Translation services

[maestrowork]

I wonder if anyone knows of any English-to-Chinese translation services that either specializes in or at least has experience with fiction.

[badducky]

I'd look up who published what, and who translated what.


http://english.sina.com/life/1/2006/0324/70646.html

This mentions some Chinese publishign houses that handle the Chinese version of various English-language best-sellers. I bet one could search through those publisher's sites and find out who did the deed of translation.

[Shadow_Ferret]

Offhand, no. The companies I have worked for have used translators for technical writing in many languages but I don't believe I've ever dealt in Chinese. I'm pretty sure I'd remember that. ;)

Did you "Google" for chinese translators?

[maestrowork]

I've found a few. Most of them don't really deal with novels, only technical or business documents (because it's much more difficult concerning prose style, etc., which are usually lost in translation). Also, their cost is prohibitive for me. One quoted me $0.18 a word. I'm like what? I'm thinking of brushing up my Chinese and go into the translation business.

[badducky]

0.18Cents a word? Let's see. 60,000 words times 0.18 cents...

108,000 dollars for a short novel?

Where's that University catalogue...

[Jamesaritchie]

0.18Cents a word? Let's see. 60,000 words times 0.18 cents...

108,000 dollars for a short novel?

Where's that University catalogue...

I think your decimal is off. It would only be $60,000 at a dollar per word. At eighteen cents per word it would be 18% of this, or $10,800. Still not cheap, but a lot better than $108,000.

[badducky]

Clearly, I am the "Mathemagician".


If I'm a really good translator I can hide this little nuance in the contract! We're not exactly speaking the right language!

In other news, isn't it great to know that any actual mathematical ability is not a requirement for the job of writing. In fact, I made it through Calculus I in college and I still can't handle basic math.

Somewhere, dear-old Mrs. Hicks is shaking her head that she let me pass her math course with a 69.5

[Jamesaritchie]

Clearly, I am the "Mathemagician".


If I'm a really good translator I can hide this little nuance in the contract! We're not exactly speaking the right language!

In other news, isn't it great to know that any actual mathematical ability is not a requirement for the job of writing. In fact, I made it through Calculus I in college and I still can't handle basic math.

Somewhere, dear-old Mrs. Hicks is shaking her head that she let me pass her math course with a 69.5

I don't know. I think your math ability would make it much easier to live as a writer. If I could just misplace a decimal or two I'd have a heck of a lot easier time paying my bills.

[expatbrat]

I lived in Beijing for a couple of years and have a number of Chinese friends who would jump at the chance. One of my translators (Tina) is about to have a baby and will not be personal training for a few months - for a fair price I know she could do it, she has the skill and the time.

She translated at least 50 fitness articles into Chinese for me (I am actually rather famous in China and continue to get fan mail – I can’t read!! Ha ha - how cute), plus many of my training manuals and pretty much 40% of anything else I wrote (I had three translators).

Tina is married to a foreigner (Australian) who would help her with the words she does not know – her English is pretty good but most Chinese will struggle with si-fi jargon.

If you do get a translator make sure their native tongue is the language you are translating into. Do not get an English speaker to translate into Chinese or your work will end up sounding stupid. Eg - When an English speaker translated "Coke Add's Life", Coke had "Coke will bring your ancestors back from the dead" as their official slogan for a while (honest).

Also - be aware that while Chinese is difficult to learn because of the tones and characters – it is actually very basic. In English we are taught not to use the same word in a sentence, but Chinese don't do this so each similar word will end up the same – making your MS look rather repetitive (thou Tina (and Clare – another girl I have in mind if Tina is unavailable) is use to this, and she knows how to fix it and make it sound ok in Chinese).

I also have a large number of ABC (American/Australian Born Chinese) who could do it. But they will be about ten times the price and half as good. A jenda (real) Chinese person would do a better job than a banana or forigner.

[ATP]

I happen to know a little about this issue.

I have dealt with Chinese who have dealt with Chinese translators. Some Chinese have complained that many Chinese translators translate word for word, and are 'deaf' to context.

Also, the general quality of English-to-Chinese translation is abysmal. You only have to see the quality of film sub-titles to get an idea of this.

The general market is deficient in suitably qualified, skilled and knowlegeable Chinese translators of English-to-Chinese literature. It is aimed at the quick and dirty translation.

You also have to take into account that the very skilled translator usually has a very good understanding of both cultures. It is not a case of the translator simply arming him/herself with a number of suitable dictionaries.

Take also into account the situation with Hilary Clinton and her decision to remove her biography from publication in mainland China because of the censorship that was introduced by the translator (and likely the Chinese government)without informing either her or her publisher.


And while a native English speaker and translator will do better with Chinese- to-English translation, and a native Chinese speaker and translator will generally do better in the opposite case, it is not always so. If you choose to go down this road, you will have to be prepared to hunt around and spend for a good translator. I have read that for a publisher of literature 20% of (production) expenditure is spent on having the work translated.

ATP

[aruna]

I take it you;re thinking of having your novel translated into Chinese, Ray. Thinking out loud here, but wouldn't it make more sense to find a Chinese lit. agency (perhaps through your own agent, if you have one) who would take care of that? If you could sell your book to a Chinese publisher they would find and pay for the translator.

[aruna]

Here's info on a Chinese agency:

Gray Tan
Jia-Xi Books Co., Ltd.
1F-11, No. 153, Ming-Sheng E. Rd. Sec.5
105 Taipei , Taiwan , R.O.C.

tel. 00886-2-27654488
fax. 00886-2-27607227

They should know of working translators and may be able to help you.
More info:
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/Grayhawk/

[aruna]

And: I found their website:

http://www.jiaxibooks.com.tw/index.php?loc=agency

All our agents are experienced translators/editors, with intimate knowledge of languages and publishing.

[ATP]

It is a truism, and particularly so in relation to China - believe half of what you hear, and nothing of what you read.

Also, this link is to a Taiwanese agency, not mainland Chinese. Taiwan and mainland China use different styles of written Chinese.


ATP

[maestrowork]

I am looking into agent/publisher but the fact is I know nothing about that market and I don't live in Asia. Right now I'm only looking into translation for personal reasons, but eventually, I will have to think about foreign rights and Chinese markets. ATP is right about the difference between Taiwanese and the PRC markets, and it's not just a matter of simplified vs. traditional Chinese.

My initial thought was that I wasn't fluent in Chinese anymore to do my own material justice (how's that for ironic? sad, isn't it?) but the other day I ended up experimenting a bit. I found that, using an online translator, for example, I could get about 60% translation done. The other 40% becomes a matter of filling in the blanks, fixing the words or sentences, and rearranging so I don't get something like "Coke will bring your ancestors back from the dead." I also found that my Chinese wasn't THAT rotten, and that I might be able to handle that 40% on my own.

Thanks everyone. I'll continue to give it some thoughts.

[aruna]

It is a truism, and particularly so in relation to China - believe half of what you hear, and nothing of what you read.

Also, this link is to a Taiwanese agency, not mainland Chinese. Taiwan and mainland China use different styles of written Chinese.


ATP

This is the official Chinese sub-agency for many major US agencies* such as Donald Maass... check out their credentials on the publishersmarketplace site above and you'll see. They seem to handle the rights for all major English language books. They dominate the Chinese market and I am pretty sure they would know ALL the ins and outs of translations, whether for mainland China or Taiwan. I don't think you can go better than them.

*e.g.:
Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency (http://www.rittlit.com/) (US), Antonia Kerrigan Literary Agency (http://www.antoniakerrigan.com/) (Spain), Baror International (US), Bella Pomer Agency (CA), Carmen Balcells Literary Agency (Spain), Chandler Crawford Agency (US), Cooke Agency (http://www.cookeagency.ca/) (CA), Darley Anderson Literary Agency (http://www.darleyanderson.com/) (UK), Donald Maass Literary Agency (http://www.maassagency.com/) (US), Elaine Markson Literary Agency (US), Fielding Agency, The (http://www.fieldingagency.com/) (US), Frances Goldin Literary Agency (http://www.goldinlit.com/) (US), JABberwocky Literary Agency (http://www.awfulagent.com/) (US), James Frenkel & Associates (US), Jody Rein Books (http://www.jodyreinbooks.com/) (US), Liza Dawson Associates (US), Loretta Barrett Books (http://www.lorettabarrettbooks.com/) (US), Lowenstein-Yost Associates (http://www.lowensteinyost.com/) (US), Regal Literary (http://www.regal-literary.com/) (US), Vicky Bijur Literary Agency (US)

[expatbrat]

Hey - you do know that as soon as you get your work translated into Chinese there WILL be fake copies of it all over the country (if it is any good that is). The little old ladies will have it laid out on the pedestrian bridges over the highways, little kids will be selling it out of picnic like baskets, and the old man in ragged clothes and a stump for a leg will be walking up and down the trains selling it out of a trolley.

It is very true that many translating services will simply translate word for word. You think the chinglish (chinese english) you see is funny (well - "careful, the slippery can be very crafty" is rather funny) you should see some of the English translations into Chinese...

As a side note - my staff use to take great humor in all the westerners with Chinese characters on their body. People get them backwards, mirror image or just plain stupid. A girl I lectured with at Asia Fit with wanted "follow your heart" and she ended up with "do exactly as your husband says" - soooo funny - I am sure she is GAY!!! Ha ha.

[ATP]

If you do get a translator make sure their native tongue is the language you are translating into. Do not get an English speaker to translate into Chinese or your work will end up sounding stupid. Eg - When an English speaker translated "Coke Add's Life", Coke had "Coke will bring your ancestors back from the dead" as their official slogan for a while (honest).

In the field of international marketing, this is a well-known and often quoted gaffe/mistake. However, the journalist in me is intrigued. You state that this was committed by an English speaker. There are millions of English speakers worldwide, varying in degree of ability and fluency. I think you really mean native English speaker?

Can you state categorically that it was a native English speaker? And, what is/are your source/s of information for this statement?

ATP

[expatbrat]

In the field of international marketing, this is a well-known and often quoted gaffe/mistake. However, the journalist in me is intrigued. You state that this was committed by an English speaker. There are millions of English speakers worldwide, varying in degree of ability and fluency. I think you really mean native English speaker?

Can you state categorically that it was a native English speaker? And, what is/are your source/s of information for this statement?

ATP

It's an urban myth.

My sources include (but are not limited to) over a beer while taking part in the dart tourney in Durty Nellies II (spelling is correct), sitting on a dirty stool in Sunliturn Nan Liu, and as the reason given that I could not have a printer for my office (because I was not allowed to print anything in English – it all had to go through one of our translators and be made bilingual - THEY had the printers.)

[expatbrat]

There are millions of English speakers worldwide, varying in degree of ability and fluency. I think you really mean native English speaker?

ATP

Did you know there are more Chinese studying English then there are native English speakers in the whole world?



Source: It’s another Urban Myth.

[ATP]

i) I think that discussion during a game of darts, while drinking beer really does not qualify as a source. Any links?

ii) I would be laughed out of the office if I quoted your 'source' in any reliable periodical like a newspaper or respectable magazine.

iii) Generally, one source of information is not enough - in our business, minimum of two and usually three, known and verifiably reliable sources of information are required.

Sorry, that's just the way it is in my industry if you wish to make public statements.

ATP