Author: Ümit Özaydın

How to avoid junk words? Tips on plain language.

Posted Ümit ÖzaydınLeave a commentPosted in Translation_Tips, Word Usage

This article was originally published on our blog Dragosfer a couple of years ago. It focuses on how to eliminate junk words in Turkish to English translations. As part of our consolidation efforts, I wanted to include it in this knowledgebase. Avoiding junk words is a much wider topic and a good habit to acquire. We are open to publishing your articles and more tips on plain language.  Turkish language is usually long winded and redundant. Translators should learn how to avoid unnecessary words […]

Why do simultaneous interpreters need a monitor in the booth?

Posted Ümit ÖzaydınPosted in conference interpreting, Translation_Tips

Simultaneous interpreters need a monitor in the booth to see the presentations better. Some conference rooms are large and typically the interpreting booth is installed in the very end of the seating rows. To make the matter worse, attendants may occasionaly walk pass in front of the booth which disturbs the concentration of interpreters. Please note that simultaneous interpreting requires very sharp reflexes and a congnitive capacity to translate sentences in a matter of seconds. Interpreters need clear and uniterrupted […]

Express your feelings in English

Posted Ümit ÖzaydınPosted in Accents, Translation_Tips, Word Usage

Expressing your feelings requires a little more then just using an adjective. Try the following common words, check out their synonyms and improve your word usage in English. Happy Content Every old person, no matter how content they seem, feels that sense of regret. Earl Woods Satisfied Are you satisfied with your working conditions? Delighted Kate Winslet was delighted with Oscar nominations. Pleased We are pleased to extend the term of our agreement. Ecstatic I feel ecstatic every time she […]

Wild mushroom soup, intelligence and XTM Live London

Posted Ümit ÖzaydınPosted in Dragosfer, Translation_Tips

Few tastes compare to a wild mushroom soup served at the Lufthansa Senator Lounge, Heathrow Terminal 2. And this time it felt like heaven after an amazing XTM Live London event, cheerful networking, uber intelligent discussions, all celebrating XTM International’s grand achievements. (More below) Terminal 2 is compact yet does not miss a single luxury, such as nimbling caviar & champagne, single malt whisky tasting, or shopping at Harrods. From check-in to your flight it is only a few minutes’ […]

Eliminating redundancy

Posted Ümit ÖzaydınPosted in Editor Notes, Sentences, translation, Word Usage

Eliminating redundancy is one of the key skills to fluency, but what is redundancy or a redundant word/phrase? If you can remove a word from a sentence without changing its core meaning, that word is redundant or unnecessary. Not every redundancy is a flaw, sometimes it is helpful to add variety to your sentences. The safest way to get rid of redundant phrase is to hire a professional copy-editor. Check out the following example, it is not only redundant but […]

Converting Passive to Active – Translating Audit Reports into English

Posted Ümit ÖzaydınPosted in Sentences, Transcreation, Translation_Tips

Auditors are tasked to identify non-conformances and share their findings and observations in a clear and understandble report. Writing an impactful report is a challenge. Translating a poorly written report into English is sometimes a bigger challenge. Converting passive sentence forms to active sentences is an important skill for Turkish to English translators. This skill plays a critical role when translating audit reports. Despite my best efforts to train as many auditors and bankers as possible in the past decade, […]

Devaluation vs Depreciation

Posted Ümit ÖzaydınPosted in translation, Translation_Tips

Turkish lira is losing value agaist major currencies including US dollar and Euro. Which is the correct verb to use when translating into English: Devaluation (because the currency is losing value) or Depreciation? The correct answer is ‘depreciation’. Devaluation happens in fixed currency regimes when a government voluntarily reduces the value of its currency. It is their decision. Depreciation happens in floating currency regimes and Turkey has a floating currency regime. Turkish government does not and cannot declare the value […]

Tips for Turkish to English Transcreation

Posted Ümit ÖzaydınPosted in Transcreation, Translation_Tips

Transcreation is a hot topic and there are different translations of it. Some assume it is only for creative content, while some use this term as a synonym to localization. Others claim that translation is more verbatim, literal and closer to the source text as oppose to transcreation focuses more on the message, meaning and the audience. Old schools argue that all of the above are 50 shades of translation and by definition a good translator is expected to manage […]

My take on the ATC London 2016

Posted Ümit ÖzaydınPosted in Dragosfer, Localisation, Translation_Tips

It is always a pleasure to join ATC Conferences and 2016’s event was no exception. Geoffrey, Jesper, Levent and the entire council did a marvellous job. This article was originally published on Linkedin two years ago and I wanted to add it to our blog page to give extra publicity to the ATC. QEII Conference Center was a very good choice; easy to commute, modern, fresh and comfortable; all perfect to celebrate 40th anniversary of the Association of Translation Companies. […]

Learning objectives of an interpreting class

Posted Ümit ÖzaydınPosted in conference interpreting, interpreting, Translation_Tips

There is no golden standard for learning objectives of an interpreting class, because it depends on the level of your students, their previous courses, class size, available equipment and last but not the least trainer’s (your) professional background not only as an interpreter but also as a trainer. Being a great interpreter does not mean that you can teach well. And I am here to help. As usual, my proposals in this article are based on my experience and assume […]