In the spirit of good sportsmanship, or good sportspoofship, I am curious about possible help I could get about poofing the following:
“–Laid-back to stroll at _____ attractive spots–”
Can anybody please post how they would poof this?
Thanks!
Supposing the subject is “I”:
I like to go hiking in my free time.
If whatever you are proofreading is full of such sentences, then this is a good example of where what you are being asked to do is not proofread. You are being asked to do a rewrite, so charge more.
[quote=“IYouThem”]"–Laid-back to stroll at _____ attractive spots–"
Can anybody please post how they would poof this?[/quote]
More context is needed. What’s the purpose of the text? Who is the intended readership?
At least the whole paragraph.
suppose
supposing
supposed to
Purpose of the text: to introduce tourists to a city
Intended readership: English readers
I can’t quote more (paragraph, context, etc.) as the quote in the first post is the first subtitle after the main title.
What’s the ________? A place, a person, a feeling, a banana?
It sounds really Chinese to me. I think you may be better off by starting over with the original Chinese text. Then get a real translator and then proofread from there.
‘A relaxing city for leisurely strolls and sightseeing.’
That’s a bit boring, though. Could easily have a bit of oomph!
If it is a photo caption, what are the people in the photo doing? If they are hiking, then something like “Hiking in scenic areas” might be enough. If they are standing in front of an historic building, then mentioning “sightseeing” would be appropriate.
It may be a photo caption - I’ve only been given the text.
It is about a city.
I do think it’s way too Chinese, I do think it has bad grammar, and I do think it misses the purpose of the main idea - to make the city appeal to English readers; but I still can’t decide whether to just ignore it or not …
You’ll need to ask them for the photo. One should never translate/edit a photo caption without seeing the photo.
This one is SO easy! Call yourself an editor? COME ON! The correct answer of course is “Dude! Where’s my car?” You want oomph? Sure! I aim to please. “Dude! Where’s my fucking car?”
You can’t just ignore it. It is completely incorrect grammatically, and makes no sense - we can’t even figure out what activity the people in the photo are engaged in.
Thanks for your replies!
The current time-slicing and state of affairs is:
I’m truly befuddled.
I don’t know whether to bow out gracefully, or throw down the gauntlet?!
[quote=“IYouThem”]Thanks for your replies!
The current time-slicing and state of affairs is:
I’m truly befuddled.
I don’t know whether to bow out gracefully, or throw down the gauntlet?![/quote]
Don’t be afraid to tell them that it currently makes no sense, so you can’t correct it. Tell them you need more information, such as the photo, and for someone to explain what they were trying to say with that “effort” you were supposed to proofread.
[quote=“irishstu”][quote=“IYouThem”]Thanks for your replies!
The current time-slicing and state of affairs is:
I’m truly befuddled.
I don’t know whether to bow out gracefully, or throw down the gauntlet?![/quote]
Don’t be afraid to tell them that it currently makes no sense, so you can’t correct it. Tell them you need more information, such as the photo, and for someone to explain what they were trying to say with that “effort” you were supposed to proofread.[/quote]
As per Gov’t work, it would be perfect. The English text should be a mirror of the Chinese text. Period. Sense or no sense, if they can understand it in Chinese, it is correct, if they can’t -meaning it is written in actual English- then you are doing a bad job, you do not understand Chinese and hence someone else -a Mandarain native speaker- will fix that for ya… Your audience is not the foreign visitors, but rather the boss of whoever commissioned this project.
With that in mind, proceed with caution. Try to make it as meaningful as possible without losing the Chinese structure. I propose: “A laid back stroll at some of Habibabuba’s most attractive spots” .
But then I am not an English native speaker, either. 
When in doubt just insert the question “Whose balls are these?” It works in most situations.
Actually, Icon’s suggestion sounds good, though write ‘laid-back’. It is very close to the Chinglish provided, but correct - as long as the photo actually matches.
[quote=“Icon”]
As per Gov’t work, it would be perfect. The English text should be a mirror of the Chinese text. Period. Sense or no sense, if they can understand it in Chinese, it is correct, if they can’t -meaning it is written in actual English- then you are doing a bad job, you do not understand Chinese and hence someone else -a Mandarain native speaker- will fix that for ya… Your audience is not the foreign visitors, but rather the boss of whoever commissioned this project.
With that in mind, proceed with caution. Try to make it as meaningful as possible without losing the Chinese structure. I propose: “A laid back stroll at some of Habibabuba’s most attractive spots” .
But then I am not an English native speaker, either. [/quote]
Amazing insight, Icon! I think you described the background almost perfectly. Your fix is is a superb example of what they probably want - and I would not have thought of it. However, I know I would have the same trouble with the rest of it, so I am going to bow out, with what little grace I may have remaining.