Swet Columns

Protecting Clients from Themselves

by Doreen Simmons

Aunt Eva is in a thoughtful vein this time, as she examines the tactical and ethical problems of trying to give the clients what they need, rather than what they want.

Dear Aunt Eva, An editor friend of mine recently told me his job sometimes included “protecting clients from themselves.” I don’t recall seeing any such... more

Kyodo: Reuter vs. AP

by Doreen Simmons

Lovable Aunt Eva once again unsheathes her kindly old claws to tackle something on your behalf.

Dear Aunt Eva,

I am a Japanese translator with a doctorate in communications from an American university. Although I know that it is preferable to work from a foreign language into one’s own, I am often not able to do... more

Locally-invented Idiolects at Work

by Doreen Simmons

Once again kindly Aunt Eva is here to cluck over your problems and give you a shoulder to cry on. You take her advice at your own risk, of course; only you can gauge your own situation.

Dear Aunt Eva,

My native tongue is U.K.ish, not U.S.ian—that much I will grant. But after fifteen years in... more

Repetition in Japanese vs. English

by Doreen Simmons

Once again kindly Aunt Eva is here to cluck over your problems and give you a shoulder to cry on. You take her advice at your own risk, of course; only you can gauge your own situation.

Dear Aunt Eva,

Writers of good English eschew repetition, but writers of good Japanese seem to have a much... more

English Side of Meishi to Translator

by Doreen Simmons

The foreigner in Japan has, alas, long been seen as offering an opportunity for English conversation to those brave enough to make the attempt. This attitude dates back at least to Fukuzawa Yukichi, who as a young man eagerly tried out his Dutch on the first American he met. The result of this unsuccessful encounter was to turn... more

New Editor of Quarterly; Dumbing Down

by Doreen Simmons

Need a friendly ear to pour your troubles into? A shoulder to cry on? Somebody, anybody, to whinge at? Write to Aunt Eva, who has been through it all and can share your pain. The names are changed, but the situations are real.

Today, the palmy days of the quality publishing business in Japan are over; Aunt Eva commiserates... more