Recent experiments in machine translation have given the semantic elements of collocation in Russian more objective criteria. Soviet linguists in search of semantic relationships have attempted to devise a semantic synthesis for construction of a basic language for machine translation. One such effort is summarized. (CHK)

Describes the identifying chain manifested in different types of Arabic texts, demonstrates the ways a chain is formulated, and highlights the functions performed by such chains. Findings indicate that chains are unifying relations that create texture and structure within texts. (12 references) (Author/CK)

To better serve the growing number of Spanish-speaking couples and families in the U.S., it is useful to have a battery of instruments to assess the nature of their marital distress. This article presents the standard assessment battery that Brigham Young University uses to evaluate marital distress. (Contains 11 references and 1 table.) (GCP)

Discusses the importance of providing Spanish-speaking students with high-quality reading materials in Spanish and avoiding materials that have been badly translated into Spanish. Provides an annotated list of 10 books recommended for young children and a Spanish grammar for more advanced readers. Lists 29 badly translated books. Describes a Web…

Describes procedures implemented by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for the development of national versions of the assessment instruments in all instruction languages used in the participating countries. Presents data that provide empirical information on the effectiveness of these procedures. (VWL)

An examination of German words for emotion, from the perspective of a cognitive theory of emotion, explores how the words, metaphors, affixes, and prefixes picture and value both negative and positive emotions. (CB)

Describes a three-phase approach to teaching translation: (1) decoding the "macro" (beyond sentence level) and the "micro" (sentence or phrase level) elements of the passage; (2) coordinating the elements of the original language text with the target language text; and (3) producing the text in the target language. (CFM)

Perceives a need for new translations and reinterpretations of classical Greek literature. Considers reasons that some translations have passed into oblivion while others remain unsurpassed. Discusses the relationship between modern and ancient languages, the small size of the extant body of classical Greek literature, and the influence of modern…

Excerpts from a recent interview with Netherlands author Annie M. G. Schmidt describe her background and her career as a writer of poems and stories for young children. The interviewer notes that few of Schmidt's works have been translated into English and that their lack of exchange is a persistent difficulty in the field of children's…

Makes a case for dialogic translation, a process in which the translator anticipates the response of the child reader, listens to the reader, and reaches out to the child. This process contrasts with the view that the only way to translate well is to reproduce the original text as faithfully as possible. (NH)

Discusses the need for social workers to work with interpreters as professional teams so that the social worker understands not only the words but also the nuances of the language and culture of non-English-speaking clients. (Author)

Examines recent lexical innovations in Nigerian English, focusing on loanshifts, ellipses, conversions, translation equivalents, analogical creations, and coinages. Various examples of each phenomenon are presented. (Contains three references.) (MDM)

Describes how the Japanese translation of Roald Dahl's novel, "Matilda," shifts the literal and cultural meanings of the text. Compares and contrasts the styles and narrative voices of the English and Japanese versions. Argues for the difficulty of translating cultural codes. (HB)

Discusses how the use of body language in Chinese fiction strikes most Westerners as unusual, if not strange. Considers that, although this may be the result of differences in gestures or different conventions in fiction, it is a problem for translators, who handle the differences by various strategies, e.g., omission or expansion. (NKA)

Notes that the practice of borrowing kinship terms to address people outside the extended Chinese families, heavily reflected in modern Chinese fiction, causes much difficulty for the English translator. Reviews common translation approaches to such culture-related problems and possible distortions resulting from such practices. (NKA)