カテゴリー: Voice of working scholarship students

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文芸翻訳家を目指して 堀口　潤子さん

ある日、レストランで手にした雑誌の中に、バベル翻訳大学院の生徒募集の記事を見つけました。私は小さい頃から本が好きで、文章を書くことが好きでした。その記事に心惹かれ、家に帰って早速大学院のウエッブサイトを開いてみました。そこから伝わってきた 翻訳家としての使命や 働きは、実は 私が心の深いところで自分が生涯にわたってやっていきたいと思い、目指していたこととぴったり重なったのです。 翻訳の仕事こそ、今まで自分が積み重ねてきたこと、 自分の生い立ち、また ハワイに移住し、英語を通して人と交わり、両者の間で豊かさや困難さを日々味わっている経験も全て生かせる働きではないかと思ったのです。その後、迷わず入学試験を受験しました。結果、入学することができ、学べるチャンスを与えて頂いて心から感謝しています。 バベル翻訳大学院を選んだ理由は沢山あります。まず内容の濃い、質の高い授業が受けられること。また一人一人にカウンセラーがついてくださり、卒業までサポートしていただけること、それから仕事に至るまで総合的なサポートが受けられる実践的なプログラムであるのが特に心強いところです。 また世界の何処にいてもインターネットで全ての授業が受けられ、 学びを継続できます。通学に時間を取られることもなく、一日の限られた時間を本当に必要なことのために用いることができます。他に仕事をもっていたり、小さな子供との時間や、急な子供の病気、また親の介護を犠牲にすることに心を痛めることなく、自分のスケジュールに合わせて同時進行で学び続けられるのは願ってもないことです。様々な ニーズに応えるこの学習スタイルは、時代の先を先導するパイオニアであると確信します。 これから文芸翻訳家を目指して、両方の言語、歴史、文化をより深く学び、翻訳技術を磨き、豊かで、質の高い翻訳を産み出していけるように、この機会を最大限に生かしていきたいと 思っています。 作品との出会いを大切にし、翻訳を通して、相手の心に深くふれる言葉を届けていくことが目標です。縁があって住むことになったハワイのこの土地で産み出されている作品にも注目していきたいと思っています。 　

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One day I found a Babel University Professional School of Translation (BUPST) advertisement recruiting new students in a magazine I’d picked up at a restaurant. Since childhood, I’ve always loved books and writing! Intrigued by the ad, I checked out BUPST’s website as soon as I got home. The mission and work of a translator BUPST provided on its website perfectly matched what I had been harboring in my heart as wanting to do during my lifetime and what I had been aiming towards. Indeed, translation was work that would employ all I had experienced and learned up to that point; my upbringing, moving to Hawaii, communication with others in English, and other interactions where I’d experienced the richness and difficulties of communicating in English and Japanese. So, without a second thought, I took BUPST’s entrance exam. As a result, I was able to enroll at BUPST and given a chance to study translation, for which I am so thankful.

I chose BUPST for several reasons. First, the learning content is in-depth, and courses are high quality. Also, a counselor is assigned to each student to provide assistance through graduation. What’s particularly reassuring is that BUPST’s program is pragmatic and enables to students receive comprehensive support all the way to finding employment. What’s more, all courses are online making it possible to study from anywhere in the world. There’s no time lost commuting, making it possible to devote limited time each day to what’s truly important. You don’t have to worry about having to lose time if, for example, you’re already working, want to spend time with your children or your children suddenly become ill, or taking care of aging parents. What’s ideal is that you can fit your learning into your schedule, simultaneously studying while managing other commitments. I’m confident that this type of learning style, which meets the various needs of students, is the vanguard of learning in the future.

My goal is to become a literary translator, using my time at BUPST to the fullest to learn both Japanese and English and the history/culture surrounding those languages. I also plan to sharpen my translation skills to provide comprehensive translation of exceptional quality. I want to cherish my encounters with various literary works, employing words when translating that touch the hearts of readers. Since I’m fortunate to live in Hawaii, I plan to be on the lookout for literary works written by local authors.

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(English) From Expectation to Awarenes / Sara NISHI

Language permeates so ubiquitously in my daily life that it is almost comparable to the air I breathe in that I take it for granted. It comes in many forms. First, there is the verbal language that I use in communication with family, friends, and others around me. Then, there is the written language that I use primarily to obtain information and as entertainment in the form of books, newspapers, and magazines. These are only just a few of the various ways in which I utilize and benefit from the existence of languages as a tool.

I am Japanese by birth, but I moved to the United States when I was about 10 years old and I have lived in California ever since. Naturally, English is essential in the daily life, as everyone else around me speaks English. It is the main mode by which I interact with others. Japanese is equally important, yet less in a practical way, since I could survive in the United States without using it. Its importance is more of a spiritual kind that gives me a connection to my native roots and culture that I still hold on to.

It would be difficult for me to even imagine my life without these languages. The experience of immigrating to a new environment and encountering a new language and distancing myself from my native tongue may have made me more sensitive to what languages can offer. Therefore, it was only natural that my interests were directed towards them so I could further pursue and appreciate them. What did not occur to me was how unaware I was of these languages. I had been immersed in both languages at a young enough age that I never had to struggle to use them as a way to convey my thoughts and feelings. As a matter of fact, the first grammar that I ever learned was in middle school. It would not be incorrect to say that I have a better grammatical understanding of Spanish, which I learned as a foreign language in high school, than the two languages I grew up speaking.

In the same way that I do not question or even stop to think how I breathe or how my heart beats, Japanese and English languages had escaped close scrutiny until I started really to pay conscious attention to them.

In my teenage years, I had the privilege of helping a Japanese writer translate several books for children and young adults from English to Japanese. This helped me to begin to connect one language to the other, and vice versa. As I got more and more experience with translation from one language to the other, I began to notice my lack of awareness of each of the languages. Even if I knew the meaning of a phrase or a sentence in one language, sometimes I had a hard time expressing the same thing in the other, though if I heard the same sentence in the second language, I would have no trouble understanding it. I started to realize that my production skills fell far below my comprehension skills.

I always believe that recognizing one’s inaptness is just as important as working to overcome those weaknesses. After I elucidated my inadequacies around the two languages, there are several points that I have always tried to keep in mind. The first is to constantly be active in perceiving a language. I used to have the tendency to listen to someone talking to me or to the news on the radio and to just pick up the meaning of what was talked about. When I tried to re-narrate the same story, I often could not find the right words. I could not even reproduce what I just heard. In an effort to find a way around this issue, I have been trying to not simply extract the facts and information from what I hear, but to also remember the exact phrase that was used to convey the information. I have found this to be effective in expanding not only my vocabulary but also learning new phrases and proverbs. When I come across unfamiliar phrases or proverbial expressions, I take a note of them and look them up in the dictionary. That extra step helps me to retain the material better and longer.

Another method that has proven effective is to have someone review my use of the languages. I utilize this method mostly for written language. It helps not so much to learn new words or phrases, but rather, to correct any mistakes or awkwardness in the language that I write. Since I live in the United States, neither being exposed much to the Japanese language nor living under the constant pressure of the society, I feel that I often get away with inaccurate or incorrect Japanese. Similarly, since I am not a native speaker of English, people do not judge my English skills against a high standard either. Therefore, I always feel the need to actively find ways to improve my languages. My mother, who is a professional writer and therefore keeps a high standard of Japanese for herself, has been cooperative and has helped me a lot with my Japanese.

To expose my languages is another way that I use to improve my language skills. There are abundant opportunities to use English since I live in the United States, but my Japanese is not used as often. Therefore, I have chosen to work in an environment where Japanese is required. I work at an English language school as a student adviser, and this job involves a lot of verbal and written communication in both languages and the mastery of a variety of styles of them. With the students, I must speak clearly with simple vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures, whereas when I have professional conversations or written correspondences with contracting agencies or other facilities, I must quickly switch to the formal, intellectual type of writing or speech. The latter takes a high level of sensitivity to be flexible to use direct or indirect mode of expression or to be assertive at times and passive at others, in order for me to complete the assigned tasks appropriately. Even though I still feel that my language skills could be greatly improved, my languages are both exposed to others and used on a daily basis, and I enjoy becoming more aware of how versatile they both are.

So far I have discussed a few practical methods to improve the languages I would like to utilize in my future professional career. However, ultimately, I consider that the joy and excitement I feel from being more actively aware of my languages are what drive me to pursue further and further. English and Japanese are not only tools, but they also provide me with opportunities for enriching experiences that I cherish.

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＜Profile＞ Sara NISHI

Patent, Technical and Medical Translation Major

Born and raised in Kumamoto, Kyushu, until the age of ten, when she moved to Southern California. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in Environmental Biology. Now she resides in San Diego, where she works with international students and enjoys training and teaching aikido.In the future she wishes to integrate her science background with her interests in languages to become a scientific translator.

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「私の翻訳ターゲット言語の鍛え方」 ハースィ・マンディ

大学で日本語を勉強したことはまったくありません。今回、バベル翻訳大学院に入学させていただいて、初めて正式に日本語で勉強ができて、光栄です。日本語に初めて触れてから１０年たった今、最初の文法の基本や語彙を習い始めたときを振り返ってみると、効率が大変悪かったなと苦笑せざるを得ませんが、根性が私を押し進めてくれたのだと思います。さて、現在、自分の言語能力を鍛えるために、どんな工夫や学習方法を使っているかというと、一言でいえば、毎日の積み重ねに尽きます。 　私の希望は、日本語と英語の両方に訳せるようになることです。その場合、両言語の能力を鍛えないと良い翻訳は難しいです。自分の母国語の学習に関しては、とにかく様々な優れた文章を読むようにしており、読んだ情報は割と簡単に頭に入ります。しかし、日本語の場合はそう簡単にいきません。母国語では、わからない語彙がいくつかでてきたとしても、だいたいの文法が文章の構造は理解できています。 　しかし日本語の文章の場合は、まず文法や文章の作りを理解する段階から始めないといけません。残念ながら、日本語の語学力を高める特効薬はありませんが、誰にでもできる方法はあります。その方法とは、「反復学習」以外にありません。その代わり、努力すれば必ず報いられます。勉強したら、それだけ進歩するのです。 　まず、自分にとって、一番効率よく勉強できる時間を見極めると、効果的に成果を上げることが出来るように思います。私の場合、早朝が勉強に一番適しています。子供が三人もいますので、７時半をすぎると家の中がやかましい幼稚園のごとくになります。早朝だけは自分の時間です。その貴重な時間は短いですが、短時間でも有意義な学習はできます。特にターゲット言語を習うとき、このような工夫が必要だと自分の経験から言えます。集中力が一番要る勉強とそうではないものを区別して学習につとめると、より良い結果が出ると感じます。 　ターゲット言語を鍛えるとき、次に意識することは、その言語を自分のものにするということです。文章を読んだり、ニュースを聞いたりなどする時は、情報を吸い込むスポンジになったイメージで、できるだけ読んだものを吸収するように努めています。このように学ぶにあたって、インターネットが非常に役に立ちます。例えば、ニュースをインターネットで聞きながら文章も読めるので、聞く、読む練習が一度に出来て一石二鳥。分からない語彙があればすぐさま調べます。 　電子辞書をよく利用しますが、辞書だけで語彙の使い方が分からない時もあります。わからない語彙をインターネットで検索すると例文がいくらでも出てきますので、私にとっては欠かせない勉強ツールです。私は視覚的に言語を学ぶタイプなので、読んだものをできるだけノートに書き留めます。午後になると、朝書いた語彙や文を最低３回は声に出して読み返して、覚えるように。どこかの本で読みましたが、３回ぐらい声に出して言葉を言うと、その語彙は身に付くらしいです。 　声を出して本を読むのも大変有効な学習法です。私は、子供たちとよく日本語の本を読みますし、一人でも声に出して読みます。子供たちと読むと、わからない語彙に出会えば子供たちはすぐ「それはどういう意味？」と聞きます。語彙を説明するとよりいっそう語彙の理解が深まり、語彙の数も増えます。声に出して本を読むと、その言語を身近に感じることもできます。声に出すことは、聞き取り能力も身につけるためのいい方法です。 　言語を学ぶために、様々なスタイルの文章を読むのが大切です。ニュースを読むと割と固い言い方が理解できるし、小説などを読むと、華やかな書き方にも出会えます。雑誌などは現代はやっている言い回しを学ぶのに大変役に立ちます。後は、興味のあるテーマについてインターネットで調べます。どんなテーマでも、ある程度日本語で説明できるように、その日、英語で話したことをインターネットで日本語で調べます。 　どの文章を読む時も、二つのやり方を交代で用います。まず、できるだけ早く読むことです（速読）。正直言いまして、これが大の苦手で、すぐ分からない言葉を調べたくなり、スピードがなかなか上がりませんが、一応、毎日練習するようにがんばっています。次に、前述したように、声に出して、はっきりと読むことです。こうすると、読んだ文章はよく頭に残ります。 　後は、短いときもありますが、毎日日記をつけています。その日おこったことを振り返って、自分の言葉で書くのが大事だと考えるからです。そのとき、ターゲット言語で言い方がわからない場合、インターネットで調べたりして、そのまま日記に書き写します。日記は頭に入っている情報を実際に「出す」、大切な手段の一つです。吸収したものを使わなければ、どうしても自分のものにならないと、初心者ながらも感じます。 　まだできていないけれど、これから力を入れたいこともいくつかあります。まず、日本語の文法が未だにしっかり身に付いていません。言語を学ぶとき、文法が命だ思い、文法をしっかり使いこなせないと、良い文章はなかなか書けません。 　次に、わからないことを、恥ずかしがらずにどんどん聞くことです。そして、間違えから学んでいくのです。やっと自分の書きたいこと、言いたいことが通じた時の喜びは言葉に表せないほど大きいです。プライドをある程度捨てて、わからない言葉について聞くと、言語の進歩は早いです。

[:en]mandihaase_e

I first began studying Japanese after moving to Sasebo, Japan. Before moving to Japan, I was determined to learn enough “battle Japanese” in order to order at restaurants or ask for directions. I used listening CDs only, without giving heed to trying to learn how to read or write Japanese. Or course, when I arrived in Japan, I realized that just learning a few key phrases would not help me at all to live there. Even if I could get out a statement in Japanese, I was unable to understand the response from the person I was talking to. It was at this point that I understood that language cannot be learned merely by listening to CDs without trying to learn to read write, or understand the grammar that composes that language. After I came to the realization that I needed to study Japanese writing and grammar in order to be able to fully understand the language, my studying began in earnest. At first, my studying was labor intensive, focused mainly on learning new vocabulary and understanding sentence composition. I would spend hours reading my Japanese textbooks, following the conversation in the book with a CD, and then practicing reading out loud myself. That was ten years ago. However, even now I use many of the same techniques I employed when I first started learning. I still place great emphasis on understanding and using grammar correctly. Every other month or so I pick a textbook or drill book I have used in previous years and go through the material and drills again. Many times when using a foreign language, one develops comfortable grammar patterns, and it can be difficult to compose writing that breaks free from those patterns. Using grammar drill books is a great way to “rewire” one’s way of writing in that language. I also still using listening devices and repeat out loud in order to train my listening skills and ability to say words at a near native level. I have found that using podcasts and the news on the Internet have been a great help. I typically will replay a podcast several times, often shadowing the speaker. With online news stories, the article is often posted along with voice streaming, which is a wonderful way to practice reading, listening, and speaking all at once. I have found it important to read a broad variety of composition in order to understand the various nuances of Japanese. There is formal Japanese used in the news, casual Japanese found in many novels, and then more flowery “written” Japanese found in more classic Japanese literature. Now that I am studying to work in medical translation, I also am reading more articles about medicine and medical issues. In order to gain proficiency in a translation target language, I feel like the key is practice, practice, and more practice. Since I am working on my Masters in translation while a full time mother, it can be difficult to find time to study enough to improve. Therefore, I try to utilize every moment I can to practice my Japanese. I listen to my IPod while cleaning or exercising, watch Japanese television while fixing dinner, wake up early in the morning to read the news or other current events. Not only is practice important, but making practice an every day affair. In learning a foreign language, it is important in my opinion to come into contact with that language every day. Since I am a full time mother, I also work with speaking to my children in Japanese. We read stories together in Japanese, research various topics and practice writing in our diaries…all in Japanese. Being able to have a conversation each day with my children in Japanese is a great way for me to think and respond in that language. Wherever I am living, I try to find a local Japanese person that is willing to help teach me conversation and deeper reading and writing skills. This gives me a great opportunity to make Japanese a “living” language, rather than just a language I study from textbooks. I also try to keep a database of new words I have learned, in order to read over and memorize them. Excel is a wonderful tool for creating a vocabulary database. You can order the words alphabetically in order to search easily. You can also create different databases given the genre you are studying, for example medical terms, technical terms, conversational terms, etc. Living in the age where the Internet is readily available makes it incredibly easy not only to search for vocabulary, but also for examples of how to use those new words. Especially in translation, it is not important only to know a certain word in the target language, but also how to correctly use that word in a sentence. That is where the Internet becomes a wonderful tool. You can search using a certain vocabulary word and find examples of composition using the word. This is a great way to practice your writing skills and make sure you are correctly using new words. I have lived in Japan a total of four years, and that was a great way for me to learn basic Japanese skills, but I have actually been given praise since returning to America that my Japanese writing has greatly improved. I believe this is because I cannot rely on the “Japanese experience”, and have to create my own Japanese environment in order to keep learning. While in Japan, many times I became more passive in my learning. Now that coming into contact with Japanese is not as easy, I find myself working harder at reading, writing and listening to various Japanese programs on the television and Internet. Now that I have begun training for translation in a more specific field, I will also have to find new ways to gain the technical knowledge necessary to provide accurate translation. I think my best tool will be the Internet. Of course, reading books and magazines is a wonderful way to study, but living away from Japan, the cost of buying literature can be daunting. The Internet is not only useful, but comes at almost not cost.

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(English) About Babel University Working scholarship / Ikuko Kanda

After I had studied at Babel for the Contract documents beginner course of English/Japanese translation few years ago, I was thinking to study English paralegal documents. When I found out, late last year, that there was a working scholarship system at Babel University, I applied at once without hesitation. At that time I had a job, so I was little worried if I could do both study and work.

After one month passed, I realized that I made a good choice because:
1) My school cost was reduced by half of the regular fee.
2) I can help do translation jobs.
3) I am getting good at managing my time and myself.

The work Babel is asking for so far is English/Japanese translation, which you can do at your home, but I’ve heard you can also do other kinds of work.

Study curriculums are not easy, but if you organize good schedules for both study and work and make a great point of being on time, it is actually very important for future translators.

Also all school staff are very helpful, so I am asking their help to lead me to a higher level.

I have been a working scholarship student for just one month, but I am enthusiastic and am spending my time usefully everyday. (Student’s Transcript)

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(English) Make good use of working scholarship system / Keita Odaka

I am studying International Paralegal in Babel University Professional School of Translation now, also taking advantage of the working scholarship program. Working scholarship system provides a reduction of your school cost when you do jobs. There are many kinds of work, such as input data, research and of course translations. Translation work is good for me especially because I never had the experience of translating documents other than in my company papers. I am planning to become a paralegal translator in the future, so this experience is important for me. Studying, working at my company and doing this scholarship work is not easy but I can gain more benefits than if I don’t do this.

Isn’t it wonderful that you can make your career as a translator and at the same time your cost of school reduced?

I have a few more years of studying at this school, so I will study harder and work harder. (Student’s Transcript)

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(English) The reason why I chose to enter Babel University./ Eri Palmer

When I was searching for an on-line degree course, I found the Babel website by chance. Babel not only has short-term courses for translation but also degree courses. I was encouraged by the enhanced possibilities of professional translation work, as a direct result of graduating from the Babel course.

These days it is becoming a normal for Japanese people to go abroad and obtain an MBA or business level degree in Europe or USA. However it is still very difficult for these people to find or get their desired job just because they have received a degree. It is an unfortunate fact that it is only a limited number of people who will find work. The most important reason as to why I chose Babel over other educational providers is that I can study on-line with excellent support. I currently live in UK and therefore it is very convenient for me to access this course. In addition I can maximize my free time. With an on-line course from Babel you can study anytime when you want and choose when you are free. There are still many online short course and degree courses in the UK as well, but I can study in both Japanese and English at Babel. Very few places can offer such a flexible and enjoyable combination. The most interesting thing for me in my studies is, knowing that this degree course will be directly connected to future work.

When I applied for this course, the world was in the middle of an Economic crisis and I was made a redundant. I was searching for online degree courses but it was difficult for me financially after just losing my job. Therefore I had decided to apply for the Babel scholarship. Naturally I was concerned about completing the tasks that come with the working scholarship before starting. I guess everybody has a same kind of worries. I felt I was lucky that I had good opportunities to apply for this course and now I work as a scholarship student so I hope that I will provide good work and continue to provide a high standard as I continue through the course.

Currently I work full time and sometimes it is very difficult to manage my studies and work at the same time, but Babel understands every situation and they are helping me to deal with things comfortably. I do recommend to anyone who is interested in translation to apply for the working scholarship. It could change your life!! (Student’s Transcript)

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私がバベルに入学した理由 土屋映子さん

土屋映子さん

私がバベルに入学を決めたのは、偶然でした。
勤務先の六本木から六本木一丁目駅を利用していたときのこと。
たまたま翻訳の学校を調べていたとき、通勤途中にバベルの学校があることを知り、興味半分で訪問したのです。
そこでたまたま学校に在籍しながら、翻訳の技術も学べ、学費の節約にもなるという、ワーキングスカラシップを知りました。学費の節約もさることながら、翻訳の技術も磨けるという点に、大変感銘を受けたのです。翻訳の仕事を請け負うことも、難しい中で、学びながら翻訳をさせていただけるということは、とても貴重なことであると思います。
また、オンラインで勉強できることも、大きな選択理由でしょう。
フルタイムの仕事を持つ私にとって、定時に授業に出席することは、難しいと考えていました。
バベルならば、自分のスケジュール通りに勉強をすることが可能です。しかし在宅での勉強は、自己を律しなければならず、それなりの厳しさは必要になります。また、遠方からの受講者でも、オンラインならば登校に苦労することもなく、同じ条件下で勉強を進めることができますね。　
今私自身は受講ペースの遅れがありますが、そのような時でも、休学制度を提案していただいたり、　臨機応変にご対応いただけるところも魅力だと思います。　
興味のある方はまず、説明会に足を運んでみられることをお勧めします。 　

[:en]Eiko Tsuchiya

I happened to decided to enter Babel University.

I knew Babel University at Roppongi-1cho me station near my working place when I looked for school of translation. I visited there with my curiosity. I was be able to know Working Scholarship there which I could learn not only translation skill but also save my school fee. I was impressed by the fact that I could brush up my translation skill even I saved my school fee. It is very valuable that I can learn translation skill because it will be difficult if I try to get translation work.

And also, it is big reason that I can study translation skill by web-based study. For me, it will be difficult to attend the school because I am involved in full-time job. It is possible to study at my own pace if I choose Babel University. However, you need to be self-motivated when you study by yourself. The good thing is that you don’t need to come a long distance and can study in equal situation.

My study schedule delayed but Babel University offers leave of absence on a case-by-case basis and it is advantages for us. I strongly recommend you to go to orientation session if you are interested.(Student’s Transcript)

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講義内容が充実しているのでバベル翻訳専門職大学院に入学を決めました。 松浦佳子さん

松浦佳子さん

松浦さん写真私はアメリカに住んで翻訳通訳派遣会社で働いた事があります。
アドミのお仕事をしながら翻訳後の文章の見直しと校正をさせて頂いておりました。
現在は日本に住んでおり、アメリカから日本に間違って伝えられていることを見る事がよくあります。正したく思い、派遣社員で働く事を辞めて翻訳の仕事をする決意をしました。
徹夜で辞書をくりながら必死で言葉を探して訳していたことが頭に残っています。
翻訳を学ぼうと思った時、偶然バベルの講座項目をインターネットで見つけ実際に仕事をするのに必要な内容が詰まっており、文芸・映像翻訳専攻科で学ぶべき事が網羅されていて嬉しく思い入学を決めました。 納期内に翻訳の仕事を終えるのは難しいです。そのためには実務として訓練が必要です。 ワーキングスカラシップが解決策と思い応募し、合格して第一歩を踏み出しています。 翻訳をして正しく文化を伝える事が自分のやりたい事です。
目標は、映画や文芸書の原文の楽しさを伝えられるようになる事です。
大学院の学位が得られる事もまたバベルを選んだ理由の一つですが、私が翻訳をして活躍をする場は、学位でなく実力が勝負です。どれだけ学べるかにかかっていると思います。 　

[:en]
松浦佳子さん

I have lived in U.S.A. and worked at a translation and interpretation service company. As well as being an administrative worker, I have been responsible for reviewing and proofreading translated texts. Currently I reside in Japan, I often see things introduced into Japan from U.S.A. at fault. I wished to have correct it. I quit working as a temporary worker and decided to make translation works.　

However I can vividly remember I worked all night long and looked up words for phrases desperately in dictionaries. When the subjects of learning came up on my mind, I incidentally found Babel University’s web site and saw the contents. It filled with necessaries for translation. What I want to learn listed in “Institute for Literary Arts and Film Translation” page. I was impressed and decided to enroll.　

Obviously, finishing work in time is difficult for us. There is no curriculum for it-but the practical training is necessary. The way to do is getting the working scholarship. So I have applied, fortunately passed the exam and taken the first step.　

My top priority in translation is conveying culture without fault. My aim is to introduce the fun of the original film and literature. Getting the master degree is also one of the reasons why I chose Babel, however it seems it doesn’t matter. It depends on how much more effective I will become. (Student’s Transcript)

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バベルに入学を決めた理由/WSに応募した理由 Y.Sさん

Y.Sさん

ロサンゼルス在住、４人の子持ち主婦学生です。バベルについて、何より魅力であったのが、世界中どこにいても、オンラインで日本の学校とつながり、在宅で勉強できるということです。さらに、修了すれば修士号をいただけるというではありませんか。迷うことなく、入学試験を受けさせていただきました。ただし、メールと電話のやりとりだけなので、はじめは正直言って、まさかよからぬ詐欺ではなかろうかなどと、失礼なことを思ったりもしました（すいません）。ですが、いつも迅速丁寧に応対をしていただく方々に誠意を感じ、そして自分の最初のインスピレーションを信じることにしたのです。もちろん、それが正解でした。またワーキングスカラーシップにつきましては、学費云々よりも、素人の私に本物の仕事を体験させてくださり、またこれが、恰好の訓練になるというのですから、こちらも迷わず応募させていただきました。今のところ、２～３回お仕事をいただいただけですが、果たして私はいつ、この巨額を全額返済することができるのでしょうか？少々不安です。とりあえず今は、この年でまた学生に戻れた幸せをかみしめております。最後に、息子、娘たちよ、お母さんを見習って、もっと勉強しなさい。 　

[:en]
Y.Sさん

I am a mom of 4 kids living in LA. I started to study at Babel University in October/09. Let me tell you about the reason why I decided to choose Babel. The best thing is that Babel has a 100% on-line program. That enables me to study at home even from LA where is far away from Japan. And I can still do my job as a mom. And the second best thing is that you can earn a master degree after you finish all the programs. It seemed perfect for me and I took the entrance exam right away. But to tell you the truth, I could not fully trust them at first because we communicated only through e-mails or phone calls. I had never seen them or never visited their place. I wondered, “Do they really exist? What if it is some kind of a fraud?” (Please, pardon me.) But all the people who contacted me were always exceptionally nice and friendly which was one of the reasons why I chose Babel. Of course it worked out very well. Working Scholarship is awesome , too! You can experience a real job as a translator despite the fact that you are just a student. And it is paid! (The money goes to your tuition.) Although it is not easy to manage both your curriculum and those works they assign to you, and most of you have your own job. But it is worth a challenge because it is definitely a short cut to becoming a professional translator. Now I am so happy to be back to school at this age. Hey kids, don’t you think your mom is cool, or what? (Student’s Transcript)

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BUPST、ワーキングスカラーシップを選んだ理由 岡田寿子さん

岡田寿子さん

翻訳を基礎から総合的に学べ、修士資格が取れる教育機関はBUPSTしかないと思い入学しました。私は、ある程度の英語力はあっても何が足りないのかがわからなかっ・ｽので、追求することもできずにいました。今は、BUPSTで学習するほどに、自分の弱点がはっきりと見えてきて、足りなかったパズルのピースを少しずつ埋めているような気分です。入学する前は、修士号を取れる能力など私にはないと思っていましたので、翻訳修士を目指すなどとは思いもしませんでした。でも、あまりにも大きな目標を持ってしまうと、当然、勉強はしなければならなくなり、自ずと入学前よりも時間の使い方が上手くなりました。今では、仕事と勉強の両立もできるようになり、その上、毎日が充実してきたように感じます。 ワーキングスカラーシップへ申し込んだのは、授業料が簡単に払える額ではなかったからです。 ワーキングスカラーシップの仕事をするということは、講義をこなすだけでなく、3つのことを両立するという点でも不安でしたが、先日、初めてお仕事をいただき、学習で蓄積した知識や技能を実践できる場だということに気がつきました。毎日の勉強、毎週の課題提出、返却された評価コメントの復習をする中で、クラスメートがいない通信制の場合、満足して喜ぶのも、落ち込んで解決するのもすべて自分自身です。もしこれがプログラムの全てだったとしたら、エネルギーはたくさんあるのに発散する場がない、ということになっていたと思います。でも、ワーキングスカラーシップの仕事で自分の成果を試すことによって、翻訳家の仲間入りをしたような感覚が得られます。 そして、また一歩先に向かって精一杯頑張ろう、と思わせてくれます。 　

[:en]
Hisako Okada

I enrolled BUPST because it is the only educational institution which offers a comprehensive curriculum and a master’s degree for translation. I understand English to a certain level, but I couldn’t figure out what was lacking and pursue this lack of understanding. The more I study in BUPST, the more my weaknesses become clearer now and it is like I am gradually filling in the missing pieces. Before enrolling at BUPST, I had never expected to set my goal at a master’s degree because it seemed far beyond my ability. But if I have a lofty goal, I obviously have to work on it, and naturally I become aware of using my time more effectively. Now I am capable of working and studying in the same period of time. Moreover, I feel I am experiencing a quality life than before.

The tuition for BUPST was beyond my means, so I applied for working scholarship. This was also one of my worries, not simply doing this course, but completing three things altogether. The other day, I got my first job and it turned out to be one in which I could practice accumulated knowledge and skills. I study everyday, submit assignments once a week, and review professor’s comments on assignments returned. Without any classmates, I only have myself to share what I am satisfied with and to solve what I am disappointed with. If this was the extent of the program, I would have been full of energy but without a place to liberate it. But in the working scholarship program, I can have a sense of being a translator if I take this job as a practice of what I have learned. And that sense helps me to move forward, the best that I can. (Student’s Transcript)

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