Babylon French-English.

I've tried many French-English automatic translation websites. Here I want to recommend one that has reliably helped me translate notes, emails and short passages from newspapers:

Translation.babylon.com has two windows to translate to and from French and English.

So, for example, if you are writing an email in French but are not sure if you got everything right, or have no time to look it up or check with a French speaker, just write it in English, copy-paste into the Babylon window and click translate. Copy-paste the French version.

Do the same for translating back from French.

It's okay for informal correspondence or quick reference, but when you write a serious formal letter in French, make sure it's checked and corrected by a knowledgable French speaker. 

Amazon Declaration.

The Normandy Review of Books by Alexander Anichkin is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. 

I am publishing this in compliance with the new rules that are coming into force today, 1 April 2013.

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A Good Year: the Client Is Never Right.

Some time ago I wrote here about the bad treatment that French clients get from after-sales services.

I was watching A Good Year (wiki), the romantic comedy with Russel Crowe (Max Skinner) and Marion Cotillard (Fanny Chenal), and literally jumped up when Fanny, who runs a busy restaurant, tells Max, who is trying to help her as a waiter:

— Remember, in France the client is never right!

Quod erat demonstrandum.

Here's a 'diaporama' of the film with the catchy French version of Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Tout-Petit Bikini by Richard Anthony: