We don’t think anyone really needs an introduction to Iain Lindsay, the UK’s Ambassador to Hungary. Thanks largely to his social media endeavours he is extremely well known in the country. We can find him on the street wearing his kilt to present memories of Hungarian-Scottish relationships, but also see him reciting Hungarian poems on YouTube.
A multilingual ambassador, we asked him about his personal background with languages, and delved into the complex, serious, and unknown world of diplomatic translation and interpreting.
Iain, how many languages do you speak, and what was your first encounter with a foreign language?
I’ve learnt four languages: French, Japanese, Romanian and Hungarian. I can still get by in the first three, but I find that I am very much a ‘one foreign language in the brain at any time’ linguist. Two of my most embarrassing moments while learning Hungarian at the University of Debrecen were when I tried to hold conversations in Japanese and Romanian. I learnt French from an early age, probably 6 or 7 years old.
We need to ask you as a Scot, do you speak Gaelic?
No, I’m afraid to say that I don’t, although I have tried learning. I have a few Gaelic textbooks at home. It’s a lovely language and I am glad that there has been something of a Gaelic revival in recent years.
We understand learning foreign languages is compulsory for UK diplomatic staff. If it wasn’t would you still learn, and why? Which language would you most like to speak?
Learning languages is not compulsory as such, but it would be unusual to find a British diplomat who has not had to learn a foreign language. For jobs overseas in non-English speaking countries we decide whether the diplomat needs to speak the local language to do their job, so-called ‘speaker’ positions. If they do, then to what level? B1, C1, C2?
For example, among the several British diplomats at the British Embassy in Budapest only I and my deputy need Hungarian (to C1 level) for our jobs. So both of us have had intensive full-time pre-arrival Hungarian training, in my case 7 months, in my deputy’s case a year (the length of time it takes a full-time learner to get to C1 Hungarian).
However, we offer optional language training to all diplomats (and their spouses/partners) being posted overseas into ‘non-speaker’ jobs, which provides a basic level of language training intended to help with day to day living. The number of hours allocated will depend on the degree of difficulty of the language, but will range between 110 and 250 hours. So we really take language training seriously.
If I didn’t have to learn languages I would still do so as it not only enables better communication but opens up a whole world of insights into another country, its history, its culture and its people. The next language I would like to learn is Italian, but my greatest regret is that I did not learn Arabic when I was Ambassador in Bahrain, because it was not necessary for my job given that 95% of Bahrainis speak English and, as some of my friends pointed out, the Bahraini Royal family and government ministers speak better English than me!
How much do you use your languages in your working life?
Not as much as you might think. In the Embassy I speak English and just occasional social Hungarian. External meetings are usually in English with some social Hungarian at the start and finish. When I give a speech some it will be in Hungarian, depending upon the event and the audience. Interviews are usually in English, with a few Hungarian sentences thrown in, although I have given some recent interviews in just Hungarian, like with Nők Lapja and RTL Klub for example. Social media interviews are usually in Hungarian, and I write bilingual Instagram stories.
For which occasions do you take an interpreter, and when do you manage alone?
Only very occasionally for meetings given that they are usually in English! All the TV stations will provide an interpreter, although I have promised ATV that I will give an interview once just in Hungarian.
Have you ever noticed your interpreter making a mistake and subtly corrected it?
No! I have been very fortunate with my interpreters, most of whom I now know well.
What value does good quality translation and interpreting provide for you as Ambassador, and within the Embassy as a whole?
It’s essential! Without it I would be lost! All my Hungarian staff are bilingual so they provide me with excellent English language briefing for meetings and events. The only time they do produce work for me in Hungarian is writing speeches, parts of speeches or simple speaking notes. So it’s not really translation work as such, although some of the material they work with, e.g. lines to take from London, they will have translated into Hungarian.
Are you good at accents?
Yes, also I’m a reasonably good mimic, which I think helps. But it has taken me a long time to develop a Hungarian accent, and I’m still not there. By comparison, I think I picked up Japanese and Romanian accents reasonably quickly.
If you had to retire to a non-English-speaking country, which one would you choose and why?
I really, really like Hungary….but my wife and I have often talked about living in Italy. We love the place, the ambience and the people. And the food and wine aren’t bad either!
*Iain Lindsay joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1980 and has spent much of his career in Asia Pacific, serving in Tokyo (twice), Hong Kong and Canberra. He was Deputy Head of Mission and Political Counsellor in Bucharest from 2003-2007, working on Romania’s accession to NATO and the EU. Prior to that he served as a foreign policy adviser to the Romanian Foreign Minister. He was Deputy Head of Mission and Director, Trade and Investment at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong from 2007-2011. The Queen awarded him an OBE in 2002.
He was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Hungary from 30 March 2016.
Accent vs. Dialect, Sociolect, Idiolect, Slang
in Languages Without BordersSo what’s the actual difference between accents and dialects? And how do people develop such different pronunciations or words or grammar rules for one language? It might sound like a simple question, but it’s not.
A dialect is a language variant with noticeable grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation differences. An essential characteristic of a dialect is that it should be intelligible to other speakers of the same language. That means that the speakers can understand others and express themselves in most situations.
An accent is a specific manner of pronunciation. So, an accent is a subordinate part of a dialect, while a dialect is a subordinate part of a language.
Have you ever heard of the term sociolect? And what is an idiolect?
Sociolect is a dialect dictated by your class/position in society. Examples include school jargon used between school children, criminal jargon, office jargon, etc. Idiolect is an individual’s use of language.
You might also think about how slang and dialect are different?
The term slang refers to words and phrases, whereas dialect is a way of speaking. Slang is not always region-specific like dialect. It presents itself in communities.
Language and social interaction go hand in hand. Social interaction is a crucial part of understanding the different terms mentioned above.
The impact of translation on the world
in Languages Without BordersThe history of translation and the impact of linguists has allowed us to learn about cultures and civilisations that existed many centuries ago. Although the history of translation spans centuries, it has also been a powerful tool in helping to bridge the gap between cultural barriers, which remains true to this day.
How it started
Translation has a patron saint, Jerome, and he was named as the guardian for the profession after he translated the Bible in the 5th century. He wanted to create a version for those who only spoke Latin. He called it the Vulgata. Saint Jerome was the first translator who distinguished between secular (profane) and religious translation. The Bible is the first and the most translated book in the world. The translation is celebrated on 30 September, marking St. Jerome’s death. It’s known as International Translation Day.
The future of translation
Translation enables effective communication between people around the world. It is a courier for the transmission of knowledge, a protector of cultural heritage, and essential to the development of a global economy.
Nowadays, you can find everything you need on the internet, and translation is no exception. The written word allows society to express multitudes of opinions, ideas and insights. Being able to understand these expressions remains a fundamental right.
As we look to the future, we can expect to see translation entering more and more into the technological age. Though there is an underlying fear that human translators may one day be replaced by machines, that day is still far in the future.
All in all, the global market for translation services will continue to grow as the world continues to globalise. The translation industry will remain essential in helping society stay connected.
Hungarian books in English
in Languages Without Borders, Multilingual LifestyleOur current quarantine and partial lock-down certainly has its challenges, but it also provides an opportunity to do something different. Hungary has a rich history of writers and authors, many of whom have been translated into English, and the English-language books can be ordered online.
The Paul Street Boys (Pál utcai fiúk) by Ferenc Molnár
There are some gems of Hungarian literature out there, dating from roughly the 1900s to the present day. For example The Paul Street Boys (Pál utcai fiúk) by Ferenc Molnár. Set in March 1889 in Budapest, it tells the story of the rivalry between the Paul Street boys and the ‘boys with crimson shirts’. It is a tale of friendship, heroic sacrifice, betrayal, the different versions of strength and power and the value of each person, no matter how big or small.
Eclipse of the Crescent Moon (Egri Csillagok) by Géza Gárdonyi
Moving further back in time we have Eclipse of the Crescent Moon (Egri Csillagok) by Géza Gárdonyi, another classic that every Hungarian knows well. The narrative revolves around the Turkish siege of the castle of Eger in 1552, as well as the siege of Buda, the Hungarian capital. The plot takes place during the time of the Turkish occupation in the 16th century, and follows the two main characters, Gergely Bornemissza and Éva Cecey, from their childhood to the victory of the defenders of Eger Castle.
Sándor Márai entitled Embers (A Gyertyák Csonkig Égnek)
Sándor Márai wrote many poems, essays and plays, but was also a successful novel-writer His novel Embers (A Gyertyák Csonkig Égnek) was published in 1942, and it features two old friends who meet again after decades have passed and talk all night to catch up. As we get into the story, one of them morphs into an accuser while the other is the accused. It is a story of friendship, betrayal, fidelity, and the emotional suspense keeps you interested all the way through
Fatelessness (Sorstalanság) by Imre Kertész, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2002.
The fourth book in our series brings us closer to the present day and is of course Fatelessness (Sorstalanság) by Imre Kertész, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2002.
Fatelessness follows the life of a teenage Jewish boy in Hungary in the 1940s. A coming-of-age story in the horrible circumstances of a concentration camp and how he reacts to it all. It is not an easy topic, but Kertész’s style and his brilliance in dealing with difficult issues delicately make it a must-read. It has also been turned into a movie, with Ennio Morricone composing the music and Daniel Craig making an appearance as well.
Magda Szabó: The Door
We hope you enjoy reading these four pieces of Hungarian literature in English, and let us know what you thought of them!
Transcreation – How Cross-Market Copywriting Helps Businesses Globally
in Languages Without Borders, Multilingual Lifestyle, The Language of BusinessIndustries evolve over time. It’s a must, because if you don’t, or can’t, you find yourself left by the wayside.
While transcreation isn’t a new concept in global business, it is certainly now much more in demand by our clients at EDMF. Let’s take a look at why.
What is transcreation?
Coined from the words “translation” and “creation”, transcreation could be construed to mean creative translation, or perhaps cross-market copywriting. In reality, you have translation on the one side, transcreation on the other, and between the two you will find marketing translation.
Sometimes, just translating the words you see in front of you is the right idea. This can be the best approach when translating a technical manual, when what matters is that the reader understands what the exact equivalent of a particular component is in their language.
Yet other times, opting to translate like this will bring you up very short indeed. It’s not only the meaning that needs conveyed, you have to take into account cultural differences and harness them for mostly marketing purposes. It is no surprise that this is often required mostly with advertising or promotional texts, and also with websites. A complex website translation, for example, may well require translation, marketing translation and transcreation, and can involve several translators working together.
Why do I need it?
When you ask for a text to be translated, you obviously want it to have the same impact on your target-reader audience as it does with your original audience. That’s a given. But sometimes finding the equivalent word is not enough. Transcreation digs that bit further and looks at the emotional reaction triggered by a text, with a view to eliciting the same response in the translated language.
This is where the language professional is given freer rein than they might with conventional translations. Since it’s not so much the words and their literal meaning that count, but what effect they have on the reader, the transcreator is able to stray from the original text in order to achieve that goal, possibly even recreating everything if need be.
Transcreation in practice
One good example of transcreation is Intel, who changed its English slogan, “Intel: Sponsors of Tomorrow”, to “Intel: In Love with the Future” for its slogan in Brazil, because they had realised that in Portuguese this would otherwise imply the company would not deliver promptly as promised.
Transcreation in websites can also involve using different colour schemes or layouts, and sometimes it can even impact on the product. Red Bull, for example, changed the colours of its energy drink when entering the Chinese market. It switched to red and gold because these colours are deemed to bring good fortune in China.
I need transcreation. Where should I go?
There are many examples of companies who failed to do their research and had to rebrand newly launched products as a result, throwing money out of the window in the process. But with a bit of forethought, and the right partner, you can avoid the pitfalls with taking your product or service to other countries.
Contact EDMF today to find out more about how we can help promote your brand in today’s global market.
Untrained Translation Businesses Dilute Busy Market
in The Language of BusinessIf you’re interested in the current state of the translation businesses in Hungary then we recommend you read this article published by the Budapest Business Journal, where our managing director Douglas Arnott also gives his professional views on the business.
Untrained Businesses Dilute Busy Market
Read more:
Why is multilingualism vital for your business?
in The Language of BusinessEnglish is a widely known and spoken language both in business circles and in private life. Nowadays, however, English alone is not enough to reach every potential market. It is crucial for multinational companies to communicate with their partners and clients in multiple languages.
Customers often do not necessarily decide based on the price of a product or service, but on the language the company communicates in. Put more simply, you can reach more people if you know what language to address them in. This reads particularly true for smaller companies, who are constantly competing with one another to attract the attentions of the market and make their brands known.
Multilingualism is a must on the web. Read on and learn why your company needs a multilingual website!
This map clearly underlines that the number of English speakers is not nearly as high as you might think, even in European countries such as Italy or Spain.
source: telegraphtravel.carto.com
This shows that unless you want to deprive your company of considerable revenue, it is vital to communicate in more than one language, whether we are talking about business documentation, or digital marketing texts such as articles and blog posts. Although English is essentially spoken all over the world, it is often more effective to provide certain texts, for example promotional materials, in the mother-tongue of your prospective customers. This not only shows you are obliging, it also helps to convey the meaning of your communication to the fullest extent.
At EDMF we help our partners with this, and can ensure your company’s texts published in multiple languages reach your target audiences, thereby keeping your existing customers and acquiring new ones.
New Year’s Honours 2019: Douglas Arnott receives British Empire Medal
in The Language of BusinessWe are extremely proud to announce that the owner of EDMF Language Services Kft., Douglas Arnott was awarded a British Empire Medal in the UK’s New Year’s Honours List for services to charity and UK-Hungary relations, which he received at the end of April.
This year the British Empire Medal was awarded to a total of 358 people. Apart from those living in the British Isles only four people received this prominent award, including Douglas, a Scot living in Budapest, who has been working at the Robert Burns International Foundation helping sick and underprivileged children for seven years, five of which as Chairman.
Proficient in four languages, including Hungarian, Douglas graduated from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland with an honours degree in translation and interpreting, before settling in Hungary and establishing EDMF. For more than seven years he has been involved in charitable activities, for which he was recognised with a BEM in the New Year’s Honours List. You can read an interview with him here.
The presentation of the medal in April at the Residence of the UK Ambassador to Hungary was followed by a garden party at Buckingham Palace hosted by Prince Charles. Here are a few photos of the event:
Douglas Arnott elected onto Council of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hungary
in The Language of BusinessAt the 2019 Annual General Meeting held on 7 May 2019 the British Chamber of Commerce in Hungary elected a new Council.
We are proud to announce that our owner Douglas Arnott was elected onto the Council and will now be responsible with his fellow members for influencing the direction of the BCCH in the forthcoming period.
The BCCH is an independent non-profit organisation, which has been serving its members since its foundation in 1991 by British investors.
Their mission is to represent British, Hungarian and international companies with the overarching principles of British business values and promote trade and investment flows between the UK and Hungary.
For more information about the BCCH and its activities, please click here: https://www.bcch.com/
Why is proofreading important in business communication?
in The Language of BusinessThe success and prestige of a business can frequently depend on sophisticated wording. A thorough review and correction of a text is crucial when concluding an important contract, but it can make a huge difference for websites, publications, articles, books and marketing materials as well.
Whatever your line of business, communication is everything, and well-composed texts, besides impacting on clients, can immediately form and convey an image of the company itself.
Proofreading may seem simple at first sight, but not everyone is cut out for the job. Professional expertise is not necessarily enough though, as minor errors, typing mistakes and missed words need to be spotted too. The fact the human mind automatically corrects errors that it detects while reading a text makes the task even more difficult. Generally speaking, after writing a long text it is worth having it read by someone else, who can read it with a fresh mind and spot the mistakes that the author simply overlooked.
A minor typo or an inappropriately used word may lend a totally different meaning to a sentence or even the entire text, which may cause misunderstandings.
Not to mention that overlooking such errors suggests that the author did not pay enough attention to the task, making it less appealing for existing or potential clients. Grammar and spelling mistakes divert attention from the content of the text, making it difficult to read and thus casting doubt on the authenticity and expertise of the author.
For business texts it is important to think ahead not only with regard to the content but also in terms of the format, so it is worth sending a contract to a proofreader for example to avoid possible financial losses in the future. With accurate and correct wording you can ensure your prospective client will consider your newly established partnership to be professional and focused, but also reliable
There are several types of proofreading, for example native or professional proofreading.
With native proofreading the reviewer corrects both the style and the language of the text. Sometimes there is a specific requirement to have a target text that is not a word-by-word translation of the original. Such is the case, for example, with slogans, marketing texts, literary texts, or texts that mediate between two different cultures.
Professional proofreading is carried out by a recognised professional, for instance a doctor, an engineer or a programmer, who is well-versed in the specialist field but is also a qualified translator. With documentation, tenders, professional publications, information leaflets, user manuals, financial, legal, medical and technical texts, it is extremely important to involve a proofreader.
Alongside grammar errors, style is of paramount importance too since you need to meet the requirements of the target audience and the communication context as well.
Ask for a free tailored quote for our proofreading services. Our native proofreaders are all highly trained professionals.
Interview with Iain Lindsay, the UK’s Ambassador to Hungary
in Languages Without Borders, Multilingual Lifestyle, The Language of BusinessWe don’t think anyone really needs an introduction to Iain Lindsay, the UK’s Ambassador to Hungary. Thanks largely to his social media endeavours he is extremely well known in the country. We can find him on the street wearing his kilt to present memories of Hungarian-Scottish relationships, but also see him reciting Hungarian poems on YouTube.
A multilingual ambassador, we asked him about his personal background with languages, and delved into the complex, serious, and unknown world of diplomatic translation and interpreting.
Iain, how many languages do you speak, and what was your first encounter with a foreign language?
I’ve learnt four languages: French, Japanese, Romanian and Hungarian. I can still get by in the first three, but I find that I am very much a ‘one foreign language in the brain at any time’ linguist. Two of my most embarrassing moments while learning Hungarian at the University of Debrecen were when I tried to hold conversations in Japanese and Romanian. I learnt French from an early age, probably 6 or 7 years old.
We need to ask you as a Scot, do you speak Gaelic?
No, I’m afraid to say that I don’t, although I have tried learning. I have a few Gaelic textbooks at home. It’s a lovely language and I am glad that there has been something of a Gaelic revival in recent years.
We understand learning foreign languages is compulsory for UK diplomatic staff. If it wasn’t would you still learn, and why? Which language would you most like to speak?
Learning languages is not compulsory as such, but it would be unusual to find a British diplomat who has not had to learn a foreign language. For jobs overseas in non-English speaking countries we decide whether the diplomat needs to speak the local language to do their job, so-called ‘speaker’ positions. If they do, then to what level? B1, C1, C2?
For example, among the several British diplomats at the British Embassy in Budapest only I and my deputy need Hungarian (to C1 level) for our jobs. So both of us have had intensive full-time pre-arrival Hungarian training, in my case 7 months, in my deputy’s case a year (the length of time it takes a full-time learner to get to C1 Hungarian).
However, we offer optional language training to all diplomats (and their spouses/partners) being posted overseas into ‘non-speaker’ jobs, which provides a basic level of language training intended to help with day to day living. The number of hours allocated will depend on the degree of difficulty of the language, but will range between 110 and 250 hours. So we really take language training seriously.
If I didn’t have to learn languages I would still do so as it not only enables better communication but opens up a whole world of insights into another country, its history, its culture and its people. The next language I would like to learn is Italian, but my greatest regret is that I did not learn Arabic when I was Ambassador in Bahrain, because it was not necessary for my job given that 95% of Bahrainis speak English and, as some of my friends pointed out, the Bahraini Royal family and government ministers speak better English than me!
How much do you use your languages in your working life?
Not as much as you might think. In the Embassy I speak English and just occasional social Hungarian. External meetings are usually in English with some social Hungarian at the start and finish. When I give a speech some it will be in Hungarian, depending upon the event and the audience. Interviews are usually in English, with a few Hungarian sentences thrown in, although I have given some recent interviews in just Hungarian, like with Nők Lapja and RTL Klub for example. Social media interviews are usually in Hungarian, and I write bilingual Instagram stories.
For which occasions do you take an interpreter, and when do you manage alone?
Only very occasionally for meetings given that they are usually in English! All the TV stations will provide an interpreter, although I have promised ATV that I will give an interview once just in Hungarian.
Have you ever noticed your interpreter making a mistake and subtly corrected it?
No! I have been very fortunate with my interpreters, most of whom I now know well.
What value does good quality translation and interpreting provide for you as Ambassador, and within the Embassy as a whole?
It’s essential! Without it I would be lost! All my Hungarian staff are bilingual so they provide me with excellent English language briefing for meetings and events. The only time they do produce work for me in Hungarian is writing speeches, parts of speeches or simple speaking notes. So it’s not really translation work as such, although some of the material they work with, e.g. lines to take from London, they will have translated into Hungarian.
Are you good at accents?
Yes, also I’m a reasonably good mimic, which I think helps. But it has taken me a long time to develop a Hungarian accent, and I’m still not there. By comparison, I think I picked up Japanese and Romanian accents reasonably quickly.
If you had to retire to a non-English-speaking country, which one would you choose and why?
I really, really like Hungary….but my wife and I have often talked about living in Italy. We love the place, the ambience and the people. And the food and wine aren’t bad either!
*Iain Lindsay joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1980 and has spent much of his career in Asia Pacific, serving in Tokyo (twice), Hong Kong and Canberra. He was Deputy Head of Mission and Political Counsellor in Bucharest from 2003-2007, working on Romania’s accession to NATO and the EU. Prior to that he served as a foreign policy adviser to the Romanian Foreign Minister. He was Deputy Head of Mission and Director, Trade and Investment at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong from 2007-2011. The Queen awarded him an OBE in 2002.
He was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Hungary from 30 March 2016.