Job ad may give emoji experts reason to employ the happy face

A London translation agency said on Tuesday that it is advertising for its first "emoji translator" to help meet the "challenges posed by the world's fastest-growing language".

Based in the City of London financial district, Today Translations advertised on its website for a translator whose job will consist of interpreting the miniature images, from smiley faces to pizzas, beloved by smartphone users the world over.

"Emoji translation is itself an emerging field - but one dominated to date by software, which is often insensitive to the many cultural differences in usage and interpretation," said the advert.