I’m lucky to be a translator and an interpreter. My work is an intellectual exercise that reveals to me the common concepts that underlie the grammar of my three languages (Farsi, French, and English). In this post I would like to address some common questions we field “in the trenches” at The Farsi Translation Center, on any given day. I hope it answers some of your questions, too! Continue reading
In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet famously sums up her exasperation with the war between the Capulets and the Montagues by lamenting, “…a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” I think Shakespeare was showing that Juliet was wise beyond her years when she made that observation.Continue reading
My mother is not fluent in English and this fact counted heavily against her on a call to an insurance company recently.
The call was about an important question relating to my mother’s account, so I joined her to make the call. The person on the other end of the phone said they had to verify my mother’s identity, and so they needed her to speak, not me, her daughter. The operator asked what language my mother speaks, and put us on hold while they found a Farsi interpreter.
The American Translators Association (ATA), a well known international organization, offers a translator certification—a distinction that puts all translators, regardless of work status, in a better position to market themselves. For Farsi translators and interpreters in particular, the ATA certification is more than just a suffix.
I am very passionate about the mission of the organization and the importance of these certifications for the following reasons:
I find this article to be both essential and amusing. How many times have I wondered where an English idiom came from and if it does convey the meaning I am looking for. Find out for yourself. Read more.
Even though English is not my first language, I always thought the English speaking world is not speaking correct English. When it comes to pronouncing consonants that are grouped together, the familiar way of pronouncing them is to cut the words. Is it ice tea or iced tea? It seems that nobody cares. Skim milk was originally, skimmed milk. Ice cream was iced cream and wax paper was waxed paper. Misspelled words, grammatical errors, and half – pronounced sentences are taking over the way we communicate. As it turns out I am not alone. Here is the proof! An article posted on Merriam Webster’s website here.
In Iran, the phrase marg bar Amrica ( مرگ بر آمریکا) is often chanted at rallies and seen on signs held by unhappy protesters. The phrase is most commonly translated literally as “Death to America”, but it actually means ”Down with America”. Hooman Majd, a former interpreter for Iranian President Ahmadinejad, has explained that “Death to America” is far too harsh of a translation. As Majd pointed out, Ahmadinejad also handed out potatoes in exchange for votes, after which protesters chanted ”Marg bar seeb zameeni!” They were literally saying “Death to potatoes”, but it’s pretty far fetched to assume that their intention was to kill the spuds.
The above excerpt is from Jost Zetzsche’s book, Found in Translation, which mentions a myriad of instances of literal translations and interpretations gone wrong because of the fine nuances associated with cultural idioms and values.Shopping cart
