Description
After 23 years of intensive work by the IFLA Working Group in the translation of technical terminology and with the publication in 2001 of the first edition of this comprehensive encyclopedia with German as its ‘lead language’, it seemed that a large gap in our profession had been closed. The second, corrected reprint was published as early as 2004 and by 2008 almost 1000 copies had been sold worldwide. With continued interest and current strong demand the need arose for the publication of a new, extended edition of the dictionary. And when Springer Publishing House announced its classification as a major reference work, the entire dictionary had to be rewritten so that English would become the ‘lead language’, enabling an even wider distribution.
In 1978 the chairman of the working group, Klaus-Jürgen Evert formed the IFLA Committee on the Translation of Technical Terms together with Richard Stiles, Zdenek Zvolský, Icíar Oquiñena and Jean-Marie Schmerber. Over the years new colleagues have joined the group: Edward B. Ballard, Bob E. Stipe, Wolfgang Oehme, David Elsworth, Beatriz de W. Coffin as well as Marga Mielgo and Begoña Oquiñena and, following the death of Edward B. Ballard and Bob E. Stipe, Nick Dines.
Now after seven years of intensive work, this improved and updated glossary, supplemented by some 175 additional terms, can be presented, to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the working group.
A very special circumstance was always of great benefit to the team. It consists of the fact that it brought colleagues together, who shared the same professional idealism. They still share this idealism even after such a long period of time and it has allowed them to continue working together across the continents on such an extensive dictionary.
The glossary takes into account the most important languages of the western world and is a fundamental tool in the hands of planning professions concerned with the environment, urban and landscape planning, science and the entire profession of translators and interpreters. In addition, all of those employed in the sectors of garden and landscape construction and the construction industry itself will also benefit greatly from this work.
Users of the dictionary are welcome to make any suggestions for its improvement, so that with future editions of the work, all of those, who use it, will profit from their comments.
At the International Federation of Landscape Architects World Council meeting in June 2008, Klaus-Jürgen Evert outlined the extraordinary achievement of what might be described as a ‘beautiful obsession’ on the part of its authors.
The work of the committee received a standing ovation from the World Council delegates. I, too, applaud the publication of this major reference work and now look forward to a good start to this new edition and a great success, worldwide.
Dr. Diane Menzies President of IFLA December 2009