Can’t help thinking how the French translation of the book he didn’t quite write is “L’Art de La Négociation”. Slippery, euphemistic language, English, isn’t it?

Excellent SCIC #InterpretingEurope with old friends & new- inc slam poet Leopoldo-Costa-prizewinner Annika Biedermann. "Do we understand processes of AI, Machine Translation, and human translation using Large Language Models? Or is it all ‘magic’ we can choose to believe in or not?”- Kilian Seeber

Alsace is full of quirky traditions. Here we see the death-defying “Exterior Advent Calendar”. The chocolate treats and iron trinkets of the less nimble were redistributed among the survivors in a 19th century Prussian version of natural selection.

Before the 14th century Boar’s Head Gaudy with my fellow Queen’s matriculands, we visit the subterranean library extension. “Bit too brightly lit,” mutters a Lancashire voice. “You couldn’t get a decent kip in here.” 35 years have passed in a blink.

Part rave-in-a-field, advertised by flyer alone; part échangisme in a hangar- Saint-Ghislain has all you need for le train-train quotidien

This week I’ve been reading about machine translation algorithms, fake news causing a riot, AI bots turning on their makers, an overheating planet, absurd nuclear brinkmanship. All in this 1966 sci-fi short story compilation. (Here’s the language-barrier scene in Harry Harrison’s Final Encounter).

On a railtour tracing the Christmas 1944 battle which marked a turning point in WW2. Of course what this trainful of unfashionable middle-aged white men really needs is an all-day disco in the buffet car. Sous les pavés, la plage- under the anorak, my dancing trousers. The Battle Of The Bulge indeed

Thanks, Teams! Now you pop up telling me to have a chat with myself, on top of everything else

Netflix is plugging me a "murder mystery in the Australian Alps". Presumably part of the mystery is how, when you're hiking from Krajnska Gora to the Laghi di Fusine via Arnoldstein on a perfectly clear day, if you take a wrong turn you can find yourself in Yarrangobilly.

Every day, I think “There can’t be another pun worse than that.” I love Belgium.

Excited to be offering online workshops on Fri 27 Sep:
- 11:00 Ask Me Anything (in EN FR IT ES PT)
- 12:15 How I Became An Interpreter
- 14:45 Virtual Booth Visit
You can register at: visiting.europarl.europa.eu/en/event/bru...
See you there! #1nt #TerpLove

The Italo Calvino of unreliable narrator stand-up has a TV special launching on Sat 20th on Sky and Now. Don’t miss it! You can see him play the room as it’s dealt here: youtube.com/watch?v=CoNb_b…

So busy thinking about how neither chilli peppers nor Sichuan peppers are peppers, and so excited to find 麻辣 in Brussels, that I order it in bad French. “Ce n’est pas le piment de Sichuan, monsieur. C’est le poivre.”

My recent interview with China Social Sciences Today, alongside the fabulous Maha El-Metwally, is on its way to me, old-style. Thanks, Madeline Weng- v interesting chat (for me at least!) English version here (try Safari or Firefox): csstoday.com/Item/12404.a... #1nt #TerpLove

Slowly learning more Dutch, but in the meantime enjoying the punning coexistence of English and French in Brussels’ trendy neighbourhoods. HomePage for interior design on Rue du Page works well; the prominently displayed “Bites” at the Greek deli opposite need painting over.