PW_2_2019

Article | Sports

Need to Translate Harvey Whittam , Thames Valley Branch Secretary

National Golf Competition Belton Woods Hotel, Grantham Wednesday, 5 and Thursday, 6 June, 2019.

The ancient story of the Tower of Babel deals with the idea of humans living together and speaking one language, until an act of God caused them suddenly to speak different languages and scatter around the world. Therefore, they could not communicate and work together to complete building the tower. Nowadays, there is no need for ‘Babel’ confusion, despite our members around the world speaking a multitude of languages. Artificial intelligence, technology and the way people live has made communicating with others easier and makes for stronger friendships. O ur Founder, Arthur Troop, had the vision for a motto in Esperanto , an international auxiliary language devised in 1887. The vision for Esperanto by its creator was to foster peace and understanding as a universal second language. This seems most compatible with the aims of the IPA. When Arthur founded the IPA in 1950 the world seemed much larger than it does today, but use of Esperanto has not significantly grown, with records suggesting a mere two million speaking it around the world. The official working language of the IPA is English; inevitable because Arthur was English. Yet, it is the most widely spoken language in the world (when combining native and non-native speakers). In recent years, with new sections being formed in the republics of the former Soviet Union, there are many new members speaking English. It is no surprise that these new sections see their children learning English, instead of Russian as a second language. In the UK we are lazy when it comes to speaking a foreign language. It is easy to travel to many places where English is the native language and to cross the channel where English is widely spoken. The International Organisation of La Francophonie fears that English might one day become the “single working language” of Europe. Years ago, finding the Rosetta Stone unlocked our understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs, thanks to Greek being the language of administration. Today we do not need to carry a stone or pocket translation books. All we need now is a smartphone with a translation app. Google Translate is considered by many to be the best free translation app and is the one most often seen in use abroad. I find it pretty accurate to use and it has off-line support in many languages. The other big competitor is Microsoft with its neat real- time conversation mode, which even supports Klingon for space travellers. There are plenty of other language apps out there that may work better for you. Technology is improving so rapidly that we may soon see little ear plug translators for instant voice to voice translations. For most of us, it’s a choice between amazing the locals with technological savvy (even if the translations aren’t always right) and making a fool of yourself trying to communicate. Embrace the future. Use an app! Have a laugh and enjoy fostering new friendships. Babel – Adventures in Translation free exhibition is in the Weston Library – Bodleian Libraries, Oxford till 2nd June, 2019.

Cost: 1 Night

£106

DB&B, Roll, 2 Rounds of Golf, Soup & Sandwiches.

2 Nights

£192

DB&B, Roll, 2 Rounds of Golf, Soup & Sandwiches

2 Nights

£200

DB&B, Roll, 3 Rounds of Golf, Soup & Sandwiches

Single Room supplement

£30pppn

Two very distinct championship courses. Play the Lakes Course where water hazards are a very tricky obstacle, whereas the shorter Woodside Course proves equally challenging as it runs along the forested estate. There are still places available if you wish to come and join us. Please email for more information. Yvonne McGregor, Vice President

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POLICE WORLD Vol 64 No.2 , 2019

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