 Your new post is loading...
The Trump administration argues that providing real-time American Sign Language interpretation for events like White House press briefings would intrude on the president’s control over his public image. This stance is part of a lawsuit filed by the National Association for the Deaf, which claims the lack of ASL interpretation denies deaf Americans access to important communications. The Justice Department suggests alternatives like online transcripts and closed captioning provide what's needed. A federal judge recently ordered the White House to provide the interpreting, but the administration has appealed.
"Trump administration says sign language services ‘intrude’ on Trump’s ability to control his image
20 hours ago By MEG KINNARD - Associated Press
The Trump administration is arguing that requiring real-time American Sign Language interpretation of events like White House press briefings “would severely intrude on the President’s prerogative to control the image he presents to the public,” part of a lawsuit seeking to require the White House to provide the services.
Department of Justice attorneys haven’t elaborated on how doing so might hamper the portrayal President Donald Trump seeks to present to the public. But overturning policies encompassing diversity, equity and inclusion have become a hallmark of his second administration, starting with his very first week back in the White House.
The National Association for the Deaf sued the Trump administration in May, arguing that the cessation of American Sign Language interpretation — which the Biden administration had used regularly — represented “denying hundreds of thousands of deaf Americans meaningful access to the White House’s real-time communications on various issues of national and international import.” The group also sued during Trump’s first administration, seeking ASL interpretation for briefings related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a June court filing opposing the association’s request for a preliminary injunction, reported Thursday by Politico, attorneys for the Justice Department argued that being required to provide sign language interpretation for news conferences “would severely intrude on the President’s prerogative to control the image he presents to the public,” also writing that the president has “the prerogative to shape his Administration’s image and messaging as he sees fit.”
Government attorneys also argued that it provides the hard of hearing or Deaf community with other ways to access the president’s statements, like online transcripts of events, or closed captioning. The administration has also argued that it would be difficult to wrangle such services in the event that Trump spontaneously took questions from the press, rather than at a formal briefing.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately comment Friday on the ongoing lawsuit or answer questions about the administration’s argument regarding the damage of interpretation services to Trump’s “image.”
In their June filing, government attorneys questioned if other branches of government were being held to a similar standard if they didn’t provide the same interpretative services as sought by the association.
As home to Gallaudet University, the world’s premier college for the deaf and hard of hearing, Washington likely has an ample pool of trained ASL interpreters into which the White House could tap. Mayor Muriel Bowser has made ASL interpretation a mainstay of her appearances, including a pair of interpreters who swap in and out.
Last month, a federal judge rejected that and other objections from the government, issuing an order requiring the White House to provide American Sign Language interpreting for Trump and Leavitt’s remarks in real time. The White House has appealed the ruling, and while the administration has begun providing American Sign Language interpreting at some events, there’s disagreement over what services it has to supply.
On his first week back in office, Trump signed a sweeping executive order putting a stop to diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the U.S. government. In putting his own imprint on the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in January issued an order stating that DEI policies were “incompatible” with the department’s mission,
This week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered diplomatic correspondence to return to the more traditional Times New Roman font, arguing that the Biden administration’s 2023 shift to the sans serif Calibri font had emerged from misguided diversity, equity and inclusion policies pursued by his predecessor.
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP";
https://www.fox21online.com/i/trump-administration-says-sign-language-services-intrude-on-trumps-ability-to-control-his-image/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Methodological Framework for Specialized Translation Curricula Development
Abstract
This article examines the scientific and methodological principles underlying the development of comprehensive educational and methodological complexes (EMC) for specialized translation courses, with particular emphasis on military translation. The study addresses the structural components of modern EMCs within the framework of competency-based approaches and Federal State Educational Standards (FSES) requirements. The research analyzes the sequential organization of educational content, the selection and systematization of thematic material, and the integration of didactic resources. Special attention is devoted to the development of textbooks for specialized translation, including their structural organization, the selection of authentic source materials, and the implementation of multimedia technologies. The article presents a practical case study of an electronic textbook for Italian military translation, demonstrating how theoretical principles can be applied in practice. The study emphasizes that modern EMCs function as flexible, variable, and non-linear scenarios of the educational process, incorporating not only traditional educational materials but also electronic resources, assessment tools, and methodological guidelines for both instructors and learners. The research concludes that effective EMC development requires consideration of subject-specific characteristics, linguistic and cultural particularities of the target language, and contemporary geopolitical contexts. The proposed approach to EMC design for specialized translation can be extrapolated to various language pairs and subject domains, thereby expanding its practical application in higher education systems.
Keywords: Educational and Methodological Complex, Specialized Translation, Military Translation, Competency-Based Approach, Textbook Design, Didactic Materials, Electronic Educational Resources, Authentic Source Materials, Translation Competencies, Higher Education, Curriculum Design, Language Pedagogy, Translation Studies."
Posted: 11 Dec 2025
Maria Smirnova
Moscow State University of International Relations (MGIMO University)
Date Written: October 14, 2025
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5838062
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"The art of translation is a specific and important one. In this workshop for younger translators, experts in the field provided feedback and support for challenges that may come with the work.
A “small-but-mighty community”
Translators are the heart of the international publishing industry. They are often the first to read a story that could be brought to a new market, the sole voice advocating for a work to be published, and the steward of the original writer’s story, voice, and intention.
In the last several years, questions have been raised about whether or not artificial intelligence will take the place of human translators, if the next generation of readers will be reading in their native language or reading books in English, or if markets, particularly the US in its current political state, will welcome stories from beyond its borders. All of these potential challenges ahead make the support of translators and their work and the building of community all the more important.
Award-winning translator and workshop leader Liz Lauffer, Image Sabine Schwarz
With that in mind, last month in New York City, the Goethe-Institut NYC and Frankfurter Buchmesse hosted a virtual translator workshop to provide community, education, and support for young German translators, hosted by acclaimed translator and winner of the 2014 Gutekunst Prize Liz Lauffer.
Rohan Kamicheril, senior editor at Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, founder of Tiffin and former editor at Words without Borders was a guest editor during the workshop to provide additional feedback and guidance to the translators.
Participants included Juliane Scholtz, Elizabeth Raab, Betsy Carter, Hayden Toftner, Jennifer Jenson, and Aziza Kasumov. Each of these translators had 8 weeks to translate an excerpt from Sara Gmuer’s Achtzehnter Stock, published in Germany by Hanser Verlag.
“I was eager to meet this merry band, discover how the next generation of literary translators is approaching our work, and dip into my own experience to see what I might pass on,” said Lauffer.
“They gave me a sense of belonging in this small-but-mighty community of ours. My hope is that this cohort will draw on the connections formed—whether it’s passing each other jobs, consulting on tricky bits, celebrating or commiserating with one another—and keep the flame lit.”
The translators submitted their translation samples two weeks before the workshop, on which Lauffer provided edits. Lauffer then chose an excerpt from each translation and shared those with Kamicheril who sent individual edits and comments back to each translator.
In preparation for the workshop, the translators were asked to each identify a paragraph they were struggling with. During the workshop, each participant shared what they found particularly challenging in the paragraphs they had chosen, which led to a lively exchange which highlighted the different perspectives and versions each could create.
Kamicheril stressed that there is right formulation because it is always about the bigger picture. What is the sound, the tone of the text? Which solution fits best in a particular context?
During the workshop, it became clear that the art of translation is closely tied to emotions, interactions, and interdependence, something AI cannot replicate.
“Though that’s been slowly changing, there’s just not a ton of infrastructure in the US to support emerging translators, so this was a rare opportunity to not only hone our skills but also learn more about the inner workings of the industry,” said Kasumov.
“I’m grateful to have been part of this group! My favorite part of the workshop itself was probably seeing how each and every one of us translated certain turns of phrases differently–a beautiful reminder that translation is an art, not something that can be automated away.”"
By Erin L. Cox, Publisher | @erinlcox
December 12, 2025
https://publishingperspectives.com/2025/12/building-the-future-of-translation-a-workshop-in-new-york-city/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Norfolk is celebrating the anniversary of INTRAN, the county's homegrown interpretation and translation service.
Founded in December of 2000 to offer interpretation and translation services in 54 languages to public sector organisations in Norfolk, INTRAN has grown to provide over 300 organisations with translation and interpretation support across 174 languages, including British Sign Language and braille.
Cllr Robert Savage, Vice-Chairman of Norfolk County Council, said: "It's wonderful to celebrate a quarter century of INTRAN's work: this is a clear example of what can be achieved when organisations collaborate, bringing together 6 original partners to create a service that helps save public resources by avoiding duplication and now helps hundreds of organisations communicate clearly and swiftly with their service users. The work of INTRAN has helped improve lives, deliver better outcomes and ensure access to services for thousands of people who might otherwise have struggled. Here's to another 25 years of such success!"
Before INTRAN was established those who needed translation and interpretation support often had to arrange for specialist help to be brought in from far afield, with Interpreters as far away as Glasgow travelling to Norfolk to support face to face events. INTRAN's creation changed all that, allowing a range of organisations in Norfolk to access swift and local translation services. Today INTRAN offers telephone and video interpreters as well as face to face options, with written translation services and staff training also available.
Julie Dwyer, member of the Norwich Deaf Club, explained that "Without an interpreter, I often feel invisible — INTRAN helps me being heard and understood clearly".
In 2024-25, interpretation and translation services were requested in over 82,000 individual bookings, covering 111 different languages for Norfolk and 126 in the region (data shows that 174 different languages are spoken in Norfolk and over 200 in the East of England). Today, languages such as Lithuanian, Arabic and Polish are the most in demand, a sharp contrast to the early 2000s when Portuguese, Russian and British Sign Language were the most requested languages.
Valerie Gidney, INTRAN Partnership Manager, said: "The risks of non-effective communication are now widely recognised and regulated by law. By putting themselves together to deliver a common goal, members of our partnership have been able to reduce delays for service users, and help staff deliver their duty of care in confidence, helping avoid service delays, clearly communicate processes and consent, improve diagnoses and speed up accurate interventions.
With the continuous evolution of technology, over the past 25 years we've introduced new solutions, such as video interpreting on demand, which staff use to respond to emergency needs, access languages that are harder to source locally (such as Oromo, Rohingya or Nuer), and bridge gaps. New opportunities are currently sought which we are confident will further improve accessibility for members of our local deaf communities. Watch this space!"
Top 10 Languages in Norfolk 2024-25
In 2024-25, interpretation and translation services were requested in 111 different languages for Norfolk and 126 in the region, of which 30 had not been requested during 2023-24. Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, Norfolk has seen some changes to the Top 10 most requested languages, which account for 69.94% of all bookings:
Lithuanian
Arabic
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Romanian
Pashto
Kurdish-Sorani
Bulgarian
Dari
Ukrainian was number 14 on the Norfolk list of top languages that year.
Last modified: 11 December 2025"
Norfolk County Council ,11 December 2025
https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/74416/INTRAN-Celebrates-25-Years-of-Inclusive-Communication
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Google Translate brings real-time speech translations to any headphones
Live speech translations were once only on the Pixel Buds.
Google Translate’s latest update brings live speech translations, originally available only on the Pixel Buds, to any headphones you want, with support for over 70 languages. It’s rolling out today in beta and just requires a compatible Android phone with the Translate app (unlike Apple’s similar feature, which requires AirPods).
It’s one of a few new features coming to Google Translate, along with improved text translations. Using Gemini, Translate will now offer more accurate translations of phrases like idioms and slang, which have a different meaning than what they literally sound like word for word, such as the expression “stealing my thunder.”
Android users will soon have an option to hear real-time translations through their headphones. Image: Google
Today’s update also includes an expansion of the Practice feature in Translate, bringing it to 20 new countries and adding more supported languages. The Practice feature, which launched in beta in August, is a bit like Duolingo, but baked into Google Translate. It uses AI to make customized language learning sessions based on your skill level, including vocabulary practice and listening comprehension.
Live speech-to-speech translation is rolling out today in the US, Mexico, and India on Android and will make its way over to the iOS Translate app next year. Improved text translations are rolling out today in the US and Mexico on both the Android and iOS Translate apps, as well as on the web version of Translate. Practice is still a beta feature in Translate, so it may not be available to everyone yet."
Stevie Bonifield
Dec 12, 2025
https://www.theverge.com/news/843483/google-translate-live-speech-translations-headphones
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Depuis le 20 novembre et jusqu’au 20 janvier 2026, l’Association internationale des interprètes de conférence vous propose une exposition consacrée aux débuts de l’interprétation simultanée.
C’est à l’occasion du 80ᵉ anniversaire de l’ouverture des procès de Nuremberg que cette exposition a été inaugurée. Son objectif : mettre en valeur le rôle des interprètes lors du procès de Nuremberg. Une traduction menée alors en quatre langues, une première rendue possible grâce à la méthode novatrice de l’interprétation simultanée.
L'exposition se tiendra pendant 2 mois durant lesquels des projections de films seront prévus notamment le 19 décembre et le 1er janvier (inscription obligatoire).
Cette exposition se tient dans l’enceinte du musée de l’émigration BallinStadt. Elle est ouverte du Mardi au Dimanche de 10h à 18h.
🎟️ Prix : 13,90€"
https://lepetitjournal.com/hambourg/agenda/expositions/un-proces-quatre-langues-
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Les principales recommandations du Conseil de l'Europe concernent la formation des enseignants, les services sociaux et de santé et les médias.
Le Comité d’experts de la Charte européenne des langues régionales ou minoritaires a publié aujourd’hui un rapport à mi-parcours sur la mise en œuvre par la Finlande de ses 22 recommandations pour action immédiate formulées dans le sixième rapport d’évaluation.
La Charte, entrée en vigueur en Finlande en 1998, s’applique au suédois (langue nationale la moins répandue), au sâme d’Inari, au sâme du Nord, au sâme skolt, au carélien, au romani, au russe, au tatar et au yiddish.
Le Comité d’experts se félicite des progrès accomplis, mais regrette que plusieurs recommandations n’aient pas été mises en œuvre, notamment celles sur la formation des enseignants, les services sociaux et de santé, les médias et l’absence de financement durable dans différents domaines. Il réaffirme également que la Finlande doit sensibiliser la population à ses minorités et prendre des mesures pour revitaliser le romani et le carélien. La Finlande devrait aussi renforcer les mesures visant à protéger le sâme skolt et le yiddish, qui sont gravement menacés et risquent de disparaître.
Le Comité d’experts se réjouit du fait que le sâme d’Inari, le sâme du Nord et le sâme skolt sont toujours enseignés dans les universités d’Oulu et de Laponie, ce qui peut déboucher sur de nouvelles opportunités pour la formation des enseignants. En outre, il encourage les autorités à élaborer, en coopération avec les représentants des locuteurs, une stratégie à long terme adossée à un financement durable, afin de veiller à la disponibilité d’enseignants en sâme d’Inari, en sâme du Nord et en sâme skolt. Les autorités devraient également mettre en place des mesures incitatives pour les étudiants, telles que des bourses, des garanties d’emploi ou des primes salariales, afin de les encourager à suivre une formation d’enseignement.
Étant donné que la majeure partie du financement reste liée à des projets spécifiques, le Comité d’experts renouvelle sa recommandation selon laquelle le financement de la promotion du sâme d’Inari, du sâme du Nord et du sâme skolt devrait être disponible pour des périodes plus longues, afin de ne pas entraver la continuité des services, parmi lesquels les services sociaux et de santé.
Le Comité d’experts recommande des mesures supplémentaires pour revitaliser la langue romani. Il encourage les autorités à remédier à la pénurie persistante d’enseignants et note que des mesures supplémentaires sont nécessaires pour garantir la pérennité de l’enseignement dans cette langue.
Une autre recommandation pour action immédiate concerne l’emploi du suédois, en particulier au sein des autorités locales et régionales, et dans les services sociaux et de santé. Des lacunes ayant été signalées dans les services numériques, notamment des traductions suédoises inadéquates et des liens manquants vers des informations en suédois, le Comité d’experts attend avec intérêt un rapport sur la disponibilité des services dans les comtés de services de bien-être bilingues ainsi que des données fiables sur les défis et les effets de la réforme de la santé de 2023.
Tout en prenant note des supports audiovisuels visant à mieux faire connaître les langues minoritaires parlées en Finlande, le Comité d’experts encourage les autorités à redoubler d’efforts pour sensibiliser la population majoritaire aux langues minoritaires, tant dans le domaine de l’éducation que dans les médias.
Les autorités finlandaises doivent présenter leur prochain rapport périodique avant le 1er mars 2028."
Conseil de l'Europe Strasbourg 12 Décembre 2025
https://www.coe.int/fr/web/portal/-/progress-in-protecting-minority-languages-in-finland-but-further-action-needed
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Appel à tous les apprenants et locuteurs de langues autochtones!
Le Programme mentor-apprenti recherche de nouveaux mentors qui souhaitent enseigner leur langue autochtone et les apprentis qui souhaitent l’apprendre.
Le Programme mentor-apprenti est un programme d’apprentissage des langues qui consiste à jumeler un locuteur compétent (le mentor) à un apprenant sérieux (l’apprenti) pour qu’ensemble ils se livrent à des activités de la vie courante en n’utilisant que leur langue autochtone.
Les apprenants souhaitant apprendre une langue autochtone doivent trouver un mentor disposé à leur enseigner, et les locuteurs de langues autochtones souhaitant faire du mentorat et enseigner leur langue doivent trouver un apprenti. L’objectif du programme est de permettre aux apprentis d’améliorer leur capacité à comprendre et à parler leur langue en « vivant dans la langue ».
Les paires mentor-apprenti doivent accepter de passer environ 5 à 7 heures par semaine ensemble pendant le programme. Ils devront réaliser 200 heures d’immersion linguistique sur une période d’environ neuf mois à compter de mai 2026.
Le programme est ouvert aux apprenants de tous les niveaux. Les apprenants doivent être âgés d’au moins 18 ans. Les mentors et les apprentis sont rémunérés pour leur participation au programme grâce à des fonds provenant à la fois du gouvernement des Territoires du Nord-Ouest et de leur gouvernement autochtone. Jusqu’à dix paires mentor-apprenti par gouvernement autochtone partenaire seront sélectionnées pour y participer.
La date limite pour soumettre votre candidature est le 28 février 2026.
Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements ou pour présenter une demande, veuillez visiter le www.ece.gov.nt.ca/fr/PMA, composez le 867-767-9346, poste 71044, ou écrivez à Indigenous_languages@gov.nt.ca.
Les représentants des médias sont priés de s’adresser à :
Agata Gutkowska
Gestionnaire des relations publiques et des communications
Gouvernement des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
agata_Gutkowska@gov.nt.ca"
Yellowknife — 11 décembre 2025
https://www.gov.nt.ca/fr/newsroom/appel-tous-les-apprenants-et-locuteurs-de-langues-autochtones
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
By encouraging cross-cultural understanding and collaborative learning, the program prepares student leaders to thrive in and contribute to an increasingly interconnected world.
"Participants in this year’s Emory Intercultural Leadership Program (EILP) recently gathered for the annual leadership retreat, which Ava Havidic described as transformative.
“The EILP leadership retreat allowed me to expand international friendships across schools at Emory,” says Havidic, a second-year student at Emory College of Arts and Sciences. “It was a place of true connection, where vulnerability was welcomed. I was able to actively listen to the stories of those different than me, which will help me shape a better Emory, Atlanta and global community.”
That connection is exactly what the EILP aims to foster. Part of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), EILP is designed for both international and domestic students across Emory’s undergraduate, graduate and professional schools.
The EILP is an academic-year-long cohort program that equips participants with a powerful toolkit of global leadership skills and intercultural communication strategies, culminating in a service-learning experience.
“The EILP empowers students to lead with curiosity, empathy and purpose,” says Shinn Ko, assistant vice provost of International Student and Scholar Services. “By encouraging cross-cultural understanding and collaborative learning, the program prepares these student leaders to thrive in and contribute to an increasingly interconnected world.”
At the leadership retreat, students experienced immersive activities like storytelling, listening circles and team building. Intercultural conflict styles were also explored as a way to better understand diverse cultural perspectives and techniques to communicate across differences — tools necessary to lead in intercultural settings.
Through monthly seminars, students strengthen their understanding of emotional intelligence and intercultural effectiveness while engaging in rich, perspective-shifting dialogue. Reflecting on her decision to join the group, Emory College student Camilla Basco shared, “Within the EILP, I hope to build bridges not for the sake of connection alone, but for the new possibilities that can emerge when we cross those bridges together.”
In the spring semester, EILP participants will collaborate on a service-learning project, applying these skills in a real-world context to foster positive change.
“The EILP empowers the next generation of leaders to think globally, act with empathy and lead with purpose,” says Soundharya Kumaresan, a first-year PhD student in the Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences with Laney Graduate School.
To learn more about the program, visit the ISSS EILP page. Follow @EmoryISSS on Instagram for participant spotlights and program updates."
https://news.emory.edu/stories/2025/12/er_isss_leadership_program_09-12-2025/story.html
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Translanguaging and Multimodality in ESP: Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication through Multiliteracies Pedagogy
Abstract
Rapid internationalization in higher education has created complex multicultural environments that necessitate advanced intercultural competence alongside linguistic proficiency. This study explores how multiliteracies pedagogy mediates cross-cultural communication challenges within a Sino-German Industrial Design ESP program. By analyzing classroom interactions and perspectives from German lecturers, Chinese ESP teachers, and undergraduates, the research identifies communicative tensions such as linguistic barriers and student reticence. Findings demonstrate that multiliteracies strategies—specifically multimodal instruction and translanguaging—effectively mitigate these challenges. These approaches enabled students to synthesize visual, textual, and oral communication, fostering greater empathy and engagement. The study argues that multiliteracies pedagogy serves as a vital mechanism for translating macro-level bilingual policy objectives into practical classroom strategies. The implications for ESP curriculum design and teacher professional development in internationalized contexts are discussed."
Posted: 10 Dec 2025
Zizhe Huang
Independent - affiliation not provided to SSRN
PEILING TAN
Independent - affiliation not provided to SSRN
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5898628
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
Google Translate, the popular language translation application, has recently broadened its language tutoring capabilities.
"Speakers of the following languages can now benefit from Google Translate’s English language teaching capabilities:
– Bengali
– German
– Hindi
– Italian
– Dutch
– Romanian
– Swedish
– Chinese (Simplified)
Enhancing Language Proficiency
Google Translate’s tool provides an excellent platform for users to refine their language skills. Its recent update includes an option that allows users to practice English, even if their display language is set to English. This feature caters to users who are looking to improve their English language capabilities or simply wish to practice English in a risk-free environment.
AI-Powered Features
In recent months, Google has introduced a range of new features to the Translate app, many of which leverage artificial intelligence. These features include real-time conversation translations and large-font translations. The recent developments underscore Google’s understanding of the common scenarios where people use the Translate app – primarily in real-life situations.
Aspirations for Further Language Options
Despite the recent advancements and Google being a US company with a focus on English language learning, there is a desire for more diverse language training options, specifically between two non-English languages. This is due to Google’s global presence, with offices worldwide. Additionally, users are expressing interest in seeing the app move beyond repetitive speaking and listening practice by including grammar lessons.
Questions & Answers
What new languages can English speakers learn on Google Translate?
English speakers can now learn Portuguese and German on Google Translate.
What new languages can non-English speakers learn English in on Google Translate?
Non-English speakers of Bengali, German, Hindi, Italian, Dutch, Romanian, Swedish, and Chinese (Simplified) can now learn English on Google Translate.
What are some new features Google has added to the Translate app?
Some new features include real-time conversation translations and large-font translations."
https://www.retailnews.asia/expand-your-language-spectrum-google-translate-adds-new-languages-to-its-learning-tool/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Direction le Palais de justice de Bruxelles, non pas pour assister à une audience, mais pour découvrir une exposition inédite consacrée aux traducteurs et interprètes dans le monde judiciaire.
L’exposition met en lumière un métier souvent méconnu mais essentiel au bon déroulement des procès. Son origine remonte au procès de Nuremberg, après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, où pour la première fois, un système d’interprétation simultanée a été mis en place pour permettre à la justice internationale de fonctionner.
■ Reportage de Maël Arnoldussen, Frédéric De Henau et Laurence Paciarelli"
https://bx1.be/categories/news/palais-de-justice-une-exposition-dediee-aux-traducteurs-et-interpretes-jures/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
L'interprète n'a pas pu retenir ses larmes : "Le témoignage d'un jeune ukrainien de 11 ans sur la mort de sa mère en direct du Parlement européen a suscité une vive émotion. L'interprète à ses côtés, en charge de la traduction, n'a pas pu retenir ses larmes.
Submergée par l'émotion. À l'écoute du témoignage du jeune ukrainien de 11 ans Roman Oleksiv sur la mort de sa mère à la suite d'un bombardement russe, l'interprète à ses côtés, en charge de traduire les propos en anglais, n'a pas pu s'empêcher de pleurer. Trop touchée par le témoignage du garçon, l'interprète a même laissé son collègue prendre le relais, le temps de se remettre de ses émotions. La vidéo a mis en émoi les réseaux sociaux.
Lors de son témoignage au Parlement européen, Roman a raconté avoir retrouvé sa mère le 14 juillet 2022, jour de sa mort sous les bombes russes : «Je l’ai vue sous les décombres et j’ai vu ses cheveux. Je les ai caressés et je lui ai dit au revoir», a-t-il déclaré.
Ce jour-là, Roman Oleksiv était dans le même hôpital que sa mère, subissant également les conséquences de cette attaque. Il a ainsi été brûlé sur plus de 80% de son corps et est resté dans le coma pendant plus de 100 jours. Il a depuis subi 36 interventions chirurgicales.
Aujourd'hui, il se rétablit à Lviv, où il vit avec son père, Yaroslav. Il a repris l’école et se passionne pour la musique et la danse, rapporte 7 sur 7."
Par CNEWS
Publié le 12/12/2025 à 17:27 - Mis à jour le 12/12/2025 à 17:27
https://www.cnews.fr/monde/2025-12-12/guerre-en-ukraine-un-garcon-raconte-la-mort-de-sa-mere-dans-une-frappe-russe-et
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"In the discussion after a screening of documentaries about Ukrainian children, a translator burst into tears while interpreting the speech of 11-year-old Roman Oleksiv from Lviv. The boy survived a Russian missile strike in Ukraine's city of Vinnytsya. The July 2022 strike killed Oleksiv's mother." https://www.rferl.org/a/interpreter-cries-translating-ukrainian-boy/33620745.html
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"The White House is appealing court orders to restore interpretation services at press briefings.
The White House is making an unusual argument as it resists advocates’ push for sign language interpretation at press briefings conducted by President Donald Trump and press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Providing American sign language interpretation in press conferences “would severely intrude on the President’s prerogative to control the image he presents to the public,” Justice Department attorneys argued in a lawsuit filed by the National Association for the Deaf.
The novel argument is just one part of the White House’s case against providing ASL interpretation, and DOJ attorneys haven’t elaborated much on the alleged intrusion. But it has raised concerns among advocates, and even the judge in the case.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali issued an order last month requiring the White House to provide real-time ASL interpretation for Trump and Leavitt’s briefings, rejecting the administration’s argument that closed captioning and transcripts give Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing sufficient access to the president’s statements.
“To the extent the defendants argue that they prefer to act free from association with accessibility for people with disabilities, their gripe is with Congress and” federal anti-discrimination laws themselves, Ali wrote.
The Trump administration immediately appealed Ali’s ruling. The White House has begun providing interpretation for more events since the court issued its injunction, although the two sides of the case have disagreed over the specifics of what’s required.
The administration has argued that complications could arise if, for example, Trump spontaneously chooses to take questions from the press at events other than briefings. The Trump administration has asked Ali to limit his ruling to events scheduled at least 24 hours in advance, but the judge said the White House’s concerns were based on a misunderstanding of his order, which requires officials to “take all reasonable steps” to provide interpretation whenever they have advance knowledge that Trump or Leavitt will provide information or take questions.
The plaintiffs have also noted that President Joe Biden’s administration was able to provide ASL interpretation for events that were announced to the press pool less than an hour before Biden delivered his remarks.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told POLITICO that “the Administration is in compliance with” the judge’s November order. The White House did not respond to additional questions seeking to clarify its position in the case.
Brittany Shrader, director of legal services at the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center, told POLITICO that she would rather not speculate about the administration’s “image” arguments.
“The disability laws don’t require a showing of animus or ill will toward people with disabilities to prove discrimination. The laws require that the White House provide access and the failure to provide that access is itself discrimination,” Shrader said. The White House’s arguments are “not a sound basis for declining to provide reasonable accommodations,” she said.
The organization first sued over a lack of sign language interpretation during Trump’s first term, in a bid to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing Americans had access to critical health information from government leaders during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Trump White House fought that lawsuit, but did not make arguments related to the president’s control of his image and messaging.
The Biden White House provided ASL interpreters for its press briefings, but the practice disappeared when Trump came back into power. The National Association of the Deaf filed a new discrimination lawsuit against the administration in May, naming Trump, Leavitt and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles among the defendants.
The NAD and White House are awaiting action from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which could uphold or block Ali’s order."
Hassan Ali Kanu
12/11/2025
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/11/donald-trump-sign-language-lawsuit-00687712
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Translators who work on Parliament Hill say changes to their accreditation process risks worsening the quality of language interpretation in the federal government.
The Translation Bureau...has quietly begun using an external consultant during accreditation exams instead of a jury of senior interpreters from within the bureau.
As of November, an external juror has carried the same weight as four staff interpreters combined previously. In the case of a disagreement, a Translation Bureau executive will break the tie, according to the Canadian chapter of the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC-Canada).
“It’s really the impact on the quality of official languages, at Parliament of all places, where you need high-quality interpretation to make sure that parliamentarians understand one another and can do their job properly for their constituents.”
Michèle LaRose, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said the Translation Bureau was now including “independent experts from the high-level conference interpretation community to provide an external perspective on the evaluations.”
“This allowed us to obtain a diversity of opinions from experts in their field, ensure greater transparency in the process, and inform any necessary improvements to the process,” said LaRose, who added that there were “no changes to the evaluation criteria from previous years, and performance and quality expectations remain the same.”
In previous years, the bar for the accreditation exam was set so high that some did not pass at all, according to AIIC-Canada.
Since 2022, LaRose said, 193 external candidates had taken the accreditation exam, “of which only 22 were accredited, representing a passing rate of 11 per cent.”
LaRose added that 60 candidates took the most recent exam in November, but she said that the department could not provide the number of successful candidates “as the evaluation process is still ongoing.”
Critics of the change accused the government of seeking to suddenly increase the pool of working freelance interpreters following new procurement rules.
Skup said a “significant number” of freelance interpreters had not bid for contracts since the new procurement rules came into effect because they included an hourly pay model and other changes. She estimated that between one-third and one-half of interpreters in the association had chosen not to work in Parliament because of the new rules.
For Antoine Hersberger, vice-president of the translation group of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees and a translator with the Translation Bureau, giving so much power to an external consultant over experienced staff interpreters was “a bit insulting.”...
“If we’re lowering the bar in Parliament, you can imagine how low the bar can go in other contexts.”"
Matteo Cimellaro
Dec 11, 2025
https://ottawacitizen.com/public-service/freelance-interpreter-accreditation
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"IRC offers its digital safety classes in 12 languages...
International Rescue Committee is adding safe artificial intelligence use to its digital literacy classes.
For newcomers to the U.S., artificial intelligence can be very helpful—and very dangerous...
International Rescue Committee serves refugees and forced migrants for at least five years after they come to the US.
That means they can help people develop longer-term skills that are essential to living in the States—like digital literacy.
IRC's chapter in Spokane has long offered classes on things like setting up an email account or paying bills online.
But thanks to emerging tech, their newest digital skills classes are tackling topics like AI.
Ab Denman, a digital skills specialist with IRC, says artificial intelligence is being woven into new translation tools—and making them a lot better.
“AI translation is really helpful for things to do with tone and context, especially dialect,” Denman said. "My clients have said that dialect is becoming a really big barrier when it comes to, like, Google Translate because it doesn't understand the differences between the same language with different regions and countries."
But if non-English speakers ask ChatGPT for help with personal issues, that can put them at risk.
“Basically, if you wouldn't tell it to a stranger, don't tell it to the AI," Denman said. "So even if it's something like asking why you're having a specific health issue, we are kind of at the mercy of companies when it comes to trusting that they'll protect our data and not sell it to, say, insurance companies that will want to know about health problems in a specific area and then raise rates.”
Denman also teaches participants how to spot housing scams on Facebook Marketplace, or gauge whether the voice on the other end of the phone is actually a government official or an AI-generation.
"Unfortunately, the scams move faster than some of the warnings and it's getting very smart," Denman said.
Once participants finish the class, they get to take home a brand new Lenovo tablet. That's thanks to a generous IRC donor. Denman says that kind of technology is essential to navigating doctor's offices, banking, and self-sufficiency.
And despite its threats, Denman refuses to villainize artificial intelligence.
"AI is a tool like any other thing," they said. "Like a hammer, it can be used to fix big problems and it can be used to damage the wall entirely."
Denman teaches the digital safety classes in English. Thanks to a real-life translator on the other end of a phone, the lessons are translated into 10 different languages.
But IRC says it would be a whole lot cheaper to use an AI translator instead."
Spokane Public Radio
Eliza Billingham
December 10, 2025
https://www.spokanepublicradio.org/regional-news/2025-12-10/artificial-intelligence-language-translation-international-rescue-committee-spokane
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"What you don’t realize about theatrical translators
Christopher Hampton, veteran English-language translator, and Daniël Cohen, longtime Dutch-language translator, weigh in on the job that’s trickier than it seems, their specific works and plays versus musicals.
Ruthie Fierberg
December 11, 2025
Theatrical translation is much more than converting words in the original language to words with equivalent meaning in a new one. Though a translation is nothing without meaning and clarity, those attributes are not enough. Theatrical translators must consider the style and tone of the show, the way in which language is used (differentiating direct and literal from poetic and beatific), linguistic history (matching words to the era in which the piece is set), cultural understanding (choosing references that ring true for a new audience), rhythm, phrasing and character.
“It’s juggling with 10 balls at the same time,” said Daniël Cohen, a Dutch playwright, lyricist director and translator who has translated more than a dozen musicals from English to Dutch. At the end of the day, these myriad factors that translators consider combine to achieve a simple — if not easy — goal. “The aim is to try and deliver as accurate a translation as possible,” declared Christopher Hampton, a British playwright and translator who has translated dozens of plays into English. “Your duty really, as a translator, is to get out of the way and present as close as you can to what the author intended.”
On Broadway, it’s been historically rare for a musical to have originated in a language other than English. One of the most famous is the French “Les Misérables,” with lyrics by translator Herbert Kretzmer; the most recent is the Korean “Maybe Happy Ending,” translated by its original writing team, Will Aronson and Hue Park. More common is the export of American musicals to countries around the world, which require translation from English to other languages.
When it comes to straight plays on Broadway, there is a long tradition of English translations. Many of the so-called classics originated outside of English: Sophocles’ Greek, Chekhov’s Russian, Ibsen’s Norwegian, Molière’s French. Modern translations have been fewer and farther between. But the fall of this 2025-2026 Broadway season has welcomed three: Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot,” a translation from French to English by Beckett; Sophocles’ Oedipus, a new adapted English translation by Robert Icke; and Yasmina Reza’s “Art,” a revival of the Tony Award-winning play with translation from French to English by Hampton.
There is a distinct art to translation, a necessary discipline for cultural exchange. But, according to Hampton, the practice of hiring a specifically theatrical translator — rather than someone who can simply reword — is fairly new.
A tale of two translators
The distinction between academic and performative translation gained prominence in the 1960s, both according to this scholar and Hampton’s own experience.
Hampton began working for London’s Royal Court as soon as he completed university, and the Royal Court wanted to shake things up. “They had developed a theory that the classics ought to be translated by playwrights, not by academic translators because, prior to that, whenever there was an Ibsen or a Chekhov production, they would use the Oxford edition translated by some eminent linguist academic,” Hampton explained. But the Royal Court wanted to emphasize “speakable dialogue,” as Hampton put it. He was assigned Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” his first ever attempt.
But Hampton doesn’t speak Russian. The Royal Court paired him with a Russian woman who made a literal translation, then Hampton created the play version from that. Soon, he was called to do Ibsen (he doesn’t speak Norwegian). “I found that I really enjoyed the process of translation,” Hampton said of his early exposure to the job. “As opposed to writing your own own plays, it was like going to the gym or something. It was a linguistic exercise.”
Eventually, Hampton transitioned to translate French — a language in which he is actually fluent. Years later, that led him to Reza and “Art.”
Cohen took a different path to translation — one forged from necessity. As a theater director in Amsterdam, Cohen wanted to stage Stephen Sondheim’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” “In my youthful arrogance, I thought, ‘Well, I’ve never done this before, but I’m sure I can do it,’” he recalled. Directing his own translated text confirmed firsthand the truth in the Royal Court’s 1960s theory. As Cohen said, “It taught me that all the things that I invented writing at my desk weren’t necessarily the best choices for the actors.”
How Hampton translates
Hampton describes translating as “a huge number of small decisions.” With a comedy, like “Art,” those choices are not only about how actors can perform the play, but how the text allows them to elicit laughter from the audience. “The way to do that is often the phrasing,” Hampton said. “That often has to do with word order.” Even in a straight play, there is musicality to consider."
https://www.broadwaynews.com/what-you-dont-realize-about-theatrical-translators/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"L’Association Camerounaise pour la Traduction de la Bible et l’Alphabétisation (CABTAL) a inauguré son nouveau Complexe Missionnel à Efoulan à Yaoundé, marquant une étape importante dans sa mission de soutenir les individus, les communautés, les églises et les partenaires.
Le Complexe Missionnel CABTAL est équipé d’une imprimerie qui facilitera la production de documents liés à la traduction de la Bible et à la promotion de la littératie. L’organisation prévoit de traduire la Bible dans 17 nouvelles langues et de lancer de nouveaux partenariats pour soutenir ses activités. C’est aussi un bâtiment de quatre niveaux en dehors du sous-sol. Son objectif est de « faciliter le déploiement du corps de Christ en créant un cadre agréable et propice pour le repos et la ressource ». C’est ce qu’à laissé entendre Jean Marc ZE, président du conseil d’administration du CABTAL.
Le Directeur Général de CABTAL, Dr Emmanuel Keyeh Lufang, a souligné que l’objectif de l’organisation est de voir les individus et les communautés transformés par la Parole de Dieu dans leur langue maternelle. Il a également annoncé que CABTAL a déjà traduit le Nouveau Testament dans 38 langues camerounaises et l’Ancien Testament dans deux langues. « C’est un centre mis sur pied pour générer des ressources et pouvoir financer plusieurs travaux, faciliter la traduction de la Bible, le développement communautaire….. »
L’inauguration du Complexe Missionnel CABTAL est un pas en avant vers la réalisation de la vision de l’organisation de promouvoir la littératie et la traduction de la Bible au Cameroun."
11 décembre 2025
Valère Francine Manuela MBANGO KOUOH
https://chretiens.com/chretiensdumonde/chretiens-du-cameroun/lassociation-camerounaise-pour-la-traduction-de-la-bible-et-lalphabetisation-a-son-nouveau-local/2025/12/11/10/30/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
Santiago Artozqui assesses the linguistic strategies and sociohistorical stakes involved in retranslating Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel «Gone with the Wind» into French in 2020.
"In 2020, Éditions Gallmeister published Autant en emporte le vent, a French version of Margaret Mitchell’s lone novel Gone with the Wind, in a new translation by Josette Chicheportiche. The same day, Éditions Gallimard rereleased an earlier translation by Pierre-François Caillé from 1938, accompanied by the preface that J. M. G. Le Clézio wrote in 1989, and by excerpts from the correspondence between the author and her translator. Recent events, impossible for either publishing house to have foreseen, have triggered a global, collective reflection on the place of Blacks in societies in which they are discriminated against. Without a desire to read these two translations exclusively through the lens of the Black Lives Matter movement, it is all the same interesting to note how, seen from this angle, both say “almost the same thing.”
Margaret Mitchell, Autant en emporte le vent, translated from the American English by Josette Chicheportiche, Gallmeister, Vol. 1, 720 p., 13€ – Vol. 2, 720 p., 13€.
Margaret Mitchell, Autant en emporte le vent, translated from the American English by Pierre-François Caillé, Gallimard Folio, Vol. 1, 784 p., 13€ – Vol. 2, 832 p., 13€.
Ever since its original publication, Gone with the Wind has invited superlatives. In 1936, this first novel by an unknown writer was “the most read,” “the most sold,” and, three years later, the eponymous film was “the most watched,” “the highest grossing”… The two French editions published in 2020 have not broken from this tradition—the back cover blurbs mention its “immense success,” its “mythical title,” its “unparalleled historical fresco.” Le Clézio, in his 1989 preface, climbed aboard, affirming in his opening line: “Gone with the Wind is a unique and exceptional book, it is the perfect novel,” and going on to evoke the millions of copies sold and the one hundred and twenty million viewers of the film.
This success and the position the book has taken in Western culture is enough to justify the necessity of a new translation into French, but as Marie Vrinat-Nikolov explained in Retraduire: pourquoi ? [“Retranslation: Why Bother?”, En Attendant Nadeau, 7 August 2017], all such justification is pointless: regardless of the text in question, we must retranslate, not against earlier translations, but with them. A translation is a reading, it evolves over time, and this evolution orients the placement of certain markers which, as they provide the text with a frame of reference, anchor a translation within its era.
The first of these markers is surely the title. Both French publishers stuck with Autant en emporte le vent, the octosyllabic title already crowned in France by cinematic, editorial, and commercial glory that it would have been foolish to do without. It has a better ring to it than “Emporté par le vent,” a more literal translation that is rather flat, but this embellishment diverts attention from the message: something has been carried off by the wind. This unnamed thing, central to the book’s premise, is the pro-slavery idyllic society constructed by the Whites, a sort of lost paradise where Blacks were happy and stayed in their place. The novel tells the story of Scarlett O’Hara, a wealthy heiress who is going to lose it all because of the War. What follows are fifteen hundred pages of adventures, drama, and unexpected developments during which Scarlett attempts to recover what she considers to be her due: Tara, the family plantation, the literary symbol of a Golden Age to which the American Civil War put an end. But in between the love scenes, the balls, and the battles, this “unparalleled historical fresco” offhandedly defends the idea that Blacks are inferior beings.
Consider the following excerpt, in which Pork, one of the slaves on the plantation, presents the woman he has just married to his master (Gerald). She is quick to thank her new master.
From Gone with the Wind, 1936:
When she spoke, her voice was not so slurred as most negroes’ and she chose her words more carefully.
“Good evenin’, young Misses. Mist’ Gerald, I is sorry to ‘sturb you, but I wanted to come here and thank you agin fo’ buyin’ me and my chile. Lots of gentlemens might a’ bought me but they wouldn’t a’ bought my Prissy, too, jes’ to keep me frum grievin’ and I thanks you. I’m gwine do my bes’ fo’ you and show you I ain’t forgettin’.”
“Hum–hurrump,” said Gerald, clearing his throat in embarrassment at being caught openly in an act of kindness.
Translation by Pierre-François Caillé, 1938:
Lorsqu’elle parlait, sa voix n’était pas aussi confuse que celle de la plupart des Noirs et elle s’exprimait avec plus de recherche.
— Bonsoi’, mes jeunes demoiselles. Missié Gé’ald, moi je suis t’iste de vous dé’anger, mais je voulais veni’ vous ‘eme’cier de m’avoi’achetée avec l’enfant. Des tas de missiés ils voulaient m’acheter, mais ils voulaient pas acheter ma P’issy pou’ m’empêcher d’avoi’ du chag’in et je vous ‘eme’cie. Moi je fe’ai tout ce que je pou’ai pou’ vous et pou’ vous mont’er que moi j’oublie pas.
— Hum… hum… dit Gérald en s’éclaircissant la gorge. Il était fort gêné d’être pris en flagrant délit de bonté.
Translation by Josette Chicheportiche, 2020:
Lorsqu’elle parla, sa voix n’était pas aussi confuse que celle de la plupart des Noirs et elle choisissait ses mots avec plus de soin.
— Bonsoir, jeunes demoiselles. M’sieur Gerald, je suis désolée d’vous déranger, mais je voulais venir vous remercier encore que vous m’avez achetée, moi et ma p’tite. Des tas de messieurs m’auraient peut-être achetée, mais y auraient pas acheté ma Prissy aussi pour pas que je pleure et je vous remercie. J’ferai de mon mieux pour vous et pour vous montrer que j’oublie pas.
— Hum, hum, fit Gerald, se raclant la gorge, gêné d’être pris en flagrant délit de bonté.
Evidently, on a formal level, the 1938 transliteration of Dilcey’s “patois” doesn’t hold up very well today—the colonialist echoes here are a bit too blatant—and in her translation, Josette Chicheportiche offers to this character a mode of speech that is more comfortable for the contemporary reader, simply because it is less caricatured and less crude. And yet, in the above excerpt, neither of the translators can change the implications of the two sentences that frame Dilcey’s line. In the first of these, the omniscient narrator announces that the speech that is about to follow (despite its approximated syntax) is “less slurred” and “chosen more carefully” than that of “most negroes.” In a tale that endeavors to describe an era with realism and great attention to detail, this “universal truth” is a lie, as much during the period the story takes place—when men such as Frederick Douglass distinguished themselves by their eloquence—as it would have been in the era of the book’s initial publication, when writers such as Zora Neale Hurston were authoring books destined to become classics of American literature. As for the second sentence, where the narrator informs us that Gerald is embarrassed to have been “caught openly in an act of kindness,” suffice it to say that the benevolent act that upsets his natural modesty is the purchase of two slaves, one of whom is a twelve-year-old girl.
But the most striking feature is that by comparing these two French translations, we note that the omniscient narrator, himself, has hardly changed over the past eight decades.
When she spoke, her voice was not so slurred as most negroes’ and she chose her words more carefully. (1936)
Lorsqu’elle parlait, sa voix n’était pas aussi confuse que celle de la plupart des Noirs et elle s’exprimait avec plus de recherche. (1938)
Lorsqu’elle parla, sa voix n’était pas aussi confuse que celle de la plupart des Noirs et elle choisissait ses mots avec plus de soin. (2020)
“Hum–hurrump,” said Gerald, clearing his throat in embarrassment at being caught openly in an act of kindness. (1936)
— Hum… hum… dit Gérald en s’éclaircissant la gorge. Il était fort gêné d’être pris en flagrant délit de bonté. (1938)
— Hum, hum, fit Gerald, se raclant la gorge, gêné d’être pris en flagrant délit de bonté. (2020)
The text is littered with examples of this sort. Over the course of the book’s pages, it becomes clear that this omniscient narrator’s racism—another marker that the novel hinges on—is not only more insidious, but also more deep-seated than the racism we thought we could make out in the transliteration of the slaves’ patois. Accordingly, even if it is worth pointing out the remarkable job that Josette Chicheportiche has done on the language and the overall text, the problem resides elsewhere. In this book, the slaves are happy with their lot and imagine nothing more for their lives than service to their master; that is enough to make them content, and no matter how much the translator fiddles with the syntax and refines the style, the very notion is racist, today as it was yesterday.
Hattie McDaniel, Olivia de Havilland, and Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
Upon the initial release of the book, and most notably among those who were campaigning for civil rights, the numerous voices that were raised against the manner it represented slavery were largely met with indifference, stifled by its sales figures. An anecdote related by John Bracey, professor of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, can serve to illustrate the position of American authorities when it came to race in 1939; this regards extras the city of Atlanta recruited to act in vignettes at the film’s premiere. As Bracey explained, the idea was to dress them up like slaves and have them chant spirituals. All the area churches refused, except for one: Ebenezer Baptist, where Martin Luther King, Sr., the father of Martin Luther King, Jr., was a preacher. At the premiere of Gone with the Wind, a ten-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr. found himself seated on a cotton bale, made up like a “colored” from the good old days: a symbolic incarnation of the old South, brought along to amuse the white elites.
Let us also recall that Hattie McDaniel, the black actress who played Mammy, was not permitted to attend the opening because the cinema in which it was held was reserved strictly for whites. And at the Oscar ceremonies, where she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, she was seated at the back of the hall, separate from the other actors. It makes sense that in a society like this, the arguments put forward by Gone with the Wind didn’t encounter much genuine pushback.
That brings us back to the novel, a classic that is emblematic of an important side of American history. Not that of a Golden Age, the end of which is being lamented, but that of the fraction of America who, for the past eighty years, has lauded this novel and who sees itself in the values that it defends. As to these two new publications, the novel’s translation and its retranslation…When a novel tells us that slavery was great, there’s nothing the translator can do about that, because, as Umberto Eco put it, he or she can only say “almost the same thing” as the original. And yet, the publishers are not without resources. They have the option of adding a critical apparatus if they feel the work merits it. In this case, neither of the publishers felt it necessary. However—and this has nothing to do with current events, as it was equally true months and years ago—it wouldn’t have been meaningless to warn readers that the image this novel gives of Blacks is fallacious and that slavery, as it is depicted in the novel, is not in keeping with historical facts. Some might argue that this warning is entirely contained within the very word “novel.” They would be incorrect, as the novel and works of fiction are essential to the construction of the mental image that each of us has of the society we live in, and accordingly, to what we think.
Translated by Chris Clarke
This essay originally appeared in French in En Attendant Nadeau, No. 108, on July 1, 2020. Hopscotch Translation is grateful to the author and to the team of En Attendant Nadeau for their kind permission to publish this English translation."
https://hopscotchtranslation.com/2025/12/09/translations-come-and-go-racism-remains/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Artificio Processes Documents in 80+ Languages, Enabling Multinational Corporations to Automate Global Operations
News provided by
EIN Presswire
Dec 09, 2025, 8:23 AM ET
Advanced OCR and NLP capabilities now support cross-border document processing in 80+ languages, eliminating translation bottlenecks for multinational companies
Global enterprises shouldn't need separate document automation systems for each country—our multilingual platform delivers the same accuracy across 80+ languages.”— CEO, Artificio Products Inc.
IRVINE, CA, UNITED STATES, December 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Artificio Products Inc., a leader in AI-powered intelligent document processing and enterprise workflow automation, today announced that its platform now processes documents in more than 80 languages, positioning the company as a comprehensive solution for multinational corporations managing cross-border document operations. This expanded multilingual capability eliminates translation bottlenecks, reduces operational costs, and accelerates global business processes for enterprises operating across multiple countries and regions.
As businesses expand internationally, they face mounting challenges processing documents in diverse languages—from customer invoices and vendor contracts to regulatory filings and employee documentation. Traditional document processing systems require separate workflows for each language, forcing organizations to maintain translation services, language-specific teams, and disconnected automation solutions. Artificio's unified multilingual platform addresses these challenges by delivering consistent, accurate document intelligence regardless of language or script.
Comprehensive Language Coverage Across Six Continents
Artificio's multilingual document processing capabilities span major global languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, and Polish across Europe; Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Bengali, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, and Arabic across Asia and the Middle East; and numerous regional languages serving local business needs worldwide.
The platform's advanced optical character recognition technology handles diverse scripts including Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, Korean Hangul, and Devanagari scripts with exceptional accuracy. Unlike generic OCR tools that struggle with non-Latin scripts or require separate processing pipelines for different language families, Artificio's unified architecture automatically detects document language and applies optimized extraction models without manual configuration.
"Global enterprises shouldn't need separate document automation systems for each country where they operate," said Lal Singh, Founder and CEO of Artificio Products Inc. "Our multilingual platform delivers the same accuracy and automation capabilities across 80+ languages, enabling truly unified global document operations."
Financial institutions processing loan applications across multiple countries benefit from Artificio's ability to extract and validate financial data from documents in any language, automatically converting currencies, normalizing date formats, and ensuring regulatory compliance across jurisdictions. Manufacturing companies managing supplier documentation from China, Germany, Mexico, and Vietnam process purchase orders, invoices, and quality certificates through a single workflow regardless of document language.
Advanced Natural Language Processing Across Language Families
Artificio's platform combines optical character recognition with sophisticated natural language processing capabilities that understand context, terminology, and business logic across languages. The system doesn't simply extract text—it comprehends document meaning, identifies key entities, and applies business rules appropriate to each language and regional market.
For complex documents containing multiple languages, such as international shipping manifests or multinational corporate contracts, Artificio's AI agents automatically segment content by language, process each section with appropriate models, and synthesize results into unified structured data. This multi-language document handling capability proves particularly valuable for global logistics operations managing documentation in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese across transpacific shipping routes.
Insurance companies processing claims documentation submitted by multilingual policyholders achieve 92% straight-through processing rates regardless of document language. Healthcare organizations handling patient records and medical documentation across diverse populations maintain HIPAA compliance while processing information in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Tagalog through unified workflows.
Right-to-Left Language Support and Regional Script Variations
Artificio provides native support for right-to-left languages including Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, and Persian, maintaining proper text direction, alignment, and layout understanding critical for accurate document processing. The platform handles regional script variations and dialects, recognizing differences between Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Brazilian and European Portuguese, and Latin American and Castilian Spanish.
The system's adaptive learning capabilities improve accuracy for specific industry terminology and regional language variations over time. When processing legal contracts in French Canadian versus Metropolitan French, or technical documentation in British versus American English, Artificio's AI agents learn terminology preferences and regional conventions, ensuring outputs match local business requirements.
Eliminating Translation Bottlenecks in Global Workflows
Traditional approaches to multilingual document processing require manual translation before automation can begin, creating days or weeks of delay in time-sensitive business processes. Artificio eliminates these translation bottlenecks by processing native-language documents directly, extracting structured data, and delivering outputs in the organization's preferred working language when needed.
A multinational retail corporation reduced purchase order processing time from 5 days to 4 hours by implementing Artificio's multilingual automation across supplier documentation in English, Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The company eliminated translation costs exceeding $500,000 annually while improving order accuracy and accelerating inventory replenishment cycles.
A global pharmaceutical company processing regulatory submissions across North America, Europe, and Asia automated compliance documentation in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean. The organization achieved 75% reduction in regulatory filing preparation time while ensuring consistent data quality across all language versions of submission packages.
Technical Architecture Enabling Multilingual Intelligence
Artificio's multilingual capabilities leverage advanced machine learning models trained on diverse language datasets, including both common global languages and less prevalent regional languages. The platform employs transfer learning techniques that enable high accuracy even for languages with limited training data, leveraging linguistic similarities across language families.
The system's ensemble architecture combines multiple AI models optimized for different aspects of multilingual document understanding. Vision transformer models handle layout analysis independent of language, while language-specific natural language processing models extract semantic meaning and business entities. An intelligent arbitration layer combines outputs from multiple models to maximize accuracy across all supported languages.
For organizations operating in specialized industries, Artificio's platform supports custom vocabulary training, enabling high accuracy on technical terminology, industry jargon, and proprietary product names across languages. Pharmaceutical companies processing drug safety reports, automotive manufacturers managing supplier quality documents, and telecommunications providers handling service agreements all benefit from domain-specific multilingual models.
Compliance and Data Sovereignty Across Jurisdictions
Artificio's multilingual platform addresses data sovereignty and regulatory compliance requirements critical for cross-border document processing. Organizations can deploy the platform within specific geographic regions, ensuring documents processed in European Union countries remain within EU data centers for GDPR compliance, while Asian operations utilize regional infrastructure meeting local data protection requirements.
The platform maintains audit trails and processing logs in multiple languages, supporting regulatory reporting and compliance verification across jurisdictions. When European financial regulators require German-language audit documentation, while Asian regulators mandate local-language records, Artificio generates jurisdiction-specific compliance outputs from the same source documents.
Real-Time Language Detection and Adaptive Processing
Artificio's intelligent intake agents automatically detect document language upon receipt, routing content through appropriate processing pipelines without manual configuration. When processing mixed-language document batches—such as international vendor invoices arriving via email from suppliers worldwide—the system identifies each document's language and applies optimized extraction models automatically.
The platform handles code-switching and multilingual documents that contain embedded content in multiple languages. When processing English contracts containing Spanish legal clauses, or Chinese technical specifications with English product codes, Artificio's AI agents maintain context across language transitions, ensuring complete and accurate data extraction.
Integration with Global Enterprise Systems
Artificio's multilingual document processing integrates seamlessly with international ERP deployments, supporting SAP installations across Europe and Asia, Oracle systems managing North American and Latin American operations, and Microsoft Dynamics implementations serving global enterprise customers. The platform handles language-specific field mappings, translates codes and classifications when needed, and ensures data consistency across multinational system landscapes.
For organizations utilizing region-specific enterprise software—such as Japanese accounting systems, German HR platforms, or Chinese procurement systems—Artificio's AI agents adapt outputs to match system expectations including date formats, number formats, and character encoding requirements. This localization extends beyond simple translation to ensure seamless integration with local business systems.
Deployment Options for Multinational Organizations
Artificio offers flexible deployment options supporting multinational enterprises' diverse needs. Global deployments provide centralized multilingual processing with regional data centers ensuring compliance with local data protection regulations. Country-specific instances enable localized operations while maintaining consistent processing capabilities across the organization's global footprint.
The platform's scalable architecture handles varying document volumes across regions, accommodating high-volume markets like China and India while efficiently serving smaller regional operations. Organizations pay only for languages and regions actively used, with the flexibility to add new language support as business needs evolve.
Pricing and Availability
Artificio's multilingual document processing capabilities are available immediately for existing customers, with new organizations able to access the platform through flexible subscription plans. Language support is included in standard platform pricing, with enterprise customers receiving dedicated support for multilingual deployments, custom vocabulary training, and integration with regional business systems.
About Artificio Products Inc.
Artificio Products Inc. provides enterprise-grade AI-powered document processing and workflow automation solutions. The company's platform combines specialized AI agents that work collaboratively to automate document intake, classification, extraction, validation, and integration with business systems across 80+ languages. Serving multinational enterprises including Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, healthcare organizations, logistics providers, and manufacturing firms, Artificio processes millions of documents monthly with industry-leading accuracy and security. The platform's no-code interface enables business users to deploy sophisticated automation without technical expertise, while maintaining enterprise-grade security and compliance across global operations. For more information, visit https://artificio.ai"
https://www.cbs42.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/873831589/artificio-processes-documents-in-80-languages-enabling-multinational-corporations-to-automate-global-operations/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Three Utica Community Schools translators, who help support communications in Albanian, Arabic and Spanish, recently received their Language Line certifications.
The translators are UCS employees who work full time in the district. The district paid them to take the courses and get certified as part of their positions at UCS.
“The translators work during the day and are busy with enrollment, Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings, discipline/student code of conduct meetings, and support communications between the buildings and the families,” Utica Community Schools Public Relations Coordinator Jennifer Kane said in an email. “Buildings can contact the translators directly and staff can send them documents to be translated.”
They can be asked to perform extra duties that require them to work extra hours, such as at open houses, conferences, job fairs and back-to-school events.
“I think the certification adds to their credentials and ensures we have high quality translators using best practices in the field of translation and interpretation,” Jennifer Hernandez, Utica Community Schools executive director of state and federal programs, said in an email.
Luljeta Guri, Aned Bazan and Raad Tomika received their certifications after completing a six-hour online course going over the essentials of interpreting, and three hours of instructor‑led live sessions. The course covers skills such as attentive listening, dual-tasking, note-taking, memory development, and professional presentation and delivery.
“Going through the certification program helped with refreshing my industry-based knowledge, assessing the current level of my translation and interpretation skills, and comparing it with the current industry standards,” Guri said in a press release.
One key area that their work touches on is enrollment. They are there in every step of the process offering guidance and support to non-English-speaking families.
“The adjustment journey is normal but is also challenging and the starting point of that journey is proper communication,” Guri said in a press release. “The difficulties diverse families are facing are not limited to language proficiency.”
Guri said the challenges also include balancing new and old ways of life among family members.
“We are aware that the experience of working with a diverse population is enriching and challenging at the same time,” Guri said in a press release. “People who come from a diverse culture bring with them life views and approaches that are unique and different. Along with those values they also bring a desire to fit into the U.S. culture. We as interpreters can relate to that.”
For more information, visit uticak12.org."
By: Sarah Wright | Shelby-Utica News | Published December 8, 2025
https://www.candgnews.com/amp/news/utica-community-schools-translators-obtain-language-line-certifications-9759
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
Already longlisted for the prestigious Man Booker International Prize in 2016 for her translation of Maylis de Kerangal’s Mend the Living, and named on the New York Times’ Top Ten Books of 2023 for her translation of De Kerangal’s Eastbound, Moore has now won the 2025 Governor General’s Literary Award for translation for Uiesh/Somewhere.
"Jessica Moore wins 2025 Governor General’s Literary Award for translation
...Moore has now won the 2025 Governor General’s Literary Award for translation for Uiesh/Somewhere.
In the poetry collection, Innu elder Joséphine Bacon — who writes first in French and then self-translates into Innu-Aimun — reflects on her experiences in the northern wilderness of Nitassinan and the bustling city life. Working from the French text and Bacon’s voice, says Moore, meant tuning into the author’s cadence and ensuring it resonated in English.
“It’s a difficult prize to win,” she recalls. “All genres are considered together, and I assumed there was no way I could win with a book of poetry.”
Then came the phone call. “My whole body was tingling, and I really tried to soak it in,” she says.
‘Translation is the rewriting of a work in a new language’
Moore’s path to becoming a French-to-English translator began early. Raised by English-speaking parents, she was encouraged by her grandmother to learn additional languages. She attended a bilingual elementary school, learning in French for half of the day, and eventually did an exchange in Lausanne, Switzerland. Moore then spent a year abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France, where she took her first course in literary translation.
These experiences cemented her decision to pursue translation as a career.
“It requires so much care,” she says. “It’s often in the stage of revision that I see things and make sure to not lose something in translation. I look for creative ways to include the intention and heart of the original.”
Moore’s passion for translation comes from two impulses, she notes: “First, I have always been a writer, and translation is the rewriting of the work in a new language. The second impulse is the deep satisfaction of arranging things in just the right order and delivering words from one language to another.”
Honing her craft
Choosing Concordia’s MA in Translation Studies was “the right choice,” says Moore. “The program allowed me to do an interdisciplinary master’s so I had one foot in Concordia’s English department (creative writing) and another in the translation department.”
It also helped launch her career. Her first literary translation — which started as part of her master’s thesis — was Turkana Boy, a 2012 novel-poem by Jean-François Beauchemin. The book follows a grieving father who grapples with the mysterious disappearance of his son by searching for meaning in the fossilized remains of “Turkana Boy.”
That work helped shape Moore’s own creative practice. In 2012, she published Everything, Now, a hybrid lyric-memoir about navigating grief after the sudden loss of her partner. She uses her own translation of Turkana Boy as a template.
“The two were interwoven,” she explains. “I took phrases from the book as scaffolding for my own pieces — it was a call and response.”
For Moore, her writing and translation remain inseperable.
“I find the greatest strength for translating is that skill and sensibility as a writer,” she says. “I feel very clearly how the writing serves the translation.”"
December 9, 2025 | By Rita Simonetta
https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/advancement/2025/12/09/jessica-moore-wins-2025-governor-general-s-literary-award-for-translation.html
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
New research shows our pragmatic language abilities — which allow us to understand nonliteral expressions like sarcasm or metaphors — can be grouped together based on what types of inferences they require. MIT researchers identified three clusters of pragmatic skills based on understanding social conventions and rules, how the physical world works, and differences in tone.
"MIT researchers identified three cognitive skills that we use to infer what someone really means.
In everyday conversation, it’s critical to understand not just the words that are spoken, but the context in which they are said. If it’s pouring rain and someone remarks on the “lovely weather,” you won’t understand their meaning unless you realize that they’re being sarcastic.
Making inferences about what someone really means when it doesn’t match the literal meaning of their words is a skill known as pragmatic language ability. This includes not only interpreting sarcasm but also understanding metaphors and white lies, among many other conversational subtleties.
“Pragmatics is trying to reason about why somebody might say something, and what is the message they’re trying to convey given that they put it in this particular way,” says Evelina Fedorenko, an MIT associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences and a member of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research.
New research from Fedorenko and her colleagues has revealed that these abilities can be grouped together based on what types of inferences they require. In a study of 800 people, the researchers identified three clusters of pragmatic skills that are based on the same kinds of inferences and may have similar underlying neural processes.
One of these clusters includes inferences that are based on our knowledge of social conventions and rules. Another depends on knowledge of how the physical world works, while the last requires the ability to interpret differences in tone, which can indicate emphasis or emotion.
Fedorenko and Edward Gibson, an MIT professor of brain and cognitive sciences, are the senior authors of the study, which appears today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The paper’s lead authors are Sammy Floyd, a former MIT postdoc who is now an assistant professor of psychology at Sarah Lawrence College, and Olessia Jouravlev, a former MIT postdoc who is now an associate professor of cognitive science at Carleton University.
The importance of context
Much past research on how people understand language has focused on processing the literal meanings of words and how they fit together. To really understand what someone is saying, however, we need to interpret those meanings based on context.
“Language is about getting meanings across, and that often requires taking into account many different kinds of information — such as the social context, the visual context, or the present topic of the conversation,” Fedorenko says.
As one example, the phrase “people are leaving” can mean different things depending on the context, Gibson points out. If it’s late at night and someone asks you how a party is going, you may say “people are leaving,” to convey that the party is ending and everyone’s going home.
“However, if it’s early, and I say ‘people are leaving,’ then the implication is that the party isn’t very good,” Gibson says. “When you say a sentence, there’s a literal meaning to it, but how you interpret that literal meaning depends on the context.”
About 10 years ago, with support from the Simons Center for the Social Brain at MIT, Fedorenko and Gibson decided to explore whether it might be possible to precisely distinguish the types of processing that go into pragmatic language skills.
One way that neuroscientists can approach a question like this is to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brains of participants as they perform different tasks. This allows them to link brain activity in different locations to different functions. However, the tasks that the researchers designed for this study didn’t easily lend themselves to being performed in a scanner, so they took an alternative approach.
This approach, known as “individual differences,” involves studying a large number of people as they perform a variety of tasks. This technique allows researchers to determine whether the same underlying brain processes may be responsible for performance on different tasks.
To do this, the researchers evaluate whether each participant tends to perform similarly on certain groups of tasks. For example, some people might perform well on tasks that require an understanding of social conventions, such as interpreting indirect requests and irony. The same people might do only so-so on tasks that require understanding how the physical world works, and poorly on tasks that require distinguishing meanings based on changes in intonation — the melody of speech. This would suggest that separate brain processes are being recruited for each set of tasks.
The first phase of the study was led by Jouravlev, who assembled existing tasks that require pragmatic skills and created many more, for a total of 20. These included tasks that require people to understand humor and sarcasm, as well as tasks where changes in intonation can affect the meaning of a sentence. For example, someone who says “I wanted blue and black socks,” with emphasis on the word “black,” is implying that the black socks were forgotten.
“People really find ways to communicate creatively and indirectly and non-literally, and this battery of tasks captures that,” Floyd says.
Components of pragmatic ability
The researchers recruited study participants from an online crowdsourcing platform to perform the tasks, which took about eight hours to complete. From this first set of 400 participants, the researchers found that the tasks formed three clusters, related to social context, general knowledge of the world, and intonation. To test the robustness of the findings, the researchers continued the study with another set of 400 participants, with this second half run by Floyd after Jouravlev had left MIT.
With the second set of participants, the researchers found that tasks clustered into the same three groups. They also confirmed that differences in general intelligence, or in auditory processing ability (which is important for the processing of intonation), did not affect the outcomes that they observed.
In future work, the researchers hope to use brain imaging to explore whether the pragmatic components they identified are correlated with activity in different brain regions. Previous work has found that brain imaging often mirrors the distinctions identified in individual difference studies, but can also help link the relevant abilities to specific neural systems, such as the core language system or the theory of mind system.
This set of tests could also be used to study people with autism, who sometimes have difficulty understanding certain social cues. Such studies could determine more precisely the nature and extent of these difficulties. Another possibility could be studying people who were raised in different cultures, which may have different norms around speaking directly or indirectly.
“In Russian, which happens to be my native language, people are more direct. So perhaps there might be some differences in how native speakers of Russian process indirect requests compared to speakers of English,” Jouravlev says.
The research was funded by the Simons Center for the Social Brain at MIT, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation."
https://news.mit.edu/2025/when-it-comes-language-context-matters-1210
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
|
Scoop.it!
