Takes up where the discussion on the value of the Olympics left off: "we have of late ... to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement. We have come to see them as the point — and we’re happy to compromise standards, or ignore reality, if we suspect that’s the quickest way, or only way, to have something to put on the mantelpiece..."
Ha ha Brian, the worst/most difficult I ever did was the detailed work description for a refit of parts (not all thanks god!) of an italian nuclear power plant. I learnt an awful lot of additional Italian and English vocab on that one!
oups, going to be late for the school run again :-O
Oh heck, like the electronics man last year who over dinner at a friend's house casually asked if I could translate a few words for him so that he could up the ante on English speaking customers. He speaks good English but has never written it since school. Arrived at our house next day with a manual in technical lingo I do not understand in any language, plus the few words were nearly 200 pages! He wanted it by the following weekend, so I fibbed and told him I was booked up with work for over three months.
a woggle, now there's a word that's just creased me up laughing :-D
and yes translating, it's just so much easier sticking to one language all the time rather than juggling, still not long now and I'll be flogging fags !
p.s. I hate translations and I commiserate. People assume that just because I speak English and French fluently I must be able to do instant translations which as you will know just ain't the case. The last one I did was for a friend's daughter; her CV, which should have been easy except it was for a medical school and it was stuffed full of medical terms that aren't in my dictionary!
'Yes, you’ve been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble-wrapped. Yes, capable adults with other things to do have held you, kissed you, fed you, wiped your mouth, wiped your bottom, trained you, taught you, tutored you, coached you, listened to you, counseled you, encouraged you, consoled you and encouraged you again. You’ve been nudged, cajoled, wheedled and implored. You’ve been feted and fawned over and called sweetie pie. Yes, you have. And, certainly, we’ve been to your games, your plays, your recitals, your science fairs. Absolutely, smiles ignite when you walk into a room, and hundreds gasp with delight at your every tweet. Why, maybe you’ve even had your picture in the Townsman! And now you’ve conquered high school... and, indisputably, here we all have gathered for you, the pride and joy of this fine community, the first to emerge from that magnificent new building...
But do not get the idea you’re anything special. Because you’re not.'
Oh so true, as it was for us all, it is also for those at the beginning...