Stopetdeseti rojstni dan tabele, ki krasi kemijske učilnice

The 150^th birthday of table that decorates chemistry classrooms

Written by Katja Žerjavič, translated by JL Flanner

Vse v našem vesolju je zgrajeno iz atomov.

Everything in our universe is built from atoms.

Znanstveniki so izračunali, da je vseh atomov v vesolju približno 10⁸⁰. To je velika številka, saj enici sledi kar 80 ničel.

Scientists have calculated that there are about 10⁸⁰ atoms in the universe This is a large number, with 80 zeros.

Tudi v tvojem telesu je ogromno teh majcenih delcev: okrog 10²⁷.

There are also a lot of these tiny particles in your body: around 10²⁷.

Vendar telo sestavlja le 40 različnih vrst atomov. Te imenujemo kemijski elementi. Med njimi je največ kisika, ogljika, vodika, dušika in kalcija.

However, the body is made up of only 40 different types of atoms. We call these chemical elements. Among them, the most common are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and calcium.

Skupno poznamo 118 elementov. Osemindevetdeset jih najdemo v naravi, druge pa smo izdelali v laboratorijih ali jedrskih reaktorjih.

All together know 118 elements. Eighty-eight are found in nature, while others are produced in laboratories or nuclear reactors

Elementi so razporejeni v periodni sistem, ki ga je pred 150 leti zasnoval ruski kemik Dimitrij Ivanovič Mendelejev. Letos zato praznujemo mednarodno leto periodnega sistema. Po svetu se vrstijo dogodki, s katerimi želijo otroci in odrasli počastiti spomin na to odkritje. Do 1. marca imaš še čas, da denimo sodeluješ pri pripravi Mendelejevega mozaika.

The elements are arranged in a periodic system, which was developed by the Russian chemist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev 150 years ago. This is why we’re celebrating the International Year of the Periodic Table. There are events around the world that children and adults will take part in to mark this discovery. On March 1st you can, for example, take part in the preparation of the Mendeleev mosaic.

Dmitri Mendeleev. Source: Wikipedia, public domain

Mendelejev je triinšestdeset takrat znanih elementov je v tabelo razvrstil tako, da je tiste s podobnimi lastnostmi postavil skupaj: na eno stran kovine, na drugo pline.

Mendeleev classified thirty-six of the known elements in the table in such a way that he put together those with similar properties: one side for metals, the other for gases.

Šele 30 let kasneje so znanstveniki ugotovili zgradbo atoma in da prav ta določa lastnosti elementov. Tisti, ki jih sestavljajo atomi s podobnim številom protonov, imajo podobne kemične lastnosti.

Only 30 years later scientists discovered the structure of the atom, and that this determines the properties of the elements. Those that are made up of atoms with a similar number of protons have similar chemical properties.

Mendelejev je podrobno opisal tudi elemente, ki jih še niso odkrili. Še ko je živel, so z novoodkritimi zapolnili tri prazne prostore. Zadnjega pa smo umetno pridobili pred komaj štirimi leti. V prihodnosti bomo morda odkrili ali izdelali še kakšnega.

Mendeleev also described in detail elements that had not yet been discovered. During his life, three of the empty spaces were filled with new ones. The most recent element was made artificially just four years ago. In the future we may discover or produce something else.

Simboli elementov so enaki po vsem svetu. Uporabljamo lahko le začetnico (npr. O za kisik) ali začetnico in drugo črko (npr. He za helij) imena. Ta izhajajo iz mnogih jezikov, večinoma pa iz latinščine in grščine.

The symbols of the elements are the same throughout the world. We can also use only the initials (e.g. O for oxygen) or the initials and the second letter (e.g. He for helium). They come from many languages, but mostly from Latin and Greek.

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Kreator za Princeske

Creator for Princesses

Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner

Sam je nosil oblačila črne in bele barve.

He wore black and white clothes himself.

Toda oblačila, ki jih je ustvarjal, so bila lahko zelo barvita. Manekenke so se po modni brvi sprehajale v čudovitih kreacijah. Te so bile enkrat živo rdeče, drugič v barvi fuksije, tretjič bledo rožnate, četrtič sinjemodre.

But the clothes that he created could be very colourful. Models walked in beautiful creations along the catwalk. One time these were vividly red, another time fuchsia, a third time pale pink, the fourth blue.

Karl Lagerfeld je bil eden najbolj znanih modnih oblikovalcev minulega stoletja.

Karl Lagerfeld was one of the most famous fashion designers of the past century.

Umrl je v Parizu, star 85 let.

He died in Paris, 85 years old.

Številni modni poznavalci so se od njega poslovili z zapisi na družbenih omrežjih.

Many fashion insiders said farewell to him with posts on social networks.

Pevka Lily Allen je na Instagramu zapisala: »Zaradi tebe sem se počutila kot princeska.«

The singer Lily Allen wrote on Instagram: "Because of you I felt like a princess."

Najbrž ni bila edina.

She was probably not the only one.

Lagerfeld ni oblikoval le oblačil za ženske, ki lahko zanje porabijo veliko denarja.

Lagerfeld did not only design clothes for women who can spend a lot of money on them.

Bil je namreč prvi od številnih znanih modnih oblikovalcev, ki so oblikovali kolekcijo oblačil za H&M.

He was the first of many famous fashion designers to design a clothing collection for H&M.

Od leta 1983 je bil tudi kreativni direktor luksuzne modne hiše Chanel.

Since 1983 he was also the creative director of the luxury fashion house Chanel.

Ves ta čas je ustvarjal tudi oblačila pod svojo blagovno znamko: obleke, majice, hlače in celo bodije za dojenčke, otroke in mlade.

All this time he also created clothing under his own brand: clothes, t-shirts, trousers and even onesies for babies, children and youngsters.

Mladostna, a še vedno šik, brezčasna, a vendar moderna, so jih predstavili na spletni strani Karl.com.

Young, but still chic, timeless, but modern, there are presented on the website Karl.com.

Ta oblačila so seveda dražja od tistih, ki so bila na voljo leta 2004 v trgovinah H&M.

Of course, these clothes are more expensive than those that were available in 2004 in H&M stores.

Kdo ve, morda se tudi zaradi njih kakšno dekle počuti kot princeska.

Who knows, maybe some girls feel like a princess because of them.

Slovarček

Glossary

Modni kreator je oseba, ki uresničuje svoje izvirne zamisli na področju mode.

A fashion designer is a person who realises their original ideas in fashion.

Šik pomeni čeden, urejen, eleganten.

Chic means good-looking, smart, elegant.

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

STA, 24 February 2019 - Slovenia has a great variety of dialects and accents, and these have made their way into the social media through creation of profiles popularising local vernaculars. One of the most popular is Štajerski Argo (Štajerska Argot), a profile documenting the quirky language of Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city.

Štajerska Argot's Facebook profile (see here) has 12,500 followers and its Instagram account as many as 17,000. "Within a few months since inception Argot has attracted quite a few people from Štajerska and elsewhere who enjoy their daily dose of dialect," the contributor told the STA on condition of anonymity.

She came up with the idea for such a portal "just for a laugh". "A Maribor girl, born and bred, I obviously talk in a strong Štajeska accent at home. Talking with my sister we always have lots of fun. This is why once, out of sheer boredom, I started writing down words and phrases the way we speak them."

In July last year she started an Instagram profile called Štajerski Argo, following it up with a Facebook profile a few months later. Every day she posts a new word or a phrase, always using the same graphic images.

"I was absolutely amazed by the response. I still am, every day. Ever since the beginning our argot family has been growing fast and keeps growing ... I believe I've succeeded in bringing the Štajerska dialect closer to non-Štajersko people as well, help them understand, it but the main purpose of the site is to make Slovenians at home and abroad laugh."

She also wants her posts to evaluate the Štajerska dialect. "Broaden the horizons, spicing something as obvious and everyday with some fun, and, most of all, tell people that we can be proud of our super funny dialect, that we can say 'zdravo' wherever we come."

Impressed with the idea, the Maribor Library has put on a show dedicated to the Štajerska Argot profile, to celebrate International Year of Indigenous Languages. Some of the phrases have been printed on bookmarks, which are very popular among the library's visitors.

All our stories on the Slovene language can be found here

STA, 21 February 2019 - Proud of their language, Slovenians will observe International Mother Language Day with several events on Thursday, including one featuring artists from Prekmurje, a region where arguably one of the most particular Slovenian dialects is spoken.

International Mother Language Day is this year observed for the 20th year in a row, promoting awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, and multilingualism.

In her message, UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay says "every mother tongue deserves to be known, recognised and given greater prominence in all spheres of public life".

Mother tongues do not necessarily enjoy national-language status, official-language status or the status of a language of instruction, which can lead to the devaluation of a mother tongue and its disappearance.

She adds that "all mother tongues count and are essential to building peace and supporting sustainable development", noting languages of indigenous peoples should be paid a special attention.

The Slovenian language is spoken by roughly two million people in Slovenia, by members of the Slovenian minority in neighbouring countries and among the diaspora.

It has a status of an official language not only in Slovenia but also in the EU, so by global standards it is quite well protected and not at all at risk.

Slovenian language teacher, poet, and folk song singer Bogdana Herman says that just like all other languages, Slovenian must be open and change with new generations.

However, not all changes are good. "Some can be harmful, especially those which are not based on the historical development of language but result from sheer laziness, indolence or a rather poor attitude towards the mother tongue," she has told the STA on the occasion.

Asked whether too many English worlds are being "imported" in Slovenian, Herman says some caution is needed since "too few people speak and write in Slovenian to withstand the pressure of English".

"Not many know that English is composed of several languages which it drew from and developed over time. I wouldn't want Slovenian to undergo such development, it would die out too soon."

Tonight, the arts centre Cankarjev Dom will host an event featuring writers and musicians from Prekmurje to mark International Mother Language Day and the 100th anniversary of Prekmurje's reunification with Slovenia.

"Tell Me Something Nice" will be hosted by the Slovenian Writers' Association and the Dr Šiftar Foundation from Prekmurje.

All our posts on the Slovenian language, including many dual texts, can be found here

Opravičilo Predsednika Evropskega Parlamenta

Apology from the President of the European Parliament

Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner

Včasih se je treba spominjati tudi stvari, ki niso lepe. V Evropi se pogosto spominjamo tragičnih dogodkov iz prve in druge svetovne vojne, ki se ne smejo ponoviti.

Sometimes you should also remember things that are not beautiful. In Europe, we often remember the tragic events of the First and Second World Wars that must not be repeated.

Tudi Evropska unija se je porodila iz želje po miru.

The European Union also emerged from a desire for peace.

Prav zato so mnoge Slovence in Hrvate, celo Italijane, močno vznemirile besede predsednika evropskega parlamenta, Italijana Antonia Tajanija.

That is why many Slovenes and Croats, even Italians, were very upset by the words of the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani.

Na slovesnosti ob dnevu spomina na žrtve fojb v Bazovici, kjer se Italijani spominjajo umrlih med drugo svetovno vojno in po njej, je namreč izrekel besede: »Naj živi Trst, naj živi italijanska Istra, naj živi italijanska Dalmacija, naj živijo italijanski izgnanci.«

At a ceremony marking the day of remembrance for the victims of the foib in Bazovica, where the Italians remember the dead during and after the Second World War, he said: "Long live Trieste, long live Italian Istria, long live Italian Dalmatia, long live Italian’s who were expelled."

Tajani sicer ni bil edini italijanski politik, ki je ob tem dnevu spomina pozabil omeniti fašizem, zaradi katerega so trpeli in umrli številni Slovenci. A kot predsednik evropske ustanove ne bi smel dajati izjav, ki vodijo h krhanju odnosov med državami članicami.

Tajani was not the only Italian politician who, on this day of remembering, forgot to mention Fascism under which many Slovenes suffered and died. And as President of a European institution, he should not have made statements that could break the relations between member states.

Tajani se je sprva poskušal izmotati, da so ga narobe razumeli. Mnogi so mu na družabnih omrežjih sporočili, da ga niso.

Tajani initially tried to dismiss the issue by saying he was misunderstood. Many people told him on social networks that he was not.

Predsednik Borut Pahor je še na dogodku ob razpisu volitev poslancev v evropski parlament med drugim dejal: »Pričakujem, da se bo Tajani v celoti ogradil od svojih besed.«

President Borut Pahor, when speaking about the [upcoming] election of MEPs to the European Parliament, said, among other things: "I expect Tajani to completely reject his words."

Popoldne se je Tajani sestal s poslanci iz Slovenije in Hrvaške. Po sestanku je sporočil: »Iskreno obžalujem in se opravičujem, da sem uporabil besede, ki so morda užalile vaše državljane.«

In the afternoon, Tajani met with members from Slovenia and Croatia. After the meeting, he said: "I sincerely regret and apologise for using the words that may have offended your citizens."

Na koncu je še dodal: »Vse oblike totalitarizmov si zaslužijo odločno obsodbo, žrtve fašizma, nacizma in komunizma pa je treba obravnavati z enakim spoštovanjem.«

Finally, he added: "All forms of totalitarianism merit clear condemnation; victims of Fascism, Nazism and Communism must be treated with the same respect."

  Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Prešernove nagrade za največje umetnike

Prešeren awards for the greatest artists

Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner

O kulturi se zadnje čase veliko govori.

There has been a lot of talk about culture recently.

Ne zato, ker bi nenadoma vsi postali bolj kulturni. Niti ne zato, ker bi množično začeli obiskovati galerije, muzeje ali gledališke predstave ali ker bi nenadoma vzljubili umetnost.

Not because everyone suddenly would become more cultured. Nor because a lot of people have been visiting galleries, museums or theatre performances, or because they suddenly love art.

O kulturi se veliko govori, ker sta se v začetku letošnjega leta pripetila dva precej neljuba dogodka.

There is much talk about culture, because at the beginning of this year, there were two rather unfortunate events.

Prvi je povezan s krajo. Drugi pa z nasiljem.

The first is related to stealing. The other to violence.

Boris Kobal, gledališki režiser in dramatik, je namreč prevedel delo italijanskega dramatika Alda Nicolaja. Toda potem ni rekel, da ga je prevedel, ampak, da ga je sam napisal. Takšnemu ukradenemu delu se reče plagiat. In plagiati so kaznivi.

Boris Kobal, a theatre director and playwright, translated the work of the Italian playwright Aldo Nicolaj. But then he did not say that he had translated it, but that he had written it himself. This kind of theft is called plagiarism. And plagiarism is punishable.

Dejan Prešiček, minister za kulturo, pa je nedavno odstopil, ker so mu očitali, da kriči na svoje podrejene in jih trpinči. Takšnemu ravnanju se reče mobing. Poleg tega naj bi kršil tudi zakon, ker je z vozilom ministrstva prevažal inštrumente. To pa se ne sme.

Dejan Prešiček, Minister of Culture, recently resigned because he was accused of screaming at his subordinates and bullying them. Such behaviour us called mobbing. In addition, he allegedly broke the law because he transported some musical instruments using a Ministry vehicle. This is not allowed.

Mnogi ljubitelji kulture in umetnosti so v teh dneh opozarjali, da bi bilo lepo, če bi toliko besed kulturi namenili tudi druge dni v letu.

Many lovers of culture and art felt at this time that it would be nice if as many words were devoted to the word culture on other days of the year.

Kajti na področju kulture se dogaja tudi veliko lepega in dobrega.

Because in the field of culture, there is also a lot of that is beautiful and good.

Na predvečer kulturnega praznika bodo mnogo tega tudi posebej nagradili.

On the eve of a cultural holiday [Prešeren Day, 8 February], many will also be rewarded.

Podelili bodo namreč Prešernove nagrade in nagrade Prešernovega sklada. To so  najvišja priznanja na področju umetnosti.

They will be given the Prešeren Prizes and Prešeren Fund awards. These are the highest awards in the field of art.

Prešernovo nagrado za življenjsko delo prejmeta kostumografka in scenografka Bjanka Adžić Ursulov in režiser Filip Robar Dorin.

The Prešeren Prize for Lifetime Achievement is costume designer and stage designer Bjanka Adžić Ursulov and director Filip Robar Dorin.

Za svoje ustvarjanje v zadnjih treh letih pa priznanja prejmejo pesnik Jure Jakob, dirigentka Martina Batič, skladatelj Tomaž Svete, igralka Maruša Majer, animator Dušan Kastelic ter arhitekta Aljoša Dekleva in Tina Gregorič Dekleva.

Jure Jakob, conductor Martina Batič, composer Tomaž Svete, actress Maruša Majer, animator Dušan Kastelic and architect Aljoš Dekleva and Tina Gregorič Dekleva receive awards for their creation in the last three years.

 Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Osebni podatki so dragoceni, zato jih moramo varovati

Personal data is valuable, so we need to protect it

Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner

Osebni podatki so dragoceni, zato jih moramo varovati

Personal data is valuable, so we need to protect it

Ali veš, kaj vse so osebni podatki?

Do you know what personal information is?

Seveda, to je vendar preprosto: ime in priimek, telefonska številka, starost, naslov in še kaj.

Of course, this is simple: the first and last name, phone number, age, address and more.

Related: Learning Slovene as a foreigner - an interview with two Slovenian teachers

Jih razkriješ, če te kdo prosi zanje? Itak da ne, najbrž odločno odkimavaš.

Will you reveal these if anyone asks you for them? Of course not, you're probably shaking your head.

Kaj pa, če bi ti kdo naročil, da mu razkrij številko ali naslov, zato da začneš igrati spletno igrico?

What if someone asks you to reveal a telephone number or address to start playing an online game?

Hm, tu bi se morda že malo zapletlo.

Um, there might be a little complication here.

»Bi neznancu na cesti povedal, kako ti je ime, kje živiš in kam hodiš po pouku? Najbrž ne, kajne? S tem, ko deliš svoje podatke na spletu, narediš točno to: ljudem poveš vse o sebi. Tistim, ki jih poznaš, in tistim, ki jih ne,« v razmislek svetuje učiteljica Nina Jelen.

"Would you tell a stranger in the street what your name is, where you live and where you are going after school? Probably not, right? By sharing your data online you do exactly that: tell people about yourself. To those you know, and those you do not," advises teacher Nina Jelen.

In dodaja:

And she adds:

Kadar te v igricah prosijo za ime in priimek, si raje izmisli vzdevek.

When they ask you for a first and last name in a game, it’s better to invent a nickname.

Svojih podatkov ne deli po spletu. Še posebej, če nisi prepričan, kdo je na drugi strani.

Do not share your data online. Especially if you are not sure who is on the other side.

Kadarkoli te prime, da bi objavil nekaj o sebi, si predstavljaj, da sredi tvojega mesta stoji pano s tvojimi podatki. Vsi ga lahko vidijo, vsi lahko te podatke hranijo in jih pošiljajo naprej.

Whenever you’re asked to reveal something about yourself, imagine that there is a billboard with your data in the middle of your city. Everyone can see it, everyone can keep this information and send it on.

Seven years married / two months. See more Slovenian memes here

Tudi odrasli še ne vedo dobro, kako varovati svoje osebne podatke. Pol leta po sprejetju uredbe o varstvu podatkov (GDPR) informacijska pooblaščenka Mojca Prelesnik pravi: »Glavni izzivi so povezani s hitrim tehnološkim razvojem.«

Adults do not even know how to protect their personal information. Half a year after the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Information Commissioner Mojca Prelesnik says: "The main challenges are related to rapid technological development."

Nadzor je po njenih besedah lahko učinkovit zgolj v prepletu s preventivo. Zato pripravljajo smernice in gradiva, denimo v obliki infografik in vprašalnikov, je dejala ob evropskem dnevu varstva osebnih podatkov na okrogli mizi v Hiši EU.

According to her, such controls can only be effective when used together with prevention. Therefore, guidelines and materials have been prepared, such as in the form of infographics and questionnaires, she said during the European Day for the Protection of Personal Data at a round-table in the House of the EU [in Ljubljana].

 Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

If you live in Slovenia and don’t speak the language then at various times you’re going to need the services of a translator, and no matter what your abilities you’ll occasionally need a certified translation of an official document. On the other side of things, as a non-Slovene a common form of employment here, self or otherwise, will draw on your abilities with your mother tongue.

In short, translations, translators and translation agencies are an unavoidable part of life for individuals and firms operating in and out the country, and a subject of professional curiosity for many non-Slovene residents.

It was thus with great interest that I met with Dejan Šušnik, one of the founders of Amidas, the first private translation agency in the country, established just after Slovenia declared independence. Curious as to how the industry had changed over the last three decades, and the shape it’s in now, I sat down with Mr Šušnik for the following interview. 

How did you get started in translating?

My father worked for Yugotours, a well-known Yugoslav tourist agency first founded in London, Oxford street and then later in New York. Because of my father’s work in London and later New York I grew up bilingual. In fact my brother and I spoke to each other in English for some while after we came back to Slovenia. That’s how I started translating, although just Slovene into English at the time.

How did Amidas start?

The idea for the company was mine. At the time I worked as a librarian at the Jožef Stefan Institute,  finally as chief librarian. During this time I started getting work as a translator, the translation work started piling  and I had to make a decision, either to translate or to stop working at the Institute. Since I preferred to be my own boss, I quit my job at IJS.

Just before the war [in 1991] I was, among other things, asked to organise the news service for the Slovenian government, so I set up a team translating the news from Slovene to English. I was the person translating the news when the war began, which I announced to the media. Then with Slovenia’s independence it became possible to open a private business, and that’s how we became the first translation company to open in the country.

I should note though that I didn’t start Amidas myself, but with two friends. One took care of the organisation, I did the marketing and translating, and then we got an Englishman for the language editing and the image – Roger Metcalfe, who was actually involved with translating some of the Slovenian constitution.

What’s changed since the early days?

The technology, most of all. At first, in the 80s, I was using a typewriter and sending documents by courier. Then in the early 90s we started to get a bit of email, but we still had to use paper dictionaries and there were no translation tools. But then those started coming onto the Slovenian market, a few years after some other countries, and of course they’ve only improved, along with the number of computers we use. This has made both translating and organising translating much easier.

Another change is that I thought there’d be more translation into English than Slovene, and that was true at the beginning, but then we started to get more and more foreign companies who needed things translated into Slovene. We started working with for Nokia, for example, who also gave us some new translation tools to work with. And then around 2000 there was Microsoft and Windows XP. That was a huge volume of work, you have no idea how many words are in a programme, some two million. If you can imagine it, we translated all the interfaces, system messages, error messages and so on, for that version of Windows, some of which are probably still in there.

Some of the team at Amidas

Is your work mainly with large clients?

Yes, we still have some large clients, like Fraport, Telekom Slovenije, Pošta Slovenije, Postojnska jama and so on, and the work is quite varied. For example, for the Bank of Slovenia we translate their reports into English, while we translate from English into Slovene for the European Central Bank, and we do quite a lot of work for the EU.

That said, we also work on smaller projects, even with individuals, so certified translations for marriages, passports, that kind of thing.

I noticed that you’re very well organised in terms of project management. How important is that for the business?

Project management is key, especially when the business starts growing. The managers know, based on the subject matter, where to send each text. So if it’s nuclear physics or art history it’ll go to the right person. This kind of organisation might be quite common outside of Slovenia, but it’s still rare here, and those companies that do try and do it better tend to follow what we do, rather than something different.

But if I had to say why we’re so well organised, other than our experience, then I think it might be because we’re members of some professional organisations, such as European Language Industry Association (ELIA), Gala and Eulogia. We were actually one of the founding members of ELIA, and it started because the other translation organisations just didn’t seem good enough. We wanted to start something based on real know-how and knowledge, so that people could learn more about the business. It holds events  twice a year now, mainly to make contacts and organise some business-to-business work. But there are also sessions on, let’s say, project management, machine translation, sales, and so on.

So you’re quite well-integrated within the wider industry?

Yes, and that means we’re part of a transnational team that has access to almost all the languages. So, for example, if you need something from Slovene to Swedish we have a reliable partner we know is good at this, and who can meet your deadline.

Is outsourcing important?

Yes. It would be very difficult to find a good translator for, let’s say, English to Japanese or Japanese to English in Slovenia, so for jobs like that we go to our partners in the UK or Japan. What this means in practice is that whatever language pair people come here with we can probably help them, and not just with someone who knows a little Finnish, for example, but an expert. And we can deal with the whole project without the client having to worry about finding someone in Helsinki.

I saw that you also offer desktop publishing, editing and copywriting, are these other services a large part of the business?

Well, editing is always part of translating, and copywriting we don’t do so much of, to be honest. That’s more like localisation and making sure that your message is expressed in a way that’s culturally, and not just linguistically, appropriate.

Desktop publishing is another case, and that’s a growing part of our work. With this the customer just sends us the Adobe inDesign files for, say, a brochure or manual, and we’ll not only translate it but also handle the layout and design, so that the translated version looks as much like the original as possible, sending a file back to that’s ready for publishing

And what’s the future for Amidas?

One thing is we’re looking to expand to other countries, ex-Yugoslavia first. But my involvement is winding down now, and my daughter, Nina, who’s been working here for 20 years, she’s taking over, so you’ll have to come back in two decades and ask her what happened.

If you’re interested in working with Amidas, which is based in Ljubljana but works internationally, you can learn more about the company on its website.

Sovražnost postaja politično orodje

Hatred is becoming a political tool

Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner

Žalostnih ali grozljivih stvari, ki so se nam zgodile, se ne spominjamo radi.

We do not like to remember the sad or horrible things that happened to us.

A spomine je treba ohraniti, da ne pozabimo. Ljubljene osebe, ki je ni več. Ali tragičnih dogodkov, ki se ne smejo ponoviti.

But memories should be kept in mind so that we do not forget. A beloved person who is gone. Or tragic events that cannot be repeated.

Žalostne in grozljive stvari se namreč ne dogajajo samo enemu človeku, ampak tudi velikim skupinam ljudi.

Sad and horrible things do not only happen to one person, but also to large groups of people.

Med takimi je holokavst.

Among these is the Holocaust.

Z besedo holokavst označujemo množični poboj Judov in pripadnikov nekaterih drugih narodov, ras ali etničnih skupin med drugo svetovno vojno.

The word Holocaust denotes the mass murder of Jews and members of some other nations, races or ethnic groups during World War II.

Mnoge med njimi so ubili v koncentracijskem taborišču Auschwitz. Preživeli so tisti, ki so dočakali 27. januar 1945. Takrat so ruski vojaki vkorakali v taborišče in jih osvobodili.

Many of them were killed in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Those who survived until January 27, 1945 lived. At that time, Russian soldiers marched into the camp and freed them.

Prav zaradi grozot, ki so se zgodile med drugo svetovno vojno, so po njej sestavili Splošno deklaracijo o človekovih pravicah. V tej piše, da se vsi rodijo svobodni in imajo enake pravice.

It was precisely because of the horrors that took place during the Second World War that the General Declaration on Human Rights was drawn up. It says that all are born free and have the same rights.

Vsako leto 27. januarja po svetu pripravijo številne dogodke v spomin in opomin.

Every year, on 27 January around the world, numerous events are prepared to remember and mark the events.

V Evropski komisiji so pred tem dnem objavili rezultate raziskave o mnenju Evropejcev glede antisemitizma. Ta je pokazala na velik razkorak v doživljanju antisemitizma. 89 odstotkov Judov pravi, da se je antisemitizem v zadnjih petih letih močno povečal. Enako meni 36 odstotkov splošne javnosti.

Before this day, the European Commission published the results of a survey on the opinions of Europeans on anti-Semitism. This has shown a huge gap in the experience of anti-Semitism. Eighty-nine percent of Jews say that anti-Semitism has increased sharply over the past five years. At the same time, only 36% of the general public think this way.

Povprečno le štirje od desetih Evropejcev menijo, da je holokavstu v šolah namenjene dovolj pozornosti, 34 odstotkov vprašanih pa jih ne ve, da je zanikanje holokavsta kaznivo dejanje.

On average, only four out of ten Europeans believe that the Holocaust is given enough attention in schools, and 34% of respondents do not know that Holocaust denial is a crime.

Po besedah prvega podpredsednika Komisije Fransa Timmermansa sovražnost spet postaja politično orodje, judovske skupnosti pa prepogosto živijo v strahu pred diskriminacijo, zlorabo in celo nasiljem.

According to the First Vice-President of the Commission, Frans Timmermans, hostility is again becoming a political tool, and the Jewish communities are too often living in fear of discrimination, abuse and even violence.

 Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Britanski poslanci so zavrnili sporazum o brexitu

British MPs have rejected a Brexit agreement

Written by Sonja Merljak Zdovc, translated by JL Flanner

V Veliki Britaniji je bil včeraj pomemben dan.

In the UK, yesterday was an important day.

Poslanci so zvečer glasovali o tem, ali podpirajo sporazum med Veliko Britanijo in Evropsko unijo. Ta določa, na kakšen način naj Velika Britanija zapusti Evropsko unijo.

MPs voted in the evening whether they supported an agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. It sets out how the UK should leave the European Union.

Britanska premierka Theresa May se je o sporazumu dolgo dogovarjala s predstavniki Evropske unije v Bruslju.

British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed on a long-standing deal with representatives of the European Union in Brussels.

Toda poslanci so zavrnili ta dogovor. Premierka ima sedaj na voljo tri dneve, da pripravi tako imenovani plan B.

But the MPs rejected this agreement. The Premier now has three days now to prepare the so-called Plan B.

29. marca se namreč izteče rok za brexit. Lahko se celo zgodi, da Velika Britanija zapusti Evropsko unijo brez dogovora.

On March 29, the deadline for Brexit expires. It may even happen that Britain leaves the European Union without an agreement.

Brexit oziroma odločitev o izstopu Velike Britanije iz Evropske unije so britanski volivci izglasovali na posebnih volitvah, ki se jim reče referendum. Leta 2016 je dobra polovica odločila, naj njihova država po 43 letih zapusti Evropsko unijo.

British voters voted in favuor of Brexit or the decision for the UK to leave the European Union in a special elections called a referendum. In 2016, more than half decided that their country should leave the European Union after 43 years.

Mnogi so že kmalu obžalovali svojo odločitev. Želeli so, naj jim omogočijo ponovno glasovanje.

Many soon regretted their decision. They wanted to vote again.

Tudi njih so zastopali poslanci, ki so glasovali proti sporazumu o ločitvi med Veliko Britanijo in EU.

They were also represented by MPs who voted against the Withdrawal Agreement between Great Britain and the EU.

A proti sporazumu niso bili samo tisti, ki so se premislili, in tisti, ki že od samega začetka niso bili za razhod. Premierke niso podprli niti tisti, ki želijo, da Velika Britanija zapusti Evropsko unijo.

However, the deal was opposed not only by those who changed their minds, but also those who had been “Remainers” from the very beginning. The Premiere was not even supported by those who want Britain to leave the European Union.

Prepričani so namreč, da je sporazum v takšni obliki slab za Veliko Britanijo.

They are convinced that the agreement in this form is bad for Great Britain.

Otroci tedaj niso mogli voliti. Lahko pa so povedali, kaj si o brexitu mislijo.

Children could not vote. They could have said what they thoughr about Brexit.

»Morali bi ostati,« je v britanskem časopisu First News dejala tedaj devetletna Madeleine. »Da smo del Evropske unije, ni še nikomur škodovalo. Pomaga tudi preprečevati vojne, ker smo prijatelji z mnogimi državami.«

"We should stay," said nine-year-old Madeleine in the First News newspaper in Britain. "Being part of the European Union has not hurt anyone. It also helps to prevent wars because we are friends with many countries. "

 Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.