Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Drakoi]

Ever since I started taking Hangulmal lessons and since teaching makes you examine your own english, I was wondering what makes a really good translator. I've met many Coreans of various english proficiency levels, but other than kyopos and other people who've been abroad, they seem to really struggle with translation.

Like they can communicate in Corean, and they can communicate in English but when they have to go back and forth a lot, I can almost smell the gears grinding...

I realized that translation is really 4 processeze?(help what's the plural of process, I had icecream and I'm experiencing a brain fart) that happen nearly instantaneously. For example if someone is asked a question to translate in Corean, first they have to understand the question, then they have to do a literal translation, and then figure out the colloquial english phrases. and then when the reply comes back they have to figure out the literal Corean and then find the right colloquial phrase.

You might think that you can just go straight from colloquial to colloquial, but that only works for the phrases you've managed to memorize. (okay so we all know Corean kids are memorization machines, BUT) When they encounter something new, you get that 'deer in the headlights' look.

I guess I would say being a good translator is the difference between knowing how fish behave and memorizing the last place you saw them. You might catch a lot of fish both ways but one is more of a skill and the other is having a lot of data. It shouldn't be just about knowing alot, but rather being able to apply what you know...

wdyt? For those of you who know a lot of Hangulmal, what goes on in your heads?

[peppermint]

I would think that to be a good translator, you'd have to understand the cultures behind the languages somewhat well.

It's one thing to know that a direct translation of "Ju- go-lay?" in Korean would be "Do you want to die?" but a good translator should know that that's going to seem very shocking to an English speaker, and be able to adjust accordingly. Come to think of it, a little diplomacy might be a useful skill for a translator too.

[jlb]

In my battle with my school via the labor board and immigration I used two different Korean friends of mine as translators and one was by far the better. Both were of near equal english ability.

The one that was the best actually literally translated everything the people said, made sure I understood and then let me respond as I wanted. If my response was not a good one, she would give me some advice but let me decide in the end.

The other one wanted to fight my battle for me and really didn't translate at all. At immigration, her and the man at the desk went off for about 1/2 an hour and I was completely in the dark. Frustrating and not what I wanted.

Of course I'm thankful for their help because they got involved and who would really want to? Conflict bad in Korea.

[Son Deureo!]

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

Do you do translating work?

[Gladiator]

Peppermint hit the nail on the head.

I think a grasp of the culture behind the language is crucial. Since (most) Koreans learn/study/use English in such a cultural vacuum this total non-connection with the life and values behind English shows up so glaringly when they attempt to express Korean thoughts through it.

I recall going to a colleague's wedding ceremony a while back where the bride's sister, who prided herself on her English skills, attempted "Tongshi Tongyok" or simulataneous translation of the officiating minister's speech. The result was a kind of very bizarre, almost Vaticanesque liturgical speech notable for its grammatical accuracy and slavish adherence to exact word-for-word replication and structural parallelism of what the "Juraenim" was saying. Furthermore her accompanying commentary was in a register of English completely at odds with the informal tone/style of western weddings:

"Now we would appreciate loud hand-clapping to accompany the entrance of the woman to be married" instead of "Give the bride a big hand!"

In addition to diplomacy I feel that competent translators should be creative and highly literate individuals.

I've added a link to some interesting thoughts on the subject from Brother An Song-Jae of Sognang Univeristy's English Dept. As one of the leading Korean-English translators and a resident of Korea for 23 years I think his comments about how Koreans approach translation, and the qualities of a translator, are very interesting.

http://www.sogang.ac.kr/~anthony/Pen.htm

[Jensen]

[Gladiator]

Jensen,

Thanks for the additional links. Very interesting articles.

[Son Deureo!]

[kiwiboy_nz_99]