The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
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@Linguist_CIOL OCTOBEr/NOVEMBEr The Linguist 27 REVIEWS BDÜ Fachverlag 2019, 295 pp; ISBN 9783946702030 Paperback; available from www.bdue- fachverlag.de €37 Through the Client's Eyes Valerij Tomarenko in the length of slogans and the way in which information was presented graphically on a bilingual notice. This raises the question as to whether the translator should be a graphic designer, or are these complementary skills on any given project? There are, of course, times when the visual element matters, particularly in some specialised areas, such as annual reports. Translators today need to be more typographically literate. Attention to detail can lead to repeat trade. It is important to note that the client will react to what they see rather than what they read, and recognising house style, even small details such as the typeface used or type size, can be valuable. The purpose of the job and the client's needs should always be taken into account. All too often the translator is called in at the last minute (literally), when timescales have slipped and the time left for completing the job is not realistic. This increases the pressure on the translator, so streamlining the translation process will produce dividends. going the extra mile need not leave you out of breath. There are some handy tips on fairly straightforward tasks, such as working on a PDF document, plus guidance on the use of professional packages. There is a very useful chapter on the perils of translating PowerPoint presentations, where the equivalent phrase in one language may simply not fit into the space provided in the original. Company pitches and infographics are covered, with an unusual section on using Photoshop for specialised work such as technical manuals. Style guides are covered in some detail with a note that conventions can change between languages. My own preference is for hart, whose advice to the Oxford University Press began in 1893 and was last updated in 2016. Through the Client's Eyes: How to make your translation visible is a highly original, well informed publication which will be of value to translators at all levels. There are useful suggestions on the use of quite sophisticated packages for the expert user and very solid advice for the less confident user. Something for everyone in fact. Professor Tim Connell FCIL Valerij Tomarenko tragically died in August while on holiday in Scotland. There is an obituary at translationtribulations.com. Born in post-war Paris to a British mother and a former French Air Force pilot father, the infant François lived in foster homes and an Anglophone boarding school in Switzerland after the break-up of his parents' short-lived marriage. Biggles and Enid Blyton stories prepared him for boarding school in England. Following his A levels, François's estranged mother (by now a racehorse breeder in Italy) stopped funding his education and his father supported his return to Paris, where he studied English and French at the Sorbonne. Although he was proficient in French, he did not have the cultural knowledge his peers expected of him: football teams, TV personalities, the settlement of the pieds noirs. In time he adapted and remained in the city. his eye- witness account of Paris in May 1968 is insightful and measured. he took his doctorate in speech production and reception, his research showing that, contrary to accepted belief, the global rate of spoken English and French is the same. What differs, however, is that the latter has fewer silent pauses, but they are longer. Later, a spell in the US required a re-engagement with English, as well as a new acculturation: the space between people standing in a queue, the weather and dress code, people's reluctance to discuss politics. Efforts to maintain his young sons' French were to no avail in America, where the two boys avidly learned English through play, school and TV. Indeed, grosjean reports that his children's enthusiasm for their new world helped his own acculturation. A sabbatical in francophone Switzerland required acceptance of a greater degree of social order than in France or the US: telephone etiquette, social transactions, restrictions on gardening. grosjean believes "the bilingual is not two monolinguals in one person". rather, active bilingualism is usually a type of balancing act with one language becoming dominant at the expense of another, but not so that it rubs out the other completely. In practical terms, most bilinguals do not develop equal proficiency in both languages. The domains of home, work, social activities and travel – and the well- learned language behaviour inherent to each of them – determine which language is used. Autobiography, family history and career account in one, A Journey in Languages and Cultures: The life of a bicultural bilingual entertains, informs and educates. François grosjean, Professor Emeritus at the University of Neuchâtel, writes engagingly and authoritatively using little jargon. his is an interesting journey; I wonder, will we ever read a full account of his parents' lives? Graham Elliott MCIL OUP 2019, 224 pp; ISBN 9780198754947 Hardback, £25 A Journey in Languages and Cultures François Grosjean This is a remarkably useful handbook which argues that translators need to develop some expertise in the use of graphics in order to make their final work stand out. The author realised the importance of graphic style and presentation when he spotted discrepancies