I am working on the English localization of the 'Soba Making Experience'!
Hello.
I am Reika Nagaki, an English coach.
Mr. Kuji, a Soba craftsman who is relearning English
with the dream of 'spreading Soba making abroad'
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Through the connection of helping with an interview,
since February,I have been helping to localizethe
Soba making experience into English.
Mr. Kuji has had international guests experience
Soba making several times before,
but although he has been reading out English translations
done by ChatGPT,
he felt, 'I have so much more I could convey if I used my own words...'
He felt that way.
Empathizing with Mr. Kuji,
we are working together on a project to create an English version of the Soba making experience tailored to Mr. Kuji.
We are moving forward hand in hand.
Last week, we held our third session.
Instead of just translating the Japanese manuscript into English,
we are creating English that Mr. Kuji canexplain to international guests with confidence as his own words.
I will introduce how we are proceeding.I hope this will be helpful for those who want to
try holding workshops for international guests.
There was this Japanese phrase for explaining how to knead the Soba dough.
It went like this:
Instead of firming it up, please mix it with the image of loosening it.
Just the task of changing this Japanese into English
word for word is not suitable for localizing
the Soba making experience.
So, how do we do it...?
Me: 'Please tell me what kind of work you are doing.'
Kuji: 'It feels like breaking a big lump into pieces.' He explains while moving his hands.
Me: 'Break a big ball into small pieces. How is this expression?'
Kuji: 'Yes, that is the meaning!'
1) Have Mr. Kuji explain the Japanese explanation specifically.
2) The two of us extract the core part of the explanation (make it simple Japanese).
3) I try to make it into simple English.
4) Have Mr. Kuji check if it is correct.
We are proceeding by taking these steps.
In step 2), we narrow down the content we want to convey.
To strip away the unnecessary parts,
Mr. Kuji's knowledge of Soba making is absolutely essential.
Because only a professional who is well-versed in Soba making
can choose the points that need to be emphasized.
And, when checking the English in step 4),
I always have Mr. Kuji read it out loud.
Can you visualize the meaning while reading it?
Are there any English words that are difficult to pronounce?
Are there any sentences that are too long?
Can you imagine explaining it with a good rhythm?
This part has to be done by Kuji-san, too.
No matter how much I think,
'I've created simple and easy-to-understand English!'
if it doesn't feel right to the person using it, it's meaningless.
There's no point.
At this step,when reading the English-translated explanation aloud,
Kuji-san's hands start moving just as they do when making soba.
It starts moving.
She has an image of explaining while making soba in front of customers.
That image comes to mind.
Seeing that is truly exciting.
The manuscript we created like a sparring session together
supports Kuji-san's dream.
Kuji-san said this during the interview.
(Requests from overseas customers) It's too late to prepare after they arrive. It's important to do it in advance so that even if a great opportunity comes, you don't miss it due to lack of preparation.
We are moving forward with these words, putting them into practice.