Just To Feel Interest [revised] Poem by Margaret Alice Second

Just To Feel Interest
Enjoyed making lists of terms to drill into my head –
Compte tenu is ‘taking into account’, En vue d’assurer
is ‘a view to ensuring’, ‘mesures de promotion’ says
‘measures for promoting’, not for promotion of, and
finally Vise à assurer is ‘aimed at ensuring’

Why do I choose wrong alternatives if presented
with two or more probable terms, what is it leads
me into blind alleys and dark tunnels as I translate
bureaucratic documents written to make political
schemes seem feasible to donors

Whatever crisis today I’m proud of my new list, my
next document will be translated in a new attitude,
I’ll pounce on every strange expression and review
everything, compare to all lists in my archives – I’m
proud of my new inspiration, just to feel interest is

Rare accomplishment, the result doesn’t matter if
the process is enjoyable, like donning ice skates &
gliding through translation, borne by knowledge
there is no need for trekking wild terrain, scaling
mountains or painfully falling into every crevasse

Like my colleagues soaring on clouds, so adept at
plucking correct phrases out of the air – efficiently
digging them from deep underground – I want to
be lifted by my new intentions, change the way
I work on each text sent with translation request!


[ORIGINAL: ]

Enjoyed making a list of terms to drill into my head -
Compte tenu means Taking into account and En vue
d’assurer is A view to ensuring and Mesures de pro-
motion is Measures for promoting, not for promotion
of and finally Vise à assurer is Aimed at ensuring

Why do I always choose the wrong alternative when
presented with two or more probable terms, what is
it that leads me into blind alleys and dark tunnels as
I try to translate bureaucratic documents written to
make political schemes seem feasible to donors

Whatever the problem, today I’m proud of my new list,
the next document will be translated with a new attitude,
I shall pounce on every strange expression and review
everything then compare to all lists in my archives – I’m
so proud of my new inspiration, just to feel interest is

A rare accomplishment, does not matter what the result is,
as long as the process is enjoyable, I want to don ice skates
and glide through any translation, carried high by knowledge
so that there is no need for trekking through wild terrain
scaling mountains and painfully falling into every crevasse

Like my colleagues who seem to drift on clouds while they
artfully pluck the right phrases out of the air or dig them out
from deep under the ground - with an air of great efficiency,
I want to be carried by my new intentions and change the way
I go through every text sent with a request for translation!