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Non-ethical job?
Thread poster: Heinrich Pesch
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:46
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Chris is right Feb 11, 2016

Chris S wrote:

Have to say that deliberately vague/tantalising forum posts like this are a pet peeve of mine (geddit?) but they clearly do the trick given the number of responses here.



Chris is right. Anything to do with pets will get people clicking. If it was refugees or nuclear weapons, there'd be no reaction.


 
Georgie Scott
Georgie Scott  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 12:46
French to English
+ ...
Off-topic Feb 11, 2016

If it's a discussion about whether expensive pet food is unethical or not, it's very much off-topic.

 
Ty Kendall
Ty Kendall  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:46
Hebrew to English
Does anyone know? Feb 11, 2016

Georgie Scott wrote:

If it's a discussion about whether expensive pet food is unethical or not, it's very much off-topic.


I'm not sure anyone (even after 4 pages) knows what this is a discussion about.


 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 12:46
French to English
entertainment Feb 11, 2016

Ty Kendall wrote:

Georgie Scott wrote:

If it's a discussion about whether expensive pet food is unethical or not, it's very much off-topic.


I'm not sure anyone (even after 4 pages) knows what this is a discussion about.


and you inaugurated the fifth

does it matter whether we know what we're talking about? I for one am finding it beautifully entertaining

if ever a moderator comes along, please just transfer the topic to the playground or lighter side rather than deleting whatever turns out to be off topic!

[Edited at 2016-02-11 19:57 GMT]


 
Álvaro Espantaleón Moreno
Álvaro Espantaleón Moreno  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 12:46
Member (2015)
English to Spanish
Conscience Feb 11, 2016

Pets, voting and recycling are great to appease one's conscience

 
Daryo
Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:46
Serbian to English
+ ...
why not add Parkinson's laws to the mix ... Feb 12, 2016

Tom in London wrote:

Chris S wrote:

Have to say that deliberately vague/tantalising forum posts like this are a pet peeve of mine (geddit?) but they clearly do the trick given the number of responses here.



Chris is right. Anything to do with pets will get people clicking. If it was refugees or nuclear weapons, there'd be no reaction.


Couldn't be bothered to find the exact quote now, but there is chapter in Parkinson's book about the inverse proportion between the importance of the subject and the time dedicated to it - the example quoted in the book is about a meeting where the decision to build a nuclear reactor is expedited in 30 seconds, to be followed by a heated and never ending debate about where to build the bicycle shed for the employees.

Any connection to this thread is purely coincidental and unintended ...


 
James Heppe-Smith
James Heppe-Smith  Identity Verified
Türkiye
Local time: 14:46
German to English

MODERATOR
I think this has meandered sufficiently far away from the OP's original post Feb 12, 2016

Texte Style wrote:

if ever a moderator comes along, please just transfer the topic to the playground or lighter side rather than deleting whatever turns out to be off topic![Edited at 2016-02-11 19:57 GMT]


I have enjoyed this thread, although I am not sure that the OP's original question has been answered.

In line with the "request" above, I also think this would be better placed in a different forum!


 
Anna Spanoudaki-Thurm
Anna Spanoudaki-Thurm  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 12:46
German to Greek
+ ...
Lighter side? Feb 12, 2016

What is so funny about the original question?

 
Philippe Etienne
Philippe Etienne  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 12:46
Member
English to French
the funny side Feb 12, 2016

Anna Spanoudaki-Thurm wrote:

What is so funny about the original question?

That we fell a few acres of tree-carbon-equivalent writing 5 pages about petfood.

Philippe


 
Heinrich Pesch
Heinrich Pesch  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 13:46
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
One possible answer Feb 12, 2016

Anna Spanoudaki-Thurm wrote:

What is so funny about the original question?


I remember one Woody Allan movie, where this humor specialist kept saying:

"If it breaks, it is funny, if it not breaks, it is not funny".


 
cranium
cranium
French to English
+ ...
Not unethical to translate spin Feb 12, 2016

The OP Heinrich Pesch wrote:

It is the fact that in our world there are so many people that fall for this kind of propaganda and start to feel guilty when they see there is biological pet food, produced to the highest standards. And rush to buy it for their innocent dog.


So as I read it, the crux of the matter is: you are uncomfortable translating the "spin" in marketing material.

I can get that. You are a critical thinker, see through it, and wish that everyone could. But that's just what marketing is about. Like the "healthy-looking hair" promised by shampoo. It's a completely empty promise, but who would buy a product to get "silicone-coated hair"?

As for ethics, only you can decide whether the company was actually making fraudulent claims. But that seems unlikely.

[Edited at 2016-02-12 08:37 GMT]

[Edited at 2016-02-12 09:04 GMT]


 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Confused.com Feb 12, 2016

Heinrich Pesch wrote:

in our world there are so many people that fall for this kind of propaganda and start to feel guilty when they see there is biological pet food, produced to the highest standards. And rush to buy it for their innocent dog.



But buying organic is about avoiding harmful chemicals, promoting animal welfare and generally saving the planet and feeding the world


 
Lennart Luhtaru
Lennart Luhtaru  Identity Verified
United States
Member
English to Estonian
+ ...
Injustice in the world Feb 12, 2016

So, it's about injustice? Someone's dog eating better than someone else who's in hunger? Do you have any ethical translation jobs in Finland left then? If you would go at it like this, then "manual for iPhone" would be even worse - why would someone have a shiny phone when there are still starving people left in the world. Or translating documents for hospitals in developed countries when there are still countries with non-existent medical care. I couldn't make myself work on any commercial proj... See more
So, it's about injustice? Someone's dog eating better than someone else who's in hunger? Do you have any ethical translation jobs in Finland left then? If you would go at it like this, then "manual for iPhone" would be even worse - why would someone have a shiny phone when there are still starving people left in the world. Or translating documents for hospitals in developed countries when there are still countries with non-existent medical care. I couldn't make myself work on any commercial projects at all then.

The truth is, you can't end all that's bad in the world right away. Life in 2010s is definitely better for more people than it was say in 1910s. It's a process and we've been moving in the right direction. Currently probably the best thing you can do is to help new immigrants around you. Help them settle, soften the culture shock, "teach them to fish" etc.

Also...

1) Giving your dog shitty food is like feeding it McDonald's day after day. If you don't have your own cattle or chickens, then some of those hipster organic foods containing actual meat can be good options. Dogs are carnivores and their diet must consist mostly of meat.
2) If you want a pet, then go to a shelter. Breeders and puppy mills are a scam.
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Matthias Brombach
Matthias Brombach  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 12:46
Member (2007)
Dutch to German
+ ...
Let's talk about meat, baby! Feb 12, 2016

...featuring Salt-n-Pepa:

Let's talk about meat, baby
Let's talk about you and me
Let's talk about all the gout things
And the dog things that may be

etc.

I wonder what future MT-systems, should they ever become as intelligent as humans, will discuss here about any ethics.
It is a good sign when one´s conscience comes into movement about the subject you translate. This shows at least that you are a translator who does not only excha
... See more
...featuring Salt-n-Pepa:

Let's talk about meat, baby
Let's talk about you and me
Let's talk about all the gout things
And the dog things that may be

etc.

I wonder what future MT-systems, should they ever become as intelligent as humans, will discuss here about any ethics.
It is a good sign when one´s conscience comes into movement about the subject you translate. This shows at least that you are a translator who does not only exchanges the words and phrases, but understands them, too. Something, that seems to have become forgotten in our "industry"...

[Edited at 2016-02-12 09:11 GMT]
Collapse


 
Heinrich Pesch
Heinrich Pesch  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 13:46
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Is it decent? Feb 12, 2016

We cannot save anybody by not feeding dogs better meat than most humans can afford, but is it decent to do so?
Everybody must answer this question in his/her own heart.


 
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