Oh, grammar!
Aug. 3rd, 2008 02:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexpgpWhile translating an introductory text written in Russian about personal computers, I could only marvel - during the odd moments when I have personal time available to do this - at the number of faults in grammar and composition in the text, and I'm no native speaker!
Sloppiness on the part of technicians who have been impressed into the role of writer is legion, in any language, it seems. In fact, it got me to thinking of my attempt at getting a job, back in the day, at Macmillan Publishers, of which I have written previously. I wonder how much different my life would be now if I hadn't failed that editing test? Then again, one might ask the same question of any event perceived as more or less important, right?
As far as the translation is concerned, there arises the classic question: do you "fill in the blanks" and write a translation that is lucid, clear, and of demonstrably higher quality than the original? Or do you try to reproduce the original, warts and all, peppering the text with "[sic]" in places where the going gets particularly nasty?
Both are hard, and sometimes, the second alternative is harder!
Cheers...
Sloppiness on the part of technicians who have been impressed into the role of writer is legion, in any language, it seems. In fact, it got me to thinking of my attempt at getting a job, back in the day, at Macmillan Publishers, of which I have written previously. I wonder how much different my life would be now if I hadn't failed that editing test? Then again, one might ask the same question of any event perceived as more or less important, right?
As far as the translation is concerned, there arises the classic question: do you "fill in the blanks" and write a translation that is lucid, clear, and of demonstrably higher quality than the original? Or do you try to reproduce the original, warts and all, peppering the text with "[sic]" in places where the going gets particularly nasty?
Both are hard, and sometimes, the second alternative is harder!
Cheers...
