Musings from an overworked translator

TGIF: Google Translator Song January 28, 2011

Google Translate has been all over the news this week. According to a news report from Tuesday that was circulated on Twitter by @rinaneeman, Google admitted that its translation engines are not perfect and not yet ready for sensitive debates, saying “If we were going from zero to 10, we would be about five”. Then on Wednesday Jiri Stejskal published a news report on the CETRAblog that Google has patented its “unique” web-based translation technique. This is of course further proof that the U.S. Patent Office has their collective heads <ahem, let’s just say “in the clouds”>. So it stands to reason that this week’s TGIF video should feature Google Translate.

TGIF: Sherlock Holmes, Grammar Nazi January 14, 2011

I haven’t had a TGIF video in a while, because I haven’t really seen any that have been worthwhile. I’ll post videos on Friday occasionally when I find them, but there aren’t enough language-related videos out there to do so regularly. As always, if you find a video you’d like to share with everyone please send it to me and I will be happy to give you full credit for discovering it.

I am a Sherlock (2010) junkie. If you haven’t seen the latest incarnation of Sherlock Holmes from the BBC I suggest you do, because it is fabulous. There are only three episodes at the moment, with plans for more to come. It is set in 21st century London, and Holmes texts while Watson is a blogger. In this clip, which introduces Holmes to the audience, he visits a potential client in Minsk.

TGIF: The Trouble with Voice Recognition July 16, 2010

Fabio at Fidus interpres just posted this video on his blog today. I normally hate to repeat what other translators post,  but this is just too hilarious not to post. Plus, I wanted readers who don’t read his blog to see it (and if you aren’t reading his blog, why not??). The trouble with voice recognition software is that it has problems with accents – in this case Scottish. I love a good Scottish accent. I would marry a Scot in a second just for the accent (yes, it is true about Americans being suckers for accents). I have joked with my friends that I would pay a Scot to read the phone book for me. I just love how they sound. This video is hilarious, so I hope you enjoy it.

TGIF: A small rewrite (Shakespeare sketch) July 2, 2010

Long-time readers know of my love for both Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Laurie. Here is a live Shakespeare sketch called ‘A Small Rewrite’ made for Comic Relief, with Hugh Laurie as Shakespeare and Rowan Atkinson as the editor. It’s a total scream. Enjoy!

TGIF: Ed Rondthaler on the nonsense of English spelling June 25, 2010

English spelling is a vexing problem for most learners of English. Why does the English language have so many words that are difficult to spell? The main reason is that English has 1,100 different ways to spell its 44 separate sounds, more than any other language. This video, which I discovered thanks to one of the folks I follow on Twitter, features typographist, spelling champion, and chairman of the American Literacy Council Dr. Ed Rondthaler pointing out the nonsense of English spelling. Enjoy!

TGIF: How to swear in English June 18, 2010

It’s been a while since I’ve had a TGIF video on the blog. I just haven’t found anything worth posting recently. Thanks to Fidus interpres, a German to Portuguese translator based in Rheinbach, Germany, for posting this video originally. As Fabio explains, “It’s an English lesson given by a Korean teacher who initiates students into the ‘metaphysics’ of four-letter words – he even explains graphically what an asshole is. The man is really good! The YouTube video has been translated from Korean into English so that you can enjoy the teacher’s insights – even if the subtitles are too difficult to follow.” Enjoy!

TGIF: Love in any language February 12, 2010

I have loved this song since we sang it in high school – accompanied by sign language interpreters. Since Valentine’s Day is this weekend I thought it was only fitting. I hope you enjoy it and have a great weekend.

TGIF: Things we (Americans) say wrong February 5, 2010

This video will probably make most native and non-native speakers’ heads spin, but I found it pretty amusing. As translators I hope you enjoy it as well. Enjoy your weekend! Thanks to Screw You!, an interesting blog for freelance writers that writes about bottom-feeding rates and the vendors who try to get away with paying freelance writers abominably low rates. One recent job that was featured offered $0.005 a word. And you thought translation job bids were bad!

TGIF: German coffeemaker commercial January 29, 2010

If you are anything like me you have a deep appreciation for a fine cup of coffee. You don’t need to understand German to appreciate this commercial. Enjoy and have a great weekend! I promise to actually post a real blog post next week. I’ve been busy with life in the meantime…

TGIF: Israeli take on American airport security January 22, 2010

This clip made me laugh so hard that I wanted to share it with you all. Thanks so much to Rina Ne’eman for tweeting it the other day! Enjoy!