Rough Translation
115 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 7.3K ratingsHow are the things we're talking about being talked about somewhere else in the world? Gregory Warner tells stories that follow familiar conversations into unfamiliar territory. At a time when the world seems small but it's as hard as ever to escape our echo chambers, Rough Translation takes you places.
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Episodes
Rough Translation New Years Message
December 27, 2023 19:37 - 4 minutes - 4.23 MBAs we head toward a new year, former Rough Translation host Gregory Warner reflects on "goal disengagement" — letting go of past goals, rather than coming up with New Year resolutions. He recommends three of his favorite episodes aligned with this theme for Rough Translation fans and new listeners. Episodes are in the show notes below. And we encourage you to visit our archives with some timeless Rough Translation gems. When Failure is a 4-Letter Word: https://www.npr.org/2019/07/05/73896375...
Hold the Sitar: The Making of the Love Commandos Theme Song
August 30, 2023 13:00 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBIn this bonus episode of Love Commandos, Gregory Warner interviews musician John Ellis, who composed Rough Translation's original theme music in 2017, and songwriters Amira Gill and VASU, who jointly created the new theme song for Love Commandos. They discuss their musical processes, and how they incorporate stories into their music. Love Commandos will be releasing more bonus episodes like this one over the next few weeks, where the team will continue to take listeners behind the scenes of...
Calling It Quits
August 23, 2023 12:00 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBIn Episode 5 of Love Commandos, couples seeking to shut down the Love Commandos' shelter band together for a risky plan. Want to hear bonus episodes of Love Commandos? Sign up for Embedded+ at plus.npr.org/embedded. Subscribe to host Gregory Warner's Rough Transition substack newsletter.
Forever Yours
August 16, 2023 12:00 - 34 minutes - 32.4 MBOn Episode 4 of Love Commandos, couples in the shelter feel pressured to stay indefinitely. We try to figure out why. Want to hear episodes of Love Commandos a week before everyone else? Sign up for Embedded+ at plus.npr.org/embedded. Subscribe to host Gregory Warner's Rough Transition substack newsletter.
The Honeymoon
August 09, 2023 20:20 - 31 minutes - 29.7 MBOn Episode 3 of Love Commandos, stories of life inside the Love Commandos shelter begin to diverge as co-founder Sanjoy Sachdev shows a different side.Want to hear episodes of Love Commandos a week before everyone else? Sign up for Embedded+ at plus.npr.org/embedded. And subscribe to host Gregory Warner's Rough Transition Substack.
After The Wedding
August 02, 2023 16:21 - 32 minutes - 30.5 MBOn episode 2 of Love Commandos, an inter-caste couple in India hits a breaking point. They make one last-ditch phone call to try to stay together. Want to hear episodes of Love Commandos a week before everyone else? Sign up for Embedded+ at plus.npr.org/embedded. Subscribe to host Gregory Warner's Rough Transition newsletter on Substack.
The Vow
July 26, 2023 10:00 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBWhen falling in love can mean risking your life, the Love Commandos in India will protect you. But at what cost? This is episode 1 of our series Love Commandos. Want to hear episodes of Love Commandos a week before everyone else? Sign up for Embedded+ at plus.npr.org/embedded. And follow host Gregory Warner on Substack here.
New Season: Love Commandos. Starting Wednesday, July 26th.
July 21, 2023 06:00 - 3 minutes - 3.11 MBThey seemed like superheroes. In a country where arranged marriage is the norm, the Love Commandos promise to protect love couples and help them marry. But is this a group of protectors in the way they promise to be?
When We Talk About Love Stories
July 12, 2023 12:00 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBWe leap into the gap between love stories and real life. And hear a sneak peek of Rough Translation's newest season! Subscribe here to Gregory's substack.
Fan Favorites: How to Speak Bad English
May 10, 2023 22:00 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBGregory talks "inside baseball" of American English. And we revisit an episode that sparked a lot of conversation among listeners in 2021–about the global pursuit of "good English" and what it takes to change the multi-billion dollar industry built around it. Write to us at [email protected] and follow Gregory's Substack. Read more at NPR's global health and development blog, Goats and Soda. Tower Of Babble: Nonnative Speakers Navigate The World Of 'Good' And 'Bad' English Prepone ...
Fan Favorites: Dream Boy and the Poison Fans
April 26, 2023 21:30 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBThe unlikely places that fandom can take us, and how to know when we've gone too far. This week, we revisit an episode from 2020. And don't forget to subscribe to Gregory's Substack.
Fan Favorites: Anna in Somalia
April 12, 2023 20:15 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBGregory tells a story about his first job out of college. And we revisit an episode from 2017. Also, what's your favorite Rough Translation episode? Let us know.
This Is Not A Goodbye
March 31, 2023 07:52 - 2 minutes - 2.04 MBOur host Gregory Warner reads your tweets and drops some big news about Rough Translation. Subscribe to Gregory's Substack and follow him on Twitter to stay on the journey. And coming soon: episodes revisiting our archives, plus an exciting summer season in collaboration with NPR's international desk.
Ukraine: The Handoff
February 03, 2023 15:00 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBWe travel to Ukraine to follow a shipment of abortion pills, and discover a complicated conversation about pregnancy and choice in wartime. Part 2 of our collaboration with Radiolab.
Ukraine: Under The Counter
January 20, 2023 10:00 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBOne weekend. An amateur smuggling operation. A wartime mission. The story, in collaboration with Radiolab.
The Cat Must Still Be Fed
August 03, 2022 22:21 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBA hyperlocal news site in Red Hook, N.Y. posts a job opening. A journalist in Ukraine applies. And what readers think of as "local news" is going to change dramatically.
Alone@Work: Miles To Go Before I'm Me
July 13, 2022 16:18 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MB726 miles in one day. Gas station sushi. Mysterious loading docks. We hit the road with two American women who found long-haul trucking as a means of escape and self-transformation.
Ourselves@Work: Home Is Where The Hustle Is
July 06, 2022 19:00 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBNigerian novelist Chibundu Onuzo dreams of returning to Lagos, but she worries she'll struggle to adapt in the city of her birth, where the word "oppressor" is often used as a compliment. In this episode, she seeks advice from her "big boss" older brother.
You're@Work: The Right Persona for the Job
June 29, 2022 16:38 - 32 minutes - 31.1 MBWho are you at work? In this episode, two stories of people who really commit to embodying their work selves. The result? New realms and new personalities.
Failing@Work: Epic Fails & Failure Epics
June 22, 2022 17:00 - 29 minutes - 27.8 MBMany of us think we can't share our stories of failure until we've reached success. Some Mexico City entrepreneurs started a club to change that, and the world took notice.
Stuck@Work: Your Country's Brand Is Escape, But You Can't
June 15, 2022 18:48 - 40 minutes - 37.9 MBWhen Portugal forbade bosses from contacting employees after hours, international media jumped at the chance to cover the new law. Portuguese workers were oddly quiet. Why?
Lunching@Work: When Eating at Your Desk Is Forbidden
June 08, 2022 16:00 - 29 minutes - 28.2 MBIn 2021, France suspended a law that forbids eating lunch at work. We talk to an American teacher relieved to see it go and a French historian determined to bring it back.
Slackers@Work: A Song for the Exhausted
June 01, 2022 20:15 - 39 minutes - 37.3 MBA video ricochets across Chinese offices, and a scooter thief becomes an icon for brewing discontent. Why is a thief who says he's tired of working viewed by the Chinese state as such a threat?
New Season: @Work. Starting June 1.
May 25, 2022 04:00 - 2 minutes - 2.53 MBWe're back @Work. The new season of Rough Translation will tell surprising stories from workplaces and work cultures around the world.
The Good Russians
April 27, 2022 19:00 - 20 minutes - 18.3 MBHundreds of thousands of Russians are leaving Russia. They're facing an uncertain welcome abroad. Poet and writer Linor Goralik joins us to read from "Exodus 22," her uncomfortably frank conversations with Russians who – before the war – lived in a Westernized bubble, ignoring the mounting threats of Putin's regime. Then, the bubble burst.
The Good Russians
April 27, 2022 19:00 - 20 minutes - 18.3 MBHundreds of thousands of Russians are leaving Russia. They're facing an uncertain welcome abroad. Poet and writer Linor Goralik joins us to read from "Exodus 22," her uncomfortably frank conversations with Russians who – before the war – lived in a Westernized bubble, ignoring the mounting threats of Putin's regime. Then, the bubble burst.
The Scarf and the Snuffbox
April 15, 2022 21:00 - 17 minutes - 16 MBWhat can a blank piece of paper, four ballerinas, a scarf and snuff box mean in Russia? A conversation with Russian Anthropologist Alexandra Arkhipova about how anti-war protestors resist the war in Ukraine through code and hidden messages.
Letter of Unhappiness
March 30, 2022 18:15 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBWhen Naira calls her parents back home in Russia to talk about the war in Ukraine, they treat her as an outsider and a threat. She finds a way to break through the propaganda wall, with inspiration from a chain letter.
The Culture Front
March 15, 2022 19:00 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBWhen protecting a language is used as justification for war, how can its speakers fight back? A conversation with Russian speakers of the diaspora who are rethinking their relationship to language, identity, and the Russian community.
Fighting Words In Ukraine
March 02, 2022 20:09 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBVladimir Putin joined the KGB at age 23. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy got his early training in a no less Soviet institution–the world of competitive comedy. We update our 2019 episode about a high-stakes comedy competition in Ukraine.
Fighting Words In Ukraine
March 02, 2022 20:09 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBVladimir Putin joined the KGB at age 23. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy got his early training in a no less Soviet institution–the world of competitive comedy. We update our 2019 episode about a high-stakes comedy competition in Ukraine.
Presenting 'TED Radio Hour': Work, Play, Rest
February 16, 2022 13:00 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBThe past few years have shaken the fundamental ways we live. It's... disorienting. But it's also an opportunity to reexamine how we spend our time. In this episode from TED Radio Hour, speakers investigate evolving notions of what it means to pay our bills.
May We Have This Dance?
December 22, 2021 22:35 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBA jazz dance born in Harlem in the 1920s ends up in a tiny Swedish town. What happens when Black dancers try to bring the Lindy Hop home?
Moms In Translation
December 15, 2021 10:00 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBAn Irish journalist discovers she belongs in a place she's never been. A 6-year-old boy decides he's from another country. Stories about finding home far from home.
Tasting At A Distance
December 08, 2021 19:14 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBYou can zoom around the world through sight and sound, but you can't taste at a distance, right? Stories about what happens when we try.
Home/Front: Marla's List
July 10, 2021 00:30 - 49 minutes - 44.9 MBMarla kept a detailed account of Iraqi civilians harmed by war. How did she recruit people in the U.S. military to help them? And what toll did it take on her? Part 2 of the story of Marla Ruzicka. You can find Part 1 here.
Home/Front: Marla's War
June 30, 2021 08:00 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBMarla Ruzicka didn't belong in a war zone. Nobody in Afghanistan knew what to make of her. Until Marla started to solve a problem that no one thought could be solved.
Home/Front: Rebels In The Valley
June 23, 2021 08:00 - 28 minutes - 27 MBTwo worlds: dress uniforms and foosball tables. The military and Silicon Valley used to work hand in hand. Now, why won't big tech build them a new gonculator?
Home/Front: Battle Borne
June 16, 2021 09:36 - 39 minutes - 36.9 MBAlicia's situation raises questions about the VA's caregiver program. And a new diagnosis changes everything for Matt. How will Alicia and Matt start healing their respective wounds, borne out of different battles? Find part 2, Battle Lines, here. And part 1, Battle Rattle, here.
Home/Front: Battle Lines
June 09, 2021 08:00 - 38 minutes - 36.4 MBAlicia Lammers takes on the twin roles of wife and caregiver to her veteran husband. What happens when your husband becomes your official duty? Part 2 of the story of Matt and Alicia Lammers. You can find Part 1, Battle Rattle, here.
Home/Front: Battle Rattle
June 02, 2021 08:00 - 38 minutes - 36.9 MBHe's a veteran looking for love. She's a civilian who learns more about war than she ever imagined. Part 1 of the story of Matt and Alicia Lammers.
Home/Front
May 26, 2021 08:00 - 21 minutes - 21.7 MBIs it true that "you can't understand" if you've never been to war? In the first episode of our new season, we hear from people on opposing sides of a widening divide.
War Poems Revisited
May 05, 2021 19:02 - 45 minutes - 43.1 MBAs the U.S. pulls out of Afghanistan, we look back at a time when Taliban poetry and a local cooking show became part of the war. And the U.S. had the perfect person to fight on that front.
How To Speak Bad English
April 21, 2021 22:08 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBHeather Hansen used to teach people to speak "perfect" English. Until she realized that so-called "bad English" might be a better way to communicate.
Liberté, Égalité, French Fries... And Couscous
April 07, 2021 21:57 - 50 minutes - 46 MBOur favorite McDonald's in Marseille, France has reached its afterlife. It took court cases, spray paint, and the slogan you know turned upside down (literally) to get there.
"We Already Belong": A Conversation With R.O. Kwon
March 26, 2021 18:19 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBIn the wake of the shootings in Atlanta, a Korean-American writer reconnects with her own family.
Welcome To The Vaccination Club
March 10, 2021 22:04 - 21 minutes - 20 MBTwo very different approaches to wooing vaccine skeptics. And how a little FOMO can go a long way.
Rewriting The Travel Guidebook With Nanjala Nyabola
February 25, 2021 03:35 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBWhat happens when your guidebook isn't written with you in mind? Nanjala Nyabola on her new book: Travelling While Black.
Rewriting The Travel Guidebook With Nanjala Nyabola
February 25, 2021 03:35 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBWhat happens when your guidebook isn't written with you in mind? Nanjala Nyabola on her new book: Travelling While Black.
Boxing Back
February 10, 2021 22:01 - 27 minutesYour stories and creative solutions to not quite fitting in.