“To be an interpreter, you have to be weird.”

That was among the first pieces of advice I was given upon arriving in Monterey, California, to study Russian Translation and Interpretation (T&I). One month ago, your faithful Beyond Words writer packed her bags and headed cross-country to begin a two-year master’s course in Russian T&I in the only university in the U.S. to offer such a program. While most burgeoning translators and interpreters spring-board their professional lives freelancing here and there, many of the ones that decide to make a career of it find that a gregarious nature and a knack for finding the right word do not an interpreter make (at least, that isn’t enough).

After some six years of experience in the field, I realized that I was still incapable of direct, one-to-one translations, and that I occasionally faltered in finding appropriate technical terms. That, coupled with the frustration of putting my bachelor’s degree to work waiting tables, was enough to convince me to take on staggering student loans in the hopes of carving out a niche in an extremely appealing and exciting market.

Classes don’t start for another few weeks, but I’ve already been dealt enough insight into the heart and mind of the interpreter to make a few general assumptions. Why is the interpreter “weird”? Because the interpreter lives an independent – even lonely – existence. Through conferences and projects, the interpreter makes brief but instantaneous connections all over the globe. The interpreter does not allow deep connections because of the knowledge that, after a few days, he or she will move on to other conferences (a constant cycle meeting new people and sometimes never crossing paths with them again). Those interpreters who love what they do call this independence.

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In April, Monterey, California, hosted its first TEDx event. The TEDx program is an offshoot of the yearly Technology Entertainment and Design conference. TEDx events are independently organized by local communities.

Notably, TEDxMonterey featured live audio in 8 different languages including Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, French, German and Korean. Students from the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) provided simultaneous interpretation during the conference.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with one of the student interpreters, Lu Ye, about the conference.

How did you first hear about the TEDxMonterey event and how did you get involved?
The MIIS (Monterey Institute of International Studies) organized the conference. They posted information inviting students to volunteer to interpret. Anyone in the school’s Conference Interpretation specialization could participate, and it was first-come, first-serve. There’s an assumption that students at that level are capable of doing the job.

Students found out about TEDx two weeks in advance and started preparing one week before the event. At rehearsals, TEDx speakers were invited to give briefings. Some gave their outlines, and some even recited their speeches beforehand.

What was the experience like of interpreting at TEDxMonterey?
It was great. The whole interpretation was broadcast live via the internet, so we got a lot of traffic. Our booth got over a hundred listeners from around the world. It was different from the classroom setting. The TED speakers spoke faster than what we’re used to in class. They talk without considering that people are interpreting what they say.

Do you have any observations about simultaneous interpretation after your experience at TEDx?
We have a practicum at MIIS which is organized in combination with other programs like business and international policy studies. Translation and Interpretation students go into booths to interpret for presentations that are organized in the auditorium. We practice without the pressure of making mistakes or shouldering responsibilities – we only have our peers sitting in and giving comments.

With TEDxMonterey, this was the first time I broadcast my interpretations around the world. The added pressure actually helped enhance the quality of my interpreting rendition. Personally, I feel that it’s easier for me to build a connection with the speaker this way.

During simultaneous interpretation you feel like your spirit flies out of your body and into the speaker. You begin to think like the speaker. You’re basically in that person’s mind, but speaking in a different language.

Lu Ye is a professional Chinese-English translator and interpreter based out of the Monterey area. She graduated with a master’s degree in conference interpretation this May. You can reach her at luludt2002 [at] yahoo.com.cn.

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Photo by TEDxMonterey

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Chew the fat is a colloquial phrase meaning “to talk or discuss informally, or to talk at length on a variety of subjects.” The phrase has been in use since the early 19th century. There is some debate as to the origin of the term. While some etymologists argue that it is a variation of the older phrase, to chew the rag, and others quibble about the varieties of meats or blubbers that the term’s original users could have been chewing, my favorite origin story comes from Cheapside, London.

To chew the fat could be an addition to the English language from the whimsical and free-spirited Cockney rhyming slang.

The user of Cockney rhyming slang replaces a word with its rhyme or with a phrase in which the last word rhymes with the original. To chew the fat comes from the more mundane “to have a chat.” Further muddling understanding is the fact that, often, the word that rhymes with the intended one is omitted and another portion of the phrase is used. Many examples of this can be found in rhyming slang terms for body parts: the word “feet” becomes “plates of meat” and shortens to simply “plates;” “legs” becomes “Scotch eggs” and, later, just “Scotches;” and “eyes” becomes “mince pies” or “minces.”

Cockney rhyming slang developed in the East End of London and in the suburbs around central London. It was first systematically recorded in 1859 in Ducange Anglicus’s The Vulgar Tongue: A Glossary of Slang, Cant, and Flash Phrases, used in London from 1839 to 1859. Several terms that are still used in and around London could already be found in this text, among them “apples and pears” to mean “stairs,” “Barnet-Fair” to mean “hair,” and “butcher’s hook” to mean “look.” The latter is frequently shortened to “butcher’s,” so that one is told to “take a butcher’s” at something of interest.

Despite recent research which suggests that the Cockney accent may no longer exist in London within 30 years, Cockney rhyming slang shows no sign of going out of use or losing popularity. Many British websites offer tutorials, translators, and even private lessons in the art of rhyming slang. In addition, internationally popular films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and Ocean’s Eleven help add to the appeal of this linguistic game.

Related Links

The Dictionary of Cockney Rhyming Slang

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Illustration by Chew The Fat!

Obtaining a degree in the field of translation/interpretation can be a grueling and costly process. Top U.S. universities like the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and top-tier schools with degree-seeking programs in this field, like Georgetown and Stanford University, have yearly tuitions exceeding $30,000, and relatively few slots available for highly competitive merit-based scholarships. But before the future translators and interpreters of the world lose hope, it should be noted that grants, scholarships, and fellowships are out there. To help you start your search, we’re providing you with information about some of the most generous funds currently available to language students.

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On March 21, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta will begin a three month exhibition about car design in the context of various art movements throughout the last century. The Allure of the Automobile will feature some of the rarest cars from the 1930s to the mid-1960s. In reference to the upcoming exhibit, we chose to explore several aspects of the language involved in creating automobiles.

There is a world of etymology tucked away in the familiar, everyday world of cars. The word automobile comes to us from the French via Greek and Latin: autós mobilis, or, moveable self. Every vehicle that you see on the road has a carefully chosen make and model name, and while some obviously hearken to the speed, power, or prowess of the vehicle, others have slightly more esoteric stories. The structures of the cars, too, have etymological histories. For example, a sedan was originally an enclosed means of travel, carried on two wooden rods by pole bearers in the 17th and 18th centuries. A coupe was a closed, four-wheeled carriage with a single seat for passengers and an outside seat for the driver, and its etymology comes from the early-19th century and the French verb couper, meaning “to cut.” This carriage was shorter than others of the time, and so was termed “cut off” at the end.

Japanese car manufacturers tend toward names that reflect global concepts, like the Honda Accord, which, as the company stated, reflects Honda’s “desire for accord and harmony between people, society, and the automobile.” The Toyota Scion gets its name from the word meaning “heir” or “offspring,” stemming from the Old French cion and Old German chinan, meaning “to sprout.” The significance fits, considering that the Scion was Toyota’s line of cars meant to appeal to the younger generation of drivers.

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The bulk of the terminology used to describe musical components comes to us from the Italian language.

The 18th- and 19th- century heyday of opera and classical string and brass music took place, with notable exceptions, in Italy, and the terms currently used by classical musicians reflect the influence of the Italian language.

Below are some of the most common examples:

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Whether it’s a matter of difficult spelling or multiple meanings, these ten words pose a degree of difficulty to a great many English speakers. Below you will find their definitions, with a rundown of ways to make sure you will never have a problem telling them apart.

SYMPATHY and EMPATHY
The word “sympathy” has been used in the English language far longer than has its sibling “empathy.” For centuries, “sympathy” meant the ability to “feel with” another person – to understand and to be affected by his circumstances. In the early 20th century, “empathy” worked its way into English as a term utilized in psychoanalysis. Whether being empathetic helps or hinders the agent is up for debate, but having such a quality does imply a great deal more effort than merely being sympathetic. Being empathetic entails not only “feeling with” another entity, but also projecting oneself onto that entity to fully comprehend its state of being.

FLAUNT and FLOUT
Here we find another case of similar sounds and wholly different meanings. To flaunt a quality or object is to put it on display, to parade it around in order to impress others. To flout something is to scorn it and treat it with contemptuous disrespect. The latter has a surprising etymology, most likely form the Old English flouten, meaning “to play the flute.” Apparently the flute could make a fairly derisive-sounding whistling sound.

DISCREET and DISCRETE
Most of the time when we wish to utilize discretion, we mean the first term, Discreet: prudent, cautious, and not in plain sight. The second word, discrete, is typically used in the field of mathematics to refer to distinct and separate entities.

STATIONARY and STATIONERY
When you are standing in one spot, you are stationary. When you write a letter on fancy paper and stamp it closed with wax, you are using stationery.

VENAL and VENIAL
Though they sound similar, these words could not be further apart in meaning. A “venial sin” is a small peccadillo – pardonable, easily excused, and quite minor in nature. The word originates in the Latin venia, meaning “forgiveness.”

“Venal,” however, indicates something far graver and more reprehensible, stemming from the Latin, venum, meaning “sale.” This term came to indicate a person susceptible to corruption, who could be bought or bribed if the price was right.

Last year, Beyond Words brought you a December article filled with affordable gift ideas for language lovers. Below is an updated list of ideas to satisfy the linguaphiles on your shopping list this holiday season.

Body Language Cards

These fun, and sometimes inadvertently funny, flash cards promise to unlock the secrets of human body language, and even to, “help generate sexual interest in someone you desire.” We’ll have to come back to these around Valentine’s day to see how they performed.

Read more about them here: Body Language Flashcards.

The Linguists Documentary

This recent documentary was a hit at Sundance. It follows THE LINGUISTS, David Harrison and Gregory Anderson, as they travel around the world documenting languages on the verge of extinction. David and Greg’s work takes them deep into the heart of the cultures, knowledge, and communities at stake. A must see for all language lovers.

Read more about it here: The Linguists

WORD-A-DAY Calendars

Ok, maybe these are best for gifting those language lovers on the perifery of your list, but they can be fun and really informative stocking stuffers. You can find a huge array of word-a-day calendars to suit any predilection. From foreign language training to etymology to simply goofing around, there are many calendars directed toward language lovers. Here are a few of our favorites:

2010 Anguished English

2010 New Word A Day

2010 Forgotten English

2010 Word Origin

The New York Times Electronic Crossword Puzzle

For the recreational language sleuth, this gift offers over 1,000 crosswords, complete with hints and solutions. You’ll be hard pressed to find a language lover who doesn’t enjoy a good crossword puzzle, so this is a safe bet!

Read more about it here: NY Times Crossword Touch Screen

Foreign Cookbooks

As many students of language know, cultural immersion can take many forms. A fantastic way to learn about a nation is to taste its cuisine, and many modern cookbooks offer traditional recipes from around the world that are sure to please the bon vivants on your list. Here are some of our favorites:

The World Cookbook

History of the World in 6 Glasses

The Gringos Guide to Mexican Cooking

Eat, Drink, Think in Spanish

T-Shirts, Bags, and More!

There’s still time to order those last minute bobbles for the translator, linguist, or language teacher in your life! Since last year’s ALTA gift ideas article, websites like Café Press, Main Street Books (a division of Café Press), and Zazzle have updated and expanded their collections to include an impressive selection of T-shirts, mugs, key chains, posters, calendars, and stationery aimed at linguaphiles.
Cafe Press Language Stuff
Main Street Books
Zazzle

Happy shopping!

Unfriend
n. To remove a contact from your network on a social networking site,
such as Facebook.

The verdict is in: the New Oxford American Dictionary’s 2009 Word of the Year is “unfriend.” This transitive verb – as social networking site users and non-users alike might know – means to remove a “friend” from an online profile on a site such as Facebook or MySpace. The content of these websites, along with Twitter and the advent of text messages, dominated the list of potential candidates for the Word of the Year: There was “intexticated,” or being so infatuated with sending text messages as to type away while engaged in tasks that require the user’s full attention (e.g. operating a vehicle, attending classes, giving birth). Also up for debate was “sexting,” or sending explicit messages and pictures by cell phone. Ultimately, “unfriend” won out, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary’s senior lexicographer Christine Lindberg, due to its “currency and potential longevity.”

As difficult as it may be to crown one term with “Word of the Year,” the Global Language Monitor has engaged in an even more ambitious linguistic task – to find the most popular words and phrases of the decade. Each year over the course of the 2000s, the Global Language Monitor, operating out of Houston, Texas, has singled out words, phrases, and names that have incorporated themselves into the American lexicon. Certain themes run through these lists: climate change, sustainability, unrest in the Middle East, and the internet thread themselves through multiple years.

In fact, “global warming” was chosen as the most prominent term of our century, followed by “9/11,” “Obama,” and “bailout.” “Global warming” has been used to describe the overall rise in temperatures since 1983, over a century after the “greenhouse effect” was popularized as a term to explain the planet’s rising surface temperature. As for language relating to crisis in the Middle East, the Global Language Monitor’s most popular words and phrases include “War on Terror” (2001), “Weapons of Mass Destruction” (2003), “bin Laden” (2003), and “Taliban.” Finally, national concerns deemed worthy of the Word of the Year have been “Ponzi Scheme” (2009), “same-sex marriage” (2003), “Katrina” (2004), and “iPhone” (2007). While the words chosen for this list vary drastically in overall weight and import, it may be fair to say that their popularity and usage in American English makes them quite relevant.
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Graphic courtesy of Media Slap Blog