Global Voices » Language

Colombia: What is in a name?

Juliana Rincón Parra — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:14:26 +0000

The Born on December 31st documentary by Priscila Padilla exposes a human rights violation the Wayuu indigenous group have been under. Many of their national IDs, mass produced to get important votes in election periods, state they were all born on the same date and feature offensive made-up names; which they were unable to notice because Spanish is not their native language.

Bolivia: Chiquitano Indigenous Create Twitter Account to Promote Their Language

Silvia Viñas — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:50:06 +0000

Members of the Chiquitano indigenous community in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, have created the Twitter account @monkoxbesiro [es] to promote the use of the Chiquitano (Bésiro) language in Bolivia.

Common Language in Southeast Asia

Mong Palatino — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:35:55 +0000

What should be the common language in the Southeast Asian region? Thai, Bahasa Indonesia or Bahasa Melayu? Kaewmala discusses this issue.

Iran:American Accent for Persian Speakers

Fred Petrossian — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:15:19 +0000

This video shares insights for Persian first-language speakers who wish to improve their pronunciation, word stress, and intonation in American English.

Bhutan: Promoting National Language

Rezwan — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:56:31 +0000

Penstar protests against the tendency of some Bhutanese newspapers to undermine Dzongkha language and suggests that the national language needs to be promoted everywhere.

St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Favourite Proverbs

Janine Mendes-Franco — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:11:56 +0000

“I consider them to be expressive and beautiful in a way that is so Caribbean”: Abeni blogs about West Indian proverbs.

Greece: Cretan Masterpiece “Erotokritos” Translated into Turkish

Veroniki Krikoni — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:05:29 +0000

Stella Tsolakidou of the Greek Reporter website writes about the recent publication of the Cretan literature masterpiece “Erotokritos” in Turkish. Erotokritos is a 17th century epic romance, and has been translated by Professor Hakki Bilgehan, a Turkish microbiology professor, and published by the Foundation of Lausanne Treaty Emigrants [Turkish].

Malaysia: Ministry Blames Google Translate for Website Errors

Mong Palatino — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:05:15 +0000

Don’t wear “clothes that poke eye” and remember the “Mongoose fight” uniform for official functions. These are some of the funny English translation errors in the website of Malaysia’s Ministry of Defense which made headlines last week. The errors have been removed already but not before netizens were able to discuss them thoroughly in various social networks.

Uppercaise reviews the translation errors

The dress code says officers and staff must wear “ethical clothing” — but at the same time “the dress code is not allowed in the work”.

“Ethical clothing” was required (although there was no code of ethics that the clothes must follow). However, the clothes must not be party-going or picnic-going types.

Every Thursday is “mongoose fight” day for those not in uniform. “Mongoose fight” clothing is also for attending “official functions that do not require the use of certain types of clothing”.

Men must wear shirts that are “tight Malay civet berbutang three” or five civets; with long pants but sleeves not folded, and shirts included. Women must wear appropriate clothing “worn neatly and politely in line with the practice of noble character”

The “clothes that poke eye” is a literal translation of pakaian yang menjolok mata, which means revealing clothes in Bahasa Malaysia. Another error which made many people laugh: “After the withdrawal of British army, the Malaysian Government take drastic measures to increase the level of any national security threat”.

The Ministry attributed the mistakes to Google Translate which the agency used to translate the Bahasa content of the website. But when uppercaise used Google Translate to verify the statement of the Ministry, the free translation tool yielded different results

It’s bad enough that statements by the defence minister himself are much of a joke, but the dress code translation is hilarious.

This table consists of a few examples. Was Google at fault, or the ministry? Was the defence minister telling the truth, or trying to pass blame to others? When a govt lies about a small thing, can you trust them with big things?

From the website of Uppercaise

uppercaise wants the Minister to take responsibility for the mistakes

Apologists for politicians always make excuses to say the politician was misinformed. Just because someone lied to him and he in turn lies to the public does not excuse the lie. Ministers are responsible to the public for the conduct of their ministries. If a civil servant lied, he is disciplined. But it is the minister who takes the rap in public.

That’s how constitutional democracy works.

Khoo Kay Peng reminds the ministry to review its recruitment process

Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should learn quickly that not everything can be ‘automated'. Language is not one of them. The minister should review his ministry's recruitment process and employ those who are really proficient in the English language or the very least employ those who can show some initiative to do any task right.

Yes, this is very embarrassing not only to Mindef but also to the government.

Ktemoc Konsiders advises the ministry to stick to Bahasa

I am personally aware of the Malaysian Ministry of Defence (Mindef) using Mangrish (Malaysian mangled English) on its website, as I had on a couple of occasions accessed it for some information, only to encounter such horrors. They would be better off sticking to only Bahasa.

As I See It wants the ministry to learn how to use Google Translate correctly

Please lah – don’t take us for idiots! Even if you use Google Translate – any person with average intelligence knows that it shouldn’t be used directly. It is important to fathom the linguistic context; otherwise you get phrases like the ones highlighted above! What’s more, you can still spot the errors before you upload the translated script onto the website – if you do actually check and double-check, that is. Unless, of course, you are asleep on the job.

Here are some reactions on Facebook. Eric Chin thinks the ministry should have approached a local agency instead of relying on Google Translate:

The question that simply begs to be asked is this : Why in God's name did the Ministry of Defence use Google Translate when they had the Institut Penterjemahan Negara at their disposal?

Mary-Ann Chong asks why the ministry couldn’t afford to hire a translator

Can't our Defense Ministry afford to pay for a translator instead of using Google Translate? Of all purposes and intent to 'save' public money they pick the one that they are least proficient at.

Mekanda Sandhu believes the issue reflects the poor bilingual standards in the country

The Star report on English translation of Defence Ministry's directive in BM prohibiting dress code “clothes that poke eye” is a sad reminder of our poor bilingual standards

Ukraine: Gasprinsky Crimean Tatar Library

Veronica Khokhlova — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:07:49 +0000

Back in Nov. 2011, Peace Corps volunteer Barb Wieser guest-blogged about her work at the Ismail Gasprinsky Crimean Tatar Library in Simferopol, Crimea, at Uncataloged Museum blog.

South Africa: Braille Burgers and Social Media

Juliana Rincón Parra — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:34:56 +0000

A fast food chain in South Africa delivered 15 burgers to organizations for the Blind: through social media, the story of those 15 burgers reached more than 800,000 people, letting them know about the restaurant's new Braille menu. What made that strong impression? The burgers' buns had messages in Braille written with sesame seeds.

Global Voices Aymara: Experiences in Translation in 2011

Eduardo Avila — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:41:43 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

My name is Victoria Tinta and I would like to briefly share my experiences with Global Voices:

I started to translate for Global Voices Aymara in 2009, and at the time, I only translated one article per month regarding topics such as politics, sports, education, environment, and others. But since I started as editor, I no longer translate just one article, but rather more than five articles per month.

I translate all of these articles during my free time, and each post takes one, two, or even three hours each, depending on the post's length. By translating and editing, I have been able to learn about events taking place in other countries. Among my translations, there is one that caught my attention: Languages: Let's Tweet and Speak in Quechua. For me, it was an interesting topic to translate and this is the translation in Aymara: Aymara: Arunaka: Tuytiyañani ukatx qhichwat arsuñani.

Members of the Global Voices in Aymara team at the celebration dinner commemorating the official Lingua status. Photo by Eddie Avila taken in El Alto, Bolivia. .

I am very happy to be a volunteer translator, and I am very motivated to continue the work.

I would also like to congratulate the translation team from Global Voices Aymara.

¡Nayraqatar sarantasipkakima!

Keep up the good work!

Irma Silveria Laura Apaza writes:

I started to translate articles for Global Voices in Aymara beginning in June 2011, and I've always been interested in things related to languages. I think it is very important to value the Aymara language, and to spread knowledge of this language throughout the internet so that other people can become interested through the translations.

One that really caught my attention was Slovakia: The Most Expensive Apple Computers and in Aymara: Eslovaquia: Apple cumputaduranakax sinti jila chaniniwa.

Some may not be interested in the topic, but university students have the latest technology for their studies with no regard to the cost of the computers. Having a computer is no longer a privilege, but rather a necessity. The majority of students have netbooks, and as is the case in some countries, many professors are behind when it comes to technology.

Martha Valencia Intimayata writes:

My participation with Global Voices in Aymara started in 2010 to the present, and through this translation work, I learn about what is happening around the world.

Over time, I have translated interesting topics including one that really impacted me, which was: Iran: Female Blogger Receives 50 Lashes and the translation: Aymara: Irán: Bloguerax phisqa tunk jawq’aw katuqatäna.

How could a blogger receive 50 lashes just for providing information? That is very unjust.

Victor Paco Montevilla writes:

Personally, I started to translate at the beginning of last year.

First of all, it gives me great satisfaction to be able to contribute to the Aymara language on the internet, especially through Global Voices Online. In regards to my translations on Global Voices in Aymara, I consider it benefits Aymara speakers and the language itself, as its status grows considerably by being online.

The topic that impacted me the most was related to the help received by the humanitarian aid workers during and after their rescue work for the Japanese earthquake: Japan: Aiding the Aid Workers and in Aymara: Japón: Japunan yanapt’irinakar yanapt’asa.

Emma Quispe Mamani writes:

I started to translate for Global Voices in Aymara since February 2011, as it has already been a year. It is interesting that by translating one becomes informed about important issues taking place around the world, and for me that is very important. The topic that most impacted me was: Zambia: Netizens Start Countdown to 90 Day Change Promise and the translation in Aymara: Zambia: Cibernautanakax 90 urun mark turkakipañ amtawitx niyaw jakhuñ qalltapxi

I will continue to translate because I really like to translate into Aymara.

Elias Quispe Chura writes:

It all started when my colleague Ruben [Hilari] cordially invited me to be part of the Jaqi Aru project. I didn't think twice to be a part of the initiative, since at the time I was looking for opportunities to apply my knowledge acquired during my university studies. At the beginning, I started by publishing posts in Aymara. Soon, I learned how to use the tools on the Global Voices in Aymara platform, which was very interesting, but a little complicated.

I translated about a dozen articles written in Spanish, French, English, and Aymara. I have been taking part because I love translating from different languages. Even more, if it deals with contributing to the native language, and above all, to be able to share the same knowledge with society through the internet. Among those articles, the one that interested me the most was: “Mexico: Celebrating Cantinflas' 100th Birthday”. I chose the topic because I am a fan of the famous comedian, and I wanted to learn more about his life and career. I learned a lot by translating the article. To begin, I placed myself in his place, I felt, and learned that he did not become famous overnight, but rather it was a process full of virtues and sadness.

In the Aymara language, there are certain limitations compared to other languages, especially regarding vocabulary. However, those challenges are being overcome little by little. Some of the topics that were missing from the site included posts about Christmas, New Year Celebrations, Carnaval, and others, which is something that I would like to explore.

Honestly, I would love for Global Voices authors to continue to publish more and new content, which would give me more options to choose from in order to translate into Aymara.

“Aka uraqpachan aruskipt’asipxañasakipunirakispawa.”

“Let's continue to connect with the entire world.”

This post is part of our special coverage Global Voices in 2011.

Global Voices in French: Translators' Choice 2011

Marvin Vann — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:10:03 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.

With now more than 500 volunteer authors and translators, Global Voices is a unique global media network that keeps track of current events via social media conversation. Global Voices in French [fr] is one of the 20-plus sites of the Lingua translation project, and one of the most read Global Voices Lingua websites.

Since early 2007, when the French site launched, nearly 200 volunteers [fr] have translated or continue to translate articles and posts from various languages into French, every day. Our “family” lives on every continent: Francophonia is truly worldwide!

Global Voices French logo

In 2011, French-speaking translators carried out the challenging task of covering the many historic revolutions and uprisings throughout the world for the Francophone world by translating hundreds of blogsposts (with our co-editor, our Suzanne Lehn, on the front line!).

But, like our friends the Spanish translators at Global Voices in Spanish [es], when we asked volunteers what translations struck them most in 2011, “The Arab Spring” was not their automatic response. (Global Voices has been following and translating bloggers from the Arab world since 2004.)

Our translators' picks for 2011 demonstrate how much they approve of the Global Voices philosophy: shining light on countries, places, people, ignored by traditional media (for now, at least).

From left to right, upper row: Samantha, Abdoulaye, Fabienne, Ange, Lou. Lower row: François-Xavier, Noële, Gaël, Thalia, Stéphanie. Greetings and thanks to everyone involved!

Abdoulaye Bah, a Guinean United Nations retiree living in Rome, naturally pays particular attention to Africa:

I really liked translating the post about the mayoral opposition win in Mozambique. That victory teaches how it's possible to win elections in an African country, without fraud by those in power and without spending large sums of money.

Noële Belluard-Blondel, a professional translator living in France, was the first to refuse to choose only one translation:

My last translation in 2011 made me daydream…. ‘USA: Has NASA Discovered a Life-Friendly Planet?‘ I love astronomy, and space travel fascinates me. These are today's exploratory expeditions, and we're only at the beginning. I find that fascinating, gripping! I must say two other subjects struck me: ‘Bangladesh: A Bold Protest Against Dowry.' The courage of some women makes you wonder. It made me wonder. And China: ‘Do You Have Memories From Before You Were Kidnapped?‘ In this case, I was moved by the life of these women. A disturbing topic, deeply moving.

Fabienne Der Hagopian, who lives in Normandy, makes it a principle to translate what she most likes to read:

There is a lively diversity in our tastes and interests, which means that almost all the posts published in Global Voices in English get translated into French. In 2011, the posts that most struck me were those concerning the women of Yemen and their courage, such as this one on revolutionary women. It's sad that the traditional media don't talk about this more. It reminds me of [French singer] Daniel Balavoine's song, ‘Revolucion.'

Teacher Ange Pambou's pick illustrates the diversity of topics covered by Global Voices:

For 2011, my favorites are: the blogpost about the “Bidun” in Koweit (I was unaware of both the term and the phenomenon), another on homosexuality in Ghana (which, in addition to demonstrating the difficulties of being homosexual in Africa, deconstructs rather methodically the arguments generally advanced against homosexuality), the letter by a young Chinese woman to the Norwegian killer after the massacres in Norway, the gripping testimony of a “nuclear gypsy” in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, a post about the prohibition of water fights in Tehran last summer, and finally, — without a doubt, my favorite among favorites — an astonishing post about the daily life of a blind person who happens also to be a film critic.

Stéphanie Camus, who runs an e-commerce site, takes the time to “listen to the world” by translating:

I think it was my translation of the anniversary of the Sabra and Chatila massacre that had the greatest impact on me. I had just watched the film, ‘Waltz with Bashir.' The full meaning of “We must never forget,” becomes clear when one observes such an event, I find. It's the account of a horrific episode in a long war that symbolises, in my view, the horror and absurdity of all armed conflicts, whatever form it takes…

Lou F., currently studying in the United Kingdom, is a fan of world languages and met interesting people while translating:

In 2011, I loved translating the profile of Julie Kertesz, because she is one of those people one would like to come across more often: passionate, active, and above all, very human. I also really liked the article on the Welsh-language blogosphere. Global Voices allows us to discover voices from throughout the world, and I think it's great that regional languages are now joining the international choir!

Samy Boutayeb, our specialist on net freedom and the free software culture, refuses to choose:

As far as I'm concerned, it's impossible to make a choice, because I loved not only reading but also translating *all* the posts I translated.

Tahlia Rahme, who works for the Global Road Safety Partnership with the International Federation of the Red Cross in Beirut, Lebanon, is addicted to our short “updates”:

Once I got started translating those, I found it difficult to stop. This year I tried to translate every update about the Middle East. I considered it my duty somehow to familiarize the rest of the world, especially the French-speaking world, with the Middle East and its news, and above all to help change its image and the prejudices attached to it.

François-Xavier Ada Afana is a young, enthusiastic translator from Cameroon who is studying in Cyprus:

The post I most enjoyed reading and translating, by far, was the one about Independence Day in Tanzania: A good overview of the situation in the country.

Gaël Brassac lives in South-East France but will soon move to Japan, and opted to go with a “Top 3″ format:

1. ‘Global: Bloggers Take Issue With Anti-Niqaab Punditry,' because this article is a model of sort to expose ethnocentric self-righteousness, feminist extremism, and religious intolerance. 2. ‘China: Reflecting on 100 Years Since the Xinhai Revolution,' because I love history and China, so putting the two together could only please me! 3. ‘Mozambique: Behind the Detention of MC Azagaia,' because this is the kind of articles that makes me love Global Voices, covering countries never talked about in the traditional media.

Samantha Deman began translating for Global Voices while she was living in Singapore and offers a nice panoramic view of her years with Global Voices.

I choose my very first translation, published in 2008: ‘Humanitarian Crisis in South Philippines,' simply because it represents the beginning of my adventure with Global Voices. I like the idea of being able to inform others about what's happening in the remotest, often forgotten locales, thus helping weave ties between people living in the four corners of the world.

This post is part of our special coverage 2011 on Global Voices.

Peru: Sugar Labs Community Says Goodbye to Aymara Translator

Silvia Viñas — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:03:40 +0000

José Henry Alanoca Laura, an Aymara translator for the open-sourced Sugar Learning Platform, has passed away. The Peruvian Sugar Labs community sends a message of condolence through the blog Somos Azúcar (”We are sugar”) [es].

Philippines: Davao Tagalog

Karlo Mikhail Mongaya — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:17:22 +0000

RM Bulesco blogs about what he calls “Davao Tagalog,” a mongrel language combing Cebuano, Tagalog, and other Filipino languages that is spoken in the southern Philippine city of Davao.

Jamaica: “Official” Languages

Janine Mendes-Franco — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:20:30 +0000

Under the Saltire Flag is proud of the job his uncle has done as Chairman of Jamaica’s electoral committee, following the country's recent general elections, noting that he “made one unfortunate comment leading up to the elections. He said that all electoral officers should speak ONLY in English”. The blogger explains: “I think it is both sad and utterly ironic, that in our most democratic moment, some Jamaicans were not allowed to speak in their most demotic language.”