2017 Top 10 Blog Posts

As the end of 2017 is fast approaching, let’s recap on the year’s most popular blogs as we did in 2015 and 2016. 

2017 has proved a quieter year for blogging - especially when compared with my exceptionally busy year of 2016. The year's writing still resulted in some very popular blogs with readers judging by my analytics. Event blogs remained popular. They were beaten by a number of other blog subjects this year. The early year blogs were the most popular. The cultural blogs of 2016 seemed somewhat dampened by Brexit.

I have remarked on a number of occasions that clients are not interested in translation. I therefore try to engage them via cultural aspects or by illustrating important considerations using another subject - e.g. boat industry safety, ice skating, art, etc. As a number of these blogs appear in the top 10 below, I consider that this strategy is working. Blogs raise a freelancer's profile and go on working for you when you are busy. Old blogs are revisited frequently. That was certainly the case for this year's No. 1.

Top Blogs

1. French v. British Cultural Debate
Summary of a French Chamber of Great Britain debate that took place at the French Ambassador's Residence in London. It centred on the differences between French and British business approaches and education. 

Every time Brexit discussions became tricky, the visits to this blog seemed to increase. Analytics reveal around 3,500 views - not bad for a freelancer's blog.

Post from 25 January 2017

2. A Bubble about to Burst?

Summary of the FIT President's Presentation at the University of Bristol in the presence of the Chair of GALA and a former Chair of the ITI. There was much discussion on the night and following the event - especially about hype affecting the translation industry.

Post from 16 February 2017

3. Video for SMEs

Review of Guardian Masterclass on Video production and editing by Rosenblum TV - and my experiences of putting what I learnt into practice afterwards.

Post from 10 January 2017

4. Boat Show Quality Translated

This could be considered number 2 if I combined all the viewings for the French and German versions too. An example of trying to explain translation issues to clients using safety and quality considerations from another field.

Salon nautique : comment se traduit la qualité ?

Bootsausstellung: Qualität übersetzt

Post from 13 January 2017

5. Virtual Reality as an Art Form
This high entry surprised me. Art is a field that interests French clients. However, the subject is relevant to considerations on artistry and innovative tools in the translation industry. The possibilities are only just beginning. Real excitement tinged with concerns as with any new field.

Post from 12 January 2017

6. Is Speech Technology Unstoppable?
A blog inspired by a webinar on speech technology by TAUS. This is probably the most controversial subject matter and approach of the year. However, given how the year has developed with President Trump and North Korea, etc, the concerns seem even more relevant. The technologists have been dictating the direction of the translation industry for some time, it is time for the human-centred counterrevolution.

Post from 17 January 2017

7. Australian Impressionists - Glocalisation in Art?
Review of the National Gallery's Australian Impressionists' Exhibition. It was interesting how the Australian artists were inspired by French Impressionists to depict their own country. Is native expression better in art as in translation?

Post from 20 January 2017

8. Inspirational Legacies of Words
Summary of talk linked to South African exhibition at the British Museum. Consideration of the legacy of words left by Presidents Mandela and Obama. Some great quotations and an emphasis on the importance of education.

Post from  18 January 2017

9. Canary Wharf Winter Lights Festival
Review with video of the light festival in Canary Wharf, London.

Post from 25 January 2017

10. Choosing an Inspirational Statue
Comments on leadership inspired by the selection of models for the next Fourth Plinth Statue in Trafalgar Square.

Post from 26 January 2017

A reminder of last years' top blogs:

Top Business and Cultural Blogs in 2016

Plant Diversity in 2016-17?
What can you expect in 2017? The MSc in Plant Diversity at the University of Reading is keeping me very busy, but you can probably expect more on botanical, ecological and climate change subject matter. There's a rich seam of material and comparisons yet to be explored.

In the meantime, have you seen my Advent Blogs on Dr Alastair Culham's site at the University of Reading?
The Glastonbury Thorn
Christmas Cyclamen 

Have you seen the botanically-inspired blog about professional translation?

Cow Parsley or Hemlock








Season's Greetings and Best Wishes for 2018
Karen


Karen Andrews is a French to English marketer and marketing strategist, translator, transcreator, content writer and editor. She holds an MSc in Scientific, Technical and Medical Translation with Translation Technology from Imperial College London (2005-7). She is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, Society for Editors and Proofreaders, Society of Authors and the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators. She can also offer your brand the value of over 15 years' expertise and experience in global marketing. Karen Andrews is  studying for an MSc in Plant Diversity at the University of Reading (2017-18).

Inspirational Legacies of Words

As the inauguration of the next US President fast approaches, commentators are assessing President Obama's legacy. Some say that only time will tell, especially given that his successor seems so set on undoing his work. 

Last week, I attended a talk on another presidential legacy, that of the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. A panel of speakers at the British Museum offered first-hand accounts of the man they knew. The evening was planned as part of the South Africa: the art of a nation exhibition.

Pumela Salela's account seemed to capture the best of Mandela's legacy. She spoke of his ongoing inspiration in her life. She was the beneficiary of a Nelson Mandela Scholarship. She quoted his famous words:

Education is the most powerful weapon 

which you can use to change the world.

Pumela is the living, breathing example of his words. These are words that all nations should continue to heed today. She came from a disadvantaged background and was the first member of her family to even go to school. She remembered how he reminded her that she was his ambassador as her scholarship bears his name. At difficult moments in her life, she recalled his inspiration. She couldn't give up. Today, she represents Brand South Africa and is chair of the Nelson Mandela Scholarship Alummi Association. She passes on Mandela's lasting inspiration and legacy to others.

The other famous quote is very familiar to linguists. Its message should endure and bring past enemies together:

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.

That he could speak Afrikaans to his former oppressors and jailers was extraordinary. The panel described Mandela's forgiveness as cunning and political. He wanted peace and justice for his nation. He used every ounce of his charm and charisma to achieve them. 

At the end her of talk, Pumela recalled that Mandela's original name meant 'troublemaker'. We are all meant to challenge the status quo. 

She finished by reading Marianne Williamson's A Return to Love as reflecting Mandela's lasting legacy:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. 

And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Words are powerful. They live on as a legacy. They inspire others after us.

Yes we can, President Obama. Yes we can.

Karen Andrews is a freelance French to English translator, transcreator, content writer and editor. She has a strong background in global marketing.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

Hillary’s Glass Cliff

The French Ambassador to the UK is a woman. The President and Managing Director of the French Chamber of Great Britain are both women. The main speaker at the French Résidence was a woman. There was a record turnout of aspirational women at the French Chamber’s Women, Inspiration and Leadership event. It was the eve of the American elections. There was a huge air of anticipation that we would wake up in the morning to the first woman President of the United States. It was not to be.

The glass cliff was debated. Why is it that women often only get the chance at leadership in times of crisis? Is it because they are more likely to succeed at such times? The odds of failure are higher. Or are women better at calming a storm?

The vile Brexit referendum and vitriolic US election campaign are enough to put women off politics for good. Both results have revealed huge divisions in modern-day society and a clamour for change. While some of us struggle up the stairs to the top floor; others get to take the lift or elevator.

I greatly admired Hillary Clinton’s magnanimous speech in what must been an utterly heart-breaking day in her life: the end of her dream.

Many women pull up the ladder once they reach the top. It seems extraordinary that many white women voted for Trump. Undoubtedly, Hillary Clinton made mistakes. You never get to high office without making mistakes. The standards by which men and women’s actions and words are judged are unequal. Even women were prepared to excuse Donald Trump’s utterances as merely locker room talk.

A woman in business or politics walks a thin line between sounding too bossy one minute and too weak the next. She feels pushed

• to work harder than anyone else for recognition and promotion;
• be comfortable with every element of the job specification in advance; 
• be three times as good as any man in the same role.

Childcare costs may swallow all or most of her salary. She learns to dodge the largely female daggers out for her dress, shoes, hairstyle, voice or accent. Developing a very thick skin is a pre-requisite for survival.

As often in business, the best qualified, most experienced candidate for the job didn’t get the job. It was hardly about policies. It was character assassination. Hilary Clinton was on the absolute last step before pushing through that highest and hardest of glass ceilings: the American Presidency.

Even in her most painful moment, she sought to inspire others to push on through the setbacks in their careers ahead. She urged all to:

“Never stop believing that fighting for what is right is worth it.”

Not only did Hilary Clinton calm rather than stoke a storm, she took the time to send the elevator back down:

“To every little girl in the world: never doubt that you are valuable, powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity.”

Hillary Clinton failed to shatter the glass ceiling. She did amazingly well in the face of the glass cliff.

More on the Glass cliff:

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/glass-cliff.asp

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/05/world/europe/glass-cliff-uk-women-politics.html

https://mic.com/articles/112016/women-forget-ceilings-beware-of-the-glass-cliff#.CJqnD3XYV

Michael Morpurgo comes to Wedmore

Hay Festival, London, Wedmore… The Wedmore Arts Festival staged a coup thanks to Hay Festival connections. I saw the world famous author of War Horse, Michael Morpurgo, give a talk as part of the local festival.

Asking questions after Michael Morpurgo's talk

Michael Morpurgo is one of Britain’s best-loved storytellers. I relished the opportunity to hear more about his work. He shared how he puts a story together with an enthusiastic audience ranging in age from 7 to 80. Some stories take 3 months; others can take 25 years. He weaves different experiences, anecdotes, facts and fiction together.

He went into detail on the various elements that came together to create The Butterfly Lion. It all started with the purchase of a second-hand book from a shop during the Hay Festival. He had been reading Chris McBride’s book on white lions on the train. He looked up to see the Westbury White Horse carved into the Wiltshire hillside.

A boring dinner party provided a fascinating, true World War One story about some circus animals. Then, he was stuck. He knew nothing about lions. He met Virginia McKenna of Born Free fame in a lift by chance one day. Now, he had his source for information about lions.

The story was still missing a voice. That voice came from his own memories of running away from school as a child. Now, the elements were all in place to write the story.

And where does Michael Morpurgo do his best writing? At a desk? No. Standing up at a lectern? No. In bed. Just like in a picture he saw of Treasure Island author, Robert Louis Stevenson. It’s by far the most comfortable place. You can even take a nap if you need one. Dreams can help.

One child asked why does the author write so much about wartime? Because all around him when he was growing up people were grieving about lost loved ones in the Second World War. He told how he used to get scolded by his mother for staring at a family friend whose face had been badly burnt in the war. He later wrote the story and sent it to him. The man replied that he remembered and appreciated him as the boy who looked at him. Others always looked away.

How did he start writing? It evolved. As a teacher of Year Sixes, he used to read other people’s stories at the end of the school day. He started creating and telling them his own stories. 130 books later and still writing…

There were many fans both young and old in the audience. A show of hands revealed that a surprising large number had read lots of his books. We were all urged to read more. The story of a ghost king and the local football team is on the way. Can you guess which king and which football team provided the inspiration?

Michael Morpurgo also spoke fondly of the Farms for City Children charity that he founded with his wife Clare. The village children perhaps could not imagine how lucky they are to live in the countryside with animals all around. War Horse was inspired by observing a badly traumatised boy who had lost the ability to speak. Yet, the words tumbled out as he stroked a horse on the farm. There is an unspoken connection between people and animals that can run very deep. Over 90,000 city children have now benefited from visiting the 3 farms.

The farms are an additional legacy to Michael Morpurgo’s life’s work.  His great talent is in making wartime events accessible to today’s children. Through his books children can understand the significance of events long before they were born. They can see the importance of remembering and respecting the sacrifices. And the importance of continuing to say ‘Never again’ to the next generation.

Wedmore War Memorial, St Mary's Church

Papworth Trust - Together We Can

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the major event in the UK's gardening calendar. It’s not always the gardens with the biggest budgets that catch your eye and inspire you. The Papworth Trust’s entry in the Artisan Gardens particularly caught my attention this year.

Garden music

You certainly couldn’t miss the bright purple. The raised, accessible garden appealed to many senses. It had sound and movement to draw you in closer. Peter Eustance of Symphonic Gardens designed the garden as a musical instrument for the Papworth Trust.

Papworth Trust's Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

A helpful booklet explained the charity’s work, the garden’s concept and involvement of Brunel University. The following inspirational words stood out on the cover:

Together we can

Listen * inspire * change

Inspiration

Dame Evelyn Glennie, the profoundly deaf, solo percussionist, provided the inspiration. She was fascinated by the “sea music” produced by the women of the Vanuatu Islands. They create rhythmic songs using only their hands, water and voices.

Making a difference

The Papworth Trust aims to make a difference in the lives of disabled people, the elderly, their carers and families. They provide support for the disabled to achieve their ambitions and aspirations. The charity wants to change the way society sees disabled people – to highlight abilities rather than disabilities.

Independence

The charity appreciates what it means to the disabled to maintain independence both inside and outside their homes. It also provides support to find a job that right for an individual’s abilities and help them learn new skills.

This small RHS Chelsea garden raised awareness of the charity’s work. 

Together we can is a great inspirational motto for all visitors to take away from the show.

The Papworth Trust’s website calls out:

Help us create a world where disabled people are seen 

for what they can do

Three YouTube videos of the garden and its development follow:

©Papworth Trust

The team - Dame Evelyn Glennie, Peter Eustance, Brunel University students:

©Papworth Trust

Garden sound clip:

©Anthony Cockell

© Anglicity Ltd