Been busy this month? I’ve curated a number of interesting articles about translation and language that have been published on the internet this month and that you may have missed.
- Following a blog post in The Guardian by Warren Murray about which English to use, well-known linguist Geoffrey Pullum then wrote a piece on the Chronicle Of Higher Education blog claiming the US and UK are undivided by a common language. Unsurprisingly Lynne Murphy, who writes the Separated by a Common Language blog, did not agree. Read her response to Pullum here.
- The blog Translation Ethics tells us that $489 million of revenue a year isn’t enough for Lionbridge.
- Pierre Fuentes wrote this article about Mother Tongue, Native Speakers and Other Linguistic Myths on the ITI’s Pillar Box blog.
- Here are 15 tips on how to increase your chances when contacting translation companies from Riccardo Schiaffino.
- Do you agree that accents and dialects are a thorny issue for translators?
The thorny issue of dialects
- The Oscar Pistorious trial in South Africa has garnered a lot of media attention, and not always for the right reasons, as once again bad interpreting was under the spotlight.
- Here’s a list of 40 French And English Words That Might Throw You Off Unless You’re ‘In The Know‘.
- Did you know that etymologically the words ‘adult’ and ‘adultery’ have nothing to do with each other?
- The Etiquettrix is a quick look-up chart of key social courtesies and faux-pas in different cultures. For a larger image you can click here. It’s still a work in progress, so don’t hesitate if you can help the designer who still needs some specific information on certain cultures.
The Etiquettrix
- Finally, here’s a glossary of ‘Surfrikan’ (South African surfer) slang.
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