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/552383
I have just started Gabriel García Marquez's masterpiece Cien años de soledad in Spanish – not for the first time. Although I speak the language reasonably well, reading it is another matter (despite the phonetic spelling), and putting down a Spanish work in favour of a lighter read in English is all too tempting. Bilingual book groups (explored on page 12) could be the answer, offering a way to keep motivated when reading in the 'other' language, as well as eye-opening discussions about the differences between the original and translated version, and the way people from different cultures perceive each work. Having researched the creative conundrums involved in translating Harry Potter, as a young journalist, I was interested to read about the similar challenges experienced by the English translator of Oksa Pollock – the French series that has been compared to J K Rowling's famous novels (p.18). Sue Rose originally wrote the article with young readers in mind, hoping to enthuse them about the joys of translation. The decline in the study of languages remains a pressing concern in the UK, with boys in particular continuing to underachieve. Amanda Barton has been researching this 'gender gap' for many years and offers constructive ideas for encouraging boys on page 6. I was concerned to read elsewhere that young boys also lag behind girls in their native language, meaning that they lack the transferable skills they need to pick up additional languages. Among the other interesting articles in this issue are pieces on safeguarding the right to legal interpretation (p.10) and the challenges of translating for art galleries (p.8). Miranda Moore 4 The Linguist Vol/54 No/4 2015 www.ciol.org.uk NEWS & EDITORIAL CHAIR'S NOTES On page 33, I have written about the first meeting of Council following our AGM in March, at which we welcomed several new members of Council. I was particularly pleased to see Tom Gale, a translator in his 20s, elected to our ranks, as it is very important that Council should understand the concerns not only of those who have worked as professional linguists for many years, but also of those just entering our industry. At the same meeting, we also discussed progress with increasing the diversity of membership of Institute bodies. Our members and Dunstan House staff come from a wide range of cultures and walks of life, and I am keen to ensure that this is reflected in the make-up of Council and its committees. I am grateful to James Farmer, the Chair of our Equality and Diversity Committee, for the work he is leading in this area, and view achieving greater diversity in our governance structures as one of my own priorities. Developments in the world of public service interpreting continue to loom large in my diary. I have taken part in two events organised by the Ministry of Justice in the run-up to the re-tendering of the contract currently held by Capita under the Framework Agreement on interpreting and translation in the justice sector. These events served to confirm the difficulty of persuading those involved in this exercise of the importance of using well-qualified and trained interpreters. There is a continuing steady flow of press stories about interpreting disasters in the courts, and I find myself wondering whether, although this draws attention to Capita's failings, it is not also undermining the reputation of professional linguists: there is a delicate balance to be struck here between effective campaigning and reputational damage. The situation in the health sector is, at present, even less satisfactory. I very much welcome NHS England's work on a set of principles for interpreting and translation in primary care, and its involvement of both healthcare professionals and linguists in the development of those principles. However, the fragmented nature of the NHS means that the good practice laid down in the principles will only be advisory, rather than binding, for services not commissioned by NHS England, including many GPs' surgeries. I am delighted to report that two people with close links with the Institute were recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list this year: our previous President, Lady Tessa Brewer, who has been awarded an OBE for voluntary service to arts and culture in London, and Bernardette Holmes, a member of the IoL Educational Trust Board, an MBE for service to education. Our congratulations go to Tessa and Bernardette. Keith Moffitt EDITOR'S LETTER There is a delicate balance to be struck between campaigning and reputational damage Apply to become a CIOL member at ciol.org.uk > Membership Subscribe at ciol.org.uk > Journal