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| free and reliable translation?
The problem of Chinese translation gets into another embarrassment
and another dilemma for the People’s Action Party again! This time it is the
turn of National Heritage Board #1 and its museums. They simply use Google to
do the translation and pretend that everything is ok and readable in ‘standard,
normal and acceptable’ Chinese.
This is not the first time and will certain not the
last time the PAP engaging in this type of embarrassment and dilemma. Instead
of blaming NHB for the mistakes, the real root problem in fact is the PAP’s mindset
behind the whole issue.
In one way or another, it is a display of the
mindsets, attitudes and mentalities of the PAP. Let me explain it with some
examples.
Double Standard
If you recall not long ago, there was a clarification
of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Lee Hsien Loong’s speech in Tokyo and the
ministry even criticized the Chinese media –Global Times#2. The clarification statement is in both English
and Chinese. The readable and understandable Chinese in the statement, of
course, is not translated directly from Google.
Oh! One may conclude the MFA has a fat budget and NHB
has no manpower and budget to do the translation. Furthermore, the MFA statement is a piece of
official document and representing the state viewpoint on a particular issue.
While the NHB translation is a local issue and perhaps caters only to local and
foreign visitors visiting our museums. So,
NHB’s Chinese translation is less important and can be handled lightly.
Do you see the double standard here? One is official
and the target audience is foreign government and the other one is less
official and targeting less important people. Foreign against local, foreign is
treated better.
If we cannot handle well and emphasize on small things
in the beginning, what will be the consequence later? This is the problem of
the Chinese translation and bilingualism education here. From a very small mistake,
we allow (and agree) it to happen. When
it becomes a norm, then we say only a small percentage of population can master
two languages. Not only that, we further allow the situation to deteriorate and
coming out with all kinds of excuses and solutions (e.g. Chinese B).
If we sidetrack a bit to the foreign talents and
population issues, we will see this ‘double standard’ clearly display in
government publication and the population white paper. The PAP has itself
created this ‘double standard’ either intentionally or unintentionally. Singaporeans
in general are not anti-foreigners. We know and understand the contribution of
foreigners to our economy. However, because of the PAP’s intentional or unintentional
‘double standard’, just like the case of Chinese translation, they are not able
to solve small local issues. If they have looked at the issues of lower income
groups, housing, health care and education 10 or 20 years ago, then our society
will not be so divided and ends up appearing like so anti-immigration.
Cheap and good value creation
By using Google translation, NHB is showing people
they are engaging in cheap and good service. And they believe Google can give
them the value, accuracy and even efficiency that they are looking for.
Unfortunately, this turns out to be a big mistake. This
practice in fact works against the PAP meritocracy principle. The PAP believes in paying high reward high
return, not cheap ministers. Now, NHB is saying value creation can be very
cheap, even free, and yet good. Where can
we find such a good deal in the world?
Perhaps, this is a general belief in the minds of the
PAP. Hence, we can find similar Chinese translation problems in NHB, in some public
organizations and services, in some town councils, or even in some university activities
in Singapore.
NHB’s case is not an isolated incident!
So, this is another type of double standard. We demand
cheap goods and services but refuse to pay a little more. This is the case of the
stagnation of wages of lower income workers in the past 10 years. We expect them
to work harder with no hope of pay increase as their productivity has not improved.
PAP mentality results
to
Lack of competitive and qualified
bilingual workers
This mentality of dependence on cheap things has a
long term effect. First, we are not able to produce relative cheap and
qualified bilingual workers to even edit or verify the Google contents. Second, even we can import foreign talent to
do the job, due to local cultural difference; the translation still needs further
editing and improvements.
Third, the most frightening consequence is we are educating
and producing future generations of Singaporeans with no respect of our own
culture and value. Since Google can do
the work without a fee, why then should we learn and study mother tongues?
This is the cost we are now paying for the “Right
Politics, Right Economics” policy of the PAP. We will have to pay even more in
future if these PAP mindsets continue.
#1
#2
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I make a 'policy shift' when I hear the debate of right politics, constructive politics and sub-standard opposition. My original aim is to discuss about “Su Dongbo, Zhang Juzheng and Singapore education system”. The discussion will end with a sub-standard PAP, in particular from the assessment of the quality of PAP potential candidates. Another policy shift is to discuss it like a play, a drama and make it more entertainment rather than a sub-standard political discussion. Act 1 Gangster’s demand Imagine a sense in the Hong Kong's gangster movie (or a godfather movie), the gangsters' master is shouting at his poor opponent and demand him to give a price for his wrong act. The poor guy without any resources can only offer his body or his service to work for the master. Back in his own chamber, the master is still not satisfied and continues to shout 'don't play, play, you think you are hero, you think you are tiger, or superstar or acting ...
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