Japanese interpreter needed.
Jul 14, 2019 | 10:24 pm
#1
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Japanese interpreter needed.
The elderly father of an acquaintance of mine has a letter hand written in Japanese. We have a shortage of Japanese interpreters here so I told her I might be able to find someone who could take on the task or make a suggestion. Any thoughts?
Jul 14, 2019 | 10:32 pm
#2
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Try contacting the Asian Studies or East Asian Languages department of any nearby university (or perhaps even small college in a few cases) to ask for a recommendation. Graduate students are usually eager to earn a little extra money. Depending on the length of the letter and the lack of need for a formal written translation--i.e., if you just want to know what the letter says--an interested faculty member might be willing to meet with you over coffee, etc.
Jul 15, 2019 | 4:07 pm
#4
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If your friend can scan the handwritten Japanese letter, you could put the job out to a freelancer online:
https://www.peopleperhour.com
https://www.fiverr.com
I would favor a native-Japanese speaker for this job, since they're more likely to be up to the challenge of dealing with handwriting and it's not a big deal if the quality of the English output isn't native level - as long as your friend's father can understand it.
(If you were translating marketing copy for publication, you'd either go for a native English speaker or pair your translator up with a great English-language copywriter ... or do neither and produce some hilarious Japlish like many Japanese companies do).
https://www.peopleperhour.com
https://www.fiverr.com
I would favor a native-Japanese speaker for this job, since they're more likely to be up to the challenge of dealing with handwriting and it's not a big deal if the quality of the English output isn't native level - as long as your friend's father can understand it.
(If you were translating marketing copy for publication, you'd either go for a native English speaker or pair your translator up with a great English-language copywriter ... or do neither and produce some hilarious Japlish like many Japanese companies do).
Jul 16, 2019 | 9:45 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Agree with jib's comments above. You want a translator, not an interpreter. Interpreters handle speech -- they are the people wearing headsets at the UN or standing over the President's shoulder at summits. Translators handle written language. Many people who translate well can't interpret well, and vice versa.
Jul 17, 2019 | 7:43 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota,USA
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Don't expect the person to do it for free, either.