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Q: Translation skill - what level?
Just a general question regarding linguistic ability of 'translators'.
What level should they be to have this sort of a job?
The obvious question might be - to what level? I'm talking about for large public things - newspapers, magazines, etc. (teaching materials)... maybe for airline voiceovers and subtitling., movie and TV subs etc.
I recall way back in Cold War days, Russia (HA!) nearly sparked a little war by saying "We will bury you" (the US)... whereas, the better translation would have been "we will OUTLIVE/outlast you" (sounds much less threatening - no?)
Do you thnk the standards in China for language proficiency are lower for official translators than in other countries?
And - should we point out when they get it wrong?
In short, yes the standards are way, way lower for the same reasons as for any other profession:
1* People want fast and cheap. No concept of doing something (or wanting something done) properly for the sake of looking professional. The bare minimum is assumed to be sufficient in most cases.
2* Good translators are hard to get by because:
- Even when they are kind of proficient, they lack the training and rigor required to actually do real translating work.
- Local schools are what they are, need I say more.
- People tend to largely overestimate their own level.
- Since there's no overhead cost and no license to do this job, anyone can decide to be a translator. Begging for chaos.
3* The huge majority of the translation market isn't newspaper or magazines nor is it novels or movies. Hardly anything of any cultural value comes out of China and only the government tries to promote this kind of stuff, private sector knows no one will buy. The main domains with needs are: business/marketing, engineering and IT contents. Add legalities and contracts with HK. Thus *1.
4* 75% of the market is bottom feeder crap from third zone companies. Knowing the kind of commitment required to actually become a professional, it's hardly worth it for anyone serious.
5* Original contents themselves are usually written with a poor grasp of logic thinking, communicating ideas or even basic grammar and punctuation (yes, in Chinese). If input is crap, output is bound to be crap.
Now of course there are exceptions to this sad picture, but trust me the world of translators as you understand what this profession should be is a very very small one in China.
In short, yes the standards are way, way lower for the same reasons as for any other profession:
1* People want fast and cheap. No concept of doing something (or wanting something done) properly for the sake of looking professional. The bare minimum is assumed to be sufficient in most cases.
2* Good translators are hard to get by because:
- Even when they are kind of proficient, they lack the training and rigor required to actually do real translating work.
- Local schools are what they are, need I say more.
- People tend to largely overestimate their own level.
- Since there's no overhead cost and no license to do this job, anyone can decide to be a translator. Begging for chaos.
3* The huge majority of the translation market isn't newspaper or magazines nor is it novels or movies. Hardly anything of any cultural value comes out of China and only the government tries to promote this kind of stuff, private sector knows no one will buy. The main domains with needs are: business/marketing, engineering and IT contents. Add legalities and contracts with HK. Thus *1.
4* 75% of the market is bottom feeder crap from third zone companies. Knowing the kind of commitment required to actually become a professional, it's hardly worth it for anyone serious.
5* Original contents themselves are usually written with a poor grasp of logic thinking, communicating ideas or even basic grammar and punctuation (yes, in Chinese). If input is crap, output is bound to be crap.
Now of course there are exceptions to this sad picture, but trust me the world of translators as you understand what this profession should be is a very very small one in China.
