Category Archives: Translation

by Jo Stubbings, Herald-Sun, 1992 They look innocent enough. They’re small, modest, compact. People will always start smiling when they’re handed around, handshaking, telling stories, doing deals. Business cards really are the passport to success. But just try translating them. It can be murder. Like the blurb on a best seller, these neat little tags are built to summarise the vital statistics of their owners....

The recipe from an Arabic cookbook had a deadly serious ring “Fry onions till golden brown. Soak bread rolls in hot milk, then rest in peace for 30 minutes. This will not be the last time you prepare this dish.” It’s a translation of course. Humorous, witty, incisive. Exactly the type of translation you hope will never grace the inside cover of your company report...