Introduction to Russian-English Translation

What does it take to translate a Russian tome like Anna Karenina or Crime & Punishment? What does it take to translate something less daunting, maybe one of Gogol's short stories? Or just a Russian newspaper article? A basic conversation?

Indeed, English and Russian are two of the most widely-spoken and read languages in the world, but that doesn't mean turning complex Russian into equally rich and descriptive English is something a speaker and reader of both can do without difficulty.

That's where Natalia Strelkova's Introduction to Russian-English Translation comes in. Over the span of seven chapters, the author, who has been bilingual since childhood and taught Russian and translation in the U.S. and Moscow, breaks down the basics and complexities of translating and editing Russian.

You'll find countless examples of literary, journalistic, and conversational idioms and phrasing, as well as practice texts that will help you test your progress and understanding of translation from Russian to English.


This helpful guide is available in bookstores, as well as online through our website, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

New Release: Cantonese Dictionary & Phrasebook

Although its total number of speakers (60 million) is merely a fraction of its behemoth sibling's, Mandarin (1025 million), Cantonese is still one of the world's most widely-spoken languages. It is an official language in Hong Kong and Macau, as well as a dominant dialect in the Guangdong province of China. It may not have the numbers that Mandarin claims, but Cantonese is nonetheless a major player in south China and among Chinese living abroad.

So where exactly does Cantonese pop up? Seemingly everywhere, if you're reading street signs, newspapers, or novels in Hong Kong. Maybe you're watching a Chinese film or listening to popular Chinese music. More often than not, these Chinese entertainment offerings will have also come out of Hong Kong, spreading spoken Cantonese to viewers and listeners across the globe.

Our new Cantonese Dictionary & Phrasebook serves as an indispensable reference for travelers, businesspeople, students, or anyone else interested in this notable language. Despite their similarities, Cantonese is not mutually intelligible with  Mandarin—it has a writing system all its own and uses characters not generally understood by non-Cantonese speakers.

So we've provided an easy-to-use guide that directs you through grammar and pronunciation. The phrasebook, along with the 4,000 dictionary entries, includes Cantonese characters and intuitive phonetics.

Get the most out of your trip with the newest Cantonese resource available! Pick it up at your local bookstore or purchase through our website, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

Persian and Albanian Join Beginner's Series

We're always seeking new languages for our Beginner's series, so we're happily ushering in two: Beginner's Albanian and Beginner's Persian, both accompanied by two audio CDs. With the audio, you can follow along in the books as native speakers run through dialogues at two different paces, as well as demonstrate pronunciation of vocabulary and expressions. Some exercises require the CD, which tests listening comprehension.

Beginner's Persian provides a great introduction to Farsi Persian, the official language of Iran and a widely-spoken tongue throughout the rest of the Middle East and Central Asia. Author Mohammed Mehdi Khorammi currently teaches Persian language and literature at New York University, and has put his years of classroom experience towards a carefully-structured textbook that truly works for students.

And while the language can often prove difficult because of script-reading and writing, we provide a guide specific to honing these skills. That pairs with the ten lessons of dialogues, vocabulary, grammar, and exercises, as well as glossaries and a history of the language.

It is also available for purchase in bookstores, on our website, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.



 
Beginner's Albanian by Anila Mayhew uses similarly detailed methods to introduce the official language of Albania and Kosovo. Today, 5.8 million people worldwide speak Albanian, even though teaching it was a forbidden practice under the Ottoman Empire. Combining two dialects, Gheg and Tosk, modern standard Albanian serves as a testament to the fortitude and history of the Albanian people.

An introduction to this history and culture opens the book, which goes on to include thirteen lessons of dialogues, vocabulary, and expressions, as well as glossaries, exercises, and pronunciation guides.

 You can find this title at your local bookstore, on our website, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.