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December 2011
Korea's Translation Problem
Language translation is a key difference between Korea and Japan that is
frequently overlooked, according to Seoul National University Professor Robert
J. Fouser. In a recent editorial in the Korea Times, Fouser writes that there are
many similarities between the two languages, including word order and a large
common vocabulary based on Chinese characters, but all similarity ends when
it comes to translation. In Japan, Fouser says, translation is a highly developed
service industry that attracts paying customers. Japanese companies and
governments are willing to pay professional translators well for quality work, and
this attracts talented people to the field. Fouser points out that the Japanese
translation sector’s support of the proofreading industry further enhances the
country’s translation quality. "By contrast," he says, "translation in Korea is seen
as a work best done on the cheap." This makes it difficult for the field to attract
and retain quality people in Korea. Fouser states that the number of foreign
translators working from Korean into their native language is much smaller than
in Japan, and the proofreading industry also lags behind for the same reason.
The motivation to be more cost-efficient, especially in the Korean government,
means that people with good foreign language skills but no professional
translation experience frequently end up translating important documents.
Fouser says this is the kind of situation that created recent embarrassing
mistranslations in free trade agreements between Korea and the U.S. He
suspects the translation gap between the two countries may be even larger
when the translation is from foreign languages into Korean or Japanese. "The
costs of Korea’s weak translation industry are high, but a solution remains
elusive. Progress awaits a change in mindset to one that values quality
translations and is willing to pay for them. The wait may be long," says Fouser.
From "Korea's Translation Problem", Korea Times (Korea) (11/21/11) Fouser,
Robert J.
Korea's Translation Problem
Language translation is a key difference between Korea and Japan that is
frequently overlooked, according to Seoul National University Professor Robert
J. Fouser. In a recent editorial in the Korea Times, Fouser writes that there are
many similarities between the two languages, including word order and a large
common vocabulary based on Chinese characters, but all similarity ends when
it comes to translation. In Japan, Fouser says, translation is a highly developed
service industry that attracts paying customers. Japanese companies and
governments are willing to pay professional translators well for quality work, and
this attracts talented people to the field. Fouser points out that the Japanese
translation sector’s support of the proofreading industry further enhances the
country’s translation quality. "By contrast," he says, "translation in Korea is seen
as a work best done on the cheap." This makes it difficult for the field to attract
and retain quality people in Korea. Fouser states that the number of foreign
translators working from Korean into their native language is much smaller than
in Japan, and the proofreading industry also lags behind for the same reason.
The motivation to be more cost-efficient, especially in the Korean government,
means that people with good foreign language skills but no professional
translation experience frequently end up translating important documents.
Fouser says this is the kind of situation that created recent embarrassing
mistranslations in free trade agreements between Korea and the U.S. He
suspects the translation gap between the two countries may be even larger
when the translation is from foreign languages into Korean or Japanese. "The
costs of Korea’s weak translation industry are high, but a solution remains
elusive. Progress awaits a change in mindset to one that values quality
translations and is willing to pay for them. The wait may be long," says Fouser.
From "Korea's Translation Problem", Korea Times (Korea) (11/21/11) Fouser,
Robert J.
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