December 10, 1996
How Splitting Wood With an Axe is a Lot Like Translating
by Richard Sadowsky (professional translator living on Awaji Island)
- Thin pieces don't have to be hit hard, just in the right spot.
- You get thirsty after doing it for a while.
- Some wood is soft, some is hard.
- It helps to know which is which.
- A piece has to be stood up and positioned for each swing.
- If you've never done it before, you'll swing and miss a lot.
- Pieces lop off more easily when struck off-center.
- The axe head needs to be kept sharpened.
- Pieces will fly in unexpected directions.
- No matter how hard you strike a piece from the top, it won't split until you turn it upside down and hit it again.
- To cut away the last hanging threads, you have to turn the piece on its side and strike a few more times.
- Long logs have to be cut to size with a chainsaw first.
- You won't know a piece contains knots until after the first swing.
- You won't know how hard the knots are until after several more swings.
- It seems you always learn the hard way.
- With practice you acquire a rhythm.
- You don't want the cold drink sitting too close by.
- A strong swing to the wrong spot is oddly similar to a weak swing to the right spot.
- The axe head will get stuck more easily when you aim for dead center.
- Do too much at once and your back will get sore.
- You still have to stack the wood after it's split.
(Originally published in the SWET Newsletter, No. 73, December 1996.)
© Richard Sadowsky