tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post903170205626618232..comments2024-02-26T03:12:14.514-07:00Comments on About Translation: Writing in a foreign languageRiccardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08033214185364578008noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-80266301285018078702008-12-14T03:18:00.000-07:002008-12-14T03:18:00.000-07:00Very, VERY interesting comment. I think the mark o...Very, VERY interesting comment. I think the mark of a good translator is his/her ability to be able to create in a/the foreign language.<BR/>http://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-16125238851825106972008-10-13T14:53:00.000-06:002008-10-13T14:53:00.000-06:00I fully agree with your last paragraph - my native...I fully agree with your last paragraph - my native language is Polish and it can be equally and unnecessarily complex. And unfortunately, the over-reliance on some English words and phrases is sometimes mind-blowing May favourite example was the word 'merchandiser' used instead of its simpler Polish equivalent.<BR/>Good blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-1070325945823754852008-10-12T17:27:00.000-06:002008-10-12T17:27:00.000-06:00Very good information....Thanks !Very good information....<BR/>Thanks !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-47133816605487140892008-10-10T10:53:00.000-06:002008-10-10T10:53:00.000-06:00People prize different things in well-written pros...People prize different things in well-written prose, depending on the language in question. A language like German has relatively few actual words (lexemes), so complexity of thought is expressed less through word choice but through syntax--this is why German writing is so "convoluted"; this is how you express erudition in German-speaking cultures, by being able to write (and read) complex syntax.<BR/><BR/>English, by contrast, has fairly "easy" syntax, but is a language full of synonyms. It is said that English has the largest vocabulary of any world language, and given the size of the largest dictionaries this appears to be true. One simple example: in English we draw distinctions between "freedom" and "liberty," where German has only "Freiheit" and French has only "liberte." Yet, freedom and liberty do not mean precisely the same thing. The nuance of proper word choice is where the complexity of English resides, and people express erudition in writing and reading by being able to deal with the subtle nuances of synonyms well.<BR/><BR/>One thing standing in the way for nonnative speakers of English in becoming stronger writers in English is not only using very clear, logical syntax but also focusing on making the right word choice, and selecting just the right nuance for the context at hand. Indeed, most native speakers of English are inadequate at this, too (evidenced by my verbosity here!).<BR/><BR/>Great post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-34235616421713327942008-10-06T04:41:00.000-06:002008-10-06T04:41:00.000-06:00I believe you are already the best at what you do ...I believe you are already the best at what you do - you have all the<BR/>skills of translation. Check out his <A HREF="http://www.tomedes.com/translator-make-it-happen.pdf" REL="nofollow">ebook</A> in response to the many positive feedbacks <A HREF="http://www.tomedes.com/index.php" REL="nofollow">Tomendes.com</A> <BR/> received from freelance translators. Making their business so simple yet so different.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518334.post-56668340690316999442008-10-04T10:49:00.000-06:002008-10-04T10:49:00.000-06:00Portuguese also has a lot of old structures and ve...Portuguese also has a lot of old structures and verbose. I believe English morphological rules allow it to accept a greater number of loan words and that provides for a certain freshness of the language.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com