The Lingo-ist, October 2005
The following articles are from the October 2005 edition of The Lingo-ist
How formatting can save you money
Translation has often been named the second oldest occupation on earth and formatting has always been an issue. After all, the first known translation is a bilingual text which was forced into a rock using chisel and hammer and became well known as the Rosetta Stone. Formatting has certainly come a long way since those early days. Highly sophisticated formats now ensure the professional appearance of a document and give texts the desired character. To find out how to format text in a way that can reduce your translation costs, read on...
Foreign fields and foyers
As the workforce in the UK - and particularly the agricultural and hospitality sectors - becomes increasingly internationalised, thousands of East European, Portuguese and other nationals, flock to our shores every year in search of work. As many of them arrive speaking only a few words of English, incidents arising from lack of comprehension between employers and employees are not uncommon. Sadly, in some cases, such misunderstandings can actually lead to injuries in the workplace. This makes the translation of Health and Safety materials essential when employees' knowledge of English is simply insufficient for them to follow even the most basic instructions.
The Fascinating Thing about Languages...
And finally, something a little less weighty! This month we find out why British farmers object to the term "couch potato", discover why it's definitely worth learning a foreign language and hear about the profound influence on the English language of ..... Homer Simpson!