| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15] > | Off topic: How do you think UK leaving EU would affect our profession? Thread poster: Balasubramaniam L.
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Markus Nystrom wrote:
I have my toast with butter and Marmite in tow, black pudding and a Pimms Cup supreme I raise in jubilation and euphoria to this happy, happy day!
Be happy you don't live in Denmark, where they banned Marmite because of added vitamins: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/24/denmark-bans-marmite .
We're told over and over again there is free movement of goods if only they fulfil requirements in the country where they are produced, so how can it even be legal for another EU Member State to ban a product like this? Ludicrous.
If they ban it in Germany too, I'll need to have it smuggled in. Not having it could negatively affect how I get started with translation work in the morning.
| | | | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:54
Member (2008)
Italian to English
A touch of Marmite on the drive train of my bike makes it run smoothly. Recommended for all general lubrication purposes. WARNING not suitable for human consumption.
| | | | Emma Goldsmith 
Spain
Local time: 21:54
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:54
Member (2008)
Italian to English
I've heard that medical researchers in the UK are concerned because their EU funding will be gone.
| | | | Emma Goldsmith
Spain
Local time: 21:54
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
| Medical research | Jun 27, 2016 |
Tom in London wrote:
I've heard that medical researchers in the UK are concerned because their EU funding will be gone.
Yep, several references in my post mention this. In theory, withdrawal of EU funding would be replaced by UK government grants (this would be needed in many other areas too, such as farming). Time will tell if this happens or not.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:54
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Emma Goldsmith wrote: Tom in London wrote:
I've heard that medical researchers in the UK are concerned because their EU funding will be gone. Yep, several references in my post mention this. In theory, withdrawal of EU funding would be replaced by UK government grants (this would be needed in many other areas too, such as farming). Time will tell if this happens or not.
Oh yes - that will be the "£350 billion we're going to stop paying Brussels" that was painted on the side of the Brexit Bus. Ha ha, very funny.
[Edited at 2016-06-27 10:28 GMT]
| | | | Huw Watkins
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:54
Member (2005)
Italian to English
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Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 01:24
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
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TOPIC STARTER SITE LOCALIZER | English might no longer be an official language of EU post Brexit | Jun 28, 2016 |
According to this report, English stands to lose its status as one of the official languages of the EU, though it would probably continue as a working language:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-language-idUKKCN0ZD2AC
The two other English-using EU countries, Ireland and Malta, have chosen Irish and Maltese respectively as their nomina... See more According to this report, English stands to lose its status as one of the official languages of the EU, though it would probably continue as a working language:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-language-idUKKCN0ZD2AC
The two other English-using EU countries, Ireland and Malta, have chosen Irish and Maltese respectively as their nominations for official languages of EU. Therefore, post Brexit, English would no longer be supported by any EU member nation as an official language.
This could have far-reaching consequences for translation professionals, particularly those for whom English constitues one half of their working pair. With English no longer an official language, the Eurocracy would no longer be obliged to get translated EU treaties and documents into English, which could mean loss of millions upon millions of words translated into English every year.
Another longer term consequence would be the gradual diminishing of the importance of English as a global language, which again would impact on the translation profession, but this impact could be positive as the need for translation into various languages of the world would increase with the waning of a globally understood language like English.
Also, given the weakened economic position of UK post Brexit, it would no longer be in a position to support or promote English as a global language, which would also contribute to the decline of English as a global language.
So, which foreign languge are you planning to start learning to hedge your bets - Chinese? Hindi? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Perhaps a good thing for translators | Jun 28, 2016 |
From the article linked above regarding the potential loss of official status for English in the EU:＂EU documents and legal texts are translated into all 24 official languages of the bloc. If English were to lose that status, Britons would have to do the translation themselves.＂
Seems to me that this could be a plus for freelance translators, as from what I've heard the EU project bidding process essentially ensures that freelancers are cut-off from many EU projects (or have t... See more From the article linked above regarding the potential loss of official status for English in the EU:＂EU documents and legal texts are translated into all 24 official languages of the bloc. If English were to lose that status, Britons would have to do the translation themselves.＂
Seems to me that this could be a plus for freelance translators, as from what I've heard the EU project bidding process essentially ensures that freelancers are cut-off from many EU projects (or have to jump through hoops to be qualified for them). Or do most of you European language translators work regularly with EU projects? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | seems unlikely | Jun 28, 2016 |
English is the de facto language of Ireland. I have my doubts about Maltese English, but the case of Ireland is crystal clear. (Most Irish people could not, for example, understand complex directions written in Irish for assembling or using a product.)
Obviously, it is impossible to rely on politicians to not behave like small children, but I would think that cooler heads will prevail here. English needs to be an official language of the EU, because it is the language of at least one membe... See more English is the de facto language of Ireland. I have my doubts about Maltese English, but the case of Ireland is crystal clear. (Most Irish people could not, for example, understand complex directions written in Irish for assembling or using a product.)
Obviously, it is impossible to rely on politicians to not behave like small children, but I would think that cooler heads will prevail here. English needs to be an official language of the EU, because it is the language of at least one member state (Ireland). It would be unfortunate for Ireland or Malta to have to give up Irish or Maltese as an official language in order to save English, so hopefully a more reasonable compromise can be found.
I could imagine English ceasing to be a working language of the EU. It does seem silly to have a language native to only a few percent of the European population be a working language (and I think the figures on second-language mastery are consistently wildly exaggerated).
It might make a significant amount of sense to have Italian (the next most-spoken language in the EU) replace English and to take a clear step away from English as a lingua franca, but I don't think that's likely. While there is no chance of it happening, Polish would be an even more interesting choice, because it is by far the most-spoken Slavic language in the EU, and then you would have a Germanic, a Romance, and a Slavic working language.
In the end, though, I think it is extremely unlikely that English will cease to be a working language, because it is the current lingua franca throughout most of the world (and certainly within the EU). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:54
Hebrew to English
Balasubramaniam L. wrote:
Also, given the weakened economic position of UK post Brexit, it would no longer be in a position to support or promote English as a global language, which would also contribute to the decline of English as a global language
That's ok, we'll let Canada, Australia, New Zealand, oh and a little country called the United States of America pick up the slack.
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| Marmite? I know other products from the UK to be banned soon: | Jun 28, 2016 |
Thomas T. Frost wrote:
We're told over and over again there is free movement of goods if only they fulfil requirements in the country where they are produced
It´s high time to ban Studio from the EU then! SDLexit it!
[Edited at 2016-06-28 07:26 GMT]
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 21:54
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Nervous markets | Jun 28, 2016 |
The main problem with geopolitical upheavals is how they affect the markets, which tend to go haywire if a Prime Minister sneezes at the wrong time. It could be a momentary shockwave, though, and work itself out in the long term, because people aren't simply going to stop working with the world's fourth largest economy just because it doesn't have an EU label anymore, in the same way as they're not going to stop working with to-English translators or from-English translators. Nobody should kid t... See more The main problem with geopolitical upheavals is how they affect the markets, which tend to go haywire if a Prime Minister sneezes at the wrong time. It could be a momentary shockwave, though, and work itself out in the long term, because people aren't simply going to stop working with the world's fourth largest economy just because it doesn't have an EU label anymore, in the same way as they're not going to stop working with to-English translators or from-English translators. Nobody should kid themselves that the EU is going to stop using English - that's not going to happen. Seriously?
Anyway, the UK can drop back into the EEA instead, an option which seems to work well. Or they could be the first Member State in a new conglomerate and invite EU members to join. They could call it EU2. On second thoughts, maybe not, as that would eventually lead to a Third World War.
As for the referendum itself, people in the UK didn't have (couldn't possibly have) enough information to take that decision, and deep-rooted prejudices took over instead at the worst possible time, with lorryloads of displaced persons converging on EU borders. How can anyone, even an eminent economist, say whether it would be simply "good" or "bad" to leave? The ramifications and pros and cons were much too complicated for anyone to pontificate on it, but that didn't stop Boris and Co. And what did you expect from Nigel, who's been banging on about it for 20 years?
People say it was Cameron's "fault", but I think he gave the UK electorate a most generous exercise in democracy, and he paid the price when it went against him. Where else have European people been invited to express their views so massively and directly lately? In their own parliaments? In the European Parliament? Please. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 21:54
French to English
| hedging my bets | Jun 28, 2016 |
Balasubramaniam L. wrote:
According to this report, English stands to lose its status as one of the official languages of the EU, though it would probably continue as a working language:
So, which foreign languge are you planning to start learning to hedge your bets - Chinese? Hindi?
I won't be learning any other language to substitute my native target language.
English won't lose its status because of Ireland and Malta, as others have said. Plus which Scotland has no intention of leaving the EU. If England and Wales were to forge ahead as seems less and less likely, Scotland will refuse to tag along.
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