Found in translation

I find it hard to part with books and have several old texts from my school days. One such is a book of French Translation Passages. It dates from the late 1960s and when I found it again recently I flicked through to an extract that has come to mind several times over the years since.
I have the book beside me now, open at Passage #42, relating to the writer, Anatole France.
The extract appeals to me. In summary it refers to a charming, greying man, nearly 70 but with a young disposition. Someone whose age suited him and who in the salon preferred to give way rather than argue.
Described as a seductive speaker, drawing on literary references, he disliked stubborn, argumentative people, saying about them : - They think it is important to be right!
That sounds to me now like good role model behaviour. I wonder if I also thought that as the 17-year old translating the piece for the first time.
As I engaged in the lengthy, technical process of translation back then I wonder if those descriptions of Anatole France slipped under the radar to find a home in my unconscious mind where they continue to play their part in formulating my present day values and beliefs. A one time learning that has lasted for life.

The material for translation was selected from Rosny, JH. (1927) Mémoires de la Vie Littéraire, Crès, Paris. It has a new lease of life with an electronic makeover. My search engine has just turned it up as an e-book and I had no difficulty locating the extract on Anatole France!
The translation book, on the other hand, is showing signs of age now.

Its age suits it.

Living the 80:20 Thanks Pareto

It has been a hectic period these past weeks. Plenty to do and not much time to do it. That goes for both my working and personal life and so my mind has turned to how to get more done in less time. Taking the time to think about what needs to get done; planning and organising it; linking it with other tasks to create some synergy, is proving to be highly productive. And fun. Being selective and concentrating on the essential is clearly the skill to acquire and I have been learning how to do that from some of my favourite radio broadcasters. Two of these provide podcast versions of their weekly programmes. Each podcast is an edited, highlighted version of their main programme. In one case a typical 45 minute programme is 10 minutes shorter while the other 100 minute show is halved to 50. Since it's a download I get to listen when I want and that's usually when driving. Time-shifting and gear-shifting; learning in the traffic queue - that's synergy in the downtime. Pareto, who is credited with formulating the 80:20 rule might have approved.

He might also have liked one of those hard-disc TV recorders. We have one and it's great for watching those programmes with commercial breaks that we have recorded. Come the ad break, I fast forward at 30X speed and zap through the commercials.

Remote control - now there's a metaphor for deleting the dross, fast-forwarding the trivial and selecting the essential.