Borges as Translator
As one of Argentina’s most famed writers, Jorge Luis Borges produced numerous original works of fiction, poetry, and essays; however, a lesser-known fact is that Borges also made significant contributions to literature through his work as a translator. Borges’ paternal grandmother was English, and he grew up in Buenos Aires speaking both Spanish and English […]
The Lost Works of Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis Borges, one of Argentina’s most celebrated writers, wrote not only in his native Spanish but in English as well. In collaboration with American translator Norman Thomas di Giovanni, Borges penned a number of short stories in English including “The Library of Babel” and “The Lottery in Babylon.” Unfortunately, after Borges’ death in 1986, […]
Tips to Prevent Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net The life of a translator tends to be a rather sedentary one; many hours are spent hunched over the computer, pecking away at a keyboard. In addition, most freelancers generally work out of a home office, which may not be set up under ideal work conditions. While it may be […]
The Ladino Language
The Ladino language permits you to travel (linguistically-speaking) through a time warp of sorts. If you ever wondered what Spanish sounded like in the 14th and 15th centuries, take a listen to Ladino, and you’ll be afforded a glimpse (or rather a sound byte) of the past. Also known as Judeo-Spanish, Ladino is currently spoken […]
Rules for Capitalization in English
The rules for capitalization in English can be complicated. Use this list to help guide you when composing a text in English. Capitalize the first word of a sentence. Capitalize the first word of a direct quote. Capitalize the first word of each line in a piece of poetry or verse. Capitalize the pronoun “I” […]
Languages Simplify as They Spread
Two researchers investigated over 2,000 of the world’s languages to examine the relationship between morphological characteristics such as the number of declensions and verb endings and the number of speakers and size of the location where the language is spoken. The study revealed that as languages grew in influence in terms of the number of […]
The Influence of Arabic on the Spanish Language
When North African Muslims (often referred to as the Moors) defeated the Visigothic King Roderic and subsequently swept through the Iberian Peninsula, they began nearly eight centuries of Muslim rule in both Spain and Portugal. Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to the parts of Spain governed by Islamic leaders at various times during the […]
The Rising Tide of Internet Slang
With new jargon and buzzwords cropping up almost every day, it can be difficult to keep track of the latest and greatest in Internet slang. The site NetLingo helps you to demystify the technobabble by providing definitions for Internet slang, acronyms and text message shorthand. Another site known as Twictionary defines itself as “a repository […]
Is Being Bilingual Good for Your Brain?
While bilingual individuals enjoy the obvious advantages that come with being able to communicate in a language apart from their mother tongue, Welsh researchers at Bangor University hope to uncover other less apparent benefits of speaking a second language. Preliminary research has shown that the complex processing entailed in speaking another language may shield the […]
Language Barrier Just One of the Challenges of Caring for Immigrant Patients
While the language barrier may be the most obvious obstacle to treating immigrant patients, cultural differences, financial hurdles, and an enormous disparity in terms of life experiences are often just as much a challenge to doctors. Dr. Danielle Ofri, a physician at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City, encourages health care providers to take […]
