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
Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/135206
NEWS & EDITORIAL The latest from the languages world © ISTOCKPHOTO What the papers say… Councils dispute order to end translations Local Councils have spoken out against new government guidelines to stop them from translating information leaflets for migrants. Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities, sent out an order in March, to end the translation of official leaflets, posters, websites and newsletters, which he said was costing town halls nearly £20 million a year. But Council leaders rejected the idea that translations were published 'automatically', with Wirral Councillor Phil Davies accusing the Minister of arrogance for suggesting the translation service was not needed. 'It shows how out of touch he is with local government,' he added. Councillor Richard Livingstone called for a 'pragmatic approach' after Southwark was singled out for translating information into more than 70 languages. 'We don't print thousands of leaflets in other languages as default – we only translate on request,' he CHALLENGE: Crowds outside the National Gallery. London councils have to meet the needs of tourists as well as a multicultural population said. 'Sixty-nine percent of our translation costs go on social services, particularly in relation to safeguarding vulnerable people.' Although Mr Livingstone broadly agreed with the Minister's argument that migrants should learn English, he said it was government cuts to language classes that had made it harder for people to integrate. Hilary Benn, the Shadow Communities Secretary, backed the local councils, saying the plans showed that Mr Pickles was 'living on a different planet to the people working hard in councils trying to provide services'. However, a poll by The Huffington Post indicated that 75 percent of its readers were in favour of the new guidelines, following positive coverage in the national press. Ban on l'anglais Books for kids The French Prime Minister has warned the government against the use of English after Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg launched a plan entitled the 'Silver Economy', aimed at boosting the economic role of the elderly. Jean-Marc Ayrault sent a memo on 'the use of the French language', which was leaked to Le Figaro, warning the government to use 'the language of the French Republic'. Vol/52 No/3 2013 Deaf people [are] being put at risk because they are not given the interpreters they need to communicate with doctors, police and other public sector professionals, says charity Signature… The problem is partly caused by a national shortage of BSL interpreters. Latest figures suggest there are 800 registered interpreters for 25,000 sign language users in the UK. But Signature chief executive Jim Edwards says there is also an attitude problem among public service professionals. Lack of British Sign Language Interpreters putting Deaf People at Risk, 7/5/13 Pushkin Press is launching a new imprint dedicated to publishing English translations of children's books written in other languages. Pushkin Managing Director Adam Freudenheim created Pushkin Children's Books to 'rectify' the situation in the UK, where a notoriously low number of translated books is published, and bring classic 'books from all around the world to British children'. Target has been forced to rename a women's line of footwear called 'Orina' after discovering the word means 'urine' in Spanish… The Latin Times deemed the mislabeling an 'epic fail', especially considering the 'large percentage of Spanish-speakers that shop at the chain store.' Target Forced to Rename Women's 'Orina' Sandal after Discovering Style Name Means 'Urine' in Spanish, 10/4/13 [Dan Brown's Inferno] is due for publication on 14 May. Publishers were so keen to see the book released in several languages simultaneously that they hired 11 translators from France, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Italy to translate it intensively… in a windowless, high-security basement at the Milan headquarters of Mondadori, Italy's largest publishing firm. The 11 were forbidden from taking mobile phones into the bunker, which was guarded by armed security personnel. Their laptops were screwed to the workstations, and they were allowed access to the internet only via a single, supervised, communal computer. 'Real Inferno for Dan Brown Translators who Toil in Underground Bunker to Decode his Latest Book', 7/5/13 JUNE/JULY The Linguist 5