Translate team to turn content more accessible

Hey friends,

I was thinking on how could we make the videos and all that (very good) introductory material from Treeleaf more accessible to those with hear impairment, etc. and also to non-english speakers which can benefit with, turning it more widely known, hopefully.

Then I´ve came across with a suggestion; what if we:

1- Pick each video on the "begginer's section" (initially) and write down what is being said on it by Jundo or Taigu or someone else (this would be done by an english speaker), maybe another one could revise it...then...

2- With the written content (potential "subtitle"), people could volunteer to translate it to another languages (spanish, french, portuguese, german, japanese, russian...); then we could subtitle the videos directly on Youtube

3- The same for the written material (mainly introductory guides in pdf, main threads and etc: the main contents from the forum).

Later on, when we establish a team commited to it, we could make it with each and every "Sit-A-Long" and other materials as they were produced...

What do you think?!

Gassho, Marcos

That sounds good, if the Sangha needs my help, I would gladly do it :)

Gassho

Thank you, a lovely idea. I have no objection to such a project. But I would start very small, just a few things perhaps. The introductory videos might work.

Our "mission statement" for the Sangha is this:

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Treeleaf Zendo was designed specifically as an online practice place for Zen practitioners who cannot easily commute to a Zen Center due to health concerns, living in remote areas, or work, childcare and family needs, and seeks to provide Zazen sittings, retreats, discussion, interaction with a teacher, and all other activities of a Zen Buddhist Sangha, all fully online

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If translating some of the introductory materials helps someone, somewhere who is in that situation ... and does not understand English ... then it is a worthy project.

But I will let you in on a little secret: I would hope that, in a few years, with so many people here who speak different languages, that there will be sister "Treeleafs" in other languages ... la feuille de l'arbre, το φύλλο δέντρου, 木の葉禅堂, la hoja del árbol, folha de árvore, trädet blad, der Baum Blatt :) Then we can help busy/isolated/lonely/sick/taking-care-of-family people in such places too.

Who says that our "goalless" Practice can't have some good goals? :encouragement:

But I would start small if wanting to undertake some translations. Impossible ... not worth the time and effort ... to try to translate too much.

Gassho, J

P.S. - I have sometimes thought of turning to auto-translate, but you get some interesting responses. Here is our "mission statement" googled into Japanese, then back to English ...

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Or work center, for health concerns living in Zen remote location easily is not a person has been designed specifically as an online practice place for practitioners of Zen, Treeleaf Zendo to the needs of family and child care interaction with the teacher can what you are trying to provide

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Now that is "very Zen" if "Zen" means "mysterious and unintelligible". Such software is the reason I still have work as a human being Japanese translator!
:p

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Originally Posted by Jundo

Thank you, a lovely idea. I have no objection to such a project. But I would start very small, just a few things perhaps. The introductory videos might work.

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I volunteer to translate the video contents to portuguese.

But I don't think I'm able to "transliterate" (put in text) the "spoken" video contents.

I think the best way to do it is if some native english speaker member of the Sangha write it down, sentence to sentence, one sentence after another, one in each line of a simple ".txt" file, named that way: "[videonumber][videoname]_[transliteration].txt", save it and send it to a virtual directory on the web...

We can start with the introductory videos. :)

Jundo, if you authorize, I can translate the written material too, in portuguese.

When should we start?

Volunteers?

Gassho,

Marcos

My last sangha spent considerable time and effort transposing all of our teacher's podcasts (300+ at last count, most an hour long at least) into transcripts which can be searched and read. That started small (two members individually transposing material) and ended up a large project. Of course, translation is more tricky but it sounds like a good idea and eminently workable.

Gassho
Andy

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Originally Posted by mpdalles

We can start with the introductory videos. :)

Jundo, if you authorize, I can translate the written material too, in portuguese.

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Of course. Thank you for the suggestion Marcos, and the donation of your time and energy. I hereby put you in charge of the project! :) Please organize and find people to assist you, as you need.

Please take it small and don't try to do too much.

Gassho, J

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Originally Posted by Jundo

Of course. Thank you for the suggestion Marcos, and the donation of your time and energy. I hereby put you in charge of the project! :) Please organize and find people to assist you, as you need.

Please take it small and don't try to do too much.

Gassho, J

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Thank you Jundo ;-)

_/\_

So, let's start? People who'd like to volunteer please do so here or send me a PM telling what's your native language and level of proficiency in english...?

I can be responsible for the portuguese translations.

Gassho,

Marcos