This month I attended the ITI 2019 conference in Sheffield. Although not a member of the UK Institute of Translation and Interpreting, I was able to attend due to my membership of France’s sister organisation, SFT. It was great to listen to some excellent, though-provoking presentations and meet colleagues old and new. I still kept abreast of social media while away from Reunion, so here is your monthly round-up of the most popular stories about translation and language for May 2019.
- First off, here is Simon Berrill’s excellent review of the ITI conference, as well as Alessandra Vita’s account of the BP19 conference held a few days before in Bologna.
In Cutlers’ Hall, Day 2 of the ITI conference
- Between worlds: in praise of the literary translator.
- Corinne McKay asks 4 important questions for any freelancer.
- Many people in Anglophone democracies seem to consider the ability to talk to foreigners in their own languages distasteful, even suspect.
- In Venice a “library of exile” reflects on displacement and language. A hymn to exiled writers, it contains a porcelain “library” with 2,000 books in translation. It will also be exhibited in Dresden and London.
Inside the library (photo courtesy Edmund de Waal)
- Still on the subject of exhibitions, here are 6 amazing examples of language and technology in museums.
- How the US healthcare system fails people who don’t speak English.
- Heinz was left with egg on its face when it didn’t realise that the name of its new Mayochup product has a rather unfortunate translation in Cree.
- And the pressure on some highly-trained but poorly-paid translators is immense, recently resulting in mistakes like ‘sicansíos’ in the dubbed Spanish version of a Game of Thrones episode. (See also Why film translators are in a war of words over subtitles).
Liam Cunningham, far right, who plays Davos Seaworth, in a scene from Game of Thrones.
(Photograph: HBO)
- 8th May marked 74 years since the end of World War II. How much do you know about the Navajo Code Talkers who helped bring the Allied forces to victory?
Memorial to Navajo code talkers in Phoenix, Arizona (TED EYTAN, FLICKR // CC BY-SA 2.0)
- 29th May was World Biscuit Day! Why not listen to this recent BBC Radio 4 podcast about biscuit names while munching on your favourite?
On a final note I was very happy to participate in outreach this week, for the second year running, at the “Responsible Women” Forum held at a local secondary school to talk to 13-year old girls about careers, ambitions, and the responsibilities that go with them.
Further reading:
A Smart Translator's Reunion 