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/582271
thelinguist.uberflip.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER The Linguist 5 At the book group I encountered a bigger problem, which raised issues about poetry translation that go far beyond Neruda. There were five of us in the room reading from three different editions. One of the sceptics announced that she had found a poem she had liked… She was particularly keen on the majestic sixth canto, she said. We all turned eagerly to the poem, only to find that one edition had lopped off the final two lines, while another had omitted the sixth canto altogether… The discovery threw me into a crisis about the possibility of reading any poetry in translation at all. Pablo Neruda and Translation's Losses,18/8/15 What the papers say… An Afghan military interpreter denied refuge by Britain has been executed trying to reach the West. Known to the UK soldiers he served with as Popal, he was tortured and murdered after being captured in Iran. Another four interpreters are feared to have suffered the same fate while using people smugglers to flee the Taliban… Another Afghan considering paying traffickers is ex-UK military and Foreign Office interpreter Niz, whose family has been attacked three times by gunmen hunting him. Translator Abandoned by UK is Executed as he Tries to Flee Taliban, 18/8/15 The latest from the languages world More than a third of colleges in England (39%) have dropped courses in modern foreign languages as a result of the Government cuts imposed since 2011, according to the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA). The SFCA Funding Impact Survey 2015, published in August, indicates that A levels in German, Spanish and French have been the main casualties. Extracurricular activities have also suffered, with sports hit hardest, followed by music and drama, and languages. Worryingly, 70% of colleges did not believe funding in 2016 would be sufficient to provide a high quality education. See www.sixthformcolleges .org/sfca-funding-impact-survey-2015-0. NEWS & EDITORIAL During a month-long language campaign this summer, all candidates applying to become a constable with the Metropolitan Police were required to speak an additional language. The London force only considered applicants who speak English and one of 14 other languages. A statement on the careers page of the Met's website explained: "Whilst our police officers are able to effectively carry out their duties without the ability to speak a second language, a police constable with this skill is an asset in helping both themselves and their colleagues to more effectively engage with the community and deal with everyday policing A-level fears Met police's language recruits Scotland sets the agenda Organisations and stakeholders involved in promoting language learning met at the Scottish Parliament in September to help set the agenda for the Government's Language Policy Team. The Parliamentary Reception on 24 September, attended by the CIOL's Scottish Society, was both a networking opportunity and a chance to explore language education in Scotland, particularly since the adoption of the 1+2 approach recommended by the European Union. This policy allows children in Scotland to study their mother tongue plus two additional languages. A new incarnation of the Man Booker International Prize is to give [translators] the recognition they deserve… The prize will be awarded to a single book translated into English and published in the UK. The prize money of £52,000 will be divided equally between the author and the translator. Organisers hope the award will foster a new understanding of the work translators do, and the skill involved. Translators to be Eligible for Man Booker Prize, 7/7/15 situations." Among the languages required were Arabic, Bengali, Greek, Hebrew, Polish, Portuguese, Sinhala, Spanish and Yoruba. The Met Commissioner, Bernard Hogan- Howe, said: "I am committed to providing a police service which looks and feels more like London. We know that almost 300 languages are spoken in the capital. We need to recruit and deploy officers with second languages in areas where those languages are spoken." The success of the pilot scheme is now being evaluated to help the Met decide whether to make an additional language a requirement for future recruits. © SHUTTERSTOCK