Lost in translation

As someone who has managed the development of technical materials (documentation, help, training materials) for more than 15 years, let me just start by saying "I hate translation projects!!!!" Now that I have that out of my system, let me tell you why. They are PAINFUL projects to manage. They always take longer than your schedule allows. They always cost more money than your budget allows. They are never of the quality that you think they will be when they are done.

Just think about it. Think about how many different ways some words get used. And then think about how words get used interchangeably in different disciplines. For example, in clinical research, you might refer to a participant as a "patient" or as a "subject". Just think about other uses for those two words alone, such as "be patient..." or "the subject of my thesis..."

Anyway, my friend E at work sent me this link to an interesting article about how the Chinese government plans to clean up translations in Beijing before the 2008 Olympics. I'll have to be on the lookout for some funny "lost in translation" moments when I travel...