Not Lost in Translation

Working at a Japanese company where you are the only foreigner can be pretty intimidating. Not only do you look different, act differently and sometimes to behave like an ape in a country that is ruled by etiquette, you can’t even speak the language.   So for even the simplest work conversation it is necessary to call an interpreter.

Japan, has a rich history of art and theater and this doesn’t escape the field of simultaneous translation. Forget about all the interpreters you’ve seen in the movies, generally at the United Nations, like everything else in Japan, translation is an art. When translating the interpreter (usually female) often gets up and mimics the speaker’s movements. This can often be more entertaining than a night of Karaoke! At Japanese meetings it is normal practice to repeat asking the same questions over again until the issue is understood fully. In this case the translator can get quite frustrated and often instead of waiting you’re the response of the Western heathens, explains the issue herself.

A good translator is often crucial to the success of a project as a simple mistake can cause great embarrassment or even major misunderstandings. Common mistakes might end up in poetic challenges such as

“Give me tranquility and I’ll return you fragrance” or as seen in one unnamed Japanese hotel

“Please take advantage of the chambermaid”.

But the most interesting slips of instant Japanese translation often result from the inability of the Japanese to distinguish between “R” and “L”. One meeting I attended dealt with the implementation of the Main Flame – and no they weren’t discussing the boss’ girlfriend. The issue was concerning the infra-structure of the company’s Main Frame computers.

A great example of the world of translation

© 2011 Steve Taite. All rights reserved.
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