Around the web – November 2019

Here’s your round-up of the penultimate month of the year’s most popular stories about language, translation and interpreting.

• “Unspeakable things”: the vocabulary used to discuss sexual violence sometimes has drawbacks.

It is hard to tackle a problem you are afraid to name.

• Urban Dictionary has long been looked down on by more traditional dictionaries, but now some linguists are using it for research. Certain U.S. states are referencing it to determine the acceptability of vanity plate names, and its definitions have also been brought up and debated in court cases.
• Talking about court cases, did you know that emojis have now ‘invaded’ courtrooms?

In 2019, dozens of emojis showed up in legal cases.

• We need to appreciate all languages spoken by someone as an integral part of who they are – both in sickness and in health.
• 5 reasons mental health interpreters are important.
• As online apps become good at translating Iceland’s complex language, the isolated country is newly vulnerable to computer scams.

Icelander Kristjan Asgeirsson lost $68,000 in an online scam. The people of Iceland are no longer protected from online fraud because of their linguistic isolation.

• Here are some of the most surprising changes made in translations of ‘Harry Potter’ books.
• There was a time when the figurative meaning of ‘fishing’ was only used in terms like ‘fishing for compliments’. Now we have ‘catfishing’, ‘blackfishing’, and ‘sadfishing’: do you know what they all mean?
• We’re fast approaching the end of the year, and MacMillan Dictionaries have already compiled a “Trending Words of 2019” quiz. Test your knowledge here. (In mid-October The Guardian also published an article with the Top 10 words of 2019 and both Oxford Dictionaries and Collins Dictionaries have named their words of the year.

What does “milkshaking” refer to?

• Even if you speak French fluently, there are some words you may never manage to pronounce correctly (personally I don’t think I have much of a problem pronouncing these ten words, but have issues with other words not on the list!).

Further reading:

• Around the web – October 2019
• Around the web – September 2019
• November 16th was Icelandic Language Day

Around the web – October 2019

October 10th marked a minor milestone for me, as I celebrated the 10th birthday of my Twitter account. Partly based on results from my Twitter feed, here’s your monthly round-up of October’s most popular stories about language, translation and interpreting.

• In a world of people striving for more public professional recognition, there’s a reason why interpreters and translators remain invisible. We allow the show to go on, carrying out projects that significantly affect people’s lives, while often remaining anonymous.
• The BBC took a look at what it’s like to have to interpret for your parents (interesting article but it’s a shame the BBC *still* doesn’t know the difference between a translator and interpreter!).
• In this Year of Indigenous Languages, here’s a timely reminder of what we lose when lose traditional, indigenous language and knowledge.

A collection of Native American utensils and weapons. (source: Getty)

• The interviewee for this month’s Greatest Women in Translation series was Marilyn Booth, translator (and joint winner with the author) of the 2019 Man Booker International Prize.
• The words that shock have changed: traditional taboo words no longer have the punch of group-based insults about which Western societies are increasingly sensitive.

The polarisation of politics has led to a new lexicon of insults

• Slang and jargon specialist Tony Thorne also took a look at the pervasive, destabilising, discomfiting language of lying in public life.
• Claire Cox wonders if we can work more sustainably from home (see also Claire’s post about the METM Split conference).

Going greener in your office

• Will the French language make a comeback in European institutions once the UK has (finally) left the EU?

Could Brexit translate into a comeback for the French language?

• En français : “Jambonlaissé” de Guillaume Remuepoire : La fameuse pièce de William Shakespeare réécrite par Google traduction …
• On a final note, October 16th was World Food Day and colleague Alina Cincan curated a post in which several foodie translators (yours truly included) shared some favourite dishes along with their etymology and a food-related idiom.

Further reading:

• Around the web – September 2019
• Around the web – July & August 2019
• October 28th was International Creole Day. See here for all Creole-related posts on this blog.

Around the web – July & August 2019

If you need to catch up with news about translation, interpreting, and language because you’ve been away over the holiday period, here’s a round-up of the most popular stories that you might have missed during July and August.

• There were two interesting posts on Caroline Alberoni’s blog:
  • How do you make sure you’re charging enough?
  • Website copywriting: writing content for websites 
• Notes from the Classroom: On Teaching Translation
• Parental leave, baby brain, and deadlines is a great post on parenting by Catherine Christaki (who I was delighted to finally get to meet in person earlier this month in Toronto!)

Parenting experiences of translators

• Is there alchemy involved in translating Harry Potter into Irish?
• Talking about literary translation, the Arts Editor of the The Moscow Times has a good, long (justified) rant about reviews of “miraculously self-translated novels” that never mention the translator’s name, and has a few suggestions up her sleeve …
• Last month I mentioned a viral video about interpreting made for Wired. Here’s the second video in the series
• How Netflix Does Subtitling for the World (apart from China)

Netlfix headquarters building in Silicon Valley

• Some metaphors are so pervasive (arguments as a war to be won, time as a commodity, and happiness as up & sadness as down) that they are fundamental to how we culturally conceive of the world.
• Is there only one right place for the word ‘only‘?

Try adding ‘only’ to various places in the line: “I found the eggs in the first shed”.

• In The Conversation:
  • • On 20 July 1969 humanity was changed for ever when Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon. But he probably didn’t realize that his famous first words could also help us better understand how humans communicate.
    • ‘Warspeak’ language has relentlessly crept into most aspects of American life and public discourse

It’s a linguistic battlefield out there

• Here is Natalie Soper‘s account of Warwick Translates Summer School 
• How freelance translators can optimise Linkedin.

 

On a sad note, in mid-August well-respected colleague Valerij Tomarenko died while hill-walking on the Scottish island of Arran. Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

Further reading:

• • • • Around the web – June 2019
      • Around the web – May 2019

Around the web – June 2019

I was delighted this month to finally be able to start working with a sit-stand desk. Do you have one? So here, sent while I’m standing at my desk, is your June round-up of the month’s most popular stories about translation, interpreting, and language.

• In this video-gone-viral made for Wired, Professor Barry Olsen explains what it’s really like to be a professional interpreter. At the time of writing it’s had 1.8 million views!

screenshot from the video ‘Interpreter Breaks Down How Real-Time Translation Works’

• On 4th June a spontaneous campaign started on Twitter in support of translators affected by the non-payment of the Spanish publishing house Malpaso Ediciones.
• Colleague Caroline Alberoni interviewed US-born, Mexico City-based literary translator and poet Robin Myers.
• Not only did 25th June mark the 116th anniversary of George Orwell’s birth, but 8th June was the 70th anniversary of the publication of “1984”. What influence did Orwell have on the English language?

Orwell and the English Language

• Colleagues Claire Cox and Simon Berrill wrote blog posts about the recent ITI conference in Sheffield: Spotlight on Sheffield and A welcome message.
• Simon also blogged about the RevClub ‘roadshow’ here.
• This Guardian article is a fascinating look about what it’s like to be the New Zealand PM’s sign language interpreter.

Alan Wendt poses after a post-cabinet press conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photograph: Hagen Hopkins)

• In the US, the Best Translated Book Award 2019 winners were announced at the beginning of the month.
• Netflix’s miniseries “When They See Us” has shown how black slang was criminalised for The Central Park 5. It still is today.
• How to cut back on unnecessary exclamation marks in your writing.
• Finally, France’s Academie Française released guidelines on how to use certain insults properly

Members of the Academie Francaise gather at the library before an induction ceremony at the Academie Francaise in Paris on December 15, 2016. (Photo by PATRICK KOVARIK / AFP)

On a personal note, as well as translating I also do some travel writing, and this month saw the publication of the new “Insight Guide to Mauritius, Reunion and Seychelles“. This is the 3rd edition, and the 2nd edition on which I’ve worked writing and updating the “Reunion” part.

Further reading:

• Around the web – April 2019
• Around the web – May 2019
• A British member of the Académie Française
• Is our job killing us?

Are you in good voice?

Is your voice in good shape or are you in poor voice? Do you like the sound of your own voice? (and I mean that literally, not figuratively!) This week I attended an interesting afternoon of events focusing on the voice: knowing its anatomy, how to warm up, preserve, and repair your voice, as well as tips for public speaking. Presentations from speech therapists and ENT doctors were interspersed with musical interludes by singers, including an opera singer, and a – very impressive – beatboxer.

beatboxer Irose

The conference was organised by a health insurance fund which draws most of its members from the teaching profession, so there was a tendency to concentrate on issues experienced by teachers: they have a much higher rate of voice-related problems than the general public, especially if they teach primary school, music or PE, and women are four times more likely than men to experience problems. (I’ve literally heard these problems first-hand as my mother-in-law, a former teacher, has a paralysed vocal cord.) I translate and don’t teach but I do some consecutive and liaison interpreting, as well as voice talent work, and I also regularly use my voice in presentations and daily on the phone to clients and colleagues.

With speech professions, voice use is supra-physiological, i.e. we talk more and longer than other professions. Referring to voice loss, interestingly one of presenters mentioned that whispering tires the voice more than conventional speech as it forces more air than normal to pass through the passageways, something to bear in mind for interpreters who carry out chuchotage. It was also mentioned that several shorter days of speaking (e.g. three days of speaking for 4 hours) are preferable to one long day (e.g. twelve hours), although of course when interpreting we don’t always get much choice in the matter!

singers Nicole Dambreville & Pheelip Zora

Concerning public speaking I was pleased to learn that a practice I’ve often adopted instinctively – standing up when asking a question or presenting myself – is highly recommended, as is good posture and breathing. You should of course always look at your audience, and try and make sure your voice resonates from as low down in your body as possible. Keep your throat and neck muscles relaxed.

One of the overriding messages of the event was that for those of us professionals who speak regularly, the voice is an often-neglected asset that needs to be taken care of to be kept healthy. Some advice to help keep it in good shape:

• drink water to keep your body well hydrated
• make the most of breaks to avoid having to speak
• avoid alcohol and caffeine
• avoid smoking and inhaling secondhand smoke
• don’t yell
• do sport

Hopefully these tips will help you find your voice!

opera singer Olivera Topalovic

 

See also:

• Is our job killing us?

Around the web – December 2018 & January 2019

Here’s a look at the most popular stories about translation, interpreting, and language for December 2018 and January 2019*.

• In the UK, unqualified interpreters used by police have caused court delays, and in at least one instance the collapse of a case.
• Some words don’t cross borders very easily. 
• Did you know a former conference interpreter was recently elected to Switzerland’s top government post?

Karin Keller-Sutter is an alumni of The Institute of Translation and Interpreting at Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

• The Society of Authors has announced its 2018 Translation Prize shortlists.
• What does the profession of literary translator entail?
• December is always the time for “words of year” and 2018’s crop were particularly depressing. But will they last?

“Toxic”, “single-use” and “misinformation” were amongst the words of the year for 2018.

• Translating film titles can be a tricky business
• Duck cold: How do the French use animals to talk about weather?

Ducks gather on the bank of the Yauza river during snowfall in Moscow on December 19, 2018. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

• Humour: some of the funny words that kids invent

“Insect Day” is more commonly known as “Inset Day”.

• Français : quand la traduction de l’anglais au français est amusante autant que ridicule

* I was away from late December until January (hence the round-up covering two months), and so I’ll leave you with a “translation” I saw on my travels …

close-up of the English

close-up of the French

Further reading:

• Around the web – October 2018
• Around the web – November 2018
• Translation troubles
• Just the tonic!
• Too funny for public transport?

Around the web – November 2018

Here’s a look at the most popular stories about translation, interpreting, and language for November.

• Language problems: interpreters need to grasp cultural differences as well as linguistic ones when responding to crises.
• The art of hyping machine translation (or when the media take a well-spun PR message at face value).
• When is it time to bade farewell to a client? asks colleague Claire Cox.

Claire Cox: “As a professional translator, I don’t want to work for an outfit that regards me as an interchangeable cog in a large machine”.

• International trade: without the language industry, most exporting and importing would stop (see also follow-up post here).
• How do the French convey excitement linguistically and culturally?
• Geoffrey Pullum has written a brief ‘Brexicon’ – a glossary of recent Brexit-related coinages that may help any non-Brits confused about the language used to talk about the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. (see also this guide in The Guardian, published the same week)

Do you know the meaning of ‘Brino’, ‘ERG’ ‘remoaner’ or ‘Maybot’?

• Does the ‘wright’ in ‘playwright’ have anything to do with ‘write’?
• Should we say octopuses or octopi? Can we finally resolve the debate?

Eight tentacles, three plural forms, and only one right way to say it.

• Why the time is now for foreign language music hits in the English-speaking world.
• Take a look at these beautiful linguistic maps of Europe, Asia and Africa dating from 1741.

Eighteenth-century German linguist Hensel probably had to use second-hand and third-hand transcriptions for languages he was unfamiliar with.

• Try your hand this trending words 2018 quiz. How did you do? Many of the terms aren’t particularly new, but have become popular this year.

 

Further reading:

• Around the web – October 2018
• Around the web – September 2018

Interpreting 20 years ago

Sorting through some old papers I came across this article from a local newspaper dated 22nd July 1993. The person to the right in the photo is me when I had not long turned 23 and this was one of my first major liaison interpreting contracts: for a week I interpreted for an American architect from Louisiana who had been invited to Reunion to compare Creole architecture in the Southern US with that of the island. I remember that I worked hard compiling my glossary and terminology list and that it came in very useful, but I also cringe when I think about how inexperienced I was!

Do you have any cringe-worthy photos, memories or experience to share too?