How to take other translators disagreement comment ? Thread poster: isahuang
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isahuang
Local time: 05:50
English to Chinese
+ ...
Dear Colleagues,
I want to bring your attention to a problem I encounted recently. A few days ago, after I commented on one proposed answer and gave my explanations, I certainly got the attention of the person who contributed his thought. And I received a nasty letter (at least nasty for me)from that translator. Below is the letter I received. I took off the name of the sender.
Dear Ms. Huang,
Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedul... See more Dear Colleagues,
I want to bring your attention to a problem I encounted recently. A few days ago, after I commented on one proposed answer and gave my explanations, I certainly got the attention of the person who contributed his thought. And I received a nasty letter (at least nasty for me)from that translator. Below is the letter I received. I took off the name of the sender.
Dear Ms. Huang,
Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule as Internet yenta
to clarify your comments.
As you would have known had you bothered to read and understand my remarks,
"adult products" is precisely what I told the asker to use. I offered
"XXX-rated" as an alternative, because the asker was looking for something
more "erotic."
The fact that "Porno is illegal in China" hardly means that it does not
exist or is not sold, as I'm sure even your limited mind can comprehend. In
any case, it really does not matter. The distinction between "adult
products" and "XXX-rated products" is a fluid one at best and is not needed
in this case; as the asker provides no context, her text could have been
describing an "adult store" in the West. But perhaps you know more than the
rest of us and can devine the asker's context....
> My point is adult product store in China doesn't sell porno
> stuff. Translating it into X-rated product shop could make
> people, especially the Americans, think they could find
> porno magazines there. Porno is illegal in China. No shop
> sells X-rated products in China. It is true only the US
> rates movies as X-rated, however, it is pretty clear to
> English speaking people it means porno, even if they might
> be from Europe where people are more liberal. So if your
> proposed answer was Adult Product, I would have agreed with
> you.
So you would have agreed with me? Wow, that really makes my day. My life
just would not be complete without your agreement.
If you don't have anything intelligent to say, please don't say it. And most
of all, I would appreciate it if you would stop wasting my time with your
mindless drivel.
Have a nice day.
So this is the letter. There is a second letter that said something not very nice about non-native speakers. But I don't want to post it here to waste everybody's time. Proz.com is a website where translators pool thoughts together. There is no absolute yes or no answer. What I couldn't understand is why my disagreement comment would get such an emotional reaction. I enjoy the free discussion on Proz.com. If my opinions would incur the kind of reaction I received, I would be reluctant to express my opinions.
[Edited at 2003-12-14 15:23] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Yongmei Liu 
United States
Local time: 02:50
English to Chinese
+ ...
| Two words for the gentleman: | Dec 14, 2003 |
anger management.
| | | | | Plus two more words | Dec 14, 2003 |
Yongmei Liu wrote:
anger management.
diplomacy, gallantry
| | | | Kevin Yang
Local time: 02:50
Member (2003)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| Let抯 take this opportunity to make it clear that aggressive behavior is not welcome here. | Dec 14, 2003 |
Dear Tingting,
Thank you for sharing with us! By reading the email you received and posted, I was able to see the obvious prejudice and bias in his writing. I can understand why you were so upset and felt the necessity to post it here for a discussion.
I noticed your active participation in the KudoZ activities at ProZ.com from this year. As a new member at PorZ.com, I think you have followed the rules and courtesies to express your opinions and offer answers. I apprec... See more Dear Tingting,
Thank you for sharing with us! By reading the email you received and posted, I was able to see the obvious prejudice and bias in his writing. I can understand why you were so upset and felt the necessity to post it here for a discussion.
I noticed your active participation in the KudoZ activities at ProZ.com from this year. As a new member at PorZ.com, I think you have followed the rules and courtesies to express your opinions and offer answers. I appreciate your participation very much. Please keep up with it.
As for your attacker, I condemn his behavior in the KoduZ discussion. Relax and back off, man! It is just a discussion! I hope he has the intelligence and integrity to be aware of his inappropriateness to write like that in his emails. I hope from this discussion he can learn that his attitude and behavior are not appreciated or wanted here.
As translators, we all want to offer the best translation possible. Let the suggested answers and references speak. I think everyone here has the ability to judge. No one has the right to shut up another person after his/her answer is posted to the public. If you do not like other抯 negative comment, cite the references that can support your suggested answer. Being a native speaker of one language is NOT enough to be the authority to a translation. I would trust more on the research work and references quoted.
Tingting, I am sorry that you, as a new player here, have to deal with such negative experience. Please let it go and take it as a learning experience. When we interact at ProZ.com, the virtual arena where translators are trying their best to help one another, we value the mutual respect and higher standards in discussion. As you also can see, most of us here are very civil. Let抯 take this opportunity to make it clear that aggressive behavior is not welcome here.
You have not seen what I had went through in the past two years as a Moderator and translator here. After you have read the posted messages in other folders in the Chinese Forum, you might have already felt better.
Kevin ▲ Collapse
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isahuang
Local time: 05:50
English to Chinese
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TOPIC STARTER | Let's keep an open mind. Thanks Kevin and other colleagues. | Dec 15, 2003 |
Kevin Yang wrote:
Dear Tingting,
...
Being a native speaker of one language is NOT enough to be the authority to a translation. I would trust more on the research work and references quoted.
Tingting, I am sorry that you, as a new player here, have to deal with such negative experience. Please let it go and take it as a learning experience. When we interact at ProZ.com, the virtual arena where translators are trying their best to help one another, we value the mutual respect and higher standards in discussion. As you also can see, most of us here are very civil. Let抯 take this opportunity to make it clear that aggressive behavior is not welcome here.
You have not seen what I had went through in the past two years as a Moderator and translator here. After you have read the posted messages in other folders in the Chinese Forum, you might have already felt better.
Kevin
I agree with you, Kevin. Nobody can be a native speaker of every language spoken in the world. Proz.com provides an opportunity for free discussion and exchange of translation experience. A professional translator/interpreter should keep an open mind, open to other's feedback, even if it is not always 100% correct. I won't let this unpleasant incident discourage me. I know I could learn a lot from other translators, in fact in the last month I learned probably more from my colleagues here than I learned by myself in the past year. I really enjoy the intellectual discussion here.
Thanks,
[Edited at 2003-12-15 00:12]
| | | | Denyce Seow
Singapore
Local time: 17:50
Member (2004)
Chinese to English
It is really a shock to read that letter. I think it is more than anger that drives this. How can a grown-up be so agitated with a "disagree"?
In fact, I was the one who posted that question. As an asker, I appreciate it if all my peers can give me their honest opinions. There is no absolutely wrong or right answer as everyone is entitled to their judgement and interpretation. If one brings this whole discussion into a private email, then this is really very undesirable.
... See more It is really a shock to read that letter. I think it is more than anger that drives this. How can a grown-up be so agitated with a "disagree"?
In fact, I was the one who posted that question. As an asker, I appreciate it if all my peers can give me their honest opinions. There is no absolutely wrong or right answer as everyone is entitled to their judgement and interpretation. If one brings this whole discussion into a private email, then this is really very undesirable.
Another point to note: it doesn't mean if you are not a native speaker for that particular target language, you are not entitled to answer. Sometimes, 旁观者清.
Tingting, you have always been a great help and very straightforward lady (this is a compliment!!). Keep it up. Don't let this kind of thing dampen your spirit!!
Let's serve tjhe true purpose of Kudoz and help one another, instead of putting one another down. Peace to Kudoz!! ▲ Collapse
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