Metaglossia: The Translation World

"Behind the Scenes: How Conference Interpreters Bring Award Ceremonies to Life
March 20 / 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT
Discover the art of conference interpreting in global events like the Oscars, Grammys, and Champions League interviews. This exclusive roundtable highlights the techniques and strategies interpreters use to convey not just words but emotions and cultural nuances in high-stakes environments. Learn how these practices can enhance traditional interpreting.

Conducted in Portuguese, this event is for PLD members only..."

https://www.atanet.org/event/behind-the-scenes-how-conference-interpreters-bring-award-ceremonies-to-life/
#metaglossia_mundus

Mary Ann Newman curates the Sant Jordi Festival under the tenet that literature in translation is a channel for cross-cultural discourse.

Aleah Gatto
March 18, 2025

Mary Ann Newman is translating a Catalan tradition for New Yorkers. For more than ten years, Newman has helped organize NYC’s iteration of the Sant Jordi Festival—otherwise known as the Day of Books and Roses—that celebrates the Catalan tradition and highlights literature in translation.

A writer, translator, and active member of PEN America’s Translation Committee, Newman curates the festival under the tenet that literature in translation is a channel for cross-cultural discourse. In this interview with Membership Engagement Manager Aleah Gatto, Newman speaks about the exciting line up of this year’s festival and shares her thoughts about the progression of bringing literary translation into the limelight in the United States.

The Sant Jordi Festival, also known as the Day of Books and Roses, is steeped in the rich literary history of Catalonia. Can you talk about the origin of the festival and its significance in Catalan culture?

The origin is the legend of St. George the Dragon Slayer. Sant Jordi—Saint George—is the patron saint of Catalonia, as well as England, Malta, and Lithuania (he’s very popular). As the legend goes, there was a fire-breathing dragon that was attacking the walled city of Montblanc. The dragon demanded sheep and goats or else it would burn the town down. And when they ran out of livestock, he demanded humans. The town drew lots and the king’s daughter got the short straw. She was dressed as a bride going down to the river to meet the dragon, then Sant Jordi showed up. He wounded the dragon, and from the blood that fell from his wounded wing, a rosebush sprang up. That’s why gentlemen give their ladies a rose on Saint George’s Day (Diada de Sant Jordi).

Sant Jordi started in the 15th or 16th century, but in the 1920s, the Catalan Booksellers Association and the Barcelona Booksellers Guild decided to mix books into the rose festival, held on April 23rd, which is now International Book Day. It was so successful that, now, ten percent of all the books sold in Catalonia are sold on Sant Jordi.

In Catalonia, most of its seaside towns have promenades to the sea that used to be canals. For those boulevards and promenades to be lined with book stands and flower stalls is just gorgeous.

Can you tell me how this epic celebration found its way to the United States, and how you came to co-organize its NYC iteration?

As long as there have been Catalans in New York, they have been gathering to celebrate Sant Jordi. My co-organizing organization, the Catalan Institute of America, another centenary organization, used to organize events celebrating Catalan literature. In 2014, we decided we wanted to go beyond the Catalan-speaking, because Sant Jordi in Catalonia is not exclusively about Catalan literature. It’s about literature. We wanted to reflect that, and we also wanted to embrace people beyond the Catalan community. The first time we did that—we organized a lit crawl in DUMBO—we were able to do it thanks to the PEN America Translation Committee. Everybody was very enthusiastic about having an opportunity to read from their translations of authors from Poland, the Czech Republic, Argentina, Mozambique, and Catalonia. It was quite the party. We were like the Pied Pipers of Hamelin, picking up new readers as we went from bookstore to bookstore.

How has the festival transformed over the years?

There have been really important transitional moments. One of them was 2020, because we were planning lit crawls in five neighborhoods when Covid shut us down. Since we were working with the extraordinary multimedia artists, Laia Cabrera and Isabelle Duverger, who were going to do projection mappings on buildings, when we learned that all our plans were dashed, I asked them what they would think of going online. Within three hours, they came up with a concept and Isabelle had a sketch for a landing page. We became the webpage for other literary festivals that year, including the PEN World Voices Festival and its Translation Slam. The most important thing was that we discovered our international audience: people were tuning in from Finland, Iceland, Iraq. Sinan Antoon read from his new publication, The Book of Collateral Damage. After the U.S. and Spain, Iraq was the country from which we had most website visits. There were people in Finland seeing writers who were reading from Japan, et cetera. It was incredible.

Last year, our website had 35,000 visitors, and people come throughout the year because it’s simply there. In 2022, we went back to doing in-person events, in addition to online events, and you can find all of that on the website, as well.

The most important development since 2020 is that, this year, the West Village Business Improvement District (BID) is hosting us. This means that the city devotes a percentage of the taxes paid by businesses in the district to improve the atmosphere of the neighborhood, which can include second garbage pickups and more security, as well as cultural events. Working with the West Village BID, on April 26th, we’re going to close down Christopher Street and have book stalls and food and beverage tastings. Books, roses, and food! So that’s really exciting.

What does this year’s festival look like in terms of the types of languages that we’ll see and events that you’re looking forward to?

To honor the West Village’s literary history, we’re hosting an online conversation with Luisa Valenzuela, the Argentine novelist who lived in the West Village in the ‘90s, and Suzanne Jill Levine, who is the translator of Manuel Puig, the Argentine author of Kiss of the Spider Woman, who also lived there from 1963-1973. Jill is a good friend of Luisa’s and was also running around in the village in those days. Luisa will be reading a piece from a novel she wrote that takes place in the West Village, and Marguerite Feitlowitz will read her English translation. It will be a jumping off point for talking about the atmosphere of being a Latin American writer in The Village. Jill will regale us with anecdotes, some taken from her biography of Puig. She is a master schmoozer with a capacious memory of those days.

For the in-person events, on April 24th, we’ll be presenting Ara Merjian’s translation of Aram’s Notebook, a 1997 novel by Catalan author Maria Àngels Anglada, who died in 1999. It’s important for these times because it’s the story of the Armenian Genocide told from the perspective of a mother and son who escaped the massacre because they were on a pilgrimage. Professor Merjian of NYU will be in conversation with Professor Aurélie Vialette of Yale. And we hope to have a special guest who I can’t quite mention.

There will also be a beautiful in-person event with Emma Ramadan and Julia Sanches. Emma translates from French and Julia from Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese. Both have translations coming out this year by authors of North African origin who are writing from Europe: Munir Hachemi from Madrid, Meryem el Mehdate from Tenerife, and Abdellah Taïa from Paris. Their writings push back against this monolithic idea of what North African writers living in Europe are experiencing. I think it’ll be a really compelling conversation.

In a similar vein, Jennifer Shyue will be reading her translation of A Blind Salmon by Julia Wong Kcomt, a writer of Chinese Peruvian descent. In this way, we will be reflecting the question of migration as a vein of modern literature. Considering the current attitude toward immigration, it’s really important to be focusing on that.

When we highlight all of these international literatures through English, we are bringing them an audience that they would not have otherwise.

As a longtime member of PEN America, a writer, and a translator, you undoubtedly carry a wellspring of experience advocating for greater attention to be paid to literary translation in the U.S. In your experience, what efforts have seen the greatest success?

There have been a lot of things. There was Chad Post, who started the Three Percent blog, which discussed the terrible statistic that, of all the books published in the U.S., only three percent were published in translation (and that’s not talking only about literature—that includes medical textbooks and things like that). Bringing attention to that and making that shameful percentage part of the conversation was very important.

Since then, translation has begun to come into its own. I can remember an event maybe twelve or fifteen years ago at which a renowned editor (whose name I won’t mention) said that putting a translator’s name on the cover was automatically to lose buyers. It was the general atmosphere at the time. Thankfully, that feeling has changed, in part because of some translation successes: books by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein, Karl Ove Knausgård, translated by Don Bartlett, and Geetnajli Shree, translated by Daisy Rockwell, have become best sellers. All of these things have made it impossible for an editor to make that argument anymore.

There’s still a terrible lag in books in translation getting published but you can point to these bestsellers and say, “Hey, give it a chance.” As an agent once remarked, a translation is a good bet because it’s already been vetted in another country in another language and reached the top of the pile. Publishers like Jill Schoolman of Archipelago, Edwin Frank of New York Review of Books, Chad Post of Open Letter have made translation more visible. They’ve created a narrative of international literature. There has been an incredible groundswell in the past twenty years thanks to very specific people. And there are many more beyond New York City and State (my provincialism is showing).

What advice would you give to PEN America’s community of writers, translators, and advocates for uplifting the work of literary translators?

Above all, read. Try to fit one book in translation into your reading schedule. And when you’re planning events, if you’re an event planner, try to include a cross-cultural or intercultural translation by including translated literature. Nobody’s better than PEN’s community of writers and translators to begin to establish that as a practice rather than an exception.

I would also say that people should come to the Sant Jordi Festival!

Absolutely: check out our website. There’s always wonderful stuff there: you’ll find things from other years and you can search for languages. It’s a wonderful resource.

Is there anything else that you’d like to share about the Sant Jordi Festival, advocacy, or the art of literary translation?

In international publishing, English is the great monster. Every other language translates from English, but English doesn’t necessarily translate from the other languages. One of the things we’ve discovered in doing Sant Jordi over the years is that, if we are giving a platform in English for the literatures of the world, we’re kind of countering that role of English as the three hundred-pound gorilla. It doesn’t matter if you’re a minoritized or lesser-known literature. Except for English, French, German, maybe Italian, and Russian, most literatures are lesser-known. How many books are translated from Hungarian in a year? When we highlight all of these international literatures through English, we are bringing them an audience that they would not have otherwise. For example: Catalan exists in a position of disadvantage in Spain vis-a-vis Castilian, just as Spanish does vis-à-vis English in New York, or Quechua vis-à-vis Spanish in Peru. When Catalan or Assamese is on a platform in English next to books in Castilian or Hindi, they’re all the same. The celebration is a useful medium for international literatures to bump up against one another. And it’s nice for English to be able to be a communicating vessel for other languages and cultures, which is a role I like to think we share with the PEN World Voices Festival.

Mary Ann Newman is a translator by vocation and cultural administrator by profession. She has translated such major Catalan authors as Quim Monzó, Josep Carner, Josep Maria de Sagarra, and Joan Fuster. Her professional life has revolved around Catalan and Hispanic literatures and cultures. She was the founder of the Catalan Studies Program and the Catalan Center at New York University. She is the founder and executive director of the Farragut Fund for Catalan Culture in the U.S., President-delegate of the jury of the Premi Internacional Catalunya (International Catalonia Award), and, as of March 2025, a Corresponding Member of the Institute for Catalan Studies. In 1998 she received the Creu de Sant Jordi (Cross of St. George), the highest honor awarded by the Catalan government and was awarded the 2017 North American Catalan Society Prize and the J-B Cendrós Award from Òmnium Cultural for her translation of Sagarra’s Private Life, and the 2022 Ramon Llull International Award for Cultural Diversity."
https://pen.org/books-roses-and-food-sant-jordi-festival-celebrates-translation-in-new-york/

“All written examinations administered to applicants for a driver license or intermediate driver license must be in English only. An applicant shall not use a translation dictionary, an electronic device, or an interpreter to assist with the administration of the examination,” the bill reads.

"NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A bill requiring all written driver’s license exams to only be offered in English in Tennessee failed in a House subcommittee on Tuesday.

In a split vote during Tuesday’s meeting of the House Transportation Subcommittee, three representatives voted for the bill, five others voted no, and one abstained from voting.

Last week, the bill, HB 0556/SB 1373, was placed on the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for Wednesday, March 19.

Related Coverage:
“All written examinations administered to applicants for a driver’s license or intermediate driver’s license must be in English only. An applicant shall not use a translation dictionary, an electronic device, or an interpreter to assist with the administration of the examination,” the bill reads.

Tennessee’s written driving tests are currently offered in English, Spanish, German, Korean and Japanese. Translation dictionaries are also allowed during the test, but an interpreter is not.

With SB1373, all written driver’s license tests would only be offered in English and would also ban, as stated in the language of the bill, the use of a translation dictionary, electronic device, or interpreter to assist a person taking the examination.

According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, around 12,494 written exams are taken in another language other than English each year. And with the fee for a standard driver’s license at $26, the estimated lost revenue is believed to be around $58,000.

Also last year, Our State, Our Languages Coalition filed a complaint against the TDOSHS and its Driver Services Division for not providing driving tests in more languages. The complaint alleged that the state was violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by not including other highly spoken languages, such as Chinese or Arabic."
By Caleb Wethington
https://www.wsmv.com/2025/03/18/bill-aiming-ban-non-english-drivers-tests-translation-dictionaries-interpreters-tn-fails-house/
#metaglossia_mundus

"When someone asks Damion Searls how he “chooses” words for a translation, he likens it to asking a reader how they “choose” what Mr. Darcy looks like when reading “Pride and Prejudice.” Neither is so much a choice, he says, but a response shaped by the text.

“We’re not translating the words that are there. We’re having a reading experience, and then we’re giving a version of that that someone who reads English can then have,” Searls ’92 told the audience... “This is why there are no perfect translations or ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ translations, just like there’s no wrong way that Mr. Darcy looks.”

Searls, who works from German, Norwegian, French, and Dutch, has translated Nobel Prize winner Jon Fosse, Proust, Rilke, Nietzsche, Thomas Mann, and Max Weber. He discussed his philosophy, which he outlines in his 2024 book, at a lecture co-hosted by the Department of Comparative Literature, the Department of Philosophy, and the Mahindra Humanities Center’s Rethinking Translation Seminar...

“Whatever you think translating is, it’s some kind of reading and some kind of writing joined together,” the former Adams and Dunster House resident said. “Reading explains a lot about translation, and if you unpack what reading is you’re going to get most of the way to the philosophy of translation.”

“Reading explains a lot about translation, and if you unpack what reading is you’re going to get most of the way to the philosophy of translation.”

Searls said translation isn’t that different from other forms of writing in English, which require the same skills. However what distinguishes translation is the way translators read, a close reading that engages deeply with a language’s structure.

When “reading like a translator,” Searls said he must identify which linguistic elements can be omitted in English and which are intentional stylistic choices by the author. When translating Uwe Johnson’s “Anniversaries,” for example, he noticed frequent “not this but that” constructions (“the train leaves at not 7:00 but 6:00”), which are more common in German than in English.

While it would be easy to rephrase for smoother English, he realized Johnson used this pattern deliberately to express a personal vision and “slowly hone in on the truth.”

“We can’t just erase it because it’s not just the German language: It’s him, the author,” Searls said. “Every writer is using the resources of their language to do what they want to do, and as translators we have to do the same thing with an entirely different body of resources.”

In “The Philosophy of Translation,” Searls draws from French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s ideas about perception to describe how translating happens, arguing the “living bond” that exists between people and objects also exists between translators and the language they are reading..."

By Eileen O’Grady

"The International Criminal Court (ICC) is looking for freelance transcribers who are proficient in the Filipino and Cebuano language.

Transcribers who will be hired by the ICC will be assigned in its Language Services Unit, Integrated Services Division under the Office of the Prosecutor.

“A roster of freelance transcribers will be established as a result of this selection process. Once accredited, freelance transcribers may be offered contracts for the provision of remote transcription services in keeping with the operational needs of the Unit,” the job posting read.

“Mindful of the nature of the ICC’s mandate and operations, freelance transcribers must understand that the audio/video material outsourced for transcription may on occasion risk being of an upsetting or disturbing nature,” it read further.

The job opening was posted on ICC’s website on January 28, 2025 or more than a month before the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte, whose primary language is Cebuano or Visayan language, is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands as he face charges of crimes against humanity before the ICC.

According to the arrest warrant, the ICC pre-trial chamber found reasonable grounds to believe he was "individually responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder" in connection with the killings blamed on his war on drugs.

It stated that the Duterte Death Squad (DDS) and Philippine law enforcement personnel under his leadership targeted persons allegedly involved in drug-related criminal activities.

Government records show that there were at least 6,200 drug suspects killed in police operations from June 2016 to November 2021, but several human rights groups have refuted this and say that the number may have reached as much as 30,000 due to unreported related killings. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/939760/icc-opens-freelancing-job-posts-for-tagalog-cebuano-transcribers/story/

#metaglossia_mundus 

"March 18, 2025 MIT

How far back does our ability to speak stretch? A new analysis of genomic data suggests that the capacity for human language existed at least 135,000 years ago, a timeline that places its origins deep within the history of Homo sapiens. This finding, published in Frontiers in Psychology, offers a fresh perspective on a question that has long intrigued scientists: when did humans begin to communicate in the ways we recognize today?

The study, led by Shigeru Miyagawa, an MIT professor emeritus, examined 15 genetic studies published over the last 18 years...

“The logic is very simple,” says Miyagawa. “Every population branching across the globe has human language, and all languages are related.” He adds, based on the genomic data, “I think we can say with a fair amount of certainty that the first split occurred about 135,000 years ago, so human language capacity must have been present by then, or before.”...

This meta-analysis was made possible by the increasing availability of genomic studies. “Quantity-wise we have more studies, and quality-wise, it’s a narrower window [of time],” Miyagawa explains, highlighting the convergence of evidence from various research efforts. The studies showed that after Homo sapiens emerged roughly 230,000 years ago, groups of people began to move apart geographically, leading to genetic variations over time.

The authors also considered the archaeological record. Roughly 100,000 years ago, there was a widespread appearance of symbolic activity, such as meaningful markings on objects and the use of fire to produce ochre. “Behaviors compatible with language and the consistent exercise of symbolic thinking are detectable only in the archaeological record of H. sapiens,” the paper notes. This period of symbolic activity, they suggest, might have been triggered by the development of language.

Ian Tattersall, a co-author and curator emeritus of human origins at the American Museum of Natural History, has long held the view that language served as an “ignition for symbolic thinking and other organized activities.” Miyagawa elaborates, “Language was the trigger for modern human behavior. Somehow it stimulated human thinking and helped create these kinds of behaviors. If we are right, people were learning from each other [due to language] and encouraging innovations of the types we saw 100,000 years ago.”

However, the researchers acknowledge that not all scholars agree with this interpretation...

The research also delves into the distinction between language as a cognitive system and a communication system. “Language is both a cognitive system and a communication system,” Miyagawa states. “My guess is prior to 135,000 years ago, it did start out as a private cognitive system, but relatively quickly that turned into a communications system.”

https://scienceblog.com/557285/the-dawn-of-words-did-language-emerge-135000-years-ago

#metaglossia_mundus 

Can cooperation in space have any implications for better cultural cooperation on earth?

 

"The Space Station as a Model for Intercultural Cooperation

Mar 18, 2025

By H. Steven Moffic, MD

 

Perhaps sometime over the last 9 months, you noticed that 2 NASA astronauts were stuck at the International Space Center due to a malfunction—quite a difference from the few days of stay expected... They are due back on earth this evening.

 

The replacement crew arrived last Sunday, representing NASA, the Japanese space agency, and the Russian space agency. It was this variety of cultural and international backgrounds that also got my attention. It reminded me that apparent enemies on earth—say, Russia and the United States—can be so cooperative in space. Can that have any implications for better cultural cooperation on earth?

 

Here is what the space international partnership did to evolve from competition to some collaboration. For decades, a competition for leadership in space seemed to alternate with a more cooperative approach.1 For instance, in 1967, there was a United Nations resolution by the United States and Japan to prevent the development of nuclear arms in outer space, but Russia vetoed the resolution. Last year, the relationship of the United States and Japan continued to evolve, with President Biden’s announcement that Japan’s astronauts would join an upcoming Artemis mission, projecting the first time a non-American would set foot on the moon. With the Russians and the United States, we have gone from the Russian Sputnik lead to teams of both Russian and American astronauts. For shifting alliances, we must remember that Japan was a dangerous enemy and Russia an ally in World War II.

 

The challenge now is to steer an international coalition of traditional allies, traditional enemies, emerging space nations, and innovative private entities. The United States has been prioritizing African countries such as Rwanda and Nigeria to join the Artemis accords. Some other African countries, though, are joining China.

 

There has been social psychological research over time that has relevance for helpful cooperation over damaging competition.2 In the 1954 Robbers Cave Experiment with young male teenagers at summer camp, their division into 2 competitive groups caused increasing friction and fights over inadequate resources. One group burned the other’s flag, for instance. Attempts to resolve the tension through friendly encounters like meals together did not work, one devolving into a food fight. But shared challenges, like fixing the camp’s sabotaged water supply, stimulated ongoing cooperation...

 

Our challenge in space is its peaceful exploration, giving humanity another chance for better cooperation, the kind exhibited by these astronauts. As the jazz great Sun Ra catchingly chanted over and over about the potential future: “Space is the Place.”

 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/the-space-station-as-a-model-for-intercultural-cooperation

"Saudi Arabia: Mecca's Grand Mosque sermons now translated into 11 languages to reach global worshippers
The translations span a wide linguistic range — English, French, Urdu, Malay, Persian, Hausa, Chinese, Russian, Bengali, Turkish and Indonesian.
Last updated: March 16, 2025 | 13:19
By Khitam Al Amir

Dubai: Sermons and religious lessons from the Grand Mosque in Mecca are now being translated into 11 languages, to make Islamic teachings more accessible to worshippers around the world, the General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques said.

The multilingual broadcasts, available through the Manarat Al Haramain digital platform, cover high-profile sermons including Friday and Eid prayers, as well as religious addresses delivered during Arafat, eclipses, and rain-seeking prayers.

Ramadan Prayer Timetable 2025
The translations span a wide linguistic range — English, French, Urdu, Malay, Persian, Hausa, Chinese, Russian, Bengali, Turkish and Indonesian.

The authority said the service aims to remove language barriers for non-Arabic speakers, who make up a significant portion of the millions who tune in virtually or attend the mosque in person during Ramadan, Hajj, and other religious occasions.

The initiative also extends beyond sermons. Interpretations are offered for religious lectures by senior scholars, Ramadan and Hajj enrichment programs, and conferences and seminars hosted within the mosque’s premises..."
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-meccas-grand-mosque-sermons-now-translated-into-11-languages-to-reach-global-worshippers-1.500062283

"This may come as a shock, but it turns out that an astounding proportion of AI search results are flat-out incorrect, according to a new study published by the Columbia Journalism Review...
Conducted by researchers at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism, the analysis probed eight AI models including OpenAI's ChatGPT search and Google's Gemini, finding that overall, they gave an incorrect answer to more than 60 percent of queries.

It should tell you something that the most accurate model to emerge from these tests, Perplexity from Perplexity AI, still answered 37 percent of its questions incorrectly. The village idiot award, meanwhile, goes to Elon Musk's chatbot Grok 3, which was wrong a staggering 94 percent of the time. Impressively bad.

"While traditional search engines typically operate as an intermediary, guiding users to news websites and other quality content, generative search tools parse and repackage information themselves, cutting off traffic flow to original sources," the authors warned. "These chatbots' conversational outputs often obfuscate serious underlying issues with information quality."

By now, of course, the proclivity of large language models to lie or wrongly report information is well documented. But that hasn't stopped tech companies from trying to supplant the traditional web search, with some releasing versions of their existing chatbots tailor-made to do just that, like ChatGPT search. Google has even debuted an "AI Mode" that only shows Gemini summaries instead of web links.

This latest study quantifies why this might be a bad idea. It was conducted by choosing ten random articles each from a pool of twenty publications, ranging from The Wall Street Journal to TechCrunch. In what should've been a softball, the chatbots were asked to identify an article's headline, its publisher, its publication date, and its URL. To make things even easier, the researchers made sure to only choose article excerpts that returned the original source within the first three results of an old-fashioned Google search.

In addition to showing the AI models were wrong over half the time, these tests exposed other idiot tendencies. A classic one? Passing off their dubious wisdom "with alarming confidence," by either not qualifying their responses or failing to decline questions they didn't know the answer to.

This lines up with other research documenting how AI models would rather hallucinate — or make up — answers instead of admitting they're out of their depth. Maybe that's because a policy of honesty would betray just how useless the AI models can be; Microsoft's Copilot, for example, declined more questions than it answered, the researchers said.

The AI search tools were also terrible at citing their sources. ChatGPT Search linked to the wrong source article nearly 40 percent of the time, and straight up didn't bother to provide one in another 21 percent of cases....
https://futurism.com/study-ai-search-wrong

"La Camerounaise Hemley Boum, nouvelle lauréate du Grand Prix Afrique, succède au Congolais Jean-Aimé Dibakana. Cette récompense littéraire lui a été décernée lors du salon du livre africain à Paris, pour son cinquième roman, "Le rêve du pêcheur", puissante fresque familiale entre Douala et Paris.

Déjà récompensée du Grand prix d’Afrique pour son roman "Les maquisards", Éditions La cheminante, en 2015, puis par le prix Louis-Guilloux en 2024 pour son roman "Le rêve du pêcheur", Éditions Gallimard, Hemley Boum a su conquérir cette fois-ci le jury du Grand Prix Afrique qui l’a choisie parmi les six finalistes en lice.

Elle remporte le prix littéraire intitulé Grand Prix Afrique (des écrivains de langue française), anciennement Grand prix littéraire d’Afrique noire, décerné annuellement par l’Association des écrivains de langue française, reconnue d'utilité publique depuis le 19 juillet 1952, et ayant pour but de « promouvoir l’œuvre des écrivains qui, à travers le monde, s’expriment en français ». Il est ouvert aux « écrivains de langue française originaires de l’Afrique subsaharienne, ou à un ouvrage concernant cette zone géographique, en excluant les traductions ».

À travers son roman, l’auteure invite le lecteur à plonger et à s’immerger en plein cœur de la société camerounaise d’hier et d’aujourd’hui. Elle aborde des sujets aussi douloureux que l’exil et le déracinement, et aussi lumineux que l’amour, la résilience et le pardon.

Zack a fui le Cameroun à 18 ans, abandonnant sa mère, Dorothée, à son sort et à ses secrets. Devenu psychologue clinicien à Paris, marié et père de famille, il est rattrapé par le passé alors que la vie qu’il s’est construite prend l’eau de toutes parts. A quelques décennies de là, son grand-père, Zacharias, pêcheur dans un petit village côtier, voit son mode de vie traditionnel bouleversé par une importante compagnie forestière. Il rêve d’un autre avenir pour les siens... Avec ces deux histoires savamment entrelacées, Hemley Boum signe une fresque puissante et lumineuse qui éclaire à la fois les replis de la conscience et les mystères de la transmission.

Extrait
« Dans l’avion qui me menait au loin, j’ai eu le sentiment de respirer à pleins poumons pour la première fois de ma vie et j’en ai pleuré de soulagement. On peut mourir mille morts,un peu à la fois, à essayer de sauver malgré lui l’être aimé. J’avais offert à Dorothée mon corps en bouclier, mon silence complice, le souffle attentif de mes nuits d’enfant et, en grandissant, l’argent que me rapportaient mes larcins, sans parvenir à l’arrimer à la vie. Je pensais ne jamais la quitter mais, lorsque les événements m’y contraignirent, j’hésitai à peine. C’était elle ou moi. »...

ISBN : 2073032427

Nombre de pages : 352

€21,50

https://www.adiac-congo.com/content/grand-prix-afrique-hemley-boum-nouvelle-laureate-163474

"In this talk, Stephanie McCarter will discuss her recent translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Penguin, 2022). She will first address her tactics for transforming Ovid’s poetic and metrical effects into English verse. She will then outline her strategies for interpreting and rendering Ovid’s themes of sexual violence, gender, sexuality, and the body. She will consider throughout how she carefully negotiated Ovid’s playful style and disturbing subject matter to produce a poetic, accurate, and ethical translation.

 

Stephanie McCarter is a professor of Classics at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN. Her works of translation include Horace’s Epodes, Odes, and Carmen Saeculare (University of Oklahoma Press, 2020) and Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Penguin Classics, 2022), which won the 2023 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets. She also recently edited and contributed translations to Women in Power (Penguin Classics, 2024), an anthology of classical myths and stories about ancient female rulers.

 

Cosponsored by the IHC’s Key Passages series and Hester and Cedric Crowell Endowment"

Date & Time

Thu, Apr 17 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

 

https://www.independent.com/events/ihc-talk-translating-ovids-metamorphoses/

"Senior Lecturer / Lecturer, Department of Translation
Employer
LINGNAN UNIVERSITY
Location
Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
Closing date
24 Mar 2025
...
Senior Lecturer / Lecturer
Department of Translation
(Post Ref.: 25/74)

The Department of Translation sets out to provide an education in bilingual studies which can nourish graduates with competence in Chinese and English as well as capacity to think independently. One of its central features is the equal emphasis on translation as a profession and as an academic discipline. Another feature is the importance attached to the socio-cultural environment of the Chinese and English languages. The appointee will be required to teach courses in some of the following areas: Practical Translation, Computer-aided Translation, Interpreting, Translation and Culture, Corporate Communications, English through Subtitles and Business Translation. Excellent command of Chinese and English is a must, and competence in both Cantonese and Putonghua will be an advantage. Further information on the Department and its programmes and activities can be found on the Department’s website: http://www.LN.edu.hk/tran/.

General Requirements

Candidates should have a master degree in Translation Studies or related disciplines and have substantial relevant teaching experience (not less than eight years in universities for Senior Lecturer).

Appointment

The conditions of appointment will be competitive. The rank and remuneration will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Fringe benefits include annual leave, medical and dental benefits, mandatory provident fund, gratuity, and incoming passage and baggage allowance for the eligible appointee. Appointments will be normally made on a contract basis for up to two years.

Application Procedure (online application only)

Please click "Apply Now" to submit your application by 24 March 2025. Applicants shall provide names and contact information of at least three referees to whom applicant's consent has been given for their providing references. Personal data collected will be used for recruitment purposes only..."

.https://www.timeshighereducation.com/unijobs/listing/390071/senior-lecturer-lecturer-department-of-translation/

It will offer both Irish Sign Language (ISL) or British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting at the touch of a button.

"The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has launched a new sign language video relay service for deaf people.
It will offer both Irish Sign Language (ISL) or British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting at the touch of a button.
From Tuesday users will have 24 hour, seven days a week access to the facility on the SignVideo app or via a call button on the PSNI website.
This will put them through to an interpreter who will then relay the call through to the Contact Management Centre where it will be progressed like all other calls received.

Chief Insp Michelle Adams of the PSNI's Strategic Partnerships and Prevention Branch said: "This service means that people from the deaf community will now be empowered to report anything to us themselves, allowing us to take the most meaningful information we can from them and start investigating or supporting in the most appropriate way.
"We want to reassure the deaf community that they will be treated with the utmost respect if they need to contact the Police Service.
"We also want to allay any concerns about data protection. SignVideo interpreters are NRCPD qualified which takes seven years to achieve. They also have a minimum of three years community practitioning experience.
"All interpreters are bound to confidentiality and will not answer any questions or discuss anything regarding a conversation they have been interpreting with any other person."
'Significant development'
British Deaf Association NI Manager Majella McAteer welcomed the launch of the service.
"We are especially delighted that this launch coincides with our annual Sign Language Week during which we aim to celebrate and raise awareness about British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language," she said.
"This is a significant development and a true step forward in achieving equality for sign language users.
"With the video relay service, deaf individuals can now make non-emergency calls to the Police Service independently, without relying on family members, friends, or others for communication support.
"This increased independence and confidence will be greatly welcomed by the sign language community.""

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2yp9dxzgeo

"Southeast Asia (MNN) — For God so loved the world… but over seven hundred languages have never heard the Gospel. That’s about to change — starting with twenty-five new translations.

One of the most beautiful sounds to the human ear is the sound of one’s own name, especially when called by the Creator and Savior. But many truth-seekers in South Asia have never known this joy because their language has not yet welcomed Jesus. Without Scripture in their heart language, they remain disconnected from the greatest story ever told.

Moved by this reality, twenty-five believers have answered the call to bring God’s Word into their world of sounds. Wycliffe Associates is coming alongside them, providing essential tools, encouragement, and training to make it possible. Mark Stedman from Wycliffe Associates explains:

“The teams that are choosing to do this work, they do it because they love the Lord. And despite all of that, sometimes these projects can take a year or even two years.”

Photo is a representative stock image courtesy of Randall Meng via Unsplash

Two years can feel like a long wait for those desperate for hope. That’s where Starlink — a satellite internet service — comes in. By equipping translators with their own internet kits, the mission removes several key barriers.

“So what’s exciting about this new technology is we can upload files, back up their work, and even have video calls with people in the remotest places on Earth, so they can work with facilitators helping them translate,” says Stedman.

Bringing the Gospel to these unreached groups costs about three to four thousand dollars, covering the Starlink kit, delivery, and setup. This is where your prayers and support can cross land and sea to reach the waiting hearts of Southeast Asia."

https://www.mnnonline.org/news/bible-translation-breakthrough-25-new-languages-may-hear-of-jesus-love/

En cette «Semaine de la Langue française et de la Francophonie», qui se déroule du 15 au 23 mars 2025, mais aussi de l'éducation financière, L'Agefi explore le travail du Collège de terminologie de l'économie et des finances. Un des rouages de la traduction des termes économiques et financiers anglo-saxons en français.

"...Traduire le jargon financier en français est aussi une question de «timing»
En cette «Semaine de la Langue française et de la Francophonie», qui se déroule du 15 au 23 mars 2025, mais aussi de l'éducation financière, L’Agefi explore le travail du Collège de terminologie de l'économie et des finances. Un des rouages de la traduction des termes économiques et financiers anglo-saxons en français.
Publié le 18 mars 2025 à 06:53 - Maj 19 mars 2025 à 00:10
Adrien Paredes-Vanheule

La Semaine de la Langue française et de la Francophonie se déroule du 15 au 23 mars 2025 - RK.
Des thermes aux termes, il n’est qu’une lettre qui diffère. Les bains ne sont pas les mêmes. Qui plonge dans les termes, nage dans un bain de mots. Quelque 368 équivalents français de termes empruntés respectivement au monde anglo-saxon de la finance sont déjà disponibles sur le site internet FranceTerme.

Leur publication en ligne est la dernière étape d’un long processus supervisé par la Commission d’enrichissement de la langue française. Celle-ci fait appel, entre autres, au Collège de terminologie de l’économie et des finances afin d’actualiser le vocabulaire économique et financier dans la langue de Molière.

Le Collège est présidé par Pierre-Charles Pradier, chercheur associé au Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne, lui-même secondé par Didier Marteau, professeur émérite à l’ESCP-Europe et président du groupe Banque, Assurance, Marchés au sein du Collège. Il rassemble experts techniques d’institutions de référence (AMF, ACPR, Banque de France, CDC, etc.) et de directions et services ministériels (Trésor, budget, etc.) mais aussi des personnalités qualifiées du secteur de la finance et des membres de droit issus des instances œuvrant pour la langue française. On y retrouve par exemple des membres de la Direction générale de la langue française et des langues de France, le haut fonctionnaire chargé de la terminologie et la langue française, l’Académie française et l’Afnor.

Chaque trimestre, le Collège se réunit pour examiner une quinzaine de termes sur une liste qui en comporte entre 50 et 100. S’ensuivent les séances de la Commission d’enrichissement de la langue française puis la publication des listes de termes traduits au Journal officiel et sur FranceTerme.

A lire aussi: Finance verte, cyberjetons... comment le vocabulaire financier se francise face aux anglicismes
Difficultés
Si un certain nombre de termes traduits sont effectivement employés dans le milieu de la finance française – tels qu’ «obligations à haut rendement» pour le high yield ou «marchés à terme» pour désigner les futures – , d’autres demeurent peu usités comme «obligations catégorie investissement» pour parler de dette investment grade voire inutilisés. Aucune trace par exemple dans la documentation des fonds d’investissement de «picorage de titres» pour stock picking, «valeur à quatre sous» pour penny stock ou «valeur de premier ordre» pour blue chip.

Sollicités par L’Agefi, Pierre-Charles Pradier et Didier Marteau relèvent trois difficultés dans le travail de traduction. Du point de vue purement linguistique, il convient de donner une définition satisfaisante et choisir le bon équivalent français. Du point de vue de la diffusion, il faut trouver les bons relais. Enfin, la chronologie revêt une importance capitale.

A lire aussi: Pierre-Charles Pradier : «Personne ne comprend le concept derrière le terme de matérialité»
«Il y a un moment optimal pour adopter un terme, c’est le kairos des Anciens. Si nous proposons un terme quand il n’y a aucun usage en français, nous n’avons pas de point d’ancrage et notre proposition pourrait peiner à s’imposer, mais si nous attendons trop longtemps, nous ne pouvons en général que constater les usages. C’est la difficulté avec les termes comme picorage ou valeurs à quatre sous : si le choix des équivalents est savoureux, l’usage de l’anglais était trop installé en 2012 pour qu’on puisse le déplacer aisément», expliquent Pierre-Charles Pradier et Didier Marteau. Tous deux précisent qu’ils n’avaient pas encore rejoint le Collège de terminologie de l’économie et les finances à l’époque de l’adoption de ces termes.

Changement d’approche
Ces traductions faites par leurs prédécesseurs témoignent d’une recherche littéraire dans le choix des équivalents, disent-ils. Ils concèdent que «ces termes n’étaient malheureusement pas dans l’usage au moment de leur adoption et ne sont pas sortis des dictionnaires». Les membres du Collège de terminologie de l’économie et des finances ont, depuis, changé d’approche. Ils essayent d’identifier le plus tôt possible les termes d’origine étrangère, et en cherchant à se rapprocher des professionnels dans le but d’obtenir un effet concret dans l’usage. L’un des termes ayant fait l’objet de cette réflexion est celui de finance parallèle qui se substitue à shadow banking, le terme généralement employé pour faire référence à la finance non bancaire.

A lire aussi: Natasha Cazenave (Esma) : « Il ne s'agit pas de déréguler mais d'être plus efficace »
Au départ, racontent Pierre-Charles Pradier et Didier Marteau, l’expression «finance de l’ombre» a prédominé entre 2011 et 2015 mais n’apportait pas satisfaction. «Elle donnait l’impression qu’il s’agissait d’une activité clandestine voire illégale, alors que le problème de la finance parallèle est simplement qu’elle n’est pas régulée dans les mêmes termes que l’activité bancaire, même si elle présente les mêmes risques qui ont précisément justifié de surveiller de près les banques», développe le duo.

Parler de «finance parallèle» évitait les connotations obscures, indiquait la parenté entre deux systèmes financiers mais en même temps suggérait une certaine distance. En outre, l’usage du terme était attesté et a fini par s’imposer peu à peu grâce, entre autres, au travail du Collège.

Faux-amis
Ses membres ont du pain sur la planche entre la fameuse digitalisation de la finance accompagnée par sa cohorte de termes anglosaxons tels que tokenisation (traduit par «titrisation par cyberjetons») et l’essor de la finance dite verte voire climatique. Le Collège s’attache aussi à faire adopter «aussi rapidement que possible» des équivalents à certains faux-amis. A l’instar de fiscal et monetary dominance. «Dans un contexte d’arbitrage entre politique monétaire (monetary policy) et politique budgétaire (fiscal policy), fiscal dominance est traduit par ‘dominance budgétaire’, mais monetary dominance par ‘autonomie monétaire’, c’est-à-dire autonomie de la politique monétaire qui n’est pas contrainte par la politique budgétaire», arguent Pierre-Charles Pradier et Didier Marteau.

Le Collège demeure à l'écoute des demandes des professionnels de l'économie et de la finance, à travers sa boîte à idées disponible sur le site FranceTerme. Si le dispositif d’enrichissement rassemble des experts professionnels et de la langue française, il ne vit que dans le dialogue avec la nation, indiquentPierre-Charles Pradier et Didier Marteau. Les requêtes de la boîte à idées désignent souvent les termes dont l’actualité exige qu’on les traite.«Les consultations avec les journalistes, avec les professionnels ou avec les enseignants permettent d’affiner le choix des termes et d’assurer leur diffusion», concluent-ils."

https://www.agefi.fr/asset-management/analyses/traduire-le-jargon-financier-en-francais-est-aussi-une-question-de-timing

We are witnessing a broader cognitive and emotional crisis, marked by declining attention spans, increased impulsivity, and growing ideological rigidity.

"The social risks of young people affected by cognitive decline are terrifying.
Posted March 18, 2025
Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

KEY POINTS
AI may help detect underlying trends in cognitive decline.
Decreased attention spans and impulsivity are on the rise.
Depersonalization, dissociation, and magical thinking are also rising.
Social polarization is reaching alarming levels.
In my previous post, I reported on how an analysis of user queries from ChatGPT suggests that self-diagnosis and the glamorization of extreme traits are reshaping mental health discourse, often in ways that deepen social fragmentation. However, these trends are just the beginning. Beyond shifting perceptions of mental illness, we are witnessing a broader cognitive and emotional crisis—one marked by declining attention spans, increased impulsivity, loss of contact with reality, and growing ideological rigidity. In this post, we will examine how these factors contribute to political polarization, the erosion of shared reality, and the rising acceptance of violence as a means of resolving conflict. The implications are far-reaching, affecting not just individual well-being but the stability of entire societies.

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Beyond self-diagnosis, another troubling trend has emerged from the billions of user queries sent to to ChatGPT: widespread cognitive decline, depersonalization, and identity instability, particularly among younger users.

Cognitive Decline
ChatGPT’s analysis revealed a notable increase in queries and language patterns consistent with cognitive fatigue, short-term memory lapses, attention difficulties, and declining logical coherence. These patterns were particularly pronounced among individuals under 30, who grew up in a hyper-digital environment.

Decreasing Working Memory and Attention Spans. Users are increasingly unable to follow long conversations, retain details, or engage in deep, critical thinking.
Increased Signs of Impulsivity and Cognitive Rigidity. Many queries reveal an inability to hold multiple perspectives at once, suggesting a decline in cognitive flexibility.
Higher Rates of Contradictory Thinking and Logical Inconsistency. A growing number of users demonstrate fragmented thought processes, where their reasoning contradicts itself in short sequences.
These signs align with the well-documented effects of digital overstimulation, where excessive screen exposure—particularly short-form, high-stimulation content like TikTok, Twitter, and infinite scroll feeds—weakens deep focus and sustained cognitive effort.

Derealization, Depersonalization, and Identity Fragility
Perhaps even more concerning is the rise in derealization and depersonalization symptoms, particularly among younger users. Signs of derealization include users increasingly reporting feeling like reality is “not real,” or that they are “watching life from the outside.” Signs of depersonalization include describing a detached, almost alienated sense of self, often expressed through phrases like "I don’t feel like myself anymore" or "I feel like a character in a simulation."
Extreme Self-Labeling and Identity Instability. Many younger users latch onto rigid identity categories (mental health diagnoses, gender identities, or ideological labels) as an anchor in a world that feels increasingly chaotic.
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Fragmented Thinking and Magical Beliefs
A particularly unsettling finding is the increase in schizotypal traits among younger users. Schizotypy is characterized by unusual thought patterns, magical thinking, paranoia, and difficulty distinguishing reality from imagination. While not equivalent to schizophrenia, it represents a spectrum of cognitive-perceptual distortions that can impair reasoning and emotional regulation. Common schizotypal markers detected in user queries include:

Tangential or illogical reasoning: People making unexpected or bizarre connections between unrelated concepts, such as "The number 3 follows me everywhere—does that mean I’m in a simulation?"
Increased paranoia and conspiracy thinking: Rising concerns about “hidden forces,” mass manipulation, and reality distortions beyond rational skepticism.
Magical thinking and personal omens: Intuitive beliefs about numbers, symbols, or patterns controlling their lives.
Dissociative language patterns: Phrases like "I don’t feel real," "I think my thoughts are being influenced," or "Reality feels scripted."
THE BASICS
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Take our Memory Test
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This rise in schizotypal traits coincides with increased exposure to hyper-reality environments, including AI, deepfake media, simulation theories, and algorithm-driven radicalization. In a world where reality itself feels increasingly “constructed,” it makes sense that more individuals struggle with distinguishing fact from fiction.

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If these trends continue, the long-term consequences could be severe, and yield a generation of individuals with impaired cognitive resilience struggling to focus, problem-solve, and engage in deep, analytical thinking. This may also entail a higher susceptibility to radicalization, as individuals with fragile identities may seek external ideologies to provide stability.

MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT ESSENTIAL READS

Early Cognitive Decline is Dramatically Underdiagnosed

How Long-Term Cannabis Use Can Influence Cognitive Decline
ChatGPT’s data suggests that these patterns are accelerating, not slowing down—meaning that if interventions are not developed, we may see even greater cognitive and emotional instability in the coming decades.

Key takeaways include findings that:

18-24-year-old women show the highest emotional dysregulation, followed by men in the same age group.
Impulsivity is highest in 18-24 men but also high in 18-24 women and 25-34 men.
Schizotypal traits (disorganized thinking, magical beliefs) are highest in young men and decrease with age.
Cognitive fatigue (burnout, memory issues) is rising across all groups but remains highest in younger users.
Older groups (35-44) show more stability across all categories, with lower overall scores.

Source: ChatGPT Samuel Veissière
The Most Alarming Trend: Social and Political Polarization
Even more urgent than cognitive decline is the rapid escalation of social and political polarization, rising outgroup distrust, and increasing justification for ideological or nihilistic violence:

People are increasingly dividing into rigid ideological camps, with less tolerance for opposing views.
Social media, culture wars, and political events are accelerating division rather than resolving it.
More people frame conflicts in existential, “good vs. evil” terms, making compromise harder.
The perception that “the other side” is not just wrong, but dangerous or evil, is growing.
Conversations about politics and identity are more hostile and emotionally charged than before.
Many users describe those with differing political views as threats, enemies, or irredeemable.
More users frame violence as a necessary solution to ideological conflicts, particularly among younger demographics.
Beyond politics, more people express fatalistic or apocalyptic beliefs, leading to despair-driven violence akin to mass shootings or lone-wolf attacks.
Queries suggesting apocalyptic thinking, “nothing matters” narratives, and suicidal aggression have increased. This may be linked to rising existential distress, loss of social trust, and identity confusion.
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The escalating polarization and radicalization observed in online discourse can likely be attributed to social media echo chambers, where algorithm-driven content reinforces ideological tribalism, making compromise and empathy increasingly rare. At the same time, declining trust in institutions has fuelled widespread cynicism, with many users expressing deep skepticism toward democracy, governance, and societal norms, often viewing collapse or violent upheaval as inevitable. Compounding this, desensitization to conflict has normalized hostile rhetoric and dehumanization, eroding the psychological barriers that once made real-world aggression unthinkable. If these trends continue unchecked, we can expect a rise in radicalization and politically motivated violence, with young people being especially vulnerable to recruitment into extremist movements—on both the left and right. As ideological rigidity deepens and shared reality fractures, the prospects for societal reconciliation grow increasingly dim. ChatGPT’s analysis suggests these patterns are not just persistent but accelerating, signalling an urgent need for intervention before polarization hardens into open conflict.

A Global Cognitive-Social Risk Index
To quantify the interplay of cognitive decline, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, polarization, and risk of violence, I developed a Cognitive-Social Risk Index—a composite measure (scaled 0-10) that aggregates these critical dimensions into a single indicator The results highlight stark regional disparities, with some areas facing a severe crisis while others maintain relative stability.

🔥 Highest-Risk Regions include the Middle East and North Africa (8.5), North America (8.2), and Eastern Europe (7.8), where ongoing conflicts, ideological extremism, deep social polarization, and mental health deterioration are driving instability. These regions exhibit the most concerning trends in radicalization, cognitive fragmentation, and mass violence risk.

⚠️ Moderate-Risk Regions, such as Latin America (7.0), South Asia (7.3), and Western Europe (6.5), face significant challenges, including crime, economic instability, and growing ideological extremism. However, they benefit from stronger communal ties or institutional structures that help prevent complete societal breakdown.

🟢 Lower-Risk Regions, including Sub-Saharan Africa (6.2) and East Asia (5.8), exhibit more resilience. Despite economic struggles, social cohesion remains relatively intact in parts of Africa, while East Asia benefits from strong governance, cultural stability, and lower ideological radicalization.

This global snapshot of cognitive-social risk underscores the urgent need for intervention, as the highest-risk areas are showing signs of escalating beyond crisis levels. Without targeted strategies to restore cognitive resilience, rebuild trust, and reduce ideological extremism, the trajectory for many of these regions could worsen in the coming years.

Conclusion: A Public Health and Public Safety Emergency
Although ChatGPT’s findings should be taken with caution, they align with a growing body of research on the internet's role in amplifying mental distress, fueling polarization, and reinforcing tribalism. To be sure, ChatGPT’s user sample may be skewed toward individuals who are already highly active online, thereby highlighting trends within an especially at-risk population. These trends also echo studies by colleagues documenting a rise in support for violent radicalization among young people who favour online social interactions over face-to-face contact. Nevertheless, the data reported here align with findings from our research group on social polarization, where we observed an increasingly dystopian worldview emerging among progressively younger individuals.

While many fear AI "taking over" our lives, the real risk may lie in the algorithm-fuelled acceleration of human biases and distortion of collective reality at an unprecedented scale. Pointing in this direction, a recent position paper in Science co-signed by such intellectual giants as Daniel Kahneman and Yuval Noah Harari warned that the AI-powered Interent could "erode social stability and weaken [the] shared understanding of reality that is foundational to society."

These emerging trends should be treated with the same seriousness as pandemic risk modelling or economic collapse scenarios. Indeed, the the breakdown of cognitive, emotional and social stability affects everything from governance to security to global stability.

It is time to act, by unplugging our devices and restoring social connections..."
Source: ChatGPT Samuel Veissière

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-mind-and-brain/202503/ai-is-predicting-cognitive-decline-at-alarming-rates

"PART-TIME FRENCH INTERPRETER
Siouxland Community Health Center
Posted on March 18, 2025

INTERPRETER - FRENCH

1-Part-Time position, approximately 20 hours/week with hours of Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm

Successful candidate must have solid experience & advanced knowledge of:
Fluency in verbal, reading and written bilingual communication skills
Basic computer and data entry skills
Knowledge of cultural barriers to medical care and ability to diminish barriers on the patients' and SCHC's behalf
Knowledge of medical terminology in Spanish and in English
High school diploma or GED
Previous experience interpreting preferred
Successful candidate must be able to perform primary functions of position:
Provide translation services and support the non-English speaking patients and their families during their clinical visit
Works directly with medical staff to ensure accurate communication and understanding between patient and staff
Assists patients in completing all necessary intake forms at initial visit, including but not limited to, demographic and medical history, and financial verification
Assists social service worker and patient in completing the social service intake process
Travel to local agencies or hospitals to provide interpreting services as needed
These functions are not all inclusive
SCHC is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing an environment of opportunities to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

SCHC participates in E-Verify.

Pre-employment drug screen, background check, and proof of required immunizations. Exemptions may be granted for religious or medical accommodations..."
https://jobs.siouxcityjournal.com/company/siouxland-community-health-center-77119/job/part-time-french-interpreter-in-sioux-city-ia-thqwlsznjcktwg55wz97z9u60o9bk2/

"...Summer 2025 Editorial Internship

For the Summer 2025 Internship Program, TIMEP seeks a part-time English Editorial Intern who is available to work 20-25 hours a week for 10 to 12 weeks. Summer internships typically begin in May, but we are happy to accommodate the start date that works best for the incoming intern.

The Editorial Intern will:

Help copy edit English content in the lead-up to publication; with experience, the Intern will also have the opportunity to assist with content editing;
Assist in planning and updating TIMEP’s editorial calendar;
Conduct research to identify potential contributors from around the MENA region;
Assist with conducting outreach to potential contributors, as well as communicating with existing contributors;
Monitor and track developments in TIMEP’s priority countries: Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunisia;
Help identify topics for the editorial department to publish on; and
The Editorial Intern will also have the opportunity to publish their own article(s).
Monthly internship stipends will be offered, so long as it does not interfere with the student’s respective university requirements for internships. Part-time interns (20-25 hours/week) will receive a stipend of $500 per month, which will be prorated for partial months.

Qualifications

Preference for candidates who are pursuing or have recently completed a graduate degree (within two years) related to journalism, political science, international relations, Middle Eastern studies, communications, or other related fields.
Strong command of the English language.
Prior experience in editorial work.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to balance multiple deadlines and priorities.
Background knowledge or prior experience working on topics related to the MENA region is strongly preferred.
Arabic language skills are a plus.
Internship candidates present in Washington, DC will have the opportunity to work in a hybrid format which allows for both in-person and remote work. Internship candidates outside of Washington, DC will be able to complete the internship in an entirely remote setting. Regardless of location, the candidate’s schedule should fall within TIMEP’s office hours (between 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM EST).

There is a preference for candidates who can commit to working at least 3 hours daily (between Monday – Friday).

To apply

Applications will be accepted until April 7, 2025. To apply, please complete the following Google Form. In addition to completing a series of questions, the form will direct you to upload a current resume or CV; a 1-2 page writing sample (excerpts are acceptable) and a cover letter indicating what days/schedule are you able to work and what types of experience you have with editing. For questions after submission, you can contact us at: internships@timep.org."
https://timep.org/2025/03/18/summer-2025-editorial-internship/

Now Hiring: CTU Communications Associate

By CTU Human Resources | March 17, 2025 | _News
File under: CTU Job Posting

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), an organization of educators, who for more than 75 years, has been dedicated to advancing and promoting quality education, improving teaching and learning conditions, and protecting members’ rights while serving and representing almost 30,000 teachers, paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel, and school clinicians.  CTU sits at the forefront of the Chicago movement for working families and seeks to ensure that every student attends a safe, welcoming and thriving neighborhood public school. The CTU communications department sits at the intersection of developing and communicating that message to the people of Chicago.

Summary:

Under the supervision of the Chicago Teachers Union Director of Communications, the Communications Associate will support earned media relations and content production across digital platforms such as the CTU Website, email, social media, video production, podcasts, blogs, and radio to create diverse, innovative, empowering, and participatory communications/content for our members.  This role is integral in sharing the mission and work of the CTU with members, students, families, the media, the city of Chicago, the state of Illinois and the Nation.

Position Duties & Responsibilities:

• Use oral and written communication skills including copy-editing, writing, & proofreading to plan, create, and generate content to tell CTU’s story across platforms and earned media
• Receive and respond to incoming earned media requests including identifying, providing talking points,  and managing the scheduling of potential spokespeople,
•  
• Collaborate with communication team and other staff members on content that will enhance awareness of organizational campaigns and department specific campaigns.
• Assist in photographing and recording events, programs, and activities during CTU and partner events for marketing and messaging purposes.
• Maintain brand and style standards to help ensure proper application.
• Catalog and maintain a library of multimedia presentations, branding, graphic designs/images, photos, video and other digital assets and resources.
• The above list does not represent an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, included may be other duties as assigned and deemed appropriate.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism or related field or at least  two (2) years of hands-on communications experience in the field of labor, non-profit, governmental relations
• Strong technical, desktop publishing, digital organizing, and graphic application skills
• Detail oriented
• Exceptionally fast and effective writing, proofreading, & copy-editing skills.
• Self-starter with ability to judge rapidly shifting priorities and handle a high volume work environment with multiple competing priorities
• Collaborative team member who can take direction and complete high quality projects in a timely manner.
• Background in union/labor, education and/or politics is desirable.
• Familiarity with local and state education and political topics/issues.
• Experience with Black and Brown media outreach.
• Experience working with community partners and civil rights groups

Compensation:

Salary range – $80k – $100k

Benefits:

Health Insurance, Short Term Disability Insurance, Voluntary Long Term Disability Insurance, Life Insurance, 401K, Paid Holidays, PTO and Vacation.

Application Requirements: 

Applicants should submit a cover letter, writing sample and resume via email to HR@ctulocal1.org . Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please reference CTU Communication Jobs in the subject line.

https://www.ctulocal1.org/posts/hiring-communications-associate/

Job description

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

As a Data Scientist at the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) you will have the opportunity to initiate and lead projects

focusing on Human Language Technology and Digital Humanities stemming from your own research interests. You will work closely together with a team

of researchers as part of SADiLaR’s extended network, both on your own and commissioned projects. Dissemination of project results at national and

international conferences will be encouraged and supported. This position is crucial for research and development in Human Language Technology and

Digital Humanities, fields that form the essence of SADiLaR, which is a national Research Infrastructure supported by the Department of Science and

Innovation. Read more at https://www.sadilar.org.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Research

• Research in the area of Human Language Technology and Digital Humanities.

Project work

• Initiating and contributing to Human Language Technology and Digital Humanities projects.

Teaching

• Teaching in the area of Human Language Technology and Digital Humanities.

Mentorship

• Mentorship of researchers in the field of Human Language Technology and Digital Humanities.

 

Minimum requirements

 

• A PhD (NQF level 10) in one of the following fields: Computational Linguistics, Natural Language Processing, Human Language Technology, Digital

Humanities, Data Science, Computer Science, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, or related fields. The PhD should have a focus on

computational aspects of linguistics.

• A minimum of (five) 5 years’ experience in the use of Python (other programming languages used within the computational linguistics or Digital

Humanities domain can also be considered).

• Evidence of peer-reviewed academic publications.

• A minimum of (three) 3 years’ experience as a supervisor/co-supervisor of students or playing a mentorship/supervising role for individuals.

• A minimum of (three) 3 years’ experience with using and/or developing computational tools.

• A minimum of (three) 3 years experience related to research within the domain of Language Technology or Digital Humanities.

• A minimum of (one) 1 year experience related to teaching or training within the domain of Language Technology or Digital Humanities.

ADDED ADVANTAGE

• Membership with Academic subject communities.

Functional / Technical Competencies (Knowledge and Skills)

• Advanced computer literacy.

• Ability to lead research projects.

• Experience in the presentation of research-based results at national and international conferences.

• Experience with writing research reports.

• Evidence of acquiring research funding.

KEY BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES:

• Ability to work independently or as part of a team.

• Ability to effectively liaise and communicate with public, students, colleagues, and other stakeholders at various levels and from diverse

backgrounds.

• Demonstration of language proficiency in order to function optimally in the various multilingual environments of SADiLaR.

• Strong interest in the advancement of under-resourced South African languages.

REMUNERATION

The annual total remuneration package will be commensurate with the level of appointment as advertised and in line with the NWU policy guidelines.

ENQUIRIES REGARDING JOB CONTENT MAY BE DIRECTED TO: Prof. Menno van Zaanen, E-mail: Menno.VanZaanen@nwu.ac.za

ENQUIRIES REGARDING RECRUITMENT PROCESS MAY BE DIRECTED TO: Mr. Byron Louw, Tel No. 018 285 2304

CLOSING DATE: 20 April 2025

PLANNED COMMENCEMENT OF DUTIES: As soon as possible

Kindly take note: applications must be submitted online through the official nwu vacancy website.

Incomplete applications and those submitted through any other platform will not be considered.

The University subscribes to and applies the principles of Employment Equity (EE) Act and is committed to transformation. Preference will be given to

candidates from the designated groups, in accordance with the principles of the EE Act and NWU Employment Equity Plan.

The University reserves the right not to make an appointment. Communication will be limited to shortlisted candidates only.

If you are not contacted within two months from the closing date of this advertisement, please accept that your application was unsuccessful.

https://nwu.ci.hr/applicant/index.php?controller=Listings&method=view&listingid=f117e63d-8385-4be0-a6f8-386057fed602 

#metaglossia_mundus

 

 

Publié le 17 Mars 2025 par Marc Escola (Source : Sylvie Guionnet)

La revue Atlantide vient de mettre en ligne son dernier numéro intitulé "Échanges intellectuels, dynamiques transnationales, France/Italie, 1945-1980". Ce volume se propose d’étudier les influences mutuelles, les intersections et les projets communs intervenant dans le processus de création entre domaine italien et domaine français. Les contributions qui y figurent ont toutes pour vocation de découvrir, dans une optique transnationale, des aspects peu connus des relations, par ailleurs très productives, entre auteurs issus de différents contextes et de différentes orientations idéologiques. Les angles de vue envisagés sont hétérogènes et relèvent de la diversité expressive des relations intellectuelles entre la France et l’Italie au cours d’une période d’environ trente-cinq ans, de 1945 à 1980. Le volume compte neuf articles répartis en quatre sections ainsi intitulées : traduction et réécritures ; regards politiques et perspectives féministes ; textes, critiques et images en mouvement ; parcours et productions cinématographiques.

Sommaire en ligne…

Vittoriano Gallico & Jessy Simonini - Avant-propos

Andrea Bongiorno - La poésie de René Char comme source de traduction et de création intellectuelle chez Giorgio Caproni et Vittorio Sereni

 Jessy Simonini - « La più grande romanziera d’Italia è una donna… ». Prime cartografie dell’autorialità femminile: Francia-Italia, anni Cinquanta 

 Micol Bez - Ce sexe qui n’est pas un cheveu. Réévaluer les critiques féministes-matérialistes du consentement : le groupe de Questions féministes 

 Luca Mozzachiodi - Fanon in Italia. Tra terzomondismo, psichiatria e sinistra operaista 

 Alessandro Fiorillo - De l'Évangile à l'Enfer ou la subjective indirecte libre

 Vittoriano Gallico - La terre, l’écriture, l’image : Pavese et Straub-Huillet

 Sylvie Dubois - Au-delà des grilles de René Clément : une démarche cinématographique italienne grâce à la réalisation française

 Michelangelo Cardinaletti - A dieci mani: la coproduzione di un film a episodi. Le più belle truffe del mondo (1964)

 Vincent Leroy - Rencontre franco-italienne dans La prima notte di quiete (Le Professeur, 1972) de Valerio Zurlini

• Url de référence :
  https://atlantide.univ-nantes.fr/-Echanges-intellectuels-dynamiques-transnationales-France-Italie-1945-1980-

#metaglossia_mundus

L’Académie Mallarmé a annoncé la première sélection du Prix Mallarmé 2025 et du Prix Mallarmé étranger de la traduction 2025, qui distinguent chaque année des œuvres poétiques remarquables en langue française et en traduction.

 

Publié le :

17/03/2025 à 10:15

Sélection du Prix Mallarmé 2025

Vincent Annen, Que j’étais des cailloux (La Veilleuse, 2025)

Kamel Bencheikh, Printemps de lutte et d’amitié (Kaïros, 2024)

Jean-Pierre Boulic, Un ciel de patience (La Part commune, 2025)

Guillaume Decourt, Un temps de fête (La Table Ronde, 2024)

Anne Dujin, Noyau manquant (Gallimard, 2024)

Raymond Farina, Les Grands jaseurs de Bohême suivi de L’Oiseau de paradigme (Noir et blanc, 2024)

Arnoldo Feuer, 9 Fenêtres sur l’infini (L’Atelier du Grand Tétras, 2024)

 

Réginald Gaillard, Une écharde dans la chair (Corlevour, 2024)

Benjamin Guérin, Quand nous étions des loups (Corlevour, 2024)

Jack Keguenne, À la lanterne (Asmodée Edern, 2024)

Jean-Claude Pinson, Vies de philosophes (Champ Vallon, 2024)

Catherine Pont-Humbert, Quand les mots ne tiennent qu’à un fil (La Tête à l’envers, 2025)

James Sacré, Rue de la Croix, à Celleneuve ses escaliers, puis d’autres (Méridianes, 2025)

Hélène Tyrtoff, De là (LansKine, 2025)

 

Sélection du Prix Mallarmé étranger de la traduction 2025

Mariano Rolando Andrade, Chansons des mers du Sud, traduit de l’espagnol (Argentine) par l’auteur et Christophe Manon (L’Herbe qui tremble, 2024)

Elsa Cross, Inflexions de la lumière, traduit de l’espagnol (Mexique) par Ana Cristina Zúñiga (Écrits de Forges, 2024)

Saleh Diab, Esquisses pour une île, traduit de l’arabe (Syrie) par l’auteur et Annie Salager (Tarabuste, 2024)

Salah Faïk, Cette feuille est ma patrie, traduit de l’arabe (Irak) par Saleh Diab (Grèges, 2024)

Kadhim Jihad Hassan, Éclats d’Irak, traduit de l’arabe (Irak) par l’auteur et André Miquel (Actes Sud, 2025)

Yannis Ritsos, Les jeux du ciel et de l’eau, traduit du grec (Grèce) par Faber Fabbris (Éditions Bruno Doucey, 2024)

 

Le Prix Mallarmé, l’une des distinctions les plus prestigieuses en poésie, récompense un poète d’expression française pour un recueil ou l’ensemble de son œuvre. Présidé par Sylvestre Clancier, le jury est composé des vingt-neuf membres de l’Académie Mallarmé. Le lauréat bénéficiera d’une dotation offerte par la ville de Brive, ainsi que d’une résidence poétique d’un mois. L'an dernier, Alain Breton était récompensé pour son recueil Je ne rendrai pas le feu (Hommes sans Épaules).

Créé en 2022, le Prix Mallarmé étranger de la traduction met en avant la poésie internationale et le travail des traducteurs qui permettent aux lecteurs francophones d’accéder à des œuvres venues d’ailleurs. En 2024, la lauréate était Marie Vrinat, pour sa traduction de Là où nous ne sommes pas de Guéorgui Gospodinov (Les Carnets du dessert de lune).

https://actualitte.com/article/122600/prix-litteraires/le-prix-mallarme-2025-devoile-ses-selections

#metaglossia_mundus 

"“Everything is translation” — focus theme of the 13th International Book Arsenal Festival — is announced; festival to be curated by Marci Shore and Oksana Forostyna. The festival will run between May 29 and June 1, 2025.

“Everything is translation” is both the focus theme and the main metaphor of the 13th Book Arsenal Festival, as the curators reveal in their curatorial essay.

“[W]hat do the numerous untranslatables tell us—words that exist in one language but are absent in another? Are then slightly different realities meant, from language to language, from society to society? And what if the experiences of these societies differ radically? Can language reliably convey the experience of one to another? … The answer is in the curators’ conversation, but to find it, you need to read the conversation to the end,” Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta, the Director General of Mystetskyi Arsenal, wrote in an introduction to the essay.

The main program will be curated by a journalist, host, translator, literary critic and producer of Radio Kultura, Iryna Slavinska.

“I fear an enormous amount of human suffering is left silent for eternity. And given this, we should all the more so appreciate what language can do, however imperfectly, and appreciate those who attempt to translate moments at the very border of human experience into words … We will never understand anyone else’s experience perfectly, all the more so in situations of extremity. That said, the act of translating–of translating our own experiences into language, and of translating someone else’s experiences from one language into another–is a leap of faith that some kind of understanding is possible,” Marci Shore, the co-curator of the Focus Theme of the 13th Book Arsenal, said.

The Book Arsenal festival will host the Kids and Teens Program, and will be curated by writer, journalist, translator and author of books for kids and teens Olya Rusina. A special program for teenagers will also be presented by the participants of the Literary Laboratory for Teenagers.

Manager of cultural and educational projects, editor and literary scholar Yuliia Konopliana will be the curator of the Professional Program this year.

Translatorium Literary and Translation Festival will host a special program, curated by co-founder and director of the festival Tania Rodionova.

Under the supervision of Oksana Karpiuk, the Book Arsenal Fellowship Program will be held for the second time, providing a platform for industry discussions, exchange of experience, meetings and acquaintance of foreign publishers, rights managers and literary agents with the Ukrainian book market..."
https://chytomo.com/en/everything-is-translation-focus-theme-of-the-13th-international-book-arsenal-festival-announced/

"Registration is now open for the sixth edition of the European Colloquium on Gender and Translation. This international event has explored gender in translation and interpreting through an intersectional lens. Early bird registration available until April 30, 2025.

12/03/2025

Since 2016, the European Colloquium on Gender and Translation has been periodically offering an overview of the latest trends in translation and interpreting research and practice in its interaction with gender, with gatherings in Valencia, Naples, Valencia, Bergamo and Ferrara. By placing an emphasis on intersectionality, the 6th edition of this Colloquium in Barcelona proposes to overcome traditional approaches to gender as a monolithic entity, to embrace more nuanced understandings of gender as a multidimensional category that necessarily intersects with other layers of oppression and discrimination such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, (dis)ability, age, class or religion, to name a few. Our aim is to explore gender from a more thorough perspective that considers how racism, cis-hetero-sexism, classism, ableism, ageism, etc. are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another.

Programme and Keynote Speakers

The programme will be shared as soon as it is available, over the next few days.

The Call for Papers can be accessed here...

The keynote addresses will be delivered by:

Ruth Abou Rached, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

Denise Carrascosa, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil

REGISTRATION

Key dates for registration

Deadline for registration (Early Bird): 30 April 2025

Registration period (Full Fee): 1 May to 15 June 2025

Conference Fee

Speaker fee: EUR 95 / EUR 115

Speaker discount for PhD and MA students: EUR 65 / EUR 85

General Public: EUR 50 / EUR 70

Students and Academic Staff at the UAB: no cost (but registration is mandatory)

Conference dinner (Wednesday 9th July 2025)

The conference dinner will take place on Wednesday 9th July at the Antic Forn restaurant (https://lanticforn.com/en/). The restaurant is located near Plaça Catalunya, in the heart of Barcelona.

The conference set menu includes a variety of starters (tapas), main course, dessert and drinks. It will cater for any dietary requirements, which must be clearly indicated in the registration form.

Dinner costs 38 euros. Those who wish to attend the conference dinner must indicate it on the registration form and include the dinner cost in their conference fee payment....

Contact
Area of Communication & Promotion
Edifici Rectorat

08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès)
(Barcelona)

Tel. +34 93 586 82 28
g.premsa@uab.cat

RSS Feeds:

UAB website news"

https://www.uab.cat/web/newsroom/news-detail/registration-for-the-european-colloquium-on-gender-and-translation-is-now-open-1345668003610.html?noticiaid=1345948624112

The lack of translation services will lead to more people being improperly denied benefits or jobs, experts say.

"
longer provide translation services for individuals or businesses calling the Homeland Security Department on questions related to their employment status or benefits, according to a memorandum obtained by Government Executive.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will cancel a contract that provides that translation capacity, the memo stated. Forthcoming instructions to employees, a summary of which was reviewed by Government Executive, directed employees to discontinue any call when they are not fluent in the caller’s language. Employees will not integrate the third-party vendor into the call to provide translation, nor will they transfer calls to other employees who may speak the caller’s language...
The contract termination, according to one employee affected by the change, will impact those who call with questions regarding programs such as E-Verify, which tracks individuals’ employment status, and the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, which federal, state and local entities, as well as other licensing agencies, use to determine individuals’ immigration status and their eligibility for benefits. Individuals, companies or agencies who call USCIS to inquire about discrepancies in work authorization papers, for example, or to correct errors will no longer have translation services available.

The contract, with Legal Interpreting Services, Inc., was set to last at least through November with the option to extend it through November 2026. USCIS has obligated $422,000 on the contract since it was awarded in 2022 and was slated to spend up to $587,000. USCIS has previously exercised options to extend the contract and modified it to include additional translation time.

Adriel Orozco, senior policy counsel with the American Immigration Council, noted that SAVE provides immigration status verification to more than 1,100 agencies, while E-Verify is used by more than 5,000 employers. The databases those programs rely on are not always accurate or updated, he said.

“Lack of interpretation services will only make it harder for many workers and families whose dominant language is not English from being able to correct immigration status errors in these databases,” Orozco said. “This risks people being wrongly denied benefits or being unfairly terminated from their jobs."

The agreement is part of a larger one DHS holds with the company, to which the department has obligated $3.6 million and is slated to spend up to $13.5 million. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has spent the most money on the contract, providing translation services to hurricane victims. USCIS has also tapped into the contract for its asylum division. The fate of those awards was not immediately clear. ."
https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/03/trump-administration-cancels-translation-services-those-seeking-access-or-correct-their-immigration-status/403778/?oref=ge-author-river