The man behind Malta's first television soap opera, Albert Marshall, 61, has been working as a translator in Luxembourg for three and a half years. The accomplished interpreter is returning to his home land of Malta to continue his translation career.

In Luxembourg, Marshall was required to translate many remote European Union directives, which were rarely read. Nevertheless, Marshall said,       "… I felt I had to go somewhere to get rejuvenated. Going to Luxembourg and doing translation work was in fact a prolonged holiday. Luxembourg is provincial: it's quiet, it's not Paris or Brussels or London. The work-although deadlines are very serious-doesn't put anyone under pressure at all."

Once he is back in Malta, Marshall will continue his work as a translator. He believes that translating other languages into Maltese enriches the other languages, while modernizing Maltese.

"I believe Malta is generous enough at this point in time to provide the people their space," said Marshall. "I know some people are engaged in very serious experimentation here, the music scene is rife with new exciting sounds…. " Marshall believes he is returning to his home base as a citizen of the world and not merely a citizen of Malta.

29 December 2008