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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”

My latest lockdown book is Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova (author of Still Alice which was made into a movie starring Julianne Moore as Alice Howland, a linguistics professor diagnosed with familial Alzheimer’s disease shortly after her 50th birthday.)

Genova looks at how we remember and why we forget. Obviously some things we forget or don’t need to remember, like what time we brushed our teeth this morning but there are other things that we want to retain and not forget, so how do we do this?

Continue reading “How to get information into your head”

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”

Are you thinking of expanding internationally or entering a new market? One of the first things you are likely to do is to have your marketing materials translated. So how do you get your message and call to action across effectively in a different language?

1. Choose a translator specialised in marketing

Take the time to find a translator who is experienced in marketing and who understands your business. Think about it. You wouldn’t want a financial translator translating your highly creative marketing copy, you can give them a call to translate your annual report but not your website or brochure. Translating marketing documents requires creativity, cultural competency and an ability to convey ideas whilst at the same time retaining meaning and eliciting a desired emotional response. Continue reading “4 tips for effective marketing translations”

If your product or service is only promoted in one language on your website, non-native speakers of that language may have difficulty understanding it fully. The nuanced features and benefits of your product or service may go unnoticed, resulting in reduced engagement with your brand. For many companies, time and budget limitations can be obstacles to not getting a website translated. Too many companies rely on English being the so-called “language of business”. Don’t forget that SEO can only work in another market if your content is translated.

Can’t read, won’t buy

According to  Common Sense Advisory, 72% of consumers spend most of their time online on websites in their own language. Even though many people around the world understand English to some extent, it is estimated that half of these do not have a good enough command of English to successfully navigate a website. 55% of respondents only buy from websites where information is presented in their own language. As a result there is a reduction in browsing rates for English sites, non-consideration of a product or service and a limited desire to buy. Put simply, people prefer to purchase from a site that is in their native language.

Continue reading “3 reasons why you should translate your website”

So you’re going global and need a translation into English but you have to choose between Australian or British and American English. This will of course be dependent on your audience and where you are selling your product or service. I’m going to focus here on Australian English as I live in Australia! Let’s have a look at the main linguistic differences between the two.

The 4 main differences are:

• Spelling
• Dates and times
• Vocabulary
• Punctuation

Continue reading “What makes Australian English and American English different?”