Tuesday, 5 August 2014
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Interrogating Catherine

The concept of human rights has been widely debated for some time now and spans diverse matters that impact on all of our lives. For some, the concept is academic, for others it is non-existent.  The concept fundamentally consists of rights and freedoms granted to the individual by his or her government and, in Europe, embodied in the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The most significant of those are article 2 (right to life), article 3 (prohibition against torture, inhuman or degrading treatment), article 8 (right to privacy) and article 10 (freedom of expression).

Over the last 30 years, 155 states have ratified the UN Convention Against Torture although recent Amnesty International surveys revealed that over half of its signatories are continuing this practice. And since 2009 torture and other treatments have been recorded in some 141 countries. To quote Salil Shetty, Secretary General to Amnesty International, “Governments around the world are two-faced on torture – prohibiting it in law, but facilitating it in practice”.

Many people think of this sort of conduct in countries far from home, but is our right under article 8 and our freedom under article 10 truly and freely granted to us?

There are significant debates over the value of privacy vs security. Cameras record our every move in the name of security most places we go. The advancement of technology has enabled a safer society as well as a more controlled one. Every keystroke on a mobile phone or computer is recorded – somewhere.

Ray Corrigan, Senior Lecturer on Technology at the Open University whose academic interests lie between law, society and technology, believes that such collection of data is “incompatible with the rule of law – and a healthy society” when it is in relation to “every member of the population” for later “fishing expeditions” seeking out “misbehaviour”.

An independent filmmaker is currently examining these concepts in a new film titled “Interrogating Catherine” described as “a modern day look at government sponsored intelligence, torture and interrogation methods.”


This grabbed our interest here at Translations2u, especially in light of our current expansion into making multilingual corporate films. Anyone who is interested to any extent in human rights both at home and overseas should take a look at this. You can find out more about the film and what’s happening here: http://www.interrogatingcatherine.com/index.html. And if you’d like to help raise awareness of these issues, help out by making any contribution at https://www.fundsurfer.com/project/interrogating-catherine.

References:
http://worldwithouttorture.org/tag/torture-statistics/
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:12012P/TXT
http://www3.open.ac.uk/documents/7/rl1412073704271340.pdf
Monday, 9 June 2014
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Rik Mayall, adorable lunatic.

I’ve never been one to get all “gooey” over celebrities and never really grasped the need to scream, howl and faint over musical stars and Hollywood actors. However, what I do appreciate in the performing arts is the talent of anyone who can keep me glued to a screen avoiding wavering interest in the flashing lights and sounds of the box on the wall. Included in that description and one criterion for encouraging me to watch a show of any genre is the inclusion in the cast of any artist who makes me laugh without fail.

Channel 4’s “Man Down” was one of those shows to grab my attention and all because of the promise of Rik Mayall appearing once more on the screen.

Of the inspiring people I would love to meet/have met, and all on so many varying levels, Rik Mayall is one person I would have been delighted to bump into. That psychotic level of energy he brings to everything he has done, his snarling charm and his “go screw yourself” attitude which only he could truly pull off hilariously and keep you wanting more was addictive.

From “The Young Ones” and “Bottom” to “All About George” and “Man Down”, not to forget everything he has done before then and in between, Rik Mayall has brought a smile to my face and a leap in my heart at the thought of some sheer Mayall-esque stupidity to keep me entertained for half an hour or so. Stupidity in the kindest sense of the word, of course.

If I were to describe Rik Mayall as a fan based on his unique, daring humour, I would describe him as an adorable lunatic whom I will miss immensely. My thoughts go out to those lucky enough to have known him, worked with him and, mostly to his family at this time.

Rest in peace, Rik Mayall, knowing you’ve had a tremendously successful career and touched the lives of so many people you’ve never met. That’s the beauty of talent and achievement. Thank you.


Rik Mayall 1958-2014
Thursday, 17 April 2014
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Easter Around the World

Easter is a widely celebrated holiday worldwide with many different traditions and meanings.  While it is a symbolic Christian holiday, Easter has also in recent years become a more culture-based event in many countries.  In fact, it is becoming increasingly common for non-practicing Christians and even individuals of other religious beliefs to celebrate Easter as a fun holiday due to its commercial nature, partaking in festivities such as egg hunts, Easter dinners and gift card exchanges.  At the same time, it is also still very well known as a religious holiday amongst Christians and it continues to have a prominent religious foundation for many that celebrate it.

In North America and the English speaking world, Easter is both a religious and a cultural celebration that focuses mainly on activities for children in the family.  On the Friday and Saturday of Easter weekend, Hot Cross Buns are eaten and eggs are decorated using dyes and paints by children and their parents in preparation for the holiday.  Children are told that there is an “Easter Bunny” who hides chocolate eggs and other goodies around their home while they are sleeping on the night before Easter Sunday.  On Sunday morning, they wake up to go hunting around their home for treats that include Easter themed sweets, chocolate eggs and rabbits, colorful wicker baskets and occasionally small toys.  There is also an Easter dinner on the Sunday evening where roasted lamb, ham and turkey are all commonly served meals.   For individuals who do practice the religious aspect of the holiday, there is also a Sunday Mass to attend and numerous religious traditions that are followed.

In contrast, in Latin America the Easter holiday continues to be a traditional and primarily religious event.  In many Latin American countries, the entire week leading up to the Easter weekend (Holy Week or Semana Santa) is given as time off of work.  To follow Catholic tradition, individuals take the week to reflect spiritually and connect with their religion by going to church regularly, spending time with family and loved ones, fasting from Good Friday to Holy Saturday and avoiding red meat in their diet.  There are also many typical dishes consumed during Holy Week, however they vary quite a bit from country to country.  In many cases, alcohol is not permitted to be sold in stores during this time or stores will opt not to sell it.

Easter is a holiday that is constantly evolving.  With its roots grounded firmly in Christianity, this is a celebration that has become a huge commercial holiday in many parts of the world.  There are some places where people continue to celebrate Easter as a means of connecting with their religious beliefs and community and other places where people choose to enjoy Easter as a fun family event with very little religious connection.  Both the typical foods and activities differ quite a bit from country to country, making Easter celebrations relatively unique to each place they are held in.  It is a holiday filled with fun, family and tradition which people look forward to annually all over the world.

 Translations2u is a professional translation company based in the UK offering multiple languages and subject matters. Specialist translations for solicitors are our forté.
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
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Chicken on my jacket - the interview!

Here at Translations2u we thought we’d give you something different via our blog this time. Yet another year everyone is buzzing about Britain’s Got Talent so we thought we’d jump on the bandwagon! Earlier this week we were lucky enough to catch up with 23 year-old BGT contestant Rob Ross whose performance of his self-written rap “Chicken on my jacket” was immensely popular on last week’s show. (In case you missed it, here it is again.)

This is what Rob had to say.

T2U: OK, so, what do you do in your everyday life, how long have you been doing it and what are your aims?

RR: Well, I am also a dancer and I haven't been rapping for long. I’m a guy that likes to be versatile to the audience and I love to entertain. My aim is to be on stage and later on in life have my own chat show.

T2U: Following on from that, how long have you been a dancer for?

RR: Dancing since I was 16 and I was on “Move Like Michael Jackson” on BBC three in 2009.

T2U: So, why rap?

RR: I've always written comedy stuff but wanted a different approach to make a big impact.

T2U: What or who inspires you? (Other than falling bits of food ;))

RR: My main icon is Will Smith. I look up to him in a way I can relate with personality wise.

T2U: Do you think a good grasp of language is essential for you to be able to rap, write rap/comedy?

RR: Not necessarily, it all goes down to how you perform and deliver your performance. If you look at Will Smith, he wasn’t the best rapper.

T2U: But you need to be able to put your thoughts into words in a way that your intended meaning is clear, though?

RR: Of course! See there's a difference: I'm not a freestyle rapper, I write songs before I can perform them.

T2U: Would you rap in another language and, if you had to, which language would you choose?

RR: If I could I would and I probably would say either French or Spanish.

T2U: Any particular reasons?

RR: I always like new challenges and I’d learn different languages.

T2U: Fair enough :) Why BGT, then?

RR: If you only go down one path it can take a while but if you take different turnings you might get there quicker.

T2U: What was it like on there?

RR: Amazing roller-coaster of different emotions going up and down specially in front of about 3,000 people!

T2U: Your biggest ever audience?

RR: I would say yes. I went on “Take me out” as well.

T2U: OK :) And, who do you think will win Britain’s Got Talent  this year? :D

RR: I hope the Paddy lady, the dancing couple.They’re amazing and such inspiring people to talk to.

T2U: Bless her! Anything you want to add at all?

RR: Thanks for showing support and just hopefully you will see me on the screens more often :)

T2U: Let's hope so!

RR: Of course, I’m looking for chicken on my jacket fans to upload the best pic with chicken like my one [on Rob's Twitter profile here]

T2U: Thank you and loads and loads of luck. Looking forward to duck face! :D


RR: Thank you, much appreciated :). And don't mention it. Ha ha I’ll keep you posted on that!

You can also catch up with Rob via his official Facebook page.


 Translations2u is the online home of Language Matters Worldwide Ltd, a professional translation company in the UK that likes to be different.
Thursday, 20 March 2014
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Instruction manuals, native speakers & professional standing

As professional linguists who have worked hard to achieve our qualifications, gather experience and attain professional credibility in our field through forging strong client relationships and professional accreditation, our biggest issue remains with potential clients who have no understanding of the translation task and often feel that some knowledge of a language or languages is all it takes.

A frequently overlooked aspect is that industry specific or topic specific knowledge or the ability to understand it is essential in order to convey the true meaning into another language. Understanding of the source language term is essential but is only consolidated in the translation context when the translator has a complete understanding of the appropriate target language term.

Over the years, instruction manuals have caused many linguists and non-linguists alike to cringe or even laugh out loud and highlight not only the sentiments of the preceding paragraph but the importance of a truly native speaker qualified to perform the required task.

The following extract from an instruction manual equally exemplifies the need for careful proofreading and editing.

"[...] Insert the three feet plug of battery to output port of battery charger, and the green indicator will dark, gradually increased along with the battery capacity, the green  indicator will gradually bright, when the green indicator is completely bright, the battery capacity will achieves 100%, it shows that the recharging finishes[...]"

Sometimes the cheaper option is perfectly acceptable, when buying certain food items, small casual clothing items, etc., however, accepting the lowest bid to a translation project is not a guarantee that your firm or company will appear in the best light to potential new clients or business partners.

Translations2u/Language Matters Worldwide Ltd specialises in legal translation services as well as editing and translation for many other fields including scientific business and technical translations.  See our reviews and our website for more about our translation services.

Wednesday, 19 March 2014
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Islamic Finance based on Sharia Law


The Sharia Law also known as the Islamic Law is the foundation of the concept of Islamic finance which dates back to the birth of the religion of Islam itself. Sharia law is a code of conduct that guides the followers of Islam in social, economic, and political matters based on the Holy Quran and examples preached by Prophet Muhammad. 
 
Islamic finance’s main focus point is the fact that money itself has no intrinsic value. This denotes that Muslims are prohibited to lend money in order to receive an interest on it known as riba in Arabic. Trading is the principle means of Islamic finance and essentially a proportion of the risk is borne by both parties. Any gains involved in the trading are shared between the person providing the capital and the person providing the expertise. However, sharia also prohibits business transactions based on prohibited products and industries that are damaging to society according to Islamic teachings such as alcohol, pork, prostitution, pornography, tobacco, and any products based on uncertainty or gambling.

Key concepts of the Sharia Law include the following: humans are mere trustees of wealth and therefore they must manage wealth according to Allah's commands; Muslims must balance trade and wealth with the virtues of life, meaning they should seek moderation in the material world by avoiding being either stingy or too materialistic; an individual must balance personal needs with social needs by using the earth's resources wisely and by promoting justice in all economic activities; economic transactions should take place within a reasonable, responsible, free-market economy where supply and demand are decided based on the market trends.

Translations2u specialises in the translation of Islamic finance agreements and other Sharia law matters.
Thursday, 6 March 2014
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Overview of Certified Translation & Sworn Translation

A certified translation is a legal document usually required in the process of submitting foreign language documents to courts, government organisations or non-governmental organizations such as universities, colleges and other institutions. Since there are different categories of certification across the globe, it is highly recommended check the precise certification required. Certification lends weight to a translation. For instance, if a document is mistranslated deliberately or carelessly, legal action could be taken against the translator with contempt of court, perjury or negligence.

A sworn translation hints that the document is signed and sealed by an authorized sworn translator and is endorsed with his or her stamp. A sworn translator is the holder of an office in public law who, in a sense, is similar to a notary public although this depends on the jurisdiction. They are permitted by the state to certify the accuracy of translated documents and often the validity of copies of such translations. Any document which is authorized by a sworn translator is legal and can be used as an official translation.

However, in the English common law system covering the jurisdictions of England and Wales, the "sworn translator" concept does not exist unlike in civil law countries. In this system the term most referred to is “certified translator” who is preferred to other translators because of the skills and suitability as certified by an accrediting body such as the Chartered Institute of Linguists or Institute of Translators and Interpreters.


A certified translator adheres to a code of professional conduct and may provide a certifying letter or paragraph to accompany a translation that is required for official purposes. This certification attests to the accuracy of the translation and the translator’s qualifications and experience. However, such translators do not have stamps or any official or state-recognised status.