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Milton Fingerman, who interpreted for Dachau survivors, dies at 90
May 16th
By John Pope, The Times-Picayune The Times-Picayune
Milton Fingerman, who, as a GI during World War II, was an interpreter for the cadaverous survivors of Dachau when that death camp was liberated, died Monday at East Jefferson General Hospital. He was 90. Those who knew Mr. Fingerman, a retired clothing buyer who had worked for stores such as Lord’s and Krauss during the 52 years he lived in New Orleans, said he was a kind, gentle man who loved children and was a longtime holder of New Orleans Saints season tickets, a volunteer at his synagogue and the Aquarium of the Americas and a member of the Krewe of Caesar.
But in the spring of 1945, Mr. Fingerman, a native of New York City who held an associate degree from the City College of New York, was a staff sergeant in the Army’s 20th Armored Division. One of the division’s companies liberated Dachau, the concentration camp where thousands upon thousands of people — there is no reliable number — had perished. Mr. Fingerman arrived at the camp about two hours later.
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The Benefits Of Being Bilingual
May 16th
By Jonah Lehrer of Wired
Samuel Beckett, born in a suburb of Dublin in 1906, was a native English speaker. However, in 1946 Beckett decided that he would begin writing exclusively in French. After composing the first draft in his second language, he would then translate these words back into English. This difficult constraint – forcing himself to consciously unpack his own sentences – led to a burst of genius, as many of Beckett’s most famous works (Malloy, Malone Dies, Waiting for Godot, etc.) were written during this period. When asked why he wrote first in French, Beckett said it made it easier for him to “write without style.”
Beckett would later expand on these comments, noting that his use of French prevented him from slipping into his usual writerly habits, those crutches of style that snuck into his English prose. Instead of relying on the first word that leapt into consciousness – that most automatic of associations – he was forced by his second language to reflect on what he actually wanted to express. His diction became more intentional.
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Greater Access to Translation Could Save Lives and Protect Human Rights in Africa
May 10th
New report from Common Sense Advisory and Translators without Borders highlights the growing need for translation in Africa
Translation is critical for addressing information inequalities in Africa. But could translation also improve economic development, health, human rights, and safety of the citizens of Africa? Findings from a new study reveal that the answer is “yes.”
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Oreos Get Localized In Translation
May 7th
When brands decided to introduce products in other countries, translation isn’t the only concern, especially when it comes to foods. Food is just as diverse and important to each culture as language.
Kraft, the makers of Oreos found this out the hard way when it introduced its cookies outside the US. Kraft struggled for years in China, for instance, and considered leaving five years ago. The cookie “was spectacularly underperforming,” says Sanjay Khosla, Kraft’s president of developing markets. One problem: Kraft offered Chinese consumers the same type of Oreos that it sold in the United States. “There was a belief that what was good for the U.S. was good for the world,” Khosla says.
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Cognition + Culture + Communication = Language
May 7th
By Matt Balasis on May 6, 2012
With this formula as shorthand, in his new book Language: The Cultural Tool, linguist Dan Everett argues that the variability in human cultural life explains the variability in human languages.
I read an NPR linked article yesterday which reminded me of an old language debate we discussed in grad school. Condensed here, (perhaps absurdly so considering the incogitably complex evolution of language research) into a kind of “nature / nurture” paradigm, the debate centers on whether we are biologically “hard wired” for language production or whether language is a purely utilitarian intellection that exists only because it serves a practical purpose.
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Interpreter Request Refused By Court Because Man Has ‘Been In UK Long Enough’
May 4th
A STONEHOUSE man has been denied a Kurdish interpreter at his forthcoming trial because he has been in the UK long enough to learn English, a judge has ruled.
Baravan Yahia, aged 26, is due to face trial on September 26, charged with taking a BMW on September 12 last year and driving it dangerously.
Yahia’s barrister, Ali Rafati, said that while his client’s English was sufficient for everyday use, he was not confident he could follow a trial.
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Fun With Google Translate
May 1st
Google is known for its “Easter Eggs“; secret or hidden images that appear if you type a certain phrase in the search bar.
Google Translate is no different. Although some of the ones below may or may not be intended, they can still provide some fun the next time you are bored and tired of Google-ing yourself.
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Study: People Make More Rational Decisions in a Foreign Language
Apr 30th
Researchers have come up with another potential benefit to learning a secondary language. In a new study, University of Chicago researchers suggest people make ‘more rational’ decisions if they think a problem through in their non-native language.
According to the study, researchers suggest individuals who make decisions when thinking through their options in a foreign language is beneficial.
10 Untranslatable Words (And When You’ll Want to Use Them)
Apr 27th
"Language is preciousssss..."
English is so limited sometimes. There are so many kickass words in other languages, that describe concepts that we just don’t have one word for in English. And that’s a shame, because sometimes we find ourselves in situations that English just can’t describe.
Science fiction and fantasy are full of those sorts of quirky situations and concepts, in fact. Here are 10 words that have no English equivalent, and the science fiction and fantasy classics that you’d want to use them to describe.
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Catherine Tate – The Offensive Translator
Apr 27th
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