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Irish Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Lost for words: Dublin-born artist Jenny Brady explores the world of interpretation
Listen to me! Whether we are caught in an argument or it's the frustrated cry of a child, we've all made that urgent call for attention. The drive to communicate crosses species; according to botanists, it features in plant life too. Trees reach out to one another. On the human side, countless words are spoken, roared or whispered into the air, but how can we know if we are truly being heard, never mind understood? It is hard enough when we are speaking the same language. Who hasn't had the feeling that if only we could find the right words, we might experience the relief of being both believed and agreed with? And how much more difficult is it when translation and interpretation come into play? Jenny Brady's new film, The Glass Booth/An Both Gloine, explores the worlds of interpretation and communication. It begins with scenes at the summit between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan in Geneva in 1985, which was hailed as a new beginning in US - Soviet relations. While the spotlight was on the world leaders, behind them sat the anonymous figures of their interpreters. READ MORE Although invented in the 1920s, simultaneous interpretation was first officially used after the second World War, at the Nuremberg trials of those involved in the Nazi regime. The term 'translation' is used for the written word; 'interpretation' is when languages are mediated orally. Watching The Glass Booth, we discover a subtle, complex and fascinating interplay of power and trust. Sometimes the Geneva interpreters mirror the gestures of Gorbachev and Reagan; sometimes the leaders appear to defer to the men who are whispering in their ears. A series of vignettes follow, exploring stories surrounding those unable to speak – or, more accurately, unable to be understood in their own voices. A trio of women role-play an asylum interview. An interpreter-in-training session, it falters when the would-be interpreter forgets to speak in the first person. Done properly, the interpreter should be, literally, embodying the voice of the person who would otherwise be unable to be heard. Then there is a group of schoolchildren, interpreting for their parents, other community members and new arrivals at their school. Their accents give clues to their countries of origin as they describe finding themselves sometimes pitched into adult situations. Brady is a low-key, fascinating artist, and despite her significant international career this will be her first solo show in Ireland. Dublin-born, she had wanted to be an artist from an early age. 'I remember being 15, and going to drawing classes on a Saturday morning at the Trinity Arts Workshop . I found there was a freedom that was afforded through art, in every way. You wouldn't know what kind of experience, what sort of journey you'd be brought on, going through the gallery doors.' Still from The Glass Booth/An Both Gloine by Jenny Brady The Glass Booth/An Both Gloine The Glass Booth/An Both Gloine Language, interpretation, having a voice and trying (and failing) to understand have fascinated Brady throughout her career. Previous films, such as Wow and Flutter (2013) and Going to the Mountain (2016), explored the interpretations we can put on to the behaviours of animals, and babies; and the alternative languages of music and gesture. Through each we encounter the idea that interpretation can be more like imposition. When we look at a dog, a cat or, in the case of Wow and Flutter, a cockatoo, it is tempting to ascribe meaning to their sounds and movements, even though we can only parse them through the filters of our own thought processes. Extending these ideas, Brady's Music for Solo Performer, from 2022, delves into speech synthesis, and the essence of the mind in EEG waves, through illness, death and even pizza delivery (an early trial of text-to-voice technology). Are we our thoughts or our words? And can words ever do justice to the complexities of what goes on in our minds? Building on this, how much do words pin down ideas and emotions, limiting them, and their infinite potential, in the process. In the world of The Glass Booth, simultaneous interpretation brings its own issues. 'There can be a huge amount of secondary trauma,' Brady says. Speaking the words, in the first person, of someone who may have perpetrated or experienced almost unspeakable things requires, as Brady puts it, 'a great deal of compartmentalisation'. The final passage of The Glass Booth introduces us to a Nato interpreter. 'Sometimes we're used like a fuse,' he says. 'We're accused of having interpreted wrongly, when all that's happened is the speaker is aware of having gone too far, or said the wrong thing.' This is Chris Guichot de Fortis, who's a rally driver in his spare time. The film closes with scenes from a rally, where trust between driver and navigator must be absolute. For the uninitiated, the navigator's language is impenetrable, words distilled down to essentials, vital for success and survival. The Glass Booth/An Both Gloine The Glass Booth/An Both Gloine: Can words ever do justice to the complexities of what goes on in our minds? The stakes are high at every level. From an international summit where the interpreters are, as Brady says, 'at the shoulder of history' to an asylum hearing, to children standing in as the voices of their parents: these are all life-changing scenarios. 'From a filmic perspective I found it so interesting,' the artist says. 'What is the real thing? What is the point of view when someone is speaking someone else's words?' Brady's films are always richly researched, and ideas emerge in your mind long after their closing credits. 'I'm someone who is often in my head,' she says. 'I don't think that it's always the best way to be. Especially working as an artist, I can be fighting against that. It's why I love working with people.' Alongside all this, context itself plays a role. The Glass Booth had its premiere at this year's Galway Film Fleadh, in advance of its installation at Project Arts Centre, in Dublin. How different is it seeing a film in a cinema or a gallery? And how different is an 'art' film from a 'regular' film anyway? 'You can walk out of a gallery whenever you want,' Brady says wryly. 'But I like that cinematic experience ... You're watching it with people, so when it's your own film you can see and hear the parts that people respond to. There's so much learning in showing work, in either context. 'A gallery can give you a more personal experience,' she continues. 'When you're watching an installation that loops, I find it exciting, as if it's a never-ending story perhaps. And as it loops it gives you a prior reading. Maybe you find other nuances each time.' Documentary films exploring language and translation include The Interpreters, commissioned by the United Nations to mark its 50th anniversary. On the fiction front, Sydney Pollack's film The Interpreter, from 2005, saw Nicole Kidman pitched into danger after overhearing a secret, but perhaps the most fascinating is Arrival, directed by Denis Villeneuve, from 2016. [ Lost in translation: 'You can be shocked by the bad news you have to interpret' Opens in new window ] Playing a linguist, Amy Adams is tasked with communicating with the occupants of an alien craft. In the process, we learn that language is just the overlay we have evolved to cover our notions of time, space, culture, emotion and experience. Even on Earth these are not always the same. More diffuse and allusive than Arrival, The Glass Booth delivers an emotional punch that stays with you. As the 30-minute film concludes, the voices inside the rally car fade to silence. The vehicle continues its course, leaving behind a sense of aloneness in the dark. It seems to recall Susan Hiller's 2008 The Last Silent Movie, on show in 2004 at Imma's Take a Breath. There, Hiller archived endangered and lost languages, giving glimpses of what all lovers of the Irish language know: how much of a culture – its histories and beliefs, powers and passions – are lost when the native speakers are gone. Brady's work touches on this while living in the here and now. From animals to humanity, we can never hope to fully know the thought processes of someone else. Translation, interpretation, listening and hearing what is really being said are not simply about the daily business of being understood. They are fundamental to the harder work that is the vital effort of empathy, of always remembering to try to understand. Jenny Brady, The Glass Booth/An Both Gloine is at Project Arts Centre , Dublin, from Thursday, July 24th, until Saturday, October 4th
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dow Jones Newswires Launches AI-Powered French Language Service, Expanding Global Real-Time Financial News Delivery
NEW YORK, July 17, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dow Jones Newswires today announced the launch of its AI-powered French Language Service, further expanding its translation offerings and delivering real-time, relevant financial insights to investors around the globe. This initiative builds on the successful implementation of Korean and Japanese translations, reinforcing Dow Jones Newswires's commitment to providing market-moving and trusted financial news with speed and precision in new markets. The Dow Jones French Language Service utilizes state-of-the-art multi-agent AI workflow combined with human editorial oversight, to ensure unparalleled accuracy and fluency in financial translations. This process is equipped with built-in guardrails and controls, including disclaimers and links to original English sources, upholding Dow Jones's reputation for quality, transparency and accuracy. The service is designed to deliver 500 to 1,000 financial news stories per day from Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal, translated from English into French in real-time. This service allows Dow Jones Newswires to deliver up-to-the-minute financial news and analysis in fluent French, effectively removing language barriers and delays for French-speaking professionals. It is tailored to help wealth managers, institutional investors, and online trading platforms better serve their French-speaking employees and clients, providing timely updates on global markets including equities, bonds, FX, commodities, macroeconomics, central banks, and politics, alongside exclusive insights from Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal. The integration of smart metadata further enables personalized content delivery by asset class, company, region, or topic, enhancing client engagement and supporting smarter, faster decisions. Crucially, Dow Jones Newswires's implementation of AI workflows for local language translations involves upskilling existing human translators, including those with previous editorial experience in language, into new roles focused on prompt engineering and quality assurance. This ensures that journalists remain at the forefront of editorial content production, leveraging technology to enhance reach and efficiency while maintaining Dow Jones's commitment to quality and accuracy. "The successful integration of AI into our French language service highlights our commitment to delivering unparalleled financial news with both speed, accuracy and precision to a broader global audience," said Joe Cappitelli, General Manager of Dow Jones Newswires. "This launch enables us to provide critical insights to French-speaking investors and professionals, reinforcing our leadership in leveraging advanced technology to meet evolving market demands and expanding our reach into key non-English speaking markets." Visit here to learn more about Dow Jones Newswires. About Dow Jones Dow Jones is a global provider of news and business information, delivering content to consumers and organizations around the world across multiple formats, including print, digital, mobile and live events. Dow Jones has produced unrivaled quality content for more than 130 years and today has one of the world's largest news-gathering operations globally. It is home to leading publications and products including the flagship Wall Street Journal, America's largest newspaper by paid circulation; Barron's, MarketWatch, Mansion Global, Financial News, Investor's Business Daily, Factiva, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, Dow Jones Newswires, OPIS and Chemical Market Analytics. Dow Jones is a division of News Corp (Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). View source version on Contacts Press Kamilla Rahman (Dow Jones, US) Jessica Peel (Dow Jones, EMEA) Elgen Kua (Dow Jones, APAC)
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
These "Untranslatable" Foreign Phrases Have Me Questioning Why English Is So Limited, And I'm About To Call Merriam-Webster
Many of us native English speakers are familiar with (and regularly use) words like "schadenfreude" (German), which don't have a direct English translation, but there are actually a ton of similar words out there. Recently, @saba posed a question on Twitter (X), asking for examples of words in other languages that "can't be perceived in English," saying "there's a beauty in a word only being understood through the soul." Here are 27 extremely gorgeous, interesting, or just plain useful responses: 1."Saudade" Related: 2."Ya'aburne" 3."Varen" 4."Backpfeifengesicht" 5."Sayang" 6."فديتك" 7."тоска" 8."نعيما" Related: 9."Estrenar" 10."Apapacho" 11."Fernweh" 12."Kilig" 13."Gunnen" Related: 14."Sobremesa" 15."Obhimaan (অভিমান)" 16."Zerliebt" 17."Pasalubong" 18."Hiraeth" 19."Smacznego" 20."Pogodnie" Related: 21."Koi No Yokan (恋の予感)" 22."Üşenmek" 23."Tương (醬)' 24."Zawiść" 25."Drengskapr" 26."Jhuta (झूठा)" finally, "tresno"/"katresnan." Now, I have to know: If you speak a language other than English, do you have any favorite words that don't quite translate over? Let us know in the comments. Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds:
WIRED
12-07-2025
- WIRED
The Timekettle T1 Is an Adept Global Translator That'll Work Even Offline
This service is skinned another way in the Chat app, which presents a two-way conversation system, with your language on one side and your partner's language on the other, upside-down. There's no button-pressing in this setup: Each speaker simply talks into a microphone on either side of the handheld, and a translation is both played and displayed in text on their side of the screen. It's the same concept as the one-click translation, but more hands-free. The other major feature is a photo-based translation app, which works exactly as you think it should by snapping a picture of text in a foreign language. The unit supports 40 languages, many with multiple dialects, and boasts support for '93+ accents.' Any of those languages can be translated into any other if you're online, either via Wi-Fi or connected via a cellular network. But the killer feature of the T1 is that you can download offline language packs, which lean on the unit's AI-powered CPU to translate text when you're not connected. The device supports 31 offline language pairs, but note that's not the same as 31 languages. Korean-to-Thai translation is supported, as is Korean-to-Russian, but you can't translate Thai to Russian unless you're online. For English, only 10 language pairs are supported, and each combination you wish to use must be downloaded to the device in advance, when you do have a connection. Photograph: Chris Null Translations are fast—if not quite completed in the 0.2 seconds that Timekettle claims—and accuracy was as good as any standard translator I tested it against. It was a more intuitive way to translate audio than using Google Translate (et al.) on a smartphone, though the Google method seems to be well understood globally these days, mitigating that advantage. I didn't notice any real difference in quality or speed between online and offline translations across a range of language tests, and many of my text-based translations turned in identical results (perhaps suspiciously so) to what I got with Google Translate. Voiced translations aren't perfect, as they never are with these devices, but they roughly met the 90 percent accuracy that Timekettle promises. Make sure to run an operating system update (you won't be prompted to do so; the option is buried in the 'Settings' menu) to make the handoff between offline and online modes more seamless. Screen Woes The only major downside of the device is the screen, which has a sad 540 x 1080-pixel resolution, making it difficult to capture much with the 8-megapixel camera to translate at one time. While I can easily photograph a full screen of text with my cell phone for translation, the T1 was able to parse out only a few lines at a time due to its limited resolution. When I zoomed out, the results were usually wildly inaccurate or wholly illegible. Getting closer to the text was ultimately required to get a proper translation with the T1's camera. Photograph: Chris Mull
CNET
11-07-2025
- CNET
Google Lens Became My Favorite Travel Tool. Here's Why It Changed the Game
I never thought Google Lens would become such a key part of my daily routine. At home, I use it almost every day to identify seashells during beach walks or to translate labels on foods from my local Asian market. But recently, it proved even more valuable during a few trips, helping me navigate real-world travel challenges, from decoding unusual weather patterns to recognizing questionable vacation rentals. Google recently shared new ways travelers can use Lens' Visual Search features this summer and beyond. To learn more, I spoke with Dounia Berrada, senior director of engineering for Google Lens, about how the team is trying to make the camera a more intelligent search aid and travel companion. Google Lens has a few limitations, considering most of the features can't be used in offline mode. Still, it might be the smartest free tool already sitting on your phone. "Everyone is familiar with how you can ask questions with text and voice. With Google Lens, you can also ask questions with images," Berrada said. For more Google features, explore how I use Google Maps for stress-free travel and the six Google AI and Lens features I'm using to plan my vacations. 6 ways to use Google Lens during your travels Translate signs and menus on the spot CNET One of the biggest perks of Lens while traveling is its instant translation feature. I use this feature at least weekly when I visit Cuban restaurants here in Florida or visit my favorite Asian markets and need help reading the packaging. I simply hold up my phone, tap the Lens icon in the Google app and the screen's text transforms into English in real time. The text doesn't come up as a pop-up but appears directly over the original words of whatever I'm needing to translate. During travels, this feature can help translate street signs, public transport maps and menus. Verify vacation rentals before you book The other day, I was perusing Airbnbs in Costa Rica, as I've always wanted to visit. I saw a suspiciously underpriced rental, so I reverse image searched the listing photos using Lens. Turns out, the same pictures appeared on a real estate site for a property in another country. That was enough of a red flag for me to walk away and think about Costa Rica another time. Berrada told me Lens wasn't designed specifically to catch scammers but giving people more visual context before making decisions on lodging is very much part of the product's mission. For me, it's an easy way to do some quick background checking so I feel more confident in where I'm staying and I'll probably use it anytime something feels off. Ask questions about what you see Macy Meyer/CNET Ever found yourself staring at a painting in a museum, totally intrigued but with no idea what you're looking at? That was me just a few days ago when I was standing in front of a surreal piece at the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg. Even though I wrote an 80-page thesis on surrealism as an undergraduate, I'm still not an expert art history major. But I was wishing I had access to one when I was looking at the strange and disturbing Daddy Longlegs of the Evening Hope painting. Google Lens was helpful when I pointed my phone's camera at the painting and asked it to tell me more about the work of art. I got an AI Overview that broke down key details, like who made it (I knew this), when it was made and what materials were used (given to me by the plaque next to the painting), but more interesting, why it matters and a breakdown of what the imagery is likely representative of. Lens then offered links to websites to dive deeper if I wanted to. This feature helps you make sense of what you're seeing in real time. It also allows you to speak your question aloud while snapping a photo. It's kind of like turning to a friend and saying, "Wait, what is this?" and getting an answer right then and there. Deep dive with the About this image feature Macy Meyer/CNET When I was visiting my older sister in Tulsa, Oklahoma, recently, I snapped a photo of some bizarre clouds that looked almost like a thick, wavy blanket covering the entire sky as far as the eye could see. I've never seen anything like it before. I used the About this image feature in Google Lens to figure out what I was actually looking at. It showed me how the photo (and ones like it) were being used across the web -- from weather blogs to social media platforms to fact-checking sites -- and helped me learn that these are undulatus clouds, appearing as "cloud streets" because they look like parallel bands or rows. Whether you encounter an odd image online or in real life, this tool provides quick context and helps you understand what different sources are saying. Summarize and translate text from a photo Google When you're traveling, you never know what kind of text you'll run into that'll need translating -- menus, handwritten signs, museum placards, notes from an Airbnb host. With Google Lens, you can snap a picture of any text and instantly get a summary, ask questions about it or copy it to your clipboard. The feature can also annotate the image, such as highlighting dishes on a menu that meet your dietary preferences, so you're not stuck translating. I can imagine using it to quickly find vegetarian dishes on a local menu or to make sense of a scribbled transit schedule at a rural train stop. Berrada said she has personally used this feature to translate recipe cards in French that her mother gave to her, so she can share the English translation with her husband. Whether you're navigating a new city or just trying to decode a note left by your Airbnb host, it's a handy tool for making the unfamiliar feel a bit more manageable. Get souvenir details instantly when traveling Google Imagine you're wandering through a street market in Tokyo or browsing a boutique in Lisbon and spot something you'd love to bring home -- a unique canvas tote bag (my personal souvenir of choice), a pair of sunglasses or a handmade clothing item. With Google Lens, you can snap a quick photo and instantly pull up product details, including prices at other retailers, current deals, shopper reviews and shipping information if you're wanting to ship it back home. It's an easy way to figure out if you're getting a good price or if it's worth waiting to buy later. Even in a store, Lens can show you if similar items are in stock elsewhere nearby or online, whether the price is competitive and what other travelers or shoppers have said about it. It takes the guesswork out of impulse buys, especially when you're on the go. "This is my absolute favorite use case with Lens. I love it for shopping," Berrada said. Berrada explained that the tool taps into a massive shopping graph with more than 50 billion listings that are constantly updated and drawn from online sources and local stores. It then shows the exact product you're looking at, along with the best available prices, so you can compare options before making a purchase. If you're not set on buying that exact item, Lens also provides visually similar alternatives and products with comparable features, such as lightweight materials or enhanced durability. She also shared a personal example from a recent trip to Paris, where she used Lens to scan apparel she saw in a store. The feature helped her decide whether to buy the item locally or wait until returning home, factoring in currency differences and availability of local brands. For more, see our traveler's prep checklist and how to improve your odds of not having your flight canceled or delayed.
