Translation - art & business » Literature / Poetry »
Sharing a quote
Thread poster: James McVay
James McVay
James McVay  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:20
Russian to English
+ ...
Dec 11, 2009

I just saw this quote in the local newspaper.

"A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanging, it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in colour and content according to the circumstances and time in which it is used."

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
US jurist (1841 - 1935)

It struck me as being especially appropriate for translators.
 
Vitals
Vitals  Identity Verified
Lithuania
Local time: 21:20
English to Lithuanian
+ ...
Thanks for sharing Dec 11, 2009

It is a good thought in many respects.
 
Martyn Greenan
Martyn Greenan  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 13:20
French to English
+ ...
Pithy Dec 11, 2009

Very nice (and very appropriate). He's also supposed to have said 'A moment's insight is sometimes worth a lifetime's experience', which would not be wide of the mark for our profession either.
 
Oleksandr Kupriyanchuk
Oleksandr Kupriyanchuk  Identity Verified
United States
Member (2009)
Russian to English
+ ...
Geniously said Dec 11, 2009

It is possible to say not only "the SKIN of a living thought," but often also its face and legs (or, depending on how it was said, WINGS!)
 
Richela
Richela
Local time: 14:20
Spanish to English
Good Point Jan 31, 2010

It's true. The context is very important when translating, not individual words.
 
Nicole Schnell
Nicole Schnell  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 11:20
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Beautiful! Jan 31, 2010

And true.

Thanks!
 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderator(s) of this forum
NancyLynn[Call to this topic]
Maria Castro[Call to this topic]
Fernanda Rocha[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Sharing a quote







Trados Business Manager Lite
Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio

Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.

More info »
TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »