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What comes to mind when you think of the word ninja?

Things like pop culture, Japan, weapons, ninja turtles perhaps. When my son brought this cute ninja craft home this week, I was curious as to the popularity of ninjas and if I could try ninja thinking to improve as a translator and a human.

Ninjas are known for specialising in stealth and unarmed combat during the feudal period of Japanese history. As a translator, I of course looked up the etymology of the term. I discovered that “ninja” is actually originally a Chinese word made up of Kanji characters that literally translate as “the one who endures”. In Japanese, the same two Kanji that are pronounced “nin sha” in Chinese are pronounced “shinobi no mono.” “Shinobi” refers to quietness and stealth, essential qualities in a ninja fighter.

How can ninja thinking inspire us?

So if endurance, quietness and stealth are key characteristics of a ninja, how can this inspire us in our work and/or life?

You probably know how hard it can be to persevere. Endurance is tough and too often when something seems insurmountable, we resist or fight against it.

Instead of giving in to fear, try thinking like a ninja and:
– reach out to a colleague or friend to bounce ideas off,
– keep a positivity file to remind yourself of times when you did a job that seemed scary but had a great result/positive feedback,
– be consistent, even small amounts of action, if practiced consistently over time, will lead to results (I definitely struggle with this!).

Continue reading “How to be inspired by ninja thinking”

Australia and France have many connections both historic and present: the Aussies love French culture and the French see Australia as a dream destination. Why then, despite this mutual affection, do we often label the French as rude and why do the French see Aussies as “soft”, almost too laid back.

The response can be found in the way conversations are constructed and the different styles of expression that exist in Australian English and French.

Think about the following scenario….

Imagine you are having a conversation with someone and you’re trying to convey your views. The other person frequently interrupts you, often finishing your sentences for you. They pepper you with questions and you don’t really feel as if they are listening. You get frustrated because you are unable to explain your thoughts fully.

This is what often happens when a French and Australian person converse. The Aussie considers the interruptions rude and feels that the French person doesn’t actually care about their thoughts and opinions. 

But from the French person’s perspective, what the Australian said made them think and want to debate the topic. The conversation was so interesting that they had to interrupt and ask questions to find out more. They wanted to finish the other person’s sentences to show that they’re on the same wavelength.

Differences in the French and Australian interactional styles can be a source of misunderstanding.

Continue reading “Don’t finish my sentences!”

Tom Goodwin writes in his 2017 article ‘Forget coding, we need to teach our kids how to dream’ that if we refocus education systems to foster creativity, fuel curiosity, and help our kids to develop healthy relationships and empathy, then we empower them to be self-reliant, agile, and adaptable to change in a world that we can’t yet foresee.

Goodwin believes that in a world of change, technological disruption and abundant information, we need to develop five key attributes in order to become robust, happy and balanced people. Translators and interpreters can not only take inspiration from these suggested attributes, but also take comfort in the fact that many of them are qualities already central to our practice.

Continue reading “How to thrive in an uncertain world of work”

I recently listed to an episode of the Advancing Sustainable Solutions podcast called Storytelling for Sustainability and, as a translator, the perspective of how we can use stories to inspire and connect emotionally resonated with me. I regularly work with clients who use stories, either through blogs, articles, videos or their websites – to connect. Using a narrative to communicate can more powerfully capture the reader or listener’s attention and cut through the information overwhelm we all face today.

Continue reading “Storytelling to promote sustainability”

Translators and translation are key if you are exporting or importing to a new market. Maybe your business has a great product and you have identified a niche in a new foreign market. You may have invested in setting up a website in English and spent a great amount of time and money developing it with web design experts and copywriters. Now after all this effort, you will need to adapt your website and translate it for a new market. You may also need to translate instructions or other content for your target market.

Professional translators

Where do you start?

One option is to hire a translator directly as most translators work as freelance contractors. The other option is to hire a translation agency which acts as an intermediary, so you won’t be in direct contact with the translator. The second option is preferable for most projects as you will save time and money and a great translator who partners with your business can add real value and help you meet your goals.  Most translators in Australia are accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). This guarantees a certain level of professionalism in a language pair. It is however difficult to know who will be your perfect translation partner.

Here are a few tips:

Continue reading “Tips on choosing translators for a new market”