Google Translate Accuracy

Recommended reading: an article from Translation Journal (click on the title of this post or on the following link).

An Analysis of Google Translate Accuracy

by Milam Aiken and Shilpa Balan

"Although Google Translate provides translations among a large number of languages, the accuracies vary greatly. This study gives for the first time an estimate of how good a potential translation might be using the software. Our analysis shows that translations between European languages are usually good, while those involving Asian languages are often relatively poor. Further, the vast majority of language combinations probably provide sufficient accuracy for reading comprehension in college" (Aiken and Balan 2011).

The website of the Week!

I know, I know! Holidays are for having fun, going out etc. but in the mean time, it's alright to get a bit nerdy and check out the most interesting websites ever.

This week I've read a couple of nice things on the site below:
The Shakespeare Resource Center. You'll find here collected links from all over the World Wide Web to help you find information on William Shakespeare.

Recommended Reading: The Postcolonial Turn in Literary Translation Studies: Theoretical Frameworks Reviewed, by Bo Pettersson (University of Helsinki)

"In 1990 Susan Bassnett and André Lefevere, two towering translation studies scholars, famously announced what had been under way for some time: the "cultural turn" in translation studies. In brief, they envisaged that "neither the word, nor the text, but the culture becomes the operational ‘unit’ of translation" (Lefevere and Bassnett 1990: 8). The collection in which their piece appeared (Bassnett and Lefevere 1990) has recently been hailed by Edwin Gentzler (1998: xi), one of the leading synthesizers of translation theory, as the "real breakthrough for the field of translation studies" - which is true in the sense that it epitomized what is sometimes termed "the coming of age" of the discipline. In the 1990s translation studies has in many ways been informed by this cultural turn, which, as Bassnett (1998: 132-133) has shown, includes a rapprochment between cultural studies and translation studies, due to their related efforts to understand the process and status of globalization and national identities. This focus, together with the veritable explosion of postcolonial studies in literature in the last few years of the millennium, has entailed that the cultural turn in translation studies increasingly has become intercultural or multicultural. More specifically, owing to the wide-ranging interest in postcolonial literature and criticism, it might be termed the postcolonial turn."

Click HERE to read the entire article!

THE COMPLETE SITE ON MAHATMA GANDHI

A Place to learn about Gandhi, his life, work & philosophy. This comprehensive site is regularly updated & maintained by non-profit Gandhian Organizations in India & has a wealth of information & material for researchers, students, activists & anyone interested in Gandhi. Click HERE to visit the site!

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was a prominent political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of satyagraha—resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non-violence—which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. He is commonly known around the world as Mahatma Gandhi (Sanskrit: mahātmā or "Great Soul", an honorific first applied to him by Rabindranath Tagore) and in India also as Bapu (Gujarati: bāpu or "Father"). He is officially honoured in India as the Father of the Nation; his birthday, 2 October, is commemorated there as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence.

European Commission Conference on Literary Translation and Culture

"The Conference allowed stakeholders and professionals to exchange their views and reflect on the main problems and potentials of the literary translation sector. As a first consideration it was underlined that the conference was the first to gather literary translators under the aegida of the European Commission. Moreover, the point was made that today literary translation is a true science, with its methods and masters. Training and remuneration were mentioned as crucial elements for high quality translations, together with the importance of centres of residence for the mobility of translators and the role of publishers in the diffusion of translated books. The perspective of translation as a tool for the promotion of the European culture in the world was also explored, together with the new opportunities offered in the audiovisual arts. The holding of regular meetings to gather literary translators was taken into consideration, together with the creation of a European label for bookstores presenting a vast choice of translated books." (Read the whole article HERE!)

Another interesting article: Languages contribute to consolidating European ideas and culture

The BBC Knowledge Magazine

I strongly recommend the new BBC Knowledge Magazine - a magazine about science, nature and history, invention, innovation and more. Click HERE to read it for FREE!

Free E-book Download: Fiction

Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town is a contemporary fantasy novel by Canadian author Cory Doctorow. (click on the title of the book or on the title of this post to download it for FREE!)

This novel reverses many of the conventions of the cyberpunk genre. With the exception of a brief story written by the main character, it takes place wholly in a "real" world (albeit a strange one) instead of involving a complex digital simulation. The characters that would be most associated with the "punks" are older guys who are well aware of their age and show a strong emotional side instead of being younger, detached, and augmented. (It stands to note that the "standard" mohawk does appear on at least one character's head.) Some of the ones closest to the "hacking scheme" are even part of the iconic big business that would normally be a threat in a similar setting. Rather than hacking tons of code in elaborate, secretive plans, the characters use dumpster diving to piece together technology that is free to all. They are open about what they are doing, actively seeking assistance from whatever source. The rebellious youth of the novel often scorn computer technology or work on the project without knowing what they are doing. Anarchists shun helping Alan and Kurt, while big business delights in it.

EUR-Lex: FREE Access to EU Law

EUR-Lex provides direct free access to European Union law. Here you can consult the Official Journal of the European Union as well as the treaties, legislation, case-law and legislative proposals. You can also use the extensive search facilities available on EUR-Lex.
The information is available in ALL the official languages of the EU.

Click on the following link to go to the EUR-Lex website: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm

Recommended:

1. Recognition of diplomas and qualifications in the European Union
2. Multilingualism in the EU
3. Employment

The Power of Film Translation

"The Power of Film Translation" by Agnieszka Szarkowska is an interesting article in which the author presents the major modes of film translation, their world distribution and history, followed by an analysis of dubbing and subtitling from the perspective of domestication and foreignisation.
(Agnieszka Szarkowska graduated with an MA degree from the Institute of English Studies, Warsaw University. Now a PhD student at her alma mater, she is working on her doctoral dissertation and teaching English-Polish translation.)
Click on the following link to read the full article: http://accurapid.com/journal/32film.htm.