An over-simplified view of our profession will have you believe that a translation is the mechanistic rendering of the source text into the target language, as if the human element barely matters at all. You pour text in, text gets spouted back out, how hard can it be, right? After all, we've already got machines … Continue reading Why You Should Choose Your Translator Carefully
Category: TRANSCREATION
What an Amazing Weekend!
The “wow factor” was definitely there in #Timisoara this opening weekend of the European Capital of Culture 2023! Lots of foreign tourists, high-ranking guests and culture lovers, too. And, obviously, so were we!
#visittimisoara #interculturalcommunication #multiculturalism #kulturschaffende #languages
Our storytelling travel guide #TIMISOARA23: 23 Secrets was launched on February 18th at the Cărtureşti bookstore in the throbbing heart of Timisoara – only one of the 140+ cultural events taking place this weekend in this year’s European Capital of Culture! (It is now sold out at Cărtureşti, but you can still find it on Amazon or – if you visit Timisoara – at La Doua Bufnite in Union Square (Piata Unirii), Matei Corvin St.)
See for yourselves and come on over: #visittimisoara #timisoaraiscool 😉
#europeancapitalofculture2023 #romania
Why You Need an Experienced Linguist to Translate Your Work
You have spent countless hours, days, months, maybe even years working on something important. Whether it is a product, book, article, patent, or marketing campaign, you do not want to skimp on the translation. In fact, you want the best possible translator/editor on your team. Why? Because you do not want to undermine your credibility … Continue reading Why You Need an Experienced Linguist to Translate Your Work
A Quick Guide to Romanian Culture – OTHER HUMANS
Last time we talked about communication, which is one of the main ways we interact with OTHER PEOPLE. In fact, everything we do can be termed "communication", as it results in different types of messages and human beings are meaning-making creatures. This time, I'd like to talk a little more about power dynamics, decision-making, and … Continue reading A Quick Guide to Romanian Culture – OTHER HUMANS
Cultural dimensions and their implications – “Femininity”
What is culture? Simply put, culture is a set of beliefs, values, social norms, attitudes and behaviors acquired and reinforced through socialization. In Geert Hofstede's seminal book "Cultures and Organizations - Software of the Mind" there are 5 major dimensions of culture: Power distanceIndividualism vs. collectivismUncertainty avoidance indexMasculinity vs. femininityLong-term vs. short-term orientation Later on, … Continue reading Cultural dimensions and their implications – “Femininity”
RUMÄNIEN – EINE GEBRAUCHSANLEITUNG für deutsche Tourist*innen, Manager*innen und Ausgebürgerte (Teil II)
Kurz, knapp und aktuell. Was deutsche Tourist*innen, Ausgebürgerte oder Manager*innen im Auslandseinsatz in Rumänien erwarten können (im Vergleich zum deutschen Kulturstandard) und ein paar mögliche Lösungsansätze (natürlich ohne Gewähr, denn jeder Mensch ist anders 😉 ): Dynamik, polychronische Einstellung zur Zeit, UnberechenbarkeitEs bewegt sich viel, in verschiedene Richtungen, oft mit mäßigem ErfolgDie Dinge werden nicht … Continue reading RUMÄNIEN – EINE GEBRAUCHSANLEITUNG für deutsche Tourist*innen, Manager*innen und Ausgebürgerte (Teil II)
Jobs, vacation and the challenges of transcreation
We're at the height of summer and, in many European countries, it's blessed vacation season. People are exhausted and can't wait to take a break from their jobs, to travel, relax, and have some fun. Because most people, it would seem, actually hate their jobs. Even before the pandemic, a global poll conducted by Gallup … Continue reading Jobs, vacation and the challenges of transcreation
Mistake or Linguistic Innovation?
How do you feel about poetic licenses, lax grammar, and invented words? Is language a living organism, constantly evolving, or should a strictly standardized version be enforced? Here's what Romanian-French philosopher E. M. Cioran thinks: "A dead language (...) is a language in which you don't have the right to make mistakes. Which means that … Continue reading Mistake or Linguistic Innovation?
Applied Cultural Linguistics: Romanian Jokes About the Pandemic
Far be it from me to make light of the difficult times we are all going through, but sanity sometimes requires a lighter touch ("Dinge auf die leichte Schulter nehmen" as the Germans would phrase it), so I thought I'd bring you today some intercultural competence in the form of jokes and puns about quarantine, … Continue reading Applied Cultural Linguistics: Romanian Jokes About the Pandemic
How Do We Make Sense of Things? The Language Connection
As award-winning blogger Maria Popova once said, "We can never see the world as it really is". And that's because, on the one hand, we are part of the very system we are trying to describe, and on the other because the things we perceive make little or no sense to us until we plot … Continue reading How Do We Make Sense of Things? The Language Connection