Dan Bensky's recent post

[Guest guest]

Dan,

 

Thanks for your recent post. I've come to

appreciate how valuable it is that we have

this forum in which to exchange points of

view and to clarify our own perspectives.

 

You said something that left me with some

questions. I'm hoping you can find time to

explain.

 

<...any standardized translation of

Chinese into English will lead to at least as many problems as it

solves.>

 

Here's my question. At the COMP meeting in

San Diego last month, you advanced an idea

that there be a website where translation

choices can be archived in such a way as to

make them easily accessible and comparable.

We discussed using the Practical Dictionary

as the common reference point, as it represents

the largest and most complete compilation of

translation choices, which are all linked to

the Chinese characters as well as extensive

data bases containing the rationale and methodolgy

by which the choices were made.

 

Another word for " common refernce point " as I've

just used the phrase is " standard. "

 

I'm left with a sense of contradiction comparing

your enthusiasm for the proposal to create translation

standards that emerged from the COMP meeting and

your statement above regarding " standardized translation. "

 

Am I confused? I know this has been a contentious

issue, and I realize there are many factors that

come to bear on the question of whether and how

to develop such standards.

 

This is precisely why I have taken the trouble to

articulate this question, again, out of a recognition

that these records of our discussions have a certain

value in and of themselves, if for no other reason

than that they document the current state of the

development of our field, to some extent.

 

Once again I find that we are discussing matters

which rightly belong on the Chinese_medicine.net

list, but this crossover seems inevitable. Recently

we've been discussing the treatment of lumpy shoulders

on that list.

 

Again, I hope you can find the time to clarify

your rationale on this for me and for the benefit

of others on the list for whom this issue is an

important one.

 

Best wishes to you and to all on the list for a

peaceful and harmonious holiday season and a

prosperous New Year.

 

Ken

[Guest guest]

, yulong@m... wrote:

 

>

> Here's my question. At the COMP meeting in

> San Diego last month, you advanced an idea

> that there be a website where translation

> choices can be archived in such a way as to

> make them easily accessible and comparable.

 

For interested parties, you can now download the minutes of the COMP

meeting at

ChineseMedicinenet/COMP-rpt2.rtf