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Category: Language and Culture

Happy International Translation Day!

Every year on September 30th, the world pauses momentarily to celebrate the vast contributions of its translators. International Translation Day began in 1953 when members of the International Federation of Translators (FIT) decided their profession deserved a day of recognition–...

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Beyond Words 2010 Summer Round Up

It’s that long-awaited time of year — the temperature’s beginning to drop, the leaves are starting to shift colors, and you might even be trading in your shorts for pants on the weekends. Summer is officially over. To commemorate the...

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Aid Atlanta Presents 2nd Annual HIV/AIDS Benefit Concert

AID Atlanta has been saving and transforming lives since 1982. The agency was founded as a grass-roots response to the devastating and fatal impact of HIV/AIDS on the Atlanta community, and it’s now the largest most comprehensive AIDS Service Organization...

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ALTA Seeks Spanish Linguists

ALTA Language Services, Inc. (ALTA) is an independent firm recognized as a leader in language services and language testing in the United States. Currently, ALTA is seeking native to nearly native Spanish linguists, preferably with a strong degree of familiarity...

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The Autumnal Point or the First Point of Libra: Language of the Equinox

For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, today marks the autumnal equinox, otherwise known as the first day of fall (for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, the first day of Spring). While for many, the first day...

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Beyond Words Podcast: Episode 13 The Language News Report

Episode 13: The Language News Report Welcome to ALTA’s Beyond Words Podcast. Our podcasts provide listeners with the latest language news, language-related interviews, and language lessons that can be applied to real-world situations. They’re always brief, always informative, and always...

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Paraprosdokian: Beyond a Punchline or a Turn of Phrase

What on earth is a paraprosdokian? From the Greek root words παρα (meaning “beyond”) and προσδοκία (meaning “expectation”), a paraprosdokian can be defined as a figure of speech that uses an unexpected ending that reflects upon the opening half of...

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Currywurst: Language History in Every Bite

As a food writer, chef, and television guru Anthony Bourdain often points out during his show, No Reservations, that every culture has their “meat in tube form,” and, that more often than not, this meat product (i.e. hotdog, bratwurst, sausage...

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Shana Tova! The Language of Rosh Hashanah

Tonight at sunset marks the end of Rosh Hashanah (literally translated “head of the year”), the Jewish New Year celebration. Beginning at sunset on September 8, this is the 5771st year in the Jewish calendar — a lunisolar calendar used...

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A Poem Translated Into Any Other Name

The UK Guardian’s Books Blog recently posted an interesting challenge to its readers for the beginning of September: share a bit of your own translated poetry with the other readers of the blog. The responses range from adaptations or translations...

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Lessons from a Graduate Student in Translation: Language and the Military

Monterey, California, is a strange little town, comprised of a diverse, if often incompatible, array of people. In Monterey, you’re either a student, a tourist, a retiree, a soldier, or a sea lion. The city’s radius is only a few...

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Now Playing: Foreign Language Films at the Theater, September 2010

A monthly feature by Beyond Words, Now Playing highlights some of the best foreign films currently playing at the theater. American attendance at foreign language films dropped exponentially during the last decade, with foreign film ticket sales accounting for less...

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