The fact that, after completing an MA in translation, some qualified students decide not to pursue a career in that field after all shows that even aspiring linguists can have misconceptions about translation, and that “speaking another language” is far from enough to be a capable translator.
Some students, believing that their degree in two or more foreign languages already gives them the skills required and that an MA will only Continue reading
If the tone or content of a text can affect how you feel when reading, the work of translation goes further still as you must somehow absorb the author’s ideas as your own, feel the tone of the text and process them to recreate them faithfully. While the majority of assignments (in my case anyway) may be engaging at an intellectual level only, some documents can affect the translator emotionally too.
Predictably, I encounter this aspect of translation most when Continue reading
When working on texts destined to be published in a strongly visual context (e.g. website, magazine, brochure, illustrated book, etc.), one of the challenges is space. Because the same story in two different languages will always result in two different lengths, the layout, font size, and other visual parameters need to be adjusted significantly.
English is concise, flexible and snappy. So much can be said with so little. In comparison, Continue reading
Happy 2015!
Following on from my 2014 New Year’s resolution, my knowledge of Sanskrit is slowly building up.
Last Spring, I started a new advanced yoga class with a fantastic teacher who also introduces us to the Yoga Sutras of Pantañjali. As the Yoga Sutras were originally written in Sanskrit, Continue reading
I don’t normally make New Year’s resolutions. Far from being due to a lack of assiduity, this is because I cannot wait for the first day of the year to get started with a great idea. This year, however, I am making an exception – well, with an early cheat in December maybe…
Being a bit of a language fanatic and an unabashed yoga addict, I have decided to Continue reading
