NAATI TRANSLATION TEST Thread poster: Yi Cao
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Yi Cao 
New Zealand
Local time: 18:56
Chinese to English
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https://www.change.org/p/naati-translation-test
In the Chinese Language, there is a system of phonetic symbols called as PINYIN, which is used to denote the pronunciation of each character to help the learner of the Language. The Pinyin System is based on the 26 English Alphabets.
After the Computer was invented, the Pinyin System has been used to input Chinese Te... See more https://www.change.org/p/naati-translation-test
In the Chinese Language, there is a system of phonetic symbols called as PINYIN, which is used to denote the pronunciation of each character to help the learner of the Language. The Pinyin System is based on the 26 English Alphabets.
After the Computer was invented, the Pinyin System has been used to input Chinese Text into the Computer. After you opened the Chinese Inputting Software, when you input the pinyin of the Character of you want, the system would generate a list of characters with similar pronunciation for you to choose from, you could then choose one. By doing so, you do not have memorize the detailed structure of each character. You just have to memorize the basic structure. If you have used this system for a long time, you would begin to forget some of the details. In fact, this is exactly true after the invention of computer and mobile phones.
I think, as a translator, this is not acceptable. He should have sturdy memory of the structural details of the majority of characters, otherwise, it is a shame and he should not call himself a linguistic professional.
NAATI= National Accreditation Authority of Translators and Interpreters
However, after the reform, NAATI has adopted computer based translation test. As a result, NAATI does not require candidate to write down each character and NAATI just does not test them about this any more.
I think this is not appropriate and this against the definition of linguistic professional. NAATI should convert the computer translation test into paper form.
By the way, for the English to Japanese Test, it has the similar problem. The pinyin system in Japanese is called as ROMANJI. I am hoping it would follow the same route. But, I am not a registered English to Japanese Translator, I think this is not appropriate for me to Petition this issue.
Please visit the above link of my petition.
Please sign should you have approved ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 08:56
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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Yi Cao wrote:
However, after the reform, NAATI has adopted computer based translation test. As a result, NAATI does not require candidate to write down each character and NAATI just does not test them about this any more.
So, by analogy, this is almost like auto-complete in languages that use Latin characters? I too would not want a translation test from an official language association to use a system that has some kind of auto-complete built in, so that whenever you type a word that is the start of a common phrase, it gives you a list of suggestions and then you choose the phrase.
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:56
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Are you claiming that the test should be hand-written?
I do not write Chinese, but I have written Japanese, and I cannot remember when I last had to write Japanese by hand. Everybody uses a PC or a phone these days.
Insisting on handwritten output has no relevance to the modern world, would be a throwback to the 1990s, and would test the ability to write characters rather than to write good Chinese (or Japanese). The analogy would be to insist that a translation ... See more Are you claiming that the test should be hand-written?
I do not write Chinese, but I have written Japanese, and I cannot remember when I last had to write Japanese by hand. Everybody uses a PC or a phone these days.
Insisting on handwritten output has no relevance to the modern world, would be a throwback to the 1990s, and would test the ability to write characters rather than to write good Chinese (or Japanese). The analogy would be to insist that a translation test into English in the U.S. or the UK be written by hand, maybe with a fountain pen...
I for one would be completely against introducing such a requirement for either Japanese or Chinese. (Being a sensible sort of person, I would not dream of translating into a non-native language like Japanese, but that's a different issue.)
Regards,
Dan
PS the OP seems to be referring to the use of front-end processors like Microsoft IME to input CJK languages, which has been entirely normal for the past 30 years or so
[Edited at 2024-02-17 10:38 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Yi Cao
New Zealand
Local time: 18:56
Chinese to English
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TOPIC STARTER | We should not call us as linguistic professionals should we have not been able to memorize the stru | Feb 17 |
Dan Lucas wrote: Are you claiming that the test should be hand-written? I do not write Chinese, but I have written Japanese, and I cannot remember when I last had to write Japanese by hand. Everybody uses a PC or a phone these days. Insisting on handwritten output has no relevance to the modern world, would be a throwback to the 1990s, and would test the ability to write characters rather than to write good Chinese (or Japanese). The analogy would be to insist that a translation test into English in the U.S. or the UK be written by hand, maybe with a fountain pen... I for one would be completely against introducing such a requirement for either Japanese or Chinese. (Being a sensible sort of person, I would not dream of translating into a non-native language like Japanese, but that's a different issue.) Regards, Dan PS the OP seems to be referring to the use of front-end processors like Microsoft IME to input CJK languages, which has been entirely normal for the past 30 years or so [Edited at 2024-02-17 10:38 GMT]
by using the computer for a long time, you would gradually forget the detailed structure. I think this is not acceptable for us as linguistic professionals. We should not call us as linguistic professionals should we have not been able to memorize the structure of characters.
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I translate exclusively from EN, FR, ES and IT into PT(pt), my native language, and I'm completely unfamiliar with the character structure in Chinese, but the situation you describe (the system offering several options) happens AFAIK in all languages when texting: as soon as you type a letter on your phone the system proposes several words to choose from. If I understand your position correctly, it's only a matter of time before we stop knowing how to write by hand at all. Computers have been ar... See more I translate exclusively from EN, FR, ES and IT into PT(pt), my native language, and I'm completely unfamiliar with the character structure in Chinese, but the situation you describe (the system offering several options) happens AFAIK in all languages when texting: as soon as you type a letter on your phone the system proposes several words to choose from. If I understand your position correctly, it's only a matter of time before we stop knowing how to write by hand at all. Computers have been around for decades and I don't see any proof of that…
[Edited at 2024-02-17 21:17 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Yi Cao
New Zealand
Local time: 18:56
Chinese to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:
I translate exclusively from EN, FR, ES and IT into PT(pt), my native language, and I'm completely unfamiliar with the character structure in Chinese, but the situation you describe (the system offering several options) happens AFAIK in all languages when texting: as soon as you type a letter on your phone the system proposes several words to choose from. If I understand your position correctly, it's only a matter of time before we stop knowing how to write by hand at all. Computers have been around for decades and I don't see any proof of that…
[Edited at 2024-02-17 21:17 GMT]
A lot of people have forgot how to write some characters because of too much typings
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:56
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Yi Cao wrote:
A lot of people have forgot how to write some characters because of too much typings
Whether or not a person can hand-write a character in the target text has nothing to do with their ability to translate the source text.
99.9% of writing these days is performed digitally, not by hand.
So what is the point of insisting on hand-written tests?
You're living in the past (and I say that as somebody who is generally considered quite old-fashioned by those around me).
Dan
| | | | Yi Cao
New Zealand
Local time: 18:56
Chinese to English
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TOPIC STARTER | You should not call yourself should you be unable to hand write the text, | Feb 18 |
Dan Lucas wrote: Yi Cao wrote:
A lot of people have forgot how to write some characters because of too much typings Whether or not a person can hand-write a character in the target text has nothing to do with their ability to translate the source text. 99.9% of writing these days is performed digitally, not by hand. So what is the point of insisting on hand-written tests? You're living in the past (and I say that as somebody who is generally considered quite old-fashioned by those around me). Dan
You should not call yourself a linguistic professional should you be unable to hand write the text, or you have failed to memorise the characters STRUCTURE
漢字を書くことかできないときに、翻訳になることができません
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Yi Cao
New Zealand
Local time: 18:56
Chinese to English
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TOPIC STARTER | 漢字を書くことかできないときに、翻訳になることができません | Feb 18 |
Dan Lucas wrote: Yi Cao wrote:
A lot of people have forgot how to write some characters because of too much typings Whether or not a person can hand-write a character in the target text has nothing to do with their ability to translate the source text. 99.9% of writing these days is performed digitally, not by hand. So what is the point of insisting on hand-written tests? You're living in the past (and I say that as somebody who is generally considered quite old-fashioned by those around me). Dan
翻訳によって、漢字を書くことは大切なものです。
これはすくなくとも僕の見方です
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:56
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Everybody has opinions - most have not been thought through | Feb 18 |
Yi Cao wrote:
You should not call yourself a linguistic professional should you be unable to hand write the text, or you have failed to memorise the characters STRUCTURE
I'm not a linguistic professional, I am a translator, and none of my clients care whether I can write kanji by hand. Indeed they don't care about my written Japanese at all, because I only translate into my mother tongue of English.
As far as I can see, your problem is that you are having difficulty competing with other translators in the area of translation, so you want to force them to demonstrate handwriting skills instead, because that would reduce the number of people passing the test and lead to less competition for you.
Well, if you can persuade other people that this is a good idea, fine.
Frankly, I don't think you'll have much success.
I'm done here.
Dan
| | | | Arne Krueger
Germany
Local time: 08:56
German to English
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I can understand and relate to the issue.
My old man was heavily into Japanese art and martial arts (receiving 3 black belts in different disciplines). He loved drawing Japanese signs and characters, etc. That's why I can understand if you want to preserve the "true" structure of your language. Good luck with the petition.
If somebody is really interested in your language, it should not bother them to do the test by hand writing. And it is probably a further testament o... See more I can understand and relate to the issue.
My old man was heavily into Japanese art and martial arts (receiving 3 black belts in different disciplines). He loved drawing Japanese signs and characters, etc. That's why I can understand if you want to preserve the "true" structure of your language. Good luck with the petition.
If somebody is really interested in your language, it should not bother them to do the test by hand writing. And it is probably a further testament of showing their command over it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Yi Cao
New Zealand
Local time: 18:56
Chinese to English
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TOPIC STARTER | a qualified translator is a linguistic professionals | Feb 18 |
Dan Lucas wrote: Yi Cao wrote:
You should not call yourself a linguistic professional should you be unable to hand write the text, or you have failed to memorise the characters STRUCTURE I'm not a linguistic professional, I am a translator, and none of my clients care whether I can write kanji by hand. Indeed they don't care about my written Japanese at all, because I only translate into my mother tongue of English. As far as I can see, your problem is that you are having difficulty competing with other translators in the area of translation, so you want to force them to demonstrate handwriting skills instead, because that would reduce the number of people passing the test and lead to less competition for you. Well, if you can persuade other people that this is a good idea, fine. Frankly, I don't think you'll have much success. I'm done here. Dan
I think, as a translator, this is not acceptable. He should have sturdy memory of the structural details of the majority of characters, otherwise, it is a shame and he should not call himself a linguistic professional.
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Yi Cao
New Zealand
Local time: 18:56
Chinese to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Dan Lucas wrote: Yi Cao wrote:
You should not call yourself a linguistic professional should you be unable to hand write the text, or you have failed to memorise the characters STRUCTURE I'm not a linguistic professional, I am a translator, and none of my clients care whether I can write kanji by hand. Indeed they don't care about my written Japanese at all, because I only translate into my mother tongue of English. As far as I can see, your problem is that you are having difficulty competing with other translators in the area of translation, so you want to force them to demonstrate handwriting skills instead, because that would reduce the number of people passing the test and lead to less competition for you. Well, if you can persuade other people that this is a good idea, fine. Frankly, I don't think you'll have much success. I'm done here. Dan
I am not NAATI English to Chinese qualified. I am only NAATI Chinese to English Qualified. The majority of my assignments are legal documents to be submitted to the governmental agencies from Chinese to English.
| | | | Yi Cao
New Zealand
Local time: 18:56
Chinese to English
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TOPIC STARTER | we have calculator, we do not have to study mathematics any more | Feb 18 |
Dan Lucas wrote: Yi Cao wrote:
You should not call yourself a linguistic professional should you be unable to hand write the text, or you have failed to memorise the characters STRUCTURE I'm not a linguistic professional, I am a translator, and none of my clients care whether I can write kanji by hand. Indeed they don't care about my written Japanese at all, because I only translate into my mother tongue of English. As far as I can see, your problem is that you are having difficulty competing with other translators in the area of translation, so you want to force them to demonstrate handwriting skills instead, because that would reduce the number of people passing the test and lead to less competition for you. Well, if you can persuade other people that this is a good idea, fine. Frankly, I don't think you'll have much success. I'm done here. Dan
According to you, we do not have to study mathematics any more because we have calculators, right?
| | | | Yi Cao
New Zealand
Local time: 18:56
Chinese to English
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TOPIC STARTER | ddddddddddddddddddddddd | Feb 20 |
Yi Cao wrote: Dan Lucas wrote: Yi Cao wrote:
You should not call yourself a linguistic professional should you be unable to hand write the text, or you have failed to memorise the characters STRUCTURE I'm not a linguistic professional, I am a translator, and none of my clients care whether I can write kanji by hand. Indeed they don't care about my written Japanese at all, because I only translate into my mother tongue of English. As far as I can see, your problem is that you are having difficulty competing with other translators in the area of translation, so you want to force them to demonstrate handwriting skills instead, because that would reduce the number of people passing the test and lead to less competition for you. Well, if you can persuade other people that this is a good idea, fine. Frankly, I don't think you'll have much success. I'm done here. Dan According to you, we do not have to study mathematics any more because we have calculators, right?
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