Lost In Translation

I find myself staring at a blank screen. It is 1:00 a.m. as I'm trying to put the last piece in place before uploading a new issue. It seems that of late, this column (so to speak) has been used to tell you what changes have gone on here in the last week or month since the previous editorial. Well, this editorial won't be any different, but I'm not going to lead off with it.

Instead, I'm going talk about something that happened last week. Without giving out names and details, we received an email that made comment on one of our reviews - we invite comment. What it brought up is actually a very interesting issue, though by no means unique to our situation.

When one writes something that will be seen by millions, one must take their audience into consideration. That isn't to suggest that we tailor our opinions to match our audience's. In other words, what makes sense for me to say in English, may not translate well in another country - even if that person reading it is also speaks English. English is so full of idiomatic terms and jargon, that for non-native speakers, it provides a challenge. Oddly enough, it is Americans who seem the laziest about their own language - that is, those Americans for whom English is a first language. I work with people whose written and spoken English skills are atrocious - these are folks who fall under the "English as a first language" category, mind you. I have worked with others for whom English was a second language and who spoke and wrote it quite well - after only a few years experience.

Whether this is unique to the US or not, I don't know, but one of the "hot button" issues here in California (at least) is what is termed "social promotion" - move kids up to the next grade (level) even if they aren't at that level. This makes children products rather than people. It isn't just in language of course, but mathematics, science, ... almost every discipline. Why? With out mastering the "3 Rs," how can any child expect to truly function as an adult? To read a job add, job application, directions,...

Well, I guess I've got issues, eh?

What I had written in that review was that I had wished the lyrics had been translated into English since I didn't speak French. I made the supposition that the artists primary audience spoke French (meaning, of course, they didn't need an English translation), and the artists themselves are French, and so would naturally write in French. Just as I naturally write in English, and I'm sure there are some French speaking readers who would love for our reviews to be translated into French. As good as Alta Vista's translation feature is, for example, because it isn't quite so sophisticated as to pick up on nuance, the translations come across as dry. As least they do from non-English-language to English. Now, I'll admit that I reacted with hair-trigger precision to our reader's comments and quickly added an addendum to the review in question - Minimum Vital's Espirit D'Amor.

Of course, because our readership is very diverse -- I have to tell you, looking at our visit logs, you learn just how widespread the interest in progressive music is. One would expect that with pop music - it has the monetary machine behind it - but the list of countries from which you all originate is astounding. In fact, I'm overawed to think how far and wide my words reach. (By the way, we don't use this info for any other purpose than to see how widespread our reach is - you won't start seeing targeted marketing because we know you are reading us from which ever country you're in).

But I digress, as I tend to do. When one blithely makes a general statement, one best be prepared for someone challenging it - even more so, it should be challenged by the self long before it ever sees print (or "display").

I imagine that the reader who responded to my assertion is reading this (though, perhaps not), and is probably thinking "what a fuss she's making over a little issue" (he, in fact, has already said as much). I believe in being honest, and I find I am often so to a fault. It's not that what I said was so bad, just inprecise, and I wanted to rectify that.

Some of the changes around here were obvious last month, and would have been detailed in the last editorial, but it went out unfinished. Probably the least verbose piece of writing you'll see from me, I'm afraid. [In 2011, I just appended it to the January 10 posting -ed.]

We hope to update the site on a weekly basis, and with the addition of the prolific John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg, that might just be a reality. Even if you don't check in each week, you'll still be able to find the new reviews by following the Complete List link following our featured reviews listing. Here will be the reviews added for the entire month - February is there now. Past reviews, including those posted in January are found under each reviewer's section. At the top of each reviewer's section is a repeat of their new additions for the month.

In upcoming weeks, look for reviews of Escapade's Due To A Faulty Premonition, more releases from Rick Ray, more Kenso, Steve Roach, Royal Hunt, and more... and that just from me!

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Published on: 2000-02-26 (1950 reads)