I can now better understand why books with different translations appear at time to vary in content or context.
In recent months, I have the opportunity to translate and edit several articles of different languages into English with the help of online translators. Some of the languages for translation include French, Italian, Hungarian, and Japanese.
One of the greatest difficulties I faced in translating the languages is the many varied meanings of a word. Take French for example. The word 'apres' or 'a pres' is translated by the different online translators as 'after' or 'near'. A sentence such as the following:
Après ses casinos, le groupe Louvre Hôtels souhaitait également offrir aux clients de son hôtelier un accès Wi-Fi gratuit
therefore, can be translated as:
After its casinos, the group Louvre Hôtels also wished to offer to the customers of its hotel free Wi-Fi access
or
Near its casinos, the group Louvre Hôtels also wished to offer to the customers of its hotel free Wi-Fi access
This sentence, which is at the start of a new paragraph, however appears incorrectly translated, based on the structure and preceding paragraphs which made no mention of what is before, hence, 'after' cannot be used. The word 'near' seems logical, but in understanding the context, does not seem to fit the starting point of a new paragraph, so a French to English dicitionary was consulted.
Apart from the meanings 'after' and 'near', the dictionary also defines 'apres' as 'in front of', which put the whole context of the sentence in different light. The plausible meaning of the abovestated sentence therefore can be translated as:
In front of the casinos, the group Louvre Hôtels also wished to offer to the customers of its hotel free Wi-Fi access
Having determined 'in front of' to be the 'correct' translation, most of us will automatically assume the same word 'apres' used at the beginning of the next paragraph means the same thing, but this is far from the truth and presumptious, as in the case of the article I was editing. Reading through the context of the new paragraph:
Après un état des lieux et une série de tests en réel, c’est la gamme sans fil AirPremier qui a été retenu pour répondre totalement aux contraintes techniques Wi-Fi des hôtels
the correct translation will appear to mean 'after' rather than 'in front of', as in the case of:
After an inventory of fixtures and a series of testing in 'live' environment, it is the wireless AirPremier which was retained to answer completely the technical constraints Wi-Fi of the hotels
Following this thread of discussion, it is clear that translations and interpretations can differ in context. This is probably why different translations and versions of the Holy Bible can sometime appear to be different in interpretation of certain passages and verses in specific context. When read as a whole, however, the focus of the Bible is essentially the same, and it is our attitudes as the reader in understanding the truth within that is important.
Online Translation Tools:
www.google.com/translate_t
www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.html
www.freetranslation.com/
www.translation-guide.com/free_online_translators.php?
Journalism n Writing ... editorial discourses, commentaries, and thoughts
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
News and Media Archives
News agencies often use archived pictures and video clips for re-publishing in general news articles. This method of placing back-dated clips or pictures however can mislead audience to perceive the visuals as occurring only recently.
Just yesterday, a friend of mine was perturbed when she saw her picture appear in an article of a local newspaper which was taken by the press two years ago for an event. Although the picture from the archive is appropriate for the theme of the article in illustrating the dependency of good teacher-pupil relationship in providing effective teaching, it is seemingly 'incorrect' to portray it as part of a recent news relating to a subject discussed in Parliament concerning a new method of assessing teachers under the Enhanced Performance Measurement System, especially when it is published without prior permission from the person in the picture. This, however, is how it is with news reporting. Where a piece of news has been accepted for publishing by the press, all its content essentially becomes the property of the news agency, in which the agency reserve all rights to do anything they want with it. Such content once published is deemed to be for the 'public' eye, hence, can no longer be considered private, which would require the agency to seek permission before re-publishing. However, if the picture is being misused to convey something not relating to the original intent, the matter can then be brought up for scrutiny.
Take the example of the news station that presented an archived video clip of the celebration by Iraqis after the September 11, 2001 event where the twin World Trade Center towers were destroyed in New York. This piece of news was telecast throughout the world and created much hatred, resulting in Gulf War II. The video clip in question, however, is not shown 'live' from Iraq, but from an archive in the library. In reality, nothing of that celebration took place, yet by telecasting the clip immediately after showing the video of what happened to the World Trade Center, audience's perception was misplaced, resulting in hate.
The issue being discussed here is not to determine the extent in which the journalism code must be adhered or about what is and what is not ethical. It is about how audience must perceive news that is found in the newspapers and television news. To this end, my hope is for all of us as readers of news, to learn to see beyond what is written in the text, so as to decipher for ourselves what is true and untrue, what is real and unreal, and what is right or wrong.
Just yesterday, a friend of mine was perturbed when she saw her picture appear in an article of a local newspaper which was taken by the press two years ago for an event. Although the picture from the archive is appropriate for the theme of the article in illustrating the dependency of good teacher-pupil relationship in providing effective teaching, it is seemingly 'incorrect' to portray it as part of a recent news relating to a subject discussed in Parliament concerning a new method of assessing teachers under the Enhanced Performance Measurement System, especially when it is published without prior permission from the person in the picture. This, however, is how it is with news reporting. Where a piece of news has been accepted for publishing by the press, all its content essentially becomes the property of the news agency, in which the agency reserve all rights to do anything they want with it. Such content once published is deemed to be for the 'public' eye, hence, can no longer be considered private, which would require the agency to seek permission before re-publishing. However, if the picture is being misused to convey something not relating to the original intent, the matter can then be brought up for scrutiny.
Take the example of the news station that presented an archived video clip of the celebration by Iraqis after the September 11, 2001 event where the twin World Trade Center towers were destroyed in New York. This piece of news was telecast throughout the world and created much hatred, resulting in Gulf War II. The video clip in question, however, is not shown 'live' from Iraq, but from an archive in the library. In reality, nothing of that celebration took place, yet by telecasting the clip immediately after showing the video of what happened to the World Trade Center, audience's perception was misplaced, resulting in hate.
The issue being discussed here is not to determine the extent in which the journalism code must be adhered or about what is and what is not ethical. It is about how audience must perceive news that is found in the newspapers and television news. To this end, my hope is for all of us as readers of news, to learn to see beyond what is written in the text, so as to decipher for ourselves what is true and untrue, what is real and unreal, and what is right or wrong.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Historical Writings
Something I've learnt over a hermenuetics class this week is that 'history' is not the same as 'historiography'. History is what actually happened in the past, while historiography, as defined in the Oxford Dictionary, is "the writing of history", which is a way of portraying or telling what had happened during actual events.
The way a writing or message is conveyed in historiography involves the perspective of the author, which can be selective in content (John 20:30-31). Depending on the message the author wish to convey or achieve, a text is chosen to tell the story of the event. This, of course, does not mean the event did not take place, but rather it means history or the event can be told differently by different people, depending on the individual's perspective and objective.
For example, when Matthew wrote the gospel, it was to the Jews, so many Scriptural verses of the Old Testament were quoted. Mark, on the other hand, wrote to the Romans, so the word 'immediately' is frequently seen, because the Romans were the ruling party at that time, thus a sense of immediacy was depicted to show action.When reading the Bible, therefore, there are occasions where people see it contradictory in content, but in actual fact, it is merely the difference in perspective and objective. What is needed when reading God's word, therefore, is for us to put ourselves in the context of the time the text is written, and read its content through the eyes of the author, constantly remembering that:
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" (2 Timothy 3:16 NAS)
The way a writing or message is conveyed in historiography involves the perspective of the author, which can be selective in content (John 20:30-31). Depending on the message the author wish to convey or achieve, a text is chosen to tell the story of the event. This, of course, does not mean the event did not take place, but rather it means history or the event can be told differently by different people, depending on the individual's perspective and objective.
For example, when Matthew wrote the gospel, it was to the Jews, so many Scriptural verses of the Old Testament were quoted. Mark, on the other hand, wrote to the Romans, so the word 'immediately' is frequently seen, because the Romans were the ruling party at that time, thus a sense of immediacy was depicted to show action.When reading the Bible, therefore, there are occasions where people see it contradictory in content, but in actual fact, it is merely the difference in perspective and objective. What is needed when reading God's word, therefore, is for us to put ourselves in the context of the time the text is written, and read its content through the eyes of the author, constantly remembering that:
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" (2 Timothy 3:16 NAS)
Friday, September 22, 2006
Effects of Online Media
In media studies, we often argue about the effects of the media. Many advocators say the advent of media technologies help provide benefits of knowledge through abundance of information. Sociailists, on the hand, see it as a greater evil in influencing people, in controlling and seducing the community.
Take the example of online communities like Hi5, Friendster, MySpace and others. Many boast of the benefits in getting to know more friends online, while others feel they have been sucked in to cyber intoxication of impurities, of virtual unholiness. Take a look at the pictures people post at their profile in online communities. These pictures range from cartoons to sexy photos, and some others, inappropriate content. People get led to become another friends because of the photos, and these photos may not even be the persons they are communicating with. These photos are mere representations, or what is know as avatars.
An avatars is, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, "an image which represents you in online games, chat rooms, etc." This means, essentially, a picture which is not you, placed anywhere online in the Internet or the World Wide Web, to represent you.
These days, however, most of the images at online communities are actually avatars, where 'cool' pictures of people who generally borrowed identities from other people's photographs pose as themselves. Maybe the real person ain't handsome or pretty, but to have images that attract another so as to make friends is not exactly what I would have like, but then again, maybe they have something to hide. Avatars or not, I am generally open to accepting people as they are.
So, readers, what do you say? Are online communities good or evil? My opinion is, where there is anything bad, there must always be some good. Without improvements in technology, communication would have been difficult, and fulfilling the task of the Great Commission would have been difficult. As a faith deliverer and writer, I am now able to reach the world, just by merely writing or blogging on the Net.
Take the example of online communities like Hi5, Friendster, MySpace and others. Many boast of the benefits in getting to know more friends online, while others feel they have been sucked in to cyber intoxication of impurities, of virtual unholiness. Take a look at the pictures people post at their profile in online communities. These pictures range from cartoons to sexy photos, and some others, inappropriate content. People get led to become another friends because of the photos, and these photos may not even be the persons they are communicating with. These photos are mere representations, or what is know as avatars.
An avatars is, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, "an image which represents you in online games, chat rooms, etc." This means, essentially, a picture which is not you, placed anywhere online in the Internet or the World Wide Web, to represent you.
These days, however, most of the images at online communities are actually avatars, where 'cool' pictures of people who generally borrowed identities from other people's photographs pose as themselves. Maybe the real person ain't handsome or pretty, but to have images that attract another so as to make friends is not exactly what I would have like, but then again, maybe they have something to hide. Avatars or not, I am generally open to accepting people as they are.
So, readers, what do you say? Are online communities good or evil? My opinion is, where there is anything bad, there must always be some good. Without improvements in technology, communication would have been difficult, and fulfilling the task of the Great Commission would have been difficult. As a faith deliverer and writer, I am now able to reach the world, just by merely writing or blogging on the Net.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Practical Skills in Photo Journalism
To be a good photo journalist is not easy. You'll need to be at the right place at the right time, see your surroundings differently from others to know what makes a story, and be quick to capture moving objects or events. This essentially means you'll always need to have a camera at hand wherever you go.
Many times photos for the front page news bear pictures of event aftermath, and such photos are usually not good enough because they do not depict the story, but only tell what have happened earlier. Candid on-the-spot pictures of actual event, on the other hand, need little narrative as they tell the story visually. Theories of photo journalism frequently emphasize the ethical aspect of presenting the truth of a photo as is, rather than crop or make it seem to convey other messages. What you see in photographs, however, in reality are not truths as represented. It is alright to use digital capabilities to enhance pictures, but it is unethical to modify content.
If you are considering a job in photo journalism, first consider what it entails, then hone your skills to live life in action, fine-tuning your instinct and making changes in perception, to sense the story behind every event and every important person.
Many times photos for the front page news bear pictures of event aftermath, and such photos are usually not good enough because they do not depict the story, but only tell what have happened earlier. Candid on-the-spot pictures of actual event, on the other hand, need little narrative as they tell the story visually. Theories of photo journalism frequently emphasize the ethical aspect of presenting the truth of a photo as is, rather than crop or make it seem to convey other messages. What you see in photographs, however, in reality are not truths as represented. It is alright to use digital capabilities to enhance pictures, but it is unethical to modify content.
If you are considering a job in photo journalism, first consider what it entails, then hone your skills to live life in action, fine-tuning your instinct and making changes in perception, to sense the story behind every event and every important person.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Blog A Job
About two weeks ago The Straits Times in Singapore quoted a news story from the New York Times concerning the reviewing of potential employees' blogs by employers.
In the story, a graduate with great potentials and outstanding results was denied a job after a potential employer discovers the graduate's blog containing some questionable remarks or inapporiate content.
Blogging as a way to find a job is not uncommon these days. Not too long ago, a Singaporean blogger was hired to be press writer for a local newspaper because of her 'famous' or 'infamous' blog. Just recently, I came across an advertisement at JobsDB.com that mentioned the following as a criteria for the position of an Editor:
In the story, a graduate with great potentials and outstanding results was denied a job after a potential employer discovers the graduate's blog containing some questionable remarks or inapporiate content.
Blogging as a way to find a job is not uncommon these days. Not too long ago, a Singaporean blogger was hired to be press writer for a local newspaper because of her 'famous' or 'infamous' blog. Just recently, I came across an advertisement at JobsDB.com that mentioned the following as a criteria for the position of an Editor:
You must also be able to show a decent portfolio of work - mostly published but if you're a blogger, we'd also like to have a look at your online efforts.These days, online writing can be used for many purposes, and getting hired is certainly one noble way of using our writing skills to make a living!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Dialogue
Take the example of the following transcripts. The original transcript is derived from an ordinary conversation between two persons who met each other in a shopping mall. There is nothing unusual about the conversation, but if written as is in a story, may be seen as boring.
ORIGINAL TRANSCRIPT
'Eh, hi, what brings you here?'
'Oh, I'm just running some errands here.'
'I see. Have you eaten?'
'Nope. Not yet.'
'Shall we have lunch together then?'
'Okay, but it will have to be somewhere near.'
'Sure, no problem. Let's go.'
The revised transcript, on the other hand, has been modified to include gestures, tones, and narratives to make the story more interesting and a worthwhile read.
REVISED TRANSCRIPT
It was lunchtime, and there were many people at the shopping mall. Nancy was about to go to a restaurant, when she saw David, her ex-colleague from Banque Nationale de Paris.
'Eh, hi, what brings you here?' David greeted Nancy in a sweet and sensuous voice.
'Oh, I'm just running some errands,' Nancy responded with a forced smile, her gesture revealing a reluctance to elaborate any further.
'I see. Have you eaten?' David asked.
'No, not really.'
'Shall we have lunch together then?' David continued, his tone mellowing to a beg, his face expressing hopefulness and longing.
'Well, alright, but it will have to be somewhere near,' Nancy replied in a relenting tone, feeling sorry for David who has been asking her out on a date for a very long time.
'Sure,' David brightened up immediately. 'Let's go.'
REVIEW
From the two transcripts above, it can be seen that by adding narrative to the dialogue, an ordinary conversation can be streamlined towards building up the climate for the story plot. This is done by painting in details the picture of what is not ordinary about the situation.
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