long-term costs continue to grow, especially for documents involving product trees. As a result, either or both the translator and ordering party decide to ignore the larger issues as it is impractical at that point to remedy them.

Even if the customer has no issue with making sweeping changes, translators often face a dilemma regarding their time investment. If the translator did not take the changes into account when setting the price, the choice often becomes between volunteering hours or producing target text that is as imperfect as the source. The structure of the translation business generally does not allow mid-project price changes. Ideally, translators should thoroughly read source texts before agreeing. However, in practice, due to time and concentration constraints, most only peruse the text to discover how poorly written it is only after they begin the actual translation, generally too late.

It would be difficult to say how prevalent “garbage in, garbage out” is in the translation business. Clearly, every translator has decided at some time that a certain source text has so many errors that it is only worth correcting the critical ones. Likewise, translators sometimes decide for personal or professional to pull back all stops and truly shine up the language with the hope that the customer, not to mention the eventual readers, say “the translation is better than the original.” After all, translation is a form of creation, a matter of pride for its maker.

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Strange measures in English

 

“What is a cubit?” – Noah (Bill Cosby) to God in Noah’s Ark

 

Before you start reading, try and guess (in US or metric terms):

1 furlong = ___________________

1 league = ___________________

1 bushel = ___________________

1 barrel of oil = _______________

1 knot = _____________________

1 stone = ____________________

1 cm³ = 1ml = 1 gram (for water of course) is the single best reason to use the metric system. Any child with a slightest visual perception skill can grasp it. Not only that, all divisions are by a measure of 10, so Roman in its concept. By contrast, the Anglo-Saucon measurement system is a mathematics student’s nightmare: 2 pints = 1 quart x 4 = one gallon = 16 cups; 12 inches = one foot x 3 = one yard x 1760 [sic] – one mile; and 16 ounces = one pound x 2000 = one ton. Of course, each measurement is mathematically isolated from each other. Why should life be simple if you can complicate it? Still, over the years, people get used to the system and even intuitively assimilate the weird math, even insisting on its virtues. However, there are some specialized English measures that few Americans or Brits have the faintest idea of what they really mean. They exist for distance, volume, speed and weight. Kudos for anybody that actually can quantify them.

[horse and plow*]

Furlongs and leagues are unusual units of lengths used for a specific circumstance. The length of some horse racing tracks is in furlongs, which makes sense since a furlong (furrow-long) was a length of a common plowing area in England, which obviously involved horses. Its length was 660 feet or 201 meters for those in the Continent. Many readers know that Captain Nemo could take his ship, the Nautili’s, 20,000 leagues under the sea but few realized that meant a little more than 69,000 miles or possibly 80,000 km if you use the French measure, a feat somewhat hard to believe if you consider it.  A league is the distance a person can walk in an hour and varied accordingly. In the UK, a league was considered 3 miles while at sea, rather Jesus-like, it was 3.425 kilometers. I suppose walking on water creates less friction and resistance. Alas, it is rare to find anybody that walks from city to city or plows fields with horses. Too late, the damage is done.

[barrels]

Oil and wheat prices are of prime concern to people throughout the world. Their measurement is a bit mysterious. When the oil producers of Pennsylvania decided to establish a standard packaging size in 1872, they chose a barrel of wine, which contains 42 US gallons or around 159 cubic meters. A barrel is a barrel is a barrel? Even more ancient is the bushel, a unit of measurement for grains. The equivalents are 64 pints and 32.36 liters. I suppose one can blame the French on this one as the term comes from old French.  I imagine only farmers there can visualize that quantity. What was, is.

[man pushing stone]

Of more practical use for certain populations are knots and stones. Prior to electronic means, the only way to measure speed at sea was to drag a pie-like object with spaced knots from the back of the ship and count them. 1 knot is equal to 1 nautical mile, around 1.15 land mile (no walking, more friction and resistance, maybe), or 1.150 mph, around 1.852 km/h. To give some perspective, the Titanic could reach 23 knots, while the fastest wooden tea clippers could reach 16 knots . In terms of their weight, some Brits still refer to stones, which is equivalent to 14 pounds or 6.340 kilos I suppose the smaller number as compared to pounds makes them feel better. It is as logical and predictable as counting feet.

I would call this post “ode to the metric system” but Americans will never abandon their time-honored tradition of complicated calculations and not only out of respect for their math teachers. I am no Don Quixote. More impractically, I can say after more than 30 years in Israel that I have forgotten what heavy a pound is but still have no sense of how heavy a kilo is. Regarding most measures, I can delicately ask a similar question to that Noah asked God (at least according to Bill Cosby): what is a cubit?

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Picture credits: Pixabay