[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Wikimedia launches Sorani edition of online... Rudaw Media NetworkSaturday, April 1, 2023
Friday, March 31, 2023
Canongate nabs Hahn's book on language and the 'unlikely art of translating Shakespeare' - The Bookseller - Translation
Canongate has nabbed Daniel Hahn’s book on language and "the unlikely art of translating Shakespeare".
Publisher at large Francis Bickmore acquired world rights to If This Be Magic: Shakespeare, Language and the Unlikely Art of Translation directly from the author. The rights have since been pre-empted by Alfred Knopf in North America and by Companhia das Letras in Brazil.
The book, which Canongate will publish in April 2026, explores what it means to translate Shakespeare. The publisher synopsis said: "When we change all the poetry, all the wordplay, all the syntax – all the words! – is it still Shakespeare? And is it still any good? This book by seasoned translator and Shakespeare fanatic, Daniel Hahn, will change the way you think about language itself."
The book will range widely across Shakespeare’s work and different languages to explore what translators have done, and "what is even possible".
Hahn’s latest work is Catching Fire: A Translation Diary (Charco Press), and his translation of A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa (Vintage) won the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award. He has been a judge for prizes including the International Booker Prize, the IMPAC Dublin Award and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, and was previously chair of the Society of Authors and on the board of trustees of English PEN.
He said: "I first wrote about Shakespeare in translation as an undergraduate, about a thousand years ago, so it feels about time I got around to writing this book. And I can’t believe my luck – I’m just delighted it has landed at Canongate."
Bickmore added: ‘"Who better to write a book about language than a polyglot Shakespeare fanatic with a gift for telling a story? That man is Daniel Hahn and we are so happy that he has chosen to join Canongate’s list."
Elon Musk Brutally Owned by Merriam-Webster Dictionary - Futurism - Dictionary
We love this for them.
Definition of Burn
While the Twitter world waits for owner Elon Musk's next controversial decree, the trolling geniuses behind the Merriam-Webster dictionary's social presence have provided some much-needed comedic relief.
"People who subscribe to Merriam-Webster Red™ will get exclusive access to the real definitions," the famous dictionary's account tweeted — a clear dunk on Twitter Blue, the infamous subscription service that may soon be the sole determinator as to whether someone can get a blue verification checkmark.
Musk's Twitter Blue gambit once again made headlines this week after the site owner announced that soon, only those who subscribe to the paid service will be able to be featured in the social network's "For You" suggestions and vote in polls (after near-universal condemnation, he walked it back slightly).
Earlier this month, Twitter announced that the site will begin removing verification from "legacy" verified accounts, or those who got their blue checkmarks from the admittedly fraught system that was in place before Musk took over the site.
Future Tense
As you can imagine, both of these announcements have been met with serious pushback, and perhaps as a half-baked prophecy, Merriam-Webster also joked about a rollback of its own, too.
"It has been brought to our attention that we've been giving everyone the real definitions since 1828," the follow-up tweet read. "Merriam-Webster Red™ has been discontinued."
The jokes didn't stop there, though. When someone asked whether they'd get their $8 back, the account responded with the Merriam-Webster dictionary link to the word "NO" — a clear dig at Musk's mercurial and cash-grabby management strategy.
This is, of course, far from the first time Merriam-Webster's social media manager has garnered press for being hilarious — but we must admit, this one was particularly tickling.
More on Musk: Elon Musk Reportedly Tried to Take Over OpenAI Several Years Ago, But Failed
Share This Article
Columbia Sportswear ad asking people to ‘be the goat’ in French puzzles Quebecers - Global News - Translation
The French translation for a Columbia Sportswear advertisement slogan in Quebec is turning heads.
The English acronym for ‘GOAT’, which stands for ‘greatest of all time,’ seems to be used in a clever slogan “be the goat,” but the French translation to “soyez la chèvre” isn’t sitting well with some.
People walking by the banner hanging on the side of The Bay in downtown Montreal has some laughing.
“Is it on purpose?” asked Jo Rakotontrasoa, who stopped to take a picture of it. “But it’s funny, I think it’s funny.”
Some are just puzzled.
“I don’t really know. It doesn’t tell me much, honestly,” said Alexandre Beal.
Elodie Guerou didn’t get it at first glance, either.
“I’m a bit confused. Why the goat? I don’t get it,” she said, looking at the banner.
The television ad depicts a mountain goat frolicking and reaching the summit.
“Goats don’t care about being the G.O.A.T, they just care about being a goat,” the ad begins.
Read more: Quebec takes aim at ‘Franglais’ in new ad campaign
More on Canada
In it, the sportswear company is promoting its new hiking shoes.
But some experts say the meaning gets lost in the French translation.
“You don’t translate a slogan like you would a birth certificate or a marriage licence,” said Charles Marcil, a translator.
“You have to be creative, you have to use the idiomatic tools that are available in the target language and this obviously was not done.”
The owner of CFL marketing, Francois L’Espinay, says when crafting a campaign for Quebec, companies need to keep in mind it’s a distinct society. “People from Quebec don’t think alike, they have a special way to live and in advertising. It’s very different,” said L’Espinay.
“That’s why a lot of even big agencies from the states or wherever, they have problems when they come to Quebec.”
Meanwhile, Columbia officials are not being sheepish.
Read more: TTC riders react to transit agency’s new ad campaign
They say the ad wasn’t meant as a referral to the term “Greatest Of All Time.”
“We certainly don’t want to make that statement, that we’re the greatest of all times. We certainly hope we’re making a great hiking boot that helps people get outdoors,” said Scott Trepanier, the company’s vice-president of brand strategy.
“The intention of the ad campaign is to really be the goat, to be the goat who is getting out there enjoying the outdoors while being stable and protected on the trail.”
Trepanier says they did consult with a Quebec marketing team and they were following language laws.
But for some, the ad remains “meh”.
“Yes,” said Beal, who says the ad doesn’t give him the urge to buy the shoes.
The language of signs in Quebec
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Lost in translation: Why sarkar is taking away Sarkars' lands - Times of India - Translation
BENGALURU: In the hierarchy of government lexicon, the term "sarkar" might signal omnipotence. Not so much the Bengali surname "Sarkar", as 727 Hindu refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan settled in Karnataka would testify.
Vibhuti Sarkar, a 65-year-old farmer, is among those who have had their vested land holdings of many decades suddenly flagged as "sarkari", or government property, in a bureaucratic bungle blamed on their "similar sounding" shared surname.
The change in ownership from Sarkar to "sarkari" meant Vibhuti was denied insurance last year for the jowar crop he had sown on five acres in Sindhanur taluk of Raichur district.
Based on his complaint, an inquiry by the revenue department revealed that holdings of 726 other people settled in three rehabilitation camps had been earmarked as government land in the records of rights, tenancy and crops. Updated data available on Bhoomi, the Karnataka government's land records portal, reflected the change.
Prasen Raptana, a representative of the 22,000-odd erstwhile refugees settled in four rehabilitation camps of Sindhanur taluk - RH2, RH3, RH4 and RH5 - took up cudgels for Vibhuti and wrote to the Raichur DC last December about the "technical problem". A month earlier, the assistant commissioner of Lingasugur had flagged the issue in a communication to the DC. TOI has a copy of that letter.
All the affected farmers are residents of RH 2, 3 and 4.
"We are having to contend with this strange problem for no fault of ours," said Pankaj Sarkar, another of those caught in the land ownership tangle triggered by an unwelcome "i" being added to their surname.
"We spoke to the tehsildar, who said it was a software problem and had to be fixed in Bengaluru. Why do we have to travel to Bengaluru to fix the problem created by the government?" he told TOI.
Raptana said the 727 farmers were not only having to battle the bureaucracy, but also unable to get the MSP for their crops at government centres, mortgage land for loans and apply for crop insurance.
Sindhanur tehsildar Arun said the DC had already brought the issue to the notice of the survey settlement and land records department for changes to be made in the Bhoomi portal.
Thousands of persecuted Hindus who had fled what was then East Pakistan in 1971 were housed in refugee camps in seven states, including Karnataka. Each family was given five acres of land to make a new beginning.
For Vibhuti and his ilk, learning the difference between "Sarkar" and "sarkari" more than five decades later would certainly count as a fresh start.
Vibhuti Sarkar, a 65-year-old farmer, is among those who have had their vested land holdings of many decades suddenly flagged as "sarkari", or government property, in a bureaucratic bungle blamed on their "similar sounding" shared surname.
The change in ownership from Sarkar to "sarkari" meant Vibhuti was denied insurance last year for the jowar crop he had sown on five acres in Sindhanur taluk of Raichur district.
Based on his complaint, an inquiry by the revenue department revealed that holdings of 726 other people settled in three rehabilitation camps had been earmarked as government land in the records of rights, tenancy and crops. Updated data available on Bhoomi, the Karnataka government's land records portal, reflected the change.
Prasen Raptana, a representative of the 22,000-odd erstwhile refugees settled in four rehabilitation camps of Sindhanur taluk - RH2, RH3, RH4 and RH5 - took up cudgels for Vibhuti and wrote to the Raichur DC last December about the "technical problem". A month earlier, the assistant commissioner of Lingasugur had flagged the issue in a communication to the DC. TOI has a copy of that letter.
All the affected farmers are residents of RH 2, 3 and 4.
"We are having to contend with this strange problem for no fault of ours," said Pankaj Sarkar, another of those caught in the land ownership tangle triggered by an unwelcome "i" being added to their surname.
"We spoke to the tehsildar, who said it was a software problem and had to be fixed in Bengaluru. Why do we have to travel to Bengaluru to fix the problem created by the government?" he told TOI.
Raptana said the 727 farmers were not only having to battle the bureaucracy, but also unable to get the MSP for their crops at government centres, mortgage land for loans and apply for crop insurance.
Sindhanur tehsildar Arun said the DC had already brought the issue to the notice of the survey settlement and land records department for changes to be made in the Bhoomi portal.
Thousands of persecuted Hindus who had fled what was then East Pakistan in 1971 were housed in refugee camps in seven states, including Karnataka. Each family was given five acres of land to make a new beginning.
For Vibhuti and his ilk, learning the difference between "Sarkar" and "sarkari" more than five decades later would certainly count as a fresh start.
How to Build a Dictionary App Using Python - MUO - MakeUseOf - Dictionary
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
How to Build a Dictionary App Using Python MUO - MakeUseOfHow to Build a Dictionary App Using Python - MUO - MakeUseOf - Dictionary
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
How to Build a Dictionary App Using Python MUO - MakeUseOf
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)