Leitmotiv

Word of the day:  leitmotiv (n)  German for leading motive - in music a recurring musical theme; a dominant or recurring theme; an idea or object ocurring again and again.

It should not be translated from what I am told.

Here is the sentence I used it in: Where scientific knowledge is the only knowledge can be viewed as the leitmotiv.

I love learning new words!!

Proofreading projects

Does anyone do much proofreading for others?  My latest project consisted of proofreading someone else's translation and then translating a few last paragraphs.  I will tell you that proofreading is hard and can be very challenging!  Trying to decipher  and make sense of what someone else was attempting to convey (unfortunately the English in this one needed quite a bit of re-working) can be extremely difficult.  Even being familiar with the subject matter does not always help if the language is just way off base. Little grammatical faults here and there are not a big deal and somewhat understandable, but when it is necessary to completely rewrite phrases that is a different story. I actually went as far as asking the client if the original in French still existed to see if they could possible send it to me because I felt as if it really needed to be re-translated!  I am by no means the best transalator but I was extremely shocked when I received the document to be corrected. 

I do like the challenge of proofreading and fortunately the client was satisfied (although I hate that word which to me means satisfactory and not great) and offered me another proofreading project in a couple weeks.

Speaking and writing are very different

No posting for a month.  My mind has been elsewhere with certain situations that have come up recently. 

I was working at the airport the other day and I had about three coworkers call me to speak French with some passengers going to Montreal who were delayed.  Let me tell you I was so disgusted with myself though!  Reading and writing is so much easier than speaking.  I think most people would agree.  Even though everything came out fine I was just horrified.  It all just seemed to take so much effort.  It wasn't as fluid and I found myself having to remember a verb or two. Obviously a trip to France for a few weeks is much needed.  It's so difficult to keep up a language, speaking wise, when you don't use it on a daily basis. 

I read and write French frequently with absolutely no problem.  Translating allows us time to think about how or what we are going to say.  With speaking we don't have that time.  Which tense of verb should I use here?  Is the subjunctive necessary after this?  These are questions that quickly flash through my mind when speaking (it happens simultaneously while I'm talking to the person) and I'm sure I've made an error or two.  When we have the time, it's much easier to remember correct grammar.