Metaglossia: The Translation World

"In Praise of the Translators Who Transport Us Across the Globe
In Feature Articles by Olivia SnaijeJuly 29, 20262 Comments

Literary translations are investments in cultural infrastructure, a public good that can be applied to all publishing markets, no matter the language territory.

By Olivia Snaije, Contributing Editor

Much ink has been spilled this summer about Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster based on Homer’s The Odyssey. Nolan has said that he was inspired by Emily Wilson’s 2017 novel translation, the first into English by a woman, and one that is resolutely modern. (Wilson is halfway through a re-translation of The Odyssey in which she says she won’t confine herself to the same number of lines as the original, even if it will still be in iambic pentameter.)
Since the release of Nolan’s film, Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey shot to No. 3 on Amazon’s bestseller list and No. 11 on Barnes & Noble’s, and sales in the U.S. have reportedly surpassed one million copies. This is a rare occurrence for a translator. Before publication, it took the classicist five years and considerable prowess to translate the work. She has said she never imagined such success.

‘Unsung Heroes’
Translators are like sculptors, chipping away at a block of stone, choosing one particular word out of several, immersed in the source language and dialogues which will certainly reflect a dialect or the country among many possible countries. They will draw on political, historical, social, cultural and even personal considerations, while dealing with grammatical quirks, layered, ambiguous plots, and distinct writing styles. They may even experience secondhand trauma when the subject of a book is particularly grim.

Then consider the practical hurdles: not only do translators often act as scouts and agents combined (sometimes pitching a book for years), but they deal with long working hours and poorly paid commissions.

Meanwhile, there has been much justified concern about the impact of AI on translation. Following a survey in 2024 by the U.K. Translators Association (part of the Society of Authors) a number of translators reported losing work to generative AI, and 50% said that AI had decreased their income. Three-quarters of translators said that AI would negatively impact their future income.

The Society of Authors has called for industry solidarity with human translators. After all, once a book in translation has been published, the reader is magically transported to another country, and sometimes to another world. But, behind the magic, are years of skill, sacrifice, and often brilliance.

Translators are, and have traditionally been, the unsung heroes who have remained in the shadows—even if many changed the world throughout history. In recent years, they have begun to emerge from the shadows to some extent—awards such as the International Booker Prize and the Dublin Literary Award have done much for translators’ exposure. But it’s not nearly enough.

‘The Vanguard of Literary Change’
Perhaps what our story-loving societies need are more stories about translators themselves, and their craft. In the July issue of the new magazine Now Voyager, for example, a longform article by Makana Eyre takes a deep dive into the woes of a young literary translator and a contemporary Russian novel. Eyre tells the story of Bela Shayevich, who hadn’t yet translated a major novel but was commissioned by an editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG), who felt she had all the necessary skills to translate Ludmila Ulitskaya’s 2010 novel, The Big Green Tent.

Bela Shayevich (credit: University of Iowa).

Ulitskaya’s literary agents, Yulia Dobrovolskaya and Alexander Klimin at Elkost were skeptical. They wanted a better-known translator. But Shayevich was backed by Ulitskaya’s editor. Then, he left FSG and the book was assigned to a different editor. Shayevich finished the translation under tremendous pressure, and an excerpt was even published in The New Yorker in May 2014.

But one of Ulitskaya’s agents, Klimin, continued to have misgivings due, in part to Shayevich’s more contemporary approach to the translation. Ulitskaya was apparently happy with Shayevich’s translation.

Eyre quotes Shayevich on her approach to translation:

“‘If I say bread, depending on where you’re from, you’re going to see something really different,’ she told me, alluding to a passage in Walter Benjamin’s essay “The Task of the Translator.” A Russian might visualize a loaf of black bread, a French person might see a baguette, an American might see Wonder Bread. ‘Even calling bread bread is a mistranslation,’ Shayevich said.”

In the end, FSG commissioned the more experienced Polly Gannon, a professor with a Ph.D. in Russian literature, to translate a second version of The Big Green Tent which was published in November 2015. Shayevich’s translation only exists in the form of review copies sent out beforehand.

Shayevich, however, was eventually vindicated in 2018 when she won the inaugural TA First Translation Prize for her translation of Svetlana Alexievich’s Secondhand Time. Jacques Testard of Fitzcarraldo Editions had commissioned Shayevich in 2015 for the translation (before Alexievich won the Nobel Prize in Literature later that year) and when Secondhand Time was published in 2016 her translation was highly praised.

Daniel Hahn (credit: Camila França Photography).

The TA First Translation Prize was established in 2017 with help from the award-winning translator Daniel Hahn, who donated half of his winnings from the Dublin Literary Award from that same year for his translation from Portuguese of José Eduardo Agualusa’s A General Theory of Oblivion.

Hahn wrote about setting up the prize in an article in The Guardian. His title was “Translators are the vanguard of literary change: we need better recognition.”

In between his translations, Daniel Hahn published a book this past spring which is an investigation of how Shakespeare’s plays are translated for global audiences, and the skillfull wordplay used by translators across the world. It involved extensive interviews with approximately 14 translators working in languages from Hungarian and Danish or Swahili to Tswana, Māori, and Bangla.

If This Be Magic: The Unlikely Art of Shakespeare in Translation, is an ode to his fellow translators. In a recent interview with Anil Sarvepalli, the host of Harshaneeyam, one of the most dynamic and well-researched podcasts about literary translation today, Hahn said that when translating a writer as good as Shakespeare, nothing in his writing is accidental. So when translating Shakespeare—or any writer whose work is highly kinetic—you want to keep everything.

But keeping everything requires keeping all the properties of the writing, which poses several challenges. “Every language works differently, and you have to notice everything in the first place,” said Hahn. In the end, “you need to preserve everything to keep Shakespeare as Shakespeare,” he explained. “But as all translators know, keeping everything also means changing everything.”

For Lin King, the translator of Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s, Taiwan Travelogue which won this year’s International Booker Prize, it was her first time translating a full-length novel, a project that grew out of her masters thesis.

Author Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, and translator Lin King, during the International Booker Prize 2026 ceremony (credit: Booker Prize Foundation).

King was also interviewed on Harshaneeyam before the book won the prize, as well as on another podcast about translation, It’s Lit in Translation, run by translator and bookseller Evelyn Heis. In both interviews King describes the multi-layered opacity of the book, which is a fictional account disguised as a translation of a rediscovered work by a Japanese author. Thus, the translation required knowing not only Mandarin and Hokkien (spoken in Taiwain) but Japanese and archaic Japanese terms.

On the contractual side, Lin told Heis that Taiwan Travelogue received several offers from publishers in the U.K, but one of the reasons Shuāng-zǐ and King chose to go with And Other Stories was because, like their U.S. publisher, Graywolf, they put translators names on the cover of their books, which many publishers still do not do. That kind of support—acknowledging the role of a translator with cover credit, is an essential recognition.

An Investment in ‘Cultural Infrastructure’
As a 2026 ThinkPub study on Books in Translation in the European Publishing Market stressed, literary translations are more than commercial transactions, they are investments in cultural infrastructure.

“Translation must be understood both as a market activity and as a public good,” the ThinkPub report concluded. “Commercial logic alone is not sufficient to sustain linguistic diversity, particularly for works from smaller languages or less commercially dominant regions. Public support mechanisms—including translation grants, publisher subsidies, and international cooperation programmes—emerge as decisive factors in maintaining diversity and ensuring long-term cultural circulation. Indeed, the idea that translation is a public good can applied to all publishing markets, no matter the language territory.

With fall book fair season right around the corner, the LitAg Center at the Frankfurter Buchmesse will soon be buzzing with agents buying and selling translation rights. Which makes now the perfect time to recognize—and praise—the vital, multidimensional work of literary translators and their enduring cultural contributions. And more to the point, how we can better support them.

Olivia Snaije

https://publishingperspectives.com/2026/07/in-praise-of-the-translators-who-transport-us-across-the-globe/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"New York : la ville aux 700 langues

New York est la ville où l’on parle le plus de langues sur la planète. Cette nouvelle Babel parviendra-t-elle à sauver les dialectes les plus rares du monde ?

 

Apportant avec eux les langues de leur pays natal, les immigrants débarqués par bateau sur Ellis Island attendent les contrôles officiels et l’approbation des autorités pour atteindre leur destination : la ville de New York, qu’ils aperçoivent déjà.

 

Le seke est une langue peu usitée que l’on parlait à l’origine dans cinq villages du nord du Népal. Mais son avenir pourrait dépendre d’une poignée de villages d'un nouveau genre : des immeubles du centre de Brooklyn, quartier de la ville de New York.

 

Comment cette langue, peu documentée et seulement parlée par moins de 700 personnes dans les sommets de l’Himalaya, en vient à être entendue dans cette jungle de béton ? Rasmina Gurung, âgée d'une vingtaine d'années, est l’une des plus jeunes personnes à parler le seke. Sa grand-mère le lui a appris, dans son village, mais elle a déménagé tôt dans la capitale, Katmandou, pour finalement arriver à New York. Elle estime qu’un quart de son peuple habite la ville. Ils rejoignent ici des locuteurs de dizaines d’autres langues en danger de tout l’Himalaya. Tous forment de nouvelles communautés où ils communiquent dans un mélange de népalais, de tibétain, d’anglais et de leur propre langue maternelle en danger.

 

Mais New York, la ville où l’on parle le plus de langues dans l’histoire du monde, pourrait avoir atteint son pic de diversité. Les plus de 700 langues qui y sont parlées représentent plus de 10 % de toutes celles utilisées dans le monde. Bien qu’elles soient en grande partie invisibles, et inaudibles, aux étrangers, les langues parlées à New York proviennent des quatre coins du monde. De nombreux immigrants sont arrivés de points névralgiques linguistiques au cours des dernières décennies. Des zones comme l’Himalaya, l’Afrique de l’Ouest, l’Asie du Sud-Est insulaire, ou encore d’Amérique Latine. Cependant, les forces qui ont réuni ces personnes commencent aujourd’hui à les séparer.

 

À travers ses cinq quartiers, la riche diversité linguistique de New York est impossible à ne pas voir dans ses rues, boutiques et arts de rue. D’annonces publicitaires en arabe ou en hindi, à des fresques murales où le mot « liberté » est écrit en bengali, chinois et espagnol.

 

À travers ses cinq quartiers, la riche diversité linguistique de New York est impossible à ne pas voir dans ses rues, boutiques et arts de rue. D’annonces publicitaires en arabe ou en hindi, à des fresques murales où le mot « liberté » est écrit en bengal, chinois et espagnol.

 

Au vu de l’accélération de la perte des langues, même au sein de leur contrée natale, des menaces qui pèsent sur l’immigration et de la hausse des coûts d’une vie en ville, le temps pourrait venir à manquer.

 

La remarquable convergence des langues à New York et dans les villes similaires pourrait rapidement disparaître, avant même que l’on ait le temps de la documenter ou de la soutenir. L’urgence est le moteur de l’Alliance des langues en danger, organisation que je co-dirige, qui a commencé à cartographier cet environnement linguistique.

 

Un ensemble sans précédent d’opportunités culturelles, scientifiques, éducationnelles et même économiques, est en jeu. C’est la première fois que les linguistes et les locuteurs sont si bien positionnés pour documenter les langues pour lesquelles peu de trace existe, si elles existent. Les possibilités artistiques, musicales et culinaires sont tout aussi exceptionnelles car des points de vue de toute la planète se mêlent dans un même espace.

 

Irwin Sanchez, chef cuisinier et poète du Queens, qui parle le nahuatl, auparavant la langue des Aztèques, cuisine des tacos, des moles et des tamales en gardant à l’esprit les significations originales de ces mots. Husniya Khujamyorova, qui parle le wakhi du Tadjikistan, écrit les tout premiers livres pour enfants à destination des locuteurs de six langues pamiries, aujourd’hui toutes représentées le long de la propre route de la Soie de Brooklyn. Ibrahima Traore, qui a fait tout le chemin depuis la Guinée jusqu’au Lower East Side, enseigne le n’ko, un système pionnier d’écriture d’Afrique de l’Ouest, et encourage son usage dans toutes les nouvelles technologies. Boris Sandler, locuteur yiddish et écrivain né en Moldavie, contribue à sa façon, roman après roman, à la renaissance miraculeuse du yiddish à New York.

 

Le lenape, la langue d’origine du lieu où s’est élevée New York, renaît également de ses cendres, contre toute attente. Depuis sa dernière place forte, dans la campagne de l’Ontario, où seul un seul locuteur natif subsiste, une nouvelle génération d’activistes présente la langue à une plus large audience. L’une d’elle était Karen Mosko qui, avant sa mort, se rendait à Manhattan, « l’île aux nombreuses collines » en lenape, une fois par mois pour enseigner la langue.

 

Et puis il y a Rasmina Gurung, la jeune locutrice du seke. Durant sept ans elle a documenté la langue à la fois au Népal et à New York, grâce à des dizaines d’heures d’enregistrement, dont beaucoup ont été transcrits et traduits, ainsi qu’un dictionnaire qui continue de s’agrandir. Mais à présent, ses aînés disparaissent peu à peu et emportent leur langue avec eux. Les questions sur l’immigration et l’asile pendent comme une épée de Damoclès au-dessus de la communauté. Les loyers deviennent de plus en plus chers et leur cohésion, pareille à celle d’un village, pourrait ne pas durer.

 

Au cours de la dernière décennie, par hasard, le quartier gurung de Brooklyn est devenu un lieu où des personnes des quatre coins du monde établissent des associations de leur pays natal, des institutions religieuses, des restaurants et une variété d’autres commerces et espaces. Cela donne lieu à la formation de lieux radicalement différents, qui cohabitent les uns à côté des autres. À quelques minutes du « village » seke, on peut entendre des Ghanéens en route vers l’église parler en Twi, des coiffeurs azerbaidjanais parler juhuri et des chauffeurs Uber se réunir autour de kebabs en papotant en ouzbek. Les langues africaines, asiatiques, européennes, caraïbéennes et sud-américaines résonnent dans les carrosseries, les navettes informelles ou « dollar vans », les mosquées, et les bars.

 

Pour tout son potentiel inutilisé, Babel, non pas le mythe biblique mais la réalité contemporaine, s’est réalisé dans les villes telles que New York, à une échelle inimaginable. Il est maintenant temps de le comprendre, l’apprécier et le défendre.

De Ross Perlin

Linguiste et auteur de Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother

30 juil. 2026

Cet article a initialement paru dans le magazine National Geographic de juillet 2025."

https://www.nationalgeographic.fr/histoire/linguistique-la-nouvelle-babel-new-york-la-ville-aux-700-langues

#metaglossia 

#metaglossia_mundus 

Language on a prescription label deserves the same regulatory scrutiny given to the drugs themselves

"According to Blank, the language on a prescription label deserves the same regulatory scrutiny given to the drugs themselves.

Drug Topics: Why do you believe that “language on a prescription label deserves the same zero-tolerance standard the industry already demands for the drug itself,” and how does the industry get to that point?

Sharon Blank: The industry would never accept ‘close enough’ on the controlled substance count or an active ingredient’s potency. They both have to be exact and verified. The instructions telling a patient how to take that same drug should be held to the same standard. Let’s take a simple example: if 1 teaspoon 3 times a day gets mistranslated as 3 tablespoons once daily, a single 5-milliliter dose turns into a 45-milliliter dose, 9 times what the prescriber intended, that can very seriously harm a patient.

Getting there takes 4 things. First, the translation has to be checked by a licensed pharmacist who actually speaks the language, not just a general translator or an AI tool. Then second, it should come from a controlled library, so not just typing a string of text but instructions need to be pre-approved. Third, it needs to be built right into the pharmacy software. As I mentioned, this will significantly lessen the burden on the pharmacy flow. And lastly, it has to cover the languages patients really speak, not just a handful that look good in a brochure but that really cover any pharmacy’s language population.

Drug Topics: What support are pharmacists primed to deliver to improve language barriers, and what kind of support is needed on a grander scale that pharmacists aren’t yet positioned to address?

Sharon Blank: Pharmacists are very well positioned to notice the gaps and to counsel. They’re the ones at the counter and watching the patient take the pill bottle from them and just kind of nodding along, knowing full well that there’s very limited comprehension and understanding. [Pharmacists] see that, they notice it, it’s happening, but what they’re not positioned to do, and shouldn’t be expected to do, is to generate a validated translation in real time themselves. It’s not fair to ask of someone who’s first off extremely busy and tight on time but also just not in their area of expertise.

The bigger fix has to come from technology, having a verified translation that gets built right into the pharmacy system, so the correct answer is just what prints on the label. There is no need to think and second guess or question what is being delivered and printed. It also needs industry-wide alignment. We need a solution validated under one state’s framework so it’s not being piecemealed from pharmacy to pharmacy, location by location, chain by chain, but rather having total state mandated adherence."
July 29, 2026
Author(s)Brian Nowosielski, Sharon Blank
https://www.drugtopics.com/view/should-translation-technology-become-a-pharmacy-standard-
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Selecting a medical translation company for specialized content
"Language Scientific Addresses What Life Sciences Teams Need From a Medical Translation Company

"La GSMA, en partenariat avec plusieurs gouvernements, universités, opérateurs télécoms et entreprises technologiques, a lancé ATLAS Umoja, une initiative panafricaine destinée à accélérer le développement de modèles d’intelligence artificielle entraînés sur les langues africaines. L’objectif est de combler le retard du continent dans ce domaine en produisant des jeux de données, des modèles linguistiques et des outils capables de mieux comprendre les réalités culturelles et linguistiques africaines. Équipementde communication

 

Aujourd’hui, la majorité des modèles d’IA générative sont principalement entraînés sur des contenus en anglais, en chinois ou dans d’autres langues largement représentées sur Internet. Cette situation limite leur pertinence pour des centaines de millions d’Africains qui utilisent quotidiennement des langues locales. En développant des ressources ouvertes dédiées aux langues africaines, l’alliance espère favoriser l’émergence de services d’IA mieux adaptés à des secteurs tels que l’éducation, la santé, l’agriculture ou encore les services publics.

 

Au-delà de la dimension technologique, l’initiative porte un enjeu de souveraineté numérique. Les données linguistiques constituent aujourd’hui une ressource stratégique pour entraîner les modèles d’intelligence artificielle de demain. En encourageant leur production et leur gouvernance sur le continent, la GSMA et ses partenaires souhaitent permettre à l’Afrique de participer davantage au développement de l’IA plutôt que d’en rester un simple marché d’utilisation."

par AITN 

29 juillet 2026

https://afriqueitnews.com/intelligence-artificielle-ia/gsma-lance-alliance-pour-developper-ia-en-langues-africaines/

#metaglossia 

#metaglossia_mundus 

PhD study develops AI to detect misinformation in South African languages

Dr Seani Rananga, a former NWU PhD student, is developing multilingual AI that can detect misinformation across English, isiZulu and Sepedi

."...The research demonstrates that multilingual AI can identify misleading information across the three languages while highlighting the importance of improving machine translation for low-resource African languages. The study provides a framework that can be adapted to combat misinformation during elections, public emergencies and other events where false information can have serious consequences.

Dr Rananga, a lecturer at the University of Pretoria, said the research was driven by the need to ensure that speakers of South Africa’s indigenous languages are not left behind as AI becomes increasingly important in identifying misinformation.

“South Africa is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, yet most AI systems for detecting misinformation are developed primarily for English. This leaves speakers of indigenous languages at a disadvantage when it comes to identifying false or misleading information online,” she said.

Building trustworthy technologies
Her PhD research used misinformation surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic as a pilot case study to test the multilingual framework.

The pandemic illustrated how quickly false information can spread and the consequences it can have for people’s lives, according to Dr Rananga. While the initial research focused on health misinformation, the methods were designed to be applied across multiple sectors where misinformation presents a public risk.

The study found that multilingual AI can effectively detect misinformation in English, isiZulu and Sepedi while showing that the quality of machine translation plays a significant role in improving AI performance for low-resource languages.

“The framework provides a foundation for building more inclusive and trustworthy AI technologies for South African languages,” Dr Rananga said.

She said the findings could support government departments, fact-checking organisations, social media platforms and communities by enabling earlier detection of misleading information, improving access to credible information and helping people make informed decisions.

Standing proud on the world stage
The study has attracted international recognition. Dr Rananga received the Google PhD Fellowship, one of the world’s leading awards supporting doctoral research in AI. Her work also received the Best Poster Award at the 2025 Deep Learning IndabaX South Africa, earning her funding to present the research at the 2026 Deep Learning Indaba at Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos, Nigeria in August this year.

“Receiving the Google PhD Fellowship was a tremendous honour and a strong validation of the importance of conducting AI research for African languages. It reinforced my commitment to developing technologies that address challenges faced by multilingual and low-resource communities while also creating opportunities to collaborate with leading researchers around the world,” she said.

Dr Seani Rananga is passionate about languages and identifying misinformation. Photo: Supplied
Looking ahead, Dr Rananga plans to expand the research to include more South African languages. Future work will focus on misinformation shared on social media during elections, public emergencies and other high-impact events. She also intends to extend the research to address emerging challenges such as AI-generated deepfakes, hate speech and other forms of harmful online content.

Beyond detection, Dr Rananga aims to develop trustworthy multilingual AI systems, including large language models, retrieval-augmented generation systems and knowledge graphs that can support sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, governance and public services.

“My long-term vision is to ensure that African languages are fully represented in the next generation of AI technologies while contributing to safer and more reliable digital spaces for everyone.”"

https://www.citizen.co.za/potchefstroom-herald/news/2026/07/29/phd-study-develops-ai-to-detect-misinformation-in-south-african-languages/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"Avant leur déclin, jusqu’à 75 000 langues auraient coexisté dans le monde

Si nous communiquons aujourd’hui grâce à environ 7 500 langues à travers le monde, une étude suggère qu’il existait bien plus de langues parlées entre l’an 1000 avant notre ère et 1000 de notre ère avant d’amorcer un déclin, notamment avec l’expansion des grands États et empires multinationaux. Cette période, qualifiée d’« âge d’or » linguistique, aurait vu exister entre 20 000 et 75 000 langues différentes.

Le nombre de langues parlées et leur diversité dans le monde diminuent depuis des centaines d’années et continuent de décliner. Les experts estiment qu’au moins quatre langues disparaissent chaque année et que jusqu’à 1 500 langues connues pourraient disparaître d’ici la fin du siècle.

Certaines hypothèses ont avancé que le déclin actuel des langues pourrait être lié à l’essor du colonialisme européen il y a environ 500 ans. Une nouvelle étude suggère cependant que ce déclin s’est déjà produit bien avant. L’étude démontrerait entre autres qu’il faut bien moins que des puissances coloniales pour expliquer le déclin de la diversité linguistique.

« D’une certaine manière, le langage est éphémère — une phrase prononcée disparaît dans les ondes sonores — et pourtant, nos travaux démontrent que nous pouvons utiliser des schémas linguistiques pour reconstituer de grands événements démographiques sur des millénaires », explique Claire Bowern, professeur de linguistique à la Faculté des arts et des sciences de l’université de Yale et co-auteur de l’étude.

Identifier les différents facteurs qui ont façonné notre diversité linguistique actuelle est en effet essentiel pour la compréhension de l’histoire, de la culture et de la cognition humaine. « Nous montrons que le langage n’est pas isolé des courants politiques et que cette dynamique fait partie intégrante de l’histoire humaine depuis bien plus longtemps qu’on ne le pensait. Les courants politiques ne sont pas nécessairement unidirectionnels. L’extinction des langues menacées n’est pas inévitable », ajoute-t-elle dans un communiqué.

Une apogée linguistique entre 1000 av. J.-C. et 1000 apr. J.-C.
Comme il n’existe pas de preuves directes de l’existence de langues avant l’invention de l’écriture il y a environ 6 000 ans, Bowern et ses collègues ont estimé la diversité linguistique au cours de l’Holocène (il y a environ 12 000 ans à aujourd’hui) en combinant des données ethnographiques à des estimations de la taille des populations préhistoriques pour effectuer des modélisations statistiques et socio-informatiques.

Des données ethnographiques provenant de 171 sociétés de chasseurs-cueilleurs et de pêcheurs ont été utilisées pour évaluer la répartition et la taille des populations avant l’essor de l’agriculture et de l’élevage. Ces communautés ont été sélectionnées parce qu’elles sont considérées comme ayant relativement peu changé dans leurs modes de vie et leur mobilité au contact de populations agricoles. Les chercheurs ont également combiné ces estimations avec des analyses indépendantes suggérant que la population humaine mondiale il y a 12 000 ans se situait entre 4,4 et 7 millions d’individus environ.

En supposant que le nombre de langues au début de l’Holocène correspondait au nombre de groupes de langues distincts que la population humaine totale pouvait accueillir à cette époque, les modélisations ont indiqué qu’entre 4 500 et 6 200 langues étaient parlées il y a 12 000 ans.

« Le monde qui a précédé l’agriculture n’était probablement pas exceptionnellement riche en langues », explique Damián Blasi, auteur principal de l’étude et professeur à l’Institut catalan de la recherche et des études avancées (ICREA) et au Centre pour le cerveau et la cognition de l’Université Pompeu Fabra de Barcelone, en Espagne. « Il y avait très probablement moins de langues qu’aujourd’hui. La diversité linguistique s’est ensuite développée parallèlement à la population humaine pendant des milliers d’années. »

Afin d’estimer comment cette diversité a évolué à mesure que les populations augmentaient, les chercheurs ont modélisé des milliers de trajectoires possibles. Mis à part la croissance démographique, l’équipe a également pris en compte l’influence de différents facteurs tels que les guerres, les épidémies et les innovations technologiques.

Les modélisations indiquent systématiquement un « âge d’or » linguistique se situant entre 1000 avant notre ère et 1000 de notre ère, période durant laquelle entre 20 000 et 75 000 langues auraient été parlées dans le monde. « Un résultat surprenant est la relative proximité de ce pic », indique Bowern au Smithsonian Magazine. « La période de plus grande diversité linguistique pourrait ne pas se situer au Paléolithique, mais plutôt à l’époque de l’expansion des États et des premiers empires. »

Carte des langues actuellement parlées et signées dans le monde, colorées selon leur statut de menace. © Blasi et al.

Un âge d’or s’achevant avec l’essor des empires multinationaux
Cet âge d’or se serait achevé avec l’essor des États et des empires multinationaux, les populations dominantes ayant propagé leurs langues et leurs cultures à des populations initialement indépendantes. Le colonialisme européen aurait accentué ce déclin, sans toutefois en être la cause principale, précise l’étude.

D’après Russell Gray, co-auteur de l’étude et directeur du département d’évolution linguistique et culturelle de l’Institut Max Planck d’anthropologie évolutionniste de Leipzig : « les langues que nous connaissons aujourd’hui sont les survivantes d’un goulot d’étranglement historique massif et extrêmement sélectif. »

En effet, une caractéristique linguistique peut être répandue non pas nécessairement parce qu’elle est plus efficace ou plus adaptée à la communication, mais parce qu’elle serait plutôt propagée par des populations en expansion. Les résultats de l’étude sont publiés dans la revue Science.
Source : Science"
Valisoa Rasolofo • 28 juillet 2026
https://trustmyscience.com/avant-leur-declin-jusqua-75-000-langues-auraient-coexiste-dans-le-monde/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Summary
Recent advances in AI inspire visions of universal models of biology. Yet living systems are evolved, emergent processes whose behaviors cannot be inferred from their parts alone. We propose grounding AI in canonical biological processes, constructing data-driven world models with explicit mechanistic links across molecules, cells, and their dynamics in space and time...

Effective datasets for AI on biological processes should reflect the structure of the processes they seek to model. Such datasets must characterize multiple biological scales at an appropriate resolution. Components should ideally be captured within their native context, rather than in isolated experimental settings. For example, genomic regulatory elements are best studied within their epigenomic context and cells within their native tissues. Because canonical processes unfold in space and
Modeling processes by linking multi-scale mechanisms for causal inference
Canonical processes not only structure biological data, but they also invite a synthesis between AI and mechanistic reasoning. Combining AI with causal, perturbation-informed frameworks could allow the construction of process-based “world models”13 of biology. Solving such models will require new computational frameworks14 that integrate modules capable of super-human deduction with those that formalize a “systems biology” approach to biological function and dynamics.15 The goal is not to
Multi-scale computational biology world models: Suggested principles
Biological world models are an open challenge for the coming years. Early insights from current approaches suggest some guidelines for the transformation of building blocks working at one scale into multi-scale frameworks via distillation, standardization, and reconnection. Distillation in the biological domain may be used to reduce redundant and correlative model features and enhance their causal robustness. For example, current genomic transformers that perform well in tasks of predicting
Teaching AI to speak biology
In conclusion, we argue here that scaling in biology will require data and learning tasks anchored in principles and mechanisms that reach beyond current AI success stories. AlphaFold represents only the simplest building block in a hierarchy of models that are needed for approaching the deeper problem of biological computation. Higher-order biological functions should be computed within and around captured canonical processes...
Yonatan Stelzer
Amos Tanay
Cite
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2026.07.003
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0092867426008019
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"2,000 languages use the same patterns of lexical economy—a study published in *Nature Human Behaviour*

Jamie Wright, a researcher at the Namur Digital Institute at UNamur, participated in a study conducted by Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona and published in the prestigious journal *Nature Human Behaviour*.  The study shows that languages around the world tend towards lexical economy, reusing words to denote different concepts when doing so does not lead to communicative confusion.

The study was led by Professor Thomas Brochhagen, a researcher in the Computational Linguistics and Linguistic Theory (COLT) group within the Department of Translation and Language Sciences at UPF Barcelona. Co-authors include Xixian Liao (Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación, BSC-CNS), Jamie D. Wright (Namur Digital Institute, University of Namur and Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and Carmen Saldana (affiliated with UPF and the University of Barcelona).

“My main contribution to the Nature Human Behaviour study was in data analysis and computational modelling. The study is a large-scale, cross-linguistic investigation of how communicative pressures shape language evolution. By analysing data from nearly 2,000 languages, we examined how languages balance two competing pressures: the efficiency gained by reusing the same or similar word forms and the need to avoid ambiguity when concepts could be confused in communication”, explains Jamie Wright.

Jamie Wright’s work with Prof. Katrien Beuls at the Namur Digital Institute forms part of the HERMES programme. This research also examines the communicative pressures that shape language evolution, but from a complementary perspective.

Researchers from Namur have just published another article in the “Journal of Language Evolution”

“While the Nature Human Behaviour article identifies broad patterns across a large sample of existing languages, our recent article in the Journal of Language Evolution uses an agent-based model to study language evolution at the level of interacting agents. In these simulations, artificial agents develop and use shared languages through repeated communicative exchanges. This allows us to investigate how population-level linguistic conventions emerge from local interactions and why such conventions can make languages more robust, easier to learn and more cognitively efficient.”

The two studies therefore address closely related questions at different levels and with different methodological approaches. The Nature Human Behaviour study shows the large-scale cross-linguistic consequences of communicative pressures, while the Journal of Language Evolution agent-based study helps explain how such patterns can emerge dynamically through interactions between language users."
Created on 29 Jul 2026
https://www.unamur.be/en/newsroom/2000-languages-use-the-same-patterns-publication-in-nature-human-behaviour
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"July 28, 2026 ATC Blog, News, ISO Standards
Welcome to the latest ATC ISO News! In this article, we give you a comprehensive tour of ISO standards for spoken language interpreting and what’s currently under development...

20228 Legal Interpreting Under Review
A revised draft standard for legal interpreting is now open for public comment. For language service providers, interpreters, and legal institutions, this is a development worth paying close attention to. ISO/DIS 20228:2026, Interpreting Services — Legal Interpreting — Requirements, is the second edition of ISO 20228:2019. The draft is currently in its DIS (Draft International Standard) ballot stage, with the public commenting window running from 10 June to 3 August 2026...

20109 Simultaneous Interpreting Equipment Under Review
ISO 20109 is the international standard for simultaneous interpreting equipment. Its 2025 edition sets out requirements for the systems used to deliver audio and video to interpreters and audiences whether everyone is in the same room, participating remotely, or working in a hybrid setup. Amendment 1 to this standard is now open for public comment via your National Body, with a comment window running from 6 July to 29 August 2026...

18884 Interpreting Services Under Review
ISO 18841 specifies basic requirements for the provision of interpreting services. It is currently undergoing review at the Draft International Standard DIS stage to replace the previous 2018 edition...

21998 Healthcare Interpreting Under Development
ISO 21998 currently under development in its early working drafts specifies requirements and recommendations for healthcare interpreting services in spoken and signed communication, intended for interpreting service providers and healthcare interpreters...

23155 Conference Interpreting
ISO 23155 from 2022 specifies requirements and recommendations for the provision of conference interpreting services. It is primarily addressed to conference interpreters and conference interpreting service providers...

13611 Community Interpreting
ISO 13611 from 2024 specifies requirements and recommendations for the provision of community interpreting services. It establishes the foundational principles and practices necessary to ensure quality community interpreting services for all language communities (spoken and/or signed), for end users, as well as for clients, and for community interpreters...

6253 Training Programmes in Community Interpreting Under Development
ISO 6253 for requirements and recommendations for training programmes in community interpreting is currently under development in the committee draft stage to replace the earlier technical specification..."
July 28, 2026 ATC Blog, News, ISO Standards
Read more👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿
https://atc.org.uk/atc-iso-news-focus-on-interpreting/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

How Translating Korean Literature Made Me a Better Fiction Writer
Lizzie Buehler on Incorporating Techniques From Literary Translation Into Her Writing Practice

There is one conversation I remember most distinctly from my MFA in literary translation. I was chatting with a nonfiction student about the novel I was translating at the time when she said with a slight air of amazement, “I could never be a translator. I’m too selfish.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused. I had no idea what translating had to do with selflessness.

“I want what I’m writing to be mine,” she replied.

I’ve thought about this conversation frequently in the years since, first as a translator who didn’t think I had an interest in writing my own prose, and later as a soon-to-be novelist. There is the obvious fact that, as a translator, our names are never going to come first on the book cover. It will be in small letters underneath the author’s name, if it’s there at all. Translators will also always have to share the text that we’ve worked so hard on. We may have come up with all the English words on the page, but many readers won’t see what we’ve created as our own, because they don’t realize that translation involves a lot more effort than one-to-one correspondence of vocabulary.

If translating a novel felt like hanging drywall in a newly framed house, writing a novel felt like framing the whole house myself.

In my view, though, the point of translation is that the text is never one single person’s work: it’s always a collaboration, between the author and the translator, or even multiple translators. (I’ve noticed that co-translations are much more common than co-authored prose, perhaps directly reflecting the openness to working in community that is inherent to the translator’s ethos.)

So, no, you can’t be so selfish as a translator that you want the text all to yourself. But if you wanted that, why be a translator at all? And honestly, why be a writer?

My favorite way to begin the writing process is to jot down observations from daily life in my journal, be it a funny phrase overheard at the grocery store or an interaction noticed between two strangers waiting at a crosswalk. It feels like scrapbooking, using specific moments as the tokens I’m trying to remember, and when I have enough moments swirling around in my head, they combine into a specific story. This is a common way for writers to approach fiction—from parts to the whole, rather than beginning with a predetermined story—but I didn’t think about story building in this way until I became a translator, and specifically a translator of the Korean writer Yun Ko-eun.

I’ve now worked with Yun on two novels and one short story collection. I’ve talked with her at length about her creative process, participating in interviews where she discussed the inspiration for her dystopian climate novel The Disaster Tourist, the absurdist story collection Table for One, and her more recent art-world satire Art on Fire. Yun describes specific moments that grow from seeds into a full plot: weird little things that she sees, or questions she has about everyday occurrences. She sums up her way of thinking in the following description of The Disaster Tourist’s protagonist: “Yona was always wondering about…unknown information—like where rocks that fell off the side of a mountain ended up. And what about the scales removed from a filleted fish, or unwanted potato sprouts, or even bullets?”

Would I, too, have learned to wonder like Yona, and to channel this into my own writing, without spending hundreds of hours intently focused on Yun Ko-eun’s words? Maybe, but the apprenticeship via translation certainly helped the process. And beyond the specificities of Yun as a writer, there are so many more general Korean literary details I’ve come to know and appreciate as a translator that have made me think What’s stopping me from doing this in English? Korean doesn’t have English’s fear of repeating the same word over and over—instead of immediately seeing this as clunky, I’ve come to appreciate the rhythm that repetition can enable. There’s also the Korean tendency to anonymize characters or locations in literature by referring to them as A, or B City, or C University—a habit I find oddly charming. Having access to a specific language’s literary quirks is like opening a second toolbox for your own writing.

So rather than seeing a translation practice as selfless, I’d argue that it’s a bit selfish. By translating, you gain so much confidence and experience as a writer. When I was revising my debut novel The Obsessed, I struggled with the opening, rewriting the chapter multiple times before scrapping it and creating an entirely new scene. The experience was daunting—how was I supposed to throw away all the words I’d written and come to feel comfortable with? What if the sentences I wrote to replace them were worse than the originals?

Now that I’d written my own novel, I returned to translation with a new level of belief in my stylistic decisions.

But I’d had this experience before. When translating The Disaster Tourist, I too struggled most with the opening scene, rearranging, deleting, and replacing my rendition of Yun’s sentences multiple times. It was painful, but eventually I found the right arrangement of English words to match Yun’s Korean.

My translation practice doesn’t serve only to benefit my writing; the inspiration and benefits go both ways. Translation requires you to come up with creative reworkings of preexisting ideas; you move these ideas between languages and cultures, but for the most part, you don’t come up with plot yourself. Writing, on the other hand, forces a sense of self-confidence that one can sometimes avoid when translating. That was what really scared me at the beginning of my own novel-writing process. When translating, I trusted that the plot of the story was good, because it had already been published in the source language—vetted by the “experts.” But my novel hadn’t been published in any language; it was still a draft. I had only my own belief in my writing to lean on. My close friends and family who read early versions of The Obsessed reacted positively, but can you really trust the people who love you to tell you if the creative work you’ve invested so much in is terrible? If translating a novel felt like hanging drywall in a newly framed house, writing a novel felt like framing the whole house myself.

But now that I know how to install the foundation on my own—having leaned on the toolbox of skills offered to me by my translation practice—I am able to go back and affix the drywall, too, with greater confidence than ever. The later stages of novel revisions felt like I was back to translation editing; I was no longer being asked to rearrange scenes, change timelines, or cut out and add entire plotlines, but rather to focus on the way paragraphs flowed between each other, and how dialogue embodied certain voices. At the time, I was also simultaneously translating my fourth book from Korean (and my third book by Yun Ko-eun), the novel Art on Fire. Every new translation provides its own challenges—Yun’s new book is a parody of the art world, a sphere about which I don’t know much—but as much as is possible, I was able to translate the novel with a newfound confidence. Now that I’d written my own novel, I returned to translation with a new level of belief in my stylistic decisions.

Jumping between edits on my translation and edits on my own novel was dizzying, but doing so allowed me to see how the two work in tandem together. Being a good translator—knowing when to trust your gut, when to accept edits, when to reject them—means being a good writer. I can only hope—selfishly or not—that the two skills will continue to build upon each other in my future as a translator and author.

____________________________

The Obsessed by Lizzie Buehler is available from G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.

Craft Advice fiction writing G.P. Putnam's Sons Korean literature literary translation Lizzie Buehler novel writing Penguin Publishing Group Penguin Random House Putnam The Obsessed translating

Lizzie Buehler
Lizzie Buehler is the translator of The Disaster Tourist (winner of the CWA Dagger for crime fiction in translation), Art on Fire, and Table for One by Yun Ko-eun, and Korean Teachers by Seo Su-jin. She holds an MFA in literary translation from the University of Iowa and has studied comparative literature at Harvard and Princeton. The Obsessed is her debut novel."

Lizzie Buehler
Lit Hub Daily
July 28, 2026

https://lithub.com/how-translating-korean-literature-made-me-a-better-fiction-writer/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"Fairfax County police testing new body camera technology that can translate 57 languages

The technology can detect the language a person is speaking and allows police to save crucial seconds.
Author: 13newsnow.com
Published: 7:56 AM EDT July 27, 2026
Updated: 7:56 AM EDT July 27, 2026
https://www.13newsnow.com/video/news/local/fairfax-county-police-testing-new-body-camera-technology-that-can-translate-57-languages/291-d5a55d3d-ad5f-43e8-90c5-a09cca684530
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"The Passion Translation is under scrutiny. As a Bible translator, here’s my view on the controversy
By Rev Dr David Instone-Brewer27 July 20263 min read

The Passion Translation (TPT) has enjoyed significant popularity in charismatic and Pentecostal circles. But in recent weeks a number of influential pastors and churches have been quietly distancing themselves from the project, citing alledged plagiarism and disputed translation methodology. Rev Dr David Instone-Brewer, who sits on the NIV translation committee, takes a look at the issues and shares his own perspective

Many people love The Passion Translation (TPT) of the Bible and many hate it.

I would love it, but only if the name changed to The Passion Paraphrase. It is written to bring out the passion of the text and has sold over one million copies, but it has also provoked a lot of passionate criticism.

Asking different questions
I’ve just returned from Nashville. Instead of listening to bands, I spent the week in a committee room from 8.30am until evening, enjoying a rather unusual form of Bible study with some of the world’s leading Hebrew and Greek scholars.

This NIV Bible translation committee meet every year to discuss possible improvement to the NIV. It’s expensive to bring scholars together from Africa, India, Australia and Europe to examine a translation that we all agree is already excellent. Every decision has to be almost unanimous, and the discussions are painstakingly detailed. I remember spending half an hour debating a comma. A few of us were unconvinced that it represented the flow of the Hebrew, so nothing changed. Sometimes, as on that occasion, a representative from Biblica, who own the text and fund the committee, sits in on the discussions. I remember glancing at him guiltily, wondering what he was thinking. He didn’t seem concerned. 

The Passion Translation has no committee to challenge individual interpretations or theological leanings. On the NIV committee, I’ve never heard anyone argue: “This shows God’s sovereignty”, or “We need to avoid/emphasise egalitarianism.” I’m not even sure who would be on which side of such issues, because our discussions are never about promoting a theological viewpoint. They are simply about expressing, as accurately as possible, what the text says. What I do hear are comments such as, “That isn’t in the Hebrew,” “Leave that for commentaries,” “The Greek is ambiguous, so we need a footnote,” or “But how does that translate into natural English?” 

Brian Simmons, the author of TPT, appears to be asking himself different questions: “How can I convey the passion implied in this verse?”, “Can I include this word’s other meanings?”, and “Can I help the reader interpret this?” These are all good aims – but they belong only to a paraphrase, not to a translation. That approach has produced valuable works such as The Message, The Amplified Bible, and The Living Bible. These Bibles are proud to be paraphrases: engaging, explorative, expansive and enlivening. TPT, however, misleadingly describes itself as a “translation of the Hebrew and Greek”.

Misleading
One interesting experiment in TPT is including insights from the early translations of the New Testament into Syriac. The Syriac-speaking church was established in Antioch from where (according to tradition) Thomas was sent to India and Thaddaeus to Turkey. They translated and merged the Gospels as the Diatessaron, only a century after they were written. Because Syriac is somewhat similar to the Aramaic spoken by Jesus, these early translations might preserve clues as to how his words were originally understood.

Unfortunately, TPT presents this in a misleading way, with footnotes such as “The Aramaic literally states…”, implying that the later Syriac translation preserves the original Aramaic wording. Many of these are very similar to notes in Victor Alexander’s self-published Aramaic Bible. Simmons has not acknowledged this, which has resulted in accusations of plagiarism. It is very difficult to translate the Bible without using phrases found in other translations, and, he has, as might be expected, done this – although perhaps too often from The Message.

The extent and creativeness of his paraphrase is clear in a familiar passage such as Matthew’s version of the Lord’s prayer. Here are two paraphrases, from TPT and The Message. Which do you think is which?

Our Beloved Father, dwelling in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn.  Manifest your kingdom realm, and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is in heaven. We acknowledge you as our Provider of all we need each day.  Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us. Rescue us every time we face tribulation and set us free from evil. For you are the King who rules with power and glory forever.  Amen. Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best— as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.
You’ve probably guessed that the shorter version is from The Message – though The Message often also expands the text (eg Acts19:2). I’ve underlined words in TPT that are not implied by the Greek. I do like some of its interpretations – for instance, unpacking the Jewish idiom of ‘debt’ and ‘debtors’ as referring to being wronged and offering forgiveness. However, I don’t like the way the prayer asking for daily food has become an expectation as if we will never go hungry; or the lack of a prayer for Jesus to “come” again – although alternatives are acknowledged in the footnotes. Its footnotes also mention that “evil” could refer to “the evil one”, as in The Message.

The problem with puns
Simmons likes ‘playing’ with words, rather like the rabbis did. In a footnote he says: “The Aramaic for ‘name’ is shema… It can also be translated as ‘light’, ‘sound’ or ‘atmosphere’ …”. I suspect he is referring to similarities between the Hebrew words shem (‘name’), shama (‘to hear’) and shemayim (‘heavens’) and punning these in a playful way. In that case, this is factually problematic because these similarities do not work in Aramaic; and I don’t find the resulting interpretation helpful. 

The ending of the Lord’s prayer is omitted in the earliest Greek manuscripts, rather like a dictated letter might end simply with “Yours etc”. Scribes added a suitable ending in the later manuscripts that were available to the King James Bible translators. Modern translators usually follow the earlier Greek manuscripts which do not include this doxology, just like the Syriac translations in the Diatessaron and early Peshitta. However, a footnote in TPT misleadingly states that the ending is “translated from the Aramaic”, even though only the later Syriac manuscripts have included it. I suspect that Simmons inserted this doxology in an attempt to satisfy readers who prefer the traditional ending. 

Overall, I do like the liveliness of the TPT – but I don’t regard it as a translation. Simmons himself sometimes described it as a paraphrase in interviews. The accusation of plagiarism should be addressed by acknowledging the work Alexander and perhaps others in the introduction. Also, the description of its “translation philosophy” must be revised, since comparing it with translations such as the NIV are misleading. 

Nevertheless, I congratulate Simmons for the creativity of his paraphrase, which encourages readers to re-explore the implications of the Bible text and brings passion to their devotional reading. But please stop calling it a ‘translation’ of the Bible. 

Rev Dr David Instone-Brewer
Rev Dr David Instone-Brewer is a retired Baptist minister and Cambridge scholar. He has authored several books, mostly on the Jewish background to the New Testament, and is a member of the Committee for Bible Translation (NIV). He is also a regular columnist for Premier Christianity. See articles and videos on more topics, which you can share and comment on, at BibleContexts.com"
https://www.premierchristianity.com/theology/the-passion-translation-is-under-scrutiny-as-a-bible-translator-heres-my-view-on-the-controversy/21906.article
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"Google seems to be testing a major redesign for the Google Translate app on Android.
The new layout moves language selectors to the top, adds a redesigned bottom navigation bar, and reorganizes translation tools for more efficient use.
Google Translate has rapidly evolved over the past few years. What started as a straightforward app for translating words and phrases now also lets you hold multilingual conversations and even practice new languages. Despite these new capabilities, Translate’s home screen and overall app design have barely changed and have started to feel dated compared to Google’s other Android apps. Now, it looks like Google is finally giving Translate a much-needed refresh.

You’re reading an Authority Insights story. Authority Insights brings you all the latest exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage from the Android Authority team that you won’t find anywhere else.

While digging through version 10.25 of the Google Translate app for Android, we found a redesigned home screen that modernizes the interface and better highlights the app’s growing list of features. Google has also reorganized translation tools throughout the app, and although the redesign isn’t live yet, it looks like the company is actively working on this new look.

Google Translate New Home Screen
The first thing you’ll notice is a new navigation bar at the bottom of the screen. Instead of using a traditional full-width bottom bar with tabs like many other Google apps, Translate is getting a pill-shaped bottom bar with four sections:

Translate for the main translation screen.
Live for real-time conversations.
Camera for visual translation.
Practice for language learning.
Another major change is that the language selectors have been moved to the top of the interface. This gives the translation area more room and makes the layout feel cleaner and less cramped.
Meanwhile, the translation input box is moving to the bottom, rather than a large text field dominating the center of the screen. The card includes quick actions, including a three-dot menu for additional options, a Paste shortcut, and a mic button for voice input.

Above the input card, Google also surfaces some contextual shortcuts. If you’ve recently been practicing a language, you’ll see a card to continue your practice. Likewise, recent conversations can be resumed through a “Jump back into conversation” shortcut that takes you directly into Live Translate.

Another small but noticeable change can be seen in the top-left corner. The old standalone Saved shortcut has been removed and replaced by a traditional hamburger menu. This will likely give Google more room to organize additional options in the future without crowding the main interface.

Tapping the hamburger icon now opens a new “Your activity” screen that brings together your translation history, saved translations, and saved transcripts in one place. Previously, saved transcripts were stored in the account switcher, while translation history could be accessed by swiping down on the home screen or in the account switcher menu. Consolidating everything into a dedicated activity page should make it much easier to revisit past translations and conversations.

Google has also moved a couple of secondary tools into the new translation input card. The three-dot menu on the left side of the input box now houses the Translation model picker, allowing you to switch between available translation models, along with the Handwriting option for writing text instead of typing or speaking it. This keeps the main interface cleaner while ensuring these features remain only a tap away.

Google Translate New Translate Screen
The redesign doesn’t stop at the home screen. Google has also refreshed the text input screen that appears when you start typing a translation.

Compared to the current interface, the new screen looks much more modern, with several UI elements repositioned to better use the available space. The language selectors remain pinned to the top, while the translation area now takes the form of a large, rounded card that matches the rest of the redesigned interface. Your recent translations now also appear directly in the input card while you’re typing.

Google is also redesigning the screen that appears after you’ve translated something.

Compared to the current interface, the new translation results page adopts the same rounded card-based design seen throughout the redesigned app. Instead of displaying the source text and translated text directly on the page, each now lives in its own card, giving the screen a cleaner, more organized look.

The layout has been shuffled around as well. Several action buttons have been repositioned, while the language picker remains pinned to the top, allowing you to quickly swap languages or start another translation without leaving the page.

Google has also decluttered the top bar by moving some options into the overflow menu. Previously, History and Save had dedicated icons in the app bar. In the new interface, both options have been tucked into the three-dot menu alongside actions like Reverse translate, Share, Choose text translation model, and Send feedback."
By Adamya SharmaAssembleDebug
Jul 6, 2026 — 11:30 PM ET
https://www.androidauthority.com/google-translate-redesign-3684635/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"'I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script'

British American classicist Emily Wilson's translation of Homer's The Odyssey made waves when it was released in 2017, marking the first time a woman translated the ancient Greek epic to English.

It also served as an inspiration for British American director Christopher Nolan. In early publicity for his recently released The Odyssey, Nolan cited Wilson's controversial opening line — "Tell me about a complicated man" — as a reference point for main character Odysseus.

But Wilson's feelings about Nolan's take, which has so far made more than $600 million US since its release just over a week ago, appear more mixed, according to a new essay published online Monday in the London Review of Books (notably titled "An Uncomplicated Man").

"I was humbled to learn that Nolan has read at least the first line of my translation," she wrote. "But I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script."

Nolan film lacks depth, narrative: Wilson
The essay took issue with nearly every aspect of The Odyssey aside from its entertainment value, which is credited to the source material — "impossible to mess up entirely," wrote Wilson, who is also a classical studies professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

But the film's narrative and emotional depth is at about the same level as "an elaborate Fourth of July fireworks display," she wrote.

The movie doesn't have a through line pulling together the multitude of ideas it presents, she argued, nor does she believe it develops its characters enough to deliver a clear message.

Emily Wilson, who translated The Odyssey into English, breaks down Christopher Nolan's blockbuster version that has everyone talking about Homer this summer. Wilson spoke with Megan Williams, guest host of CBC Radio's The Sunday Magazine. CORRECTION (July 27, 2026): A previous title of this video suggested the word "slave" was not used in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. In fact, the term is referenced in the film.
"Nolan's Odyssey lacks many of the elements that make the poem great," the essay reads. The main couple, Odysseus and Penelope (Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, respectively), have neither chemistry nor a deep connection, she wrote, while Tom Holland does well playing their son, Telemachus, as a man aged "20 going on 12."

Of the leading performers, meanwhile, Damon's Odysseus is "lummoxy," "neither a master storyteller nor a flirt," while Hathaway's Penelope "looks beautiful and mysterious" but is given little to do but yearn for Odysseus "for reasons unknown."

Chief among her objections was that she didn't feel the film had a clear message. When Odysseus defies the gods, for example, the act is portrayed as noble and brave, but when his second-in-command Eurylochus does the same, it is "stupid and greedy," she wrote.

An epic stretch — Christopher Nolan tries to conquer The Odyssey

Does it really matter how you watch The Odyssey? Film-lovers are divided

On a larger scale, the Trojan War, which Odysseus helps start, is portrayed as being horrifying, with innocent civilians subjected to violence and terror. But at the same time, the final scene, where Odysseus massacres Penelope's suitors, is presented as a series of "action-movie sequences in which the reluctant warrior finally gets his hands on his bow and the blood starts flowing."

She also challenged Nolan's decision to film part of the movie in the Moroccan-occupied territory of Western Sahara, which she said "[normalized] the ongoing violence against the indigenous Sahrawi people."

Wokeness allegations
Both Nolan's and Wilson's takes on The Odyssey have received similar criticism from some right-wing users, who charge them with diverting from the source material for political means. Wilson, in particular, has received so much backlash that she has included a separate contact form on her website for "misogynistic trolling."

The war against her translation focused on her "complicated man" opening line. "Complicated" was her interpretation of the ancient Greek word polytropos, an unusual term that has in other versions been translated to "skilled in all ways," or "man of twists and turns."

For her part, Wilson defended the choice on her Substack, saying that other phrases didn't fit her meter- and pacing-related constraints, nor did she feel they were as evocative. But online critics fought back, calling it "vandalism," "condescending" and even an "assault on a foundation of Western culture" with a "clear feminist woke agenda."

The Odyssey the film also garnered its own share of racist and transphobic backlash even before its release, due to its casting of Lupita Nyong'o, who is of Kenyan descent, as Helen of Troy, and Elliot Page, who is trans.

The Odyssey is nearly 3,000 years old. But its message about seeking home resonates today

In her review, Wilson didn't take issue with the race-neutral casting itself but said there was "nothing progressive about" it, noting that most of the non-white actors' roles resembled the "Black best friend," referring to the trope of Black characters being reduced to supporting roles for (often) white leads, with no lives of their own.

Even still, she concluded that the film's release was "an event to celebrate," bringing audiences back to theatres and potentially sparking new interest in ancient Greek and the humanities.

She acknowledged that it helped propel sales of her own book and that Nolan was doing his best to "get the general public reading again." Besides, her teenagers had a good time.

Hanna Lee
Copy Editor
Jul 27, 2026 3:12 PM EDT
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/emily-wilson-the-odyssey-nolan-review-9.7286280
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"Translation troubles: saving penalties
From goalie day to nutmegging, these are the sporting translation conundrums that have got us thinking this week

Valen Iricibar
June 23, 2024
We’ve already had banderazo and the unfortunate LTA as football translation troubles. Still, since we watched the Argentina-Canada match at the fourth Herald Night on Thursday and the Copa América is officially in full swing, I thought we’d dedicate this week’s columns to some football-related phrases.

Día del arquero
As Fernando wrote, “An old Argentine adage says that when a debt is likely to go unpaid, the creditor will get their due ‘on goalkeeper’s day.’” We’re not sure where it comes from but in Argentina, it’s a way of referring to a distant, impossible future — the idea being that it’s never goalie day. A little bit like “till kingdom come” or “until the cows come home.”

That, however, was before 2011, the year Argentina got an official Goalkeeper’s Day in honor of Amadeo Carrizo’s birthday. And before Argentina won the World Cup with Dibu Martínez. What underappreciated job do you reckon we should use instead?

Meter un caño
This was a double translation trouble in the newsroom: someone asked what meter un caño meant and when I answered “nutmeg” the indignant answer was “Why the hell is it called ‘nutmegging’?”

For those unfamiliar, both terms refer to kicking the ball through someone’s legs and making off with it. In Argentina, the move might come with a gleeful cry of “Caño!” because it’s fun if you manage it and embarrassing when it’s done to you. Caño means pipe (also called túnel in other Spanish-speaking countries). Germany, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway apparently use similar words to denote that you have “tunneled” through your opponent’s legs.

As for the English version, there are several theories as to why “nutmeg” was the chosen word (as far as I can tell other linguistic variations of the practice don’t include the spice). They include 1940s Cockney rhyming slang for “leg,” an allusion to the, er, nuts of a player, and a nod to swindling practices in the nutmeg trade. Whatever its origins, we decided against Amy’s literal translation of nuezdemoscadeó.

You may also be interested in: Your guide to the nicknames of Argentina’s 10 most popular football clubs

Atajando penales
I’m including this turn of phrase because I love it and can’t say it in English which is bizarre given the prominence that football — and penalties specifically — has in both British and Argentine culture. As anyone who’s watched penalty shootouts, especially World Cup-defining shootouts, they’re stressful and the uncertainty can be nauseating.

The closest translation I’ve come up with is “putting out fires.” You’re “saving penalties” when you’re being called to step up to the plate (or multiple spinning plates, to mix metaphors), having to lunge suddenly and quickly one way to the other to stop the ball from getting into the net.

I use it a fair bit to describe how my afternoon shift went after a hectic day of editing multiple urgent stories. Do let me know if there’s a football-related idiom or phrase in English that captures the sentiment!"
https://buenosairesherald.com/culture-ideas/translation-troubles-saving-penalties
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"...the Hebrew Bible has been translated hundreds of times into dozens of languages. Each translation — even the most faithful ones — inherently add connotations, remove context and subtly change the original text’s meaning.

So which of the many, many official Biblical translations have our state legislators decided is most appropriate to display for our schoolchildren?

None of them, actually.

Graven images in the Supreme Court version of the Bible
Turns out, the Louisiana legislators adopted their version of the Ten Commandments not from the original Hebrew, nor from one of the 64 official Christian Biblical translations available, but from a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court case: Van Orden v. Perry.

That case argued the constitutionality of displaying a Ten Commandments monument on the Texas State Capitol grounds. The stone monument in question was donated by the Fraternal Order of Eagles in 1961, and it’s not readily apparent which translation they used.

For example, in the King James Version, Exodus 20:4 in full reads:

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Meanwhile, in Louisiana’s law, it simply reads:

Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.

That version of the verse excludes crucial context about not fashioning false gods from natural phenomena (a reminder that the Israelites clearly needed, given their past with the Golden Calf).

Essentially, our Louisiana legislators are canonizing an entirely new translation of the Bible that exists largely within our country’s court records. It doesn’t bother with accuracy or consistency to the Hebrew, and excises entire sentences from the holy words of the divine.

How can Louisiana students be expected to take in the Ten Commandments as intended when they’re not even getting a full and accurate translation of the text in question?

Are the Ten Commandments “foundational” to Louisiana politics?
If the state is truly committed to the idea that public schoolchildren should deeply value the Ten Commandments, let’s lean into that, too.

Why not use the Ten Commandments to teach kids how to interrogate and interpret primary sources? Let’s educate them on how different translations can reflect the priorities and values of the societies from which they originate, and how contemporary governments who claim to use the Ten Commandments as “foundational documents” actually put them into practice.

For example, if the Ten Commandments teach us not to bear false witness, then how can Louisiana’s legislators claim that there isn’t enough money in the state budget to require public school buses to provide air conditioning?
...

Lara Crigger

https://stljewishlight.org/opinion/im-a-louisiana-jew-the-ten-commandments-get-lost-in-translation-in-the-new-law/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"Courts Service considers implementing AI translators in bid to save money

The Courts Service is considering implementing an AI translation service to save money and speed up hearings.

The service spends approximately €4m on translation and interpretation services annually.

The AI alternative is at a “proof-of-concept” stage, and the Courts Service says further “development and evaluation is required”.

Testing is underway “to measure accuracy”.

A digital audio recording AI assistant project has already passed initial testing and will be rolled out in a controlled deployment during September and October, “subject to readiness”."
Mon, 27 Jul, 2026 - 06:00
Ann Murphy
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41886148.html
#metaglossia #metaglossia_mundus

"...In the age of artificial intelligence, foreign language education must pivot from rote memorization and mechanical grammar exercises toward cultivating critical thinking, cultural empathy and self-directed learning.

Additionally, they said students should engage in genuine dialogue with texts, critically evaluate AI-generated content and take ownership of their own learning.

Chen Zehang, a professor at Beijing Normal University's School of Foreign Languages and Literature, said the fundamental value of reading lies in genuine dialogue with a text — questioning, challenging, imagining and empathizing.

"AI can help students understand what a text says, but it cannot help them experience the real meaning of reading," she said. "We are not spending time on reading to memorize words or translate sentences. We are reading to build minds that can question, infer and connect — and that is exactly what AI cannot do."

As AI increasingly handles grammar and other surface-level language tasks, teachers' roles must also evolve, Chen said. Rather than serving primarily as language instructors, teachers should become designers of thinking experiences and facilitators of transferable reading strategies.

For example, instead of asking students to identify grammatical mistakes in AI-generated content, teachers can encourage them to evaluate its accuracy, fairness and appropriateness, she said.

"Teachers are irreplaceable guides to meaning, judgment and curiosity," Chen added.

Yang Luxin, dean of Beijing Foreign Studies University's School of English and International Studies, said AI can also support learning when designed with clear educational objectives.

She has been piloting task-specific AI agents in writing classes, allowing students to receive personalized, text-specific feedback while drafting and continue revising over multiple rounds of interaction.

"The advantage is not that the AI has better professional judgment than the teacher," Yang said. "It is that every student can receive individualized feedback while still drafting."

"In a class of 19 to 27 students, I could not sustain that kind of immediate dialogue with everyone at once," she added.

To prevent students from simply copying AI-generated answers, Yang's team designed the agents with explicit pedagogical limits. They are instructed to diagnose problems before offering corrections, focus only on the current learning objective and ask guiding questions rather than rewrite an entire passage.

Students are required to complete their first draft independently before consulting the AI, decide for themselves what revisions to make and submit a record explaining how they used the AI during the writing process.

Student feedback has been generally positive, with many reporting reduced writing anxiety, greater confidence and stronger motivation.

"We present the AI not as a 'robot teacher' replacing the human teacher, but as a patient writing partner available during drafting and after class," Yang said. "The teacher remains the designer and final professional authority."

Cheng Liying, dean of the School of Education at City University of Macau, said learning a foreign language opens a window — or a door — to understanding different ways of seeing the world.

"The most important thing is that humans are curious and should not sit at the bottom of a well," she said, referring to the Chinese idiom describing people with a narrow outlook.

Cheng said her school's educational philosophy places nurturing at its core.

"We require our postgraduate students to respect others, take responsibility and show resilience," she said. While AI can be a helpful learning companion and mentor, she stressed that it "cannot care for you".

Addressing concerns that memorization and grammar instruction may become obsolete in the AI era, Cheng said mastering the fundamentals remains indispensable.

"If people do not understand basic concepts, they cannot recognize or process information beyond that level," she said. "Having AI does not mean we stop learning basics. The fundamentals still need to be learned; AI can just help us learn them faster."

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn"
https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202607/27/WS6a66ae58a310986e2b46761a.html
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

New Testament translated into English from Greek

"500th anniversary of the first printed English New Testament. This is the story …

Quincentenary

This year marks the quincentenary, or 500th anniversary, of William Tyndale’s New Testament, which was published in 1526. Not only was it the first time that the New Testament had been translated into English from Greek, but it was also the first time that the New Testament had been printed in English.

Up to that point, there was an old fourteenth-century New Testament which had been translated from Latin by Wycliffe and his followers, but it had to be laboriously copied by hand. English had changed so much since it was made about 150 years before that comparing Wycliffe’s translation to Tyndale’s is akin to comparing the English of Chaucer with the English of Shakespeare.

Five hundred years ago, in 1526, England was very different. Henry VIII was on the throne and the Catholic Church held sway. Church services were in Latin, and the Bible in English was illegal. It is hard for us to imagine today, when you can walk into most bookstores and buy a copy of the Bible, but owning an English New Testament was dangerous, and copies had to be smuggled in.

The Reformation

William Tyndale was born in southern Gloucestershire, in the west of England, probably in 1490 or 1491, and studied at Oxford University. He graduated aged 24 and was ordained as a priest in 1515, just before the Reformation began.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Erasmus was collecting and collating Greek manuscripts, and in 1516 he published his Greek New Testament alongside a fresh translation into Latin, which highlighted some of the issues with the standard Latin Vulgate text.

The following year, in 1517, a German Augustinian monk called Martin Luther pinned his protests against the Catholic Church onto the castle church door in Wittenberg. The printing presses copied them and disseminated them across the Holy Roman Empire, and they chimed with so many people that they triggered the Reformation.

Then, using Erasmus’s Greek text, Luther was able to translate the New Testament directly from Greek into German, which was published in 1522. Jacques Lefèvre d’Étaples then did the same, translating the New Testament from Greek into French, which was published in 1524.

Tyndale’s New Testament

Somewhere around this time, Tyndale got a copy of Erasmus’s Greek New Testament and Luther’s German New Testament and decided England also needed a translation into her language.

He did not like the ignorance which the common people, and even the priests, had of the Bible. They often practised a religion which was more ceremony, tradition and superstition than faith, but many did not know the difference.

According to John Foxe, Tyndale pledged to a priest, “I will cause the boy who driveth the plough to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost.” He dreamt of a time when ordinary people would engage with the Bible in their own language, and he set out to achieve it.

Tyndale in London

There was an old law in England dating from 1407, which was a reaction to the Peasants’ Revolt, stating that a person needed the permission of a bishop to translate the Bible into English.

For Tyndale, the bishop who seemed like the obvious man to ask was Cuthbert Tunstall, Bishop of London, who was a friend of Erasmus and had helped him with his printed Greek New Testament.

Tyndale left Little Sodbury in southern Gloucestershire, where he had been living and where he had likely already started to translate. With a letter of introduction, he went to London and asked the bishop.

Perhaps recalling the Peasants’ Revolt which followed Wycliffe’s translation and observing events in Germany, the bishop was reluctant to give permission. However, without his permission, which never came, no printer in London would print the translation, which would be considered illegal without it.

Tyndale Continues in Europe

So Tyndale left London aboard a merchant’s ship for Hamburg, and thence up the River Elbe to Wittenberg, where he likely studied Greek and Hebrew under Philipp Melanchthon and was inspired by Luther.

In 1525, he headed to Cologne, where friends helped him to print the completed English New Testament, which was modelled on Luther’s. His plan was discovered by less sympathetic authorities, and he escaped and travelled further up the River Rhine to Worms, where he started again.

The First English New Testament

In 1526, Tyndale published the first New Testament in English, which he called The Newe Testamente, such were the spellings then.

Copies were smuggled into England by traders of the Hanseatic League. Copies were confiscated and burnt in London, and today only three copies of this original 1526 New Testament are known to exist.

There is a copy at the British Library, which they bought for over a million pounds in 1994. The only pristine copy is in the State Library in Stuttgart, and there is a nearly complete copy in St Paul’s Cathedral.

Impact

The language in Tyndale’s translation has influenced the way we speak, and the words and phrases he coined and first put into print are now part of everyday language.

His translation of the New Testament, in a slightly edited form, ended up in the King James Version and, in modernised and updated forms, is still recognisable in the Revised Standard Version, the New King James Version, the New Revised Standard Version, and the English Standard Version, which very much preserve Tyndale’s phraseology and terminology.

Exhibitions

The British Library copy was on display recently in its Treasures room, the St Paul’s copy is currently on display at an exhibition at the Cathedral, and the Stuttgart copy is going on loan back to Worms, where it was printed, for an exhibition there starting in September.

There are currently other exhibitions at Tewkesbury Abbey and Scarborough, with others planned at Oxford and the Faith Museum in Bishop Auckland. Some conferences are also going to mark the anniversary.

The Tyndale Society has its own conference at Oxford in October.

Events

Churches, cathedrals and other groups are slowly catching the vision of the 500th anniversary, which gives an opportunity to tell the story of the English Bible, reflect on our history, and remind ourselves that there are still places where the Bible does not exist in the local language and still places where it is smuggled in.

There have been events all over the country, with more to come. Many churches are holding special services or having talks at church groups.

At the forefront of these events has been the Tyndale Society, which was founded in 1995 and kicked off the 500th anniversary event with a conference in Antwerp in 2025.

The Tyndale Society has supplied speakers, helped organise, or advertised many events, which are listed on the website.

Walks and Trails

With the growing popularity of pilgrimages - no longer to obtain time off in Purgatory, but redeemed by Protestants as walking in the footsteps of history - you can now walk in the footsteps of Tyndale on the Gloucestershire Tyndale Trail, the London Tyndale Trail, or the Stinchcombe Heritage Walk.

For those with energy, you can even walk or cycle down the River Rhine from Cologne to Worms.

Website

The Tyndale Society holds a monthly online “Tyndale Talk” about Tyndale and his impact, which can be found on Eventbrite and which are posted to the “Tyndale Talks” YouTube channel.

To find out more, for facts and information, to see if there is an event near you, or to get help holding an event, see the Tyndale Society website or join the Facebook page."
https://www.christiantoday.com/news/celebrating-500-years-of-the-english-new-testament
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"TEHRAN – The Persian translation of the book “The Secret of the Galician Bagpipe” written by Xose Lois Foxo was unveiled on Saturday, July 25, in Tehran, in a ceremony attended by the book translator, well-known bagpipe player Liana Sharifian and her father, prominent bagpipe player Mohsen Sharifian.

 

Liana Sharifian, 28, is a music researcher, performer, and translator specializing in regional music, particularly Ney Anban, the traditional Iranian bagpipe. She spent a period in the Galicia region of Spain, studying and training on the Galician bagpipe. She has now shared her experience with Persian-speaking audiences through the translation of the book “The Secret of the Galician Bagpipe,” ISNA reported.

 

During the ceremony, Liana spoke about her motivation for publishing the book under current conditions in Iran, as the country has been at war with the US in the past months: “I have always believed that art and culture find their way, even in the darkest of days. Every book published, every piece of knowledge shared, and every bridge built between cultures is a response to violence and despair. That is why I decided not to wait for better days and to release this book in the current circumstances.”

 

Explaining her fascination with other cultures and languages, she added: “I studied for six months in Galicia, in northwestern Spain, and became familiar with the culture and music of the region. The author of this book taught me a love for culture and its promotion, and I translated this work into Persian to pay my dues to the community of Iranian musicians.”

 

Regarding the content, Sharifian noted: “This book is not merely a translation; it is a bridge between the cultures of Iran and Spain. The book covers the history, structure, playing techniques, and various types of Galician bagpipes. In the footnotes, I have added explanations and comparisons with Iranian culture and music wherever possible.”

 

Highlighting the historical background of the bagpipe in Iran, she said: “Based on historical evidence, there are carvings of instruments similar to the bagpipe at Taq-e Bostan in Kermanshah, dating back to the 6th century BC, as well as artifacts from Susa and Haft Tapeh dating to the 8th century BC. This was very interesting to the school where I studied, and they even hung a picture of Taq-e Bostan in their educational space.”

 

“This work can serve as a source and educational reference for musicians who want to learn the Galician bagpipe in the Spanish style. About three-quarters of the book is dedicated to lessons, exercises, and training; readers can follow it as a self-study guide, from music theory topics to basic exercises and the performance of local pieces,” Sharifian added.

 

Reflecting on her life in Spain, she added: “In terms of temperament, there are many similarities between the people of Iran and Spain. In the realm of music, in addition to historical commonalities, some of the rhythms and structures of the Galician bagpipe share similarities with the music of Southern Iran. Throughout my time in Spain, whenever I had the opportunity, I talked about Iran, the music of the south, and my country’s culture, and I consider this my greatest achievement.”

 

Liana Sharifian is a professional player and teacher of the Iranian bagpipe, the Ney Anban. From the age of 16, she studied with her father, the acclaimed piper Mohsen Sharifian.

 

She has distinguished herself by becoming the first documented woman player of the Ney Anban. Passionate about all the bagpipes of the world, she obtained a diploma in Galician Gaita from the school in Ourense. She has appeared on numerous recordings, both as a vocalist and a piper.

 

The Ney Anban is a captivating Persian music instrument that resonates with the soul of southern Iran’s cultural heritage. With its emotive melodies and distinctive construction, this folk music instrument has been a cornerstone of community life in provinces like Bushehr, Hormozgan, and Khuzestan for centuries.

 

From accompanying fishermen at sea to enlivening weddings and rituals, the Ney Anban embodies the spirit of Iranian cultural heritage, blending Persian, Arab, and African influences into its vibrant sound.

SS/SAB"

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528551/Persian-translation-of-The-Secret-of-the-Galician-Bagpipe-unveiled

#metaglossia 

#metaglossia_mundus 

"Translating the “Japanese Shakepeare”
Isabel Adair discusses Japanese literature with Natsume Soseki’s translator Nick Bradley

by Isabel Adair
Monday July 27 2026, 8:44am

You may have heard of popular Japanese novelists, Haruki Murakami or Kazuo Ishiguro – or maybe Japanese literature is completely new territory for you. It certainly was for me: my exposure to Japanese writing only went as far as flicking through some token Japanese novels on the tables in Waterstones. But that all changed when I attended Nick Bradley’s talk at Japan House in South Kensington, where he discussed Natsume Soseki’s ‘I am a Cat’. Bradley has translated several of Soseki’s works and is a novelist in his own right. Soseki is one of Japan’s most celebrated writers, often described as “the Japanese Shakespeare.”

Soseki’s works are timeless in the way they discuss the relationship between traditional Japanese values and Western culture, as Bradley emphasised during his talk. Bradley explained the challenges he has encountered in making Soseki’s work accessible to the British public- trying to make sure his book was true to Soseki’s original work while also catering to British tastes and humour. Keen to hear more from Bradley after the talk, I sat down with him last Wednesday. We talked about his work as a writer, translator, and English teacher in Japan looking for inspiration.

“Translation involves the translation of words, of course, but also the translation of culture and experiences”

Being both a published writer and translator, Bradley was able to shed light on both sides on a hotly debated topic – the translator’s role: “You don’t go into radio because you want your face to be recognised everywhere, and the same is true of the translator.” The translator’s work is behind-the-scenes and acknowledging this is necessary to find fulfilment in the role: when translating Soseki, Bradley’s task is not to stand out, but to remain faithful to the author. “How can I convey Soseki in my writing?” he asks himself, implicitly asking how he can convey more than just his words in English.

Bradley emphasised how deeply personal the translation process is: he feels a relationship with Soseki, which transcends the page. Soseki is a figure he identifies with as a fellow student of literature, and as a man also caught between two places – England and Japan. As he was drawing these connections for me, I realised that translation involves the translation of words, of course, but also the translation of culture and experiences. Translation is a means of connection.

Experiencing another culture was crucial in shaping Nick’s own writing. He has published two books, The Cat and the City (2020) and Four Seasons in Japan (2023), both of which are inspired by his time living in Tokyo. The latter is centred around a disillusioned translator struggling to make a life for herself in the city (how apt!). When I asked Bradley about why he writes novels, he replied that writing is, above all, something he does for himself. “My response to reading books that I love is writing,” he said, “and hoping my books inspire other people to write in the same way.” Where a lot of popular Japanese novels or novels set in Japan can feel like stylised guidebooks – providing Brits with a snapshot of life in a foreign place – Bradley’s writing takes a different approach: he is sharing his experiences, and if they appeal to a wider audience, even better.

“Books should convey the experiences of an individual and invite readers to get a flavour of a country as they flick through its pages”

I think this speaks for the future of foreign literature. In an age of social media and digital technology, where life abroad is often romanticised and stylised – leading to the dreaded “Paris syndrome”, or worse, complete disengagement with the authentic culture of a country – books should convey the experiences of an individual and invite readers to get a flavour of a country as they flick through its pages:

“Paris syndrome”: a severe form of culture shock and psychological distress exclusively experienced by some Japanese tourists. It strikes when the heavily idealized, romantic vision of Paris portrayed in Japanese media shatters upon arrival, leading to acute disappointment, psychiatric breakdowns, and even hallucination.

My conversation with Nick ended with him encouraging me to read as widely as possible. After telling him about my interest in dark, existential novels (I am well aware of how pretentious this sounds!), Bradley recommended me the writing of Kenzaburo Oe, who combined British and French existentialism with Japanese prose – and won a Nobel prize in the process – and Kobo Abe, who explores surrealism and alienation in the modern world. Bradley is full of recommendations: see his article ‘Top 5 Novels from Japan’ for more.

READ MORE
Review of The Mays 34

I can also pass on Bradley’s final piece of advice: go out into the world and experience things for yourself. Although I speak no Japanese, and have only begun to read Japanese literature, I believe my contribution to the task of the translator can be as simple as recording my experiences while respecting that translation should always remain true to the original culture.

Support Varsity

Varsity is the independent newspaper for the University of Cambridge, established in its current form in 1947. In order to maintain our editorial independence, our print newspaper and news website receives no funding from the University of Cambridge or its constituent Colleges."
https://www.varsity.co.uk/arts/31803
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"...Those who have criticized the translation and the film of The Odyssey for contemporary language should understand Wilson’s commitment to avoiding the choices of some other translators who “turned a great poem into a hard one.” “I write for the body,” she tells The New Yorker’s Judith Thurman. Wilson also translated Homer’s The Illiad, the prequel to The Odyssey, in 2023.

In 2023, Wilson, who lives near the Penn campus, took Thurman for a walk along the banks of the Schuylkill and told her about her complicated background. Her mother, Katherine Duncan-Jones, was an Oxford scholar specializing in Elizabethan literature. Her father, A. N. Wilson has written famous biographies of Jesus, Darwin, Tolstoy, Milton, Shakespeare, and Queen Victoria. Her younger sister Bee Wilson is a noted British food writer. The parents divorced in 1988. Emily stayed in Oxford to support her devastated mother and to study English literature. In 1996, she took a big leap, travelling to Yale to pursue a doctorate. Wilson became a U. S. citizen in 2022, “to vote where I live.”

She believes that coming from two worlds has made her a better translator and a professor who can better understand her students. Those who attended elite private secondary schools “don’t doubt that they belong” in a classics program. She is committed to nurturing her public school students, making “the whole human experience of the poems accessible to them.”

The importance of the humanities for all students
While I’m not suggesting that Homer and Virgil led directly to my becoming an English professor and university president, an early background in the classics provided the foundation for my career and for my eternal grappling with the meaning of life.

And I’m not alone. The public is voting with movie tickets and book sales for the importance of the humanities. The New York Times reports in “The Revenge of the Philosophy Majors” that the demand for philosophy majors with A.I. training is outstripping demand.

So much for the false humanities/career dichotomy! It’s possible—and desirable– to be highly employable and to study Homer’s Odyssey.

What’s the meaning of it all?
These questions can and should be explored in university general education and elective courses, as well as in humanities majors. Pennsylvania’s public universities (PASSHE) are now considering three-year bachelors degrees. That would inevitably mean cuts in general education and elective courses.

I’m not entirely opposed to three-year bachelors degrees, especially for returning adults and for others who have self-educated in the humanities and want now to focus entirely on professional preparation. But for 18-22 year-olds, for whom college is a life-changing, growing-up experience, a four-year bachelors’ degree offers the range and scope for both career preparation and reflection on life’s meaning.

It’s particularly galling to be told that three-year bachelors degrees are good enough for low-income students who are advised to rush through higher education and join the work force. Stop. Take a breath. There must be time to read The Odyssey, or, if you’re determined to be in a hurry, at least see Christopher Nolan’s film with friends who want to talk about it.

What should we do?
Go to see Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, read and/or listen to Emily Wilson’s translation.
Encourage K-12 teachers to tell Homer’s stories.
Urge colleges and universities to support humanities programs and electives and to connect humanities majors to A. I. training
Inspire students to be life-long learners, forever improving career skills, while exploring life’s meaning.
Elaine Maimon, Ph.D., is the author of Leading Academic Change: Vision, Strategy, Transformation. Her long career in higher education has encompassed top executive positions at Governors State University (IL), University of Alaska Anchorage, and Arizona"
https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/the-odyssey-is-for-all-of-us/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"Spotlight on Translation Funding: Sheikh Zayed Book Award

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award started their Translation Grant in 2018 with a goal to expand the reach of Arabic literature around the world.

By Erin L. Cox, Publisher | @erinlcox

Last week, guest contributor Chad Post wrote about the recently-launched Literary Arts Fund in the United States which was founded last October to give away $50 million over five years to the nonprofit literary arts, including many translation publishers who have been impacted by the cuts to the National Endowment of the Arts.
Around the world, there are a number of government and private institutions that support the publication of books in translation. In this series, Publishing Perspectives will highlight funding opportunities for publishers who are looking to bring books in translation to readers in their market.

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award is one of the Arab World’s most prestigious and well-funded prizes. In 2018, the award launch a translation fund initiative to support the publication of not only winning but also shortlisted titles in the Literature and Children’s categories by publishers in countries outside the Middle East.

The goal of the translation funding initiative is to promote the spread of Arabic literature around the world. The grant provides financial funding of up to $19,000 USD per title and is available to all publishing houses working to publish books in foreign languages.

This year’s titles for consideration are:

Winner of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in Literature – Births in the Zoo by Egyptian author, judge, and legal scholar Ashraf Elashmawy. The book is a satirical allegory of contemporary Egypt which portrays the Giza zoo as a microcosm of Egyptian society. Elashmawy’s works have been published in English, French, German, Japanese and Italian translations, including a series of English translations of his novels by the American University in Cairo’s Hoopoe Press.
Fourrure by Iraqi author Nizar Abdulsattar sees its protagonist tracing the legacy of his mother from the Moulin Rouge cabaret in Baghdad to Egypt, Lebanon, and finally London, where he becomes immersed in the world of Christie’s auction house and the inner workings of the art market. Abdulsattar was previously shortlisted for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in 2019 for his novel The Sequin Embroidery.
Secret of the Al Za‘farana by Saudi author Badriah Albeshr portrays three generations of Bedouin women to create a tapestry of women’s lives in Bedouin society. In the novel, a young girl becomes a gifted storyteller, retelling women’s stories passed down through generations. The novel offers varied depictions of women’s lives in past and present Arab societies, celebrating the importance of women’s solidarity..."

Erin L. Cox
July 24, 2026
https://publishingperspectives.com/2026/07/spotlight-on-translation-funding-sheikh-zayed-book-award/
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"Translation and dubbing specialist Lingopal will show how AI-powered language workflows can be integrated into existing broadcast and streaming infrastructures at IBC2026.

According to the company, its latest multilingual content services are designed specifically for live and on-demand workflows. The platform currently supports more than 120 languages and offers live AI dubbing for broadcasts, events, sports, news, and streaming content. Other services include real-time translation and multilingual audio distribution, as well as AI-generated captions and subtitles.

Casey Schneider, CEO of Lingopal, said: “Language remains one of the biggest barriers to audience growth”
The company is also showcasing VOD localisation workflows for media libraries, content archives, and Lingopal Rooms, which enable viewers to access translated audio on their own devices.

Casey Schneider, CEO of Lingopal, said: “The future of media is global, but language remains one of the biggest barriers to audience growth. Our goal is to help organisations make live and on-demand content accessible to more people, in more languages, than ever before.”"
By Anne Morris
24 July 2026
https://www.ibc.org/artificial-intelligence/news/lingopal-blends-ai-language-localisation-into-streaming-workflows/22794
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