Here's a random linguistic observation... Earlier this week, I was translating away on some public health materials, and came to the expression "composer notre numéro sans frais." Knee-jerk translation: call our toll-free number (to get information about this public health initiative). And then it … [Read more...] about Analog words in the digital age
Translation technique
Style matters
Especially if you translate for direct clients, it's important to think about style; not as in "she has a wordy writing style" (which I do...) but as in Chicago Style versus AP Style versus the many house style guides or subject-specific style guides that are out there, versus no style guide … [Read more...] about Style matters
Reader question: deviating from the source text
A reader asks: I come from a court interpreting background, and we have to be super-faithful to the original--how much do you advise a translator to deviate (if that's the right word) from the original? Short answer: In 2003, PEN held a tribute to Gabriel García Márquez. Edith Grossman, (legendary … [Read more...] about Reader question: deviating from the source text
Tom West's new blog: read it!
If you're a French<>English translator, you probably know Tom West, an attorney turned translator (and former ATA President) who owns Intermark Language Services and has spoken at numerous ATA and SFT conferences. Tom launched a new blog in January, and I just hopped over there to read it. … [Read more...] about Tom West's new blog: read it!
International development webinar: feedback and questions
This morning I presented a webinar for the ATA professional development series, entitled "Translating for the international development sector." We didn't have time to take questions, so if you have any, you can send them to me here. Also, if you have any feedback that you didn't include on the … [Read more...] about International development webinar: feedback and questions