Week4.Collective Intelligence in Practice - BAISHIQI（백시기)

 This week, I spent a lot of time working on Wikipedia translations. At first, I thought translating was just about converting text from one language to another, but once I started, I realized it was far more challenging than I had imagined.

Initially, I thought I just needed to translate English into Chinese word for word. However, when I actually began translating, I found that some sentences sounded awkward or unnatural when directly translated. This was especially true for technical terms—if I translated them literally, they often didn’t make sense to Chinese readers. I had to constantly look up references and adjust my wording to ensure that my translation was both faithful to the original and readable in Chinese. Finding this balance turned out to be much harder than I had expected.

The biggest challenge was conveying the exact meaning of the original text, rather than just swapping words between languages. For example, some phrases that make perfect sense in English might become confusing or ambiguous in Chinese if translated too literally. At times, a simple English expression could require additional explanation in Chinese to maintain its original meaning. I often struggled with whether to translate the text exactly as written or to adapt it slightly for better readability. After several revisions, I gradually developed an approach: instead of just translating words, I focused on translating ideas, ensuring that the content remained both accurate and natural.

Another unexpected challenge was following Wikipedia’s editing guidelines while translating. I initially assumed that as long as my translation was grammatically correct, I could submit it. However, during the editing process, I realized that some parts of my translation didn’t align with Wikipedia’s standards—for example, certain subjective descriptions or phrases that didn’t meet the “neutral point of view” policy. To make sure my translation adhered to Wikipedia’s rules, I had to carefully compare it with the original, refine my wording, and even check how similar content was expressed in existing Chinese Wikipedia articles. This made me realize that translating wasn’t just about language—it was also about understanding the content and adapting it appropriately.

When I finally saw my translation being accepted and published, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. This week’s experience taught me that translation isn’t just a mechanical process of replacing words—it’s an ongoing cycle of refining, understanding, and adapting. Translating Wikipedia challenged both my language skills and my ability to interpret and present information clearly. Even though it was a bit frustrating at times, it gave me a new perspective on translation, and I’m already looking forward to the next challenge.