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Subject:Re: Examination for Japanese tech communicators From:Margaret Penman <Margaret -dot- Penman -at- ITS -dot- CSIRO -dot- AU> Date:Thu, 9 Mar 1995 13:38:46 +1000
On Wed, 8 Mar 1995, Robert Plamondon wrote:
> Yes. When you realize that phrases like "stereo instructions" are in
> common use among the general public to indicate "writing that makes
> no sense at all, even though the topic isn't very difficult," you'll
> understand that Japanese technical writing is the laughingstock of the
> entire world. Not just among professionals, but among hundreds of
> millions of annoyed users.
Dear Robert,
Have you considered the possibility that "stereo instructions" might
result from poor translations rather than poor technical writing. The
original text in Japanese might have been quite acceptable. As we all know,
people with excellent academic writing skills can still write terrible
technical documents. The same might apply to translators. A person skilled in
translating general prose might not necessarily be skilled in translating
instructions or poetry.
A good technical writer who can flip between the English and Japanese
languages (and all the associated cultural elements) would be worth
their weight in gold. Perhaps Norikosan is just such a person.
Regards,
Margaret Penman (From Oz)
margaret -dot- penman -at- its -dot- csiro -dot- au
