U.S. President Donald Trump's alleged use of the word "shithole" to describe certain countries, apart from sparking a cacophony of outrage, left journalists scratching their heads wondering how to translate it. A look at international headlines reveals a striking variety of translations, ranging from the straightforward to the prudish to the downright obscure: 'Like toilets' The famously polite Japanese media tied themselves in knots trying not to offend their readers, with national broadcaster NHK sticking to "filthy countries". The BBC's Japanese-language service translated the term into Japanese with a phrase for a tank to hold excrement, often used as manure. Newswire Jiji Press translated it as "countries like toilets". 'Beggar's Den' South Korean media largely took their cue from the country's biggest news agency Yonhap, which rendered the term as "beggar's den". But the @AskAKorean account on Twitter had its own alternative: "I still think the more literal translation of … [Read more...] about A ‘shithole’ by any other name: how world media translated Trump
Philippines language translation to english
Educators doubt int’l joint programs using Vietnamese translation
Local educators have expressed their worry about the quality of master's and doctoral programs Vietnamese universities run in cooperation with international partners. An education official advised against signing up for these courses due to their easy admission. At the moment, Vietnamese students can easily register for such programs and obtain a degree from a foreign school, as course runners have waived English proficiency requirements, even though instructors often speak in the foreign language during lectures. Translations will be provided and students will be allowed to defend their theses in Vietnamese via English interpreters, program consultants explained. One such program is the doctoral program in the Ho Chi Minh City branch of the Hanoi-based Foreign Trade University, which has a partnership with the Philippines' Bulacan State University. A program consultant told a Tuoi Tre reporter, who was pretending to be interested in a PhD course in business administration, … [Read more...] about Educators doubt int’l joint programs using Vietnamese translation
Closer trade and financial co-operation in ASEAN: issues at the regional and national level with focus on the Philippines
I. Introduction Over the past decade, efforts at promoting closer regionalism in East Asia have been stepped up for various reasons, including: (i) a response to the experience and lessons of the 1997 financial crisis; (ii) the gridlock in the Doha round, success of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and expansion of the EU; (iii) the mitigation of political factors that prevented closer co-operation in the past, for example, competition between China and Japan; and (iv) the perception that ASEAN economic integration will not progress far unless other East Asian economies are involved. … [Read more...] about Closer trade and financial co-operation in ASEAN: issues at the regional and national level with focus on the Philippines
An English Capital
Once a place where merchants from around the world came to do business, Hoi An these days has become a favorite destination for foreign as well as domestic tourists. It is quite possible for Hoi An to build on from its prized status and form an "English Capital" that gives the ancient town a chance at global integration and sustainable development. Hoi An is on the Thu Bon River, just five kilometers from the East Sea. As early as the 16th century, thanks to the pro-business policy of the Nguyen Lords and its favorable geographic location, the port of Hoi An - or "Faifo" as Westerners named it - was already a bustling place. Foreign merchants frequently congregated in Faifo. Hoi An resurrection For a great many years, Faifo was a prominent trade center in Southeast Asia and a place for cultural exchange between the East and the West. As of the middle of the 19th century, however, Hoi An gradually lost its status as an important international port and no longer enjoyed the … [Read more...] about An English Capital
Reading is good for the soul, but it takes time to find out
Last week, Viet Nam News invited its readers to share their reading habits in the light of the proliferation of other media. Here are some of the comments we have received. Jeffry M. Tupas, reporter at the Philippines Daily Inquirer, Davao City I love reading a lot, even in the toilet. Everything from old magazines to fiction novels appeals to me. We have many book sales here, if you are lucky you can get one for as low as 45 pesos or about a dollar. Untouched, pristine books are usually priced between 300 to 700 pesos ($7-16). What is interesting here is that there are no foreign books translated into Filipino. If you buy a foreign author, you get it in English, which explains why our English is so good. I agree that the internet has revolutionised the way we live and entertain, but it has by no means managed to completely kill off print media which still receives a lot of support. People don't always have the patience to read electronic copies and would still rather smell the … [Read more...] about Reading is good for the soul, but it takes time to find out