Tag Archives: translator

Jun 09 2017
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Daria the translator

Thursday 8th June 2017, 1.35pm (day 2,114)

Daria, 8/6/17

Election day of course — but I’m still in Russia, this being the last day of the conference here in Khanty-Mansiysk. Daria here was one of the two simultaneous translators who worked throughout the two and a half days. I cannot help but be amazed by the talent of translators generally, but to do it simultaneously — like a Babel fish — now that really is astonishing. Will machines ever be able to do this? I seriously doubt it. Imagine a computer that can translate a joke from one language to another on the spot.

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May 16 2014
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Alexander takes a well-earned rest

Thursday 15th May 2014, 4.20pm (day 994)

Alex the translator, 15/5/14

My last day in Russia on this trip. I spent it at what must be at least the 20th university campus to grace this blog, Skolkovo, just outside Moscow, delivering a seminar and having it simultaneously translated into Russian by this guy. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced simultaneous translation but the effort and concentration it takes must be phenomenal, so he certainly earned his tea and pastries afterwards. Particularly as he must be all of what, 17? OK, I’m exaggerating slightly, but he was a little waif of a bloke.

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