For years, Kemal E., an interpreter for Turkish in Berlin, worked for the Landeskriminalamt, the Berlin Office of Criminal Investigation. He wrote inflated invoices, and these were paid. In return, he gave the LKA presents, including lending them 24 computers. The case has now been in court for the past couple of days – the defendants are three interpreters and three police officers. Item with links to articles at geeklog, which is very interested in crime reports. The 53-year-old main mover and shaker is said to have been paid up to EUR 40,000 for proceedings he wasn’t even involved in.

The article in the Tagesspiegel, Die Gier des Übersetzers, joins in the current vogue of calling interpreters translators (although these people will have done both). Apparently there were a number of translators killed in Iraq – thus also the latest article from Richard Schneider, at Alexander von Obert’s Übersetzerportal. Richard Schneider also reports on the Berlin case. A number of articles are listed and linked there, but they do not have separate links. Start by clicking on Richards Nachrichtenportal (all German).

For years, Kemal E., an interpreter for Turkish in Berlin, worked for the Landeskriminalamt, the Berlin Office of Criminal Investigation. He wrote inflated invoices, and these were paid. In return, he gave the LKA presents, including lending them 24 computers. The case has now been in court for the past couple of days – the defendants are three interpreters and three police officers. Item with links to articles at geeklog, which is very interested in crime reports. The 53-year-old main mover and shaker is said to have been paid up to EUR 40,000 for proceedings he wasn’t even involved in.

The article in the Tagesspiegel, Die Gier des Übersetzers, joins in the current vogue of calling interpreters translators (although these people will have done both). Apparently there were a number of translators killed in Iraq – thus also the latest article from Richard Schneider, at Alexander von Obert’s Übersetzerportal. Richard Schneider also reports on the Berlin case. A number of articles are listed and linked there, but they do not have separate links. Start by clicking on Richards Nachrichtenportal (all German).

Later note: As Bettina points out, neither of these is much good. The first is particularly bad in that it translates ‘shall’ as ‘soll’. Here’s a third one (but no amendments).

Let’s take the Fifth Amendment as an example to compare them … Continue reading →

Later note: As Bettina points out, neither of these is much good. The first is particularly bad in that it translates ‘shall’ as ‘soll’. Here’s a third one (but no amendments).

Let’s take the Fifth Amendment as an example to compare them … Continue reading →

In my last entry on gadget sites, I forgot to mention Boing Boing (‘a directory of wonderful things’).

Yesterday they had a link to flotsam.org, a site that shows rotatable images of all kinds of rubbish that gets washed ashore in the Outer Hebrides. Because of the Gulf Stream, they get things from Puerto Rico – and even further afield. If you recognize an item, you are asked to get in touch. Click on ‘vr gallery’.

Meanwhile, something even more dreadful was washed ashore in Chile.

In my last entry on gadget sites, I forgot to mention Boing Boing (‘a directory of wonderful things’).

Yesterday they had a link to flotsam.org, a site that shows rotatable images of all kinds of rubbish that gets washed ashore in the Outer Hebrides. Because of the Gulf Stream, they get things from Puerto Rico – and even further afield. If you recognize an item, you are asked to get in touch. Click on ‘vr gallery’.

Meanwhile, something even more dreadful was washed ashore in Chile.