This evening I'm off to Thailand for a five-day visit to Chiang Mai and Bangkok. I'll be staying with Harry and his wife. Harry is a friend who until recently lived in Taipei.
And yes, I'll be doing some graving: I plan to visit the Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery, the Bangkok Protestant Cemetery, and the burial places of the ashes of several kings.
I'll try to post some pictures over the next several days!
Friday, February 29, 2008
The perfect translation
There are many websites dedicated to crazy mistranslations. And below, in the Full Moon Park article, I briefly discuss a questionable translation.
But what about an example of a good translation? Or the perfect translation? One that captures the full meaning, including double meanings, of the source language, and is translated as if it originated from the mind of a native speaker of the target language?
Here's an example of a translation that comes very close to perfection. It's an ad on the Taipei MRT (Taipei's subway system), admonishing passengers to hold onto strap hangers for their safety. Here it is:
The Chinese, literally translated, would be "Pull yourself a handle!" What it means is, in a colloquial, slangish way, "Get a handle on yourself!" but it also means, in a more face-value sense, "Hang on to a handle!" The English phrase "Get a grip!" conveys the same double meaning (colloquial slang vs. face value meaning), and it's a native English expression to begin with. So it meets requirements for fidelity and transparency.
It's rare to find something so wonderfully and simply translated!
But what about an example of a good translation? Or the perfect translation? One that captures the full meaning, including double meanings, of the source language, and is translated as if it originated from the mind of a native speaker of the target language?
Here's an example of a translation that comes very close to perfection. It's an ad on the Taipei MRT (Taipei's subway system), admonishing passengers to hold onto strap hangers for their safety. Here it is:
The Chinese, literally translated, would be "Pull yourself a handle!" What it means is, in a colloquial, slangish way, "Get a handle on yourself!" but it also means, in a more face-value sense, "Hang on to a handle!" The English phrase "Get a grip!" conveys the same double meaning (colloquial slang vs. face value meaning), and it's a native English expression to begin with. So it meets requirements for fidelity and transparency.
It's rare to find something so wonderfully and simply translated!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Old Japanese houses
Taiwan was occupied by Japan for 50 years and 6 months. During that time they carried out massive modernization and building campaigns, and by 1945 the western half of the Taipei basin (between the Danshui River and Xinsheng Road, which was a canal at that time) was urbanized.
Many housing developments were completed; much of the residential housing was wooden houses with tile roofs, one or two stories in height.
Unfortunately, not many of these houses remain in the city, and those that are left (dwindling in number as the years pass) are mostly in disrepair. Some are so far gone that they are condemned. It's a real pity, because they would be beautiful if they were restored to original condition.
Many housing developments were completed; much of the residential housing was wooden houses with tile roofs, one or two stories in height.
Unfortunately, not many of these houses remain in the city, and those that are left (dwindling in number as the years pass) are mostly in disrepair. Some are so far gone that they are condemned. It's a real pity, because they would be beautiful if they were restored to original condition.
Full Moon Park
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Another day of hiking! A beautiful day after weeks of rain and cold.
After dropping Kitty off at the airport for her trip to Malaysia, I drove to Xindian to meet Robert and Kate. It's Sunday so Peter, who works Sundays, couldn't come along.
From Xindian we drove to Sanxia, and then into the mountains to the south of the city. Deep into the mountains we came to Full Moon Park.
Full Moon Park is known for its waterfalls and an abundance of hiking trails. And other things...
The park is named after Full Moon Hill, which has a round top, kind of like a full moon:
We spent quite a bit of time going to various waterfalls. Kate had never been there, though Robert and I had been a couple of times before.
Here's Kate, with a bottle of sports drink in her hand, getting ready for the hike!
And here's Robert, sniffing a camphor tree! Camphor trees, native to Taiwan, were a major natural resource in Taiwan during the 19th century and the subsequent Japanese occupation.
Much of the trail looks like this. A nice hike along a well-maintained natural trail through the woods. A lot of uphill climbing.
At the top the trail splits, and you can follow a trail another hour or so to see the Big Trees - giant cedars between 1500 and 2000 years old. We didn't have time to go there this time, unfortunately.
Here's a signpost on the trail:
My camera unfortunately doesn't handle low-light conditions very well, requiring long exposures or a flash, so I didn't get many satisfactory shots of the hike on the trail. Anyway, it was getting late and we had to head back down. In all, we hiked about 4 hours. Kate at one point slipped and twisted her ankle. Not badly, but enough so that it hurt and she was limping. Fortunately we weren't too far from the bottom. At one point we heard a barking deer (also known as Reeves' muntjac - Muntiacus reevesi) out somewhere in the woods!
I like the illogic of Guideline 11 below (click on the image for a clearer view).
It's illogical in English, because you take memories with you; you don't leave them in the park. It's logical in Chinese, however, because the use of the verb 留 (liu) implies "leaving" memories in your mind. The translator should also not have put the word "away" in, because it detracts from the double meaning of "take". The translator should have written "Take nothing but photographs; leave nothing but footprints", thus sacrificing fidelity in favor of transparency.
On the drive back, we stopped at an interesting little roadside restaurant with a name translating roughly as Natural Pace, and had a satisfying meal and good conversation. Robert is learning Chinese, and he's at the intermediate level, but Kate started discussing, in Chinese, German expressionist film during the Weimar Republic period, which was a little advanced for Robert (and a not exactly easy for me either)! But we had a great time!
Then I dropped Kate and Robert off at their respective residences before heading home.
Another day of hiking! A beautiful day after weeks of rain and cold.
After dropping Kitty off at the airport for her trip to Malaysia, I drove to Xindian to meet Robert and Kate. It's Sunday so Peter, who works Sundays, couldn't come along.
From Xindian we drove to Sanxia, and then into the mountains to the south of the city. Deep into the mountains we came to Full Moon Park.
Full Moon Park is known for its waterfalls and an abundance of hiking trails. And other things...
The park is named after Full Moon Hill, which has a round top, kind of like a full moon:
We spent quite a bit of time going to various waterfalls. Kate had never been there, though Robert and I had been a couple of times before.
Here's Kate, with a bottle of sports drink in her hand, getting ready for the hike!
And here's Robert, sniffing a camphor tree! Camphor trees, native to Taiwan, were a major natural resource in Taiwan during the 19th century and the subsequent Japanese occupation.
Much of the trail looks like this. A nice hike along a well-maintained natural trail through the woods. A lot of uphill climbing.
At the top the trail splits, and you can follow a trail another hour or so to see the Big Trees - giant cedars between 1500 and 2000 years old. We didn't have time to go there this time, unfortunately.
Here's a signpost on the trail:
My camera unfortunately doesn't handle low-light conditions very well, requiring long exposures or a flash, so I didn't get many satisfactory shots of the hike on the trail. Anyway, it was getting late and we had to head back down. In all, we hiked about 4 hours. Kate at one point slipped and twisted her ankle. Not badly, but enough so that it hurt and she was limping. Fortunately we weren't too far from the bottom. At one point we heard a barking deer (also known as Reeves' muntjac - Muntiacus reevesi) out somewhere in the woods!
I like the illogic of Guideline 11 below (click on the image for a clearer view).
It's illogical in English, because you take memories with you; you don't leave them in the park. It's logical in Chinese, however, because the use of the verb 留 (liu) implies "leaving" memories in your mind. The translator should also not have put the word "away" in, because it detracts from the double meaning of "take". The translator should have written "Take nothing but photographs; leave nothing but footprints", thus sacrificing fidelity in favor of transparency.
On the drive back, we stopped at an interesting little roadside restaurant with a name translating roughly as Natural Pace, and had a satisfying meal and good conversation. Robert is learning Chinese, and he's at the intermediate level, but Kate started discussing, in Chinese, German expressionist film during the Weimar Republic period, which was a little advanced for Robert (and a not exactly easy for me either)! But we had a great time!
Then I dropped Kate and Robert off at their respective residences before heading home.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Architectural curiosity
I don't know too much about the history of this church, but it stands out as being different from all the buildings around it. It's the Jinan
Construction was completed in 1916.
Construction was completed in 1916.
North coast excursion
Monday, February 11, 2008
Last day of the Chinese New Year Holidays. Weather still sucks.
Kitty and I decided to take the car out for a spin. We went up to the north coast. It's a beautiful area with lots to see; unfortunately, as we got closer and closer to our destination, the weather got worse so it was hard to see anything. It poured with rain (but rain is all too common on the north coast).
One place we wanted to see was something I learned about last year when I was doing a tourism-related translation project. It's called the Laomei Algal Reef. It's very close to Fugui Cape, the northernmost point of Taiwan. When we got there, miraculously the rain stopped.
The Laomei Algal Reef is a series of sea-eroded rocks upon which accumulated algae grows. The rocks have been carved by the elements into unusual shapes.
Here's a bare section of the reef, with Fugui Cape in the background:
There's evidence of a past military presence in the area. Here's a pillbox:
Then we decided to go back...we had to get back to Neihu and find a place to park. Then we spent some time with Kitty's family.
Last day of the Chinese New Year Holidays. Weather still sucks.
Kitty and I decided to take the car out for a spin. We went up to the north coast. It's a beautiful area with lots to see; unfortunately, as we got closer and closer to our destination, the weather got worse so it was hard to see anything. It poured with rain (but rain is all too common on the north coast).
One place we wanted to see was something I learned about last year when I was doing a tourism-related translation project. It's called the Laomei Algal Reef. It's very close to Fugui Cape, the northernmost point of Taiwan. When we got there, miraculously the rain stopped.
The Laomei Algal Reef is a series of sea-eroded rocks upon which accumulated algae grows. The rocks have been carved by the elements into unusual shapes.
Here's a bare section of the reef, with Fugui Cape in the background:
There's evidence of a past military presence in the area. Here's a pillbox:
Then we decided to go back...we had to get back to Neihu and find a place to park. Then we spent some time with Kitty's family.
Barbecue in Hsinchu
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Today Kitty stayed in Taipei to "bai-nian" (pay visits to friends for the New Year). I drove to the city of Hsinchu with Nick, Clara and Ginny to meet Ginny's friend Rick and his fiancee for barbecues.
Hsinchu is a technological boomtown - the Silicon Valley of Taiwan. Rick lives on the edge of town, in a house in the midst of farmland. It's a rather peaceful place, but you can almost see the boundaries of this fast-growing city expanding and encroaching upon the area.
It was a frigid, windy day, but we enjoyed a good old-fashioned Western-style barbecue out on the front patio, with succulently grilled steaks and sausages. Yes, there was beer too.
Afterwards, when it got too cold and we had finished our food, we went inside to watch some movies, arguing over their merits.
At one point we took a stroll around the area. Beyond the fields and orchards there were some interesting old houses and shops that were condemned. Many had already been torn down quite recently. Such is the face of progress in Taiwan: out with the old, in with the new.
We were amused by the name of this product:
Today Kitty stayed in Taipei to "bai-nian" (pay visits to friends for the New Year). I drove to the city of Hsinchu with Nick, Clara and Ginny to meet Ginny's friend Rick and his fiancee for barbecues.
Hsinchu is a technological boomtown - the Silicon Valley of Taiwan. Rick lives on the edge of town, in a house in the midst of farmland. It's a rather peaceful place, but you can almost see the boundaries of this fast-growing city expanding and encroaching upon the area.
It was a frigid, windy day, but we enjoyed a good old-fashioned Western-style barbecue out on the front patio, with succulently grilled steaks and sausages. Yes, there was beer too.
Afterwards, when it got too cold and we had finished our food, we went inside to watch some movies, arguing over their merits.
At one point we took a stroll around the area. Beyond the fields and orchards there were some interesting old houses and shops that were condemned. Many had already been torn down quite recently. Such is the face of progress in Taiwan: out with the old, in with the new.
We were amused by the name of this product:
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
A happenin' trail
Thursday, February 7, 2008
The first day of Chinese New Year.
We had reserved this day as a day for a hike, which we would undertake rain or shine. It rained. As per usual.
We met at the Xindian MRT station, and drove up beyond Wulai, deep into Atayal territory. The Atayal are one of the largest tribes of Aborigines, who were notorious in bygone days as headhunters. They even launched rebellions against the Japanese during the occupation. Most of the Aborigines we've met on our hikes are Atayal, as they are the tribe that lives closest to Taipei. In my experience, despite their reputation as fierce warriors a century ago, today if you meet them, they're more likely to invite you in for a beer and a few laughs (especially if you're not Chinese).
Anyway, we drove through some Aboriginal towns along the Nanshih River...
... until we finally came to the trailhead of the Hapen Trail, outside of Fushan Village. The trail leads to Yilan. The trail itself was relatively easy...wide and with few climbs. We passed through some beautiful Taiwanese jungle:
There were a couple river crossings:
The only serious challenge on the hike was a large landslide that had destroyed part of the trail:
We picnicked at a river crossing, sitting on rocks and chatting as we ate lunch. I discovered a leech crawling on my pant leg! Leeches are quite common in this area. Then decided to head back, because the weather was getting worse. After getting to the cars, we cleaned off, washing the mud off our shoes and pants. I found two more leeches on me, but fortunately they were on my clothes.
We drove back, stopping at a couple places like this waterfall:
You know you're out in the sticks when you see bullet holes in road signs:
Here's something cool I noticed in one of the towns: a sign written in the Atayal language.
After we got back to Wulai, we relaxed in a hot spring and had dinner. In the hot spring, Robert and I helped Kate practice her swimming. She made great progress. Overall, it was a great way to end a good day of hiking adventure.
The first day of Chinese New Year.
We had reserved this day as a day for a hike, which we would undertake rain or shine. It rained. As per usual.
We met at the Xindian MRT station, and drove up beyond Wulai, deep into Atayal territory. The Atayal are one of the largest tribes of Aborigines, who were notorious in bygone days as headhunters. They even launched rebellions against the Japanese during the occupation. Most of the Aborigines we've met on our hikes are Atayal, as they are the tribe that lives closest to Taipei. In my experience, despite their reputation as fierce warriors a century ago, today if you meet them, they're more likely to invite you in for a beer and a few laughs (especially if you're not Chinese).
Anyway, we drove through some Aboriginal towns along the Nanshih River...
... until we finally came to the trailhead of the Hapen Trail, outside of Fushan Village. The trail leads to Yilan. The trail itself was relatively easy...wide and with few climbs. We passed through some beautiful Taiwanese jungle:
There were a couple river crossings:
The only serious challenge on the hike was a large landslide that had destroyed part of the trail:
We picnicked at a river crossing, sitting on rocks and chatting as we ate lunch. I discovered a leech crawling on my pant leg! Leeches are quite common in this area. Then decided to head back, because the weather was getting worse. After getting to the cars, we cleaned off, washing the mud off our shoes and pants. I found two more leeches on me, but fortunately they were on my clothes.
We drove back, stopping at a couple places like this waterfall:
You know you're out in the sticks when you see bullet holes in road signs:
Here's something cool I noticed in one of the towns: a sign written in the Atayal language.
After we got back to Wulai, we relaxed in a hot spring and had dinner. In the hot spring, Robert and I helped Kate practice her swimming. She made great progress. Overall, it was a great way to end a good day of hiking adventure.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Today's New Year's Eve, the first day of the Chinese New Year holiday. The last day of the vacation is the fifth day of the new year. Some year, depending on when the 6-day span falls, we get 9 days in a row off due to weekends. This year it's only 6 days in a row. Oh well...
The weather sucks royally - it's been raining constantly for about 3 weeks. Tomorrow we're going hiking rain or shine, so I have all my rain gear packed, plus I have a change of clean clothes wrapped up in a plastic bag for after the hike. I'll bring my oldest shoes for slogging though the mud, and a pair of clean shoes to change into afterwards. We also got the car jump-started, charged up, gassed up and ready for tomorrow's drive to the trailhead. It'll be in Wulai.
Right now I'm at Kitty's parents' house for a holiday family get-together.
So why "Gong Xi Fa Cai" and not "Kung Hei Fat Choi"? The latter is what the Hongkies* say. The former is good ol' Mandarin. 恭喜發財 means roughly "Congratulations for making it through another full year, and may you prosper in the next."
* People from Hong Kong
The weather sucks royally - it's been raining constantly for about 3 weeks. Tomorrow we're going hiking rain or shine, so I have all my rain gear packed, plus I have a change of clean clothes wrapped up in a plastic bag for after the hike. I'll bring my oldest shoes for slogging though the mud, and a pair of clean shoes to change into afterwards. We also got the car jump-started, charged up, gassed up and ready for tomorrow's drive to the trailhead. It'll be in Wulai.
Right now I'm at Kitty's parents' house for a holiday family get-together.
So why "Gong Xi Fa Cai" and not "Kung Hei Fat Choi"? The latter is what the Hongkies* say. The former is good ol' Mandarin. 恭喜發財 means roughly "Congratulations for making it through another full year, and may you prosper in the next."
* People from Hong Kong
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