4 ms·

Selected Translations from “Factory Stories”

21 points by samclemens 10y ago

Paul_S 10y ago
It's probably insensitive to make any sort of comments about an article like that but the line from the first story: "perhaps this will be my entire life as long as I’m “affirming” my labor-power in the factory" was a kick to the head after a good beating. Not only do they work excessively hard but they suffer "corporate speak" like us on top of that. I would've thought that would be the one thing they would be spared.
- quantumhobbit 10y ago
  If the purpose of newspeak was to make expressing dissent impossible, maybe the purpose of corporatespeak is to make expressing anything other than eagerness to be overworked impossible. Regardless it works just as well if you earn a hundred thousand dollars a year or a hundred dollars a month.
- cafard 10y ago
  Never underestimate the power of a bad translation.
buckbova 10y ago
> The alarm clock wakes me up at exactly 7:20 in the morning. I go to the toilet, wash my face, change my clothes, no time to brush my teeth, I take my key and run straight to the factory. Perhps consider setting your alarm to 7:17 and brush those teeth.
- galdosdi 10y ago
  Where are those three minutes going to come from? There is no spare time when you're working at least 11 hours a day and are so time pressured that "Some don’t even go to the toilet—not because they don’t need to go, but because they’re afraid they won’t meet the production quota if they do. Most people wait until they finish their work, so the toilets are always packed at the end of a shift." At that level of time poverty, sleep is the only remaining place from which to take time. Three minutes seems inconsequential to me and you because we're lucky to have enough spare time that three minutes really is inconsequential for us.
  - buckbova 10y ago
    Those not going to the toilet are during the workday when they are on line. Oral hygine is important. Yes take 3 minutes in the morning from sleep. This fella sounded depressed more than anything, not willing to scramble to get in line for a better meal than pickled vegetables. I don't blame him necessarily. 11 hour days as a factory worker must be soul crushing.

21 points by samclemens 10y ago

It's probably insensitive to make any sort of comments about an article like that but the line from the first story: "perhaps this will be my entire life as long as I’m “affirming” my labor-power in the factory" was a kick to the head after a good beating. Not only do they work excessively hard but they suffer "corporate speak" like us on top of that. I would've thought that would be the one thing they would be spared.

quantumhobbit 10y ago
If the purpose of newspeak was to make expressing dissent impossible, maybe the purpose of corporatespeak is to make expressing anything other than eagerness to be overworked impossible. Regardless it works just as well if you earn a hundred thousand dollars a year or a hundred dollars a month.
cafard 10y ago
Never underestimate the power of a bad translation.

buckbova 10y ago

> The alarm clock wakes me up at exactly 7:20 in the morning. I go to the toilet, wash my face, change my clothes, no time to brush my teeth, I take my key and run straight to the factory. Perhps consider setting your alarm to 7:17 and brush those teeth.

galdosdi 10y ago
Where are those three minutes going to come from? There is no spare time when you're working at least 11 hours a day and are so time pressured that "Some don’t even go to the toilet—not because they don’t need to go, but because they’re afraid they won’t meet the production quota if they do. Most people wait until they finish their work, so the toilets are always packed at the end of a shift." At that level of time poverty, sleep is the only remaining place from which to take time. Three minutes seems inconsequential to me and you because we're lucky to have enough spare time that three minutes really is inconsequential for us.
- buckbova 10y ago
  Those not going to the toilet are during the workday when they are on line. Oral hygine is important. Yes take 3 minutes in the morning from sleep. This fella sounded depressed more than anything, not willing to scramble to get in line for a better meal than pickled vegetables. I don't blame him necessarily. 11 hour days as a factory worker must be soul crushing.