30 The Linguist Vol/60 No/1 2021
thelinguist.uberflip.com
OPINION & COMMENT
How a shared passion for food is getting translators through the pandemic
Food and languages go together like fish
and chips, or strawberries and cream. Hardly
surprising when you consider that many
linguists' first forays into using their new-
found language skills come when ordering a
slice of gooey Schwarzwälderkirschtorte in a
cosy German Konditorei, or a luminous green
diabolo menthe on a French exchange trip,
or even dos cervezas in a beach bar in Spain.
Food is often what glues those first attempts
at cultural immersion together – and goes on
doing so.
On that premise, and given that I'd
observed that many translators, like me, love
to talk about food and cooking, I mooted on
a translation forum five years ago that it might
be interesting to set up a dedicated group
for foodie translators. The response was
overwhelming: I set up a Facebook group at
www.facebook.com/groups/FoodieTranslators
in January 2016 and within a day we had
over 200 members! Since then we've grown
and grown, now numbering more than 4,000
members around the world. While the main
posting language is English, there is plenty of
scope for exchanges in other languages in
the comments.
Despite being called Foodie Translators, we
welcome linguists of all kinds, from teachers
and interpreters to language students. The
main requirement is that you should have a
passion for food – not necessarily cooking,
but food traditions and culture, etymology,
fine dining and, of course, food in translation.
We share photos of our creations – be
prepared to feel hungry should you come
across our posts unawares! – but also recipes,
customs, tips about ingredients and kitchen
equipment, not to mention recommendations
for places to eat and visit, translation queries
and even translation or interpreting jobs.
The group really came into its own this
year. As the lockdowns started in Italy and
Spain, the reality of what was happening hit
home. Colleagues in Spanish and Italian cities
(closely followed by the rest of us) were
confined to their apartments, unable to go
out and shop, and desperate not only for
conversation with like-minded people but
also for ideas of what to cook with limited
store-cupboard ingredients, or to take their
minds off the spiralling case numbers.
With translation work thin on the ground,
many people turned to baking as distraction
therapy, or to entertain home-schooled
children and fractious, cooped-up toddlers. As
yeast supplies dwindled, sourdough bread
became the subject of many a conversation.
All work and play
CLAIRE COX
Claire Cox translates from
French and German into English;
www.cctranslations.co.uk and
www.clairecoxtranslations.wordpress.
TL
Most importantly, people felt there was
someone out there to listen and chat to. More
than ever, the urge to do something creative,
handmade with love, became our Zeitgeist.
It was even more rewarding to realise that
this bond between a group of language
professionals of all ages and nationalities had
turned into a caring community. When the
member who puts together our monthly cover
photo disappeared from the scene, it was
quickly noted. The outpouring of best wishes
sent to his hospital bed in Morocco as he
recovered from Covid was truly heartwarming.
Perhaps even sweeter was the collage of his
personal contributions over the years, put
together by a group member to cheer him up.
Food brings us together – talking about it,
writing about it and sharing our creations –
just as language unites us in other ways.
Numerous friendships have arisen as a result
of this group, with many of us meeting up at
conferences across the globe. We will get
back there one day, but in the meantime
we'll keep on talking – about food.
GARETH
RHYS-JONES
LÓPEZ;
WWW.RJLANGUAGES.COM
