sheryl sze portfolio 2012

Translation & Copywriting翻譯及撰稿服務

Sheryl Sze 施文慧

www.coroflot.com/Sheryl_Sze

[email protected]

UK Time 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday, call: (+44) 7814914097

HK Time 3pm - late (or by appointment), Monday - Friday, call: (+852) 9443 9784

2012 Portfolio

“Working remotely across two time zones has proved to be a success. Her translation also demonstrated a thorough understanding of the original, testament to either her proficiency in Classical Chinese, or some truly outstanding research and comprehension abilities. It was clear that she was dedicated to delivering the best results. Fantastic work!” Mr Woo Kwok Yin, veteran poet and educator

About My Service 理念

Think like my clients

Having been responsible for the production of literally thousands of marketing collaterals myself, often collaborating with freelancers or drafting my own copy, I have a high level of appreciation of the role translation plays in the marketing process, both on an executional and strategic level.

Know your audience

I have lived and worked in Hong Kong, U.S. and U.K, in environments where on a daily basis translation occurs beyond the linguistic level, into people’s values, concepts and assumptions. Consequently, I understand translation in context and take confidence in knowing when to be literal, when to take liberty, and how to use the audience’s own culture to achieve the client’s goals.

過來人的默契

曾經製作近千套宣傳品，當中有和自由撰稿人合作，也有用上自己的文字。所以，不論在執行或是策略性的層面上，我對翻譯工作在市場推廣過程中所擔當的角色有一定了解，和客戶合作自然更易磨合、更有默契。

設身、處地

於香港及英美多年，基於生活及工作環境，翻譯在對我早已不止是文字上的事，而是價值觀和概念的交替，當地文化中許多理所當然的重新考量。所以我比較理解翻譯過程裡的文化因素，考慮到何時應該忠於原文，何時可以酌情修改，以受眾的文化來達到客戶的目標。

[email protected]/Sheryl_Sze UK: (+44) 7814914097 HK: (+852) 9443 97842012 Portfolio: Sheryl Sze 施文慧

The Background:

Thanks to a client’s referral, I had the opportunity to take part in an amazing literary venture – a new Cantonese opera about Confucius, the philosopher who represented much of China’s traditional values. Written by Mr. Woo Kwok Yin, a respected poet, educator and former school principal, the opera was set against the historical background of Confucius’ “peregrination” around war torn China in 500BC. It was written in Classical Chinese, an extremely concise language, of which a four-word sentence would easily be translated into 2-3 times the length in Modern Chinese.

The Challenges:

The opera quoted extensively from Confucius’ Analects, and masterfully incorporated a large selection of Classical Chinese literature. The vast number of metaphors used relied on the audience’s knowledge about the original classics to fully appreciate the work, however, to translate just the meaning would be to water down these poetic imageries. Adding to the challenge was the nature of a live performance, which demands a strict word limit. Finally, the rhythm in some of the libretto was highly specific to the art form, therefore, presented an additional dimension to the brief, in preserving the rhythmic quality in the English translation.

古籍．新經典

感謝客人再度介紹，讓我有機會替「詩人校長」胡國賢將其粵劇新作《孔子之周遊列國》翻譯成英文。作品以孔子周遊列國的歷史為背景，以曲詞配合粵曲不同類型旋律創作，其中更融鑄或直接引用《論語》及其他儒家重要典籍，可謂字字珠璣。搬字過紙直譯原文的話，英文讀者固然摸不著頭腦，只憑意譯，又失去原著意境。而且，因為是舞台作品，英文字幕伴著歌者的演出一句一句顯示出來，長度有所限制，亦不能加入註解引述典故。最有意思的，是「數白欖」一類的段落，翻譯意思之餘，更要令英文譯本讀來仍有原文的節奏韻味。

Case Study: Confucius in Opera 粵劇：孔子之周遊列國

「時差和地理的距離，沒有阻礙這次工作，過程十分順利。她的翻譯顯示出她對原文理解準繩清晰，如果她對古文的認識不是已達至相當程度，便肯定是一位考查與理解能力十分高的翻譯者。明顯地，她很用心將工作做得盡善盡美，而效果亦非常好。」「詩人校長」胡國賢先生


* There are several widely accepted translations of The Analects, such as the one by D.C. Lau. The client’s brief was to use Lau’s version whenever appropriate, plus original translation of the new content.

* 《論語》本身已有劉殿爵等權威譯本，胡先生的意思亦希望能按照學界廣泛採用的譯法，再加入《論語》原文內容沒有的部份。

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Case Study: Professor Cheng Yin Cheong 鄭燕祥教授

The Background:

Referred by my primary contact at the Hong Kong Institute of Education(HKIEd), I had the opportunity to translate the artist’s statement of a selection of 400 paintings, spanning 40 years, for this renowned educator.

An outspoken scholar on HK’s education policies, Professor Cheng is Vice President of HKIEd and Panel advisor for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among numerous prestigious posts.

The Challenges:

To capture the scholarly sentiment in Professor Cheng’s writing, much of which made references to Confusinism, Taoism and the broader classic Chinese

philosophies.

翻譯儒道哲學思想

有機會替知名教育家鄭燕祥教授作翻譯，將結集其40年間400份作品的畫冊自序譯成英文，得感謝我在香港教育學院的主要聯絡人黃女士介紹。

鄭燕祥教授常就香港教育政策發表評論，是香港教育學院的副校長，並身兼多項要職，包括微軟創辦人Bill Gates伉儷名下的基金會其中一位願問。

鄭教授在文中大量引述儒、道家及中國人文思想，我的工作是要將這些概念翻譯成英文，並且不但讓熟悉中國古典文學的外國學者看得懂，更要讓一般英文讀者也讀得明白。

“Very professional and efficient translation! It is a joy to read...” Professor Cheng Yin Cheong

「很專業、效率高，讓人讀得賞心悅目的翻譯。」鄭燕祥教授


Case Study: Hong Kong Philharmonic 香港管弦樂團

The Brief:

To produce a full spectrum of promotional literature as Marketing Manager of the HK Philharmonic. Copies I drafted ranged from taglines, feature articles, to scripts in meet-the-artist sessions and corporate events (which I also acted as the host).

The Challenges:

To understand the technicality of classical music (without formal training), to write under pressure in a marketing cycle, balancing different demands, and to appreciate the interaction between linguistic and visual elements in promotional literature.

推廣古典樂

曾擔任香港管弦樂團的市場推廣經理多年，製作一系列的宣傳品是主要工作之一。寫稿也是份內工作，由宣傳口號、文章到司儀稿都寫過(當然也包括當活動司儀)。

對於沒有正統音樂訓練的我，深入了解每場音樂會的賣點是一大挑戰。此外，將稿在極度有限的時間下寫成，並且讓各單位滿意，是挑戰之二。進一步掌握文字和圖像互動對宣傳效果的影響，是挑戰之三。

“Sheryl has a remarkable ability to relate to Hong Kong’s local culture from the inside, then express it to an English audience. Meanwhile her overseas experience is a powerful key in unlocking concepts in English for Hong Kong’s music lovers. One in a million.” Tiphanie Chan, Editor, HK Philharmonic Orchestra

「Sheryl在香港土生土長，又有在海外留學和生活的經驗，讓她輕鬆游走於中英兩語之間，她不但能以道地的中文為樂迷解構西方概念，更擅長以流暢易讀的文字為英語讀者提供具有本土特色的翻譯，能夠兩者兼備，實在不可多得。」陳嘉惠，香港管弦樂團編輯


Case Study: South China Morning Post 南華早報

The Brief:

To conduct research and interviews both in English and Mandarin for articles about career opportunities in Mainland China.

South China Morning Post is one of the most influencial English-language newspapers in SE Asia.

The Result:

Published over 30 byline articles. Profiled companies include: Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-La, Oracle, Yahoo!, Michael Page, ZTE, Accor, Wal-Mart, Citic Prudential, UPS and L’Oreal.

特約記者

南華早報是區內最具影響力的英文媒體之一，我以特約記者身份，搜集有關中國國內就業情報，以英文及普通話進行訪問，英文撰稿。

先後發表30多篇署名文章，採訪的企業包括： Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-La, Oracle, Yahoo!, Michael Page, ZTE, Accor, Wal-Mart, Citic Prudential, UPS 及 L’Oreal 。


Case Study: Tandem Fine Art, UK

The Brief:

The two artists recently launched their first series of fine-art paintings. My job was to collaborate with the artists to formulate a key PR angle that relates the artists’ unusual past to their present work, without sensationalising these life events.

The Challenges:

To develop a rapport with the artists in the exploration of their personal history.

Building on skills developed as a freelance journalist for the South China Morning Post, this project requires a significantly more intimate interviewing approach.

建立互信

這兩位藝術家發表首個聯合創作系列，我的工作是和對方取得共識，訂下主要公關策略，在不渲染、保護個人私隱的前提下勾勒出藝術家個人背景和現時創作的聯繫。

因為工作項目和二人的個人經歷關係密切，加上兩位藝術家作風低調，所以，建立互信關係是這次工作的最大挑戰。過往為華南早報撰稿，訪問的主要是商業人士，這次訪問則必須先建立互信，才有機會深談、探討。

“With great sensitivity and empathy, she worked tenaciously to arrive at a joint interpretation, rather than imposing her views on the subject. The press release and biography quickly landed us several feature articles and interests from galleries.” John Pullen & Philippa Eluem, Tandem Fine Art

「她的手法敏感細緻，很能設身處地以對方立場出發，而且她很有恆心地和我們找出共識，不會將主觀意見加諸他人身上。她寫的新聞稿和個人介紹，很快便吸引了多份報章和各大畫廊的興趣。」 John Pullen & Philippa Eluem, Tandem Fine Art


Other Clients 更多客戶

Legal Translation

Translated a 40,000-word legal/engineering document in four working days from Taiwan Chinese to British English. Independently researched to verify specialised terms used predominantly in Taiwan.

教育

由2009年開始為香港教育學院官方認可，提供翻譯及英文撰稿服務。

「每遇緊急情況，Sheryl都能夠提供可靠、嚴謹而迅速的服務。她的中英語文基礎紮實，配合上乘的英文水準, 在業界內實屬難得。學院的多位合作伙伴都曾對她的工作表示讚許。」

翻譯法律文件

四個工作天內將原文為台式中文、長達四萬字的法律/工程相關文件翻譯成英式英文，並在翻譯過程中確切查核台灣專用之行業詞彙。

酒店業

由於留學英國的中國學生的市場地位在近年迅速提高，英國最具規模之學生宿舍集團UNITE Group Plc. 在2011年首次於中港台進行宣傳推廣。我的工作是效對及修改由第三方市場推廣公司翻譯成國內、台灣及香港之簡繁體宣傳文章，並以英文詳細解釋修改內容，以及如何按個別地區文化調節有關宣傳訊息。

Education

An approved provider of translation and English copywriting service since 2009 for the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

“When up against a tight timeline, we could consistently count on Sheryl to provide trustworthy, well-researched and prompt service. While she has solid foundation in both Chinese and English; her high English standard is a rarity that can seldom be found among other language service providers. Many of my working partners at the Institute have also commended Sheryl for her quality work”.

Hospitality

For UNITE Group Plc., the largest student accommodation provider in the U.K., I provided fully annotated review, localisation and editing service for a range of sales literature, originally translated by a contractor from English to Mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong Chinese. Detailed explanation was provided to the Bristol-based client, who only reads English.

Charity慈善團體

Voice-Over Script

影片旁白

Performing Arts 演藝

Subscription Brochure

劇季小冊子

Certification 標準及驗證

Press Releases

新聞稿

IT Security 資訊科技保安

Feature Articles

特稿

Beauty & Fitness 美容保健

Marketing Literature

宣傳文章

Performing Arts 演藝

Review

演評

Outreach 外展

Event Host

活動司儀

Food & Beverage 飲食業

Company Slogan

公司標語


About Me 關於我

A decade after graduating from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, I still find myself continually experiencing the harmony and disjoint bewteen my native culture of Hong Kong and what I have adopted by choice. Over the years, I have worked in customer relations, PR, journalism, sales and for 6 years in marketing, across three continents. I managed to excel in these positions, up to managerial level, through a strong work ethic, but I am now focusing on a career in writing that allows me to sail between cultures while sharpening my intuitive tool of thinking - language.

Currently living in Bristol, U.K., I spend much of my spare time dancing (street and African), which complements my training in Taichi.

於美國密西根大學安娜堡校園畢業十年，對香港本土文化和旅居外國所見聞的異同仍然感受極深，是經常思考的重要題目。曾於美國、香港及英國從事客戶關係、公關、銷售等工作，期間任職市場推廣六年。工作場上全力以赴，表現總算稱職，並且獲益良多。近期回歸多年以來的興趣，專注文字工作。

現居於英國小城布里斯托，閒時喜愛跳爵士舞及非洲舞，同時修習太極。

Graphic Design by Jude Pullen

Bristol Harbourside Festival 2010, UK.


sheryl sze portfolio 2012

Entertainment & Humor