Post by Springjay on Jun 3, 2022 15:06:23 GMT 9
Just curious what other people think of this topic, but
When you're translating JP to EN, and have to explain procedures and paperwork related stuff to foreign residents, how do you prefer convey the names of important things?
For me personally, I think having all 3 written out at least once is the most helpful, because
1. Having an English translation of the name of the form/procedure helps the foreigner have at least a basic understanding of what they're signing/filling out, which I think helps them feel more comfortable. And personally, I feel like I'm being treated like a child when a Japanese person rushes over paperwork and just insists I sign it without understanding any of the content (think like city hall/bank/etc procedures)
2. Romaji and Kanji are both needed because odds are, the Japanese staff won't understand what procedure or form you're talking about if you say it in English (especially for ones that don't have one, official English name). So the foreigner should be able to at least convey the name of what it is they want, which they can do if they can read romaji.
But when it comes to telling them to watch out for XXX arriving in the mail, or look for a copy of OOO, I think having the kanji available is also helpful because they can look/match it with the thing they're looking for
I think if you don't have all 3, it can still cause the foreigner some hardship when trying to navigate Japanese bureaucracy, but what about you? Do you use all 3? Or just English and romaji?
When you're translating JP to EN, and have to explain procedures and paperwork related stuff to foreign residents, how do you prefer convey the names of important things?
For me personally, I think having all 3 written out at least once is the most helpful, because
1. Having an English translation of the name of the form/procedure helps the foreigner have at least a basic understanding of what they're signing/filling out, which I think helps them feel more comfortable. And personally, I feel like I'm being treated like a child when a Japanese person rushes over paperwork and just insists I sign it without understanding any of the content (think like city hall/bank/etc procedures)
2. Romaji and Kanji are both needed because odds are, the Japanese staff won't understand what procedure or form you're talking about if you say it in English (especially for ones that don't have one, official English name). So the foreigner should be able to at least convey the name of what it is they want, which they can do if they can read romaji.
But when it comes to telling them to watch out for XXX arriving in the mail, or look for a copy of OOO, I think having the kanji available is also helpful because they can look/match it with the thing they're looking for
I think if you don't have all 3, it can still cause the foreigner some hardship when trying to navigate Japanese bureaucracy, but what about you? Do you use all 3? Or just English and romaji?
