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Writer's picturePeter K F Cheung SBS

Found in Translation


  1. FADE IN


  2. Act 1


  3. INT. STUDY - 00:15


  4. Sitting at a desk with a textbook, a notebook and mobiles scattered around him, PETER is in thoughts.


  5. PETER (V.O): Should I carry on revising my Korean? Or should I go to sleep now?


  6. Taking another look of the stuff on the desk, Peter places them neatly and exits.


  7. INT. BEDROOM - 07:00


  8. Peter's eyes flutter open.


  9. PETER (V.O): Alright, time to get back to learning languages.


  10. Pausing.


  11. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I don't want to break my streaks. I aim to finish my daily practices of foreign languages other than Korean before 10:00.


  12. Pausing.


  13. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): For the rest of the day, I'll focus on Korean. I've a 3-hour Korean class tonight and dictation is one of the action items.


  14. Act 2


  15. INT. STUDY - 07:15


  16. Via the Duolingo App of his mobiles, Peter does his daily practice.


  17. PETER (V.O.): I like to start off with Portuguese and Spanish. Then, Italian, French and German. And then, Japanese and Korean.


  18. Pausing.


  19. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Initially, I got confused as to which language I was learning. Now, I don't have the problem.


  20. Recalling.


  21. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Decades ago, someone told me that every German spoke English...


  22. Pausing.


  23. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Now, I realize that English is quite like German.


  24. Peter taps highlighted words and phrases from time to time.


  25. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): For any new words or phrases, I just tap on them to see the translations.


  26. Pausing.


  27. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I find the logic, customs and beauty in the languages.


  28. It's Korean time.


  29. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Apart from written assignments, I need to submit an oral assignment to the teacher before noon.


  30. Referring to a textbook, Peter works out answers in worksheets.


  31. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): But I've problems in understanding the questions.


  32. As Peter taps Google Translate and uses its camera functions, we see translations on screen.


  33. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Technology can be a useful tool.


  34. Anxiously checking the time, Peter recites a string of words about things in a study in Korean.

  35. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I think I can pronounce the words reasonably well.


  36. Having recorded himself speaking Korean, Peter submits his recording online.


  37. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): In fact, it was an assignment that I'd have submitted last week.


  38. Tapping Google Translate, Peter types: Assignment not submitted last week. And immediately we see the translation in Korean.


  39. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I haven't learned the phrase in Korean yet, but I can still practise my typing in Korean.


  40. Peter then adds his remarks in Korean to his earlier message to the teacher.


  41. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Done! But I still have written assignments to do.


  42. INT. LIVIING ROOM - 12:00


  43. Appearing, Peter sees his WIFE doing the written assignments diligently.


  44. PETER: Darling, can you help me with something?


  45. WIFE: I won't let you copy my answers!


  46. PETER: Understood. But I've no idea what the last page of the worksheet is all about...


  47. WIFE: Just wait. I'll translate them for you when I've finished mine.


  48. Later, Peter approaches his wife again.

  49. PETER: Can you translate it for me now?


  50. WIFE: Yes, they're the summary of what you've learned in doing the exercises!


  51. Act 3


  52. INT. STUDY - 21:30


  53. Peter inserts an AI drawing entitled "Found in Translation ..." to a draft.


  54. PETER (V.O): As I'm not translating poetry, I won't get lost in translation.


  55. Thinking.


  56. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The translations via Google Translate or the Duolingo app or my wife facilitate my language learning.


  57. Reflecting.


  58. PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Found in translation, I'm determined to learn languages to fuel my lifelong curiosity.


  59. FADE OUT


  60. THE END


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