Highly amused by my part time job

[elusivek]

I'm highly amused by my part time job, the translation one...

The comments I've received about my translations....

English Translation required with target audience: Native English Speakers
People Checking the English Translation: Not Native English Speakers
While I do not claim to be as good as native English speakers, I do know some english, and I'm confident that what i've written makes sense...

Original text (meaning):
It's about time I admit my wrong and receive my punishment.

My translation:
It's about time I faced the music.

Their comment:
There is nothing about music in the original text. Do you understand chinese?

Original text (meaning):
Brand             (as in, Branding Iron) (it's a title)

My translation:
Brand

Their comment:
Can you not use the word Brand? People will get confused and think you mean Marketing and Branding. Can you use a more impactful title?

My next translation:
Mark of a Brand

Their comment:
We don't like the word Brand

Me:
But Brand is Brand

Them:
We don't like the word Brand

Next translation:
The Ineradicable Scar

My thoughts:
It's like I have to translate "I eat cake" into "I eat a dessert dish that is made of flour and sugar".

Other comments:
Change "Do not" to "Don't", it sounds more native

My response:
Keep "Do not", it emphasizes the "not".

What are these people trying to achieve? I'm laughing so much, it hurts! Why are they asking non natives to check something intended for natives??

Comments

[kurikuribebi]

When I met up with my friend Liz, we talked about this as well. When we do translations, we have the same issue! My favorite are the people who have the nerve to whip out a dictionary and say "But look! Here it says that this word means this. Why did you change it to that?"

[notte0.livejournal.com]

They even accused me of “just throwing the whole thing in google translate” because there are no long complicated words *rolls eyes*

[kurikuribebi]

And yet they chose to use you, even when they can do that themselves XD.

[evilcoc0nut.livejournal.com]

Omg lol. There's nothing wrong with the first one at all. Idk why the people asking for translations are like that. A friend of mine was saying she was a cleaner for a sub group bc she's fluent in English (and also Chinese) and they, the not-fluent people, were arguing with her about changes. She posted them too and I was like wtf, those are absolutely right in English. The other stuff sounded stilted and awkward.

I mean, if you're translating, presumably you're trying to make the person in the translated TO language understand the meaning lol.

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

Oh, my goodness - what a mess.

[nf793.livejournal.com]

That was very entertaining XD The first one is a very common saying. The second one is just... it gave me a good laugh. I'm curious to know what they think of "ineradicable". As for "don't", you use the contraction for speech or informal conversation, but for a formal written piece I was always told to use "do not". It reads so much better and keeps the meaning, without sacrificing formality and intention. Your original translations were all perfectly fine, haha

[magic-treehouse.livejournal.com]

These are hilarious. I'd say that you a fair grasp of the English language as you definitely know what an idiom is!