Saucy French Classic Translated for Men’s Magazine
August 30, 2010
The adult men's magazine Playboy will publish an excerpt from a new translation of a classic of French literature. The novel Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert, is touted by the magazine as "the most scandalous novel of all time." The new translation is by Lydia Davis, a US writer already praised for her … » read more
Soccer Manager Panned for Poor English Skills
August 23, 2010
The Football Association has criticized England soccer manager Fabio Capello for his poor grasp on the English language. Capello speaks very broken English, despite having managed the England national team since 2008. He uses an interpreter to speak to players and struggles with media interviews … » read more
Catholic Church Produces New Translation of Mass
August 23, 2010
The Pope will test a new translation of the Roman Catholic Missal when he visits the UK in September. Catholics have used the Missal, which contains the order of the Mass, since the Middle Ages, when the ancient prayers and rites of the Church were gathered together in a single book. Originally in Latin … » read more
Anthropologist Lives with Inuit for a Year
August 16, 2010
A British academic is spending a year with an Inuit community to document their dying language and culture. Dr. Stephen Pax Leonard, an anthropologist from Cambridge University, travels to Greenland this week. He begins the project in the far-northern town of Qaanaq, where he will learn the language. Most … » read more
Artist's Non-Words a Non-Story?
August 16, 2010
An artist has discovered a list of "millions" of "non-words" in the Oxford English Dictionary vaults. Luke Ngakane, a graphic designer from London, found out about the trove of unused words during research for a project. He plans to print 39 of the words on paper for his degree at Kingston University. The vault … » read more
New Market for Translations of Tamil Paperbacks
August 16, 2010
India's middle classes have created a market for English translations of Tamil-language "pulp fiction" novels, according to the Washington Post. Horror stories, wild romances and seedy crime thrillers are among the genre of cheaply produced paperback fiction first popularized in the 1920s. Now Indians … » read more
Punk Rocker Did Not Sing His Own Hit, Says Accent Expert
August 09, 2010
A linguist is the key witness in a case to prove that a punk rock performer never actually sang his biggest hit single. Plastic Bertrand had a European hit in 1977 with Ça Plane pour Moi, but now claims he did not provide the vocals himself. Instead, he says producer Lou Deprijck sang on the record. Bertrand … » read more
American Town Mistranslates Name for 100 Years
August 09, 2010
A small town in the north-western United States has misunderstood its own name, a linguist has revealed. The city of Sequim, Washington, long believed its name meant "quiet waters" in the Native American language of Klallam. But linguist Timothy Montler says that although the name is Klallam, it literally … » read more
BC Police in French Translation Controversy
August 09, 2010
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia are spending $3,000 a day to have press releases translated into French, following criticism from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. At one time, French speakers had to request translations. Instead of reading news immediately on its … » read more
Nigeria to Protect Endangered Languages with New Policy
August 02, 2010
The Nigerian government is developing a plan to save the country's indigenous languages from extinction. The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has set up a committee to compose a strategy for promoting and preserving Nigeria's native tongues. NERDC Executive… » read more
Manager Says Hispanics in Baseball Get a Rough Deal
August 02, 2010
A major league baseball manager in the US has complained that Hispanics are treated worse than Asian players in the game. Ozzie Guillén, manager of the Chicago White Sox, told reporters that Japanese players were given interpreters, where no such help was given to Spanish speakers. "Why do they have … » read more
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