buy custom Effects of High Price on Foods essay

buy custom Effects of High Price on Foods essay Introduction The importance of food to human beings health is quite unlimited especially healthy foods like vegetables and fruits. In addition to other foods like proteins and carbohydrates vegetables and fruits have a necessary value to human health as they provide vitamin C. These nutrients are vital to the human health as they protect them from several diseases like cancer, eyesight problems, and many more. This paper seeks to establish the main explanations as to why the cost of healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables keep increasing in the market. Prices of goods increase, and this increase occur due to various reasons, and that is what this paper seeks to determine. The firm increase in prices of all commodities has made it harder for people to choose foods that are healthier in the stores. An important aspect in trying to feed a family is ensuring that they have healthy and nutritious foods, and for this reason, the subject of increase in prices of food is a critical subject. People everywhere care about the subject and hence in this paper we are going to identify some of the reasons that lead to the increase of food prices. This paper aims at coming up with the reasons and explanation for the increase of food prices especially the healthy ones like fruits and vegetables. These explanations and reasons will be from various researches done by other concerned parties and recorded in secondary sources such as books. In research, information can be from primary or secondary sources. Primary sources of information involve first hand information obtained using interviews, questionnaires, and observation. Secondary information is from books, electronic database, and magazines among other records. In this paper, most of the information was from books. We now focus on the explanation that various economists and other people have come up as the reason for the increase in the cost of healthy foods. Supply and demand The first reason that most economists and researchers attribute to the increase of food prices especially the healthy ones like fruits and vegetables is their demand. One of the major rules in economics is that prices of commodities will always determine the demand and supply of these goods in the market. Fruits and vegetables are healthy foods whose demand is all through the year. Considering that these foods are seasonal and only grow in different parts of the country once a year, the vendors still need to stock the stores with these foods. This constant demand of fruits and vegetables imposes an economic strain on the on the suppliers. In return, the suppliers reflect these costs on the consumer. In comparison to other foods which are high in calories, fruits and vegetables tend to increase in costs depending on the season. During high season when their production is at its peak the prices will be relatively stable, but, when the season changes the prices go up. Their demand being constant and does not change with the season, the suppliers will increase their prices in order to cover up for the costs of bringing in stock from places where they are in season. This price fluctuation will be reflected in both domestic and international markets. When the fresh fruits and vegetables are not in season their supply decreases. Decrease in supply leads to an increase in prices of the foods. Therefore, supply and demand of fruits and vegetables significantly affects their prices. Climatic issues There have been many significant factors which influence the quantity of fruits and fresh vegetables and global warming is one of them. This has had negative climatic effects that have damaged the production of these foods thereby reducing their supply. Acceleration of prices comes as a result ofthe rising pressure on farm food production. The reduction in yields are due to global warming, which is being damage by contamination of the atmosphere; the quality has reduced by 60 percent according to ADB (2008) the countries yield has declined due to poor climatic conditions. The issue of free of greenhouse gas emission is rising the earths temperature whereby the consequences usually follows on melting glaciers, more precipitation, and fundamentally change in seasons of production. The accelerating pace of climate change, combined with the general public and income growth, threatens food security worldwide. Agriculture, which is in direct connection to the production of fruits and vegetables, is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Higher temperatures reduce the yields of this produce as the temperatures provide a chance for pests and weed proliferation. Differences in precipitation patterns increase the chances of short-run crop shortages and long-run production reduces. Although there will be an increase in some crops in some parts of the world, the overall effects of climate change on expected of agriculture to be negative, threatening global food security. Climate change is also putting pressure on water supplies for agricultural production of vegetables and fruits, changing stream flows, and its availability. Water is becoming difficult to obtain: therefore, expensive global demand for water has tripled in the last few years and limited use ground water supplies in the USA. The impact of climatic change has adversely impact on productivity of vegetables production and causes disruption both in the long term and short term. This impact is evident in the low supply of these foods in areas where the production was quite high. Energy costs Another reason for the increase in the prices of healthy foods is the cost the producers and vendors incur to bring these foods to the market or stores. Healthy foods comprise of fruits and vegetables and these are perishable and seasonal goods. The first cost that one incurs while dealing with foods is the transport cost. The transportation of these fruits and vegetables ends up reflecting in the overall cost. This transportation can be from overseas as these foods are not locally available. Most of the fruits are imports from other countries and transportation will involve means like shipping, air transport, and railway transport. Most of these means of transport are extraordinarily expensive, but, they are the most appropriate ones. For example, the transportation of some fruits from other nations using the shipping means of transport can be expensive as it requires the refrigeration of the goods. These refrigeration equipments are expensive, and the transporters are the ones incu rring the cost. Transport involves the use of fuel in all means that are in use for example, shipping, air travel, road etc. Energy costs affect all level of the food production sector. In contemporary records oil prices, in excess, has increased from $110 per barrel and which has cost throughout the marketing chain. High petroleum prices increase the competitiveness in food production especially in vegetable and fruits production. Post harvest loss Post harvest loss is another significant explanation to the increase in of prices of healthy foods. Post harvest loss refers to the loss of the produce after its harvesting. This happens mostly to agriculture products, and the healthy foods in focus are agricultural products. During harvesting, losses occur in different ways. First the fruits can be harvested when they are already ripe and, therefore, need expert storage before they get to the market. This is normally hard to the farmers as they lack the storage facilities. In turn, they experience several losses of the products and this lose is normally incurred by consumers of the produce. Another harvesting loss occurs when the produce are affected by diseases and pests. Fungi and bacteria are diseases, which cause these losses of fruits and vegetables and so are the virus diseases, common in growing crops. It is characterized by severe presence of holes makes which makes infected, fruit to be unusable. This is often the result of inflammation of fruits and vegetables in the field before harvest. Quality thrashing occurs when the infection affects only the top of the fruits. Also, skin blemishes may reduce the sale cost but do not make the fruit bad, and inedible products. Fungal and bacterial diseases spread by tiny spores, which distribute in the air and earth and via decaying plant material. Infection after consequence can occur at any instance. It is usually the result of harvesting or handling injuries. These post harvest losses expenses are reflected in the selling price of the produce which is normally high. Post harvest loss has been a serious problem which comes because of various reasons, varying from growing conditions to handling at the retail level. Not only are these losses a waste, they sometimes constitute a homogeneous abuse of human efforts, livelihoods, scarce resource such as water, and investments. Fruits and fresh vegetables hold a high proportion of water. Loss of water content after harvesting by fruits and vegetables usually cause shrinkage and loss of appeal for the agricultural products. The rate at which they lose water, fruits mainly depend on leafy vegetables, which prevent water quickly because they have thin skin pores. The rate of loss relates to the difference between the water vapor pressure inside the fruits and vegetables and in the air. But whatever the outcome, to promote food or storage account the cost of water trouncing must be minimal. The most noteworthy feature is the ratio of the outside area of the fruit or vegetable to its volume. Early harvesting of fruits and vegetables normally occurs so as to avoid extra costs on transportation. Transporting fully ripe produce leads to extra costs as it will require considerable storage facilities to keep the harvest fresh and consumable. In addition, transportation of ripe products leads to the production of extremely dangerous chemicals that are harmful to the consumer. Structural change The change in market structure of these foods is yet another reason for the increase of prices. The process of market structure and formation involve processing, handling, and distribution of the produce. These processes have led to the increase prices as the elements of these processes keep fluctuating. This mainly affects spending expense on commodities in the market, and this factor contributes to high price level in USA. For instance, the process of manufacturing keeps changing because of the constant change in technology. The manufacturing equipments keep on improving, and this equally reflects on the manufacturing cost. The increase in manufacturing cost in turn leads to the increase of prices of these commodities. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that the increase in the cost of healthy foods like fruits and fresh vegetables is as a result of several reasons. Among these reasons are the change in the market structure of the products, the demand and supply, climatic conditions, and energy costs. Together all these reasons lead to the high cost of healthy foods that consumers have to incur. There is no escaping these costs as health of families is of considerable importance to the American citizens, and no one is ready to risk their families. Most Americans citizens will prefer incurring high expenses of food than incurring the medical expenses. Buy custom Effects of High Price on Foods essay

5 Words that Come from the Moon

5 Words that Come from the Moon 5 Words that Come from the Moon Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the moon. Unfortunately, all they brought back were some rocks. But the moon has given us many things, including several words! So let’s celebrate this landmark in space exploration by looking at the etymology of â€Å"moon,† plus five words it has inspired. Moon Etymology The word â€Å"moon† has a long history, which is unsurprising given that it’s a massive glowing orb in the night’s sky that has been around for longer than human language. We can, however, trace it back to both the Middle English mone and the Old English mona. Further back, it may come from the Proto-Indo-European term *me(n)ses- and the root *me-, meaning â€Å"measure.† Here, we see how people have used the waxing and waning of the moon to measure the passage of time since†¦ well, since we’ve had any notion of time passing. Waxing and waning(Image: Orion 8/wikimedia) Another term we may want to look at is â€Å"lunar,† an adjective meaning â€Å"related to the moon.† This comes from the noun luna, an old-fashioned word with origins in the PIE root *leuk-, meaning â€Å"light† or â€Å"brightness.† And here we see the importance of the moon as a source of light at night. But how have these terms influenced modern English? Let’s take a look. 5 Words that Come from the Moon There are many, many words with a connection to our lunar neighbor. And we won’t even touch on figures of speech such as over the moon and once in a blue moon. But we will look at five of our favorite moon-derived terms to see where exactly they come from. 1. Moon as a Verb As well as a noun, â€Å"moon† has picked up two key uses as a verb over the years: To act absent-mindedly, often through distraction (e.g., to â€Å"moon over† someone or to â€Å"moon around† the house when you have nothing to do). To expose one’s buttocks as a joke or insult. The first of these is probably related to the word â€Å"moonstruck,† which reflected an old belief that the moon could affect people’s behavior (more on that below). The second comes from the fact that buttocks can be pale and round, much like a certain feature of the night’s sky. We hope learning this doesn’t prompt you to see the moon as a big sky buttock, though. 2. Month Originally, a â€Å"month† was literally the time between one new moon and the next one. As such, we can find connections between â€Å"moon† and â€Å"month† in many European languages. In fact, the PIE term *me(n)ses- above may have originally meant both â€Å"moon† and â€Å"month.† Another word we get from â€Å"moon† is â€Å"Monday,† which literally means â€Å"day of the moon.† We also see this in the German Montag, as well as the French lundi, the Spanish word lunes, and the Italian term lunedi. 3. Menstruation Moving on from â€Å"month,† we have a monthly cycle: menstruation. In fact, â€Å"menstruation† and â€Å"menses† come from Latin and Greek words meaning â€Å"month† (mensis) and â€Å"moon† (mene). Some people also believe their menstrual cycles sync up with the lunar cycle. However, there is no scientific evidence for this, so it is probably a myth. 4. Lunatic Above, we mentioned the old belief that the moon can affect people’s behavior. We see this most clearly in the word â€Å"lunatic,† which now refers to someone who behaves erratically. Not that long ago, though, â€Å"lunatic† was a word for someone suffering from mental illness. And some people still believe the moon can affect our behavior. But medical science has moved on from such ideas, so we do not use this word to refer to mental illness any more. 5. Moonshine What better way to finish our list than with a drink? Having said that, we’re not sure how many of you would pick moonshine as your beverage of choice. If you buy moonshine today, it will probably be from a shop. But the term was first applied to smuggled or illegally distilled liquor, illicit activities that always occurred at night. It may also be related to the word â€Å"moonraker,† which is associated with English smugglers for the same reason. Thank You, Moon Finally, let us say a brief thank you to the moon. Sure, with modern science we know it’s a big hunk of rock that just sits in the sky, not some god or goddess watching over us. But it has been with us since before humanity had the gall to shape tools from flint, never mind strap ourselves to rockets and blast off into the void to pay it a visit. And we see that influence across human culture, art and – as shown above – language. We salute you, moon! As a species, then, we owe the moon a lot. And that’s before we even get on to its role in controlling the tides. So next time you use the word â€Å"month† or â€Å"menstruation,† spare a thought for our lunar friend.

Impact on others Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Impact on others - Essay Example The point is that the individual action must translate to some effect in the society from any perspective (Kamm 460). The question has always been what qualifies to be termed as harm. It is worth to note that harm does not necessarily occur when it is directed to another person. Although individual action may not inflict immediate physical or emotional harm to other people, the consequences on the actor will eventually be reflected in societal structure. Self-harm in itself should not be tolerated because the victim will eventually be a liability to members of the community (Kamm 460). The society has moral responsibility to ensure that actions of individuals are within the confines of the accepted norms and this includes prohibition of self-harm. It is therefore imperative that individual actions must be scrutinized in terms of the effect irrespective of the victims. This explains why attempts to commit suicide among other actions attract serious punishment although it involves taking out one’s life voluntarily. It is therefore not acceptable for to justify a given action on the reason that it does not harm another

Sunni-Shia Split Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sunni-Shia Split - Essay Example The U.S. should have supported the Shia Islam more than the Sunni Islam. This is because Sunni Arabs were more associated with Muslim extremists and the Al-Qa’Ida who considered outside powers as enemies and promoted values that were no in tune with world peace5. Al-Qa’Ida promotes monotheism and is against anyone who believes in polytheism6. It declares war on any individual who does not follow the Muslim religion. AQI viewed Shia as individuals who have rejected Islam and declared war on them7. Therefore, it is evident that Al-Qa’Ida should be stopped as they are against individualism and freedom. The U.S should lend help to individuals who are intent on driving AQI out as seen in the case of Amariyah whose new boss rebelled against AQI8. The Baath party was favored the Sunnis and ensured they took up positions of wealth and power9. The Shia Arabs are seen to be oppressed from several angles and would be the ones who would call for help as they do not promote values going against human right and freedom. The reign of Baath party saw that that the Shia did not enjoy higher living standards, prestigious education and jobs as the Sunni10. Sly, L. (2007). New Boss Turns the Tables on Al Qaeda Ex-Sunni Insurgent becomes U.S. Ally. Chicago Tribune, 22nd November 2007. Retrived Online

Technological Advantages Essay Example for Free

Technological Advantages Essay The Patriot Act of 2001 and the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 have both been controversial because of their passage. The Patriot Act was passed in response to the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, and the Federal Information Security Management Act was enacted as an offshoot of the former to help secure our nations internal information, financial and citizen’s personal information. Major advances in information technology have resulted in new ethical issues necessitating the passage and implementation of these acts. The Patriot Act of 2001 was signed in law by President George W. Bush and the key provisions were given a four-year extension by President Barrack Obama in 2011. It has been provocative from the start, with much political dissent, especially from moderates and liberals. (Lindaure,S. 2011) states â€Å"You see, contrary to rhetoric on Capitol Hill, The Patriot Act is first and foremost a weapon to bludgeon whistle blowers and political dissent.† Its intent was to help law enforcement in the gathering of information and to help regulate financial transactions as well to monitor our borders more intensely. The Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 was written and passed to help secure information vital to the economic and national security interests for the United States. An earlier version was written as part of the Homeland Security Act. Its main goal and purpose is to improve computer and network security within the government and its contractors. The technological advances in past few years have been far and reaching. The  average person cannot keep up with the dizzying pace of new and improved technological products. Criminals and terrorists continue to use the newest and most advanced technology to terrorize the public and steal from them. The 9/11 terrorists could enter the US illegally using fake passports/IDs produced with sophisticated computers and software. Secure and disposable cell phones were used to communicate with and they were financed with money laundered through financial shell organizations that used technology to hide the money. Many very intelligent and well educated computer hackers can/have entered numerous government, private financial organizations, and public institutions and have stolen identities, technology, money, military secrets, data, and private information. Some of the more cutting-edge technological advances that have caused the passing of these acts and the ethical issues are the introduction of Biometrics (facial/voice recognition). Increased video surveillance, which has increased by over 125% since 9/11, work place monitoring through GPS tracking, the transmitting of the location of all cellphones, blackberries, and laptops, when they are on, and database profiling through internet searches, supermarket purchases, credit card purchases, and toll booth marking. The most pressing ethical issue is the loss of individual privacy, personal rights and freedoms. To some people the citizens’ rights have been taken away and set back over 100 years. To others it’s an act of necessity for the good and security of the nation. The detaining of illegal aliens and racial profiling has caused many to question the legal aspects of these bills. The intrusion into citizens’ personal and financial information is also a very controversial ethical issue. Many citizens’ and private organization believe that the government has over-stepped their boundaries and is leaning towards a totalitarian form of government. Feingold,R(Senator)(2001)states that â€Å"You and I have a duty to analyze, to test, to weigh new laws that the zealous and often sincere advocates of security would suggest to us†. In conclusion, many people think that with the advances in technology that we are much safe than we were 20 years ago. This is true in many cases but is it worth the cost of many of the personal freedoms that our Constitution guarantees? The ethical issues that have arisen from these acts will be debated for many years. As long as there are criminals and terrorists there will be a need for action in the form of legislative acts and bills by the government. The safety of the nation as a whole and its private citizen is one of the primary functions of the government and there will always be dissent and division within that government and its constituents as to how it should protect them. References Lindauer S. (May 23, 2001)â€Å"The Intel Hub† retrieved from http://the intelhub.com/2011/05/23/The-patriot-act-when-truth-becomes-treason. Feingold,R(Oct,12,2001) On opposing the U.S.A. Patriot Act by Senator Russell Feingold Retrieved from http://www.archipelago.org/vol6-2/Feingold.htm Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Information_Security_Management_Act_of_202 Patriot Act of 2001 retrieved from http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act

Free Pride and Prejudice Essays: Narrative Techniques :: Pride Prejudice Essays

Narrative Techniques of Pride and Prejudice This essay will focus on Chapter 53 or Vol III, Chapter 11, depending upon the edition of the novel. This passage is taken from Bingley and Darcy's first visit to Longbourn after their return to Meryton. The passage focuses on Mrs Bennet's foolishness and Elizabeth's feelings about the proceedings. Mrs Bennet's speeches in the passage point to her ignorance, which is part of Austen's narrative technique of letting characters reveal themselves through their speech. The effect is particularly comic due to Mrs. Bennet's utter ignorance, which manifests itself in moral insensitivity, as seen in her belief that Lydia is "well married" in her disgraceful union with Wickham, and in lack of simple knowledge, as seen in her commenting that Newcastle is "a place quite northward, it seems." Because of this, she manages to be obsequiously polite yet quite rude, as we can see from the contrast between her invitation for Bingley to shoot birds on Mr Bennet's manor "When you have killed all your own birds" and her insult to Darcy that Wickham has "not so many [friends] as he deserves." Austen uses a similar treatment for Mr Collins, whose sycophantic language is even used when he is criticising Elizabeth's class [?] in his proposal to her, and whose excessive praise makes him utterly ridiculo us. The length of Mrs Bennet's speeches betray[s] the fact that although she says much, she thinks and means very little, [very good.] a technique which is repeated in Mr Collins's speeches and letters and on Lady Catherine's argument against Elizabeth marrying Darcy on her visit to Longbourn. This is emphasised here by the fact that she is the only one quoted in direct speech as speaking aloud in the whole passage. Despite Elizabeth's sense, her own feelings are kept to herself while her mother chatters away indiscreetly on anything that enters her mind. Elizabeth's poor reasoning as she listens to her mother disgrace herself shows the extent of her shame and misery. Although this scene is largely seen from the viewpoint of Elizabeth, Austen sometimes speaks as the omniscient narrator to reveal little ironies about Elizabeth herself. For example, after Elizabeth feels that "The first wish of my heart... is never more to be in company with either of them", which the reader should know to be silly, especially with regard to

District Nurse Essay

Who is a district nurse? A district nurse is a type of nurse that works in the community rather in the hospitals. They help by supporting and caring for the patients in care homes or residential homes. P1. Identify the forms of communication. Working in care is about communication and relationship .It is simply not possible to provide care without developing communication or relationship with the patients. That’s why it is important as a carer to know how to build a relationship with the patients. Communication is about much more than just conversation. There are three forms of communication they are: 1. Contexts. 2. Forms of communication. 3. Alternative forms of communication. M1. Describe the forms of communication. Today we will be looking at one of the forms of communication which is contexts. Some of the examples of contexts communication are: 1. One to one. 2. Groups. 3. Formal and informal. 4. With people using services. 5. Colleagues 6. Managers. One to one One-to-one in communicationis the act of an individual communicating with another. It is also called face to face communication. Groups. Group communication refers to communication between 3 or more individuals. Informal. Informal communication is less defined by strict measures and is characterized by colloquial language.The Antonym of informal is formal where formal communication is associated with the use of official medical/scientific language in documentation and to systematic policies and procedures. Both types of health information communication play important roles in shaping patient behaviour, ensuring patient safety and promoting the delivery of quality health. With people using services. It is good to have a fluent communication with the people using services and show them kindness so more people can come and use your service in a suitable way. Mangers. Every company has a manger and the work of the managers is to manage the company and make sure everything is running as expected. Managers mostly interact with their employers and see how far or how well they car doing the job. Colleagues. Colleagues are the people you work with let it be in a business area or other work places. Having a colleague is a good thing because you might feel more confident in talking to him.her. FORMS OF COMMUNICATION. This topic looks at forms of communication. There are many forms of communication that people around the world use to communicate with others. They are: 1. Verbal communication. 2. Non-verbal communication 3. Written communication. Verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal communication refers to the way someone communicates by using words to present thoughts, ideas and feelings. Basically verbal communication is the ability to explain and show your ideas clearly through the spoken words. Unlike verbal communication, non-verbal communication refers to the messages people send out to express their thoughts and ideas without talking. There are many ways how non-verbal communications e.g. 1. Body language. 2. Facial expression. 3. Touch or contact. 4. Signs symbols and pictures. Body language. Body language is a type of non-verbal communication where by is the way to communicate by using your body instead of talking. For example the way someone sits or stands which is called posture can send messages. Head movement and hand movement might also indicate that you are sending or passing out a message. Facial expression. Facial expression refers to the way someone communicates by using his or her face. We can often tell how someone is feeling by looking at their face. For example if someone is happy there is a smile on her/his face. if someone is excited his/her eyes become wider. Touch or contact. Communicating through touch is another important nonverbal behavior. There has been a substantial amount of research on the importance of touch in infancy and early childhood. The deprivation of touch and contact impedes development. Touch can be used to communicate affection, familiarity, sympathy and other emotions. Signs, symbols and pictures. There are common signs and gestures that majority of people recognize without being taught. There are different types of signs that people and have a meaning. For example when waving to someone that means you are passing a message using signs. Symbols and pictures of all kind of different objects also communicate messages. Written communication. Written communication has great significance in today’s world. It is an innovative activity of the mind.. Speech came before writing. But writing is more unique and formal than speech. Effective writing involves careful choice of words, their organization in correct order in sentences formation as well as cohesive composition of sentences. Also, writing is more valid and reliable than speech. But while speech is spontaneous, writing causes delay and takes time as feedback is not immediate. Alternative forms of communication. There are many types of alternative forms of communication they are 1. Sign language. 2. Makaton. 3. Braille. 4. Technological aids. 5. Human aids. Sign language. As we said earlier sign language is the use of your body parts like facial expression, position, movement of the hands and arms. Sign language is mostly used by the disable people who have bad hearing problem. Makaton Language programme which uses signs and symbols to teach communication, language and literacy skills to people with communication and learning difficulties. It is designed to provide a means of communication to individuals who cannot communicate efficiently by speaking. Makaton has been effectively used with individuals who have cognitive impairments Braille. Braille is a system of writing for the blind consisting of raised dots that can be interpreted by touch, each dot or group of dots representing a letter, numeral, or punctuation mark Braille was devised in 1821 by Louise Braille, a Frenchman.. Technological aids. Basically a technological aid refers to the electronic aids people around the world use for communication. For examples mobile phones are used to pass messages from one person to another either by making calls or sending text messages. Computer is another technological aid that we use to do research and also for communication. Human aids. Human aids are special skilled people who help people communicate with each other. Examples are: 1. Interpreters. 2. Translators. 3. Signers. Interpreters and translators :.Interpreters are people who translate orally, while a translator interprets written text. Both interpreting and translation presuppose a certain love of language and deep knowledge of more than one tongue. The key skill of a very good translator is the ability to write well, to express him/her clearly in the target language. That is why professional translators almost always work in only one direction, translating only into their native language. Even bilingual individuals rarely can express themselves in a given subject equally well in two languages. And many excellent translators are far from being bilingual – they may not be, and need not be, fluent speakers of the source language (the language of the original text being translated). The key skills of the translator are the ability to understand the source language and the culture of the country where the text originated, and, using a good library of dictionaries and reference materials, renders that material into the target language. An interpreter, on the other hand, has to be able to translate in both directions, without the use of any dictionaries, on the spot. .