I Might Have Potential for an Editing Position

LocoGuy107 · Nov 18, 2014 12:54 AM

Check it out. I was playing Blek, when I decided to look at its reviews. For those wondering, it's a mind-provoking puzzle game for iOS devices that challenges you to create a line that will animate in a repeated pattern to smash through colorful dots on the screen. This is the trailer:

It got a 78 Critic score on Metacritic, with a 85 from IGN Italia. I wanted to read their full review (scroll down once you click the link to see their review), but it was in Italian, a language I haven't learned. Just look at this:

Alessandro Zampini (IGN Italia Editor) wrote:

Blek è uno di quei titoli che mi ero colpevolmente lasciato sfuggire al tempo della sua uscita un paio di mesi fa, ma che recupero più che volentieri ora che è tornato in vista tra i più venduti di Apple Store. Si tratta di un puzzle game molto particolare e impegnativo, nel quale si devono colpire tutte le sfere colorate disegnando una linea che si muove in base alla sua forma. Se infatti si traccia una linea retta, questa proseguirà dritta da una parte all'altra dello schermo, se invece si disegna una U rovesciata questa continuerà a ripetersi fino a che non sparirà dallo schermo, o che incontrerà una delle tante sfere nere piazzate per rendere ancora più complicata la risoluzione degli enigmi. Già dai primissimi quadri si capisce quanto possa essere impegnativo trovare un pattern ripetibile che non solo riesca a raccogliere tutte le sfere colorate, ma che sia in grado di evitare quelle nere, permettendo così di passare al livello successivo. I sessanta livelli di cui si compone Blek forse non sono tantissimi, ma garantiscono un'esperienza di gioco completa ed appagante, sopratutto quando di riesce ad elaborare un tratto in grado di districarsi tra tutti gli ostacoli e riempire di orgoglio il piccolo Van Gogh che è in noi.

I don't understand ONE WORD. So I ended up using Google Translate to translate this. The problem is, it also gave me a grammatically incorrect essay.

Google Translate wrote:

Blek is one of those titles that I had culpably missed at the time of its release a few months ago, but recovered more than happy now that he is back with a view to best sellers from the Apple Store. It is a very unique and challenging puzzle game in which you must hit all the colored balls by drawing a line that moves according to its shape. In fact, if you draw a straight line, this will continue straight across the screen, but if you draw an upside-down U that will continue to repeat until they disappear from the screen, or it will encounter one of the many black balls placed to make even harder to solve the puzzles. From the earliest pictures you can see how it can be challenging to find a repeatable pattern that not only able to collect all the colored balls, but it is able to avoid the black ones, allowing it to pass to the next level. The sixty levels that make Blek maybe not many, but they guarantee a gaming experience complete and satisfying, especially when of a sudden can decode able to wade through all the obstacles and fill with pride the little Van Gogh is in us.

So...

I edited it and wrote:

Blek is one of those titles that I had culpably missed at the time of its release a few months ago, but recovered more than happ[il]y now that *it* is back with a view to best sellers from the Apple [App] Store. It is a very unique and challenging puzzle game in which you must hit all the colored balls by drawing a line that moves according to its shape. In fact, if you draw a straight line, *it* will continue straight across the screen, but if you draw an upside-down U[,] that will continue to repeat until *it disappears* from the screen, or it will encounter one of the many black balls placed to make [it] even harder to solve the puzzles. From the earliest pictures you can see how it can be challenging to find a repeatable pattern that [will] not only [be] able to collect all the colored balls, but *will also be* able to avoid the black ones, allowing *one* to pass to the next level. The sixty levels that make Blek *may not be* many, but they guarantee a gaming experience [that is] complete and satisfying, especially when [someone] *can suddenly* decode [and be] able to wade through all the obstacles and fill with pride the little Van Gogh in us.

I may have one or two errors in there, but it's very understandable now.

Flapjacks · Nov 18, 2014 7:42 AM

Don't mean to disappoint you, but I don't exactly think being able to decipher google translate and turn it into correct English exactly gives you 'potential for an editing position,' that is if you meant some kind of paying job. Editing involves a lot more than just correcting grammar and such, it's also about suggesting the author maybe fix the wording to get a point across easier, or to not offend people. In a book, an editor might suggest the author not make a certain choice in writing their story. For example, in Harry Potter, JK Rowling was considering making Ron die at one point, but the editor heavily advised against it for the sake of not darkening the tone of the series further.

Stormy · Nov 18, 2014 2:49 PM

Translating requires skill in the language far beyond Google Translate. In this case, you have no idea if the translation you got from Google Translate is accurate. Languages are complex and have little nuances and words that don't always directly translate, so translating is often more about maintaining the tone and spirit of the original text than mechanically converting it word by word. If you try, for example, going on a foreign language forum, writing your posts in English, and running them though Google Translate before posting them, you're going to have communication issues, guaranteed. At the very least, people will be able to tell that your grammar is totally off.

As for editing, besides what Flapjacks already said, most editing positions will require an English degree, or at least a previous writing portfolio. I've been told I could be an English teacher or an editor before, but the thing is, I don't actually know most of the technical grammar rules and writing techniques because I didn't go through the training to learn them. I just write what sounds correct to me, which is bound to fail pretty often.

There's nothing stopping you from pursuing a job in editing if you're willing to work a bit harder than that to obtain the necessary skills.

NeoReaper · Nov 18, 2014 4:03 PM

The problem with Google Translate (Or any translation type websites) is they translate only small terms and words together which is technically correct but does not sound right to the person you would have said it to.

Swaffy · Nov 18, 2014 6:19 PM

"Google Translate job"

#1 Nov 18, 2014 12:54 AM

I Might Have Potential for an Editing Position

#2 Nov 18, 2014 7:42 AM

Re: I Might Have Potential for an Editing Position

#3 Nov 18, 2014 2:49 PM

Re: I Might Have Potential for an Editing Position

#4 Nov 18, 2014 4:03 PM

Re: I Might Have Potential for an Editing Position

#5 Nov 18, 2014 6:19 PM

Re: I Might Have Potential for an Editing Position

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