A Japanese Translator’s Sabbatical: Wildlife Safari in The World’s Last Truly Pristine Wilderness

The call of nature was tempered by a pair of lions, male and female, sauntering through the safari lodge in the dead of night, their grunts piecing the eerily silence that had settled over the dark African bush. It’s literally a hop skip and jump to the ablution block but…to pee or not to pee?

This is perhaps one of the last truly pristine wildernesses in Zambia, if not all of Africa.

Zam Lodge on the Kafue River 

The Kafue National Park, named for the majestic Kafue River, was established in 1924. Covering an impressive 22,400 km² (slightly larger than Israel and roughly the same size as the U.S state of New Jersey), it is not only the largest game park in Zambia, but also lays claim to the Number 2 spot in all of Africa. Stretching over three provinces -North Western, Central and Southern- the park is readily accessible from the capital Lusaka, the Copper Belt in the north and the tourist hub of Livingstone in the south of the country. Roads are generally good, and the park is also serviced by several all-weather airfields.

Despite its ease of access and great diversity of flora & fauna, the park remains little-known and unspoiled having escaped the level of commercialization that makes many of the better known African game parks, such as South Africa’s Kruger National Park, a tourist trap.

The Kafue National Park is a must on any bucket list.

This is one of the few places south of the Congo basin where you can within a 24-hour period still encounter the Big 5 – Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Hyena and Wild Dogs. While healthy populations of the more charismatic wildlife are standard fare, expect to be delighted by rare and elusive antelope such as sitatunga, lechwe, roan, sable and hartebeest to mention but a few. A local safari guide with good knowledge of the park will have no problem pointing out many of the 158 documented species in the park.

Fortunately, large scale commercialization remains a distant prospect.

The ongoing liberalization of southern African economies has, though, seen numerous foreign safari operations establish a foothold in the park. It is not uncommon to see eye watering rates of USD1,000 PLUS per night. The mere presence of these operators indicates there is a market for their services; however, the “sanitized safaris” served up detracts from the true experience. Seek out a local Zambian safari operator for the quintessential African Safari Experience.

The locally operated Zam Lodge is nestled between 2 enormous islands capping either side of a near right angle bend in the meandering Kafue River. The lodge, consisting of four cozy chalets, rotunda, kitchen, and ablution block, opens right onto the banks of the Kafue. Think “bush camp”!

Three and a half hours out of Lusaka on excellent asphalt roads, a quick lunch, and our local guide whisked us straight to the fishing grounds. Fishing on the Kafue River is excellent. Within minutes of casting, lines were running out on screaming reels. Various varieties of bream, pike, sliver barbel and monstrous black barbel would be on the menu. After an hour on the water the haul of the day was enough to feed our entire party of nine, and that was after battling the resident fish eagle. This regal bird of prey would from time to time swoop down from its lofty perch high in the forest canopy, attempting to take catch right off our lines!

With the sun setting, we headed back to camp weaving around hippos & crocs blocking our route.

Kafue River Sunset 

Dinning in the rotunda was eschewed for chairs pulled up around a blazing camp fire under the brisk night sky. A sumptuous meal of freshly caught fish was washed down with copious amounts of drink capped with coffee. Nearby the kids grilled their catch the old-fashioned way -- Skewered over a ‘mini grill’ the friendly staff taught them how to make. Self-entertainment for kids, relaxation for the rest!

Zam Lodge is a child friendly safari operation. And, staff constantly keep an eye on the little ones; this is, after all, the deep African bush.

Our 3 days on the Kafue, characterized by fishing, day & night game drives, spectacularly crimson sunsets & sunrises, camp fire meals and excellent company way into the melodious African night, was, sadly, over all too soon. Zam Lodge’s expert safari guides delivered -- Elephants, hippos, crocodiles, hyena, wild dogs, sitatunga, lechwe, sable, kudo, puku, impala, and bushbuck to name but a few. Unfortunately, we never got to see the notoriously elusive male leopard hanging around, although the shy bushbuck did alert us to its presence with alarm calls of short & sharp barks continuing way into the night.

But, when lion are on the prowl even leopards know better than to be out and about. Bolted behind heavy, 2-inch-thick steel-hard mukwa wooden doors ready to pee a river, the ablution block may as well have been on the other side of the river…

Rotunda Dinning & Bar 

About the Author
The author is a Japanese translator in Tokyo, Japan specializing in travel & tourism translations. Contact SAECULII YK, owner of the Tokyo based Japanese Translation Company, Professional Japanese Translators with decades of solid experience.

All rights reserved. Reproduction of this article is permitted only with explicit permission from SAECULII YK, and should include copyright information and text links as is (japan-translators.saeculii.com/english/services/japanese-translation-hotel-travel.cfm).

Secrets to Optimal Professional Japanese Translation You Need to Know

This article is about achieving impeccable professional translation results, every single time.

We'll guide you through the intricacies of translation quality, ensuring your project's success is no longer a roll of the dice.

The Steppingstone to Quality

Amid the marketing jargon and industry buzz vying for your dollar, selecting the right type of translation might seem like a daunting puzzle. Let's demystify your options:

HUMAN TRANSLATION SERVICE

The crème de la crème, performed by educated, trained, and specialized Japanese human translators.

COMPUTER TRANSLATION

The realm of automation, with mixed results in terms of quality and nuance.

THE HYBRID

Post Editing Machine Translation (PEMT) is a blend of automation and human touch, but often riddled with challenges.

TRANSLATION CROWDSOURCING

A collaborative approach, but it can lack consistency and expertise.

TRANSLATION CLOUD

A platform for translation collaboration, with varied outcomes.

 

The Common Sense Option

Now, let's unravel the secret behind translation quality that stands above the rest. The answer lies in Human Translation Service. Why is this your winning ticket to excellence?

Japanese human translators are educated, experienced, and experts in their chosen domains. Further, they bring subject matter expertise, which is crucial for accurate translations in specialized fields like technology, finance, and law. 

Therefore, unlike other options, there's no compromise between cost and quality. In other words.

You get the best of both worlds, without the trade-offs.

A Guarantee with Teeth

Consider this: 

You wouldn't buy a computer without a warranty, right? 

Translation services should be no different! Ensuring the highest quality begins with a service guarantee that's more than just words. Here's what to scrutinize before making your choice:

1. Qualified Human Translators - Ensure the company employs skilled professionals with proven expertise.
2. Quality Driven Processes - Look for a commitment to rigorous translation processes that prioritize accuracy.
3. Post Delivery Support - A guarantee shouldn't end with delivery; post-project support matters.
4. Personalized Customer Service - Your needs should be at the heart of every interaction.
5. Confidentiality and Security - Your content's protection should be non-negotiable.

While a simple, clean cut Complete Satisfaction or 100% Money Back Guarantee is ideal, you’ll want to take a hard look at the details of that guarantee on offer. After all, 

Getting your money back for a flubbed job is nice; however, you don’t want to waste your time dealing with incompetence, right?

 

Translation Quality with the Right Knowledge

Your quest for top-tier Professional Japanese Translation begins with knowing your options and demanding a service guarantee with teeth. In other words,

Being armed with the right knowledge!

Now, you're truly equipped to embark on a translation journey that promises nothing less than excellence.

Japanese Translation Agency: A winning translation methodology in the original

This article is about professional human translation.

In this article series, you get to develop a translation methodology, especially one that suits your work style, which will enable you to translate more efficiently and accurately. And, if you happen to glean any pointers that will up your game, so much the better!

(Regardless of whether you’re a Japanese translator or a client of a Japanese Translation Agency, there’s something for you in this article for you to take home.)

1. Read the original document
2. Research the translation
3. Now, do the work
4. Ask the right questions
5. Compare with the original
6. Edit (proof) the translation
7. Sleep on it!

Read the original document
Unfortunately, many translators jump in without thoroughly understanding what they’re getting into, and the result is reflected in the final product. That is, the translation has a "This has been translated" hue. It isn’t smooth, seamless and natural reflecting the author’s style -- This is not professional translation, and you haven’t done the client, or yourself, any justice!

Wrap yourself around the translation.

Read the original text thoroughly paying attention to the style of writing employed by the author. Is the author’s style light-hearted, heavy, positive, forceful, or sincere etcetera? In other words, you want to determine where the author is “coming from”, to get inside the author’s head so to speak. Once you have successfully put yourself in the authors mind, emulate the author’s style in your translation.

This simple act will make your translation an extension of the author’s works -- You'll be lending your linguistic skill to the author’s style.

Ah, I can almost hear the protestations of way too much work. You want to be a professional Japanese translator in a class by yourself, right? If you feel this additional effort is too arduous, you’re probably in the wrong profession. In that case, my advice to you is to take the off-ramp right now, before you get stuck in a profession that you can’t leave and one that you have no intention of excelling in. Translation is an incredibly competitive industry end-to-end, and if you’re looking to pay the bills off your translation skills, you need to up your game. Simple as that!

There is, thought, a silver lining in this approach: Since the client will undoubtedly recognize his or her style in the final translation product, there will be fewer revision requests. A translation can be wrong without being incorrect; ultimately, it is the client who decides to accept or reject a Japanese translation. I’m sure you can understand that a translation mirroring the client’s style is on the fast track for approval...

Conclusion
Use the advice here to polish your translation style. Most of the advice is simply about making minor changes to your existing style. However, given consideration, will lead to improved results as seen from repeat requests for your Japanese translation services

(p.s. Bookmark this page and keep checking back for new articles in the series.)

Japanese Translation Service: Getting the Technical Stuff Right

This article is about quality Japanese human translation.

Part of the article series Polishing Your Translation Style, this article focuses on the machinations of grammar.

Sounds like a grand, all encompassing ambition. But, rest assured, the objective is simply to highlight a few common errors that persist in professional translation products as seen from the CEO of a translation services company -- Nothing but a few Tips 'n Techniques to give shine to your style. And, if you happen to glean any pointers that will up your game, all strength to you!

(Regardless of whether you’re an aspiring Japanese translator or a client of English-to-Japanese translation services, there is something for you here.)

Let’s jump right in!

1. Run-on sentences do not translate well
   Run on-sentences should be reconstructed with a single idea or thought per sentence. Not only will the translation be easier, but it will read better. Don't be shy about taking the knife to unwieldy sentences!
   
   
2. Omitted words are not…translated
   There are numerous words, such as particles ("the") that are often omitted in English. Indeed, all languages have these grammatical "quirks" that are ill-defined. A simple rule to follow is that if you are not sure, do not omit it.
   
   
3. Acronyms can be misleading
   Where you absolutely have to use an acronym, provide the definition. Use an easy to understand format such as "Applied Securities Analysis Program (ASAP)."
   
   
4. Avoid abbreviations
   If I've convinced you that acronyms can be misleading, and therefore should be qualified with a definition in an easy to understand format, you'll have no problem in adopting the same format for abbreviations.
   
   
5. Do a double check on a double check!
   When deadlines are looming large and you're in a “balls to the wall” situation, it’s easy to confuse numbers, dates, and times especially when different formats are required. Develop handy cheat sheets - nothing fancy or complicated - to reference at a glance.
   
   
6. Consistency rules
   Acronyms and abbreviations should be defined in a consistent format throughout your translation work. If you've adopted a particular word or phrase for a term, ensure that you consistently use the same term throughout.
   
   

Summary
Adopting a translation style that puts you on a level by yourself is easy -- Follow the 6 simple steps above and apply these steps to your translation projects. Clients' will be asking for you by name, will lead to improved results as seen from repeat requests for your Japanese translation service

(p.s. Bookmark this page and keep checking back for new articles in the series.)