etto, watashiwa chotto skushi Nihongo o hanashimasu.

October 7, 2008 1:31 AM

Can you help me translate 10 lines of English to Japanese?

I need help translating part of a school application from English to Japanese. This is for a sponsorship form from a language school that requires that the sponsor (me) translate the answers from English to Japanese. If you want to send me questions or answers, you can email me at hokkaidorose at gmail.

Here are my statements:

1) I have known "Sofie" since Spring of 2006.

2) "Sofie" has visited Japan twice. She traveled to the Kansai area for work in 2003. "Sofie" stayed at my house in Tokyo for 3 months in Summer 2008.

posted by McGuillicuddy to writing & language (11 comments total)

1) I have known "Sofie" since Spring of 2006.

2) "Sofie" has visited Japan twice. She traveled to the Kansai area for work in 2003. "Sofie" stayed at my house in Tokyo for 3 months in Summer 2008.

3)"Sofie" graduated from Industrial Art University in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1998. "Sofie" is self-employed as Director of "Some Company Ltd." in Indonesia.

4) After graduation "Sofie" will use the Japanese language to communicate with and conduct business with organizations investing in Indonesia.

5) I will pay tuition in full via cash in advance of "Sofie's" enrollment.
I would like to pay "Sofie's" tuition to support her interest advancing her professional opportunities.

The application is due tomorrow. Thank you.
posted by McGuillicuddy at 1:38 AM on October 7, 2008

I'm not sure I understand the situation here. If the school requires you to translate the form, then wouldn't it be cheating for us to help you?
posted by Class Goat at 1:48 AM on October 7, 2008

Class goat-I am not the prospective student and I am not asking you to do my homework.

The situation is that I am serving as a sponsor for a very good friend of mine so that she can attend language school in Japan. Despite the fact that it's a Japanese language school, the school requires the sponsor to translate the answers to the sponsorship questionnaire into Japanese. I don't not have the skills to do even this simple translation, so I have asked for her.
posted by McGuillicuddy at 3:07 AM on October 7, 2008

Should say, asked for help.
posted by McGuillicuddy at 3:07 AM on October 7, 2008

So, you are an English(at least)-speaking person in Japan who can't speak, who plans to sponsor Sofie for a Japanese school, by being a host or helping pay her tuition?

Do they require sponsors to be Japanese speakers, or just expect them to be so, since they have to be in Japan?
posted by that girl at 6:07 AM on October 7, 2008

If you do not know any native Japanese speakers where you are, you might try posting your request on the Honyaku translation list. There are many professional English-to-Japanese translators who I'm sure would be glad to handle this job for a reasonable fee. Since this is a rush job you may have to pay extra.

Since this is a school application, and you don't appear to have enough language skill to ensure that the translation is correct, I would not recommend relying on a free translation unless you trust the translator. There may be mistakes or inaccuracies of which you will not be aware.
posted by armage at 8:16 AM on October 7, 2008

Seconding not trusting anonymous internet translations for anything important. Even if a translation were posted here, I would guess from your post that you would have difficulty transcribing it accurately onto the application form.

a language school that requires that the sponsor (me) translate the answers from English to Japanese.

Perhaps you'd like to clarify your post? It appears from your post that the school is asking you to demonstrate your ability to translate English-Japanese. See Class Goat's comment above.
posted by JimN2TAW at 9:35 AM on October 7, 2008

To clarify, the school expects me to have my answers translated and requires only that the form be provided in my native language and in Japanese. If the answers are provided in Japanese kana and kanji, I can transcribe them for the form.

As I do not know anyone who can do the translation for me, I will rely on internet translation, preferrably at least from a person with knowledge of Japanese. The quality of the translation is not so important to me as giving them the forms in Japanese. The school knows that I am not a Japanese speaker and I may not have my documents professionally translated.

Thanks.
posted by McGuillicuddy at 10:19 AM on October 7, 2008

1) I have known "Sofie" since Spring of 2006.

”S”さんは２００６年の春から近付きです。

2) "Sofie" has visited Japan twice. She traveled to the Kansai area for work in 2003. "Sofie" stayed at my house in Tokyo for 3 months in Summer 2008.

”S”さんは日本に行くことは二度があります。仕事のために２００３年関西にいきまして、２００８年の夏３ヶ月間うちの家と友に暮らしてしました。

3)"Sofie" graduated from Industrial Art University in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1998. "Sofie" is self-employed as Director of "Some Company Ltd." in Indonesia.

”S”さんは１９９８年にインドネシア共和国ジャカルタ首都特別州のIndustrial Art Universityを卒業しました。現在、”S”さんは自営としてインドネシアの”Some Company Ltd."会社と取締役の勤めます。

4) After graduation "Sofie" will use the Japanese language to communicate with and conduct business with organizations investing in Indonesia.

卒業がら”S”さんは日本語能力がンドネシア共和国に投資の企業や公共団体と通じ合うの為に使う積もりです。

5) I will pay tuition in full via cash in advance of "Sofie's" enrollment.
I would like to pay "Sofie's" tuition to support her interest advancing her professional opportunities.

”S”さんの本職な機運に応援して、料金には全部を先払いする予定です。
posted by troy at 11:20 AM on October 7, 2008

Note that while the above is probably OK it's not necessarily awesome Japanese.
posted by troy at 11:21 AM on October 7, 2008

Good luck to S-san, too!
posted by troy at 11:23 AM on October 7, 2008