Paine-ful wisdom – on translators, editors, between them and beyond them

 

[The Odd Couple]

This week, I sent the following email to a trusted project manager (PM) after reviewing the changes her editor had made to my translation: “I reviewed the edits and noticed that the editor found a few minor errors [ones that do not affect understanding], introduced a few minor errors, improved the phrasing in a few places and mainly made preferential changes. The most important thing is that the customer receives the best possible translation.” The translation involved was a two-page bank declaration in convoluted Hebrew (aren’t all bank documents in convoluted language?) on a poor PDF delivered in 24 hours.

This unpleasant interaction between translator and editor, with the PM in between, led me to reconsider the Odd Couple-like nature of the relationship between technical translators and editors. Limited by time constraints, translators must convert a text in the source language, often not very easy to read due to the quality of the PDF, into a Word document in the target document acceptable for use by the customer. This task involves reading the document many times in several forms, including bilingual and monolingual as well as on screen and on paper, all within a short period of time. Not only is it difficult to read the document “freshly” every time without sufficient time gaps, another pair of eyes will always find ways to improve the translation. Thus, the even the most professional translations are not perfect. 

By contrast, the editor’s task is read the monolingual document, comparing it when necessary to the source document, identify any errors and refine the existing text until it shines. They, of course, apply their judgment and opinion of correct language, which may not be identical to the translators’ view. The task is far more focused and involves many less read-throughs. Details matter, as Felix Ungar would say, without consideration of the emotional reaction of the translator that had put so much effort in producing the text. The result is that many translators feel that editors abuse them, as reflected in a typical emotional response: ”This editor had to prove his/her existence.” Clearly, there is generally little love between technical translators and editors.

However, if the goal of the translation process is to produce the most faithful and well-written document for the customer, i.e., to provide value, both the translator and editor are essential to the process. No one pair of eyes can attain that goal regardless of the amount of knowledge and experience. In the best possible world, the PM understands this.  In my case, she will continue to work with me as she has done for many years as I provide a solid translation on or before the deadline, exactly what is required of me. Likewise, she will continue to depend on that editor to improve translations in order to retain her customers. Unfortunately, this global understanding of the goal is far from universal. Still, it is important for translators to keep it in mind when receiving "massacred" versions of their translation. In fact, the words of Thomas Paine ring true: “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.”

Home furnishings – an (almost) full house of English expressions

 

[house plan]

Home is where the heart is. Apparently, as in most domestic situations, all those feelings are somewhat at the expense of logic and consistency, at least in terms of language. While non-native English speakers can easily remember the names of the various elements of a house and their literal meanings, they often struggle the more figurative senses of these terms. It is possible to understand these expressions through the prism of a meeting of a board of directors or the exact material involved but more often only by context. In my opinion, this partial logic makes English an entertaining and human language.

In a formal meeting of directors, the chair, i.e., the person leading the session, may table a motion. Curiously, in the US this term means to take it off the agenda while in the UK it means to discuss it. In the first case, the reasons for avoiding a discussion range from it being so off-the-wall, ridiculous, that it would be absurd to waste time on the matter or, more sinisterly, the chairperson received money under the table, a bribe, not to discuss it. The criminal involved would rather sweep it under the rug, make it disappear, at least visually. On the other hand, if the members do discuss the issue, some may consider it a window of opportunity (even though most people do not enter a house through a window if you think about it). It could open the door to a better future, allowing it to happen. Opponents, by contrast, fear that it would slam the door on a better opportunity. The mere thought of adopting the motion makes them hit the roof and get very angry. Of course, interested people wait for white smoke to come out, meaning that the board has made a decision one way or another.

Sometimes the material or location provides a clue to the meaning. A pioneering person can break a glass ceiling, a illusionary limit that a society has placed on that person. In matters of window covering, a curtain call involves a very large amount of fabric as used at the theatre. So, it means getting a second round of applause at the theatre. On the same note, if it is curtains for the villain, the curtain has come down, ending his/ her plot or even life. On an even larger scale, the iron curtain was the political and military barrier separating the Soviet Union and its allies from the West. Today, its form tends to be electronic and virtual but that is a matter for another discussion. Regarding police matters, a stool pigeon may see a bit vague until you see a pigeon tied to a stool in the field as was done in the 1800’s to hunt those birds. The police still use this aviary tool in a way by placing an informer. Back to the house, if your sports team is in the basement (which is the almost annual place of my favorite teams), they are in last place in the division. By contrast, a bargain basement is where department stores sometimes concentrate their discounted products to get rid of them and implies cheap items. Details matter.

Alas, there are terms that simply have to understood in context. A couch potato rarely moves from the sofa, watching TV and eating all day. Regarding the ground below you, flooring a pedal means pushing the accelerator to the maximum while being floored by the news involves falling to the ground. Pharmacies can sell an over-the-counter  (OTC) drug without a prescription. Since the 1940’s and Curtis LeMay, some Airforce generals insist that carpet bombing, the general destruction of a city or country,  will persuade a population to surrender. Remember the classic definition of insanity: doing something over and over again, expecting a different result each time. If you are in the dog house, it means that you are not feeling loved and welcome at home. Of course, every pub visitor loves it when the drinks are on the house, i.e., free. These expressions make some sense in a certain sense.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of the house and will find it easier to navigate through the rooms. If a home is a castle, an English house is rather peculiar, with many quirks but also much character (which is a synonym for wooden beams on real estate TV programs). If English is not your native language, I hope I furnished you with some knowledge of useful idioms. It make you feel more at home in the English language.

In praise of disorder – the joy of Mediterranean messiness

 

[cluttered desk]

Some 40 years ago, I took the train to Rome after having spent a month in Germany. I vividly remember the feeling of chaos at the Rome train station, the confusion due to the lack of signs and my discomfort with the chaos of the city.  Still, I said to myself that I would love to have the German transportation in Italy and enjoy the best of two worlds. A few months ago, I flew to Nurenberg through Heraklion, Crete. This trip made me realized how much today I prefer the chaos of the Mediterranean to the orderliness of the northern Europe.

To paint a picture, Heraklion is similar to many other urban areas in the eastern Mediterranean in terms of aesthetics and manner of living. The sidewalks are often partial; the parking is improvised; trashcans, not to mention recycling bins, can be few and far between, with the results evident in the gutter sometime. The occasional rain turns some streets into Venetian canals. In terms of sounds, loud car honks and louder conversations are the norm, creating an interesting cacophony, exaggerated for those that do not speak Greek. As for signing, the panels at Knossos (for those that did not buy the video player) left much to the imagination. By the way, the Heraklion airport deserves its awful reputation. On the other hand, the food was rich and tasty, featuring fish, meat and vegetables. The desserts were tasty. The people were friendly and helpful, happy to share their culture even in non-tourist areas. In summary, Heraklion, like Cyprus and Israel, was loud and genuine, for better or worse.

By contrast, Germany, like Holland, was clean and orderly but socially structured. The streets were sterile, with not only trash cans but also recycling bins in all public squares. The signing was complete and without translation errors, not a given in the world. (FYI, translators love discovering amusing translation errors.) The buildings were impressive and well maintained. As for the food, in that part of Germany, it was primarily meat in various forms, with a few vegetables, primarily the potato in French fries (chips). The bread was as heavy, albeit tasty, as the meat. The beer was plentiful and justified its reputation. On the other hand, people spoke quietly and interacted with foreigners and, as it appeared in some restaurants, even among their family, formally, without great emotion. I understood that clear limits of public expression existed. Northern Europe is clearly an calmer place to visit.

As I boarded the plane for Israel on my way home, I remarked that if I could not live in Israel, I could imagine myself living in Crete. To quote Baloo, they have the bare necessities of life down pat, i.e., good food and real social relations. As for the administrative chaos, it can be amusing, even an advantage sometimes. By contrast, I could not see myself fitting in Germany, Holland or any other northern European country as, after 35 years, I do not want to play by strict rules set by others. As Jacques Prévert wrote, je suis comme je suis; je suis fait comme ça – I am what I am; I am made like that. I not only enjoy the food of the Mediterranean but also relish in the dramatics of its human interactions. Some 40 years ago, the disorder was too much for me. Now, at this stage of my life, I prefer my society to be like my desk, a bit messy.