symetranslations

Dear Reader,

Today I am interested in taking some notes regarding my observations on the art of translation. To preface these observations I first wish to express a lesson which I have learned through experience and which I am putting into practice in this new line of work. That is, that there is no substitute for experience – direct experience. That is to say, one can talk theory all day, dive into books, and attend classes, but it is all for nothing without experience. As an example, I give you my writing. There was a time, when I fantasized – nay, romanticized about being a writer; and I took notes on books people recommended on the “profession” of writing, and watched how-to videos and writer interviews. Continue reading →

Dear Reader,

I came to China for a reason forgotten, though I think it may have had something to do with a suggestion made by a Chinese medical interpreter I met, that I ought to go to China and practice Chinese a bit more. Well, I came to China, and I worked, and worked, and finally, after half a year, and only a couple of months remaining, I am getting some practice. Whether I needed to come to China for this practice I am not quite convinced. Continue reading →

Pot Luck

(this is not a statement about Seattle)

Friday, 17 April, 2015

Dear Reader,

Early in December I went to a local gathering for interpreters, attended by local interpreters. The gathering was organized by the Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society (NOTIS), and styled as a potluck. I did not bring any food, so I suppose I cannot complain that there was a lack of Sichuan cuisine, Continue reading →