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Colourful Idioms from around the World
We use colourful idioms in the English language more than we might realise – we tell white lies, remember red letter days and sometimes we get the blues. But what colourful idioms are there in other languages? We’ve put together a list of some of our...
Translation Rates Per Word – What Do You Get For Your Money?
The fact that you’re reading this page and looking for translation rates per word means that there is a high chance that you could be about to start your first-ever translation project, unless you’re just unhappy with your current language service provider. Here are a...
If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys
…as the ancient Chinese proverb goes You wouldn’t ask your brother who enjoys a bit of Sunday DIY to refit your kitchen… You wouldn’t ask your neighbour who plays around with computers to design your website… And you wouldn’t ask...
Why a Translator should be a Native Speaker
‘You are my love, my angle, don’t treat me like potato’ – this is a rather terrible English translation found on a souvenir translated from Cantonese. A pretty extreme example of a translation fail, but nonetheless it highlights the point that...
Tongue Tied Professionals
The manager of a respected company wouldn’t hire their friend who is good at maths but has no professional qualifications to manage their financial accounts, so why should this be any different for translation and interpreting? Unfortunately, many people think...
Die lustigsten Übersetzungspannen im Tourismus
Ein kurzer Satz, nur wenige Wörter – was könnte schiefgehen? Die Antwort lautet: Einiges! Die folgenden Beispiele beweisen – falls ein solcher Beweis denn notwendig sein sollte! – dass es immer Risiken gibt, wenn man sich auf Google...
Sprechen Sie Denglisch?
Für den deutschen Fußballmanager Jürgen Klopp hat das Jahr 2018 sehr gut begonnen. Am 14. Januar feierte sein englisches Fußballteam Liverpool einen unerwarteten Sieg gegen Manchester City. Nach dem Spiel wurde Klopp von einem englischen BBC...
Speaking the Language of Love
Valentine’s Day is a day when we show our loved ones how we feel and express our deepest emotions. But if you’re tired of the same old clichés or struggling to find the words to describe your current romantic situation, we’re here to help!...
What on Earth do you mean? Origins of Popular Sayings
Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater This one is a bit of a mouthful but the basic message is to not get rid of important things when you’re getting rid of the unnecessary ones. It’s thought that this phrase goes as far back as the 1500s when...