| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Is it just me or do most translators struggle to write their own stuff from scratch? Thread poster: Christopher Schröder
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| I believe the words of walter Benjamin.. | Jan 19, 2017 |
"It is the task of the translator to release in his own language that pure language that is under the spell of another, to liberate the language imprisoned in a work in his re-creation of that work.”
Walter Benjamin
| | | | | Not quite the question you are asking | Jan 25, 2017 |
Your heading suggests that translators might not be good writers. Good translators have to be good writers, and, with experience, they can but become better all the time. In fact, there is no end to the possibilities for improvement. However, you are specifically asking your question in relation to writing about oneself. Translating is about getting into someone else's head and using your own to make the original document accessible to others. When you are writing about your own skills, it is di... See more Your heading suggests that translators might not be good writers. Good translators have to be good writers, and, with experience, they can but become better all the time. In fact, there is no end to the possibilities for improvement. However, you are specifically asking your question in relation to writing about oneself. Translating is about getting into someone else's head and using your own to make the original document accessible to others. When you are writing about your own skills, it is difficult to consider one's abilities at arm's length. Selling oneself is a different ball game. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X) 
Spain
Local time: 21:44
Spanish to English
+ ...
| A lot of translators ... | Jan 25, 2017 |
... are really frustrated writers, yearning to be released from the shackles of the corporate tosh they have to grapple with, say, but when they're free to do it themselves, ay there's the rub, and then they feel the pain of the blaargh merchants themselves, who maybe have nothing scintillating to say, but have simply been told to dash off 1,000 words for the punters on the company's latest product.
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Mervyn Henderson wrote:
... are really frustrated writers, yearning to be released from the shackles of the corporate tosh they have to grapple with, say, but when they're free to do it themselves, ay there's the rub, and then they feel the pain of the blaargh merchants themselves, who maybe have nothing scintillating to say, but have simply been told to dash off 1,000 words for the punters on the company's latest product.
Except they know what they have to say.
My problem is that I know how to say it, but not what to say.
Perhaps we should stick to modelling.
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| This is also my problem | Jan 25, 2017 |
Chris S wrote:
Except they know what they have to say.
My problem is that I know how to say it, but not what to say.
Perhaps we should stick to modelling.
I have tried many times and I have your same problem, perhaps lack of creativity?
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 21:44
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Modelling ... | Jan 25, 2017 |
... nah, can't go back to that now. Not after what that Karl Lagerfeld said to me. "Mervyn", he said to me, standing there in his dark glasses, clumpy black boots, black trousers, black shirt and black frikking everything except the daft white ponytail, "Mervyn, you're fired." And I've never regretted it. Kate said "Ooh, serve him right, mate, his loss." But Naomi never backed me up, oh no. Just sniffed, because all SHE wanted to ganch on about was that SHE had been robbed at gunpoint too, and h... See more ... nah, can't go back to that now. Not after what that Karl Lagerfeld said to me. "Mervyn", he said to me, standing there in his dark glasses, clumpy black boots, black trousers, black shirt and black frikking everything except the daft white ponytail, "Mervyn, you're fired." And I've never regretted it. Kate said "Ooh, serve him right, mate, his loss." But Naomi never backed me up, oh no. Just sniffed, because all SHE wanted to ganch on about was that SHE had been robbed at gunpoint too, and how dare that Kardashian Kow steal all the limelight (couldn't even spell it right, fancy!). "Put that gun to me head, he did, right on me fringe, squeaked Miss Ebony. "Not the hair, please, don't mess up me hair mister, for Dior's sake", she pleaded.
No, I'm glad I got out of all that. I prefer the blaargh.
[Edited at 2017-01-25 19:40 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 21:44
French to English
| talking about myself | Jan 26, 2017 |
Chris S wrote: Mervyn Henderson wrote:
... are really frustrated writers, yearning to be released from the shackles of the corporate tosh they have to grapple with, say, but when they're free to do it themselves, ay there's the rub, and then they feel the pain of the blaargh merchants themselves, who maybe have nothing scintillating to say, but have simply been told to dash off 1,000 words for the punters on the company's latest product. Except they know what they have to say. My problem is that I know how to say it, but not what to say. Perhaps we should stick to modelling.
If you ask me to write about something, I can do it. It is rather akin to squeezing blood from my forehead in Gene Fowler style (thanks for that quote Riccardo), but once the deadline is looming it gets done. It can even look and sound good.
Ask me to write or talk about myself though and - gulp - panic sets in. I was taught not to be boastful, that any decent person will appreciate my qualities without me needing to point them out. That somebody who knows that they are handsome, is perversely less handsome for the knowledge. That if you need to tell people you're good, you're not really. That your talent will shine through whatever. Then I have to blab about my USP?
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Sorry, Mervyn, that deserves a witty response but I'm not creative enough to think of one right now
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Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 21:44
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Then no need for words... | Jan 26, 2017 |
Chris S wrote:
Perhaps we should stick to modelling.
Just show them your modelling photos and this will be your selling point.
Btw, I don't think anyone can outwit Mervyn, at least when it comes to forum posts. I want him as my marketing manager, if he can apply the skill in marketing.
[Edited at 2017-01-26 21:51 GMT]
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 21:44
Spanish to English
+ ...
... Chris and Lingua 5B. It's funny you should say that, Lingua 5B, because only the other day I had a run-in with a customer about marketing. A true story, as well, despite being totally fictitious.
You see, I'd been translating the same old tired trumpet-blowing tripe for a company, pages and pages of "A wide range of products and services" and "Excellent service quality" and all those impossibly long "triple-concept" phrases like: "Our professional attitude, tried, tested and co... See more ... Chris and Lingua 5B. It's funny you should say that, Lingua 5B, because only the other day I had a run-in with a customer about marketing. A true story, as well, despite being totally fictitious.
You see, I'd been translating the same old tired trumpet-blowing tripe for a company, pages and pages of "A wide range of products and services" and "Excellent service quality" and all those impossibly long "triple-concept" phrases like: "Our professional attitude, tried, tested and confirmed over many years, in a combination with risk management at the highest possible level of detail, excellence and professionalism in order to monitor processes, procedures and policies and approve, validate and deploy the something-or-other, the thingummy and the wotsit at the lowest possible cost with no concessions made to standards, quality and workmanship ...", where everyone's stopped reading after Line 1, and I rang the man in charge.
"Why are you churning out all this meaningless drivel nobody wants to read, Charles?" I asked.
"Yes, well, I know, it's our marketing department. They're overpaid, too", said Charles, gloomily.
"Why don't you fire the lot of them and just get someone to come up with a daft phrase every so often? Look at the Martini people. All they do is run a totally meaningless sequence past you of an old man sitting in a chair and a poodle with a quiff beside him, a heavily-lipsticked bimbo flitting around everywhere blowing kisses, and at the end some thin guy in a boater silhouetted as he switches on a Martini floodlight, and a throaty voice off says, "Martini. The One." I mean, "The One"? What the hell does that mean? How much does someone get paid to come up with that?"
"Reduce to the max, Charles", I went on. "Short is good. Instead of all this professional excellence and excellent professionalism blaargh I'm translating, you could just say, er, something snappy, something buzzy, something like, er ... "When deliver is not enough", some nonsense like that."
Well, old Charles snapped to attention at that all right.
"What did you say? "When deliver is not enough?" Don't you mean "When delivery is not enough?"
"Well, no, because it's snappier like that. "When deliver is not enough". "Deliver". The odder it sounds, the more they'll lap it up. Like Martini. And you could maybe follow it up with something just as codswallopy such as, er, "Taking deliver to the next level".
"Taking deliver to the next level". He seemed to be rolling it around his mouth. "Well, I'm glad we had this little chat - take care of yourself, won't you? See you around", he said.
"I just ...", I said, but he'd gone.
You know what's coming, don't you? ...
Oh yes. A few weeks later it was all over the shop. "The XYZ Company - When Deliver Is Not Enough". It was on the bladdy radio, it was on the TV, I saw it on the sides of buses, and a friend in New York said he'd seen it on the Times Square ticker ad.
I rang and asked to speak to Charles.
"No, he doesn't work here anymore, I'm afraid. After the "Deliver" thing kicked in, he left to start his own company. Doing very well too, apparently."
"Curses", I thought. "I've been fleeced."
[Edited at 2017-01-27 07:59 GMT]
[Edited at 2017-01-27 10:07 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 21:44
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Brainstorm option | Jan 30, 2017 |
Try asking friends or acquaintances to decribe you in XX words or less.
[Edited at 2017-01-30 10:04 GMT]
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neilmac wrote:
Try asking friends or acquaintances to decribe you in XX words or less.
[Edited at 2017-01-30 10:04 GMT]
Not sure "stubborn, grumpy old bugger" is going to win any prospects over
And that's just my friends.
[Edited at 2017-01-30 10:31 GMT]
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Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 21:44
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Stubborn etc. | Jan 30, 2017 |
... depends on how you place it in context. "I might be a stubborn, grumpy old bugger, but these are highly prized qualities in my line of work. Stubborn enough to keep at the job until it's perfect, and grumpy because I'm such a stickler I'm never satisfied with myself." I admit it's advisable not to showcase the last bit.
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