Tricky Words in this week's OVI
Podnikatelia. I always hesitate to translate this as "entrepreneurs", because Slovak "podnikatelia" can be quite ordinary people running their own little company, or even self-employed people
working freelance ("na voľnej nohe") like myself, whereas the English idea of "entrepreneurs" is more associated with "veľkopodnikatelia" who have no problem with the risks involved in making large
investments and building up great companies, or who actively buy and sell those companies themselves.
That is meant to be a neutral description, but of course depending on their political leanings, people either admire and want to emulate entrepreneurs, or they disapprove of them and would rather
they didn't exist (to put it lightly). Either way there are many things, both good and bad, which would not exist in the world without entrepreneurs.
Andy's Wordshop
So how to translate "podnikatelia"? I could used "businesspeople", I suppose, but that is not quite formal enough. I could called them "executives", especially if they include company
representatives (remember that executives are company managers generally, not only "konatelia"). Also remember that "business" does not only mean trading, i.e. buying and selling goods, but it
extends to commercial activity more generally. I am in the English-teaching business because I keep myself "busy" and I make my living through that activity.
Asi väčšina z nás už má letné dovolenky za sebou a sme späť v našich zabehaných koľajach.