French to English “estival”
It is said that nothing speaks louder than money, but it seems to me that even cheap talk is prone…
Mistakes happen but who is at fault?
For me, the most frustrating thing about being a translator is the prospect of people accusing you of poor work…
Awareness of terminology
I’ve known for ages that awareness of terminology is always a prominent issue in professional translating. Some clients can be…
Dedicated to accuracy
Sometimes I get worried that my dedication to accuracy in my translation work makes me just a little crazy, but…
Ideas are not the same as convications
If translating has taught me anything, it’s that ideas are not the same as convictions! It’s probably not possible to…
What really does a big deal mean?
Why do people say “big deal” when what they really mean is “no big deal”? I think I get it…
Decembers Greetings
Another language-related thought from a professional linguist: I remember the time when I actually said “arriven” when I should have…
Pet Peeve – Translation Software
One of the most common criticisms in the translation industry today is that someone used translation software to help translate…
Making sense out of nonsense
There’s bad translations, then there’s trying to make sense out of nonsense. Some people apparently suggest that anyone who does…