pandemic Archives

Covid, masks, and cultural context

It’s hard to tell whether the pandemic will be over, winding down, or in the midst of yet another resurgence by the time you’re reading this post. But one thing has been certain throughout this ordeal: many people in Asia have had a hard time understanding why so many people in Europe and America have such a problem wearing a facemask. The differ…

Humor, translation and toilet paper in a pandemic world

“Translation is like toilet paper. No one thinks about it until they need it.” That was a bit of pre-pandemic humor from the localization industry that equates the two as essential items. It makes sense and is funny. But is it still true? This saying is one that Renato Beninatto, CEO at Nimdzi Insights and long-time influencer in the localization industry, m…

How Japan is coping with the influx of new terms along with the novel coronavirus

COVID-19 is transforming the lexicon of languages worldwide, but for Japanese the challenges are unique. What’s “overshoot?” Find out. In the English-speaking world, a plethora of terms, some new, some not so new, have inundated people’s daily lives. “Lockdown,” “quarantine,” “hot zones,” “social distancing” and “flattening the curve” all have a familiar rin…