◎拙い日記
★ Saturday Nov. 18th 【A Trial Lesson With A Translator #1】 This day I met a worker who works for a majorelectronic company to teach her how to translatetechnical documents. We were supposed to meet at 新飯塚 Sta.at 14:45 when she was supposed to arrive there.But I didn't see her at the station at that time.I waited for her for a while, but she didn't show up.So I walk back home and, later got a call from her.Her train was behind the timetable and arrivedat the station around 15:00.I told her to walk to the cafe at Nogami President Hotelfrom the station and I went there by motorbike. I checked her actual translation and found onlya few problems, but they were trifle ones.I found her translation excellent. We agreed to have English lessons on weekendsfrom now on. This is what I had wanted to do.Teaching business or technical English (English translation)to company workers had been one of my dreams. ----------------------------------------------- ★ Sunday Nov. 19th 【渥美清について】 This day I got a new DVD of 男はつらいよ. These days, I bought 10 DVDs of this movie.As you may know, I love and admire 渥美清. I hadn't known that he suffered from cancer orother critical diseases just until he passed away.Actually most of his coworkers and other actors/actressesdidn't know that he was seriously sick. 渥美清 made every possible effort not to let others realizethat he was ill at that time. As the top star and the main characterof the most popular movies which helped 松竹 earn great profitsevery year, he took full responsibilities not to cause any adverse effects to the company and all staff around him. Some movies of his final period, say the 40th to 48th,are not so attractive to watch, because he is not soactive due to his illness. I bought DVDs of early movies of this. --------------------------------------------------- ★ Nov. 20th -- Nov. 23rd 【展示会】 Monday, Nov. 20th I went to Kokura in the morningto attend Eco-Business Show there.This show was open for four days between Nov. 20th and 23rd. Over 100 companies and organizations involving in the eco-industry joined this show. My business is one of them.Eco Business is worldwide and so I think there must bea good market for interpreters. I'm a member of 福岡県中小企業家同友会.This time, my office, together with four other companies belongingto this Association joined the show, sharing one big booth. Originally I had wanted to join the show for all the four days,but I couldn't. I just went to Kokura in the morning to display salespromotional documents at our booth and then I asked the presidentsof the four companies to take care of my booth. Then, I went back to my office to do some pieces of urgent translation work. I didn't join the show on Nov. 21st and 22nd. I joined the Show in the afternoon of Nov. 23rd.I asked two students of mine to help me at the show as part-timers. We saw two foreign businessmen and talked to one of them. After the show, we went to a local pub to have a dinner together.One other student of mine joined the dinner.He studies at 高専 in Kitakyushu.I think we had a great time together. Special thanks to the three students. --------------------------------------------------------------★ Friday, Nov. 24th 【A Visit to My Customer】 This day I was supposed to visit one of my customers in 福間町in order to introduce one of my students to the company as a newtranslator responsible for this company. I just wanted this student to experience using English professionallybecause using English for a living or professionally is one of the waysto improve our English skills. This is one of my trump cards to getthis student inspired a lot. Plus, the company itself wanted to have a female translatorbecause this company deals with manufacturers in Australia,most of which are headed by female presidents.So, they need a female translator to have a better communicationwith the female presidents. I know there is something in common among women that we, men, cannot understand.The working conditions provided by this company also fit her life, I supposed. I never wanted to force this student to take this opportunity.I always respect the way she feels. So I just wanted her to listen to them this day and judge on her own if she would take it or not.She decided to take this opportunity.I just strongly hope that this opportunity inspires her a lotand helps her improve her English skills and learn how the business works. ----------------------------------------------------◎ Sunday Nov. 25th [A Trial Lesson With A Translator #2] This day I met with a gentleman.He is a plant manager of a major tobacco manufacturer in Tagawa.He came here to have a trial lesson and was supposed to experiencemy English lesson to consider having me as the English instructorat his plant. He is now planning to start an in-house English coursefor his staff members. This company imports and exports machines and sothey need speak, write and negotiate in English whenthey deal with foreign counterparts.That's why he has been looking for any good instructor.One day he came to know me through an article about me in 西日本新聞. I gave him a 70-min. lesson. I hope that he and his staff will welcomeme as their English instructor soon. --------------------------------------------------------◎ Monday Nov. 27th [A Trial Lesson #3] In the evening, this day, I visited a electronic parts manufacturerin 新飯塚 to meet with its in-house(社内の) translator. One day she gave me a sudden call to help her improve interpretationand translation skills. Then, this day I gave her an English lesson. I had known her for about one year.I sometimes visited her at her company and advisedher on how to translate Japanese technical reports into English. She wanted to have a good confidence in her English by takinga good English course. So I proposed her to study English togetherregularly at her company. Then, if things are going well, I will start business English courseand business translation course at three companies soon.Business English is my bag and so I am looking forward to these opportunities. --------------Ken SUETSUGU