The Linguist

Chartered Institute of Linguists WINTER 2025 The Linguist 21 FEATURES Who's who? Identify the people above, who have all been in language-related news this year. 1 2 3 4 Translation time 1 How much is the UK's new AI fiction translation service, GlobeScribe.ai, charging per book, per language? a) $100. b) $400. c) $700. 2 Author Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi won the International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp, but what language was it originally written in? a) Nepalese. b) Hindi. c) Kannada. 3 In which UK city was a new festival of translated literature held? a) Sheffield. b) Birmingham. c) Bristol. 4 What percentage of translators now use AI tools according to research by Slator? a) 55%. b) 76%. c) 87%. Who said…? 1 "Global war and the huge pressures we have with competing superpowers… is what makes Mandarin hugely important to invest in at this time." a) China's Ambassador to the US Xie Feng. b) UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy (left). c) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. 2 (Of an English-speaking Indian reporter) "I can't understand a word he's saying." a) US President Donald Trump. b) NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. c) GB News presenter Eamonn Holmes. 3 "I usually speak Polish when I don't want to be understood, French and Italian when I want to flirt, Spanish when I want a few drinks in Ibiza and English in my day to day life." a) Strictly professional dancer Jowita Przystał. b) Singer Paloma Faith. c) Big Brother contestant Nancy Nocerino. 4 "Disheartened, disillusioned, exhausted qualified interpreters [are] reluctantly leaving the public sector every month because they can't afford to live within the terms and conditions on offer." a) CIOL Hon President Baroness Coussins. b) Head of the UK Public Services Committee Inquiry Baroness Morris of Yardley. c) NRPSI Chief Executive Mike Orlov. Inside interpreting 1 Who thanked his Irish interpreter after being bailed on terror charges in the UK (which were later dropped) after opting to speak Irish rather than his other language, English? a) Kneecap band member Mo Chara. b) Saltburn star Barry Keoghan. c) Fontaines D.C. singer Grian Chatten. 2 What is the title of the House of Lords Public Services Committee (PSC) report into interpreting in the courts, identifying issues such as inadequate pay and travel costs? a) Interpreting in Crisis. b) Bang to Rights: Interpreting in the dock. c) Lost in Translation? 3 How many Afghan interpreters and other former military workers were estimated to be left in Afghanistan at increased risk after a UK data breach became public knowledge? a) 12,000. b) 50,000. c) 80,000. Technological advances 1 Google Translate's AI-powered upgrades offer users a choice between what? a) Free access to 21 major languages or subscription access to 116 languages. b) Faster translations or more accurate ones. c) Free translations or better paid-for ones. 2 Which UK public service issued guidance on the risks of using AI language services? a) The Met Police. b) NHS England. c) The Ministry of Justice. 3 What did Apple's iOS 26 upgrade include? a) Apple Music lyrics translation. b) Translation in an additional 14 languages. c) Automated subtitles in Apple Arcade. 4 The Trades Union Congress commissioned a report into the impact of AI on what? a) The rights of translators and interpreters. b) Access to work for people who speak BSL. c) People who speak a minority language. 4 Why was US envoy Steve Witkoff under fire following a visit to Russia to broker peace? a) He used the Kremlin's official interpreters rather than bringing his own. b) He appeared to refer to Putin as 'a clown' due to a mistranslation. c) Due to a reporter's misunderstanding of the word афера, the global press said he had called discussions over Ukraine 'a scam'. BEN DANCE / FCDO GAGE SKIDMORE; DANIEL TOROK/WHITE HOUSE; CC BY-SA 2.0; © GLENN FRANCIS, WWW.PACIFICPRODIGITAL.COM

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