Tuesday, July 29, 2003

Translating Marketing for Marketers

Experienced translators Jennifer Johnson-Onay, Marian Kinoshita, Julie Kuma, and Fred Uleman tackle an opinion piece by marketing professional Hayakawa Kazuo, who works for a well-known cosmetics company in Tokyo.

For this issue, SWET has asked four translators to tackle an opinion piece by marketing professional Hayakawa Kazuo, who works for a well-known cosmetics company in Tokyo. Hayakawa’s essay originally appeared in an anthology of thought points published by Marketing Communications Executives International. It is used with the permission of both author and publisher.

Our four intrepid translators are, in alphabetical order, Jennifer Johnson-Onay, Marian Kinoshita, Julie Kuma, and Fred Uleman. Their translations and comments are not necessarily in that order. First the Japanese, and then the translations and comments.

Translator A

Foreign Distribution Investment:

The Invasion and Countermeasures

After the burst of the economic bubble, foreign distribution investment1 has continued to foray into the Japanese market. Despite the early pullout of a French cosmetics company and a British drug chain, domestic distribution industries have gone on alert and increased field research activities in Europe and the United States as the world’s largest distribution firm2 is rumored to have plans to expand business into Japan.

Field research has revealed that production, distribution, and sales are the common topics of discussion among experts3 in regard to foreign investment in Japan. Authorities4 in various fields are guessing5 at how foreign investment firms will expand into Japan, vigorously discussing both the pros and cons of each model: a method based on the foreign investment model yet molded for the Japanese market, a completely opposite method, or a totally unique method.6 There are many predictions and countermeasures being voiced concerning new expansions based on the current situation of foreign firms. Even now,7 we can see positive countermeasures being taken toward the expansion of foreign investments, such as the analysis and concretization of distribution costs and a review of trade practices unique to Japan, including historical issues from past industry activities. We can sense a hidden aggressiveness in each industry, promoting proactive and rapid actions against foreign investments, in contrast to the rather passive acceptance of the “foreign menace”8 that transpired with the inrush of the black boats of Commodore Perry. Hayakawa Kazuo

Comments

Before I get into the nitty-gritty of how I translated this piece, I need to state clearly that I specialize in technical translations, specifically, microcomputer data sheets, manuals, etc. I have very little knowledge in the field of economics, or even marketing. I had difficulties in trying to understand exactly what the author was trying to say due to my lack of background knowledge, as well as to typical J-E translation problems, such as lack of plural/singular indications, ambiguous subjects, and those nasty kanji clusters that represent quite long and complicated ideas. I decided to take on this challenge despite my lack of qualifications, if nothing else to prove that specialization is a good thing and that one shouldn’t take on every job that comes one’s way. A message to myself: make sure you know the subject well enough in both languages before you accept!

My Stumbling Blocks

  1. I am wondering if 流通外資 should be translated as “foreign distribution investors” in this sentence. Can investments “foray” into a market, or do “investors” foray? I have this constant problem of doubting my own English, and it gets worse, not better, as the years go on.
  2. I translated 世界最大流通業 as “some of the world’s largest distribution firms” until my Japanese advisor (spouse) pointed me in the right direction and came up with the specific name of “the world’s largest distribution firm” that this author is most likely referring to. In fact, this firm just recently took over my local grocery store.
  3. I found it very difficult to translate this whole sentence, as there is no clear indication of who went to Europe and the United States to do research and with whom they held discussions. I still don’t feel comfortable with this so I will offer two other candidates:
    1. In the field, representatives from production, distribution, and sales are actively exchanging opinions on common Japanese issues. (Here I assume that 製配販 are actual people from the three areas. But with whom did they discuss these issues—American experts on the subject? It almost looks as though they went into the field to discuss important matters among themselves.)
    2. In the field, representatives are actively exchanging opinions on production, distribution, and sales as the common issues concerning the Japanese market.

     

  4. Again, the lack of clarification concerning who is coming up with the predictions and countermeasures is my main frustration. “Authorities” seemed to be a good, ambiguous solution.

    5.  

  5. The word 予測 comes up many times in this article. I tried to vary the translation to avoid becoming too repetitive.

    6.  

  6. The uninformative manner in which these methods are introduced seems very odd to me. What’s the difference between opposite and unique? Should I have said “unique to Japan”? Come to think of it, what exactly is “the foreign investment model”? Unfortunately, I am out of my field here so I couldn’t come up with any supplemental explanations. I am stuck with this awkward and literal translation.

    7.  

  7. 今回は、流通コストの分析と明確化、、、 I start this sentence with “even now,” although this is not an accurate translation of 今回は. No matter how many times I reworded it, something like “at this time” just didn’t sound natural. However, “even now” can be construed as “even at this early stage,” which is not exactly what the author stated.

    8.  

  8. How to translate 「黒舟来襲」? I considered using quotation marks around “the Black Boat Invasion” but decided that would have been meaningless to many readers. I chose to use the phrase “foreign menace” and add a comment about Commodore Perry that was not part of the original. This should get the general idea to the reader.

    9.  

Translator B

Meeting the Challenge1

A number of foreign-capital2 retailers3 have set up shop in Japan since the bubble’s collapse about a decade ago. Although a leading French cosmetics firm and a big British drugstore chain4 have subsequently changed their minds, the Japanese players are increasingly fretting over what impact Wal-Mart,5 the world’s largest retail chain, will have in Japan and increasingly stepping up their efforts to understand the Euro-American competition.

Japanese study missions going overseas have held exchanges of views6 with manufacturers, logistics people, and retailers.7 A wide range of predictions have been made and debated on what the foreign-capital retailers might do at each stage of the supply chain;8 the foreign-capital firms’ methods have been studied and translated for the Japanese market, or conversely used as examples of what not to do in developing distinctive business models; and tremendous time has been spent trying to analyze and counter what the foreign-capital retailers are likely to do given their current situation.

Quite rightly, most of this has focused upon identifying and analyzing logistics costs, rethinking established Japanese business practices, and otherwise moving proactively to fix the problems that have historically afflicted the industry as a whole. Indeed, the entrenched companies have demonstrated remarkable strength in not cowering before the foreign onslaught but quickly restructuring to meet it head-on. Hayakawa Kazuo

Comments

  1. Note that I did not translate the title but created a new title that, I think, works better in English.
  2. “Foreign-capital” is an awkward term, but it is widely used and widely understood.
  3. “Retailers” is not nearly broad enough in the first instance, which refers to everyone involved in getting things to market and selling them. And it is confusing to use it two different places for two different Japanese terms (the first one being 流通関連企業 and the second being the 販 part of the 製配販 [manufacture, distribute, and sell] trinity). However, I suspect the distinction being made in Japanese is not that important in English and “retailers” works in both places.
  4. It would be nice to be able to mention who these people are. I think the second is Boots, but I am not sure of the first. And if I don’t know, can I trust the reader knows? Of course, the flip side of that is: is it my responsibility to fill in this non-obvious information? I think not.
  5. Here I have added the company’s name because it is such a famous name and because the name can be left off in Japanese—where everyone knows who it is—but might be appreciated in English.
  6. We can assume—and therefore do not need to say—that these are exchanges on subjects of mutual interest. If only one party were interested, it would not be an exchange of views.
  7. See note 3 above.
  8. Here I have talked about “each stage of the supply chain” to indicate the 各分野 of the 製配販 that was mentioned earlier.

Translator C

Responding to the Influx of Foreign Companies

Many foreign cosmetics businesses have established operations in Japan since the collapse of the “bubble” economy in the early 1990s. Although Sephora, the French cosmetics retailer, and Boots, the British drugstore chain, retreated early on, domestic cosmetics companies are on high alert over the expected onslaught and have been departing wholesale on inspection tours to Europe and the United States.

At their destinations, the visitors discuss common issues concerning manufacturing, distribution, and sales with their local counterparts. Where entry of foreign companies in the Japanese market is concerned, domestic companies expect that this will take place on a broad scale in every sector. The pros and cons have been widely discussed, but no consensus has been reached on how extensively foreign companies will make their presence felt or the best way for local companies to respond. To counter the onslaught, some believe that their operations should be modeled on foreign methods and “translated” to suit the Japanese market. But others think it may be best to take the opposite approach, follow their own methods, or develop new approaches depending on how foreign companies are doing in Japan. As part of their response, Japanese companies in the cosmetics business are taking active steps to analyze and clarify distribution costs, reform business practices unique to the home market, and tackle other legacies of the past affecting overall business activities. Our companies are showing their mettle through their rapid and proactive response to the “incursion of the Black Ships.” Hayakawa Kazuo

Comments

This passage sounds as though it was written for an industry or other insider publication, and it needs some amplification if the translation is intended for a general audience. Also, from the perspective of a Japanese speaking to other Japanese about a “foreign onslaught,” the tone is rather xenophobic, so words with such nuances that I chose might be edited out, depending on the intended audience. Thus, such titles as “Keeping the ‘Furriners’ at Bay” or “Domestic Firms on the Alert over Expected Onslaught” are probably out …

  • Title: The title I chose is not very imaginative, and I hope a good editor would come up with something with more zip.
  • 流通外資： literally “foreign distribution companies/businesses,” but this sounds heavy and long, so I used “foreign companies” or variations in this passage, with the word “cosmetics” thrown in, given the author’s business.
  • バブル崩壊後 has become thoroughly formulaic in Japanese and needs no embellishment when used with a Japanese audience. In English, further detail may be needed if there is a chance the intended readers are not thoroughly familiar with the Japanese scene; hence, the addition of “the early 1990s,” which is not in the original.
  • 製配販： industry jargon, handy condensation of the kanji for manufacturing (製), distributing (配), and selling (販).
  • 仏国の化粧品、英国のドラッグチェーン： Japanese texts often make these rather vague references-after all, it’s 我々日本人 talking to each other-which should be clarified in English, so I added “Sephora” and “Boots” because those are the companies in question.
  • 視察研究： I thought “inspection tour” was sufficient here. Of course, they’re going to “research” too—why else the proverbial image of the earnest bespectacled Japanese visitor with a camera around his neck, eager to capture the competition’s every secret?
  • 意見交換を活発に： another formulaic expression. Here’s where you can give play to your imagination and skill as a writer …
  • 幅広い予測： because of the way the sentence is worded, 展開 isn’t included in this phrase, so at first glance it seems to be talking about “a broad forecast.”
  • In the sentence about the various approaches taken by Japanese companies, I think the translator, unless a real expert in the matter at hand, should ask the client for more specific descriptions in order to be able to make the English more informative.
  • 過去からの課題： another vague expression that’s shorthand for “all kinds of cultural and other baggage preventing Japanese companies from behaving like thoroughly modern entities.” This could be expanded, depending on how much space you have or if there’s a specific reference that you can describe.
  • This whole sentence is also a good example of typical Japanese passive voice use that should be changed to active voice in English.
  • 黒船来襲： this reference to Matthew C. Perry and his ships in Tokyo Bay in the 1850s would require amplification, depending on the audience.

Translator D

The Advance of Foreign Capital

Even after the collapse of the bubble economy,1 circulation of foreign capital continues. Although there was an early retreat in French cosmetics and English drugstore chains, with voices against the advance of the world’s largest distribution industry growing stronger, among domestic distribution-related industries, there was solid support for investigating the situation in Europe and the United States.

At those focal points, there is an active exchange of opinions about issues concerning manufacturing, distribution, and sales2 that are also seen in Japan. In addition, a wide range of predictions are being made in each field for expanding foreign capital venues in Japan. That “at all costs” attitude is thriving, with models and measures for capital circulation being translated from those suitable3 to the Japanese market and those not, original channels, and those that predict new developments in existing foreign capital.

In analyzing and clarifying distribution costs, a positive review of original Japanese business practices should continue, alongside a constant look back at past industry-wide corporate activities to be able to come up with provisions for foreign capital flow. Rather than passively accepting an “invasion of the black ships,”4 positive and accelerated action will allow the hidden power of each industry to be felt. Hayakawa Kazuo

Comments

  1. “Collapse” over “burst” mainly because of the imagery created by a bursting bubble. While some may argue that the economy might have burst, I prefer the image of a bubble deflating or collapsing and think it more closely reflects reality.
  2. I decided to spell this one out. This choice may stem from a lack of reading on the subject (guilty), but even in this short passage, I don’t think that clarifying various aspects of the subject for the reader is overly pedantic.
  3. Another of the no fewer than six 対応 type phrases (three in this sentence alone). This time I chose “suitable” over “correspond,” which is often given in dictionaries, mainly because I often feel that “correspond” can sound stiff and thought the choice suited the sentence better.
  4. The phrase “Black Ships” may be unfamiliar to those without knowledge of Japanese history. If this translation were for that audience, I would add a footnote if possible, and if not, would try to come up with something that might reflect the feeling of the original, such as “enemy at the gate.”