A blog about translation, writing and language in all its glorious aspects
…the phrase means: A person suited for one job may not be suited for another job. The practice of choosing the best person for a particular job. Once again, the Wikipedia family (in this case Wiktionary) refers to the translation profession to illustrate usage: The term is widely used in the foreign-language translation industry, where …
Continue reading “And on the subject of “horses for courses” (meat or otherwise)…”
GIGO stands for “Garbage In, Garbage Out”. According to Wikipedia, the term was coined by George Fuechsel, an IBM technician/instructor in New York (but see also Michael Quinion’s version, at World Wide Words). Interestingly (well, it’s interesting if you’re a translator), Wikipedia’s definition of GIGO used to include the following: Non-computer-related use of the term The term …
Product naming is an important part of branding and marketing, and one where international businesses can make costly mistakes if they fail to understand local language, slang, and all the connotations of a given word. Here are a couple of potential branding disasters in the car industry, courtesy of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting’s …
Continue reading “The Wrong Way to name a car: international branding blunders”
Well, well, well. Guess which profession in the top 20 jobs for 2013? Translation and interpreting! The list was complied by US News, which ranks the top 100 jobs on the basis of their mosaic of employment opportunity, good salary, manageable work-life balance, and job security. To which I would add: job satisfaction. Which, notwithstanding …
Continue reading “Translation as a career? It’s right up there!”
“An object-lesson in how not to contract out a public service”. That’s how the Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, described the centralised system for supplying interpreters to the justice system. (See also my previous post on Ministry of Justice language services). Headlines have included: “Court interpreter farce halts murder trial” …
Continue reading “Omnishambles: object-lessons in how not to contract out language services”
Books always make wonderful Christmas presents. They can be beautiful objects in themselves, so lovely to open on Christmas morning. And then there’s the lasting pleasure as you read, enjoy, and remember the content. If you know any translators, they’re sure to appreciate a book from Peirene Press or Hersilia Press — two publishing houses …
Continue reading “Christmas gifts for book-lovers (and translators!)”
Interpreters in the UK have been up in arms over the Ministry of Justice’s 2011 language services framework agreement with a company formerly called Applied Language Solutions (ALS). The service in question was court interpreting. The National Audit Office has now published the results of its investigation into the contracting out of language services in …
Continue reading “Ministry of Justice language services: FUBAR?”
Translators, have you got your training schedule worked out for autumn 2012? If not, you might like to consider the Wordfast workshops being held in London in November. The workshops are being held by John Di Rico, an English-to-French translator and experienced Wordfast trainer. Details are: Wordfast Pro for Beginners: Friday 9 November 2012, 10am …
Continue reading “Translator training: Wordfast in London (8 and 9 November 2012)”
In an article in the Huffington Post marking International Translation Day (celebrated on 30 September), Nataly Kelly, Chief Research Officer at Common Sense Advisory and co-author of “Found in Translation”, listed 10 ways that translation benefits us all: 1. Translation saves lives. 2. Translation prevents terror. 3. Translation keeps the peace. 4. Translation elects world leaders. 5. …
Continue reading “Not love, not money. It’s translation that makes the world go round.”
Parts of the UK have been having horrible weather for the last few days, with flooding and, in Aberdeen, a weird seafoam* invading the Footdee neighbourhood, while is well worth a visit, by the way (preferably without foam). Here in Bearsden, just north of Glasgow, however, it’s a beautiful day. *(or “spume”, from the Latin spuma. This …