You wouldn’t Adam ‘n’ Eve it!

Posted On December 30, 2013By TranspanishIn English Language, Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/  No Comments

With the passing of yet another year, the world has already begun to look forward toward a fresh start and a new beginning. What better duo than Adam and Eve, the starry couple from the very beginning of time, to send us bouncing into 2014 with a cockney rhyming slang phrase on the tips of our tongues?

“Adam and Eve” is the cockney rhyming phrase meaning “to believe” and used by many as a substitute for the verb in the East End of London. It’s not uncommon for a Londoner to enter a room and spark up a story of outrage beginning with, “You wouldn’t Adam ‘n’ Eve it!” but it’s also highly probable that most Londoners who use the phrase know very little about where it comes from and when it first became part of the Eastender’s standard vocabulary.

A brief history of Cockney Rhyming Slang

In the very early part of the 19th century, the first East London police force was formed by Sir. Robert Peel. Police officers earned the nickname, “Peelers” or “Bobbies,” (Bob being the shortened version of Robert). They were some of the first victims of Cockney Rhyming Slang, which was specifically created by East London’s lower classes so that they could communicate with each other without running the risk of the “Bobbies” catching on to what they were saying.

Modern changes

As we move into 2014, you might not Adam ‘n’ Eve it, but Cockney Rhyming Slang continues to go through some big and important changes. For example, it’s less likely that popular, Cockney rhyming phrases would be heard in and around the East End London. Most Cockney speakers are now found a little bit further out in Essex. During the past five decades, East Londoners have been slowly moving out of London and Cockney Rhyming Slang has been duly migrating out with them.

In the 19th century, Cockney Rhyming Slang was a dialect used by East Londoners, born in and around the Bow Road area. However, it is now more accurate to say that most white, working-class people from the south east region of England are the common speakers of Cockney Rhyming phrases.

Grappling to hold onto traditions

Fearing that Cockney Rhyming Slang will one day die out completely, a number of East London schools have been part of a project to teach the phrases to young children. “Apples and pears” (meaning stairs) and “Have a Butcher’s hook,” (meaning look) form part of an East London campaign designed to get Cockney recognised as an official dialect.

This educational program not only hopes to encourage the younger generation to begin reutilising as many Cockney Rhyming Slang phrases as possible, but it also aims to revive East London (Cockney) foods and traditional dishes, as well as East London (Cockney) customs.

Over 100 dialects are spoken by children in East London schools. Cockney, if we consider it to be a dialect, is one of the largest. This explains the recent push towards making Cockney Rhyming Slang part of the East London primary schools’ language program. If you don’t Adam ‘n’ Eve it, feel free to get the full story in London’s Daily Mail Online.

Read More

Where does the word Christmas come from?

Posted On December 18, 2013By TranspanishIn Did you know?, English Language, Languages, The origin of..., Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/ 1 1 Comment

“Christmas” is an Old English word, constructed from the combination of two words, namely “Christ” and “Mass”. The first recorded Old English version of the phrase, “Crīstesmæsse,” dates back to 1038, but by the Middle Ages the term had already morphed into “Cristemasse;” a slightly more modern version of the phrase.

Xmas

The origins

The two separate parts of the word can be traced back to Greek, Hebrew and Latin origins. “Christ” comes from the Greek word “Khrīstos” (Χριστός) or “Crīst,” and there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that the Hebrew word “Māšîaḥ” (מָשִׁיחַ) or “Messiah,” which actually means “anointed,” has also played a considerable role in the construction of the first part of the word “Christmas.” The second part most probably comes from the Latin word, “Missa,” which refers directly to the celebration of the Eucharist.

It is also believed that “Christenmas” is an archaic version of the word “Christmas,” whose origins can be attributed to the Middle English phrase, “Cristenmasse,” which when literally translated becomes, “Christian Mass.”

Christmas… the international holiday

Even though “Christian Mass” or “Christ’s Mass” refers to the annual Christian commemoration of the birth Jesus Christ, “Christmas” is an international holiday which, throughout the ages, has been celebrated by non-Christian communities and been referred to via a variety of different names, including the following:

  • Nātiuiteð (nātīvitās in Latin) or “Nativity” means “birth” and has often been used as an alternative to the word “Christmas”
  • The Old English word, Gēola, or “Yule” corresponds to the period of time between December and January and eventually became associated with the Christian festival of “Christmas”
  • “Noel” is an English word which became popular during late 14th century and which is derived from the Old French term “Noël” or “Naël,”  literally translating to “the day of birth”

“Xmas”… modern or ancient?

It’s also worth noting that, even though most people tend to view the abbreviation “Xmas” as a modern bastardisation of the word “Christmas,” “Xmas” is an ancient term and not a grammatically-incorrect modern construction. “X” was regularly used to represent the Greek symbol “chi,” (the first letter of the word “Christ”) and was very popular during Roman Times.

Read More

Three tips for dealing with translation scammers

Posted On December 16, 2013By TranspanishIn Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/  No Comments

Clients looking for expert translators always run the risk of stumbling into a scam. There are many fake translators who apply for translation work across the Internet and who promote their fake skills and qualifications by using profiles that they have stolen from real translators with just some of the details (like the email contacts) changed.

 

scamImage courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s difficult to eradicate the problem completely, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing real translators and clients looking for qualified, experienced translators can do to reduce the risks and alert others in the industry to the problem.

1. Keep up-to-date

The most important thing translators and clients looking for translators can do to avoid being scammed by scammers is to keep up-to-date with the different kinds of industry scams that they might fall prey to. One of the best ways of keeping up-to-date is to follow as many creditable translation blogs as possible.

Translation industry bloggers will always be amongst some of the first to highlight new translation scams to be aware of. The more contact clients and translators have with these blogs, the more difficult it becomes for scammers to continue tricking potential clients into paying for poor quality or non-existent translations.

2. Learn to recognize a typical scammer’s profile

Read up on the kind of profiles that scammers tend to assume. Find out as much information about the style of profile translation scammers adopt and revise these aspects of any application from interested translators that you receive before agreeing to send any work their way.

For example, most fake translators tend to operate using regular Hotmail or Gmail email accounts which they include on their fake CVs. An experienced, qualified and established translator is more likely to have an email account linked to a personal website or blog which he or she manages. The personal details of the real translator will always appear that much more professional. References will check out and they will be happy to contact you via Skype or other methods of online communication before committing to a translation project. They will also be able to provide lots of links to past translations and be happy to send you a test translated paragraph as part of the interview process.

3. Report scammers immediately

Reporting scammers is incredibly important. Even publishing a short post on the Internet, or making a reference to a bad experience with a fake translator via social media platforms, will help to control the problems which exist within the industry and reduce the power that translation scammers seem to have acquired.

In our last post, we describe in more detail how the scammers manage to get away with their crimes.

If more industry experts began publishing information, the translation industry would grow stronger against potential scammers and professionals working within the field could begin to stop worrying about identity fraud.

Read More

One of the biggest translation industry scams affects both translators and clients

Posted On December 4, 2013By TranspanishIn Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/  No Comments

Most translators work online on a freelance basis and get paid via the Internet. High levels of trust must exist between the translator and the client which, in most cases, can only be developed over time. Therefore, it’s necessary within the industry to take risks when embarking on a new working relationship.

The problem is that as most translator/client relationships are formed across the Internet, it’s relatively easy for translation scammers to take advantage, provide false information and apply for translation jobs using false identities. One such scam has been in operation for a while. Both translators and clients, if not yet fully informed, should take the time to look over the following information.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Scam? What scam?

The danger of this particular scam is that the scammers involved first begin by inviting professional translators to share their CVs with them under the premise of promoting the translators’ skills and helping them make contacts find more translation work.

Scammers write to translators, asking them if they would be happy to have changes made to their CVs to make them more attractive to prospective clients. They promise to put translators in contact with new clients and make improvements to their CVs at the same time. These scammers then steal the CVs they receive from professional translators, make changes to the names and addresses on those CVs and use them along with their fake identities to get work under the guise of professional translators.

How do the scammers manage to trick you?

In order to cover their tracks, most of the scammers change the name and surname on the CV they steal and ALL of them change the email address associated with that CV to a standard Gmail or Hotmail email.

The difficulty in spotting these scammers is that they go to a lot of trouble to create a fake identity within the translation industry by using their fake identities to join translation forums. Sometimes, they even steal the real names of other bonafide translators within the industry to develop these fake profiles and further develop a convincing charade. In the few cases when they do actually translate something using their fake profiles, they use Google translate and other such online tools.

Where’s the proof that these scams exist?

The identities of some of these scammers have been revealed online in an attempt to expose fraudulent activity in the industry and hopefully bring it to an end. One particular example comes from Adriana Aaron.

What are the concerns surrounding PayPal and other e-payment services?

To gauge a better idea of what an invoice from one of these scammers might look like, take a look at the invoice sent by Julia Korf (one of the scammers whose fake identity, or at least, one of them, has already been revealed). Scamming clients with fake translator identities is a lot easier to do when charging for those services via e-payment platforms, such as PayPal. Most PayPal accounts are managed using basic Gmail and Hotmail email addresses. There’s no need to have a professional identity/business setup to send payment requests and this means that scammers have an easier time when tricking clients into financing them for paid translation projects.

The list of PayPal email addresses here are those which have already been associated with known translation scammers. Stay clear of anyone claiming to be a translator using these email addresses and feel free to share other emails that can be added to the list if you have also been the victim of translation fraud.

 

Read More

Ñoqui in Argentina is more than just an Italian meal

Posted On December 3, 2013By TranspanishIn Did you know?, Lunfardo, Spanish Language, Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/  No Comments

Ñoquis might be a popular Italian dish in Argentina, particularly in Buenos Aires, but its meaning goes a lot deeper than Italian gastronomy. In Argentine lunfardo, ñoquis is the word used to refer to someone who doesn’t work, but who still manages to claim a salary at the end of the month.

 

noqui-lunfardo

 

The lunfardo expression became a well-used phrase in Argentine during the 1970s and relates directly to a group of corrupt, Argentine, civil servants who, it was eventually revealed, had been continuing to claim their paychecks at the end of the month without actually having done any work.

When Mauricio Macri was first appointed Mayor of Buenos Aires in 2011, one of the first administrative decisions that his government saw through was to sack 2400 public employees in the city of Buenos Aires. Macri and his government claimed that the 2400 public employees forced out of employment were all “ñoquis” – that they had been continuing to receive their salaries at the end of the month without ever having showed up to do the jobs they were being paid for. Macri’s decision generated a huge conflict between his government and the city unions. Many strikes by public service employees were also organized as a result.

As well as being a popular lunfardo expression, eating ñoquis on the 29th of every month is a long-standing tradition in Argentina. The tradition dates back to the early 20th century when Italian immigrants in Argentina didn’t get paid until the end of the month. Food was normally very scarce by the 29th and ñoquis, made from just potato and flour, is full of starch and was one of the best ways for these Italian families to feed everyone on a budget.

The ñoquis eating tradition on the 29th of every month also relates to the notion of good luck, fortune and wealth. It’s customary to put money underneath each plate before eating to encourage wealth and prosperity in the future.

Read More

Translation Myths and the Reality

Posted On October 18, 2013By TranspanishIn Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/  No Comments

Translators often have to deal with many misconceptions regarding their profession. Non-translators who have little or no contact with the translation business often assume things about translation that are not true. What matters is not what other people think but how happy you are with your profession. However, we can’t help but care, at least a little, how others see us and it is nice to be recognized for our skills and the work we do. Our intention is to recognize and dispel some of the myths and misconceptions about translation.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Myth: Computers can translate

Reality: Now that nearly everyone has easy access to instantaneous translation pages, such as Google Translate and the many other translation resources available on the internet, some people think that translation is simply a matter of copying, pasting and hitting click. As any legal, medical, literary or technical translator knows, there is a lot more to it than that! Computers can assist with basic and even more complex translation. However, no computer program, no matter how sophisticated it is, can replace a skilled human translator. Many words or word combinations can be translated in a number of different ways. A translator has to make decisions so that the translated text conveys the meaning of the original, and that it makes sense and flows well in the target language.

Myth: Anyone who speaks more than one language can translate

Reality: Obviously, in order to translate between two languages, one must have an in-depth understanding of both of them. If you understand and can communicate fluently in more than one language, you are certainly capable of becoming a translator, just as anyone with a good understanding of one language is capable of writing. But translating is a skill which must be learned through experience and studying. Like any skilled professional, a translator will grow and develop over time.

Myth: With so many bilingual people, there isn’t much demand for translation

Reality: Globalization and increasing international business, that is often multilingual, has actually increased the need for quality translations. There is definite need for quality, professional linguistic services. The business of translating is evolving and will continue to do so, but the need is not going away.

Myth: Only an expert in a field is capable of producing a translation in the field

Reality: In order to produce a quality translation, it is important to have a thorough understanding, not only of the source and target languages, but also of the language of the subject. For example, if you are going to translate a legal text, you need to have a solid understanding of legal language in both the source and target languages. Translators write. You need to understand the subject on which you are writing. You do not, however, need to be a lawyer, doctor, banker, etc. What you need is to understand the language of the field.

Although you may not be able to change the preconceived notions of other people, when you know a few facts about your profession, you are able to explain what you do and not be bothered by people who don’t really understand.

 

Read More

New Campagin for English Speakers: Learn 1,000 words of another language

Posted On October 3, 2013By TranspanishIn English Language, Languages, Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/  No Comments

English is widely recognized as, if not the most important language, at least one of the most important languages in the world. As such, there is a great interest in learning it. English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are always in demand and non-native speakers are usually eager to find ways to improve their English. Unfortunately, native English-speakers do not often have the same enthusiasm for learning other languages. Perhaps the popularity and importance that the English language enjoys makes English-speakers feel that they don’t need to speak any other language. It isn’t surprising that the British, as well as other English-speakers, have earned a reputation of being lazy with respect to linguistic ability.

1000words

As a result, in Great Britain, a campaign has recently developed with the intention of opening Brits’ minds and ears to different languages. The “Speak to the Future” campaign encourages everyone to learn at least 1,000 words of another language. The 1,000 word figure was set because that is enough words to have a simple conversation yet it is a realistic and attainable goal for anyone.

The effort is an attempt to improve, not only the language abilities of Great Britain’s people, but also their cultural awareness and adaptability. Learning a language opens one’s eyes to the culture of the people who speak it. The British have suffered the reputation of being “lazy” when it comes to learning and speaking different languages. And not speaking different languages has probably limited their abilities to relate to different cultures. The campaign aims to prove that the people of Great Britain are ready to engage with the rest of the world and with the world’s many languages and cultures.

Great Britain isn’t the only place that is infamously known for its limited linguistic scope. The United States suffers a similar reputation because many Americans cringe at the sound of languages that are not English. There is evidence that this attitude may be changing, thanks to globalization. More and more, people in first world, English-speaking countries are realizing that the world is much greater than the limits of their national boundaries. As a result, they are seeing the importance of being able to communicate in different languages.

The movement is not without some resistance. Not everyone wants to learn a new language. As we referred to in a previous post, learning a language requires you to go out of your comfort zone. Doing so is necessary for growth and development, but many would prefer to not deviate from what is comfortable.

The popularity of the English language, throughout the word, has given native English-speakers a great excuse not to leave their linguistic comfort zone. The bad news is that it has limited them and prevented them from learning things that could enrich their lives. Efforts, such as this recent campaign in the UK, attempt to expand the horizons of native English-speakers who are otherwise comfortably sheltered from languages that could open wonderful new doors for them.

Read More

September 30: Happy International Translation Day!

Posted On September 30, 2013By TranspanishIn Did you know?, Languages, Spanish Translation, Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/  No Comments

Did you know that the Bible has been translated into 310 languages and that some of its text passages have been translated into 1597 languages and dialects? Did you know that the works of Lenin have been translated more often than Shakespeare’s dramas (321 compared to 93) or that Jules Verne was published in more languages that  Karl Mark (238 against 103)? And did you know that Asterix and Tintin have been both translated into 41 languages and dialects?

Who said that translators didn’t have a day to celebrate their profession? The International Translation Day is celebrated on 30th September on the feast of St Jerome, the bible translator. St Jerome has always been considered the patron saint of translators.

St. Jerome

The International Federation of Translators promoted celebrating St Jerome’s Day worldwide in 1953. All across the globe different celebrations and activities were organized to raise social awareness about the huge impact that translators and their work have on society: from users’ manuals to literature pieces to scientific discoveries, all of them can be globally known because a translator has made that possible.

Thirty-eight years later, in 1991, the FIT launched the idea of an officially International Translation Day to show the solidarity of the worldwide translation community in an effort to promote the translation profession in all countries, and not necessarily only in Christian ones.

The International Translation Day also offers us all with a great opportunity to draw attention to the importance of translators and interpreters in the world as they often remain invisible and unacknowledged, despite their huge contribution to communication and interaction in all sorts professional and social spheres.

Read More

The Miami English: A New English Dialect Is Born

Posted On September 25, 2013By TranspanishIn English Language, Latinos, Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/  1 Comment

It has always been said that languages are living creatures. Apparently it is an undeniable truth since a new English dialect is born: the Miami English. Young men and women that were born or have grown up there, whether from Latin origin or not, speak it at schools, universities and, of course, on the white sanded beaches of Miami.

According to language experts, this phenomenon is not new at all, especially in the United States. As it has already occurred in cities such as New York, Boston or Texas, the English spoken in Miami is suffering a series of changes motivated by the demographic changes in the area. In other words, the influence of the Caribbean and Latin American culture cannot be denied.

Even though this is not a new phenomenon, experts agree on the fact that this Miami English is something more than just speaking English using a particular accent. Philip Carter, an American Linguistics professor that’s been living in Miami for two years explains the characteristics of the Miami English.

Speakers of Miami English:

  • Usually refer to friends with the word “Bro”
  • Use plenty of times words as: “like”, “a lot”, “totally”, “oye”, “dale”, “super”
  • Use invented words such as “irregardless” or “supposebly”
  • Speak it mostly using nasal sounds, especially the girls.
  • Borrow some grammatical structures from the Spanish language.
  • Speak really fast
  • Stick to the five Spanish vowel sounds.
  • Do literal translations from the Spanish language into the English one.

Despite some prejudice that has arisen against the Miami English, the influence of this new dialect can be appreciated beyond the community of young men and women. In fact, it has become a regional dialect that is associated to the south of Florida.

Read more here (article in Spanish)

Read More

The Country with the Best Spanish

Posted On September 18, 2013By TranspanishIn Spanish Language, Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/ 4 19 Comments

In the numerous Spanish-speaking countries throughout the world, the language varies greatly from one country to another. Because the Spanish language reaches so many different peoples and cultures, it is not surprising that it takes on many different forms. So, which one is the best? Is the Spanish in one country really better than that in another? Well, yes and no. Perhaps it isn’t fair to generalize but that is what we do when we want to get a general idea of how things are.

So, apologies aside, it is often considered that Colombia has the “best” Spanish. It is said that the Spanish spoken in Colombia has a very “neutral” accent. However, that can be a matter of opinion. One might say that just as the Mexican accent is Mexican, the Colombian accent is Colombian. It may be a matter of opinion which accent is “neutral” or “better.” Although the Colombian accent, as well as the Colombian Spanish, is considered by many to be the “best” and “most pure,” it depends on who you ask.

One reason Colombian Spanish is considered to be the most pure, is because, compared to other Spanish-speaking countries, it has little influence from other countries or languages. In places like Puerto Rico and Belize, where both English and Spanish are spoken, there is often an overlapping of the languages and as such, the Spanish has been somewhat altered. Mexico’s proximity to the United States as well as the presence of American and Canadian tourists has allowed many English words to creep in. Take for example the verb “check,” meaning to verify. Not long ago, this would have translated to verificar but somehow the term has become widely known as checar. Argentina has a history of European immigration, which has influenced its Spanish. Because Italian and Spanish are quite similar, it is only natural that the Italian presence has influenced the Spanish of Argentina. Again, it is a question of who you ask because some may say that some of the best Spanish in the world is in Mexico or Argentina.

Spain has a very distinct Spanish. Some people like it and others do not. It is true the Spanish in Spain is quite different from that spoken in most of Latin America. Not only is the Spanish (from Spain) accent distinct from other Spanish, but they also make use of vosotros. Although Spain’s Spanish is different and may sound a bit strange to some Latin Americans, Spain is, after all, the birthplace of the language. So some may say that they should set the rules for what is correct.

Perhaps the most important points to consider are the particular individual who is speaking the language and the context in which he or she is speaking. If you go to a poor area of Colombia where many of the people do not have access to education, it is very unlikely that you will hear a high level of Spanish. However, if you attend a business meeting in Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic, you most likely will hear Spanish correctly spoken.

Perhaps we should develop our own opinion on where the best Spanish is spoken and which “kind” of Spanish we prefer. To do so, it is important to have many experiences with Spanish speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds and nationalities. In the meantime, if you are trying to improve your Spanish, rather than worrying about where the best Spanish is, just start using it as much as you can.

Read More