I’m trying to work out a proper translation for the phrase “工作紀律.” The context is the stages of implementing a massive, complicated project. The first step was easily translated as “Establishing and Communicating Project Goals.” The second phase was calling everyone together and telling them that this project was top-priority, and communicating performance expectations to each employee involved in the project (i.e. if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, we will kick your ass to the pavement).
I want to translate that phase as “Defining Performance Expectations,” as “working discipline” isn’t standard English usage, but my client insists that this is not a proper translation of defining or clarifying 工作紀律.
He also told me I don’t understand this because I am not Chinese, which chafes a bit. Americans are too individualistic to understand something like 工作紀律, he says .
Well, he’s a good guy, the CEO of a large company. Still, I couldn’t resist a rejoinder that it was too bad that there has to be a special phase in a project to ensure that Chinese employees will do what they are supposed to do.
Looking forward to the responses our redoubtable language experts.
Dragonbabe explained it to me as work-related discipline. For smooth English in the context given, I rather like your translation better. However, the client is king, so…
I think he’s probably reacting to his perception that “defining and communicating project goals” is a democratic process, which this would not be. If you Google “工作紀錄” you get things (from the ML, mostly) declaring that everyone must remember that they are working for the people, blah blah blah…it doesn’t really seem to be related to specific projects, but rather is more of a cheerleading session.
I don’t have a problem with using “work discipline” except that it’s not parallel with the other headings, since you’re using verb-objects on the others. What if you added a verb? “Reinforcing Work Discipline”, “Establishing Work Discipline”, “Solidifying Work Discipline”, something like that?
I’m assuming that this document is for a mostly Chinese audience, though. To sell the goodness of the whole project to Westerners, naturally the other would be better.
(I’m going to set up a service for translators in Taiwan: “Letter from the Doctor.” All I do, for a nominal fee transferred to my Post Office account, is write a letter stating that XYZ is in fact a common, ordinary, appropriate and stylish translation of the Chinese original ABC in document DEF, and that I am competent to render this judgement because: (and list half a page of my “paper” accomplishments, the ones that usually shut up the most determined I’ve-studied-abroad-you-know-my-English-is-really-hot guy on the island.)
I had a great time recently after I looked over a document for one of my Fujen classmates. She’d done a very good job going into English in the first place (long residence in Canada); I cleaned up a few little things and made a few stylistic changes, and she submitted it. The obligatory English God at the company said “No one would ever say it that way in English.” I provided her with an Obnoxious Letter™ and next thing you know, they accepted the job and paid her.
Thank you all for your feedback. The client in question is presenting a talk to 400 or so IT executives from around the world on the subject of lessons learned after implementing a massive IT project.
Ironlady, if this presentation was targeted at a bunch of Mandarin speakers, I would do exactly what you are suggesting, since they will be translating most everything he says in English back into Mandarin anyway.
In this case, there are only a dozen or so Chinese among an audience of 400. I think I’m going to go back to “Communicating Performance Expectations” and tell him that in his talk he needs to explain that this means he had to sit his people down and tell them he was going to kick them in the ass if they didn’t perform as expected.
.