Jim, You Tease

You see that horrible, blurry picture above? That's my horrible, blurry notebook, the one I keep the details of all the translating catastrophes in. It's the big, fat, polluted fish in the yummy fish and chips of this blog, and now the net is full again. A lot of it is brand-new too - I've been a busy boy since last we spoke, and now is the time to haul it all up on deck and turn it out for inspection!

Stay tuned, friends, the Article is on it's way back to port!

Helllooo!

Wow, time flies when you're having fun! It also flies when you've got builders in, when you're redecorating a house by yourself, when you're ferrying kids back and forth across country, when you're trying to finish a novel, and when you're trying not to turn your three and a half złoty Carrefour pizza into a carbonised frisbee.

Yes, this is the big 'hello, I'm still alive and still updating the blog' post, at which I'm becoming unhappily good. So rather than make grand promises of impending content updates, I'll just say, don't give up hope yet (all one of you left there), there's still life left in the old girl yet! 

(Oh, okay, one grand promise then: Next Week Na Pewno!)

Jim :)

The Week in Review - 29th May, 2011

Another Sunday, another dollar. Or złotówka, or euro... Those of you with children will no doubt have been to, or are planning to go to, some kind of family picnic or other sort of public party in honour of Children’s Day, which hits us this coming Wednesday. The Little Proofreaders had a fun time yesterday – despite the rain – at our local dwór, meeting Bolek i Lolek, listening to live music and munching parówki.

 Meanwhile, work continues apace for the Big Proofreader; April and May are historically very busy months and this year has been no exception. Still, an end is in sight, which pleases my aching eyes and sore pupa, and worries my shrinking bank account. The srebrny lining to that impending chmura is that I have more time to think about the Article.

 After a recent unexpected hiatus this month which precluded any posting for nearly two weeks, I was finally forced to admit that our so-far packed schedule would have to be trimmed further down. So from now on, the schedule will look like this:

Wednesdays: New translating issue discussion,
Sundays: Sunday Review, which will be broader in scope and could contain minor flirtation with smaller translating issues,
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: Other Things, as and when (if) they occur.

 The upside is that the main Wednesday articles can be longer, more thoughtful, and contain more precise explanations. Last week’s look at dag is an example of what I’m thinking about here.

 The other thing I’ve been thinking about is how to make it easier for you to talk here, if you so wish. I know many people have been having problems with the ‘log-in to comment’ system here on Blogger.com. Again, the easiest way is to use your Gmail or Google account details, since Blogger is owned and operated by Google.

 Even so, it doesn't always work so easily. So you may already have noticed the FaceBook comments box at the bottom of each page. Knowing that more people are signed in to FaceBook at any one time than any other website or service, I think that this will perhaps be a big help. You don’t need to write a whole thesis to comment or ask a question, plus it opens things up for you guys to talk amongst yourselves. Just remember that the comments are not specific to each page, but rather are universal across the whole blog.

 Even better, the whole thing is linked to our actual BadArticle FaceBook Page! Yes, that’s right, The Article is now on The Book! We’ve got pictures and videos already, and any other handy, illuminating or amusing resources we find can also find a home there. Have a look; it’s something else. :)

Go West, Young Man

Hello again friends! How was your Easter break? Full of good things, I hope. Well, we’re back from our little English trip, and thank God too, because Polska is where I like to be, i dzięki Bóg że jestem polakiem! ;)

We were staying down in Cornwall, in the south-west of the country. This part of England is the home of one of (broadly speaking) the two ancient, founding languages of modern Britain. I’m talking about Brythonic (Celtic), which loosely speaking covers ancient English, Cornish and Welsh. The other is, of course, Goidelic (Gaelic), which stems from the Gaels who populated Ireland, Scotland and various associated parts.

The Cornish are a very distinct peoples amongst the British tribes, and their melodic, lilting accent is unlike any other. The ‘West Country’ (Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset) is largely agricultural, their farmers once supplying the majority of Britain’s food (before quotas and EECs and EUs and various insane post-war government decisions). Cornwall has a strong sea-faring and fishing culture too - Daphne du Maurier immortalised Cornish tales of smugglers, piracy and adventure in the classic Jamaica Inn, and over time various ship-wrecked Spanish and French sailors integrated themselves into society down there, resulting in a superb blending over time that shows itself in an occasional swarthiness or Latin lilt in the language. I suppose it’s something like what we have in the south of Małopolska and so on, with the border communities in the mountains. At any rate, a trip to the South-West is a real pleasure on all fronts.

Linguistically, we did see a few interesting things, and I wanted to take pictures for you all but I’m a bit shy about whipping it out and waving it around (the camera, that is). Highlights include an amusingly phrased sign in a local Lidl (yes, they’re everywhere), which warned of the dangers of trying to buy alcohol by saying: ‘If you’re lucky enough to look like you’re under 18 years of age, we will ask for proof of identity, in compliance with the law, so please do not be offended.’

Another interesting bit of phrasing I noticed was on an estate agent’s advertising board, outside some newly built flats: ‘12 dwellings available!’ Here, it’s the quaint, almost Tolkien-esque use of dwellings instead of flats or apartments, which caught my eye. Most unusual.

Can’t really think of anything else relevant right now, possibly it’s the huge quantities of chocolate coursing through my system interfering with my brain, so we’ll leave it there. Tomorrow or Friday I’ll put up another word or phrasing issue which has been tickling my mind lately, and then we’ll meet again on Sunday to discuss our plans for the coming week. See you then!
 

map courtesy of Wikipedia, via http://www.planiglobe.com/omc_set.html 

photo - my own, taken on the roads of Cornwall. See? I told you it's fun down there! 

18th - 25th April: On Holiday!

Hail to thee, friends. Just a short note today to say that the Article will be on holiday from Monday to Monday. I'm taking the Small Proofreaders back to the other half of their ancestral lands to visit 'anglik babcia' for a week. 

We'll keep an eye out for anything that might be amusing or interesting for us all here back home, and perhaps do a fun little review of it when we get back next week.

In the mean time, please all enjoy the week, have a very happy wielkanoc with lots of białą kiełbasy, gruby jaj and good vodka with your families and friends. And remember, the most important thing: CHARGE MORE FOR ANY WORK TAKEN OVER THE EASTER WEEKEND! We're not in this business for our health!

Sto lat,

Jim :)

Opinion Pole

Hail Translator, well met! Today I'd like to take a moment to just knock heads with you about a couple of things to do with this here bloggy. At the bottom of the page I've added a poll, with about a year's worth of time on it to vote. I'm asking you for feedback on the way I write about the 'issues', the actual technical stuff we discuss here.

I'm aware that some translators, or maybe most, like their explanations to be fully and properly presented using all the right technical lingo for explaining language issues. Crazy, mind-rending terms like conjugation, adjective, case, third-person singular and other lunatic dream-speak.

So, to get to the point, I'm also aware that I tend to avoid a lot of this where necessary. To me, this means that certain really gruby, soczysty issues get delayed for ages because my research time for our blog articles is often quite limited. I've been working mostly from existing notes so far, but there are things we can do which require a bit more effort.

But generally speaking, from the poll at the bottom, I can sort of gauge how happy you all are with the explanations so far. Personally, I feel like our vocabulary and formatting items are the meat of the blog, and the rest is just gravy (yumm). But what do you think? Take a moment to click a button, or if you feel really strongly either way, you can email me or leave a comment below. Alrighty? Good good, carry on!

The Sunday Review, 13/03/2011

This past week at the Article has been Time Travel Week – wherein all our little translating issues have been time-related, from since to possibility, at the turn of already existing. Doc Brown would surely approve!

Friday saw part three of our series on becoming a translator as we looked at some of the stresses and strains involved. We’ll be hearing more about the ‘hidden dangers’ of the profession in a forthcoming interview with a work-from-home translator and mother of two. But more on that later, for now we’re still cleaning out our trans-perambic combobulators and throwing the sheet back over the trusty DeLorean.

Looking ahead to the week to come, we resume our normal, pedestrian stroll forwards through time, perhaps stumbling over a surprise or two, but in the meantime, trzymaj się ludzie, Monday comes! ;)

Best,

Jim. :)

The Sunday Review 06/03/2011

With the weather in Kraków being a little ‘fresher’ than two recently chory little boys would like, here at the Article we decided to stay indoors and try to beat our record for building the tallest ramp for toy cars to zoom down and crash into Star Wars figures from.

Speaking of records, it’s been a record week for us too, with nearly 600 hits from visitors around the web, most of whom stopped by on Thursday after we posted on the forums of various translating sites around the web. We also rolled through February and into a new month, which for those of you unfamiliar with how the Blogger.com system works, means that our previous articles can now be found by clicking ‘February’ in the Archive tree on the right.

Some of those hidden treasures include part one of our ongoing series on becoming a translator (part two appeared on Friday), as well as an apparently thought-provoking look at some common formatting problems (the first of many more to come!). Some small tweaks to the appearance of the site also took place, including a new background image (with plenty of home-made ‘charm’), inspired by our loyal Nowy Targ agent, Sabina Ptas. Thanks Sabi!

Behind the scenes we moved closer to bringing you the first of our ‘celebrity’ interviews, as well as taking a significant step in terms of content distribution, or in other words, we’re posting one article a day now – wouldn’t want to impinge on anyone’s FaceBook time now, would we? ;)

Join us tomorrow as we fling ourselves with abandon at another exciting week of translating and interpreting fun!

Regards,

Jim :-) 

The Sunday Review, 27/02/2011

Ahh, Sunday. A time for rest and reflection after a busy 24 hours of hard-core raving and shape-throwing down the local meat market. When the dust has settled and the bacon has fried, it’s time to pour a hot black coffee and settle down with the ‘papers. After that, maybe a nice ramble over Hampstead Heath or, if that’s approximately 1,430 km inconvenient, a stroll around park Jordana* and a quick stop to tag the new Wisła stadium with some good old fashioned Cracovia graffiti. Or if the big breakfast and jug of coffee weren’t enough to motivate you, how about just relaxing here with me whilst we look back over the week gone by, and squint our eyes as we peer into the next seven days...

Wednesday the 23^rd of February (note the dramatic inclusion of the and of in that date; two essential items for all but the most hide-bound legalese!) was the magic day that this wonky endeavour cracked open it’s bleary little eyes and squawked ‘mama’ for the first time. A triple bill featuring a welcome letter and introduction from yours truly, plus the first of many translating ‘items’ delivered this blog kicking and screaming into the world, followed by a quickly established pattern of one translating item in the morning and a feature article in the evening (or at night, depending on how soon I can find the keys to the drinks cabinet).

Here at the Article, we foresee weekends being a little quieter content-wise, with just our Sunday review and preview and perhaps a small morsel of interest on Saturdays to distract you from the usual weekend routine of sprawdzenia and crack cocaine.

Looking ahead into our cracked and oddly lumpen crystal ball, some very exciting things are looming out of the psychic fog. Negotiations are currently under way between Uncle Proofreader and a series of very different, very interesting translators and interpreters. Interviews are being planned, guest columnists approached (stealthily, and from behind), and soon other voices will be heard on this blog. An even bigger surprise awaits the loyal reader in March, as we debut an occasional series of new and exciting columns by friends of the Article. Perhaps you’ll be one of them? As always, all of your comments and opinions will be greeted with open arms, hugs, slaps on the back and a round of grilled cheese on toast by the fireplace. It doesn’t matter if you’re a brand new translator or even a slightly soiled one – there are no stupid questions and no boring ideas here, only interesting, friendly people who share a common goal.

There are many more exciting things afoot here, so stay tuned. Competitions, interviews and our usual blend of feature articles and spotlights on common En<>Pl translating mistakes are just the tip of the raspberry-flavoured iceberg!

Have a relaxing Sunday,

Uncle Proofreader. :-)

*Dr. Henryk Jordana was a doctor, yes. But what kind? First one to post the correct answer in the comments section wins a random book from Uncle P’s library!

What's It All About, Alfie?

In any translation process there are numerous small words, phrases and bits of punctuation that, for one reason or another, come through in the target language still smelling of the source language. These are mostly false friends (chef/szef), and literalisms (sympathetic/sympatyczny), but are also sometimes the result of simple time pressure or ingrained learning. For example, putting an unnecessary comma before ‘that’ in English, because we usually say ‘comma że’ in Polish. This results in grammar, punctuation and other technical problems in the Target Text. Another common source of trouble stems from the fact that Polish lacks the heavy contextualising of English, and often uses more words than are strictly necessary to do the job in English.

Apart from the eternal frustration of microscopic deadlines and clients who neither know nor care (or worse, think that they know better than the language professionals!), the constant, speedy evolution of vocabulary and usage is the other great culprit. Great swathes of language as it is learned in the traditional manner through schools, tutors, books and tapes etc, is out of date almost as soon as it is taught. This leads to the amusing phenomenon of non-natives of a language being able to speak it more clearly and with better understanding than some of its native speakers, because the non-native was taught the language without all the bewildering slang, loan words and learned errors that make up half a language at any given time.

Of course, with the Internet it's pretty easy to keep a tab on your target languages, but as much good information as there is, there's also three times as much crap. Particularly horrifying are the numerous ‘online dictionaries’, most of which should be avoided like the plague. The other side of that coin, though, are the user-defined sites such as the slang dictionaries. Whilst most of them describe the kind of language that would give your mother a heart attack, they can be a useful resource for modern literary translators (although as with any un-moderated user-submitted content, you should be 200% sure of what you’re taking from them).

What I want to do with this blog is describe all the most commonly occurring problems in Polish to English translations, and while not everything will be relevant to you personally, perhaps some of it will be at least helpful (not least because we’ll be looking at a lot of formatting issues common to any ST>EN translation). As I said above in the first post (yay!), we will be drawing on mixed resources, including already well-known items, my own experience of translating and proofreading in the Polish/English language pair, and anything else that comes up day by day.

One final thought for you – some of the items we’ll look at may seem obvious or unnecessary to know – surely some of this stuff is only the proofreader’s concern? But for those occasions when you know your work is going directly to the end reader with no further editing or proofing, or you know the client is a difficult one, then perhaps this will help you nail down every last detail, ‘just in case!’ 

 Lastly, although the obvious intention is to provide a concrete, 100% solid gold explanation of each item, there’s nothing that we can’t change, correct or improve if we feel that it needs doing so. Please do feel free to comment below (just click on the thing that says ‘x comments’), and we’ll bang our heads together (albeit gently if anyone’s hung over ;).

Welcome to the Bad Article!

Greetings traveller, pull up a chair and put your dogs up. Here, have some refreshments and rest a while. Allow me to introduce myself. My name's Jim and I'm an Englishman by birth (shh, don't tell anyone), although I've been living in Poland for the last eight years and I have no intention of leaving.

I work from home as a freelance proofreader and copy editor. I specialise in texts for computer and video games, as well as multimedia and technical documentation, although I’ve also ghost-written books for adults and children alike, and if I could remember even a tenth of what I’ve read, I’d probably be an expert on Polish history to rival Norman Davies. I also work mornings in a translating office in town, checking the PL>EN translations and advising, when requested, on the EN<>PL translating process. Through the office I used to run seminars on this subject too, and the notes and exercises I prepared for them partially form the basis for these blog posts. Mostly though, these blog posts are the result of a lifetime spent writing professionally, and at least ten years of working specifically with Polish translators.

At any rate, that’s pretty much me in a giant, unshaven nutshell. How about you? Please feel free to leave a comment; ask a question, raise an issue, make a point, or even – for bonus points – tell us a joke!

- Jim :-)