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Thomas' Acupuncture Clinic

CONFESSION
Welcome to my site.

I AM a freelance translator, but
I am NOT the best. 
Not the best translator on the web.
Not the best educated person around.
Not the most experienced in my field.
Not the best equipped specialist.
 
 But
I make our living (with FOUR children) in Japan
(one of the most expensive country in world)
on translation for almost 25 years.

I take pride in my work (German "Meister" spirit)
I have NEVER been late with ANY of my assignments.

Let's see Latest entry 

Also, I did set up two blogs for entries pertaining to translation:

 ==> Translation curiosities (google account)

http://transcurio.blogspot.jp/2012/04/certified-pro-status.html

 ==>  Translation (for short notices via THIS site)

Information: 
a subject brought to the world's attention with painful urgency through the recent Japanese nuclear accident.
Everybody is looking for clear, accurate, timely and honest information. Yet neither the Japanese government nor TEPCO provides this information. That makes just about everybody on the planet mad.
The difference between the nuclear disaster and oriental medicine: there is no NEED to provide any such information pertaining to oriental medicine. Yet the lack thereof may nevertheless cause long-lasting damage. (I refrain from giving examples related to oriental medicine (and believe, I do not have to discuss the attitude of the Chinese towards information), but …)

A general example.
In Germany many (most) people are familiar with "Fujiyama" (Mt. Fuji), but nobody knows "Fujisan" (which is the proper way the Japanese call this mountain). One of THE representative Japanese-German dictionaries (see figure on the right) available lists also "Fujiyama".
(Even the American government has it:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/Historical/LewisClark/Info/summary_mount_st_helens.html)

A mistake introduced many decades ago by someone apparently not familiar with Japanese (characters). Again, the "san" in "Fujisan" stems from the character for mountain, but here again somebody with VERY incomplete knowledge of Japanese interpreted this as the Japanese lovingly calling the mountain "Mr. or Mrs.", which is also read "san" in Japanese.)

When even general information (which should maybe considered common sense (?)) is full of mistakes, misunderstandings etc., imagine the situation in a field as complex as oriental medicine.
If there is any chance, of making more Japanese material available in English, regardless of whether this would involve translation work for me or not, I would be more than happy to help in any way I can to locate/provide really valuable material/information from Japan.

More details on my activities as translator are listed below. You can also jump directly to a chapter of interest to you:

Contents

1. Personal history

2. Educational background

3. Occupational background

4. Fields of expertise

5. Language solutions (problems) ---> newly added ....

6. Fees / Charges

7. General information and links

8. A quick word

9. Transalation samples <--

10. Translation, Japanese and oriental medicine

1. PERSONAL HISTORY

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2. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

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3. OCCUPATIONAL BACKGROUND

• The Japan Information Center of Science and Technology (JICST, government supported organ).
• Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
• About 100 translation agencies in Japan.
• Translation of manuals form all major Japanese companies like Victor TV, Sony, Fuji Film, Nikon etc...

Comment:
I am one of the very few (native) Germans in Japan, who can translate directly from Japanese into German, in particular in the medical field and have NEVER been late with ANY of my assignments. My work, when checked by German engineers working at German branches of Japanese companies (Nikon, Fuji etc...) in Germany usually earns a very good reputation.

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4. FIELDS OF EXPERTISE　

• Medicine (see my acupuncture page).
• Pharmacology.
• Engineering.
• Technical materials.
• Manuals.
• (General materials).

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5. LANGUAGE SOLUTIONS (PROBLEMS)

• I have been working as a freelance translator in Japan for about 25 years. During that time I noticed many inappropriate concepts among Japanese clients.
• One of the worst and least welcome is the notion, that clients must always change the work of language professionals and thus create "Japanese" style language solutions.
• In the beginning, I went along with the relevant requests, but over the years took more and more the liberty of adding a varying but considerable amount of "rewriting" to my work to achieve more intelligible results.
• Most translation agencies (I am registered at about 120 agencies in Japan) pass my German translations on to the customer without any editing at all - yet, naturally charge their margins.
• This would warrant direct contact (which I do not pursue myself, but would be delighted to respond to) to save possible client costs.
• I would love especially to work on whole books, in particular books o oriental medicine.
• For requests, inquiries on particular jobs, quotations etc., send me an E-mail.

　Thank you.

Japanese Quality for the world

The article describes how traditional Japanese crafts serves the "workmen" in the field - to bring out the best of their skills.

I believe too, that it is the Japanese SKILLS maybe even more than their products, which appeal to the world.

 And in order to promote some of these skills = values, it is necessary, that the people (of the world) know about them. This is currently not exactly the case, since there is comparatively little information material in English or other languages. Japan continues to be a sort of "black box".

I am experiencing this in my native craft (acupuncture) for years and try to help people find "their way around".

Maybe I could be of help to people who want to promote their craft/skills in that I could help to translate information material.

After 25 years in the trade, I think I can do that - and NOT going through translation agencies could save the client also a substantial amount of money!

Call me, and we can discuss the matter.

Thomas Blasejewicz

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6. FEES / CHARGES

Vary with the complexity of the material, but the following list shows the basic rates Japanese companies have been paying me for over 15 years now. That means: in effect my rates have dropped over time..
Usually I do not do layout work. Japanese companies have their own staff for that.

• Prices per page Japanese / German translation:
  between 3500 and 5000 Yen (for approx. 160 words target language).
• Prices per page Japanese / English:
  between 3000 and 3500 Yen (for approx. 180 words target language).
• Prices per page English / German:
  between 3000 and 4000 Yen for approx. 160 words target language).
• Interpretation: the "market price in Japan is approximately 50,000 Yen per 8-hour day

                        Spread the word: 

                       tell the world that you endorse the No Peanuts! Movement.

     Join the No Peanuts! Movement.

           Living wages for translators and interpreters! 

     All our thanks from No Peanuts!

http://nopeanuts.wordpress.com/

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7. GENERAL INFORMATION 

Sites of Interest

At the end oft this page, I would like to add links to another translation site, where you may find useful information. 

http://www.aliseo.com/traltre_j.php 

http://www.aliseo.com/sogolink_j.php

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