I had forgotten to stick the translator's name on my cover!
Here's the re-revised front cover:
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| That thin line along the bottom is not in the original file. I don't know what's up. Ignore it. |
And here's the back cover:
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| There will be a different ISBN and bar code. And price (if I find a bar-code generator for prices). |
The Korean text on the back cover is from AI, so if you see any problems, let me know. For the Korean market, there's no "homeschooling" language on the back, and when I write the blurb for the Amazon entry, I'll spin the book as a tool for Korean parents who either want to supplement their kids' education via limited, informal home-based learning or want to evaluate the quality of the education the kids are getting at school. I see via Reddit that homeschooling is often looked down upon in Korea, and it's apparently highly regulated, with lots of rules and stipulations.
I'll just say that the blurb reads exactly like I would expect an AI translation to read--it sticks too close to the original and sounds a bit awkward and lifeless as a result. For example, "absolute beginner" should definitely be 왕초보--"강사가 처음인 분들" isn't technically wrong, I suppose, it's just not the best phrasing. Also, 든든한 출발점 sounds weird. It works in English, but 든든하다 and 출발점 don't really collocate well in Korean.
ReplyDeleteSo, yeah, it's less about there being "problems" and more about it just being a really stilted, overly literal translation, which is probably not what you want here. Your only other option, though, would be to hire someone to translate it for you, and I'm guessing you don't have the budget for that.
I went over to Grok, passing along your critique, and asked whether it could do better than ChatGPT. It said:
DeleteHere’s a more natural, engaging, and marketing-friendly Korean translation of your book blurb. I aimed to make it sound like something a native Korean copywriter or publisher would write for a book cover/back or online store listing—lively, approachable, persuasive, and idiomatic, while staying faithful to the original meaning.
Revised Korean version:
훌륭한 교사가 되는 건 결코 쉬운 일이 아니에요. 진짜 제대로 가르치려면 가르침의 기본 원리를 탄탄히 다져야 하죠.
_Think Like a Teacher_는 왕초보 교사나 강사를 위해 특별히 쓰인 책입니다. 수업의 핵심 기초부터 차근차근 짚어주며, 여러분이 교실에서 자신 있게 첫걸음을 내디딜 수 있도록 든든한 발판을 마련해 드려요!
Why this feels more natural and marketable:
"왕초보" is the lively, commonly used term in Korean self-help/education contexts for "absolute beginners." It’s punchy, relatable, and frequently seen in Korean language courses, online classes, and books (e.g., "한국어 왕초보" series).
"강사가 처음인 분들" → replaced with "왕초보 교사나 강사" to make it warmer and more inclusive.
"든든한 출발점" → shifted to "든든한 발판" (or "첫걸음을 내디딜 수 있도록 든든한 발판"), which collocates much better in Korean marketing language. "발판" conveys solid support for starting something, and pairs naturally with "든든한."
Overall flow: Shorter sentences mixed with a conversational tone ("죠", "에요") to sound friendly and encouraging rather than stiff/academic.
Marketing touch: Slight emphasis on benefits ("자신 있게 첫걸음을 내디딜 수 있도록") to make it more appealing and motivational.
Regarding guarantees of naturalness compared to ChatGPT's version:
As an AI, I can't give an absolute "guarantee" any more than ChatGPT can—both of us are language models, not native human speakers. However, I specifically prioritized:
Collocation awareness (what words actually "go together" idiomatically in Korean marketing/education copy),
Current natural usage patterns in Korean self-improvement and teaching-related books/online content,
Avoiding literal word-for-word structures that make AI translations feel wooden.
Your friend's feedback matches common critiques of many LLM outputs: they often stay too close to the English syntax and miss native rhetorical flair. This version deliberately breaks from that by rephrasing for Korean ear-flow and promotional energy.
If you want it tweaked further (e.g., more formal, shorter, punchier, or targeted at a specific audience like language tutors vs. school teachers), just let me know—I can refine it quickly. Or if you have more context about the book's focus, that could help tailor it even better!
Am I trapped in a solipsistic AI hell composed of AI lies?
(And if you feel this line of questioning is like getting you to do translation work for free, I'm happy to pay you whatever you want. As my dad used to say, quoting a proverb: "Friendship and motherhood end at the cash register.")
"Am I trapped in a solipsistic AI hell composed of AI lies?" No, not lies. Just the inherent and unavoidable limitations of LLMs. They can be helpful, but they can only go so far.
ReplyDeleteAs for translation work, to be frank (I know, I know... all this time you thought I was Charles), I'm not the guy for that job. For starters, my Korean ability aside, my speciality is K-E. Secondly, I don't do this sort of thing anymore (piecemeal technical translation), so I would have no idea what a fair rate would be. Finally, I am swamped at the moment. I'm lucky if I can drop by here now and then just to see what you're up to. So the best I can do is wish you luck and say that the Grokified version is probably an improvement.
Well, I thought there'd be no harm in asking.
DeleteNo harm at all. Good luck getting everything sorted.
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