Translators answer questions for OTP’s 5th birthday

A group of OTP translators meets for a workshop at TEDGlobal 2013. Photo: Ryan Lash

Happy birthday, Open Translation Project! Our global initiative to bring TED Talks beyond the English-speaking world turned five this week. To celebrate, OTP asked its global network of volunteers—who, by the way, have translated nearly 57,000 talks at this point—to answer a few questions via Twitter. Below, see who they are and why they translate, as well as which talks made them laugh (and learn!) the most.

Why I translate:

I translate to give English ideas worth spreading another voice, spread them & hopefully make this world a better place #TEDOTP #HappyBday

— Olia (@olia_la) May 13, 2014

I translate #TED Talks bcz knowledge and unconstrained perspective are the best gift in life and these things are easy to share :) #TEDOTP

— Eri (@QuantumofE) May 13, 2014

I translate because I understand the impact that a TED video can have on someone #TEDOTP

— Ivan nematS (@nematSnO) May 13, 2014

I’m a TED translator and I translate because I am a bridge builder #TEDOTP

— Elena Crescia (@ecrescia) May 14, 2014

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The funniest talk I ever translated:

The funniest #TEDTalk I translated was Chip Kidd: Designing books is no laughing matter. OK, it is. http://t.co/9C4ZAJaqxp #TEDOTP

— Els De Keyser (@ElsDK) May 12, 2014

@klemmingway & @mostlyalex translation of @trielly into SwedishChef may be the funniest #TED translation ever #TEDOTP http://t.co/gz6MBagbSG

— TEDvertalers (@TEDvertalers) May 12, 2014

The funniest talk I translated was Erin McKean's: http://t.co/v9mkuFGGVi #TEDOTP #TED

— In Silence (@isiliel_) May 12, 2014

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My favorite talk I ever translated:

My favorite #TEDTalk to translate into #Serbian was http://t.co/p7gcWh83oN by @avantgame #TEDOTP #TED #games #gaming

— Ivana Korom (@sophisticatedC) May 11, 2014

My favorite #TEDTalks to translate into Arabic was http://t.co/7rrFxExc6o Never, ever give up ,Diana Nyad #TEDOTP #TED #TEDx @TEDxKhartoum

— Anwar Dafa-Alla (@AnwarKing) May 10, 2014

My favorite #TEDTalk to translate was http://t.co/sFp61y1CBQ by @danariely Love this guy. #TEDOTP #TED

— Annika Bidner (@annbid) May 10, 2014

My favorite #TEDxTalk to transcribe in English was https://t.co/f5ye4j6pGu by @AnwarKing @TEDxBerlin #TEDOTP #TED #TEDx

— Krystian Aparta (@kaparta) May 9, 2014

The talk I learned the most from while translating:

@Kelwalindh: I learned a lot by translating I am my connectome by Sebastian Seung #TEDOTP #TED #MyFirstOTP #sci-philo http://t.co/QVNrMfeSip

— Keilidh (@Kelwalindh) May 10, 2014

@TEDxToulouse I learned & laughed a lot while translating The Blob, a Brainless Intelligence? by Audrey Dussutour #TEDOTP #TEDxToulouse

— Valérie Boor (@valerieboor) May 8, 2014

I learned a lot by translating The fiction of memory by Elizabeth Loftus http://t.co/THgyNdrW95 #TEDOTP

— Marko Cirkveni (@MarkoCirkveni) May 8, 2014

My language:

I'm from Piraeus, Greece and I translate #TEDTalks into Greek and English. #TEDOTP #TED

— Chryssa R (@japanGR) May 7, 2014

#TEDOTP I translate TED talk in Hindi! from Mumbai India http://t.co/1EKHQ5hqUT pic.twitter.com/1XYjJ6ByA9

— Rajneesh Pandey (@rajneeshkpandey) May 5, 2014

I’m from São Paulo, Brasil and I translate #TEDTalks into Brazilian Portuguese #TEDOTP #TED

— Gustavo Rocha (@gusrocha14) May 7, 2014

In #Warsaw, Poland we translate #TEDTalks too! #TEDOTP #TED pic.twitter.com/1yFn0DCCr5

— Kinga (@ElectricTyphoon) May 12, 2014

TED Blog

What’s the funniest talk? The one you learned the most from? Translators answer for OTP’s 5th birthday

Why I translate:

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The funniest talk I ever translated:

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My favorite talk I ever translated:

The talk I learned the most from while translating:

My language:

Comments (9)

Why I translate:

. The funniest talk I ever translated:

. My favorite talk I ever translated:

The talk I learned the most from while translating:

My language:

Comments (9)

.
The funniest talk I ever translated:

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My favorite talk I ever translated: