The document discusses the publication of the Beauty Talk Dictionary of Perfumery, Cosmetics, and Beauty Products, which was a major milestone for translators working in the cosmetics industry. While providing a wealth of terminology, the dictionary also shows weaknesses by including some direct word-for-word translations in definitions, which modern translation theory sees as a breach in fully understanding translations. The cosmetics industry has experienced significant growth and technological advances in recent decades, increasing the need for specialized terminology and translation services.

1. August/September 2011
For the Love of a Dictionary
by Agnes Meilhac
ranslators love words. We are undergo stringent scrutiny and review, progress in the 1980s and the communica-
T like fine art collectors, always
in awe of the sheer beauty
emanating from language. No wonder
especially by the very professionals for
whom it is intended. The dictionary has
considerable value and appeal, but it also
tion revolution of the World Wide Web and
mobile telephones in the 1990s. Once a scat-
tered cottage industry, cosmetics have
dictionaries have such a magnetic pull shows weaknesses. grown into a multi-billion dollar business
over us. To language buffs, dictionaries by adapting to this changing market envi-
represent treasure chests full of riches, the
Background
ronment.
things we most admire. Once in a while, For many years, the only bilingual French-
The industry is now heavily dependent on
the discovery of a new dictionary will take to-English and English-to-French reference
R&D and innovation, the two driving forces
on an epic meaning in the life of a veteran for cosmetics and beauty care was a thin
behind growth in any sector. In line with
wordsmith, and the rarer the work the glossary2 published by La Maison du
general expectations of constant upgrades
more dramatic its impact. Dictionnaire, also the publisher of Beauty
and improvements, cosmetic products have
Talk. The limited scope of this earlier com-
For French and English translators working
fallen into the same incessant and repetitive
pilation may have simply reflected a lack of
in the cosmetics industry, the publication of
interest for an area of translation regarded pattern of new launches, relaunches and
the Beauty Talk Dictionary of Perfumery,
by some – similarly to the industry of cos- redesigns, gaining a reputation for notori-
Cosmetology & Beauty Products1 was a
metics itself – as somewhat frivolous and ously short life cycles. Today’s market-savvy
major milestone on the road to gaining
shallow. cosmetic consumers want to be impressed
greater attention and recognition in this
with new breakthrough formulas on a regu-
field. Although published by a reputable Yet, the beauty care and cosmetics industry
lar basis. Gone are the days of a simple
French publisher of multilingual and spe- has experienced far-reaching growth, mak-
three-step skin care routine consisting of a
cialized dictionaries and books on ing incredible leaps in the past three
cleanser, toner and face cream. We are now
translating, Beauty Talk is a point in case of decades. The changes it underwent were
in the era of high-performance multi-pur-
why a specialized work of reference should partly due to the whirlwind of technological
pose and multi-functional products that can
1 Beauty Talk Dictionary of Perfumery, Cosmetology & 2 Lexique de l'esthétique et de la cosmétique français- purify, moisturize, fight the aging process,
Beauty Products, Michel J. Husson and Sylvie M.C. anglais de Jean-Marc Blot, éditions La Maison du
Husson, éditions La Maison du Dictionnaire (2008), Dictionnaire (2007), 95 p., €16.50.
and nourish the skin all at the same time.
498 p., $250 (amazon.com)
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2. The Gotham Translator
Along with these technological advances the great paradox of this dictionary – its blooming bud with a retractable needle
came a proliferation of specialized terminol- unabashed delivery of word-for-word trans- positioned as close to the flower as possible
ogy and hence the need for expert linguists. lations aimed at final users whose without touching it. The molecules emitted
Product claims, written by business profes- professional mantra is to avoid them! by the flower are collected with the needle,
sionals trained in technical writing, must be providing a computer with an accurate
In terms of scope, Beauty Talk is a relatively
substantiated by evidence obtained from reading used to define a fragrance profile,
comprehensive up-to-date guide to
documented pre-clinical and clinical trials. which is in turn used to recreate the fra-
cosmetic lingo. The straightforward entry-
These claims are later translated into many grance. The scented atmosphere
per-entry equivalents in terminology give
different languages, along with other mar- immediately surrounding a flower is called
access to a wealth of knowledge. However,
keting documents produced in the process "headspace."
some vocabulary items are supplemented
of guiding a product from the test tube to
with definitions that can only be described This fascinating technique would require
the final consumer. Most cosmetics compa-
as direct translations. Modern-day transla- research if referenced in a document to be
nies eventually look beyond their original
tion theory perceives literal translation as translated. Having Beauty Talk as a handy
country of business to increase market
one of the more noticeable breaches in lookup tool, with the correct French and
share, creating the need for highly focused,
understanding the translation process. Even English terms only a page-turn away, makes
professional translation services.
clients are now indiscriminately using the translator’s life easier. Yet reading the
The Good, the Bad and “word-for-word” as a catchy description for definitions associated with those terms
the Beautiful translated material they are not happy with. proves a great disappointment:
We can only hope that La Maison du
A long-overdue reference text that fills an « Une technique qui consiste à capturer
Dictionnaire3 will take a closer look at this l’arome dégagé par une plante en crois-
undeniable void in the arsenal of tools avail-
issue for future editions of Beauty Talk. sance. L’air parfumé est analysé en
able to cosmetic translators, Beauty Talk
utilisant une chromatographie (cf.) au gaz
suffers from an unfortunate number of crucial qui détermine la composition chimique de la
A good example of this literalness is the def-
flaws. The apparent lack of input from native fleur pour reproduction en laboratoire.
inition of “headspace” or “living flower
L’idée est d’obtenir une senteur aussi
English speakers seems to be in part respon-
technology” (“technologie de la fleur proche que possible de la fleur vivante sans
sible for these shortcomings. Beauty Talk is altération causée par la chaleur durant le
vivante” in French). Developed by
the brainchild of a marketing and sales pro- processus d’extraction. »
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., the
fessional and a former international press and “A technique used to capture the aroma
technology captures the fragrance of living
public relations manager with Dior. While given off by a growing plant. The scented
flowers by placing a large glass globe over a
air is analyzed using a gas chromatography
both stress their multi-cultural background
which gives a breakdown of the flower’s
and linguistic proficiency, the native fluency chemical composition to be reproduced in
the lab. The idea being to capture a scent as
3 Founded in 1973, La Maison du Dictionnaire is a
standards demanded of translators are clear-
famous French publisher and bookseller of specialized
dictionaries with a landmark shop on Boulevard de
ly not reflected in their work. This has led to
Montparnasse in Paris.
(continued on page 12)
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3. August/September 2011
(continued from page 11) commended for its relative versatility. the names of different shades (moonlight
close as possible to the smell of the living Cosmetics is an industry sector with a high- white, mallard blue, russet brown, misty
plant without alteration due to heat during gray, honey yellow, etc.). Similarly, there is a
ly technical discipline-specific vocabulary
the extraction process.”
and codified terminology. However, the lan- dazzling panoply of descriptive adjectives
Even to someone with the most rudimenta- guage of cosmetics is also very expressive for the skin, hair, nails, product textures and
ry knowledge of French, the English and imaginative, giving free rein to creativi- fragrances. This dictionary is teeming with
translation is very much a trace-paper ver- ty. There is never only one way to convey an great ideas that can be used to jump-start
sion of the source text. idea. Some of the more science-based terms imagination and creativity.
may be confined to strictly one-on-one
In another example, “ptosis” is defined in Cosmetic translation is an engaging and
equivalents, but a vast majority of market-
Beauty Talk as “falling of some organ parts; vast field with tremendous potential to be
ing concepts used to sell cosmetic products
the drooping of upper eyelid caused by the a profitable source of income, a great way
are based on a wealth of evocative syn-
paralysis of the muscles holding it.” While to learn and hone one’s craft, and an outlet
onyms and idiom-like expressions, which
the Greek term ptosis means “falling” or for creativity. While waiting for a revised
are not true idioms but figurative colloca- edition of this long-awaited dictionary, we
“fall” (from the verb piptein), to refer to the
tions. can only hope that it will help foster grow-
condition as “falling of some organ parts”
ing interest in this area, serving as a
brings to mind gory images of spilling To its credit, Beauty Talk does a good job of
starting point for beginners and a quick, at-
innards. The “falling” would in fact be more showcasing – and making available – the
a-glance reference for the more seasoned
aptly referred to as “abnormal lowering” or richness of the language of cosmetics. The
translators. I
“abnormal downward displacement” of an sheer volume of entries in the dictionary is
organ, particularly an eyelid. Similar awk- impressive. Each language section is divid- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ward examples abound. ed into a general dictionary and a series of Agnes Meilhac is a graduate of Ecole
“themes”, in which entries are categorized
Supérieure d’Interprètes et de Traducteurs
A second source of disappointment in using (ESIT) in Paris, where she earned a degree
as follows: body, botanical ingredients, col-
Beauty Talk is the unfortunate number of
in translation. She also holds a Master of
ors, essential oils, eyes, face, hair, lips,
Arts in German literature from University of
errors. These, in addition to lax punctuation Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts in French
packaging, perfumes, skin and sun.
and grammar, exceed the acceptable limit literature from New York University. In 1997,
for typographical gaffes. Greater attention
she started working full-time as a freelance
Many individual entries and sub-chapters translator in Paris, specializing in the
to detail would have made this dictionary a of themes (e.g. “A perfume can be…”) list
cosmetics and beauty care industry. Over
more valuable resource.
descriptive qualifiers that are a wonderful
the past 14 years, she has translated for
many leading companies in the field. She is
source of inspiration. Six pages are devoted also the current editor of the New York Circle
to the color palette, listing not only descrip-
Speaking of Beauty of Translators’ newsletter, the Gotham
Translator. Please write to
In spite of its failings, Beauty Talk can be tive qualifiers of colors in general but also agnes@beautyterm.com with any questions.
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