I’ve joined the team of volunteers led by Dr. Tsuyoshi Matsuo to translate the Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs and Withdrawal, written by Will Hall, MA, DiplPW into Japanese.  I find this Guide to be a good translation challenge worth our collective effort for the following reasons:

• It is informative.  The Guide is a good jump-off point for further learning in this field.  The translation aims to transmit these valuable information.
• It is empowering.  The Guide focuses on I as a human, living on this earth.  The team will pay attention to the literal, word-for-word rendition method’s ability, or lack thereof, of delivering this quiet power within.  The Japanese version will attempt to cut through those numerous pronouns, for example, and find its path to reach the heart and mind of a reader.
• It is written in plain English.  So, the translation will be written in plain Japanese.

We’ll keep the following watchwords in mind while translating:

1. Stay true.
2. Stay down to earth.

We plan to share our translation process to welcome input.  We’re still looking for a good way to carry this out… we’ll get there soon, hopefully.

Current team members are (in no particular order):
松王強　Tsuyoshi Matsuo
浜島恭子　Kyoko Hamashima
松王誠　Makoto Matsuo
リチャード・サドゥスキー Richard Sadowsky
大町裕子　Yuko Omachi
清水美香　Mika Jarmusz
ウィル・ホール　Will Hall

Thanks, and I look forward to working together with you.