What the Urban Dictionary says about these Bedfordshire towns - Bedfordshire Live - Dictionary

Back in the day, the Urban Dictionary would have provided many of us with countless laughs during school hours thanks to its hilarious and savage definitions. If you've not heard of it before, it's an alternative dictionary that many people refer to as a point of reference for more unusual words or "slang".

It has been going since 1999 and will have led to many of us wasting hours upon hours searching for different words, places and even our own names. As the definitions are submitted by visitors to the website, there are some interesting definitions that often are filled with swear words and other crude language.

Here at BedfordshireLive, we were very interested to see what people had written for our own beloved towns. We took a look at definitions for Luton, Bedford, Dunstable and several others.

Read more: The IT Crowd actor you never knew was from Bedfordshire

Here is a selection of definitions for Bedfordshire locations. What do you make of the below defintions? Let us know in the comments below!

Luton

Luton is known for many things - The Hatters, London Luton Airport and the Luton International Carnival. But residents in Luton have their own ideas as to how they would describe the town.

One definition from the Urban Dictionary said: "Okay, so we all know Luton isn't perfect. Infact, we all know its no where near that. But I challenge you to find a town that is anywhere near as culturally diverse as Luton is. Its mix of races and cultures make it exciting and revolutionary- to expect a town to be full of white people is so old fashioned and ignorant.

"The wide range of religion and races make it a fantastic place to grow up- it makes you more accepting of everyone. So if you sl*g Luton off because you think Lutonians are 'stupid', take a look in the mirror, because it is ridiculous to suggest a town is uneducated just because of what it looks like."

Another definition reads: "Luton is a town 30 miles from London, where from within is an urban jungle. Despite its bad name, it is actually the most multicultural town in the UK, often busy with trade and culture.

"Yeah it is the outcome of huge change and people but is a place of tongues, beliefs, religion and diversity. The streets have a sense of ownership of the people the street credibility is high as people are educated, foremost knowing the sense of what's real. Music may be of cultural critique but movements are happening, and being on the edge of London it's a hub of talent."

These definitions are exactly why we're proud to call Luton one of our towns.

Dunstable

Dunstable isn't known for much, compared to Luton. Apart from being a market town and the places it's twinned with, there isn't any standout, noteworthy definitions to describe the town.

However, there are some bizarre definitions for Dunstable. One reads: "A dunce. From the town of the same name in Bedfordshire, England."

While another reads "A person who thinks rice doesn’t go with milk, basically not knowing how to make rice pudding." I don't know either.

Flitwick

Many struggle to describe Flitwick. Many will say it's a commuter town, and others may just think it's just a roundabout and some shops.

But the Urban Dictionary has other ideas. In the only entry for Flitwick, it reads: "A town in Bedfordshire, England, next to the well known historic market town, Ampthill. Flitwick is home to the country's most expensive Tesco. It also has a large council estate and many chavs. It is likely most people have never, and will never go there in their lifetime."

I would think people in Flitwick would have something to say about that description.

Biggleswade

Situated on the A1, and sat on the border with Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, Biggleswade is one of Bedfordshire's historic towns. The Urban Dictionary has suggestions for what the town could be well-known for.

One definition reads: "Town whose claim to fame is the invention of the bicycle, but now is the scene of mass gathering of 14-year-old chavs drinking in the town centre which has become an alcohol-free zone. Also an epicentre for cars being ruined i.e. Corsas 106s etc etc."

A very interesting way of describing Biggleswade.

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A masterpiece of translation - The Hans India - Translation

A masterpiece of translation

Prof Shiv Sethi

Hans News Service | 11 Jun 2022 6:21 PM GMT

A masterpiece of translation

Highlights

In the complex translation work ‘Legends Speak: Bengali Women’s Narratives in Translation, the three women translators, Amita Ray, Chaitali Sengupta, and Lopamudra Banerjee, have successfully recreated three gems for the readers of world literature.

In the complex translation work 'Legends Speak: Bengali Women's Narratives in Translation, the three women translators, Amita Ray, Chaitali Sengupta, and Lopamudra Banerjee, have successfully recreated three gems for the readers of world literature.

The book is remarkable for it explores feminism through the eyes of Bengali women authors spanning a remarkably significant period of over a hundred years. While in Swarnakumari's novel, the picture which emerges is of women as passive recipients, oppressed entities, and subjected to constraints, and limitations, in both Ashapurna's and Suchitra Bhattacharya's stories, we see women questioning and attempting to resist the patriarchal norms.

The book opens with the translation of a story by Swarnakumari Debi called Chinna Mukul (The uprooted blossom). Swarnakumari's contribution to Bengali literature and culture, as a bright member of the reputed Tagore family, is not forgotten by the lovers of literature. Her beautiful narrative outpouring is translated deftly by Chaitali Sengupta, who reveals her finesse and dexterity as a translator as she turns Swarnakumari's spellbinding novella into accomplished translation work.

In her authentic, freely flowing style, she carves out the heart-breaking tribulation of the main protagonist Kanaklata. She engages in the modern-day, crisp language, dissolving the margin between the past and the present, and vividly portrays Swarnakumari's brilliant novella. By translating the legendary Swarnakumari's classic work into English, Sengupta has revived Swarnakumari's work and proved her excellence in recreating and capturing the original work with great narrative flexibility. I'm sure the readers will find it immersive, timely, and original.

The book is enriched for featuring the brilliant work of the prominent Bengali novelist and poet Ashapurna Debi. Her world is a world of Bengali middle-class, domestic women situated within a rigid patriarchal social construct. Still, within that construct, the strong feminine presence of her protagonists is felt as they challenge stereotypical social norms and break the status quo in their unique ways.

For this volume of translation, experienced translator Lopamudra Banerjee has selected Debi's novella 'Nacchor' (The incorrigible), which is a woman's journey of self-exploration, nostalgia, and love. Banerjee's sober, masterly translation gives a fresh nuance to one of Ashapurna's masterpieces. Moreover, she handles Ashapurna's novella with complete assurance.

The most recent author who speaks in Legends Speak is Suchitra Bhattacharya, a powerful and famous novelist of contemporary Bengali literature. Her novella Shunyo theke shunyo (The Void) is, in the words of Dr. Sanjukta Dasgupta, who has written a beautiful foreword in this book, "a tri-generational narrative that once again represents continuity and change as an internalized factor in Bengali society." Although not very well-known outside Bengal, Bhattacharya wrote extensively about the state of urban middle-class women in the society. Her understanding of human nature and its varied manifestations is also evident in her novel The Void. Amita Ray, who has shown her ability and caliber in her other translated works, also holds her forte exceptionally well this time. She has recreated the lucid style of Bhattacharya in English and the result is an engaging, easy-flowing translation!

The interest of the three translators of this book is to promote and support the development of Bengali literature by translating those into English has undoubtedly added to the prosperous literary tradition. They have managed to deliver successful translation work. In this regard, Chaitali Sengupta, Lopamudra Banerjee, and Amita Ray have acted as 'creative mediators' and brought out a fluent, agile, readable, and creative literary work in English. With all due regard and respect to the original masterpieces, this work will live on its own.

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Crow celebrate Apsáalooke dictionary print edition | Local News | thesheridanpress.com - The Sheridan Press - Dictionary

CROW AGENCY, Mont. — Jacob Brien’s great-grandma was born in the 1930s, a time when many Native Americans were not only discouraged but punished for speaking their own languages.

Last weekend, Brien gave his great-grandmother a dictionary: A print edition of the Apsáalooke, or Crow, dictionary, featuring over 11,000 words and phrases, chronicling untold cultural significance.

It was a project he worked on firsthand.

In 2014, members of the Apsáalooke tribe formed a nonprofit called the Crow Language Consortium, and have since undertaken a number of initiatives for language revitalization, including documentation and a comprehensive dictionary, development of materials for children and online resources. Partnered with the Language Conservancy in Indiana, Brien completed an internship working on the dictionary after graduating high school. He now plans to go into linguistics.

“My great-grandma was born in 1934. She went to boarding school in South Dakota, and she told me she got so homesick because of how they were treated. She and a couple other girls tried to jump on a train to go home. One group of girls did make it on a train,” Brien said.

The girls in his grandma’s group got scared, and eventually were taken back to the school by a teacher.

“But that first group of girls, they rode on that train, and they froze to death,” Brien said.

According to the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian, families were often forced to send their children to government- or church-operated boarding schools, where they were forbidden to speak their Native languages. According to a June 2021 Reuters report, at least one academic researcher contends that as many as 40,000 children may have died in or because of their poor care at U.S.-run schools.

“Even until the 1990s, Crow speakers would go to school and the teachers would still say, ‘Hey, don’t speak Crow’,” Brien said.

Today, the dictionary he worked on at age 18 will be used in language immersion coursework on the Crow Agency.

“I’m so glad they are teaching Crow language in schools,” Brien said. “I gave my grandma that dictionary, and she was so happy. She thought it was the greatest thing of all time.”

On June 3, the Crow Language Consortium at Little Big Horn College celebrated the release of the Crow Language Print Dictionary, honoring Crow elders, speakers and knowledge keepers who contributed to the creation of the text. Bob Rugh, publications director at The Language Conservancy, said the print dictionary complements other curriculum materials like an online dictionary and an eLearning Platform called Ammiláau, "our language," that will cover conversational and grammatical Crow language in an interactive manner, through lessons and exercises, over multiple levels of learning and complexity.

“We are not an English-only speaking country, and we never have been,” Rugh said. “A language has an entire culture behind it, and language and culture can’t be separated. With that comes respect. When we feel that respect, we also hopefully respect the people behind the language and culture.”

Dr. Janine Pease, D. Ed., adjunct faculty member in humanities and social science at Little Big Horn College, said the only other Crow language dictionary was published in the 1970s and had around 2,000 entries. A healthy language has around 30,000 words, and a four-year-old usually has a vocabulary of about 4,000 words, she said.

There are over 11,000 words in the new dictionary, according to Rugh.

“This dictionary has the work of a community of about 80 people, fluent speakers,” Pease said. “We had members who were born in the early 1930s, raised by their grandparents … you have to think, where that language came from. It goes back many generations. They brought us amazing knowledge.”

Today, public and private schools on the Crow Agency offer language immersion classes in both primary and secondary schools. At least half a day’s material is taught in the Crow language in what is called a dual language approach, and teachers switch which half of the day is taught in Crow from day-to-day.

“You might have mathematics or social studies in the Crow language,” Pease said. “If a child starts in pre-K and goes through third grade, they are close to fluency. They have had literally thousands of words put into conversations in all the subjects you have in school.

“Children are learning the language,” she said, adding that from 1880 to about 1950, the language was very restricted, even more so in schools.

“But our families are really strong,” she said. “We are not just surviving. We are a thriving language community. In spite of all of the assimilation efforts, our children retained their language.”

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Easy Korean dictionary that every K-fan must know - CitySpidey.com - Dictionary

The Hallyu wave has spread worldwide, people are keen to visit South Korea and find their Oppa or Noona to live their K-Drama fantasy precisely as shown in the shows. After the 2020 lockdown and the sudden surge in K-drama ratings, fans are intrigued by the language. The word 'Saranghae', a finger heart gesture to show your love interest is on every K-fan's lips.

If you are planning to visit South Korea soon, you must gear up yourself with a few common phrases that people often use.

안녕하세요 – An-nyeong-ha-se-yo. – Hello
Although simple, this statement is essential to include because it is the most commonly used phrase in Korea. For the non-Korean speaker, there are dozens of alternatives to adjust for various contexts and respect levels. The secret is to slur the syllables together and speak them quickly. Everyone will understand if you do this.

감사합니다 – Kam-sa-ham-ni-da. – Thank you
This is perhaps the most crucial phrase to learn while travelling in Korea. Use it in the same way you would in English. Don't understand what the smiling halmeoni (grandmother) on the metro next to you is saying? It's most likely praise, grin and thank them.

잠시만요 – Jam-shi-man-yo. – Excuse me./Just a moment
Use the phrase "little time stop" to draw people's attention, ask them to move out of the way, or tell them to wait. For example, if you're trying to exit an elevator but no one is moving, for example. This remark can be used to gracefully navigate your way through a crowd.

최성합니다/미안합니다 – Chway-seong-ham-ni-da./Mi-an-ham-ni-da. – I'm sorry
In Korean, there are two methods to express regret. The first is an "I'm sorry I ran into you" apology, but the second is more of an "I'm truly sorry I forgot about your birthday, please forgive me".

어디예요 – Eo-di-ye-yo...? – Where is the...?
Unless you're a hermit, you'll almost certainly employ this phrase at some point, if only to locate the hwajangsil (bathroom). You can also use it to find a specific item in the grocery, the nearby subway stop, or a decent noraebang (karaoke room).

사랑해 – Sa-rang-hae – I love you
This is an informal way of saying "I love you," It is widely used amongst close friends or lovers, making it one of the most prevalent expressions in Korean dramas. If someone in Korean says "I love you," you can respond with "Na-do sa-rang-hae," which means "I love you, too." Simply phrase it with a rising tone (Sa-rang-hae?) to turn it into an inquiry (Do you adore me?).

화이팅 – Hwa-it-ting – You can do it!
While the word is derived from the English word "fighting," it is more of a cheer used by Koreans to express encouragement and passion. It can also be used in athletics to encourage someone if they had a bad day or wish a pal luck on a blind date.

얼마예요 – Eol-ma-ye-yo? – How much is it?
Travelling and shopping in South Korea the mandatory things to do. A must-know for any shopping trip, this expression is pretty much all you need since most vendors have calculators on hand to help out with the numbers.

모두 제일 좋다 (modu jeil johda) with your Korean language skills.

 

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The 7 Best Language Learning and Translation Apps for Travelers - The Wall Street Journal - Translation

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The 7 Best Language Learning and Translation Apps for Travelers  The Wall Street Journal

How Translation Technology Enables Multilingual Content - TechSpective - Translation

Traditionally, website translation involved long manual processes. Hiring a professional translator was just one aspect, the other side was ensuring that translated content was displayed on your site – taking up valuable developer resources.

The whole process was painstaking and for many business owners, reason enough to delay a global business expansion. After all, if your website isn’t displayed in multiple languages, you have little chance of appealing to those in new markets as they won’t be able to understand your offering.

While the traditional way of translating a website can still be used, website translation tools make translating websites effortless. But how do they exactly work to deliver such results?

The technological trifecta

Like most technologies, translation technology always introduces something new every year. However, experts believe the tools in use today are based on three leading technologies.

Machine translation (MT)

The first translation tools were machine-based, meaning they conducted translations with rules and conditions inputted in the device beforehand. Old as this technology may seem (first introduced in the 1950s), MT remains widely used today for its speedy translation, extensive language options, and lower operational costs.

One significant factor in MT’s continued use is artificial intelligence, giving rise to the neural-based MT. By creating a neural network that can mimic the functions of a human brain, developers can input vast quantities of linguistic data. As a result, translation tools can translate whole paragraphs with acceptable, if not high, accuracy.

In fact, long gone are the days of MT making laughable mistakes, neural-based MT is leading the way for many marketing teams looking for fast and accurate website translation.

Computer-assisted translation (CAT)

CAT involves employing translation software, which may seem similar to MT. However, whereas MT is fully autonomous, CAT works with human users to deliver more accurate translations. In this setup, machine-based translation plays second fiddle to the extensive contextual knowledge of human translators, generally as reference material.

One downside of CAT is its limited application. Unlike MT, which can benefit anyone with enough know-how, CAT is designed for expert translators.

Translation Management System (TMS)

A TMS combines the best of both worlds, particularly the automated efficiency of MT and human understanding present in CAT. The machine does most of the heavy lifting while the user reviews the result and makes creative changes as necessary. A TMS may also go by other names like a globalization management system (GMS).

This technology goes beyond translating content. Companies that conduct transactions in foreign markets find TMS tools useful because of their ability to streamline workflows and develop effective business strategies. It won’t be unusual for TMS software to feature functions to enhance multilingual search engine optimization.

One such website translation tool leading the way in the industry combines neural-based MT with professional translators and full-editing control allowing you to translate the whole of your website in minutes. Weglot, a WordPress translation plugin, also translates any website technology, both translating and displaying the content of your site.

Will human translators be obsolete?

Improvements in the results that translation technology gives are all but apparent. According to one industry source, based on edit distance, neural MT systems are getting better at their jobs by 3% to 7% every year. Edit distance refers to how much a developer has to change a translation system’s code to deliver a result that rivals human translation.

These figures may appear insignificant, but these incremental improvements compound every year that technology improves. The more accurate translation technology grows, the less need for humans to review their results, at least in theory. But if the technologies discussed earlier are any indication, it’ll take a while before translation technology can be completely independent of human intervention for several reasons.

First, multiple studies found that neural MTs tend to “hallucinate” or yield results that don’t come from the source material. These hallucinations may be grammatically sound, but they barely make any sense in context. Businesses and organizations using translation software can’t afford such outputs, namely when translating crucial documents.

Second, automation has yet to reach its zenith despite significant strides in multiple industries. Even as humans won’t be translating as much in the following decades, they’ll still have a hand in creating better translation technologies. Their ability to understand contexts more deeply than a machine will remain an advantage.

Translators and other relevant professionals may have to upskill to adapt to the up-and-coming technologies. A report by the World Economic Forum states that three out of ten companies all over the globe say they’ll need to retrain their workforces. Regardless, the costs involved are a small price to pay compared to breaking down language barriers.

Conclusion

It’s undeniable that translation technology has come a long way, from relying on predetermined input of rules to using what’s essentially working electronic brains. The technologies involved have opened plenty of new doors toward new opportunities. The next milestone is anyone’s guess, but people, for now, are glad that they can switch between languages within a few clicks.

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Politics, health terms feature in new words added to Hebrew dictionary - The Jerusalem Post - Dictionary

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Politics, health terms feature in new words added to Hebrew dictionary  The Jerusalem Post