Foreign Language Tongue Twisters

by Lauren Nemec

Tongue Twisters are a source of fun for people all over the world. I've asked some members of Translatus' very multicultural staff to provide me with their favorite tongue twisters in their language. Have fun, and don't hurt yourself ;)

Lauren Nemec’s Favorite English Tongue Twisters

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, how many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.
The shells she sells are surely seashells.
So if she sells shells on the seashore,

I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could,
and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would
if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

Jean-René Savoie’s Favorite French Tongue Twisters

Les chemises de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches ou archisèches ?

Are the shirts of the archduchess dry or extra dry?

Ce chasseur sait chasser sans son chien dit le sage garde-chasse, chasseur sachez chasser sans chien!
This hunter knows how to hunt without his dog, says the wise hunting ward. The hunter knows how to hunt without dog!

Le blé s'moud-il ? L'habit s'coud-il ? Oui l'blé s'moud, l'habit s'coud.

Does the wheat mill itself? Does the coat sew itself? The wheat mills itself! The coat sews itself!

Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cent six scies scient six cent six cyprès.

If six hundred saws saw six hundred sausages,
six hundred six saws will saw six hundred six sausages.

Sonia Černohorská and Veronika Svobodová’s Favorite Czech Tongue Twisters

Vlk zmrzl, zhltl hrst zrn.

The wolf froze, he swallowed a handful of grains.

Strč prst skrz krk.

Stick your finger through your throat.

Třistatřiatřicet stříbrných křepelek přeletělo přes třistatřiatřicet stříbrných střech.

Three hundred and thirty three silver qu

ails flew over three hundred and thirty three silver roofs.

Pštros s pštrosicí a malými pštrosáčaty. Pštros s pštrosicí a pštrosáčatz šli do pštrosačárny.

A male ostrich with a female ostrich and baby ostriches went to the ostrich house.

Pan kaplan v kapli plakal.

The chaplain cried in the chapel.

Kmotře Petře, nepřepepřete mi toho vepře.
Godfather Peter, don't put too much pepper on my pork.

Marco Berg’s Favorite Dutch Tongue Twisters

Zeven Zaventemse zotten zullen zes zomerse zondagen zwemmen zonder zwembroek. Zware Julien zijn zuster zaliger zei: "Zo'n zeveraars! Ze zijn zijle zeker zot zeg! Ze zullen zinken!"

Seven fools from Zaventem will swim six Sundays in the summer without swimming trousers. The dead sister of fat Julien said: "Such fools! They are nuts! They'll sink!"

Drie dikke drilboren drillen door drie dikke deuren.

Three large drilling machines drill through three large doors.

Kapper Knap, de knappe kapper, knipt en kapt heel knap, maar de knecht van kapper Knap, de knappe kapper, knipt en kapt nog knapper dan kapper Knap, de knappe kapper.

Hairdresser Knap, the smart hairdresser, cuts and does hair smartly, but the mate of hairdresser Knap, the smart hairdresser, cuts and does hair more smartly than hairdresser Knap, the smart hairdresser, cuts and does hair.

Gooi geen groene groenten in de grote gracht.

Don't throw green vegetables in the big canal.

Alexander Larsson's Favorite Swedish Tongue Twisters

Sex laxar i en laxask.

Six salmons in a salmon box.

Sju sjösjuka sjömän sköttes av sju skönsjungande sjuksköterskor på det sjunkande skeppet Shanghai.

Seven sea sick sailors were taken care of by seven beautifully singing nurses on the ship Shanghai.

Flyg fula fluga, flyg, och den fula flugan flög.

Fly ugly fly, fly, and the ugly fly flew.

Knut knöt en knut bakom knuten, och när Knut hade knutit knuten så var knuten knuten.

Knut tied a knot behind the corner, and when Knut had tied the knot the knot was tied.

Want to see more tongue twisters in other languages? Check this out!

For more information about Translatus, please contact:
Lauren Nemec
Marketing Manager
Email: lnemec@translatus.com
Tel: +420 222 517 153
www.translatus.com

Common Sense Advisory's "Global Watchtower" Posts about Irish

by Lauren Nemec

A week before I wrote the "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" post, the Common Sense Advisory posted a commentary about Irish in their Global Watchtower. This article offers a more in-depth profile on the Irish language, focusing on the challenges caused by increasing demand for Irish since becoming an official language of the EU.

You can read it here. Enjoy!


For more information about Translatus, please contact:
Lauren Nemec
Marketing Manager
Email: lnemec@translatus.com
Tel: +420 222 517 153
www.translatus.com

Tabhair póg dom, táim Éireannach - Kiss me, I’m Irish!

by Lauren Nemec

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh! Saint Patrick’s Day blessing upon you! The recent Irish holiday, which fell on Saturday, March 17^th, has inspired me to write a profile on the Irish language. Also an inspiration for this entry is a recent business trip I made to Ireland. As Irish is a language that Translatus has not yet had the opportunity to work with, I am not too familiar with it and was excited to learn more about it!

A Cork cab driver was happy to answer my many questions about the language on our journey to the airport for my trip back to Prague, though first I had to convince him I am not Irish. He exclaimed, “You’re foxy-haired! When you came to the cab I thought you were Irish!” before jumping into a lively conversation about his native tongue. Also contributing to my Irish education is Folklorist and Curator of the Church of St. Anne Shandon- Declan Kelly (who requested my rendition of "Deep in the Heart of Texas" before allowing me to ring the Bells of Shandon).

Ringing the bells of Shandon at the Church of St. Anne Shandon in Cork.

Irish (also known as Irish Gaelic or sometimes just Gaelic) is the first official language of Ireland and one of the 23 official languages of the European Union, though only a small percentage of Irish citizens are native or fluent speakers. Out of a population of about 4 million people in the Republic of Ireland, there are only an estimated 380,000 fluent speakers of Irish.

My taxi driver explained that children in Ireland learn Irish throughout their education, and are often taught their basic courses, such as mathematics, science, literature, etc., entirely in Irish. Compulsory study of the Irish language ends once students reach university level. Recent discussions have called to abolish the requirement of Irish study in primary and secondary schools, though many Irish people oppose the idea.

For the most part, Irish is not spoken in cities and families do not speak Irish together in their homes, though Irish colloquial phrases are used frequently in every day life by speakers of all proficiency levels. The only places in Ireland where Irish is actively spoken would be in the “Gaeltacht” (literally "Irish-speaking regions"). These regions are few and far between, with a total population of about 85,000.

Despite the prevalence of the English language, Ireland’s second official language, Irish-speakers are able to watch television in Irish, listen to the radio in Irish, and read newspapers and magazines in Irish. Road signs in Ireland are written in both English and Irish. Signs in any Tesco can guide you to Cúram Gruaige (hair care products). And for those who actually read that kind of thing, legislation and other important documents of Ireland and the EU are translated into the Irish language.

Most signs I saw in Cork were written in English and Irish, like this sign at the airport.

As we neared the airport, the taxi driver expressed his great regret (a feeling which I believe many Irish share) that the language is disappearing. The Irish government has made efforts to preserve the Irish language, though most see them as half-hearted and ineffective attempts that work only until the funding runs out. What keeps the language alive today are those few speakers in the Gaeltacht areas. I certainly hope that the Irish will preserve their native tongue for generations to come. After all, it is such a beautiful language.

Slán agus beannacht leat!

Goodbye and blessings on you!

For more information about Translatus, please contact:
Lauren Nemec
Marketing Manager
Email: lnemec@translatus.com
Tel: +420 222 517 153
www.translatus.com

Innovating

by Dimitry Panchenko- Chief Software Developer

In today’s world, the document circulation situation is changing almost everyday, and moving more and more in the direction of "digital everything." We are buying e-tickets with e-money, buying e-music and e-movies, sending e-greetings to e-friends we have never met "offline" because we communicate using e-mail… Well...you get the picture!

Using the internet to translate everything you need is not just a possibility, but the best and easiest reality. In the near future, everybody will provide online translation services... This is what Translatus is already doing.

Translatus provides sophisticated job management for all of its clients’ projects. Most important for our clients is Translation Direct Access (TDA) - our unique online management system designed by Translatus. Through TDA, clients upload their files, track the status of all of their jobs in progress, request and approve job quotes, supply background/reference materials and download the final file. It is simply not necessary for you to ever leave the office, or even use clumsy and time consuming emails for translation services anymore.

Translatus is a modern, up-and-coming and dynamic young company. While we are proud of our current company technology, we are striving for more: better, easier and more efficient technology. I am happy to inform to our customers worldwide that we are developing a completely new version of TDA. It is a web application giving project managers the ability to organize their own projects and request bids for their translation jobs, allowing open and direct communication with all parties involved. The system will connect project managers, their users and customers, vendors and Translatus.

We are building the new TDA from the ground up as a totally new system that has all of the features of the existing system plus a lot more. More than three years of experience with online interfaces for translation services tells me that we are going in right direction.

As Chief Software Developer leading a team of talented programmers, I am helping Translatus to make the future a reality. We are using the newest technologies, highly qualified people and unlimited knowledge resources to provide our customers with a more high-tech, streamlined and efficient translation process.

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The new TDA is scheduled to be launched within the coming weeks, so please check back with us soon for more information.

If you would like to see a demo version of our current Translation Direct Access system, please visit www.tdahome.com and enter the following log-in information:

Login: demo1

Password: demo2

For more information about the current TDA or the new TDA, please contact Lauren Nemec at lnemec@translatus.com.

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Dimitry Panchenko

Chief Software Developer

Tel: +420 222 522 650

www.translatus.com

Beijing Prepares for the 2008 Olympics by Correcting Bad Translations

by Lauren Nemec

Since 2001, China has been making grand preparations for their big moment in the spotlight: the 2008 Summer Olympic Games that will take place in Beijing. New multi-million dollar venues are being constructed. Beijing’s subway system is being expanded and modernized. Credit card systems are being developed and opened for international competition. One preparation that has recently been making headlines – and causing a few laughs- is Beijing's campaign to correct mistranslations found throughout the city.

Tourists are often amused at some of the confusing translations they find at tourist attractions or on restaurant menus. At one delightful restaurant, you can choose from a selection of:

“The temple explodes the chicken cube”

“The water boils the beef”

“Chicken silk noodles”

“The soil bean burns the beef”

“Slip away the chicken slice”

“Black mushrooms rape”

“Styn fived pine seeds withcorn”

“The sugar vinegar in ridge”

However, not all mistranslations are funny. Indeed, some can even be insulting, such as the sign on a handicapped restroom door reading “Deformed person.” Some might even be dangerous, like a sign at a hazardous area of the Great Wall of China warning you to “Slip Carefully.” Some are just incredibly confusing, like a park sign saying, "Be civilized visitor, set up the ecosystem scenery together!"

Such examples of “Chinglish” are exactly what the Chinese intend to correct in anticipation of the hordes of foreigners that will attend the 2008 games. A number of groups are spearheading the changes, including the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Program, the Beijing Speaks to the World Committee, and the Beijing Municipal Tourism Bureau.

These organizations have made significant progress. Translations of popular restaurant menu items have already been standardized, meaning that you will be hard-pressed to find “Slip away the chicken slice” in any Chinese establishment. Public signs, tourist attractions and hotel information will also be getting translation makeovers throughout the next 18 months. Taxi drivers and police officers are receiving English crash courses in order to better serve the estimated 500 million foreigners that are expected to attend the 2008 games.

In related news, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) has recently selected the official language services provider for the 2008 games. The Chinese translation company “Yuanpei Translation” will provide all translation and interpretation services required for the games. You can read the related article here.

If you would like to see more examples of Chinglish or read more articles about this topic, click on the following links:

PocoPico - Photos and examples of Chinglish in China

BBC News Article - "Beijing Stamps Out Poor English"

Wall Street Journal Article - "Tired of Laughter, Beijing Gets Rid of Bad Translations"

For more information about Translatus, please contact:

Lauren Nemec

Marketing Manager

Email: lnemec@translatus.com

Tel: +420 222 517 153

www.translatus.com

Translatus Opens New Office in Chicago

by Matthew Miodonski

President, North American Division

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Translatus has opened a new North American office on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue at 333 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1000. As a native Chicagoan, this news is particularly exciting for me to share!

Chicagoans feel a great deal of civic pride for this city for many reasons. Chicago has undergone a multitude of staggering changes over the past 15 years. Chicago is now considered among the most important and influential cities on the globe. Construction is booming throughout the city. Neighborhoods are being revitalized. Companies like Boeing and United Airlines have made downtown Chicago their home. Internationally known companies like McDonald’s, Motorola and BP Amoco also have their international or national headquarters in the area.

Translatus Inc.'s new North American headquarters in Chicago, at 333 N. Michigan Ave. The building at the center-right, with the crown protruding over the John Hancock center's anttenae, holds Translatus' office at Suite 1000.

The Chicago area (known as “Chicagoland” to locals) has been the Top Metro for new corporate investments and expansions for 5 of the last 6 years. Chicago was the first U.S. city highlighted by China’s EXIT magazine, the only magazine associated with the China National Tourism Association. The recently re-elected mayor of Chicago, Richard M. Daley, has made great efforts in promoting the city to the emerging Chinese markets. (From World Business Chicago.)

This picture was taken about two blocks from Translatus’ office from the Michigan AvenueBridge over the Chicago River. The new Trump Tower Chicago, at right, illustrates the building boom underway in Chicago. The building designed in the style of classical Greek architecture is United Airlines’ new corporate headquarters.

It has been an exhilarating first few weeks in such an energetic and inspiring setting. I believe Chicago, as the United States’ transportation hub, and one of the great transportation centers of the world, is the perfect spot for Translatus to be in North America. I look forward to the growth that Translatus will achieve in the Windy City!

From the base of 333 N. Michigan Ave— immediately at right— one can see three of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The neo-Gothic flying buttresses of Tribune Tower, home of the Tribune Co.; the terra cotta façade of the Wrigley Building, home of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company; and, further in the distance, the John Hancock Center, with its tapered sides, and revolutionary external ‘X’-bracing.

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Mr. Miodonski graduated from the college of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.A. in Rhetoric, as well as a Minor in Germanic Studies. He has over 6 years of experience in customer service and sales roles, including almost 4 years in sales and account management for Translatus.

For more information about Translatus in the United States, please contact:

Matthew Miodonski

President, North American Division

Email: mmiodonski@translatus.com

Tel: +1 773 603 0091

www.translatus.com

To Speak Local - The Way to Success

by Christine Kee
Sales Director

"How does Translatus offer lower prices for Asian languages like Chinese, while other companies in Europe offer a much higher price?"

This is a question that Translatus' Sales team members are frequently asked by their clients. The key to this question is very simple: where and who are we buying from? Translatus buys translations locally in the target countries where your documents are going to be used. We buy Chinese translations (to and from various European languages) in China, where a population of about 90,000 qualified translators and interpreters serve the industry. You benefit from the advantage of this strong and vibrant labor force. However, among these translators and interpreters, you find different levels of quality and a high chance of miscommunication. You may even find that you can be charged more because you do not “speak the language". Translatus is able to select the best of these 90,000 translators and interpreters thanks to the effective communication by our native Chinese speaking staff within Translatus. By knowing the local market, we are able to get first-class translations at the best price. Translatus believes that speaking the right language is the key to our clients' success. No matter how far away you want to sell your products or services, with Translatus, you can deliver your words and ideas in the most native way!

Christine Kee is a native Chinese speaker who was born in Hong Kong. She graduated with a MA in Applied Translation from the University of Leeds in England. She has over 5 years experience in translation, including freelance translation and interpretation, as well as full-time translation service to the Hong Kong Government. Christine speaks English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

For more information about Translatus, please contact:

Lauren Nemec

Marketing Manager

Email: lnemec@translatus.com

Tel: +420 222 517 153

www.translatus.com