Translation work

I'm doing some translation work for YIHE, the school's parent company. It's not because of my command of the Chinese language though, don't worry. Jill, our English speaking liaison, is doing a lot of translating for the YIHE head office, and sometimes her grammar is off, or she has trouble finding the right words.

Jill was raised in Guangzhou, and is Chinese. Her real name is Luo Ji, but was nicknamed Jill by her home-stay mother in Australia, where she went to university. Because of those years studying, her English is very good. It's accented of course, and her written work isn't as good as her verbal skills.

So, Jill asked me to help her with the written part. Today at lunch we sat down and went over some YIHE company stuff. I think it's for a catalogue for potential investors to read, since YIHE is going to be traded publicly on Hong Kong's stock market before the end of the year. It's all marketing drivel. I'll give you a sample of my work. Jill gives me the meanings of the Chinese characters, and I try to figure out what they're trying to say and make it flow.

"YIHE's Focused Product Policy

In the primary stages of development, YIHE chooses land that has natural beauty and unique resources. YIHE develops this land to add value, diversifying the area and ensuring constant and increasing returns. This combines the land with its value, using them at their maximum potential.

YIHE's finished developments create spacious, relaxing, natural environments for use in residential, educational, entertainment, and hospitality industries. These sustainable developments are leading the trends in China's new tourism industry, as they rely on YIHE's dedication to 5-star service. This commitment to detail is found not only in their hotels, but in their residential properties as well.

It's tough work, translating. I want to stay close to the Chinese original (or Jill's translation of it) while still making it sound like quality English.

It's interesting, writing material that tries to legitimize development of the natural, virgin environment. I guess what YIHE does is find a place that's still natural and beautiful, and then they send in the bulldozers. Afterwards, they claim to have redefined and improved the area.

Hmmm.