Apr 06
LaurentY'a pas que la trad
Here's an excerpt of what I heard last night at the restaurant:
(waitress) -Buona sera! Please take a seat. Today's entree is a risotto with haricots verts. It's Italian cuisine.
(client) -Thanks, I'll have that. And do you have any apéritif?
(waitress) -Sure, it's all à la carte.
(client) -I'd like a glass of Pinot Noir, please. I heard it's good for camaraderie.
(waitress) -Et voilà, here it is. Bon appétit!
It's all real-life, and I spare you the déjà-vu clichés: voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir, c'est la vie. And I thought I would be improving my English...
Feb 22
LaurentTout un métier
Reminder: this is only a recap of the French article. To read the full post, click on the French flag on the upper right corner of the page.
With each passing day, I'm amazed by the power of Twitter. I had already used it to get an idea of the typical translator's desk, and it did not fail me either when I tried to list the essential readings for translators. Ever wondered what books you should have on your bookshelves? Here are 20 books chosen by translators, for translators. (You can also check the (other) "20 Best Books for Language Lovers" on the website onlinecollege.com.)
Back to basics:
-In French:
-In English:
- Baker M.,In Other Words: a Coursebook on Translation, Routledge, 1992
- Bellos D., Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything, Faber & Faber, 2011
- Eco U., Experiences in Translation, University of Toronto Press, 2000
- Jenner J. & D., The Entrepreneurial Linguist - A business-school approach to freelance translation, EL Press, 2010
- Jones M.H., The Beginning Translator's Workbook: Or the ABC of French to English Translation, University Press of America, 1997
- McKay C., How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator, Lulu.com, 2006
- Montgomery S.L., Science in Translation, University of Chicago Press, 2e édition, 2000
- Munday J., Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and Applications, Routledge, 2e édition, 2008
- Soffer M., The Translator's Handbook, Shengold Publishers, 7e édition, 2009
Develop your activity and skills:
-Learn how to proofread and manage projects in French:
-Some marketing tips in English:
- Ariely D., Predictably Irrational, HarperCollins, 2008
- Cialdini, R., Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion, Collins, 2006
- Harford T., The Undercover Economist, Oxford University Press, 2005
-Productivity and personal development:
Your special bonus (if you can read French): two three novels on translation
(Thanks to Wendy, Katerina, Nad, Blandine, Clémence, Valérie, Corinne, François, Céline, Fanny, Eve and Chloé)
May 31
LaurentTranslators are fun
Just for once, I’ll be writing a blog post in English. Many of the translators who sent me their desk photos don’t speak French – and I feel like thanking them by writing something they’ll read without tearing their brain apart!
So here we are: I received about a dozen photos from translators’ desk. Surprisingly, “Twittranslators” were the most inclined to participate, proving once again that the social website is a powerful communication tool – much more powerful than facebook, which is the other media I used to gather pics. So what can we learn from these photos?
1) Many translators work with more than one screen:
Céline’s desk (Naked Translations)
Ilaria
Virginie (@Ceremonia)
Chris (@TextClick)
or with an extrawide screen:
Again, Chris' desk, at home
2) As the Masked Translator’s Dog puts it, pets are translator’s best friends:
Jill Sommer’s happy dog
B. and her cat
And that would be my Cappuccino!
3) Mac-addicts…
Angel Dominguez' office...
…and home (@angeldominguez)
Julia’s new home
Xav's desk in Barcelona
…barely outnumber pc-users:
Franziska (@Dolmetschen_LE)
Vanessa (@vanessajr)
Magalie’s mess
4) Other conclusions you may draw:
-Coffee- and tea-cups have a dedicated spot on our desks for overnight assignments;
-Cleanliness is sometimes all relative;
-Dictionaries are everywhere!!
Finally, a special mention to Transtextuel and her husband's drawing!
Transtextuel
Feb 25
LaurentBlogs et traduction
Que ne feraient-pas les agences de traduction pour grandir. À l’ère du tout-tout-de-suite-ultra-concurrentiel, il faut savoir se démarquer des autres afin d’attirer de nouveaux clients et des partenaires de choix. Les agences de traductions débordent d’idées et d’initiatives, et si certains y voient des conflits d’intérêts, on peut également souligner que ce brainstorming (pardon, remue-méninges) géant ne peut que stimuler un milieu aussi peu règlementé que la traduction.
