Jianjun's Blog

Given that there are no universally accepted criteria for distinguishing between a ‘language’ and a ‘dialect’, many local tongues have been the subject of much debate and disagreement regarding their true status.

The Scots language, for example, is one such vernacular that has had scholars hotly disputing whether it is in fact a language at all, or merely an ancient dialect of English.

It’s important to note that Scots – be it a language or a dialect – should not be confused with Scottish Gaelic, which is actually a language in its own right, spoken predominantly in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Scots, on the other hand, is an Anglic variety of an earlier form of English which is spoken chiefly in the southern parts of Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland.

The UK government accepts Scots as a regional language, but not as an official language, meaning there is no obligation to have official texts produced in Scots; unlike Scottish Gaelic, which is an official language and is therefore still taught in many schools in conjunction with English.

But whilst Scots is not ‘officially’ considered a language in its own right, there are many reasons to disagree with this assertion.

Firstly, there is a wealth of world-renowned literature that is written in Scots. Robert Burns is probably the most celebrated of all Scots poets and writers, and is perhaps most famous for writing Auld Lang Syne, which is still sung in many English-speaking countries today, usually to bring in the New Year.

And the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) has recently been translated into Scots, to mark the 60th anniversary of one of the most important documents of the 20th century.

The UDHR was already one of the most translated texts in the world and now that it can also be read in Scots; this is perhaps one more reason to consider it a language in its own right rather than a local dialect.

This article is contributed by © Lingo24 Translation Service.

Many translators would agree that living in the country where your source language is spoken is the best way to build upon your existing language skills and give your translation career a certain credibility. It’s hard to disagree with this view. Immersing yourself in the local language and culture is the ideal way to equip yourself with the linguistic and cultural knowledge needed for a career in translation. What better way to learn obscure slang and the latest ‘buzzwords’ than through daily interaction with native speakers from all walks of life?

Not all translators have the luxury of living in the country where their source language is spoken, whether it is due to family obligations or financial circumstances. Trailing spouses and partners of expats may find themselves living in a country where neither their native nor source languages are spoken, working as translators in countries where their language combinations are in lesser demand.

Thanks to the Internet, however, there are still ways for translators and other language professionals to maintain, even improve, their language skills and keep up with the latest terminology and developments in their chosen areas of specialisation. As a former freelance translator looking to re-enter the highly competitive world of Chinese-to-English translation, it’s important for me to know what the latest trends in the PRC and Greater China are, which political and social ‘buzzwords’ are in fashion and, like all other translators, continue to learn new words and expressions on a daily basis. Language is constantly evolving and 普通话 (国语 in Taiwan) is by no means an exception.

I have a list of resources I have found invaluable and would like to share with fellow Chinese-to-English translators, especially those of you who are no longer living in the ‘Middle Kingdom’. If there’s a resource I may have missed and which you feel a translator should have among their list of bookmarked sites, then do not hesitate to leave a comment with a link to the resource in question.

• Online Dictionaries : There are a number of fairly good online dictionaries. One of my personal favourites is Jukuu, which lists a number of example sentences with every search result. iCIBA is also a link worth bookmarking. It’s important to note that these dictionaries do not necessarily provide translations for highly specialised or technical terms. Links to specialist online dictionaries and glossaries will be dealt with in a separate post.

• Internet Slang : For those who come across obscure slang while browsing online forums, check out 网语网. It’s quite possible that much of the slang and terms listed on that site will be out of date by the time I finish writing this post. Nevertheless, it’s one of the best resources I have found thus far for the rapidly-evolving language of ‘net speak’.

• New Terms & Buzzwords : The Chinese Terms section of the People’s Daily Language Tips website is full of useful words and phrases. The site is actually aimed at ESL learners but those wishing to boost their Chinese vocabulary may find it equally helpful. Latest additions include 高清晰度的卫星图片 (high-resolution satellite photo) and 堰塞湖 (quake lake). The Shanghai Daily’s Buzzword Blog is another great resource, which gives the reader a bit of background information about each ‘buzzword’.

• Glossaries : While I intend to cover specialist glossaries in another post, I thought I would share a link to a site which has a sizeable collection of subject-specific glossaries. FanE.CN’s has over 20 pages’ worth of glossaries and word lists for subjects ranging from media and traditional Chinese snacks to needlework and real estate.

Online newspapers, radio and blogs are also excellent ways to stay informed about linguistic and social developments in the Chinese-speaking world. I will review a selection of these in my next post.

This is all for my debut post at Jianjun’s Blog. Check back often for more of my articles on the challenges of Chinese-to-English translation.

After some research and secret testing, I decided to launch a Chinese teaching podcast blog at a separate domain. The podcast will mainly focus on people who never learned any Chinese. The service teaches everyday conversations and will be absolutely free of charge.

The whole course will start with simple greetings and then extend into longer and more challenging situational modules. I plan to give a 5-10 minute class each week with accompanying text materials such as new word list, additional vocabulary and other relevant information.

Since the course will be a one-man show – at least in the beginning – to prevent listeners getting bored quickly, I will try to make each class as short, useful and interesting as possible. While I’m preparing (finding sound clips, writing syllabus, etc.) for the formal launch of the podcast, as always I appreciate any suggestions from you. Although this service is of an amateur nature, I’d like to ensure its quality.

Stay tuned!