A tale of 'two languages'

Once upon a time, as this young chap (of Hungarian ethnic origin) was attending grade school in a blissful multilingual, multi-ethnic and multicultural province of Vojvodina*, came the moment that it had to be designated which tongue the class would be learning as foreign language from then on. Those wanting to learn German, as opposed to English were, alas in the majority anyway. Thus it was pretty much bestowed upon the entire class - not otherwise by inclination of the school teaching staff too - to take up the language of the Teutons (more or less for the rest of our �school-age careers�). And that is how he advanced through Grammar School and University, studying German as a foreign language.

Mayhaps, it was the best of both worlds, as through conning Latin during his secondary school studies he was fortunate enough to pick up a good foundation of grammar that the majority of modern day European languages are based on.

And hey presto, by the time he arrived at university, he had already made headway into learning English through self-instruction by using the Assimil language learning method (while doing his spell of national service in the army). It is considered by many that studying English after German is indeed a much easier feat, and he would by all means be ready to shore up this notion. Besides, anything one does is usually more productive and  engaging in the long run, if done out of interest spurred on by enlightenment and passion rather than by compulsion or duress.

Fat volumes could be written about the pleasures and gratifications of soaking in a language, culture, humour and fine literature that numerous hours of engrossment in reading, studying can bring about.
Still one more important stage had to take place, and that is the step of subsuming and consolidating that entire treasure-trove of lingo. And indeed that has been attained during his prolonged stay in Britain; through acquiring his English language (teaching, proof-reading and computing) certifications, through work (and pleasure), as well as extensive travel far and wide across Blighty and Eire.

After a substantial spell in catering and corporate talemarketing � amidst designing and producing a major conference � professional material of considerable size had to be prepared and translated for the event. This was the incipient moment that set him off in earnest on a trail into the �realms of translation��       

� where he still steadfastly endures ever since�