iacore
dae6fd4944
- dharma-translation → translation: stripped conventions, kept only technique - Deleted mpi-project-conventions: all content now in AGENTS.md - References moved: meditation-translation, markdown-to-djot → translation/ translation-pitfalls, proofreading-patterns → translation-review/ - Updated AGENTS.md, readme.dj, memory, pdf skill cross-reference - 7 skills → 6 skills
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3.3 KiB
Markdown
60 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: translation
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description: Translate Chinese↔English Buddhist/Dharma content — register guidance from Mindfulness Bell corpus, tone, voice, cultural bridging technique.
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---
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# Translation
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Core translation technique for Buddhist/Dharma content. Conventions (djot format,
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terms DB query, workflows, output format) are in AGENTS.md.
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## Mindfulness Bell Corpus
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Register/style patterns in English Buddhist prose.
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- Location: `/home/user/meta/www.files/public/The Mindfulness Bell/`
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- 6 issues: MB92–MB97 (2023–2026), each ~84–116 pages
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- Index: `index.yaml` (article titles, authors, pages)
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- **Articles**: `~/documents/jingxin-lessons/Mindfulness Bell/articles/MB{92..97}/*.md` — 93 individual markdown files with YAML frontmatter. Read directly with `read_file`.
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- Extraction script: `/tmp/extract_mb_articles.py` (re-run if PDFs change)
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## Register Reference
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Four registers observed, useful as style targets:
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| Register | Example | Key features |
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|----------|---------|-------------|
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| Dharma talk | Thầy (MB94 "Roses and Garbage", MB97 "Go as a River") | Short sentences, concrete images, coined terms ("interbeing"), oral address ("It's clear?"), Sanskrit kept with narrative explanation |
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| Teaching lineage | Sister Đoan Nghiêm (MB93 "Our Patriarch Liễu Quán") | "We" voice, terms explained, cultural bridging ("like Jesus"), dates woven into narrative, still oral |
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| Personal narrative | Mick McEvoy (MB94 "Touching the True Nature") | First-person, confessional, borrowed Dharma vocabulary, emotional directness, vernacular |
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| Editorial | Brother Pháp Lưu (MB94 welcome letter) | Polished but warm, conceptual framing, "we" address |
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## Translation Principles
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1. **Terms**: Either keep Sanskrit w/ narrative explanation (bodhisattva, Māra) OR coin new English (interbeing, inter-are). Avoid clunky calques.
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2. **Cultural bridging**: Add bridges for Western readers. A Chinese text mentioning 孔子 can stay; explain the function. Đoan Nghiêm's "like Jesus" is the pattern.
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3. **Tone**: Chinese Dharma texts are typically more formal than English equivalents. Decide consciously: keep formality or warm up (Thầy style).
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4. **Voice**: Direct address ("you"), concrete images, and oral rhythm make Dharma land in English. Abstract noun chains (common in Chinese→English translationese) kill it.
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5. **Sutra quotes**: Use standard English Buddhist idiom. Check terse-idiom conventions (e.g., Diamond Sutra "lives" not "bodies").
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For register decisions: consult the register table above (scanning MB articles is optional).
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## Quick-Find in MB Corpus
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Common article types to search for register examples:
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- Thầy's Dharma talks: search index for "Thích Nhất Hạnh" + page ≤ 10
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- Sister/brother teachings: search for "Sister" or "Brother" + "DHARMA TEACHING"
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- Personal narratives: first-person voice, often pages 8–60
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- Lineage/history: "Patriarch," "ancestor," dates in text
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## Meditation / Mindfulness Content
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When translating guided meditation scripts, exercise guides, or posture instructions
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(rather than Dharma talks), use a lighter workflow. See `references/meditation-translation.md`.
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## References
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- `references/meditation-translation.md` — lighter workflow for meditation/mindfulness content
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- `references/markdown-to-djot.md` — converting .docx.md to .dj for translation prep
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- `references/diacritics-convention.md` — diacritics rules
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