Translation skills and qualities
I used to think I should be a proofreader. I'm one of those people for whom typos jump off the page and slap me in the face. I thought I could turn that into an asset. And now, as a translator known for meticulousness, I am often asked to proofread other translators'...
Shortcuts in French
The French Academy is a noble institution, dedicated to the preservation of the French language. One of its most difficult tasks is keeping this pristine idiom of past figures such as Voltaire, de Gaulle and Coluche from succumbing to the many American barbarisms...
French plumbing
It may be surprising at first to a visitor to discover that French houses are designed somewhat differently from their American counterparts. One feature I found disconcerting at first was that they seemed particularly compartmentalized. Typically, there is a long...