=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= EDline Vol. 6, no. 14 (8 April 2001) Editorial mailing list (digest version) Published by the Electric Editors =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Contents: Q & A [2nv] Translating and native speakers [Offshoot of [4eb] On-screen editing] [2nx] OECD: official name? [2ny] Citing UN publications FYI [3ge] New CD-ROM Atlas of Russia [3gf] Index to Literature on Electronic Sources of Information Business matters [4n] NUJ rates [4ef] Charging for fact checking [Offshoot of [4ec] Getting Work in Australia] [5] Bookmarks [6] Just for fun [8] Administration =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ---[2] Q & A --------------------------------------------------- ** [2nv] Translating and native speakers [Offshoot of [4eb] On-screen editing] Date: Mon, 2 April 2001 From: Michelle Zacharias, misheru@yahoo.com Josephine Bacon wrote: > I have a wonderful story about that. I had to edit a cookery > book. There was a recipe for pasta that began "take a > psychopath, and fill it with water. Bring to the boil, and add > the spaghetti, etc.." The psychopath was mentioned in several > recipes. It must have been a spaghetti pot. Clearly the author > had not reread the manuscript at all before sending it to the > publisher. I can sympathize. After I translate or proof-read something, someone else checks (and often changes) what I wrote although they are not fluent in English. I have seen printed versions of sentences that know that I did not write in pamphlets that I, the speaker of English, have supposedly proofed. It sounds awful, but I have learned not to take responsibility for what leaves my desk. I have even started saving copies of the drafts with my markings on it for future reference and possible salvage missions. ----------------------- Date: Mon, 2 April 2001 From: Josephine Bacon, bacon@langservice.com You don't live in Israel by any chance? In Israel, I was once told "of course I know English better than you, I'm from Romania!" ----------------------- Date: Mon, 2 April 2001 From: David Ibbetson, ibbetson@idirect.com In 1954 I spent a long vac. in Israel. On one occasion, when I was asking the way, I was asked if I spoke English. (I was and am monolingual.) ------------------------ Date: Tues, 3 April 2001 From: Michelle Zacharias, misheru@yahoo.com No, I'm in Japan right now. But I have been told by Japanese co-workers that my ENglish has "improved" since I first came. But I did have to "fix" a manual from Israel. The engineers here complained that it was badly written and they couldn't understand such awful English. I started reading and there were very few things wrong with it. The ENglish was quite natural and flowing. That was the problem. They couldn't understand it without many noun clusters and stiff wording!! So I can vouch for the fact that there are some good technical writers in Israel!!! At the train stations in Japan, I have been handed pamphlets for English conversation schools on several occasions. I guess sticking out like a sore thumb wasn't good enough! +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ ** [2nx] OECD: official name? Date: Mon, 2 April 2001 From: Douglas Meekison, dmeekison@aspects.net Does anyone know if the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has an official version of its name in English, such that it should not be changed in accordance with house style? Or is the English name merely a translation (of a French name?) and so should be 'house styled'? The OECD's website (< http://www.oecd.org >) uses the form above, but my dictionaries (including the Oxford Dictionary for Writers & Editors, 2000) are unanimous that the name is 'Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development'. (If I apply the style for the book I'm working on, I'll get 'Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development'!) ----------------------- Date: Mon, 2 April 2001 From: Sabra Ledent, sbledent@sprint.ca I have always used the English version from the official OECD Web site, as in the first line of your post. I would think it's better to stick to that than use a dictionary version. +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ ** [2ny] Citing UN publications Date: Fri, 6 April 2001 From: Katie Purvis, Katie.Purvis@penguin.com.au Can anyone tell me where I can find out the rules for citing United Nations publications in a bibliography (short-title system)? For example, what would be the correct way to cite this? UN General Assembly: Official Records, 3rd Session, 21 September -- 12 December, 1948, p. 822. ----------------------- Date: Fri, 6 April 2001 From: Omar Johns, omarjohns@naseej.com.sa The standard American reference for this kind of thing is "The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation" published by the Harvard Law Review Association. My copy is the fifteenth edition (1991), but these things change with the speed of continental drift. The format is complex and depends upon the period as well as the issuing authority. The section begins: In general, materials published by the various organs of the United Nations fall into four categories: official records (rule 20.7.1), sales documents (rule 20.7.2), mimeographed documents (rule 20.7.3),and yearbooks or periodicals (rule 20.7.4). The following six pages contain detailed descriptions of these rules. The section on official records contains something similar to what you cite above. Resolutions of the first four sessions (before 1950) are cited by resolution number, U.N. document number, page, and date: GA. Res. 133, U.N. Doc. A/519, at 43 (1947). ----------------------- Date: Fri, 6 April 2001 From: Patti Ordower, pordower@libertyfund.org While I agree that Katie could use the Bluebook format, I find the format in the Chicago Manual of Style more useful for nonlegal works. In the 14th edition, it's found at 15.411 and in the 13th, it's at 16.175. The example given is UN General Assembly. Ninth Session. Official Records, Supplement 19. _Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development: Final Report._ Prepared by Raymond Scheyven in pursuance of UN General Assembly Resolution 724B (VIII), A/2728. 1954. ---[3] FYI ----------------------------------------------------- ** [3ge] New CD-ROM Atlas of Russia Date: Thurs, 5 April 2001 From: David Andresen, mktg@mdres.com We have recently acquired a new CD-ROM atlas of the Russian Federation. The atlas displays highly detailed maps of all oblasts, krays, and republics. Visible details include cities, towns, and villages; roads and highways; pipelines; power lines; railroads; canals; forests; bodies of water; mountains; much more. Population figures are also shown for most populated places. Additional details are available for many map objects - e.g., road coverings, route names, as well as specifics about bodies of water and forest cover. Map scales range from 1:200000 to 1:1000000. All the maps show longitude and latitude for any location or object. The atlas uses vector maps based on WGS-84 and Krasovsky systems. We invite you to see sample maps and to get additional information at our web site: < http://www.mdres.com/AtlasCatalog/ > The CD-ROM atlas is is priced at $165.00 US + $6.00 shipping and handling. +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ ** [3gf] Index to Literature on Electronic Sources of Information Date: Thurs, 5 April 2001 From: Marian Dworaczek, Marian.Dworaczek@usask.ca [Cross-posted from the International Federation of Library Associations mailing list, IFLA-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA The April 1, 2001 edition of the "Subject Index to Literature on Electronic Sources of Information" is available at: < http://library.usask.ca/~dworacze/SUBJIN_A.HTM > The page-specific "Subject Index to Literature on Electronic Sources of Information" and the accompanying "Electronic Sources of Information: A Bibliography" (listing all indexed items) deal with all aspects of electronic publishing and include print and non-print materials, periodical articles, monographs and individual chapters in collected works. This edition includes 1,366 titles. Both the Index and the Bibliography are continuously updated. Introduction, which includes sample search and instructions how to use the Subject Index and the Bibliography, is located at: < http://library.usask.ca/~dworacze/SUB_INT.HTM > --- [Note: The capitals in the above URLs are required. --IDB] ---[4] Business matters --------------------------------------- ** [4n] NUJ rates Date: Fri, 6 April 2001 From: Paul Hardy, paul_hardy@butterworths.com The NUJ freelance rates for 2001-2 are now online: < http://www.NUJBook.org/freeln01.html > +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ ** [4ef] Charging for fact checking [Offshoot of [4ec] Getting Work in Australia] Date: Fri, 6 April 2001 From: Brendan Atkins, atkinsb@idx.com.au I wrote: > I am interested to know the extent to which other editors check > facts. Sarah Barrett replied: > It depends on what area you're working in. I work pretty well > exclusively on academic titles. There's no way that I can > check, say, linguistic facts or dates; and in any case I take > the view (and often state the view, just to avoid any > unrealistic expectations!) that the facts are the author's > province and their presentation mine! A golden rule! State your position in a standard set of contract conditions and then it's clear to the client (assuming they read them). Like all 'golden' rules, you can always vary them as the need arises. And thanks to all for your useful responses. ---[5] Bookmarks ---------------------------------------------- Date: Tues, 20 March 2001 From: Chris Gravell, C.M.Gravell@open.ac.uk Writing for a global audience From plain English to global English: < http://www.webpagecontent.com/ra_article/49/3/ > From the Website: "Make your documents easy for EFL users to read and understand, and communicate successfully with people all over the world". E-Media Tidbits -- an on-line journalism/content weblog: < http://www.content-exchange.com/cx/weblog/weblog.htm > which has a link to the Online-Writing list where I got these links (also the source of the BBC style guides). ----------------------- Date: Sun, 8 April 2001 From: Iain Brown, iain.brown@ucl.ac.uk See also Content Exchange's sister publication, Contentious: < http://www.contentious.com/ > "A Web-zine for writers, editors, and others who create content for online media -- Web sites, e-mail publications, intranets, and so on" (from the Website). Visual Thesaurus: < http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ > "An engaging experience in language and interface, the Plumb Design Visual Thesaurus is an artistic exploration that is also a learning tool. Through its dynamic interface, the Plumb Design Visual Thesaurus alters our relationship with language, creating poetry through user action, dynamic typography, and design. The experience is rewarding from both a linguistic and an aesthetic perspective. The Visual Thesaurus was created using Plumb Design's Thinkmap software." (From the Website) ---[6] Just for fun -------------------------------------------- Oxymorons, no. 29 Working holiday +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ "I'm glad we clarified that", no. 18 On a bottle of All laundry washing detergent: "Remove clothing before distributing in washing machine". ("No more swimming in the washing machine, kids" "Aw, you mean we have to use the swimming pool?!") --- That was the final entry for this series. Thanks to those who contributed it. --IDB/JK ---[8] Administration ------------------------------------------ EDline provides the opportunity for an online discussion of matters editorial and editorial business. To post to the mailing list via ListBot, use the following address: ee_edline@listbot.com For digest subscribers, please post your EDline messages to: bywater@ntlworld.com * Homepage and back issues: Visit the Electric Editors at: < http://www.electriceditors.net/ > Archives of the EDline automated discussions can be found at: < http://ee_edline.listbot.com/ > --------- ** The views expressed in this mailing list are strictly those of the individual contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the moderators or of the Electric Editors. ** Articles (c) 2001, by individual contributors Design (c) 1996, 1997, 2000 Iain Brown Compilation (c) 2001, Iain Brown / The Electric Editors =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= END OF EDline 6.14 Next digest issue: 15 April 2001 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=