June 2005

Guest blogger: Who is responsible for a translation?

June 30, 2005

By Hans Leander I recently sent the following message, with the topic "Who is responsible for a translation?", to one of the discussion lists I frequent (text slightly adapted to this blog): I did an editing job for a customer...

Racist expressions ?

June 28, 2005

As I was researching the origin of the word picnic (I was wondering whether it came from French pique-nique or the other way around), I came across a document claiming that it came from an Oklahoma custom of having a...

Interpreting and stress

June 24, 2005

What? The last Friday of the month and no guest blogger? Well, the colleague who kindly offered to write this month’s entry had an unexpected rush job to attend to and will deliver his entry later than expected, so we’ll...

SDL buys Trados

June 21, 2005

SDL and TRADOS have joined together to strengthen and better serve the globalization ecosystem - the strong relationship among all players in the translation process bound by a common technology. We will provide you with more valuable and powerful products...

So you want to be a rosbif?

June 17, 2005

I've decided to compile my own citizenship test ; it covers all useful areas of life in the UK: work, socialising, transport, leisure, sport (NOT sex – I'm trying to become British, remember?). I've decided not to translate it, because...

Becoming British - becoming doubtful

June 16, 2005

I'll never be allowed to join this fine nation! I only got 9 right answers to this citizenship test, although I'm proud I gave the right answer to the following question (and it only goes to prove that I’m right...

Champs-Elysées' audio magazines

June 14, 2005

Champs-Elysées is a monthly audio magazine for intermediate-to-advanced speakers of French. The main element is a radio-style program on CD or tape, packed with news, features and interviews, covering a vast array of current subjects linked to France: politics, culture,...

Chav

June 10, 2005

The BBC website tells us that the latest edition of the OED includes 1,500 new words, including chav, which is defined as "a young working class person who dresses in casual sports clothing". This is wikipedia’s view on things: "Chav...

Is language just a communication tool?

June 9, 2005

Fancy a little challenge? The title of this entry is the topic of the philosophy exam in this year's Bac. I want your essays on my desk tomorrow morning. Mine, in 1990, was "Is art work or leisure?". I loved...

New category: products I like

June 8, 2005

Like a lot of freelancers, I sometimes fret over the future and whether I’ll carry on being able to make a living from translating and interpreting or whether C3PO-type multilingual androids will be replacing me in the near future. I’ve...

Levi's upsets Belgium

June 6, 2005

This weekend, I had a very interesting conversation with a friend who told me about a localisation faux-pas on the Levi’s website that led to a major upset in Belgium. If you click on your country on the site, the...

New translation of Out of Africa

June 3, 2005

Going on holiday is normally the time for me to read a lot, and especially to catch up with my unread Nouvel Observateurs. In one of them, I found an article on why Karen Blixen's Out of Africa had to...

To be eaten up

June 2, 2005

Thanks to Max for providing me with an entry, as I struggle to get back into work after a few days on the beautiful île de Ré. He asks me how I would translate the expression “it is eating me...