The librarians wrote back, their answers are as I expected, there’s no readings for work-in-progress and these events are usually held for authors and not translators. Guess it’s not a priority, need to finish more of the book right now. I need to do 1 & 1/2 page per week to finish on time, gulp.
Library book reading
September 8, 2009 at 11:13 am (Translation)
Tags: book, promotion, wip
I wrote to the librarian online about reading my book-in-progress, not sure if anything not published will get such opportunies, we’ll see.
Translation in Progress
September 3, 2009 at 3:21 pm (Translation)
Bit by bit, am getting closer to my goal of finishing the novel. Now I’m up to Chapter 14. Gotta remember “It’s a marathon, not a race.”
Which Poem Translation is Better?
August 18, 2009 at 5:14 pm (Translation)
Tags: Poem Translation
a fun post from a forum… Each version is accurate, style is definitely the defining factor here. Classical or whimsical, you pick.
原文：
A king sat on the rocky brow
Which looks on sea-born Salamis;
And ships, by thousands, lay below,
And men in nations;—all were his!
He counted them at break of day—
And when the sun set, where were they?
——Byron: The Isles of Greece
苏曼殊译作：
名王踞岩石，
雄视萨拉滨。
船师列千艘，
率土皆其民。
晨朝大点兵，
至暮无复存。
——拜伦《哀希腊》
胡适译作：
彼高崖何巉岩兮，
俯视萨拉米之滨；
有名王尝踞坐其巅兮，
临大海而点兵。
千樯兮照海，
列舰兮百里。
朝点兵兮，何纷纷兮，
日之入兮，无复存兮！
——拜伦《哀希腊》
查良铮译作：
一个国王高高坐在石山顶，
了望着萨拉密挺立于海外；
千万只船舶在山下靠停，
还有多少队伍全由他统率！
他在天亮时把他们数了数，
但日落的时候他们都在何处？
网友译作：
一个国王站崖上，
看着萨拉米海旁；
战舰士兵列成行，
早上点名晚死光。
强大的google版:
国王坐在岩石额头
看起来海上出生的萨拉米斯;
和船舶，由成千上万，奠定下文
和男子在联合国; —都是他的！
他计算了他们在休息的一天—
当太阳，在那里他们？
Forgive “恕”
May 31, 2009 at 6:38 pm (Language, Translation, learning, musings)
Tags: chinese
A thought-provoking essay on what forgiving really means: In Chinese, the word forgive is made of two characters meaning “as ” or “such as” and “heart.” Maybe to forgive someone, we really gotta look into our heart.
Good Translation on WWD’s Chinese Edition
May 19, 2009 at 5:08 pm (Language, Translation, commercial, learning)
Tags: Translation
I really like how easy it is to switch between the English and Chinese versions, what a great way to learn translation and both languages. Check it out.
The article below wasn’t able to use the title pun from the English version in Chinese, which works out in the end, imho forced puns are better left out.
穿上 Lim 的服装外出：Phillip Lim 推出三款产品
Phillip Lim 充满乐观。他说，“我们并不担心经济状况。虽然一切并非完美无暇，但在这些时候已经做到了尽可能的完美。”
Lim 的积极态度得到了一些强劲数字的支持。据 Lim 介绍，2008 年的批发总额超过 4,000 万美元，预计 2009 年将在此基础上增长 15%。
与此同时，今年秋季的亚洲销售较 2008 年秋季增长 40%，欧洲则增长了 110%。仅在意大利，这一系列就新增了 32 家零售客户。
Out on a Lim: Phillip Lim’s Three Product Launches
Phillip Lim is optimistic. “We’re not fearful of the economy,” he says. “Not everything is perfect, but in these times, it’s as perfect as it can be.”
Some strong numbers back up Lim’s positive attitude. Wholesale figures for 2008 totaled more than $40 million, according to Lim, with projections for 2009 upping that by 15 percent.
Meanwhile, sales in Asia grew by 40 percent this fall over fall 2008, and in Europe, 110 percent. In Italy alone, the line picked up 32 new retail accounts.
Source: http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/out-on-a-lim-phillip-lims-three-product-launches-2132774
New Literature in Translation: Five Spice Street
April 14, 2009 at 1:40 pm (Language, Translation, literature)
Zeping Chen’s translation of Can Xue’s Five Spice Street just came out, can’t wait to get it!
Five Spice Street cover
Language Needs to Change to Survive
March 22, 2009 at 11:04 am (Translation)
Tags: change, chinese, classic, Language, Tokharoi, tradition, Translation
Online Chinese has evolved a lot in the last few years, some might even say the language has “degraded” due to people’s tendency to abbreviate and modify for convenience and clever puns. I know I often get frustrated at how much the impeccable and classical style of traditional Chinese has been simplified to suit the online world’s need for speed and teenagers’ text-messaging temperaments.
Yesterday, while reading the memoir by highly-admired translation scholar Ji Xianlin (季羡林), I had a change of heart. He wrote of learning Tokharoi (吐火罗语) from an aging mentor, and what a honor it was, as the language was only known to a few people even back then. Mr. Ji is now 99 years old, should he pass away, would the language be lost along with him?
I had to google the name to even know which continent Tokharoi was from. Saddened by how Wikipedia calls it “extinct,” I’m reminded of how it’s much better to have a language that changes (however horrifyingly to language conservationists) and thrives, than to have a language fall into beautiful but frozen obscurity.
One Paragraph Translation: Epic Struggle (斗罗大陆)
February 17, 2009 at 10:39 pm (Translation)
Tags: novel, Translation
来到这个世界，经过开始的吃惊、恐惧，到后来的兴奋以及现在的平静，唐三已经完全接受了现实，在他看来，这是上天又给了他一次机会。前世最大的心愿，或许能够在这一世来实现吧。
Tang San has now accepted the reality of being in this world; after the initial shock and fear, he felt excitement, and finally… a sense of calm. He believed this was another chance God has given him. His most fervent wish from his last life may be realized in this lifetime after all.
Source: http://www.xunlei-mz.cn/artview_93957_5.html
Free Translation for a Friend
January 28, 2009 at 10:37 am (Translation)
Tags: Translation
A talented friend is starting a site to sell handmade bags, did some quick translation for her. She told me to not be so literal and edit as needed, so the translation is less faithful to the original and hopefully closer to what she meant to say.
******
Welcome to Ming’s Boutique
歡喜心動手做包包，Ming’s Boutique 存屬業餘性質，分享給朋友們工作以外的生活情趣，也歡迎對手工布包有興趣的朋友們 常來逛逛。大部份的包包做給自己用或送人，也接受朋友指定製作。因為，大部份的布是零碼布，僅有一至兩個，恐無法再買到相同的布料，因此，朋友指定製作的都以本人的美感經驗量身訂作。
Ming’s boutique was born out of my love for handmade art. I began it as a hobby. My creations are shared with friends who see the bags as a reminder to live life more leisurely. I welcome everyone who loves fabric art and goodies, please visit often! I gave away a lot of bags to friends, I also take custom orders. Most fabrics I use are unique and hard to find again, so making the same bag is pretty much impossible. If I custom make a bag for a friend, I often match the style to her lifestyle and personality as well.
About Me
媽媽手巧，無論小洋裝或是冬天毛衣，小時候姐妹倆的衣服都是媽媽的愛心傑作。小時不懂事，總嫌媽媽衣服做的不合身，老是大一號，或是跟妹妹穿得一模一樣。如今，母親不在了，才知道自己是多麼幸福，而且，完全沒學到媽媽的好手藝。
My mom was a very talented woman, she often made sweaters and dresses for my sister and I. Many things we wore while growing up came from her loving hands. I didn’t appreciate it at the time and complained when something didn’t fit right or was too big, or if it was the same as my sister’s. Now that she’s passed on, I’ve realized how lucky I was and how I didn’t learn much of her craft.
因緣之下，有機會跟惠芬媽學裁縫，從此，少了逛街的樂趣，倒是多了個逛布店的喜悅；少了些畫畫的時間，多了份做裁縫的新鮮。對我而言，無論畫畫或是裁縫都讓我有份專注的心，那份沈靜是與自己最好的對話。
By chance (or fate?), I learned sewing from Huifen’s Mom. My love of shopping for clothes turned into a love of shopping for fabrics. Whatever time I didn’t spend on painting anymore I spent on the sewing machine. For me, whether drawing or sewing, I got the same kind of blissful focus that gave my mind peace.
由於學美術、教設計，愛看看世界，多一些些美感經驗。接觸裁縫後，喜歡玩布的搭配，如今，純屬好玩，非專職也非專業。
I majored in art, teach design, and I love to travel and see the world. My travels have shown me what to appreciate and love in art. Sewing gave me the opportunity to combine fabrics in unexpected ways, so far, it has been a fun ride, not a professional nor fulltime obligation.
一年夏天，看到惠芬背了個她媽媽做的亮眼布包，輕巧又易清洗。因此，惠芬媽便成了我學裁縫的師傅了。以前，只會畫畫，不會別的。如今，工作之餘，除了畫畫，最開心的事就是做做裙子、布包了。
One summer, I saw Huifen with a gorgeous bag her mom made, it was light and easy to clean as well. Her mom soon became my sewing mentor. I only knew how to draw and design before, but now, whenever I’m free from work, what makes me happiest is to make bags and skirts.
第一個為自己做的布包包，遠觀是蠻像回事兒的。
The first bag I made didn’t look too bad, from a distance. 
小時候很喜歡的花襯衫，如今不敢穿了，但仍非常喜歡這塊花布，學裁縫第一天，尋求師傅意見，改造了這件衣服，居然，畫腐朽為神奇的，成為實用的布包包，這款包可雙面使用。
A favorite shirt of mine from childhood is now too loud to wear, but I still adore the fabric. What to do? The first day I learned sewing, I turned the shirt into a bag with my mentor’s help. Now it’s a reversible bag!
阿嬤布花，記憶裡小時候的被單，如今成了流行的表徵。阿嬤布花的這型袋款都可找到一樣的布料。
Floral prints from blankets and curtains of years past are now trendy again, these symbols of style can be seen in my bags.
