French to English: iPod, Part 1

I'm running behind the times, way behind.  Blame that on stubbornness and an ounce of arrogance.  Truth is, I deliberately stay away from any kind of technology that gets anywhere near my ears.

In my last "dream" job, I spent a lot of time on the phone.  I was either holding the mouthpiece or had an earplug so I could use both hands and type.  That explains why I developed an allergy to phones and related products like the iPod.  Once I bought a cell phone thinking that I would need it, but chucked it after less than a month because like a dunderhead, I associated phone and phone-like gadgets as sources of ear infections.  That's my fertile imagination at work. 

I wanted to tune off and tune out.  When clients ask if they could speak to me via telephone, I try to convince them to send me an e-mail instead.  When they ask if I'm on Skype, I shrink like a prune.  Lots of people would welcome interaction with clients; I lean more towards saving valuable minutes.  As a freelance writer and translator, the time I spend on the phone is non-billable.  What can be said "in person" can be said via e-mail.

Now you know why I'm not racing to own an iPod.  Still, it's a wonderful testimony to man's genius and sense of innovation.  It's a gadget deserving of admiration.

Call the iPod your music on the run and your data-to-go.  It's your "forever" digital library of songs and video.  It has been through at least five generations and has been re-modeled at least 20 different times.

To ward off confusion for future potential owners, the iPod is available in these models (the Apple web site has more information:  http://www.apple.com/ipod/compare-ipod-models/).

1. iPod Shuffle - tiny size, fits in your pocket.  It tells you what songs are playing.

2.  iPod Nano - comes with a video camera and a larger viewing screen

3.  iPod Classic - will store pictures, music and videos.  Your super entertainment on the go.

4.  iPod Touch - games, movies, internet, e-mail.  Check it out, what more do you want?  Available in 8, 32 and 64 GB.  Not to forget - voice control!  Just say, check my e-mails, and your iPod suddenly morphs into an efficient secretary! 

The latest iPod Touch model starts at US$199.00.  That's a steep price to pay, but think...what would 10 CDs, 10 movie passes, and the latest Warlord game cost you at retail stores?  And the Apple store is one helluva mega mall of entertainment.  Have you been?

FRENCH	ENGLISH
musique numérique	digital music
disque dur	hard disk
40 GO (giga-octet)	40 GB (giga bytes)
protection intégrée contre les sautes	built-in skip protection
sonothèque ou une bibliothèque musicale	music and video library
reproductions d'une qualité parfaite	perfect quality copies
formats audio	audio formats
calendrier et carnet d'adresses	calendar and address book
lecteur de données	data player
périphérique de stockage	portable back up device
disque dur polyvalent	general purpose hard drive
adaptateur	adaptor

French to English: Elections, Part 3

 

We voted yesterday after attending church service.  It was a beautiful day and that's probably why the parking lot in the advanced voting place in my district was decently populated.  I wouldn't call it bumper-to-bumper, but traffic was steady.

The day was a mix of sun and wind but it wasn't your typical late October wind.  It was pleasant, reason why people willingly ventured out of their homes with their voting cards in tow.

According to today's Montreal Gazette, advanced voters made up 5.25% of total registered voters in the island of Montreal.  It reported that in some districts, the line-ups were excruciatingly long.  One voter was so fed up he left before he could vote, fearful that his mother, who was in her 90s, might faint. 

Voter turnout in the 2005 elections was a pitiable 35%.  This Sunday let's hope that percentage is much higher.

I did observe some things yesterday that could be improved;  it might be worthwhile to address some of these issues to make the voting experience "beaucoup plus agréable" as Francophones say.  My observations/comments:

1.  It took about five minutes to walk from the parking area to the polling place.  For people like me, this five-minute walk means nothing, but to older people and to the handicapped, it's an issue that officials should look into.  It's fine to provide less mobile people with free transportation to the polling place, but consideration must also be given once they're dropped off at the polling place.  How about one of those go-carts used at airports?  A rickshaw's not a bad idea and might inject some humor.

2.  My brother and I had to wait in line for about 15-20 minutes; again something a normal person like me wouldn't mind, but I was a tad worried about my brother (who walks with crutches and who can't stand for long periods of time).  The lady ahead of me was leaning on a cane, lamenting the disadvantages of getting old and her weakened knee.  The lady before her had to sit on a bench nearby, saying she was grateful that at least there were no stairs; otherwise it would be have been extremely difficult for her.

3.  No one offered a chair to my brother while we waited our turn.  I'm sure it wasn't done on purpose.  The excitement of the first hour of voting made election personnel oblivious to this problem and were more concerned about orderliness.  There were a lot of older people around, however, and perhaps there should have been a separate and quicker line for weaker and disabled voters.

4.  The ballots - there were four in total.  This surprised me.  Talk about how NOT to confuse people. Couldn't all the candidates' names be consolidated into one ballot?  One more thing:  the instruction was to "darken or mark."  Meaning, the voter could either put a check mark or X or darken the circle.  But the circle was about 1 cm in size against a black background.  I'll leave it to your imagination about what can potentially happen to these ballots.  Here's one question among several in my mind:  what if the voter had arthritis and had trouble with not-so-nimble fingers, unable to press down the pencil?

Enough of these cracker-barrel homilies, to use Shawn Levy's phrase.  Except for the inconveniences I mentioned, our voting experience went well.  Count our blessings that in Canada, elections are never marred with random acts of violence.  Et pour cela, nous sommes chanceux!

Let's tackle that lexicon for you:

FRENCH	ENGLISH
bulletin de vote spécial	special ballot
bureau d'inscription	registration office
certificat de transfert	transfer certificate
depouillement judiciaire	judicial recount
greffier du scrutin	poll clerk
loi sur la révision des circonscriptions électorales	Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act
tiers	third party
cours à l'investiture	nomination contests
vote de confiance	confidence vote
ministres sans portfeuilles (Ministres d'État)	ministers without portfolio (Ministers of State)
système majoritaire uninominal	first past the post
monarchie constitutionelle	constitutional monarchy
l'arbitre en matière de radiodiffusion	broadcasting arbitrator

This concludes our 3-part series on election terminology.  Our next theme will be on a lighter, more hip topic.  Promise...

French to English: Elections, Part 2

 

We received our voting reminder cards yesterday.  Electors have the option to vote in advance or to vote on election day - November 1.  Seeing that the polling place for advanced voting in my area is closer to my home, it looks like my brother and I will be taking advantage of advanced voting on Sunday, October 25. 

The polling place is on our way from church and located about half a kilometer away from my favorite store.  We're all set for Sunday - church first, voting second and shopping last - three activities that will take up a whole morning.  It's a good feeling to be able to do your spiritual and civic duty in one schlep; it's like earning a reward, the reward of course being shopping.

Each year when I do my tax returns, there's a line under the deductions category that I've never filled in - the tax deduction for contributions to political parties.  It's not because I don't support any; it's because the small budget I reserve for donations goes to education (McGill University never fails to call me), Alzheimer's and sick children. 

As for my party allegiance, I support mainly one party although I do recall making a shift once or twice. Apart from those two occasions, however, I've always remained loyal to my party.  I don't think I have ever voted for an independent candidate.  I'm sure there have been and there will be worthy candidates who prefer to run independently, but it seems they get little or no support from the population.

Back to political contributions, the magic number seems to be 1100; that is, citizens cannot make any contribution more than $1,100 to any one party in any given election.  At least that was the rule in 2007, and I hope Elections Canada did not forget to update their web site.

Highlights of the Canada Elections Act pertaining to financial contributions:

• only Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada can make a financial contribution;
• the maximum contribution limit to any registered political party is $1,100;
• the same maximum amount applies to contributions to independent candidates;
• cash contributions of more than $20.00 to any party are no longer allowed;
• corporations, trade unions, associations or groups can no longer make political contributions;
• contributions more than $20.00 must have a receipt and must be reported;
• as for tax credits, Canadians can deduct 75% of the first $400.00 in contributions, 50% for the next $350.00 and 33-1/2% of any amounts above $750.00.

I'm not sure if the $1,100 contribution is allowed for only one party.  Let's say you're a voter and you like the platforms of three political parties.  Will Elections Canada allow you to make a $1,100 contribution to each party?  That means giving $3,300.00 during one election period.

Or did Election Canada mean to say that $1,100 is the only amount you'll be entitled to contribute?

It might be worthwhile to clarify that point!

Your lexicon:

FRENCH	ENGLISH
accès de plein pied	level access
agent réviseur	revising agent
bureau de scrutin itinérant	mobile poll
carte de rappel	reminder card
dépouillement du scrutin	counting of votes
limite des circonscriptions	electoral boundaries
parti enregistré	registered party
révision ciblée	targeted revision
scrutateur	returning officer
section de vote	polling division
vote par anticipation	advanced voting

One of the more popular issues hugging this year's elections is transportation.  Parties are presenting their ideas about a tramway for Montreal.  The three major parties - Union Montreal, Vision Montreal and Project Montreal - all agree that Montreal needs a tramway.  They differ only on the timeframe and the planning for the initial routes.  With an exceptional subway system that runs on rubber wheels and envied by people who visit Montreal, adding a tramway to our public transport system would really make our city a world-class city.  Plus tramways look pretty.  Cross your fingers that they won't be painted with outlandish designs and be eye sores.

French to English: Elections, Part 1

 

My neighbor was calling from work.  "Guess who called me?" 

"Who?"  I asked absent-mindedly, hesitant to take my eyes off my computer screen.  I was running close to an e-book deadline for a client in New Zealand.

"Mayor deSouza.  He wants us to help out with phone work."

"Sure.  One good deed deserves another", I said without hesitating.

About eight months ago and at my neighbor's persistence, our Mayor looked into the matter of taxes we had overpaid to the city.  It had something to do with some re-zoning issues. 

When my neighbor and I bought our property six years ago, we were paying our municipal assessments based on an old zoning regulation.  Those regulations were modified resulting in lower service taxes, so we knew we were entitled to a refund.  These things take a long time because our Borough is governed by the City of Montreal. We waited for our refunds over the last  five years and the Mayor committed that he would look into it and see what he could do.

Last week, my neighbor and I got checks in the mail.  We were ecstatic.  She phoned the Mayor to thank him.  That's when he suggested that maybe we could help out with phone work.  It's election time, you see.

I was more than willing to help.  In fact, I was delighted.  I remember the years I used to be a political volunteer. I did it to force myself to meet more Francophones and to improve my French.  Back then, I was still struggling with my French (I still do).  I also did it because I was a great fan of the late Robert Bourassa, who chose my city as his official riding. 

Well, I know we had an election recently but it seems another municipal election in the island of Montreal is going to be held on November 1.

Critics often say that we live in a province that probably has the highest rate of voter burn out.  Blame that on the referendums we've had over the years and on the partial and full elections.  Difficult to keep track now.

Voter burn out or not, we do have to vote, even if it means braving the cold to cast our ballot.  The cold is no excuse, nor is lack of transportation.  Political candidates will arrange to pick you up if you don't have a car or if you have limited mobility.  All you need to do is request it.

Montrealers will be voting for a Montreal City Mayor and a Borough Mayor in many municipalities. The incumbent, Gérald Tremblay is seeking a third term.  His opponents include:  Louise Harel of the Vision Party, Louise O'Sullivan of the Montreal Villa-Marie Party, Richard Bergeron of Project Montreal and Michel Bédard of Pride Montreal.

Aside from Quebec, these provinces held or will be holding municipal elections this year:

• Newfoundland and Labrador - September 2009
• Saskatchewan - October 2009 (urban municipalities only)
• Yukon - October 2009

Volunteers have a lot of fun during the electoral campaign.  You work the phones, hone your persuasion skills, and "meet" all nationalities.  The idea of switching from French to English when talking on the phone is a challenge to the brain, but it's the most effective way to perfect your bilingual skills.  And the desire to be multilingual runs strong because Montreal has large communities of Greeks, Lebanese, Armenians, Italians, Arabs and Europeans.

Of course, the most endearing thing is to hear people say, "oh yes, I'll vote for him.  He's done a lot of good for our community."  That's when you realize that people are not indifferent and that they do care about how their officials do their job. 

Here are a dozen election terms for your French to English lexicon:

FRENCH	ENGLISH
acte de candidature	nomination papers
boîte de scrutin	ballot box
candidat à l'investiture	designated (or nominated) candidate
centre de scrutin	central polling station
circonscription	constituency (riding)
droit de vote	right to vote
gabarit de vote	voting template
isoloir	polling booth
liste électorale	voters list
loi référendaire	Referendum Act
plafond des dépenses électorales	expense ceiling
redécoupage	redistribution

French to English: Bonsai, Part 3

 

A Bonsai tree is a WIP (work-in-progress).  Your Bonsai hobby starts somewhere but it never ends.  You start with a seedling or with a small tree.  From there, your personal journey begins.

One important aspect of Bonsai is to convert it from an ordinary looking shrub to one that has character so that it earns the admiration of fellow hobbyists - a work of art deserving praise.

To make that transition, Bonsai disciples believe that an essential accessory is wire.  Yes, wire!

Wire gives your Bonsai tree its shape, scope and direction.  This is why after you've mastered the basics of caring for your Bonsai tree, the next step is to learn good wiring techniques.

In Japan, Bonsai students devote two years to refine their wiring skills.  In the good old days, (circa 60s and 70s), there was no specialized wiring for Bonsai; hobbyists had to content themselves with whatever household wire they could get their hands on (like a clothes hanger).

Today's Bonsai hobbyists can now choose from a few specialized Bonsai wires.  We know of at least three types:

1. Iron - iron wire is inexpensive, but it is also difficult to manipulate.  It rusts with time, so it's not the kind of wire you'd like to leave on your tree for a long time.
2. Copper - this type of wire is used by hobbyists who want to leave it on the tree for several years.  Copper wire is used mostly for coniferous trees but cannot be used on deciduous species because it can scar their bark.
3. Aluminum - this is the softest (and most flexible) wire for Bonsai trees.  Some people have the wire anodized to match the color of the trunk, but many use the clear wire as well.  Aluminum wire is used for deciduous trees - and on younger branches.

Wire can be used  on branches and on the trunk.  Fall and winter time are the best times to wire a tree.  When it's time to remove the wires, use wire cutters so you don't harm the bark when they get stuck.  If you're going to wire the trunk and the branch, wire the trunk first and then the branches.  Observe equal spacing and make sure you use the right thickness of wire.  If the coils are too close or too far apart, wiring won't do the work it's supposed to do.

Time for our French to English Bonsai terms:

FRENCH	ENGLISH
substrat	substrate
mousse de sphaigne	moss (peat moss)
gravillion de granit	granite gravel
terre végétale	topsoil
empotage	potting
rempotage	re-potting
engrais	fertilizer
motte	root ball
semis	seedlings
bouturage	cuttings
arbres caducs	deciduous trees
insecticides et fongicides	insecticides and fungicides
ligaturage	wiring
flétrissement de feuillage	wilting of foliage
pincement	pinching

French to English: Bonsai, Part 2

Thinking of adopting a Bonsai tree and caring for it?  A Bonsai tree hobby is one of the most rewarding experiences; the emotional satisfaction is immeasurable.  It's like owning a dog.  You buy a pup, nurture it, watch it grow to a healthy living thing.  You spend years with your dog, a special bond is formed and the two of you become inseparable.

Owning and caring for a Bonsai tree is the same.  You have this miniature tree - a replica of a much bigger tree - and it's growing and branching out, showing off a rich foliage right under your eyes.  We're not waxing sentimental, but some Bonsai writers have written pages and pages on the link between a Bonsai tree and spirituality.  Even if you're a self-declared atheist, when a Bonsai tree evokes certain sentiments in you, then in a way you have turned into a spiritual being.  If a Bonsai tree gives you moments of joy and a special sense of accomplishment, then yes, there's definitely something spiritual about a Bonsai tree.  I won't get carried away with this idea, so let's leave it at that.

But if you are keen in starting a Bonsai tree hobby, you'll need tools.  Some hobbyists tend to go overboard when they start a hobby and spend needlessly.  For Bonsai tools, you'll need to separate the "must-have" from the "nice to have."   As a beginner, focus on the must-have tools; then when you're firmly entrenched and raring to learn more and develop new techniques, go ahead and make that investment enthusiastically!

Basic Bonsai tools -

FRENCH	ENGLISH
gros ciseaux	large scissors
ciseaux à feuilles	leaf scissors (leaf trimmers)
ciseaux à brindilles	twig scissors
ciseaux à racines	root scissors
pince coupant	pliers for cutting
pince de force	clamps
pince à bec	flat nose pliers
plateau tournant	lazy susan
crochet à racine	root hook
truelle	trowel
balai	brush (small broom)
sécateur	pruning shears
gouge	gouge
pelle	shovel (scoop)

Standard advice from Bonsai experts:  clean your tools after each use and keep them in a bag or box exclusively for your Bonsai activities.  Don't let humidity get to them.

For beginners, I'm happy to share some Web resources that will further your Bonsai education.  Visit your city library as well; they'll have an armful of good books that you can pore over!

Here are those web sites of interest:

http://www.bonsai-nbf.org/site/mission_nbf.html (this is the National Bonsai Foundation)

http://www.absbonsai.org/ (this is the American Bonsai Society)

http://www.bcbonsaisociety.org/ (this is the BC Bonsai Society in British Columbia)

http://www.bonsai.asn.au/ (this is the Australian Bonsai Society).

PS:  Before you buy a Bonsai tree, find out if it's an indoor or outdoor species, and ask the nursery if it will survive inside your home.  You'll need to get as much information as to the kinds of living conditions your particular tree will thrive in.

French to English: Bonsai, Part 1

 

 

I couldn't decide what my next theme would be and took an extra day to think about it.  Then it hit me.  I had just finished a report and three articles on Bonsai trees for a client and my research yielded plenty of information so I thought, why take up unnecessary brain energy when the answer's right there? 

I cannot and will not reproduce any of what I wrote for my client for ethical and copyright reasons, but given the amount of Bonsai education I acquired - not to speak of the enlightenment - I could blog about those things that were not covered in my client's articles and report. 

If you read books and online articles on Bonsai, one of the first things you'll learn is how the name "Bonsai" came about. This beautiful art form originated in China; the Chinese called it "pen-jing."  Soon afterwards, this practice reached Japan and "pen-jing" gave way to "Bonsai."

If you view the slide above, you only see one object - a tree - and it's sitting on a pot.  Whatever tree you see is the miniature version of the actual tree; meaning, the tree that's on your street or in the park or in the mountains with the huge trunk and the rich foliage.  Bonsai then means a miniature tree ("sai") that grows in a pot or container ("bon"). 

Bonsai tree hobbyists number in the millions.  It has become so popular since it was introduced in the West right after the second World War that numerous societies and federations dedicated to promoting this art have proliferated.  Anyone who wants to start a Bonsai hobby will have access to resources - the Internet, local libraries and staff in botanical gardens.  Even your local nursery and garden center will be able to tell you about how to get started.

For part 1 of this lexicon, I will focus on the different shapes (some Bonsai writers call them styles) of Bonsai trees.  But before I give you the French and English words, some things to mull over:

• Your Bonsai tree must be a replica of the same tree growing outside;
• Bonsai trees are generally of two types:  indoor and outdoor;
• In terms of care and maintenance, outdoor Bonsai trees are easier than indoor trees.  This is because indoor Bonsai trees have to grow in an environment that is identical to the natural environment of the tree.  If there is a lack of light and humidity levels are slightly off in your home, there's a strong chance that your Bonsai tree will struggle.  And as some experts say, a  Bonsai tree that struggles to survive is likely to die;
• Bonsai trees can be grown from any tree, shrub or houseplant.  They are not genetically modified;
• Not all plants or trees growing in a container can be called Bonsai.  For a tree to qualify as a Bonsai tree, it must be a miniature size and must grow in a container.
• And this one is from Peter Chan, well-known Bonsai expert who owns a Bonsai shop in London:  "A Bonsai must be a work of art.  If it has no artistic merit, it is just an ordinary plant in a pot.  The beauty of Bonsai is that, unlike a painting or sculpture, it lives, breathes, grows and changes - it is always a 'work in progress.'" (Peter Chan, Bonsai Secrets, 2006).

FRENCH	ENGLISH
rigoureusement vertical	formal upright
souplement vertical	informal upright
penché	slanting
cascade; demi cascade	cascade; semi cascade
troncs doubles et multiples	double and multiple trunks
groupes et paysages	group or landscape
battu par les vents	windswept
balai	broom
lettré	literati
le style aux racines apparentes	exposed roots
le style racines sur la roche	root over rock
sur rocher	planted on rock
tronc enroulé	coiled
tronc écorcé	driftwood

According to Peter Chan, no shape or style is superior than the other.  The Literati and driftwood styles, however, appear to be favorites.  The root-over-rock and cascade styles are difficult to create so they fetch a steeper price.

For part 2, we'll look at some of the tools that are used by Bonsai tree growers.