“The good translator knows when to throw up his hands and move on to the next sentence.” George Blecher shares a secret every translator knows to be true — social cues and subtext, among other things, get lost in translation. He cites Japanese as an example: asking the time using “Ima nagi kai’ina” (spelt phonetically) is suitable when the speaker is a proud older person of low social standing talking to a younger person of higher social status. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
