The first time I noticed translation was probably while singing Christmas carols. We learnt to sing Silent Night in something resembling German and Welsh at primary school, and in learning Polish I realised that the fuzzy warm sound of carols I’d heard…
Yearly Archives: 2013
silent night
Tagged with: Christmas, Christmas Carols, English, Finnish, Franz Xaver Gruber, German, Joseph Mohr, Polish, Silent Night, Welsh
Posted in Christmas, language, translation
Posted in Christmas, language, translation
O!
‘Would it be of any use, now,’ thought Alice, `to speak to this mouse? Everything is so out-of-the-way down here that I should think very likely it can talk: at any rate, there’s no harm in trying.’ So she began:…
Tagged with: advent, Alice in Wonderland, Arvo Pärt, Bible, English, German, Language, Latin, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, o antiphons, vocative
Posted in language, translation
Posted in language, translation
hobbit scripts
It is that time of year again – time for the next Hobbit movie, a chance to escape back into the magical world of Middle Earth. The first Hobbit film was too long, but it was also the first film I saw…
Tagged with: Anglo Saxon, Cirith, Elvish, Finnish, Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien, Language, Literature, Lord of the Rings, Runes, Scripts, Tengwar, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Tibetan, Transliteration, Welsh, words
Posted in international, language, literature, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, translation, words
Posted in international, language, literature, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, translation, words
between two Thomases: 100 years of R. S. and Dylan
“My chief aim is to make a poem. You make it for yourself firstly, and then if other people want to join in then there we are,” said R. S. Thomas. We’re half way through his centenary year: a Welsh…
Tagged with: A Welsh Landscape, A Welsh Testament, Do not go gentle into that good night, Dylan Thomas, Language, Literature, Poetry, R. S. Thomas, Swansea, Under Milk Wood, Wales, Welsh
Posted in language, literature, poetry
Posted in language, literature, poetry
selfie, bookshelfie
The Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2013 is: Selfie (n. informal) a photograph taken of oneself and usually uploaded onto social media. From a short list which included bedroom tax (for UK speakers), binge-watch and twerk, selfie was the clear global…
Tagged with: Dictionaries, English language, Filipino, Finnish, Korean, Language, Oxford English Dictionary, Romanian, Selfie, Word of the year, words
Posted in language, Word of the Year 2013, words
Posted in language, Word of the Year 2013, words
twist your tongue around the world
Sometimes your tongue gets in a knot and the words just don’t come out. But if you can untangle it, you will sound fluent as never before. I tell first time visitors to Finland that they can find the lift…
Tagged with: English, Finnish, Hebrew, Language, Latin, Maori, Polish, pronunciation, Tongue-twister, Welsh
Posted in international, language, translation, words
Posted in international, language, translation, words
like two berries
Idioms are great. But they don’t always translate easily. Finnish idioms differ from English ones according to the culture. In the land of forests, you don’t stand around uselessly like a lemon, but sit like a mushroom (“istua kuin tatti”), and…
stories in translation: UK children’s book week 2013
In the UK it is Children’s Book Week from 7-11 October. How many of those books are translated from other languages? Not many, unfortunately. Here are my top 3 for 2013: One of my favourites as a young child was…
Tagged with: animals, Children's Book Week 2013, Children's literature, Estonian, French, Gunilla Wolde, Irish Gaelic, Lila Prap, Mrs Pepperpot, Oksa Pollock, Pippi Longstocking, Slovene, Sue Rose, Swedish, Welsh
Posted in Children's Book Week 2013, Illustration, international, language, literature, translation
Posted in Children's Book Week 2013, Illustration, international, language, literature, translation
international translation day: beyond linguistic barriers – a united world
It’s the 22nd International Translation Day today. The Congolese member of the Federation of Interpreters and Translators chose the theme “Beyond Linguistic Barriers – A United World,” because the work of TTIs (translators, terminologists and interpreters) breaks down global barriers in…
Tagged with: Bethlehem, Bible, Greek, Hebrew, International Translation Day, Jerome, Jerusalem, Language, Septuagint, Translation, Translators Without Borders, volunteer
Posted in international, language, NGOs, translation
Posted in international, language, NGOs, translation
found in translation 