Atlas Newsletter – August 2009
Design an Atlas Postcard Competition!
Atlas needs a new marketing postcard to promote its services, so if you are creative and have some free time, why not enter our competition? The postcard would need to include our logo and a key message. The rest of the design is up to you!
Rules for entry are as follows:
1) The competition is open to everyone.
2) All entries should be sent to us in PDF format by email. You must provide your full name, address and telephone number. Hand written postal entries will not be considered.
3) All entries must be completely your own work and must include the Atlas logo and a key message that refers to all the services we provide.
4) The start date for the competition is September 1st 2009.
5) The closing date for the competition is September 30th 2009. Entries received after this date will not be considered.
6) There will be one winning design and one prize of £50. The judge’s decision is final.
7) Only one entry per person is permitted.
8) Winning designs will be announced on the Atlas website, in the October Atlas newsletter. The winner’s name will be available on request, but we will not publish excessively detailed personal information.
9) By entering the competition, you grant Atlas Translations Ltd the licence of all images and illustrations with the right to use and reproduce these for any purpose.
Diplomacy lost in translation
Poor Hillary Clinton was accused of throwing a tantrum at a recent Congolese press conference, when actually the whole issue was born out of a translation gaffe. The topic under discussion was a multibillion-dollar loan offer from China to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hillary was asked the question, “What does Mr Clinton think, through the mouth of Mrs Clinton?”
Understandably, this upset Mrs Clinton, who replied, “My husband is not the secretary of state. I am!” What the French-speaking student actually asked was what President Obama thought of the loan, which was subsequently misinterpreted by the interpreter. Horrified at the wide-eyed reaction of Clinton, the anxious student hurried up afterwards to explain himself, whereupon he was reassured by an aide.
Other translation blunders include that of the American President John F Kennedy, who in his 1963 speech in Germany told the world, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” Debate exists to this day about the accuracy of the statement, but some linguists still chuckle to themselves about the fact that Kennedy announced himself as a 'jam doughnut’ and not as a citizen of Berlin, a ‘Berliner’ being both a resident of the city and a doughnut.
President Carter also fluffed a remark in 1977 when, on a visit to Poland, he told the gathered crowd that he wanted to understand their “desires for the future”. The following day, there was good-humoured ridicule in the Polish press when it transpired that his translator had mistaken ‘desires’ for ‘lusts’.
In 2003, Jacques Chirac, then president of France, landed himself in diplomatic hot water after telling several Eastern European countries to ‘shut up’ about the impending Iraq war. “These countries missed a good opportunity to shut up,” he was reported as saying. Given that French used to be the language of diplomacy, it was somewhat ironic that the French verb ‘se taire’ had been interpreted as to ‘shut up’ instead of the more tactful to ‘remain silent’.
Question of the month! Test yourself with our August question:
Q: What is the longest English word? (Answer can be found at the bottom of the newsletter).
Other news
The Atlas Team is sad to see work placement Julia go and wish her luck in the continuation of her studies.
“Julia has been a great work placement since she joined Atlas in April this year. She has come along way. Her English has improved considerably and she has become more and more confident. Julia has been an invaluable member of the team and we will miss her greatly. Good luck for your future plans Julia and stay in touch!”
Anna Davies, Manager
The Atlas team with work placement Julia Walther
Atlas was excited to see Marianna, one of the company’s Greek translators, last week. Marianna worked for Atlas as a Project Manager for five years, and has since gone on to work as a freelance translator and teacher back in Greece.
“It’s always nice to put a face to a name as far as our translators are concerned”.
Sara Roden-Scott
Atlas Project Manager (Agnieszka), Greek translator
(Marianna) & Atlas Manager (Anna Davies)
Trados workshop
Atlas is looking to host another Trados workshop in the near future in London. However, it all depends on how many people are interested, as we need a certain number of people for it to run. The level of the workshop will also depend on the requirements of the people expressing an interest. If this is something for you, please e-mail Sara on sara @ atlas-translations.co.uk
Answer to August question:
A: The longest word currently listed in Oxford dictionaries is the lung disease pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (45 letters).
Compiled by Sara Roden-Scott
Archive:
Atlas Translations Ltd
Anna Davies or Clare Suttie
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