102 episodes

How are the things we're talking about being talked about somewhere else in the world? Gregory Warner tells stories that follow familiar conversations into unfamiliar territory. At a time when the world seems small but it's as hard as ever to escape our echo chambers, Rough Translation takes you places.

Rough Translation NPR

    • News
    • 5.0 • 8 Ratings

How are the things we're talking about being talked about somewhere else in the world? Gregory Warner tells stories that follow familiar conversations into unfamiliar territory. At a time when the world seems small but it's as hard as ever to escape our echo chambers, Rough Translation takes you places.

    Rough Translation New Years Message

    Rough Translation New Years Message

    As we head toward a new year, former Rough Translation host Gregory Warner reflects on "goal disengagement" — letting go of past goals, rather than coming up with New Year resolutions. He recommends three of his favorite episodes aligned with this theme for Rough Translation fans and new listeners. Episodes are in the show notes below. And we encourage you to visit our archives with some timeless Rough Translation gems.When Failure is a 4-Letter Word: https://www.npr.org/2019/07/05/738963753/when-failure-is-a-four-letter-wordWar Poems: https://www.npr.org/2018/07/02/625501009/war-poemsAmerican Surrogate: https://www.npr.org/2017/10/17/547332434/american-surrogateDiscover Rough Translation's archive of timeless episodes here: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510324/rough-translation

    • 4 min
    Hold the Sitar: The Making of the Love Commandos Theme Song

    Hold the Sitar: The Making of the Love Commandos Theme Song

    In this bonus episode of Love Commandos, Gregory Warner interviews musician John Ellis, who composed Rough Translation's original theme music in 2017, and songwriters Amira Gill and VASU, who jointly created the new theme song for Love Commandos. They discuss their musical processes, and how they incorporate stories into their music. Love Commandos will be releasing more bonus episodes like this one over the next few weeks, where the team will continue to take listeners behind the scenes of the show and continue exploring the themes of love and marriage in modern India. To access those episodes, sign up for Embedded+ at plus.npr.org/embedded.

    • 24 min
    Calling It Quits

    Calling It Quits

    In Episode 5 of Love Commandos, couples seeking to shut down the Love Commandos' shelter band together for a risky plan. Want to hear bonus episodes of Love Commandos? Sign up for Embedded+ at plus.npr.org/embedded. Subscribe to host Gregory Warner's Rough Transition substack newsletter.

    • 30 min
    Forever Yours

    Forever Yours

    On Episode 4 of Love Commandos, couples in the shelter feel pressured to stay indefinitely. We try to figure out why. Want to hear episodes of Love Commandos a week before everyone else? Sign up for Embedded+ at plus.npr.org/embedded. Subscribe to host Gregory Warner's Rough Transition substack newsletter.

    • 34 min
    The Honeymoon

    The Honeymoon

    On Episode 3 of Love Commandos, stories of life inside the Love Commandos shelter begin to diverge as co-founder Sanjoy Sachdev shows a different side.Want to hear episodes of Love Commandos a week before everyone else? Sign up for Embedded+ at plus.npr.org/embedded. And subscribe to host Gregory Warner's Rough Transition Substack.

    • 31 min
    After The Wedding

    After The Wedding

    On episode 2 of Love Commandos, an inter-caste couple in India hits a breaking point. They make one last-ditch phone call to try to stay together. Want to hear episodes of Love Commandos a week before everyone else? Sign up for Embedded+ at plus.npr.org/embedded. Subscribe to host Gregory Warner's Rough Transition newsletter on Substack.

    • 32 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
8 Ratings

8 Ratings

BrighamMac ,

Relevant and Brings Light to Non-obvious Issues

I love the stories that casts light on issues that may not be so obvious. The episode on Caste and how it is an issue now in the U.S. is such an eye-opener on how much globalisation and culture migration can transplant norms and stigma. India is a major source of America’s IT talent pool and just bringing this to light is refreshing. I wonder how other major Indian presence in other countries like Singapore is dealing with similar issues that I’m sure is present.

Nynaevealmeera ,

My favorite podcast

I’ve been listening to podcasts for almost 7 years now and I can say that Rough Translation has got to be the one of the best podcast series I’ve listened to. While most podcasts cover a narrow range of topics and geographical reach, the opposite is true of this masterful series. The original music used in some of the episodes are also quite excellent. I can hardly wait for Season 2.

Kloopyferbs ,

Best show from 2017

Amazing, well produced, and deeply fascinating stories. Everyone should give this podcast a shot.

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