july 2005 volume xxxiv number 7 chronicle · contact: [email protected]. amanda ennisis an...
TRANSCRIPT
TheChronicle
TheChronicle
in this issue: Public Relations/Professional Outreach
A Publication of
the American
Translators
Association
July 2005
Volume XXXIV
Number 7
in this issue: Public Relations/Professional Outreach
46 Annual Conference
AmericanTranslatorsAssociation
November 9-12, 2005Seattle, Washington
th
Preliminary Program
with this issue:
in this issue July 2005
Volume XXXIV
Number 7
Features
15 ATA and the National Media: Association Becomes Recognized Authority onTranslation IssuesBy Kevin S. Hendzel We have now reached a critical mass in our public relations mission in the national andinternational media.
17 ATA and American Red Cross Partner for PreparednessBy Giovanna LesterThe first pilot program for ATA’s Crisis Network Language Support Project will be heldin Worcester, Massachusetts. Find out how you can get involved!
18 No Summer Vacation for School OutreachBy Amanda Ennis and Lillian ClementiSchool may be out, but school outreach is still in session.
21 Business Outreach: What Do Clients Want? Received Wisdom RevisitedBy Chris DurbanTwo recent forays into client territory yielded comments worth pondering for professionaltranslators keen to pitch their services to demanding buyers. But the same statements maybe of interest to service providers convinced that public relations starts at home.
23 Justice May Be Blind, But She Cannot Be DeafBy Isabel FramerLike any other profession, interpreting is not immune to unethical practices.
A Publication of
the American
Translators
Association
About Our AuthorsFrom the PresidentFrom the President-ElectFrom the TreasurerFrom the Executive DirectorATA Certification Exam InformationNew ATA-Certified Members and Active Membership Review Dictionary Reviews The Translation InquirerHumor and TranslationGuide to Continuing Education PointsDirectory of Language Services
Columns and Departments
American Translators Association225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 • Alexandria VA 22314Tel: (703) 683-6100 • Fax: (703) 683-6122E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.atanet.org
61011121438384144465160
Editor
Jeff Sanfacon
Design/Layout
Ellen Banker/Amy Peloff
Advertising
Matt Hicks
McNeill Group Inc.
(215) 321-9662 ext. 19
Fax: (215) 321-9636
Executive Director
Walter Bacak
Membership and
General Information
Maggie Rowe
website: www.atanet.org
2005 ChronicleEditorial Calendar
An Easy Reference To ATA Member BenefitsYour ATA membership has never been more valuable. Take advantage of the discounted programs and services available to you as an ATA member. Be sure to tell these companies you are an ATA member andrefer to any codes provided below.
We’ve done everything possible toensure that your address is correct. Butsometimes errors do occur. If you findthat the information on the mailing labelis inaccurate or out of date, please let usknow. Send updates to:The ATA Chronicle • 225 Reinekers Lane,Suite 590 • Alexandria, VA 22314Fax (703) 683-6122 •[email protected]
A Publication of the American Translators Association
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Credit Card Acceptance Program/ProfessionalServices AccountNOVA Information SystemsReference Code: HCDA(888) 545-2207 • (770) 649-5700
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...And, of course, as an ATA member you receive discounts on the Annual Conference registration fees and ATA publications, and you are eligible to join ATA Divisions, participate in the online Translation Services Directory, andmuch more. For more information, contact ATA (703) 683-6100; fax (703) 683-6122; and e-mail: [email protected].
The ATA Chronicle Submission GuidelinesThe ATA Chronicle enthusiastically encourages members to submit articles of interest to the fields oftranslation and interpretation.1. Articles (see length specifications below) are due the first of the month, two months prior to the
month of publication (i.e., June 1 for August issue).2. Articles should not exceed 3,500 words. Articles containing words or phrases in non-European
writing systems (e.g., Japanese, Arabic) should be submitted by mail and fax.3. Include your fax, phone, e-mail, and mailing address on the first page.4. Include a brief abstract (two sentences maximum) emphasizing the most salient points of your
article. The abstract will be included in the table of contents.5. Include a brief biography (three sentences maximum) along with a picture (color or B/W). Please
be sure to specify if you would like your photo returned. Do not send irreplaceable photos.6. In addition to a hard copy version of the article, please submit an electronic version either on
disk or via e-mail ([email protected]).7. Texts should be formatted for Word or Wordperfect 8.0. 8. All articles are subject to editing for grammar, style, punctuation, and space limitations.9. A proof will be sent to you for review prior to publication.
Standard Length Letters to the editor: 350 words; Op-Ed: 300-600 words; Feature Articles: 750-3,500 words;Column: 400-1,000 words(See Chronicle editorial policy—under Chronicle—at www.atanet.org)
ChronicleThe
JanuaryFocus: TerminologySubmission Deadline:
November 15
FebruaryFocus: Literary Translation Submission Deadline: December 1
MarchFocus: Marketing Submission Deadline: January 1
AprilFocus: Client EducationSubmission Deadline: February 1
MayFocus: AdaptationSubmission Deadline: March 1
JuneFocus: Science and TechnologySubmission Deadline: April 1
JulyFocus: Public Relations/
Professional OutreachSubmission Deadline: May 1
AugustFocus: Medical Translating
and InterpretingSubmission Deadline: June 1
SeptemberFocus: InterpretingSubmission Deadline: July 1
OctoberFocus: Legal
Translating/InterpretingSubmission Deadline: August 1
November/DecemberFocus: Training and PedagogySubmission Deadline:
September 1
The ATA Chronicle | July 20054
24 Don Quixote Rides into U.S. Bookstores: Translator Edith Grossman Brings a17th-century Spanish Novel to American ReadersBy Alexandra Russell-BittingThe prominent display of Edith Grossman’s translation of Don Quixote at a majorbookstore is very unusual for a work in translation, let alone for a 400-year-old Spanishnovel. Could it be a sign of change?
26 Communication, Communication, CommunicationBy Manuela GarciaSkills, experience, and professionalism are the three musts when working with atranslation agency, but there is a fourth one that is equally vital for successfulcooperation—effective communication.
30 2005 MICATA Symposium: Resources for Translators and InterpretersBy Kathy Hall FosterThis annual event always provides excellent sessions, good food, and a chance toreconnect and establish potential business contacts.
34 The Name Game By John P. Shaklee Mentees in ATA’s Mentoring Program often ask how they can get started in the business.Here’s a step-by-step system for mentees to initiate and maintain contact with clients.
35 11 Tips for Improving Your E-mailsBy Kirk JacksonWe do not need to write every e-mail as if it were a formal business letter, but there aresome adjustments we could make to improve the effectiveness of our communication.
The ATA Chronicle (ISSN1078-6457) is publishedmonthly, except bi-monthlyin November/December,by the AmericanTranslators Association,225 Reinekers Lane, Suite590, Alexandria, VA22314. Periodicalspostage paid atAlexandria, Virginia, andadditional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Sendaddress changes to TheATA Chronicle, 225Reinekers Lane, Suite590, Alexandria, VA22314. The AmericanTranslators Association(ATA) was established in1959 as a not-for-profitprofessional society tofoster and support theprofessional developmentof translators andinterpreters and topromote the translationand interpretingprofessions. Thesubscription rate for amember is $43 (includedin the dues payment). TheU.S. subscription rate fora non-member is $50.Subscribers in Canadaand Mexico add $25; allother non-U.S.subscribers add $45.Single copies are availablefor $5 per issue.
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The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 5
59 Cross Cultural Communication Systems, Inc.www.cccsorg.com
39 Defense Language Institute—Foreign Language Centerwww.dliflc.edu
47 Dynamic Language Centerwww.dlc-usa.com
59 John Benjamins Publishing Co.www.benjamins.com
13 JLS Language Corporationwww.jls.com
39 Kent State Universityhttp://appling.kent.edu
47 Language Matters, Inc.www.language-matters.com
59 Monterey Institutewww.miis.edu
7 National Security Agency (NSA)www.nsa.gov
63 NetworkOmni Multilingual Communicationswww.networkomni.com
37 NCS Enterprises, LLCwww.ncs-pubs.com
2 SDL Desktop Productswww.sdlx.com
13 Skrivanek Translation Services North Americawww.skrivanek.com
9 Terminotix Inc.www.terminotix.com
64 TRADOS/ProZwww.translationzone.com
13 U.S. Department of State, Office of Language Serviceswww.state.gov
29 University of Floridawww.translationstudies.ufl.edu
9 WordFinder Software International ABwww.wordfinder.com
Display Advertising Index
About Our Authors... Lillian Clementi is apartner in LinguaLegal, atranslation consultancybased in Arlington,Virginia. She translatesfrom French and Germaninto English and specializes
in law and commerce. She serves onATA’s Public Relations Committee.Contact: [email protected].
Chris Durban is a freelanceFrench→English translatorbased in Paris, France. Shewrites a client educationcolumn called “TheOnionskin” (ITI Bulletin
and ATA Chronicle), and is coauthor, with Eugene Seidel, of the “Fire Ant & Worker Bee” advice column in Translation Journal (www.accurapid.com/journal). In 2001,she was awarded ATA’s Gode Medal. Sheis co-chair of ATA’s Public RelationsCommittee. Contact: [email protected].
Amanda Ennis is an ATA-certified(German→English) technical/medical/marketing translator and a member of ATA’s Public
Relations Committee. Contact: [email protected].
Kathy Hall Foster is an ATA-certified (English↔French)translator. She is an activeATA member with 25 yearsof experience as a tech-nical translator and simul-
taneous interpreter. She holds an M.A. inFrench and was a Fulbright scholar at theUniversité de Fribourg in Switzerland.Currently working as a translator/editorfor SH3, Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri, she is the president of the Mid-America
Chapter of ATA (www.ata-micata.org).Contact: [email protected].
Isabel Framer is a certified court inter-preter, and currently serves on the boardof directors of the National Association ofJudiciary Interpreters and Translators. Sheis also a member of ATA’s Public RelationsCommittee. Contact: [email protected].
Manuela Garcia is aproject coordinator atGlobal Translation Systems in Chapel Hill,North Carolina. Sheattended the IDI Sprachen-
und Dolmetscherinstitut in Stuttgart,Germany, and has a B.A. in modern languages and linguistics. She has beenwith Global for over five years. Contact: [email protected].
Kevin S. Hendzel, co-chairof ATA’s Public RelationsCommittee, is chief oper-ating officer and principalof ASET InternationalServices Corporation. In
his role as co-chair of ATA’s PublicRelations Committee, he has been quotedor appeared live on national media outletssuch as CNN, FoxNews Live, ABC WorldNews Tonight, CBS News with Dan Rather,MSNBC, National Public Radio, Voice ofAmerica, PBS, The New York Times, TheWashington Post, the Associated Presswire service, Reuters, The AtlantaJournal-Constitution, USAToday, Wiredmagazine, and over 600 newspapers andjournals in the U.S. and abroad. Contact:[email protected].
Kirk Jackson is a Spanish-, French-, andArabic-to-English translator specializing inbusiness, finance, and technology. Heholds an M.B.A. in international businessand a B.A. in translation.Contact:[email protected].
Giovanna Lester has been working in thetranslating and interpreting field since1980. She was elected president of theFlorida Chapter of ATA in 2002, and is cur-rently serving as the assistant adminis-trator of ATA’s Interpreters Division.Besides her work as a translator and inter-preter, she has also spent nine years in thebanking industry, and 20-odd years as alanguage teacher. Contact:[email protected].
Alexandra Russell-Bittinghas been on staff at aWashington-based interna-tional organization as atranslator, reviser, and editorfor 17 years, translating
from Spanish, French, and Portuguese intoEnglish. She has also taught translation atGeorgetown University and the Université deParis VIII. She is the vice-president of theNational Capital Area Chapter of ATA(www.ncata.org), an active member of ATA,a regular contributor to the ATA Chronicle,and a member of ATA’s Public RelationsCommittee. Contact: [email protected].
John P. Shaklee, M.A., is a freelancecourt and community interpreter whoworks in northeast Ohio. He has beeninterpreting since 1998, and is aTennessee State certified court interpreterwith experience in the legal and medicalfields. He is currently a working groupmember of the Ohio Supreme CourtInterpreter Services Program. He alsoserves as the membership chair/treasurerfor the Northeast Ohio TranslatorsAssociation, an ATA chapter (www.ohiotranslators.org), and is co-chair of ATA’s Mentoring Committee.Contact [email protected].
Continuing Education PointsGuide to ATA
Check it out at www.atanet.org (click on certification) or see page 51!
The ATA Chronicle | July 20056
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Join ATA and Save!
If you join ATA when registering
for this seminar, you qualify for
the ATA member registration fee.
Contact ATA for a member
application or join online at
www.atanet.org/membapp.htm.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations received
in writing by September 16,
2005 are eligible for a refund.
Refunds will not be honored
after September 16. A $25
administrative fee will be
applied to all refunds.
2 Ways to Register:
Fax registration form to
(703) 683-6122
Mail registration form to
American Translators Association
225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Don’t Forget:
- include payment with your form
- make your hotel reservations
- tell a friend about this event
Registration Form
First Name Middle Initial Last Name ATA Member#
Employer/School (only list employer or school if you want it to appear on your badge) UTIA Member#
Street Address
City State/Province Zip/Postal Code Country
Telephone Email
Seminar Registration Fees: ATA/UTIA* Member Nonmember Payment
Early-Bird (before September 16): $145 $260 $_________
After September 16 and Onsite: $215 $330 $_________
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Check/Money Order: Make payable through a US bank in US funds to American Translators Association.
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To learn more about ATA’s The Business of Translation and Interpreting Seminar, please visit www.atanet.org/pd/business or contact ATA at (703) 683-6100 or [email protected].
An ATA ProfessionalDevelopment Seminar
Gain insight from successful members of the translation and interpreting fields---a senior project
manager, presidents of established language services companies, a seasoned freelance translator; take
part in exercises to sharpen your negotiating skills; learn the practical aspects of contractual
agreements by analyzing real contracts that are currently used; discover the do's and don'ts of how to
find and keep customers; witness the unveiling of the hiring process.
Saturday, September 24:
ATA will provide a full day of sessions that take an in-depth look at the business of translation
and interpreting, including a continental breakfast, a Job Marketplace, and a Networking Session.
Attendees will earn ATA Continuing Education Points.
Hotel Information:
Make your hotel reservations at the Sheraton City Centre, 150 West 500 South, Salt Lake City, Utah
84101. A small block of rooms has been reserved at $99 single/double a night, plus tax. To take
advantage of this special rate, reservations must be made by August 24. Contact the Sheraton at
1 (801) 401-2000 and be sure to ask for the ATA group rate.
Sheraton City Centre • Salt Lake City, Utah • September 24, 2005
TheBusiness of Translating
Seminar& Interpreting
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 9
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The ATA Chronicle | July 200510
Attention ExhibitorsAmerican Translators Association • 46th Annual ConferenceSeattle, Washington • Westin Hotel • November 9-12, 2005
Plan now to exhibit at the American Translators Association’s 46th Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington, November 9-12,2005. Exhibiting at the ATA Annual Conference offers the best opportunity to market your products and services face-to-face tomore than 1,300 translators and interpreters in one location. Translators and interpreters are consumers of computer hardwareand software, technical publications and reference books, office products, and much more.
For additional information, please contact Matt Hicks, McNeill Group Inc.; [email protected]; (215) 321-9662,ext. 19; Fax: (215) 321-9636.
From the PresidentBroadening Our Public Relations Stance
Scott [email protected]
T he American TranslatorsAssociation has made tremen-dous strides in media relations
in the past three years under the lead-ership of Public Relations CommitteeCo-chairs Chris Durban and KevinHendzel. As Kevin noted in his reportto the members in Toronto, ATA isnow in the media big leagues, and isregularly cited in major print andbroadcast outlets as an authority ontranslation and interpreting in theU.S. (Kevin’s comments appear onpage 15). With support from an expe-rienced media consulting firm, we nolonger wait for reporters to come tous. We take the story to them:
Whether you’re at the CIA, DellComputer, or even in county gov-ernment, translation errors can becostly, even disastrous. Thebottom line: you can’t risk gettingtranslation wrong. You need aqualified, professional translatoror interpreter to get it right(Soundbite: 11.73 seconds).
Now we are ready to broaden ourpublic relations stance. I take thisopportunity to announce that IsabelFramer and Cynthia Roat have joinedLillian Clementi, Amanda Ennis,
Rudy Heller, Neil Inglis, RinaNe’eman, and Alexandra Russell-Bitting as active members of ATA’smedia relations team. Both have beenactive spokeswomen on issuesdirectly affecting court interpretersand translators, medical and commu-nity interpreters, and by extension therights of limited-English-proficient(LEP) communities throughout thecountry. Both are longtime ATAmembers and bring an impressive listof advocacy credits.
Isabel Framer serves on the board ofthe National Association of JudiciaryInterpreters and Translators (NAJIT,www.najit.org), whose mission is “tobe a leader in promoting quality inter-pretation and translation services in thejudicial system.” Isabel devotes muchtime to advocating for standards,training, and the certification of judi-ciary interpreters and translators.
Cynthia Roat is a past co-chair of the National Council onInterpreting in Health Care(www.ncihc.org), which seeks “topromote culturally competent profes-sional healthcare interpreting as ameans to support equal access tohealthcare for individuals with lim-ited English proficiency.” ATA mem-bers may also remember her from the
“Language and Health Care in Crisis”panel at ATA’s 2003 Annual Confer-ence in Phoenix.
NAJIT Chair Alexander Rainofand I share high hopes that Isabel’sand Cindy’s involvement will sub-stantially broaden our PR outreach asa profession. Regardless of our line ofwork (judicial, medical, technical,diplomatic, literary, commercial,community), translators and inter-preters in this country have a similarcore message to deliver. Each bringsspecial expertise in different issuesand fields. We rely on limited volun-teer time and energy to reach ourtarget audience. Voices in unison arestronger than in isolation. A unitedPR strategy makes sense.
It also illustrates ATA’s deep com-mitment to interpreters and the issuesaffecting them in their daily work, aswell as to the LEP communities they serve.
In closing, I want to thank AnnMacfarlane for coming to ATA with theidea for this PR partnership. An ATApast-president who now serves asNAJIT’s executive director, Ann is, inmy view, the most potent creative forcein translation and interpreting today.
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 11
From the President-ElectWake Up and Smell the Coffee...
Marian S. [email protected]
...Seattle, here we come...
A s this year’s conference organ-izer, I’m very excited about thevenue and the content for
ATA’s 46th Annual Conference,November 9-12, in Seattle,Washington. First of all, I would liketo thank the Northwest Translatorsand Interpreters Society and the localSeattle volunteer committee chairedby Caitilin Walsh for all the hardwork they have already done onlogistics, information, and sugges-tions for speakers. Have a look at thewebsite the committee has puttogether on everything you mightwant to know before you go(www.notisnet.org/ata_2005.html).
ATA Meeting Planner Teresa Kellyand I finished putting the session gridtogether (we reviewed nearly 300presentation proposals) just a weekbefore I sat down to write this update.As in past years, you will find thatour program for Seattle certainlyoffers something for everyone. Thefollowing are just a few of thedynamic educational sessions wehave scheduled for this year:
• Peter Less will be back with hisvery moving session, “Speakingwith a History Maker: AnInterpreter at the NurembergTrials,” with visuals provided byTanya Gesse.
• Among the speakers invited by thevarious divisions, look forGuillermo Cabanellas, Svetolik P.Djordjevic, Eleanor Hoague,Frédéric Houbert, Elena Howard,Liese Katschinka, MathewKundinger, Isa Mara Lando, GaiaMorandi, Lise Mourier, and EnéasTheodoro.
• In light of the strong opinions onboth sides of the MohammadYousry case—an Arabic inter-preter who was found guilty in arecent terrorism-related case—apanel presentation is planned todiscuss interpreter ethics.
• No list of ATA sessions would becomplete without citing a presen-tation by S. Edmund Berger, whowill be speaking on “The Worldof Catalysis.” Ed has been pre-senting at ATA conferences forover 20 years. Speaking of EdBerger, the American Foundationfor Translation and Interpretingwill be presenting the 2nd S.Edmund Berger Award forTechnical Translation. (SeeAFTI’s website at www.afti.orgfor more information.)
• Having received rave reviews lastyear, the Translation SupportTools Forum, planned and moder-ated by ATA Translation andComputers Committee Chair AlanMelby, is on the schedule onceagain. For more information,please view the handouts from lastyear’s Forum at www.atanet.org/conf2004/tools.
• The Japanese Language Divisionhas taken an interesting approachthis year, inviting two speakers fromindustries in which there is a lot ofwork for Japanese translators. Theywill be giving non-language-specifictechnical sessions. I hope all tech-nical translators will thank the JLDofficers for bringing industry per-sonnel to our conference.
In addition to the above sessions,look for the reappearance of some oflast year’s innovations, includingmultilingual Scrabble, Breakfast withthe Board, and the Board We AreListening session. There will also bea new association brainstorming ses-sion moderated by ATA DirectorTony Roder.
And for those of you who areready to give back to the profession,or to benefit from those generousenough to do so, Courtney Searls-Ridge is once again offeringmentor/mentee training (a prerequi-site for participating in ATA’sMentoring Program). After manyyears of informal mentoring and afew years of participating in ATA’sprogram, I can tell you that bothmentor and mentee benefit tremen-dously from a good mentoring rela-tionship. Participating in thisprogram is among the most rewardingaspects of my career.
You will enjoy Seattle. I have beenthere a couple of times in the past yearor so and enjoyed every minute... Greatfood, great scenery, and great folks!
Please take a few moments today toregister for what promises to beanother great conference! See thePreliminary Conference Program andregistration form that were mailed withthis issue. You can also visitwww.atanet.org/conf2005 to view thelatest updates and to register.
See you in Seattle!
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The ATA Chronicle | July 200512
From the TreasurerFinancial Results for 2003–2004
Jiri [email protected]
O ur independent auditor com-pleted an audit of the 18-monthperiod from January 2003 to
June 2004. This period marked thetransition from a calendar fiscal yearto a fiscal year that starts in July andruns through June. Following the six-month transitional period in the firsthalf of 2003, we completed our firstfull fiscal year period on June 30,2004. The auditor confirmed that ourbooks are in good order and conformto the regulatory requirements.
When budgeting for the six-monthtransitional period, we had to projecta loss, simply because the expenses inthe first half of each calendar yearsignificantly exceed the revenues. Webudgeted for a deficit of $87,407, butended with a much lower deficit of$32,021. For the following 12-monthperiod we had a balanced budget(with expenses equaling revenues),and ended the fiscal year with a sur-plus of $6,013.
This is a welcome trend followingthe losses in 2002, and it shows thatour efforts to reduce expenses in cer-tain areas paid off. The cost-savingmeasures included change in the pro-duction of the ATA Chronicle, as wellas the replacement of the PreliminaryConference Program book with asmaller booklet that resulted in con-siderable savings in printing andpostage. At the same time, our invest-ment account was performing wellduring the 18-month period.
The auditors made several recom-mendations to further improve ouraccounting processes and to ensureconformity with the GenerallyAccepted Accounting Principles andthe Sarbanes-Oxley Act. While thefirst is mandatory for any nonprofitorganization, the latter is voluntary inthe nonprofit world. The ATA Boardagreed to formally adopt a documentdestruction/retention policy, whistle-blower policy, and conflict-of-interest
statements in order to meet andexceed the Sarbanes-Oxley recom-mendations. The auditors also rec-ommended that we review ourinvestment portfolio to make surethat it corresponds to our conserva-tive investment policy, and that wecontinue to build up the level of ourreserve funds. Both areas have beenaddressed and will be further discussedin the next issue of the ATA Chronicle.
The budget for the July 1, 2005 –June 30, 2006 fiscal year wasapproved at the April ATA Boardmeeting and will be presented in theAugust issue. In closing, I would liketo thank all ATA Board members fortheir continued support, as well as thestaff at ATA Headquarters, in partic-ular our new Accounting Manager,Kirk Lawson, and our ExecutiveDirector, Walter Bacak, for theirexcellent performance.
First Ohio Valley Regional Interpreter ConferenceNovember 11-12, 2005
Kent State University • Kent, Ohio • www.ccio.org
The Community and Court Interpreters of the Ohio
Valley invites you to the First Ohio Valley Regional
Interpreter Conference! Many wonderful speakers,
CEUs, and networking with court and medical
interpreters from Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee! See the CCIO
website for more details: www.ccio.org.
Spread the Word!
Does your local library carry
the Chronicle? Help spread the
word about professional translation
and interpreting. Next time you
go to your local library, take a
copy of the Chronicle and
recommend that they subscribe.
You’ll be reaching out to future
colleagues and clients.
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 13
JLS Salutes the Members of the ATA at Their 46th Annual Conference
JLS Language Corporation135 Willow Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025Tel. (650) 321-9832Fax (650) 329-9864
www.jls.com
We are an established technical translation
agency located in the Silicon Valley, and have
been an active member of the ATA for many
years. We know first hand how important the
contributions that experienced and motivated
professionals like you make both to our bottom
line and to that of the clients we serve.
Thank you, translators!
OFFICE OF LANGUAGE SERVICES
U.S. Department of State
TESTING AT THE 2005 ATA CONFERENCE
Language Services recruiters will be in
Seattle November 9-13, 2005, to test
prospective contract translators. Admission
to the four-hour examination is by
invitation.
Qualified applicants in any language will
be considered, but priority will be given to
languages of the Middle East, the former
Soviet Union, and Asia.
Fax resumes to (202) 261-8807, specifying
Seattle test.
Skrivanek Translation Services North America,
which specializes in Central and Eastern
European languages, has opened a new branch
in New York City.
With a network of branches around the globe
Skrivanek Translation Services offer native-
born speakers who can take care of a project
from start to finish. Our project managers,
translators, localization, DTP and CAT tool
experts and all our professionals live and work
in the country where the target language is
spoken. This assures a quality control in addi-
tion to our already strict ISO adherence.
Skrivanek is an ISO certified company and we
proudly adhere to the ISO directives.
Contact us at our new location!
140 Broadway
46th floor
New York, NY 10005
Phone: 212-858-7500
Fax: 212-858-7750
E-mail:
Website:
www.skrivanek.com
The ATA Chronicle | July 200514
From the Executive DirectorATA in Seattle and More
Walter Bacak, [email protected]
ATA Annual Conference. The 46th Annual ConferencePreliminary Program and regis-
tration forms were mailed with thisissue of the Chronicle. Register todayfor this year’s conference, to be heldat the Westin Hotel in Seattle,Washington, November 9-12. Formore information, please read Fromthe President-Elect on page 11—Marian S. Greenfield highlights manyof the special features of the upcom-ing conference. In addition, be sure tocheck out ATA’s conference websiteat www.atanet.org/conf2005 for thelatest information, including addedsessions.
Internet Scams and Your OnlineDirectory Listing. Please continue tobe cautious with e-mail messagesfrom unknown authors. ATA mem-bers are still receiving scam e-mailmessages requesting interpretingservices from a bishop for the familyof a Ghanan prince on a sightseeingand shopping trip to [insert your townhere] for his wife and two daughterswho speak [insert your languagehere]. I can tell you from the mes-sages I have been sent that this“prince” has hundreds of offspringwho are planning days of sightseeingin such places as Bow, Washington.This is a truly polyglot family—
everything from Swedish to Spanishto Japanese and more!
As I wrote in my April column, thescammers will send a fake check,cancel the assignment, and ask you tokeep a portion of the amount for yourtroubles and cut a check for theremaining amount (usually severalthousand dollars). An added elementto this scam that has hit in the lastmonth is that Federal Express is nowinvoicing individuals who respondedto the e-mail and received the checks.Apparently, FedEx is requiringrecipients who signed for the FedExpacket containing the fraudulentcheck to pay for the shipment, basedon how the packet was shipped andthe “fine print.” I would obviouslyrecommend contesting that charge,but you could still be liable for theamount.
Another type of scam message thatappears to be making the rounds ofATA members’ inboxes is oneannouncing that the recipient of the e-mail has won $850,000 in a com-puter-generated lotto drawing in theNetherlands. If you receive such amessage, delete it.
As a result of ATA members beingtargeted by these scams, I havenoticed in scanning a proof of the2005 ATA Membership Directory that
there are definitely more incompletelistings. This has to do with ATA hon-oring members’ requests to not listsome information, such as mailingaddress, e-mail address, and/or phonenumbers in their directory listings.While I wrote about being cautious, Ialso want to make sure you do not goto the extreme and delete pertinentcontact information from your onlineprofile in the ATA Directory ofTranslation and Interpreting Services(www.atanet.org/tsd_htm). Don’tmake it too difficult for legitimateclients to contact you.
New: ATA Financial Conferenceon CD-ROM. If you were unable toattend the valuable ATA FinancialTranslation and Interpreting Conference,held this spring, you missed some greatpresentations. However, you are inluck, as almost all the presentationswere recorded and are now availableon CD-ROM. In addition, many ofthe handouts are also included. Tolearn more about the CD-ROM andto order your copy, please visitwww.atanet.org/pd/finance/cdrom.htm.
Thank you for being an ATAmember and for registering today forwhat promises to be a fun andrewarding networking and educa-tional experience in Seattle.
Report fake check scams to the National Fraud Information Center/Internet Fraud Watch, aservice of the nonprofit National Consumers League, at www.fraud.org or (800) 876-7060.That information will be transmitted to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Don’t deposit it—report it!
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 15
The following comments were pre-sented by Kevin S. Hendzel, co-chairof ATA’s Public Relations Committee,during ATA’s 45th Annual Conferencein Toronto last November.
L ast year in Phoenix I stood beforeyou to share the good news: ATAhad made it to the media big
leagues. We had delivered the ATAname into 40 million homes. We hadjust come off a year where we wererepeatedly interviewed live onnational television and radio andbeen quoted in hundreds of newspa-pers, wire service stories, and web-sites. We even made it into theInternet blogs, the ultimate sign ofgeek cool. We were quoted on themastheads of dozens of influentialnewspapers.
My message to you today is this: Itjust keeps getting better.
We have now reached a criticalmass in our public relations missionin the national and internationalmedia. Journalists, TV producers,and anchors with all the major televi-sion and radio networks contact usfirst when translation issues arise.They seek us out as authorities. Weare on a first-name basis withreporters from The New York Times,The Washington Post, USA Today,The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, LATimes, Houston Chronicle, TheAtlanta Constitution, and many othernewspapers. We continue to appearon national network television,including the CBS Evening News, CNN, CNN International,FoxNewsLive, NBC News, andNational Public Radio. Newspapersfrom Beirut to Paris to Tokyo cite ATAas the authoritative source in translation.
ATA PR Committee members,who are translators and interpretersjust like you, brief reporters, produc-ers, and journalists an average of three
times a week throughout the year. Wesometimes do this for attribution,sometimes for information, some-times for background. One way or theother, ATA is part of the story. Andwhen reporters call, everything elsestops. That translation you were doingon deadline? Sorry, it’s gotta wait.That meeting you had scheduled? It iscancelled when The New York Timescalls. That party you planned? Well, itwill go on without you. The media is
a demanding taskmaster. If you thinkwe have crazy deadlines, you shouldsee theirs. I did an interview with NBCTV two weeks ago that wrapped up at4:40 and was then edited, remixed, andincorporated for national broadcast by7:00 that evening.
Why is this important to you? Orto put it more bluntly, why shouldyou care?
Simple. If you want more work inthis industry, if you want to earn bet-ter rates, if you want to have profes-sional recognition, the public mustknow you exist. They must know youare necessary. They must know youare worth the money you charge.They must know that they are in verydeep and serious trouble without you.These are our talking points. This iswhat we tell the media. Endlessly.Over and over and over.
The way to think of ATA publicrelations is that we are communicatingwith the clients you don’t have yet. We
are communicating with the clientsyou are going to have tomorrow. Youneed these clients. These are theclients we drive to ATA’s website; theclients who didn’t know translatorsexist (the ones who think all transla-tion is done by software). These areclients who are surprised to find thatthere is an American TranslatorsAssociation. These are clients that,five years ago, would have been lostto you. The media provides us accessto these clients. The media also pro-vides us access to decision-makerswho influence public policy. It’s whysenators rise on the floor of the U.S.Senate and demand to know why pro-fessional translators are not beinghired by the federal government. Howdo we know they got this idea fromATA? Because they say so. They citeATA on national television as theauthoritative source.
The ATA is an association of, by,and about professional translators andinterpreters. It is an association of prac-titioners. Only translators and inter-preters vote. Only translators and inter-preters hold office. Only translators andinterpreters determine the direction ofthe association. How can it be that theassociation of practitioners—the trans-lators and interpreters themselves—hasthe premier national reputation in themedia, government, and industry? Howcrazy is that? In how many industriesdo the practitioners get cited rather thanthe big, influential companies in thatindustry? When was the last time yousaw Microsoft tell the media, “it’s notimportant what we think, ask our pro-grammers what they think.” That’s thereality of what ATA has accomplished.The national media, government, andindustry care about what translatorsand interpreters think. They care whatall of you think. How great is that?
The people you have to thank forthis are seated in front of you ➡
“…Newspapers fromBeirut to Paris to Tokyo
cite ATA as theauthoritative source in
translation…”
ATA and the National Media: Association BecomesRecognized Authority on Translation IssuesBy Kevin S. Hendzel
The ATA Chronicle | July 200516
today. They took a risk on an idea thata group of activists came up with, andbacked us with unwavering confi-dence, recognition, and goodwill.This was an act of remarkable trust—allowing a group to speak on behalf ofthe association to millions of peopleto promote the best interests of themembers. The group they entrustedwith this mission consists of very spe-cial and talented translators and inter-preters, including my own personalhero, Gode Medal winner, journalist,and financial translator extraordi-naire, Chris Durban, who has donemore for translation than anybodysince Saint Jerome. Contributingremarkable talent, enthusiasm, cre-ativity, and hard work are LillianClementi, Amanda Ennis, AlexandraRussell-Bitting, Neil Inglis, RinaNe’eman, Rudy Heller, Isabel Framer,and Cindy Roat.
None of this would have been pos-sible without the unwavering supportand enthusiastic backing of ATAPresident Scott Brennan, ATAPresident-elect Marian Greenfield,and the rest of ATA’s Board ofDirectors. It’s been a great start.We’ve only just begun.
Press Coverage (excluding nationalcoverage of the Phoenix conference)
November 18, 2003 The Associated Press“Lack of Arabic Speakers Hurts U.S.Around the World,” by DarleneSupervilleAlso appeared in: Chattanooga Times Free PressThe Miami Herald
November 19, 2003 Detroit News “Translators Ease Barriers: An Influx
of Foreign Students Sparks Need,”by Margarita Bauza
November 19, 2003Detroit Metro News“Euro Intoxication,” by Lisa M.Collins
November 19, 2003 The Bulletin’s Frontrunner“U.S. Intelligence Agencies, MilitaryStill Suffering Shortage of ArabicSpeakers,” by Bulletin staff
November 20, 2003 The Washington Post“Woman Hopes Cards Translate intoSuccess; Entrepreneur GreetsHolidays in 40 Languages,” bySabrina Jones
December 1, 2003 Marine Corps Times“Frontlines,” by Denise Gould
December 12, 2003 Voice Of America“Arabic Translator Shortage,” byAndrew Baroch
December 19, 2003 The Associated Press“Pentagon Relies on Contractors to FillVoid for Interpreters,” by Sarah Coffey
December 20, 2003CBS Evening News“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy hasCost Military Valuable Soldiers,” byAnthony Mason and Joie Chen
December 21, 2003Buffalo News“Translator Talks the Talk,” byLouise Continelli
December 27, 2003Syndicated columnist Bill Tammeus’article, “Meaningful Quotes of ’03,”ran in several papers:Kansas City StarAkron Beach JournalSaint Paul Pioneer PressDuluth News-TribuneContra Costa TimesThe Miami Herald
February 1, 2004Hartford Courant“Arabic Instruction Catches onSlowly,” by Penelope Overton
February 4, 2004The Progressive“Lost In Translation”
February 16, 2004Rochester Democrat and Chronicle“Starting the Conversation,” byRobin Flanigan
March 8, 2004Decision Times“Speaking Up; Demand forTranslators and Interpreters MakesYour Foreign Language SkillsValuable,” by Tranette Ledford
March 18, 2004Austin American-Statesman“Freedom of Ideas,” by Scott Sexton
April 4, 2004L.A. Magazine“Found in Translation,” by Tamar Brott
ATA and the National Media: Association Becomes Recognized Authority on Translation Issues Continued
Continued on p.29
Check out ATA’s Guide toContinuing Education Points
See page 51 for details.
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 17
T he wake-up call came in theform of one of our darkestmoments in recent history—
September 11, 2001. During reliefefforts, workers were unable to com-municate effectively with victims andtheir relatives who were not nativeEnglish speakers. Bilingual volun-teers from the American Red CrossLanguage Bank rushed to the scene,but did not have the professionalinterpreting skills necessary to meetthe demand.
To help remedy this problem, ATAmember Rosa Villoch-Santiago, ofthe Red Cross Corporate DiversityDepartment, steered her boss DeberaHayward to our association. At ATA’s44th Annual Conference in Phoenix,Rosa met with ATA President ScottBrennan, who contacted ATA’sInterpreters Division for help withlooking for a possible solution. It wasthrough this collaboration that theidea for the Crisis Network LanguageSupport Project was born.
Many months, conversations,e-mails, and conference calls later,we have a letter of agreement, an out-line, a pilot project in development,and a force of over 50 ATA volunteers
nationwide who have joined the pro-gram. Some of these volunteers haveagreed to serve as coordinators andco-coordinators in the eight RedCross Service Areas (SAs) across thecountry.
Under the agreement, the RedCross will provide training, coordi-nate efforts before and during crisissituations, appoint a representative inthe SAs to be the contact for our vol-unteers, and direct volunteers duringactual crisis situations. ATA, through
its Interpreters Division, will promote the initiative, recruit volun-teers from the membership, andcoordinate them.
Each of the eight SAs has beenassigned a coordinator and co-coordi-nator who are ATA members. Theseindividuals will serve as the liaisons
between the Red Cross and volun-teers (see the list at the end of thisarticle for SAs in your area), and willassist in creating one or two DisasterRelief Teams in each SA.
The first pilot program will beheld in Worcester, Massachusetts.Rudy Heller, coordinator, andCaterina Vaseli Sullivan, co-coordi-nator, will work with Pat Simmons,American Red Cross NortheastService Area Manager ofPreparedness and Response, toorganize the training programs andvolunteers.
The first training sessions willconsist of courses on disaster serv-ices, community relations, and firstaid. The schedule calls for the pilotprogram to be online and for the firstgroup of professional interpreter vol-unteers to be ready by September.
To learn more about this projectand sign up, come to the panel pres-entation during ATA’s 46th AnnualConference in Seattle (November 9-12) or contact Giovanna Lester [email protected].
“…Over 50 ATA volunteersnationwide have joined the
program…”
ATA and American Red Cross Partner for PreparednessBy Giovanna Lester
Red Cross DRC ATA Liaisons
Birmingham Dennis Hale – CoordinatorElena Goldis – Co-coordinator
Cincinnati Muna Abdi – CoordinatorColette Ferran – Co-coordinator
Des Moines Patricia Hillock – CoordinatorSuzanne Strugalla – Co-coordinator
Las Vegas Nelson MacKenna – CoordinatorElizabeth Walsh – Co-coordinator
Red Cross Disaster Relief Centers and ATA Liaisons
Red Cross DRC ATA Liaisons
Houston Fily Lerten – CoordinatorJennifer Hammond – Co-coordinator
Sacramento Peter Gergay – CoordinatorClaudia Kellersch – Co-coordinatorMireille Gaonac’h – Co-coordinator
Raleigh Cristina Krasny – CoordinatorPatricia Chávez-Dietz – Co-coordinator
Worcester Rudy Heller – CoordinatorCaterina Sullivan – Co-coordinator
The ATA Chronicle | July 200518
S chool may be out, but school out-reach is still in session. Eventhough entries are no longer
being accepted for the 2005 SchoolOutreach Contest, many new develop-ments are underway, including a newcontest in 2006, approval of ContinuingEducation points for school outreach,and a joint ATA/NAJIT presentation atthis year’s conference of the AmericanCouncil on the Teaching of ForeignLanguages.
And the Winner Is…After a final reminder on July 11,
ATA’s first School Outreach Contestclosed on July 15. Over the next fewweeks, ATA’s Public RelationsCommittee Co-Chair Chris Durbanand PR Committee members LillianClementi and Amanda Ennis willjudge the entries and select the winner,who will receive free registration toATA’s 2005 Annual Conference inSeattle, November 9-12. The winningcontestant will be notified no later thanMonday, August 15, 2005. Plans forSeattle include a brief ceremony hon-oring the winner and a display ofschool outreach photographs with cap-tions identifying each presenter.
The Big EasyIn response to lively member
interest, ATA will run a new SchoolOutreach Contest throughout theentire 2005-2006 academic year, pro-viding plenty of opportunities foreveryone to enter. The prize will befree registration to ATA’s 2006Annual Conference, November 2-5,in sultry, sassy New Orleans. And ifyou use the tips and ready-madeschool outreach materials atwww.atanet.org/ata_school/welcome.htm,preparing and delivering an effectiveschool outreach presentation really iseasy—it can take as little as three orfour hours. With the new school year
only a few weeks away, it’s not toosoon to start planning. Jazz and jam-balaya are waiting.
Extra Credit: Continuing EducationEven if you don’t win the contest,
making a presentation at your localschool is more rewarding than ever, nowthat ATA has approved school outreachfor Category B Continuing Education(CE) points. Effective July 1, 2005, eachhour of presentation time earns two CEpoints, subject to a maximum of four
points in each three-year reportingperiod. Two or more presentations ofless than 60 minutes may be combinedto reach the one-hour mark, and noadvance approval is required. Forms andadditional information on school out-reach and CE points are available onATA’s website on both the SchoolOutreach Welcome Page (www.atanet.org/ata_school/welcome.htm) and theContinuing Education page(www.atanet.org/bin/view.pl/285.html,scroll down to “About ContinuingEducation Points”).
Speaker SystemAs ATA’s public relations effort
continues to raise the profile of ourprofession, ATA Headquarters isreceiving an increasing number ofrequests for speakers in schools anduniversities across the country. Untilnow, however, the association has hadno ready-made system for respondingto these requests. Enter the SchoolOutreach Speakers Bureau, which will
enable Headquarters and the PublicRelations Committee to streamline theresponse process. Organized like aphone tree and based on ATA’s existingregional groups, the Speakers Bureau isstructured around a small group ofregional coordinators, each armed witha list of volunteers willing to make pre-sentations in local schools. When ATAgets a request from a school, it will berelayed from Headquarters to the appro-priate regional coordinator, who willthen contact the list of volunteers, iden-tify any takers, and put them in touchwith the school. E-mail should make allof this so quick and easy to do thatregional coordinators will probablyneed to devote only about an hour ortwo per month to the task. Speakers willalways have the option of declining aninvitation if the timing or location isn’tconvenient, and they can ask to beremoved from the list at any time.
As organizers have stepped upefforts to recruit both speakers andcoordinators for the Speakers Bureau,ATA’s recently formed alliance withthe National Association of JudiciaryInterpreters and Translators (NAJIT,www.najit.org) has begun to pay divi-dends. A number of NAJIT membershave already joined their ATA col-leagues in volunteering, and future win-ners of NAJIT’s own Student Outreachscholarships may also be asked to makepresentations to other students. Tobuild even more efficiency into theprocess, the School Outreach websitewill soon include online sign-up forspeakers and coordinators.
Cranking Up the VolumeAs the Speakers Bureau staffs up,
supply will be in place, and organ-izers will stoke demand by submit-ting articles to journals forschoolteachers and other educationprofessionals. PR Committeemember Amanda Ennis has
“…ATA has now approvedschool outreach for
Category B ContinuingEducation points…”
No Summer Vacation for School Outreach
By Amanda Ennis and Lillian Clementi
➡
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 19
Getting the GigSeveral would-be presenters have contacted us to ask for advice on contacting schools and arranging a presentation. Here are some tips.
• Who do you know? It’s always easiest to go to a school where you have some kind of personal connection. The most obvious one would be the school(s) your children attend, but there are many other possibilities. Maybe the local high school’sSpanish teacher is a member of your church, or your sister-in-law is a guidance counselor at a school across town. Perhapsyour next-door neighbor or tennis partner is a college professor. If you look around at work or in your community, you prob-ably know someone who can smooth the way for you to speak at a school in your area.
• But I don’t know anyone! Really! Okay, don’t panic. If you don’t have a personal connection to a local school, ask yourself these questions:
1. What local schools/universities are convenient for me?2. Of those, which school/age level strikes me as the most appealing or fun? 3. Would I like to include materials from one of my working languages, and if so, which local schools offer classes in
one or more of them?
When you’re ready to contact the school, remember that websites aren’t just for universities any more—many lower-level schools now have them, too. It’s surprisingly easy to get the name, phone number, and/or e-mail address of exactly the right person from the Web. Be sure to ask if the school has a career day, career week, or annual job fair, since many schools are delighted to get speakers for these events. And there’s no need to limit yourself to classes that are learning your languages. Many school outreach presentations are entirely language-independent, so it’s strictly a matter of preference.
• Okay, I picked a school and contacted them, but now they want more information. They seem tothink I’m some kind of weirdo. What should I do? You can mail, fax, or e-mail a packet including:
1. Your resume or professional profile;2. The URL for your website, if you have one. If you’re listed in ATA’s online Directory of Translation and Interpreting
Services, you can also give them that URL (www.americantranslators.org/tsd_listings);3. The URL for ATA’s School Outreach Welcome Page (www.atanet.org/ata_school/welcome.htm), which explains
why we’re interested in school outreach and provides sample outlines and materials;4. A copy of the President’s Message from the April 2005 issue of the ATA Chronicle (also available in pdf form at
www.atanet.org/ata_school/welcome.htm) that explains how we wish to intensify our school outreach efforts as partof the “2005 Year of Languages” initiative;
5. A cover letter.
• You’re kidding, right? I don’t have time to write a cover letter—and anyway, what would I say? Try this:
An astonishing number of teachers in the United States are unfamiliar with the translation and interpreting professions andare actually discouraging their students from studying foreign languages because they believe there are no jobs other than teach-ing—this at a time when language capabilities are more critical to our national security and economic success than ever before.
While many Americans still believe that “everyone speaks English,” recent events have begun to undermine this stub-bornly entrenched idea. The intelligence failures preceding the attacks of September 11 and the subsequent experienceof our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq have made it very clear that the U.S. is in desperate need of competent linguistsfor our military and intelligence communities. As recently as September of 2004, The New York Times and TheWashington Post reported that the FBI had still not cleared its backlog of untranslated terror-related material. And apresidential panel recently found that our embassy personnel are failing to communicate with audiences in their hostcountries, in large part because their language skills are inadequate. At home, translation and interpreting are increas-ingly important to law enforcement, the courts, healthcare professionals, schools, and local governments as immigrantpopulations with limited English proficiency move into heartland states such as Georgia, Michigan, and Nebraska.
I would be delighted to speak to your [description of school and class] on these vital and growing careers. My pres-entation will briefly introduce translation and interpreting and describe the skills and educational background theyrequire. I will include the following points: [Here you can insert your own bullet points or adapt material from the“What to Say” sections of ATA’s School Outreach resource center. Go to www.atanet.org/ata_school/welcome.htm,scroll down to LINKS, click on the appropriate age level, and copy and paste as needed].
I am enclosing/attaching [list whatever you’re sending to establish your bona fides—see items 1-5 above]. I wouldbe delighted to answer any questions you may have once you have had a chance to review this material.
To get this text in soft copy, go to the School Outreach Welcome Page at www.atanet.org/ata_school/welcome.htm, scroll downto LINKS, and click on “Getting the Gig.” Just add a complimentary greeting and closing, print it out on your business sta-tionery, and voilà—instant cover letter.
• What if the school still isn’t satisfied? Refer the school to ATA Executive Director Walter Bacak at ATAHeadquarters.
The ATA Chronicle | July 200520
No Summer Vacation for School Outreach Continued
already surveyed a small group ofteachers and guidance counselors inher area to identify appropriate publica-tions and begin developing content.The next step will be drafting a genericarticle on careers in translation andinterpreting that can then be tailored forplacement in each targeted publication.Each piece will present ATA’s corepublic relations message, direct readersto ATA’s School Outreach website, andencourage them to contact ATA aboutgetting a speaker.
Also in the works is a new featurethat will allow schools and universi-ties to find local speakers directly,using a database similar to ATA’sonline Directory of Translation andInterpreting Services. Like the onlineservices directory, the new database willinclude only those speakers who havegranted express permission to be listed.
An ACTFL for the Teacher In an exciting development along
these same lines, ATA and NAJITlearned recently that they havereceived approval for a joint presenta-tion on translation and interpretingcareers at the 2005 conference of theAmerican Council on the Teaching ofForeign Languages (ACTFL,www.actfl.org), slated for Novemberin Baltimore, Maryland. In his columnon ACTFL’s Year of Languages (April2005 Chronicle), ATA President ScottBrennan asked, “What can we dospecifically to address misperceptionsamong teachers and language learners,who should be our natural allies?” Oneanswer to his question is this ground-breaking outreach effort, the brainchildof NAJIT Executive Director and pastATA President Ann Macfarlane. Intheir ACTFL session, NAJIT’s
Michael Piper and ATA’s LillianClementi will address common mis-perceptions about translation and inter-preting, present samples of schooloutreach material, and showcasepublic relations videos developed byATA. Both associations view the pres-entation as an important step towardscloser cooperation with languageteachers, as well as a valuable meansof communicating with a critical audi-ence in a new and more direct way.
School outreach is an easy and effec-tive way to influence not only yourfuture colleagues, but your futureclients as well. If you’re interested insupporting this effort in any capacity,please contact Amanda Ennis at [email protected] or LillianClementi at [email protected].
Second Annual School Outreach Contest
Join ATA’s School Outreach movement and start educating clients one classroom at a time.
It’s easy • It’s fun • It’s free… and it could win you free registration to next year’s conference in New Orleans, November 2-5, 2006.
Here’s how:
1. Visit the ATA School Outreach Welcome Page at www.atanet.org/ata_school/welcome.htm.2. Pick the age level you like the best and click on it.3. Download a presentation and deliver it at your local school or university.4. Get someone to take a picture of you in the classroom.5. Send it to ATA’s Public Relations Committee at [email protected] (subject line: School Outreach Contest) or to 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314. Please include your name and contact information, the date, the school’s name and location, and a brief description of the class. The deadline for submissions is July 14, 2006.
The best photograph wins free registration to ATA’s 2006 Annual Conference in New Orleans! The winner will be contacted no later thanAugust 18, 2006. You may submit multiple entries, and any member of ATA or of any ATA-affiliated organization is eligible to enter.
Any questions? Contact:Amanda Ennis, [email protected] Clementi, [email protected]
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 21
T wo recent forays into client ter-ritory yielded comments worthpondering for professional
translators keen to pitch their servicesto demanding buyers. But the samestatements may be of interest toservice providers convinced thatpublic relations starts at home. Afterall, anyone seeking to raise the pro-file of his or her profession could doworse than step into the target audi-ence’s shoes.
First came the confirmation thatthe “translation errors can be costly,even catastrophic” mantra underpin-ning ATA’s own PR drive is verypresent in the minds of customers,especially ones who have taken thecritical first steps down the clienteducation trail. Secondly, this samegroup of on-the-way-to-being-edu-cated buyers of translations appearsfar more aware of the relativestrengths and weaknesses of differentsupplier profiles than many transla-tors think. While they may not know(yet) exactly what they want, theydefinitely know what they do notwant. Which is encouraging.
The first comments came fromend clients contacted prior to around-table discussion organized inParis by French translators’ associa-tion Société française des traducteurs(SFT) in March.
Entitled “Translators andTranslation Companies: What PriceTranslation?” the event drew some 100freelance translators and agency repre-sentatives from France and neighboringcountries for a two-hour, five-memberpanel discussion followed by a ques-tion-and-answer session. While pricingwas clearly on many attendees’ minds(addressed openly and with admirabletransparency by panel members), thediscussion was wide-ranging, covering
not just price-per-word, but businessmodels, working conditions, sur-charges, market segments and more.1
Both speakers and audience agreed onthe usefulness of getting this informa-tion out into the public arena.
To liven up the exchanges (andimpose a reality check if speakers gottoo vague, self-promotional, or self-righteous), the organizers solicitedcomments in advance from a half-dozen buyers of translation. Notintermediaries, but actual customers,representing a range of different sec-tors and “translation products.”2
“We will have a hundred transla-tion providers in a room this Saturdaymorning,” these nonlinguists weretold. “You’ve bought at least onetranslation this year. If you werethere on Saturday, what would youwant to say to them about your needs,your priorities, and your experiencewith translation vendors?”
Plenty, it seemed. Starting withreminders of the sheer frustrationbuyers feel when they are aware thatthey cannot really judge what theyare purchasing. For these respondentswere fairly critical: “Our experienceswith translation suppliers, both free-lance and companies, are mixed,”
noted one, adding “We’ve learned tobe wary—extremely wary—of anysupplier who claims to be able totranslate anything and everything intoand out of any language.” The sameexecutive had learned at her ownexpense that “you can’t delegateeverything; you have to keep an eyeon what is going on.”
Another translation consumerunderscored how frustrating it is for aclient not to be able to speak directlyto the translator—presumably incases where a job was being brokeredby an intermediary. “Workingthrough a project manager or coordi-nator is stressful; we always wonderif the formulations are really right,especially when we don’t master thelanguage being translated into.” Forthis manager, direct contact with thetranslator would have been reas-suring. There was irritation, too, atthe musical chair approach to clientservice: “It is frustrating to deal witha different translator for each job,even if we have got a basic glossary.”
The F-word returned in yet anotherbuyer’s insight: “We are industrialists,not linguists. We would like to be ableto trust suppliers in your industry, butwe have observed first-hand that therereally is no guarantee, regardless ofthe lofty declarations in glossybrochures. It is frustrating.” This con-tact’s company, listed on the Parisstock exchange, had been burnedwhen a freelance translator workingfor a well-known translation agencysubmitted a substandard job and theagency reviser failed to notice—despite the stringent quality controlprocedures prominently displayed onthe agency’s website.
The bottom line? Translators whocomplain about client ignorancemight do well to reflect on the stressfacing nonlinguists charged withbuying a Japanese, Spanish, or
Business Outreach: What Do Clients Want?Received Wisdom RevisitedBy Chris Durban
“…Clients’ texts are theirbabies—they want them tonot only survive but thrive,
and the translationindustry has not beenparticularly good ateducating its own
members on how tocomply…”
➡
The ATA Chronicle | July 200522
Greek version of a critical brochure,speech, or website. It’s a jungle outthere, and a jungle all the wilder foroccasional buyers. Clients’ texts aretheir babies—they want them to notonly survive but thrive, and the trans-lation industry has not been particu-larly good at educating its ownmembers on how to comply.
Action point? For translation sup-pliers reading this article, addressingclient frustration head on can pay off.Concretely, before making that pitch,posting that plug, talking up your prac-tice to a new prospect, how will youresolve the quality assurance dilemma,how will you bring your new cus-tomers into the translation process?For that is precisely where they need tobe, and where the good ones (or thosewith promise) want to be.
You won’t get them involved bythrowing another glossy brochure atthem, that’s for sure. Nor by spreadingyourself too thin. Nor by blandifyingtexts into oblivion rather than askquestions of their authors to clarifymeaning. Nor, above all, by claimingthat “clients don’t want to getinvolved.” Because the good ones do.The bad ones with promise can bebrought around with time and effort.And the no-hopers can be safely leftwith their translator counterparts—who are fairly numerous, according tothis client sample.
The second round of customercomments came when I was preparinga session for the recent ATA financialtranslation conference in Jersey City.Here, my brief was to interview adozen nonlinguists with senior posi-tions in the financial services industryin order to find out where they thoughtthe market was going. More specifi-cally, respondents were asked to iden-tify hot topics that translators should
bone up on now so as to be the rightperson in the right place at the righttime as translation needs emerge overthe next 18 months.
Fifteen interviews later, the topicscited were not really surprising:International Financial ReportingStandards; Sarbanes-Oxley; corporategovernance; audit procedures and dis-closure in general; corporate respon-sibility and sustainable development;human resource management; collat-eralized debt obligation and deriva-tives; regulatory issues, especiallyrelated to EU directives (the marketsurveyed was in France, after all); andmergers and acquisitions.
Yet beyond the subject matter,these respondents’ spontaneous com-ments on the specific skills and atti-tudes they seek from translationsuppliers were, once again, extremelyuseful for translators looking tolaunch outreach efforts to industry—or simply beef up their own business.
For obvious reasons, these deci-sion-makers have no patience withgeneralist translators muddlingthrough. “Our suppliers have to be upon the concepts and jargon used inour sector; if not, they are wasting mytime,” said one.
“Speed, flexibility, and respon-siveness” were the priorities foranother respondent, along with “apersonal relationship—I can’t workwith a company that has 150 transla-tors on its books. I’m looking for thesame type of personal contact youhave with a lawyer or a certifiedpublic accountant.” So much for themyth that major corporations willonly work with large translation sup-pliers; clearly anonymity does notappeal in some areas.
Acknowledging that translationgoes beyond word transposition,another respondent remarked thattranslators “contaminated” by a
language and culture other than theone into which they translate can be aproblem. Style suffers: “You have toget into the mind of the reader; even a‘quality translation’ is not enough ifthe translator has stuck to the wordsrather than the ideas.”
At no point did any of these respon-dents mention money or budget as keyissues or stumbling blocks.
Spontaneous, unprompted responseslike these are food for thought for anyquality translation supplier. They cer-tainly discredit gloom-mongers’ claimsthat all clients are clueless penny-pinchers. In addition, such commentsgive PR-oriented practitioners:1) hooks to capture other customers’attention by disseminating the “go pro-fessional, go quality” message; and 2) contacts for best-practice profiles.
The fact that “the translationmarket” is comprised of hundreds ofmarket segments is not news toanyone who has conducted even acursory review. And, of course, sur-veys by a single translation providerwill be, by definition, skewed. Yet thefact that the comments in this articleare drawn from only a half-dozensegments does not detract from theirvalue as a starting point for analyzingnonlinguists’ perceptions of priori-ties. Why shouldn’t local andregional translator groups poll trans-lation buyers to see where their realconcerns lie—and then help membersaddress that level of service?
Notes1. A transcript is being prepared and
will be posted on the SFT websiteat www.sft.fr (in French, of course).
2. Respondents included the head of
Continued on p.25
Business Outreach: What Do Clients Want? Received Wisdom Revisited Continued
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 23
T he spring of 2005 was anextraordinary period forincreased awareness about the
role of judiciary interpreters. Theconviction of Mohammad Yousry inJanuary led to a flurry of articles,e-mails, and concerned exchanges.ATA and the National Association ofJudiciary Interpreters and Translators(NAJIT) decided early on to issue apublic statement highlighting thecomplex role of judiciary interpretersto help novice interpreters and trans-lators, legal professionals, and gov-ernment agencies better understandthe profession.
The Yoursy case is not the onlytime an interpreter has been chargedwith a crime. Like any other profes-sion, interpreting is not immune tounethical practices. In one instance,two interpreters assisted undocu-mented migrant workers in obtainingfalse identification from theDepartment of Motor Vehicles. Theinterpreters knew what was going on,but assumed they were immune fromcriminal charges since they weremerely providing interpretation. Bothinterpreters were convicted of con-spiracy to commit fraud against a gov-ernment entity and were sentenced totwo and five years in jail, respectively.
In another recent case, an inter-preter allegedly offered to providelegal counsel to limited-English-proficient (LEP) defendants and filelegal documents. The interpreter wascharged with the unauthorized prac-tice of law and obtaining property byfalse pretence.
Unfortunately, the unethical prac-tices committed knowingly or becauseof an interpreter’s lack of training orknowledge are not just problems spe-cific to interpreters. The criminal jus-tice system in the U.S. consists ofnumerous players, including the stateand federal governments, the courts,
law enforcement officials, social serv-ices, correction agencies, and attorneysfor the defense and prosecution. Toomany of these entities are unaware ofthe role of interpreters and the properprocedures for working with them.This ignorance jeopardizes the integrityof our justice system.
Although the U.S. Constitutiondoes not make any specific referenceto the right to an interpreter, if aperson does not speak English andfaces criminal or civil action, all theparties in the judicial process need tounderstand each other. Otherwise, theconstitutional safeguards afforded toeveryone under the law could not be
provided. Therefore, an interpretermust be summoned to assist all theparties and to help ensure due processand equal protection under the law.
When a defendant does notreceive due process because he or shecannot competently communicate, acase could be jeopardized. Forexample, the Lowell Sun recentlyreported that a Supreme JudicialCourt in Massachusetts overturned aconviction in the murder of threeboys because a Khmer-speakingofficer had read the suspect hisMiranda rights in flawed Khmer.
There can also be tragic conse-quences when law enforcement fails touse qualified interpreters. In one case,people died in an apartment fire in alarge city in the Midwest. Spanishspeakers had called 911, but there wereno Spanish-speaking personnel on call.
When it comes to language services,
all the stakeholders in the judicialsystem need to be educated about inter-preting and set standards for workingwith interpreters. They need to under-stand that just because someone saysthey are bilingual does not mean thatthey can interpret or translate. Onlytrained, experienced, professionalinterpreters and translators have theexpertise to provide those services andto help the courts and other governmententities learn about and understand ourprofession.
The interpreter’s role in the justicesystem is actually fairly simple interms of ethics and procedures. Theinterpreter’s job is to place a non-English speaker in the same positionas an English speaker. It is not theinterpreter’s role to make sure thatthe non-English speaker understandsthe content, but only to interpret whatis being said. Interpreters cannotpractice law without a license andcannot allow themselves to be used inthe commission of fraud or othercrimes. Moreover, court interpreterscannot convey sympathy or affectionto a defendant or victim, but mustmaintain impartiality.
When interpreters step out of theirappointed role, the integrity of thejudicial system is jeopardized. Anydeparture from accepted practiceleaves interpreters open to challengesand may result in unfair convictionsor dismissals, not to mention divertedinvestigations. Given the increase inthe LEP population and heightenednational security concerns, we mustall work together to bridge the gapbetween the stakeholders in the jus-tice system. Together, ATA andNAJIT can be a stronger voice ineducating the judiciary about ourexpertise and professional standards.Now is the time to do it.
Justice May Be Blind, But She Cannot Be Deaf
By Isabel Framer
“…When interpreters stepout of their appointed role,the integrity of the judicialsystem is jeopardized…”
The ATA Chronicle | July 200524
This article was published in the April2005 issue of IDBAmérica, the onlinemagazine of the Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank.
A Washington, DC area trans-lator was recently browsingthe “New in Hardcover” sec-
tion in a large chain bookstore. To hersurprise, she noticed the title DonQuixote in gold letters on a bright redcover, with a blurry medievalknight’s helmet in the background.Sure enough, it was the classicSpanish novel by Miguel deCervantes. The reader’s surprise soonturned to excitement when she read“A new translation by EdithGrossman” just below the author’sname, right there on the cover.
An award-winning literary trans-lator who has brought such major con-temporary Latin American writers asGabriel García Márquez and MarioVargas Llosa to English-speaking
readers, Grossman recently visited theInter-American Development Bankheadquarters to discuss translatingDon Quixote. The lecture, organizedby the IDB Cultural Center and co-sponsored by the Embassy of Spain,kicked off the 400th anniversary of thenovel’s first publication.
In an interview with IDBAmérica,Grossman described her backgroundas a translator. Inspired by her highschool Spanish teacher, she majored in
Spanish at the University ofPennsylvania. Her original focus onpeninsular Spanish led her to study inSpain as a Fulbright scholar. Askedhow she became interested in LatinAmerican literature, she had a one-word answer, “Neruda,” referring tothe Chilean poet. Although she hadplanned to become a critic, once askedto translate something, she discoveredshe loved the work and eventually leftteaching to translate full-time.
So just how does a translator conveya 17th-century book from Spain toAmerican readers in the 21st century?The language wasn’t incomprehensiblewhen Cervantes wrote it, explainedGrossman, so she used “real English”in the translation. English has changedmuch more over the centuries thanSpanish, she said, so Shakespeare isharder for English-speakers to readthan Cervantes is for Spanish-speakers.
Shared Human Experience Human experience stays basically
the same, Grossman pointed out;only the “surfaces” vary from placeto place and time to time. Witness,for example, the friendship betweenthe title character Don Quixote andhis loyal squire, Sancho Panza. It isthis shared human experience, saidGrossman, that allows us to translatebooks from other times and places.
Not that she didn’t feel some trep-idation when she was approached bythe publisher about taking on such adaunting project. She wondered, forexample, if she needed to read fourcenturies of scholarship and 20 pre-vious English translations beforetranslating Don Quixote. She decidedshe didn’t. Besides, she only had atwo-year contract with the publisher.
To bridge the “temporal distance”with Cervantes’ world, Grossmansaid she relied on her universitystudies of Spain’s Golden Age, butwondered if that would be enough.For lexical difficulties, she was usedto consulting with the author and“kind, patient, and generous friends”from the same region as the author.This time, however, she was on herown. Two other sources provedinvaluable: first, the footnotes to theSpanish edition she used by Martínde Riquer, an expert on the SpanishGolden Age; and second, a copy of a17th-century Spanish-English dic-tionary sent to her by a Mexicanwriter friend who found it in Holland.
A Utopian Undertaking It was a “privilege, honor, and
glorious opportunity” to translateCervantes, Grossman told the capacityaudience of 250 at the IDB lecture. Hestill is a modern writer, so all she had todo was approach the project as if hewere a contemporary Latin Americanwriter. The key for any literary transla-tion, she said, is to “hear” what anauthor is saying and then find a “voice”
“…The key for any literarytranslation is to ‘hear’
what an author is sayingand then find a ‘voice’ inthe target language….”
Don Quixote Rides into U.S. BookstoresTranslator Edith Grossman Brings a 17th-century Spanish Novel to American Readers
By Alexandra Russell-Bitting
The prominent display of Grossman’s transla-tion at a major bookstore is very unusual.
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 25
in the target language. Then translatorand author can start to “speaktogether”—not necessarily “in unison,”but “in harmony,” she said, until shereaches that “sweet spot” where shecan “get in the author’s head.”
Grossman discussed the “under-sung” profession of the translator indetail, decrying the contempt heapedupon it by the publishing industry.Though often considered “impossibleat best and at worst betrayal,” transla-tion is actually “decent, honorable,and possible,” she insisted. The idealin this “utopian undertaking” isfidelity, she explained, but cautionedthat fidelity “should never be con-fused with literalness.”
The Translator as Creator Languages refuse to be regulated,
she said, overflowing the bounds ofdictionaries and “in perpetual rebel-lion.” In translation, the difficulty isheightened because the second lan-guage is “just as recalcitrant.” The ideais to get the same effect, the samerhythm, in the second language as inthe original. Although no two lan-guages ever dovetail perfectly, theycan be linked in the way a photographcan be linked to movement.
Context is the key, she stressed. The“literalist trap” happens because wordsdo not “mean” in isolation. “Themeaning of a passage can almostalways be rendered, but the wordsalmost never can,” she explained. Thetranslator must do a close, critical
reading; know, feel, and intuit themeaning; and then rewrite the text andcontext. In other words, the translatoracts as a creator rather than a trans-mitter of text, becoming the “livingbridge between two realms.”
Asked how she applied thatapproach to Don Quixote, Grossmansaid that, for example, the characterDon Quixote uses language in a muchhigher register than his simple squire,Sancho. To express Don Quixote’s“elevated” language in English, shehad Don Quixote use no contractions.Where he spoke in chivalric language,which was intentionally archaic, evenfor 17th-century Spain, she usedarchaic English, like “thou hast.” Sheavoided slang because it has such ashort shelf life, so you won’t hear anexpression like “groovy” in her trans-lation of Don Quixote.
Reading for Pleasure Foreign literature in translation
accounts for a notoriously low per-centage of publications and sales inthe United States. The prominent dis-play of Grossman’s translation ofDon Quixote at a major bookstore isvery unusual for a work in transla-tion, let alone for a 400-year-oldSpanish novel. Could it be a sign ofchange? According to Grossman, thesuccess of Don Quixote is proof thatthere are more serious readers in theU.S. than the publishing industrygives us credit for. Publishers need torealize that literary fiction in transla-tion is not an “albatross around theirnecks,” she said.
In translating Don Quixote,Grossman said she did not want toput off intelligent readers. “I wantedto create a translation that could beread with pleasure,” she said, so thatEnglish-speaking readers wouldknow why the novel is considered amasterpiece, a work of literature.Thanks to her, U.S. readers can nowappreciate the opening lines of abook familiar to all Spanish-speakers: “Somewhere in LaMancha, in a place whose name I donot care to remember, a gentlemanlived not long ago, one of those whohas a lance and an ancient shield on ashelf and keeps a skinny nag and agreyhound for racing….”
Edith Grossman
in-house communications in asmall engineering company; thehead of investor relations at aFrench blue chip; the pressofficer at a leading financial
institution; a corporate communi-cations staffer in a midsize prop-erty company; the sales team at amanufacturing company; and thehead of a French government
authority that purchases texts fromoutside suppliers.
Business Outreach: What Do Clients Want? Received Wisdom Revisited Continued from p. 22
Visit www.atanet.org
The ATA Chronicle | July 200526
W hat should agency projectmanagers focus on whenlooking for a contractor?
Translation and/or interpretingskills—undoubtedly. A good level ofexperience—of course. A profes-sional demeanor—yes, yes, yes. Agood communicator—now that’s onequalification that is not always men-tioned. Why is it important? Becausenot being a good communicator sig-nificantly weakens all the otherimportant components to a successfulworking relationship. In other words,even if you are good and the agencyvalues your work, if there is aproblem with communication, youmay quickly lose your spot on the topof an agency’s list.
So what does it mean to be aneffective communicator? Let’s startwith an anecdote. For a certain lan-guage combination, our agency hasworked with another translation com-pany for quite some time, but eachtime I know there will be extra workinvolved. First, I am always relievedif the project is not a rush job,because a quick turnaround wouldgive me a major headache, especiallygiven this company’s communicationstyle. I know that when we send themsomething, I always have to followup the next day via e-mail (the com-pany is abroad, so e-mail is the pre-ferred means of communication),“just to make sure you received yes-terday’s mail.” If I am lucky, theproject manager replies to my mes-sage. More than once, it has hap-pened that a colleague answers me onthe project manager’s behalf, statingthat she is currently out of the officeand will get back to me the next day.She does get back to me the next day,or sometimes two days later, and theyare usually able to take on the project.Due to this lag in communication,however, the project manager usually
asks for an extra day. Oftentimes, Icannot get a quote before the com-pany starts the work, since this com-pany insists that the per-word price(if it is mentioned at all!) be appliedto the target word count. The projectmanager has even sent me an e-mailon the subject, stating “We haveworked with you long enough for youto know what to quote to yourclient”—come on!
Overall, the quality of the work thiscompany produces is good, and thedeadline, once negotiated, is met, andthe price usually turns out to be fine.However, as you may have noticed,something is not quite right with this
working relationship. There are toomany variables that create stress onour end. As a result, I am checkingATA’s website for other options forthis very language combination. Whatam I looking for? Someone qualified,with a good level of experience,someone professional, but mostimportantly, someone who is easy towork with and communicates well.
“Easy to work with” is what manyof our clients say about us, and it iswhat we look for in our contractors. Itmeans that once you send the projectto the contractor, you receiveacknowledgement of receipt and donot have to worry and follow up “justin case” she or he did not get it. Youalso know that unless some unfore-seen circumstances arise, the dead-line will be met and the work will begood. If you really do not hear any-thing, then you know something wentawry in the sending of the e-mail.
So what does it take to be easy towork with? In short, it means being
easy to reach either by e-mail, aphone with an answering machine, ora cell phone (especially for inter-preters). It also means being respon-sive, returning phone calls promptly,acknowledging receipt of e-mailsand/or files, reporting any problemsright away, being reliable, and beingprofessional. It all seems so easy andlogical, but I am still surprised at howdifficult this can be for some people.Looking at the daily operations of atranslation agency that deals withcontractors will provide a thoroughunderstanding of why effective com-munication is so highly valued.
Whether you contact an agency orthey contact you, either by phone orby e-mail, the first point of contact isthe first chance for communication.For us, one of the first things we’llask for is your resume, which shouldcommunicate your interest in thetranslation business, even if this isnot the only job and profession youhave. Ideally, you would list your lan-guage combination(s) at the very top.I have spoken to other project man-agers who say that if they fail to seethis crucial piece of information on aresume, they will discard it. Though Iwould not go that far, having the rel-evant information organized andreadily (visually) accessible is cer-tainly appreciated. The next step isfilling out the necessary paperwork (aconfidentiality agreement, propri-etary agreement, and W-9), which issomething everyone working for ushas to do. If we have a project in handalready, a timely response inreturning the completed documents iscrucial, since at the very least weneed the signed confidentiality agree-ment before we can hand the projectover to you even for quote.
If you are interested in working asan interpreter, you are invited tocome by for an interview, where, of
Communication, Communication, Communication
By Manuela Garcia
“…The sooner a problemis ‘caught,’ the better…”
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 27
course, communication is key. Aftergoing over the administrative part(paperwork), our in-house translatorswill meet with you for a languageinterview, if your language isGerman, French, or Spanish. If youapply for a different language combi-nation, we will ask for references andarrange for a telephone interviewwith one of our trusted contractors. Ifall goes well—if we communicateeffectively—welcome aboard!!
Now that you are part of our poolof contractors, it’s time to get to work.
A typical translation project con-sists of the following steps: clientrequest; preparing a quote; approval;working on the project (translating,editing, or, if applicable, desktop pub-lishing); delivering the project;invoicing; and payment. An inter-preting assignment works slightly dif-ferently. The steps are typically: clientrequest; preparing a quote (dependingon the project); approval; checking foravailability with the contractor; inter-preting; receiving contractor feed-back; invoicing; and payment.
Depending on the potential project,we may have enough information toprepare the quotes right away. If theproject involves something out of theordinary in terms of content or a lan-guage combination we do not deal withon a regular basis, we consult with thecontractor first to check for availabilityand/or for a quote. We then base ourquote to the client upon contractorfeedback. Whether it is a request foravailability, a quote, or a go-ahead, it isimportant that we hear back from youas soon as possible, especially in thecase of a rush request. As can beexpected, the client is anxious to get aquote in order to get started and receivethe translation. Secondly, we are anx-ious to hear back to make sure: a) youindeed received the file and go-ahead;b) you are (still) available; and c) you
are prepared to take on the project andare aware of the deadline.
Once approval is received and thecontractor’s availability confirmed, apurchase order is sent. Again, it isimportant to acknowledge receipt. Itis equally important for the con-tractor to review the purchase orderand, if need be, contact us about anyproblems or questions in regard to thedeadline and/or the price which hasbeen supplied.
We know that as a contractor youare as familiar with multitasking aswe are in the office, so I am sure youappreciate the feeling of knowingthat everything is in place, confirmed,and taken care of, and that everyoneis on the same page.
If, while you are working on theproject, any questions, problems, orconcerns arise, let us know immedi-ately, and we will check into it.Usually, the client is more than happyto answer questions (ranging from ref-erence material to verification of a spe-cific term), since they are as interestedin receiving a high-quality product aswe are in delivering it. So don’t hesi-tate to contact us with any concerns.
If, during the project, you realizeyou cannot meet the deadline, notifyus immediately. It does not automati-cally mean that the project will beyanked from you. We might be ableto negotiate a couple of extra days orassign a second person to take care ofpart of the project so that the timelinewill be kept. However, we do need toknow as soon as possible. It is muchmore difficult to salvage the situationa day before the project is due. Oncethe project is delivered, you willreceive a short acknowledgement ofreceipt so you know that everythingis in order.
The last step—assuming the clienthas no questions after the project isdelivered—is for you to send us an
invoice. Again, this seems like a log-ical step in the “chain of events,” forthe simple reason that everyone gen-erally likes to get paid for their work.Again, you would be surprised tohear how many times we have tofollow up with the contractors to sendus their invoice. As a rule of thumb,sooner works better than later. It isimportant to see the process ofinvoicing from the agency’s perspec-tive. There is a difference betweenmost translation projects and inter-preting projects. Generally, transla-tion projects are quoted based on theword count, so a fixed price is nego-tiated with the client as well as withyou. This is part of the informationfound in the purchase order, which isour payment guarantee to you. Forthese projects, we can invoice theclient regardless of whether or not wehave already received your invoice.There are other projects, though, forwhich it is crucial that you let usknow right away. For example, sometranslation projects are billed hourlyaccording to a special agreement witha particular client, so the clientcannot be billed until we hear fromyou regarding how many hours youspent on the project. We might askyou to estimate the number of hoursyou think you would need. In thatcase, your purchase order would readsomething like “billed at $X per hour,not to exceed X hours.” The projectwill be billed on actual hours spent,so once again, it is very importantthat you communicate the numbers tous right away. Interpreting assign-ments work in a similar manner.
Timely responses are even morecrucial with interpreting projects,since some of the requests are last-minute, and we depend on your quickresponse. If you are available, you willreceive an e-mail request, which alsoserves as your purchase order. ➡
The ATA Chronicle | July 200528
While the hourly rate is fixed, theassignment is billed on actual hoursinterpreted plus mileage. Without thisinformation, we cannot bill the client.If we cannot bill, we will not be paid.Some of our contractors include theirinvoice when delivering the transla-tion, or send it right after they comehome from an interpreting assign-ment. Some bill a few days later,some bill on a monthly basis. If youdo not send us your invoice rightaway, send a quick e-mail with thenumber of hours worked and yourmileage so we have what we need toinvoice the client. However, you willnot get paid based solely on this e-mail. It is your responsibility tosend us an invoice. If you do notinvoice, we cannot pay you!
One contractor actually told usonce that at this point in her life, shewas too busy to prepare herinvoices, “so I’m relying on you forthis right now,” including figuringout the mileage with the help ofMapQuest.com. That’s not how itworks! We will gladly pay you foryour good work, but part of any con-tractor’s responsibilities to an agencyincludes keeping records and gener-ating invoices. If you are unsure whatinformation needs to go in an invoice,we will be happy to send you asample, either in MS Word or MSExcel that you can work with. Also,refer to the purchase order youreceived, which has all the relevantinformation (project number, date ofassignment [for interpreting], price).Be sure to include the total price! Ifyou have any questions about any-thing, again, call or e-mail and we willbe happy to answer your questions.
What about special circumstances? If there is a problem during an
interpreting assignment, let theagency know right away. In our case,
we simply would like to hear it fromyou first. For example, a client’sinterpreting coordinator once calledto let me know that there was aproblem with an interpreter “whodidn’t do her job.” The coordinatorhad not been given much more infor-mation and was not present during theassignment. Upon following up withthe interpreter, I found out that shehad been there on time and ready towork when it turned out that thepatient had brought a close friendwho spoke both languages. The friendimmediately took over and cut off theinterpreter when she repeatedly triedto step in and do her job. Finally, theinterpreter gave up. What the doctorssaw was an interpreter not doing herjob. The proper communicationapproach to take in this case wouldhave been for the interpreter to imme-diately (meaning, during the assign-ment) call us or the client contact.That way, the situation could havebeen rectified on the spot. At the veryleast, the interpreter should havecalled us right after the assignment.Yes, this issue was eventuallyresolved, but it is always better if weare prepared and can initiate the callto the client in order to clear up anymisunderstandings sooner rather thanlater.
If you do not feel comfortable witha particular subject matter, let theagency know. It does not mean youwill never be contacted again. Quite tothe contrary. Your candor will beappreciated because it signals you areaware of your strengths and skills, andyour limits, and that when you do takeon a project, you know you can handleit. Some of our most trusted contrac-tors, whom we have worked with foryears, occasionally decline projects forthat very reason.
Then, there are those projects that are everyone’s favorites: the
large-volume super rush jobs (pos-sibly not even available in electronicformat) that miraculously come in at4:00 on a Friday afternoon with aMonday morning delivery—the kindof project that gives everyone at ouroffice an adrenaline jolt. Naturally,we try our best to find someone whocan take the job and meet the dead-line, but we are also aware thatsometimes it is simply not possible.Recently, at 4:00 on a Friday after-noon, we received a significantnumber of pages, via fax, of legaltext to be translated into Spanish byMonday morning. Knowing this wasnearly impossible to do, we stillchecked with several contractors,none of whom were available for thisendeavor on such short notice. Weknow that we are not the only agencyyou work for, so we understand thatsometimes you have to decline.
Likewise, if you go away on vaca-tion or are otherwise unavailable foran extended period of time, send aquick e-mail with the dates you willnot be available. It is a simple cour-tesy that will be much appreciated.
So what should you focus on?Develop your translation and/or
interpreting skills, get as much expe-rience as possible in the field,develop a professional persona and,yes, above all else, develop goodcommunication skills. We look for-ward to working with you.
Communication, Communication, Communication Continued
Check out ATA’s Guide toContinuing Education
Points
See page 51 for details.
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 29
May 7, 2004The New York Times“The Struggle For Iraq; CivilianEmployees, Contractors in SensitiveRoles, Unchecked,” by Joel BrinkleyAlso appeared in:Houston ChronicleThe International Herald Tribune
May 14, 2004The Associated Press“Small Businesses TranslateGrowing Language Barrier intoProfits,” by Chet DembeckAlso appeared in:The Daily Record
May 20, 2004The Washington Post“Iraq War Strains Business,” byRenae Merle
May 21, 2004The San Diego Union-Tribune“Many Iraq Interpreters Unskilled,Soldiers Say,” by David Washburn
May 23, 2004The New York Times“The Reach of War: SuspectTranslator Questioned by Army inIraq Abuse,” by Joel Brinkley
July 8, 2004The Associated Press“Globalization Translates IntoSuccess For Language Entrepreneur,”by David Dishneau
July 26, 2004Houston Chronicle“Speakers Needed: U.S. NationalSecurity Desperately RequiresSkilled Interpreters in MiddleEastern Languages,” by HoustonChronicle staff
September 19, 2004The Roanoke Times“Open to Interpretation? CourtroomJobs Fill Niche,” by Rachel Jackson
September 24, 2004Naperville Sun“Nothing But the Truth,” byKristophere Owens
October 2, 2004Fresno Bee“Interpreting Industry Grows withInterpretation,” by Robert Rodriguez
ATA and the National Media: Association Becomes Recognized Authority on Translation Issues Continued from p.16
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The ATA Chronicle | July 200530
T he annual symposium of theMid-America Chapter of ATA(MICATA) was held April 1-2
in Overland Park, Kansas.Symposium activities began with awelcome reception on Friday eveningat the Doubletree Hotel. Many atten-dees took advantage of this event topick up their registration packets,sample the food, and reconnect witheach other. In addition to Kansas,participants came from the sur-rounding states of Missouri,Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Illinois,and there were also speakers andexhibitors from as far away as Texas,Utah, Connecticut, and New York.After networking at the reception,some participants continued their dis-cussions over drinks, while othersdecided to survey the dining scene ata local restaurant (we heard the Thaifood was good!).
Welcome and Guest SpeakerSaturday’s activities took place on
the campus of Johnson CountyCommunity College. One of our ownMICATA members, Dick Scott, assis-tant dean for speech and language atJCCC, kicked off this year’s sympo-sium by welcoming us to the campus.Dick provided us with an overview ofthe programs offered at JCCC in thearea of languages, most notably anew certificate program in medicalinterpreting that will be offered forthe first time during the fall semester.
Following Dick’s comments, guestspeaker Alan Melby, ATA secretary andchair of ATA’s Translation andComputers Committee, stepped up tothe podium. Alan spoke about the ben-efits of ATA membership, touchingupon such topics as ATA chapters, divi-sions, and the various programs theassociation offers, including detailsabout the school outreach initiative andthe certification program. This was also
an opportunity for current and prospec-tive ATA members in the audience toask questions about ATA.
Getting StartedFollowing Alan’s plenary session,
there was a morning break and timefor refreshments before participantsfollowed their individual interests inchoosing between three concurrentsessions taking place every hourduring the rest of the day. First upwas “Getting Started as a Translatoror Interpreter,” which has been a fix-ture at MICATA symposiums for anumber of years. Doris Ganser, Meeri
Yule, and Bradley Shaw comprisedthe panel of experts who shared theircombined knowledge and experiencewith the group. They presented anoverview of the various aspects of theprofession and answered questionsconcerning such topics as qualifica-tions and training, what informationto put on your resume, the qualitiesthat agencies look for in freelancers,and what freelancers should do inorder to compete for jobs.
Technical Translation Tips Another morning session was
Frieda Ruppaner-Lind’s “TechnicalTranslation Tips–A SystematicApproach.” A step-by-step outlinewas presented for defining a tech-nical translation. Topics included:analyzing the source text; identifyingthe intended target audience;
assembling the required tools andresources, including dictionaries andglossaries; understanding the sourcetext and its terminology; using cor-rect vocabulary; adhering to acceptedstyle and punctuation; using correctgrammar; conforming to the client’srequirement for units of measurement(metric or U.S., decimal period orcomma, and time and date format);handling acronyms and abbreviationscorrectly; understanding the correctuse of product names, copyright, andtrademarks; verifying that the trans-lated document is in the formatrequested by the client/agency; andreviewing the document to make surethat nothing has been left out.
Safeguarding Intellectual Property Computer security is a hot topic
these days, especially for freelancerswho make their living by using a com-puter. Craig Paul’s presentation on“Keeping Your Intellectual PropertySafe” gave attendees an idea of someof the precautions they should betaking in order to avoid losing valu-able data on their home computers.
Henry Darcy and the PublicFountains of Dijon
Invited speaker Patricia Bobeckdelighted the audience with heraccount of a project she undertook todo a full-length translation intoEnglish of the book Les Fontainespubliques de la ville de Dijon (ThePublic Fountains of Dijon), written inFrench by Henry Darcy in 1856. Thisbook describes the water supplysystem Darcy built in 1840 in Dijon,France, to carry free spring water tomore than 100 public street fountainsand provide pure and abundant waterto the people of Dijon. Written as anengineer’s guide to the constructionof water supply systems, the bookpresents a wealth of information on
2005 MICATA Symposium: Resources for Translators and InterpretersBy Kathy Hall Foster
“…Good food mingledwith conversations inmany languages as
participants discussed theday’s activities…”
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 31
water, wells, springs, pipe-making,and water filtration in Darcy’s era.The appendix describes Darcy’sexperiments in filtering waterthrough sand that led to the formula-tion of Darcy’s Law.
Given the sheer size of the originalbook (647 pages, plus 28 plates in theappendix), the complex engineeringformulas, the use of old French andGreek in the text, and the fact that Patwas working from a photocopy of amicrofilm version of the original text,this translation project presented anumber of challenges. In fact, thetranslation took Pat three years ofworking evenings and weekends tocomplete. For her efforts, she wasawarded the inaugural S. EdmundBerger Prize for Excellence inScientific and Technical Translationat ATA’s 2004 Annual Conference inToronto. While she was in KansasCity for the MICATA symposium,Pat visited the Linda Hall Library,where she was able to see one of the
few remaining original French manu-scripts of the book. Pat’s Englishtranslation of Darcy’s work is avail-able from Kendall/Hunt PublishingCompany (www.kendallhunt.com).
Clinical TrialsA presentation of interest to med-
ical translators was Ben Tompkins’discussion of clinical trials. Welearned that clinical trials are scientif-ically conducted studies with humansubjects designed to characterize theefficacy and safety of candidate drugproducts. Ben explained that there arethree phases of these trials:
• Phase I trials evaluate how a newdrug should be given (by mouth,injected into the blood, or injectedinto the muscle), how often, andwhat dosage is safe. A Phase I trialusually enrolls only a smallnumber of subjects, sometimes asfew as a dozen. Except in cancerstudies and certain other trials,
these “subjects” are healthy males.
• Phase II trials continue to test thesafety of the drug and begin toevaluate how well it works.
• In Phase III trials, patients withthe disease to be treated areenrolled instead of healthy males.A participant will usually beassigned to the standard group or anew group at random (called ran-domization). Phase III trials ofteninvolve large numbers of people,and may be conducted at manydoctors’ offices, clinics, and hos-pitals nationwide.
The objectives of clinical drugtrials are to investigate efficacy(does the drug work as expectedaccording to pre-clinical data?) andsafety (Is the drug safe, both inpeople in general and subpopula-tions?). The process for a clinicaltrial involves planning, execution,and post-study analysis and docu-mentation. Each step in this processgenerates large amounts of docu-mentation, which is good news fortranslators. There are a number ofreasons that a translator may want toconsider getting involved with clin-ical trials. For one, there is a steadystream of work in many languagepairs. If you translate a patent or anadvertisement, you help someonemake money; if you translate clinicaldocumentation, you promote scienceand help bring life-saving drugs tosociety. Translators interested in thisfield must be quality oriented(remember, safety and lives are atstake), have a broad knowledge ofclinical research and the medicalcondition being studied, and use ter-minology consistently and correctly.
➡
Attendees at MICATA’s annual symposium enjoyed good food and conversation.
The ATA Chronicle | July 200532
Financial Services and MarketingEver have trouble accessing a
client’s contact information, stayingon top of open invoices, or target-marketing your translation services?Bill Bergerson’s presentation on“Financial Services and Marketing”demonstrated a way to make thesetasks less of a challenge. Billexplained how the same tools andtechniques that are used by MICATAin maintaining membership/financialdata and in marketing the symposiumcould be applied to running a transla-tion business. Bill shared a handouton hidden potential from MS Office,as well as a newly developed exercisein Excel on invoice tracking.
Lunchtime Speaker: TradeDevelopment
After learning a great deal in thesemorning sessions, it was time todigest the information and take alunch break. Our lunchtime speakerwas John Watson, director of theTrade Development Division of theKansas Department of Commerce.John has spent many years workingwith international trade in Kansas,and he offered the group some factsand figures on Kansas exports. Forexample, the top 10 export productclassifications for the state in 2004were: aircraft, spacecraft, and parts;industrial machinery; vehicles; rawhides and skins; electric machinery;cereals; meat; optic and medicalinstruments; prepared animal feeds;and precious and rare earth metals.The top 10 export markets for Kansasin 2004 were: Canada, Mexico, theU.K., China, Japan, Germany, Korea,France, Australia, and Brazil, withNorth America comprising 40% ofthe exports, Europe 25%,Asia/Pacific 23%, and SouthAmerica/Caribbean 6%. Kansasexports in 2004 totaled $4.9 billion,
which goes to show that even a statein the middle of the country can havea very international profile.
Honors and Door PrizesOther lunchtime activities included
awarding honorary MICATA member-ship to Meg Means for her hard workon behalf of the chapter over the years.Even though she is not a translatorherself, Meg can always be found atMICATA symposiums, lending a handto tasks that need to be done, hostingmeetings in her home, and generallysupporting the chapter. We werepleased to be able to recognize Meg’scontributions by making her an hon-orary member.
Before returning to the afternoon ses-sions, a drawing was held to give awaydoor prizes donated by ATA Head-quarters. Lucky winners went homewith tote bags, a T-shirt and a cap, aswell as various books and publications.
Translation and ComputersThe afternoon sessions started
with a second presentation by AlanMelby, this time on “Translation andComputers.” At recent ATA confer-ences, Alan has chaired a panel wherevendors of different translation toolspresent their products and allow theaudience to ask questions concerningtheir application. A review of thevendor panel discussions that tookplace at ATA’s 2004 Toronto confer-ence was presented, followed byquestions from the audience.
Tax TipsComing just two weeks before the
deadline for filing income tax returns,John Matthews’ presentation on “TaxTips for Freelancers” was a timelyaddition to the symposium line-up.Focusing on freelance translators andinterpreters, John addressed the deduc-tions that are available for freelancers
and the items that freelancers candepreciate over a number of years inorder to reduce taxes and increase theamount of hard-earned money they cankeep.
Business Savvy“The Business Side of the
Translation Industry” was highlightedby Jackie Smith, marketing director atSH3, a Kansas City translation com-pany. According to Jackie, there are anumber of hot topics affecting thetranslation industry today, includingthe complexity of electronic file pro-cessing, the impact of translationmemory on every aspect of the busi-ness, increasing customer demands,and price competition.
International business is clearlybooming, and the demand for trans-lation services is increasing. At thesame time, competition isincreasing, turnaround times areshrinking, and technology issues arecompeting with language issues.Computer-assisted translation toolshave drastically changed the transla-tion industry and provided benefitsfor both translators and clients.Many clients are asking or requiringtheir translators to work with trans-lation memory (TM) software.Nearly all projects are delivered totranslators in electronic format by e-mail, FTP, or via the Internet. Filesmay use SGML, XML, or HTMLcodes, and translators need to under-stand and be able to work with filescontaining these codes. At the sametime as projects are becoming morecomplex, clients are continuallyasking for lower translation pricesand shopping around for translators.It has become much easier to findtranslators with the advent of web-sites, and there are even “free trans-lation” sites available. With moretranslators competing for work, it is
2005 MICATA Symposium: Resources for Translators and Interpreters Continued
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 33
more difficult to find and keepclients. The bottom line is that inaddition to having to market theirservices, today’s translators need tokeep up with technology and learn touse TM software.
The Role of Translation TheoryA more academic viewpoint of
translation was presented by BradleyShaw, with his topic of “TranslationTheory, the Translatability of Texts,and Literary Translation as Criticism:Some Reflections on the Role of Theory in the Practice ofTranslation.” One topic discussedwas literary translation as a particu-larly demanding genre of translationpractice, and one that challenges ournotions about communicating ideasfrom the “source” language to a“target” culture. Other topicsincluded “equivalency,” “type,” and“skopos” theory, and the impact of“post-colonial” thought and culturalstudies. The session concluded with ahands-on exercise, with those inattendance comparing texts and con-sidering the role of theory as itapplies to understanding the transla-tion process.
Interpreter EthicsLest it be thought that there were
no sessions geared specificallytowards the interpreters in atten-dance, we should point out that therewas an entire afternoon devoted todifferent aspects of interpretation. Apresentation on “Ethics in MedicalInterpreting,” by Karlon Cruse andCecilia Abbey of the University ofKansas Medical Center, focused onethical responsibilities to oneself andthe profession. A question andanswer session gave the audience theopportunity to share their thoughts onthis subject.
Conference and Escort InterpretingIn addition to court and medical
interpreting, there are other careerpaths open to interpreters. KathyFoster’s session, “Like to Travel?Conference and Escort InterpretingMight Be Your Ticket,” highlighted the types of interpreting done by conference and escort interpreters.Conference interpreters ply their tradeat conferences and meetings, usingsimultaneous or consecutive inter-preting skills to convey information tolarge groups. Escort interpretersaccompany diplomats, delegations,and travelers, working mostly in one-on-one interpreting situations. Thissession was based on Kathy’s 17 yearsof experience as a full-time interpreter,with an emphasis on the skills, knowl-edge, and character traits necessary tobe successful in this field. Discussionsincluded the various types of inter-preting, the role of the interpreter, thetools and equipment used by inter-preters, and how to prepare for simul-taneous interpreting and skills practice.Resources for learning more aboutinterpreting were also presented.
Interpreting Equipment DemonstrationAnother session for interpreters
was presented by Chris Phillips ofSennheiser Electronics, who broughtvarious samples of interpretingequipment to demonstrate. Followinga discussion of the different types ofequipment available, both portable(for escort interpreting) and fixed (forinterpreting booths in conferencerooms and lecture halls), attendeesgot a hands-on look through variousdemonstrations.
SDLXA demonstration of translation
memory software was presented byErik Hansen of SDL DesktopProducts. The company’s range of
products includes SDLX, a translationmemory tool with Certified TMXcompatibility, and SDL LocalizationSuite, a range of localization produc-tivity tools. Terminology tools werealso demonstrated, giving participantsa look at the full spectrum of toolsavailable to today’s translators. SDLDesktop Products donated a 2004SDLX software license valued at $595to be given away to one lucky winnerat the symposium (ElizabethSchilling).
A Complete SuccessAlso present throughout the day
was Freek Lankhof of InTrans BookService. Freek has been a frequentparticipant at our MICATA sympo-siums. His display of dictionaries andglossaries allowed attendees toperuse and purchase. Olga Collinwon the drawing for a generous $50gift certificate for InTrans booksdonated by Freek.
After a full day of educational ses-sions, it was time to relax by sharingthe company of colleagues, and thegroup met for a post-conferencedinner at one of Kansas City’s finest barbecue restaurants, KCMasterpiece. The food was plentiful,enough for two (or more) tripsthrough the buffet, and good foodmingled with conversations in manylanguages as participants discussedthe day’s activities. It was a fine wayto say farewell to this year’s sympo-sium.
All that remained was ATA’s certi-fication exam sitting on Sunday,where six candidates sat for theexam. Once the exam was over, sowas the symposium for another year.From all accounts, it was another suc-cess for MICATA.
The ATA Chronicle | July 200534
M entees in ATA’s MentoringProgram tend to ask a lot ofquestions about marketing:
How can I market my services? Wheredo I begin? What works? Let meshare a tip that was given to me byone of my own mentors. The idea issimple: contact 100 potential clientsand follow up with them 3, 10, 30,and even 90 days later. The predictionis that 10 of those contacts willbecome clients.
Sound hokey? Maybe. But itworked for me. I left a full-time inter-preting job last year to become a free-lancer, and profited from what I callthe “1/3/10/30/90” marketing tool.
Here’s a breakdown of what I did:
Day 1: I sent out a cover letter, resume,and a notification of my court certifica-tion status by snail mail. The letterincluded my availability, experience,and recent assignments. At the end Iwrote, “as part of my ongoing training… [fill in the blank].” This notifies theclient that I’m not stagnating in myprofession and that I am willing to con-tinue to learn. I asked another of mymentors, who happens to be an agencyowner, to review my resume for contentand mechanical errors. Jill Sommer,president of the Northern OhioTranslators Association and a frequentspeaker at ATA conferences and con-tributor to ATA publications, graciouslyprovided a template for my cover letter.
Day 3: I contacted the recipients ofmy mailing to see if the informationarrived. Be it by snail mail, e-mail, ora phone call, following up is anotheropportunity to make personal contactwith a potential client. When a job
crosses someone’s desk, I want “JohnShaklee, Interpreter” to be the firstname to come to mind.
If a recipient says that the informa-tion didn’t arrive, politely offer tosubmit it again. Find out who actuallymakes the decision to hire interpretersso that your information gets to theright person. Be pleasant and polite nomatter who answers the phone.Remember, they are doing you a favor:“May I speak to the person in charge ofXXX? I appreciate your time today.” A
frazzled secretary will remember youif you are warm and nice instead ofhuffy, and there is a greater likelihoodthat your information will be passed onto the appropriate person.
Day 10: Contact all recipients againto see if anyone still does not haveyour information. This is also the timeto describe any job-related activitiessince your last contact (while you areon the phone or in a brief letter). Forexample, “I recently translated XXX”or “I attended a workshop on inter-preter ethics through the Communityand Court Interpreters of the OhioValley.” Have you written an articlefor publication? As a court interpreter,I mention which new court I’verecently worked in. The networkgrows with each effort you make.
Day 30: If you haven’t been called bythis time, not to fret. Here is a sampleof a Day 30 letter: “Dear Mr. Smith… I appreciate the e-mail from yoursecretary, who mentioned my infor-mation is already on file. Mostrecently, I interpreted a pre-sen-tencing report in Columbiana County.Also, I’ve been assigned to teaminterpret for a trial in Judge Lucci’scourt in Painesville. Should you havethe need for a state certified courtinterpreter, please call me atXXX.XXX.XXX.” Keep all corre-spondence to perspective clientsshort, simple, and to the point. Tailorthe letter to reflect your experience.
Day 90: Once again, send a notedescribing assignments, workshops,recent credentials, or anything thatyou have done related to why poten-tial clients ought to hire you. Did youbuild a website? Remember to keepthe letter brief.
Do I enjoy this disciplined exer-cise? No. Frankly I don’t like this anymore than balancing the checkbook.Yet, since I started to work freelancelast August, my workload hasincreased. I am working harder forshorter periods of time and earningmore. The 1/3/10/30/90 tool has putmy name in the hands of judges andcourt administrators throughout north-east Ohio. When a case comes up, theyknow to contact “that guy from NorthCanton who keeps contacting us and iscertified.” Have your rates and avail-ability at hand, as the client will call.Join me in the abundance.
“…Keep allcorrespondence to
perspective clients short,simple, and to the
point…”
The Name Game
By John P. Shaklee
ATA Members MasterCard MBNA America • Reference Code: IFKV • 800.847.7378 • 302.457.2165
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 35
W hether you are communi-cating via letter, phone, fax,or e-mail, your skill in prop-
erly conveying the desired messagewill determine your effectiveness.Each of these communication modeshas “unofficial” guidelines or skillsthat enable some to succeed whereothers fail, and the following seeks todefine a few of these in relation to e-mail and our multilingual industry.
It is no secret that communicationis crucial for success in almost everyarea of our lives. Successful commu-nication depends on the extent towhich our ideas are correctly andcompletely conveyed, as well as themanner in which they are received.With the convergence of cultures andlanguages in the translation andlocalization industry, successful com-munication is extremely important. Itis also more difficult in our industrydue to the varying levels of compe-tence by speakers of our linguafranca (English). Taking this intoconsideration, it is always a goodidea to reassess one’s effectivenesswhen using our most common meansof communication, e-mail.
When talking to a businessassociate on the telephone, haveyou ever...
1. Immediately started speakingwithout acknowledging the otherparty, stating your name, or intro-ducing the subject at hand?
2. Discussed next year’s forecastedsales while blaring music?
3. Hung up without saying goodbye?
These situations may seem out-landish, but we unknowingly engagein similar practices in our e-mails.Our diverse, multicultural industrywill only exacerbate these bad habits.We do not need to write every e-mail
as if it were a formal business letter,but there are some adjustments thatwe could make to improve the effec-tiveness of our communication,which, in my opinion, is hampered bythe ease, informality, and distanceassociated with the nature of e-mail.
Therefore, I have devised a fewwell intended, although not overlyserious, suggestions.
1. Be kind to others! It is especiallyimportant in our multicultural industryto be respectful and courteous in ourcommunication. E-mail and theInternet have allowed us to become
much more efficient, but efficiencydoes not mean we should no longerstart or end e-mails with kind words.For example, if you are sending an e-mail to a colleague with whom youhave not spoken in months, I suggestusing a short introduction to soften themessage. I use the following pleasantphrase: “I hope this e-mail finds youwell.” This sentence is very basic, butit surrounds your message with thefeeling that you care about your pro-fessional relationship.
If you are concerned about speedor dislike typing, just create an auto-matic signature that contains theintroduction and closing (see #2 formore about signatures). This way,you will only have to type the main
body of the text in the message, andwill avoid the problem of having ane-mail go out that sounds impersonalor even rude.
2. Create signatures with your con-tact information and use them forall messages. I don’t know how manytimes I have read an e-mail from acolleague that requires a phone callfor clarification, yet their contactinformation does not appear in themessage. On such occasions, I willresort to sorting through old e-mailsfrom the sender to see if I can locatethis information, sometimes to noavail. If nothing turns up, I am thenforced to lift my tired old hand,maneuver the mouse over to myaccount management program, applymassive pressure in two successiveclicks (thus, bringing me that muchcloser to the Carpal Tunnel syn-drome), until I am finally able toretrieve the telephone number (ofcourse, I always seem to dial the faxnumber first, just because I love thatsound).
Creating signatures is a very effec-tive way to save time and improve theeffectiveness of your e-mails. Youcan create different signatures forsuppliers, customers, prospects, andcoworkers. It is also possible tocreate signatures based on the pur-pose of the e-mail (request for quote,job delivery, progress update, follow-up, etc.). Signatures are not limited tothe closing, as they may be set up toinclude the salutation, introduction,standard/required information, con-tact information, and so on.
3. Use correct grammar and checkyour spelling. The phrase, “r u doin?”works in chat rooms, but not in profes-sional communication. Setting your e-mail program to automatically checkspelling only takes a second and
11 Tips for Improving Your E-mails
By Kirk Jackson
“…Successfulcommunication depends
on the extent to which ourideas are correctly and
completely conveyed, aswell as the manner in
which they are received…”
➡
The ATA Chronicle | July 200536
will save you from appearing illiterateor lazy. Try to be as clear as possible inyour e-mails, as excessively short orlong messages may cause problems. Ifyou have a lot of information to convey,be sure to organize it so that the recip-ient does not throw a styrofoam brick atthe screen while trying to decipher it!
4. Do NOT use the underscore ( _ )character in your e-mail address.This was popular “back in the day,”but the fact that e-mail addresses areoften underlined makes the under-score character difficult to see([email protected]). In addition,the underscore character is seldomtyped, so the sender must exert anextra effort when typing out youraddress. If you must use punctua-tion, I suggest using a periodbetween your first and last name([email protected]).
5. Place your response to an e-mailat the beginning of the message.Your response should appear first,above the original message. Placingyour response at the end of the orig-inal e-mail will cause confusion andwaste time, since the reader will haveto scroll down to find it. Make surethe recipient can easily identify all theinformation that you send in yourresponse. In other words, don’t typeyour response in several places(unless you are answering specificquestions). If you use a different fontcolor to distinguish your responsefrom the original message, make surethe recipient’s e-mail program is notset to display all messages as plaintext as opposed to html. Your responseshould be obvious, not hidden.
6. When replying to a message withan attachment, do NOT set youre-mail program to include theattachment with the reply. If you do
this, you are simply sending back thesame file that they sent to you. Myfirst thought when I receive a replywith an attachment by someone towhom I have just sent a file is thatthere is a problem or that they arerequesting something else. Some-times I even have to read their mes-sage a few times to be certain. Then Iremember that certain people havetheir e-mail options set to include theoriginal attachment with the reply. Isuppose this could be useful tosomeone, but I have never understoodhow or why (more versions = moreconfusion to me).
7. If you are forwarding an e-mail(hopefully not a joke or chain letterrequesting that you send it to 14recipients before Bill Gates will sendyou $100), make sure that youre-mail is set to forward the messageas “inline text” and not as an“attachment.” There are two reasonsfor this. First, it is much more efficientto be able to look down at the for-warded message as opposed to havingto go through the steps of openingattachments (sometimes multipleattachments for multiple forwards).Second, attachments can containviruses, so most people only openattachments if they know what they are.
8. Do NOT request automatic readreceipts for every single e-mail yousend. This is especially annoyingcoming from unknown senders (e.g.,freelance translators sending their CVsfor consideration) because it requiresthat the recipient’s e-mail programautomatically perform an operationthat the recipient may or may notapprove of. This feature is a little intru-sive and should be avoided. It sublimi-nally conveys the negative idea that therecipient is unreliable, untrustworthy,incapable, etc., of confirming receipt. If
you need confirmation of receipt, askfor it in the body of your message. Forrecipients, most e-mail programs canbe set to “never send read receipts” or“notify of all requests for readreceipts,” either of which I recommend.I do not recommend that you set youre-mail program to automatically“always send a read receipt” (call meparanoid!).
9. Do NOT use stationery for yourprofessional e-mails. I’m sorry to saythat stationery has seen its day comeand go. I would leave stationery in the dustbins of time along withEmoticons and background music.Once a novelty, it is just annoying andunnecessary now. Moreover, youwouldn’t want to inadvertently offendothers with color schemes or visualsthat may be pleasing to your culture,but could be offensive elsewhere.
10. Avoid Internet acronyms. LOL,IMHO, ROFL, etc., are fine for chatrooms, but they should not be used inprofessional communication. Evenexcessive business acronyms or jargonshould be avoided. Using such languageassumes two things: 1) that the recipientunderstands the acronyms/jargon; and2) that the recipient will not be offendedat receiving what some may consider tobe a cold, robotic e-mail. One possibleexample to avoid: “FYI, the P&L showsthat our COS was way out of whack, notto mention the SNAFUs during the FAT,so send the new RFQ’s to Group IIsASAP.”
11. Save the fancy “Confidentiality”disclaimer for e-mails that actuallycontain privileged information. Ifyou want to impress people, jog fromSan Francisco to New York. If youwant to impress people with your e-mails, make sure that they arerational and proportional. Including a
11 Tips for Improving Your E-mails Continued
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 37
long, convoluted legal disclaimerafter a two-word message saying“thank you” is not proportional. Itcould also convey one of two mes-sages: 1) you are too lazy and/orincapable of creating and using morethan one signature; or 2) you are irra-tional and overly paranoid.
You do not need a legal disclaimeron every single e-mail that you send.Furthermore, a recipient from a high-context culture (where litigation ismuch less common) may react nega-tively to the abrupt legal warning.Again, I suggest saving the confiden-tiality statement for e-mails that actu-ally contain privileged information.
This list is by no means exhaustive,nor are the suggestions set in stone, asdeviations will occur as a function ofthe relationship between the interlocu-tors. I am a firm believer in constantimprovement with regard to technologyand interpersonal relationships, amongother areas, and I hope that you findthese examples to be helpful or at leastamusing. Happy e-mailing and goodluck to all!
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Group or a Korean Language Division. This list-
serv group also plans to meet on Thursday,
November 10, from 5:00-6:00 p.m., at the 46th
Annual ATA Conference in Seattle, Washington
(November 9-12, 2005). If enough people are
interested, a social-networking event will also be
held Friday, November 11, at 8:00 p.m.
If you are interested, please subscribe to the
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phone (703-683-6100 ext 3009).
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for all certification exams should be made through ATAHeadquarters. All sittings have a maximum capacity and admis-sion is based on the order in which registrations are received.Forms are available from the ATA website or from Headquarters.
CaliforniaSan FranciscoSeptember 3, 2005Registration Deadline:August 19, 2005
ColoradoDenverSeptember 17, 2005Registration Deadline: September 2, 2005
FloridaGainesvilleSeptember 24, 2005Deadline:September 2, 2005
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Arabic into EnglishBill TierneyValrico, FL
Italian into EnglishMark A. BrustmanOakland, CA
Portuguese into EnglishScott D. AndersonGainesville, FL
Russian into English
Lawrence H. BogoslawBloomington, MN
Spanish into EnglishBridget G. HylakWest Grove, PA
Teresa N. JohnsonCarrboro, NC
Richard MelmanSunny Isles Beach, FL
Robin RandolphAmelia, VA
English into ChineseTara Hu PhillipsCheverly, MD
Hua (Barbara) Y. RobinsonSeattle, WA
English into FrenchMichel G. LopezSan Mateo, CA
English into ItalianMaria-Elena BertallotGreenfield, MA
English into SpanishVanessa CastañedaWagenknechtOrlando, FL
New Certified Members Congratulations! The following people have successfully passed ATA’s certification exam.
Active Membership ReviewThe Active Membership Review Committee is pleased to grantactive or corresponding member status to:
The ATA Chronicle | July 200538
ActiveKatharine AllenSwall Meadows, CA
Margaret AltieriPoint Pleasant, NJ
Richard S. PaegelowGlendale, CA
Katrin JarvisBradenton, FL
Anna Veraldi RenouardSeattle, WA
Leland B. HarasztiJonesboro, GA
Richard M. SingerWoodstock, GA
CorrespondingMartin S. GaudiPickering, Ontario, Canada
Patricia LarouzièreMarseille, France
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The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 39
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UMTIA proudly joins the efforts of ATA and other professional associations and
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Congress. In line with these efforts, this conference is dedicated to those committed to
extending public knowledge about world languages, cultures, and language-related
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Information for ExhibitorsPlease contact Larry Bogoslaw ([email protected]) or Nadia Najarro Smith ([email protected])
for current prices for booth space at the 2005 UMTIA conference.
Watch for registration info coming soon! Visit www.umtia.com to see latest details.
Earn a total of 7 ATA Continuing Education Points!
The ATA Chronicle | July 200540
Internet Fraud Tips from the National Consumers League’s Internet Fraud Watch(http://fraud.org/tips/internet/fakecheck.htm)
Tips for Recognizing and Avoiding Fake Check Scams
If someone you don’t know wants to pay you by check, but wants you to wire some of the money back, beware!It’s a scam that could cost you thousands of dollars.
• There are many variations of the fake check scam. It could start with someone offering to buy something youadvertised, pay you to do work at home, give you an “advance” on a sweepstakes you’ve supposedly won, orpay the first installment on the millions that you’ll receive for agreeing to have money in a foreign countrytransferred to your bank account for safekeeping. Whatever the pitch, the person may sound quite believable.
• Fake check scammers hunt for victims. They scan newspaper and online advertisements for people listingitems for sale, and check postings on online job sites from people seeking employment. They place their ownads with phone numbers or e-mail addresses for people to contact them. And they call or send e-mails or faxesto people randomly, knowing that some will take the bait.
• They often claim to be in another country. The scammers say it’s too difficult and complicated to send you themoney directly from their country, so they’ll arrange for someone in the U.S. to send you a check.
• They tell you to wire money to them after you’ve deposited the check. If you’re selling something, they saythey’ll pay you by having someone in the U.S. who owes them money send you a check. It will be for morethan the sale price; you deposit the check, keep what you’re owed, and wire the rest to them. If it’s part of awork-at-home scheme, they may claim that you’ll be processing checks from their “clients.” You deposit thechecks and then wire them the money minus your “pay.” Or they may send you a check for more than your pay“by mistake” and ask you to wire them the excess. In the sweepstakes and foreign money offer variations ofthe scam, they tell you to wire them money for taxes, customs, bonding, processing, legal fees, or otherexpenses that must be paid before you can get the rest of the money.
• The checks are fake, but they look real. In fact, they look so real that even bank tellers may be fooled. Someare phony cashier’s checks, others look like they’re from legitimate business accounts. The companies whosenames appear may be real, but someone has dummied up the checks without their knowledge.
• You don’t have to wait long to use the money, but that doesn’t mean the check is good. Under federal law,banks have to make the funds you deposit available quickly—usually within one to five days, depending onthe type of check. But just because you can withdraw the money doesn’t mean the check is good, even if it’sa cashier’s check. It can take weeks for the forgery to be discovered and the check to bounce.
• You are responsible for the checks you deposit. That’s because you’re in the best position to determine therisk—you’re the one dealing directly with the person who is arranging for the check to be sent to you. Whena check bounces, the bank deducts the amount that was originally credited to your account. If there isn’tenough to cover it, the bank may be able to take money from other accounts you have at that institution, or sueyou to recover the funds. In some cases, law enforcement authorities could bring charges against the victimsbecause it may look like they were involved in the scam and knew the check was counterfeit.
• There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back. If astranger wants to pay you for something, insist on a cashier’s check for the exact amount, preferably from alocal bank or a bank that has a branch in your area.
• Don’t deposit it—report it! Report fake check scams to the National Fraud Information Center/Internet FraudWatch, a service of the nonprofit National Consumers League, at www.fraud.org or (800) 876-7060. Thatinformation will be transmitted to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 41
Elsevier’s Dictionary of TechnicalAbbreviations, English-RussianAuthors:M. Rosenberg and S. BobryakovPublisher:ElsevierPublication date:2005Number of pages:1,184Price:$215; €195; £130Available from:Elsevier B.V.www.elsevier.comEurope, Middle East, & Africa:Linacre House, Jordan HillOxford OX2 8DP, U.K.U.S. & Canada:11830 Westline Industrial DriveSt. Louis, MO 63146ISBN:0-444-51561-5
Reviewed by:James E. Walker
I n the old days (actually not somany years ago), unknown andundefined abbreviations used to be
a nightmare for translators; they cer-tainly were for me. Many a workdaywas, if not ruined, at least badlymarred by them, particularly theirnasty habit of turning up late in theafternoon or at the very end of a job.Needing all the help I could get tocombat this enemy, I never missed achance to buy any dictionary of abbre-viations that might be relevant to mywork. My most successful strategy fordealing with particularly hard casesthat could not be found in any of mydictionaries was to dream up solutionsto the puzzle as I fell asleep at night.
Nowadays, of course, since theInternet has become such a dandy
and accessible research tool, all that is a thing of the past. Most abbreviations can easily be found insearchable online dictionaries, and mypaper abbreviation dictionariesseldom come off the shelf. So thequestion is, are all paper abbreviationdictionaries now obsolete?
Elsevier’s Dictionary of TechnicalAbbreviations, English-Russian, by M.Rosenberg and S. Bobryakov, wouldmake a good champion for the paperside in this contest. Before I evenopened it, I liked it for its attractive,bright red cover and its unusual heft.Weighing in at just under five pounds, itcould add significantly to the meagerphysical exercise one can get sitting ata keyboard for 8-to-10 hours of non-stop translating.
Of course, like all Elsevier’s dic-tionaries, the book is extremely wellmade, with high-quality, tough, glossypaper. The English abbreviations areprinted in bold, so they stand outnicely. Different expansions of thesame abbreviation are individuallynumbered (as many as 83 for thesingle letter M and 66 for the combi-nations DS and PC). Altogether,Rosenberg contains nearly 65,000entries. According to the Preface, theyare taken from “technical literaturedealing with space, agriculture, elec-tronics, computer science, chemistry,thermodynamics, nuclear engi-neering, refrigeration, cryogenics,machinery, aviation, business,accounting, optics, radio electronics,and military fields, including abbrevi-ations used on a wide scale by theNavy, Air Force, and the Army.” I alsofound several entries from the oilindustry, so who knows what else thisdictionary might contain? TheEnglish expansions are followed bytheir Russian equivalents, or transla-
tions, sometimes with more than onealternative given (I’ve found as manyas eight).
The Preface also says, “The dic-tionary has been compiled by com-paring parallel texts in bothlanguages, and by consultation withexperts.” It does indeed seem thatmany, if not most, of the Russianequivalents have been taken fromactual texts, rather than translated.That would explain the four minutelydiffering Russian versions of“FAMOS floating gate avalancheinjection metal-oxide-semiconductor.”In any case, the Russian equivalentsare quite competent and occasionallyrather creative. But I expect that mosttranslators will find Rosenberg moreuseful for the English expansionsthan the Russian equivalents, prefer-ring to do their own translation. It isnot out of the question that translatorsworking in language combinationsother than English-to-Russian mightbe interested in this dictionary just forthe abbreviation expansions, ignoringthe Russian half.
So, as paper dictionaries go, thisis a fine one, but can it compete withan online abbreviation dictionary?Let’s see.
Acronym Finder claims to be “theWeb’s most comprehensive dictionaryof acronyms, abbreviations, and ini-tialisms,” with 410,000+ definitions.For 10 abbreviations selected atrandom, Acronym Finder produced187 expansions, while for the same 10abbreviations Rosenberg contains 40,of which 28 are not duplicated inAcronym Finder. But this is not reallya valid comparison, since AcronymFinder contains all kinds of abbrevia-tions, while Rosenberg, as the titleindicates, has only technical abbrevia-tions, which is actually a big
Silversteyn is chair of the ATA Dictionary Review Committee.
Dictionary Reviews Compiled by Boris Silversteyn
➡
The ATA Chronicle | July 200542
Dictionary Reviews Continued
advantage, if technical abbreviationsare what you want, since it narrowsthe search field by eliminating a lot ofirrelevant material.
My favorite online dictionary oftechnical abbreviations is the WileyInterScience Acronym Finder, whichclaims 180,000 terms and has the addedfeature of allowing you to narrow thesubject category to a specific field, suchas materials science or mathematicsand statistics (Rosenberg gives no indi-cation of the specific field in which anabbreviation is used). For the same 10randomly selected abbreviations, withthe category set to All Subjects, Wileyreturned 70 expansions, only 8 ofwhich are found in Rosenberg (i.e., 32of the 40 in Rosenberg are not found inWiley). Together, these two online dic-tionaries contain only 14 of the 40expansions in Rosenberg.
So 65% of the abbreviation expan-sions in Rosenberg are not found inWiley or Acronym Finder, though theymay be in some other searchable onlinedictionary. But what about conven-ience; isn’t an online dictionary mucheasier to use? To test this question, Ilooked up 10 different abbreviations inRosenberg and Wiley. At the beginningof each lookup, the paper dictionarywas on the shelf, a full arm’s reachfrom where I sit, in order to make max-imum exercise use of its weight, andthe online dictionary was bookmarked,but not open. The average time it tookto find the abbreviation I was lookingfor in the paper dictionary was 20 sec-onds; in the online one, 18 seconds. Nota significant difference.
Thus far, Rosenberg seems to bestanding up to the online challengerfairly well. It contains fewer abbrevi-ations and expansions, but still quite alot, and most of them are not found inWiley. It does not take significantly
longer to use than the online dic-tionary, and it definitely comes outahead in regard to weight and physicalappearance. But wait, here comes theknockout punch: the online dictionaryis free, but Rosenberg costs $215.
If you encounter a lot of technicalabbreviations in your work and do notconsider $215 a particularly significantsum of money, I can enthusiasticallyrecommend Elsevier’s Dictionary ofTechnical Abbreviations, English-Russian. Otherwise, try one of the manyonline abbreviation dictionaries, and ifthat fails, do a little research on Google.
Constructionary/ConstruccionarioTM
English↔Spanish Words and PhrasesEdited by:Alberto Herrera Publisher:International Conference of BuildingOfficials5360 Workman Mill RoadWhittier, CA 90601Tel: (800) 423-6587 Fax: (562) 699-0541 [email protected] date:2000ISBN:1-58001-035-0 Price: $23 Available from:InTrans Book ServiceFreek Lankhof [email protected]
Reviewed by:Sharlee Merner Bradley
W hen I was checking the pricefor this dictionary at thewebsite of the International
Conference of Building Officials, Icame across an International CodeCouncil Spanish page that lists somebuilding codes in Spanish and a fewdictionaries for the constructionindustry, most of which, includingthe one being reviewed, are writtenfor on-the-job communication withSpanish workers. That said, there area number of up-to-date terms in theConstructionary that I haven’t seenelsewhere. Since the volume is slimand inexpensive, it may be worth-while to own for a translator needingsuch terms.
This paperback dictionary is oneof those clever embodiments that hasthe English-to-Spanish in one halfand the Spanish-to-English in theother. It is clearly designed to beused on the job. In addition to 85pages of construction terms, there isa separate eight-page section ontools, followed by useful phrases(useful to workers, probably not totranslators), unit conversion tables,and conversion factors, all of whichappear in both sections.
To test the value of the terms in theConstructionary, I looked up the fol-lowing five terms from it in Wiley’s1,Beigbeder’s2, and Elsevier’s3, amongother technical dictionaries (Routledge,for example) I use for Spanish. Theresults are tabulated in Table 1.
Overall Evaluation The tiny Constructionary has
terms that are not found in othertechnical dictionaries. However, keepin mind that the terms in it were
James E. Walker serves as theRussian-to-English language chair forATA’s Certification Program. Contact:[email protected].
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 43
specifically chosen to facilitate oralcommunication between construc-tion bosses and immigrant workers.Such terminology would certainlyhave geographical limitations andwould be based on American (if notCalifornia) construction methods andterminology.
Term Constructionary Wiley’s Beigbeder’s Elsevier’s
1. adosado doubled adosar only, as abut adosar only, as placed against, against, back up to back (to) joined
2. dispositivo latching device 0 0 0de traba
3. pinzas perras vise-grip pliers 0 0 0pinza de lagarto = pinzas guías = pinzas con lagarto =alligator grab (Mexico) grippers alligator grab
4. tablero de ribbon/ledger board 0 0 0largueros larguero 0 larguero as ribbon, larguero as
ledger, stringer, etc. stringer, etc.
5. voladizo overhang, cantilever corbel, cantilever cantilever only, projecture only, foroutlooker but as an adjective; architecture, but
overhanging voladizo trasero asrear overhang forbus chassis
Score Base 5/5 2 x .5/5 2 x .5/5 2 x .5/5
1. Kennedy, Felicitas. 1996. The Wiley Dictionary of Civil Engineering and Construction. 533 pages. ISBN 0-471-12246-7 (Reviewed in the June1998 ATA Chronicle).
2. Beigbeder Atienza, Federico. 1988. Nuevo Diccionario politécnico de las lenguas espanola e inglesa. Vol. 11, Spanish-English. Madrid:Ediciones Diaz de Santos. 1,662 pages. ISBN 84-86251-73-7 (Reviewed in the October 1993 Sci-Tech Translation Journal).
3. Thomann, Arthur E. 1993. Elsevier’s Dictionary of Technology. Spanish-English in two volumes. ISBN 0-444-88070-4 (Specializes in metallurgy).
Table 1
Sharlee Merner Bradley has a doctoratein Romance lexicography, and hastranslated for the United Nations inGeneva, the U.S. federal courts, Californiagovernment agencies, and the MarinCounty Health Department. She has beena freelance translator of French andSpanish into English for many years, inaddition to being the long-time secretaryof ATA’s Dictionary Review Committee.Contact: [email protected].
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The ATA Chronicle | July 200544
I howled with laughter and delightwhen I received the Spring 2005edition of SlavFile, the newsletter of
ATA’s Slavic Languages Division (avail-able at www.americantranslators.org/divisions/SLD/PDF/SF_Spring_05_FINAL.pdf). It contains a 1976 parodyof the Ballad of John Henry, the well-known tale of the steel-drivin’ manwho vowed, as he began to help drillthe Big Bend Tunnel in West Virginiaequipped with only a hammer, that nodrilling machine would out-performhim. Well, instead of wielding asledgehammer, the Slavfile parodyconcerns a lone translator (also namedJohn Henry) wielding a manual type-writer in an effort to outdo machinetranslation. It was great! And JohnHenry won again!
But I was a little disturbed about amissing element, namely that in theoriginal ballad, as a little tyke “sittin’on his mammy’s knee,” before he evereven so much as picked up a hammer,John Henry prophesied that thattunnel “was a-gonna be the death ofme, of me….” So humbly, and withreverence for the greatness of theSlavfile’s ballad parody, I composedthe following as an introduction to themachine translation vs. human epic:Lil’ John Henry was a-huntin’ / and a-peckin’ on his dad’s old Royal / Hesaid, “those M.T. dudes and theirtranslation feuds, / Some day they’llbring my blood to a boil (Lord Lord) /They’re gonna make my blood cometo boil!” Then, after that, it is morenatural to continue with “When JohnHenry first started Russian…” and soforth. You can read the rest at theabove-mentioned Web address. Beprepared to laugh!
[Abbreviations used with this column:D–Dutch; E–English; F–French;
Fi–Finnish; G–German; Gg–Georgian;J–Japanese; Pt–Portuguese; R–Russian;Sp–Spanish.]
New Queries(D-E 7-05/1) This ProZ query con-
cerns an obscure point from a serviceand maintenance manual that accom-panies a document specifying generalterms and conditions for a companythat sells water purification systems.The word “dichtslippen” is trouble-some in this context: “Gebruik enkeloriginele filters. Andere filters kunnenhet dichtslippen van membranenveroorzaken.” What is it?
(E-J 7-05/2) The term auditthresholds constituted a problem for aProZ member working from Englishinto Japanese. Here’s the entire para-graph: A reasonable profit or fee maybe paid to an entity receiving anaward under SSS program. The profitor fee is not considered a ‘cost’ forpurposes of determining allowableuse, program income accountability,or audit thresholds. What are they?
(E-R 7-05/3) Economic conver-gence was a concept that one Lantra-lmember found hard to express inRussian, and in case the reader is alittle fuzzy about what it means,another member provided thismeaning: the condition that causeslagging economies to naturally catchup with advanced ones.
(E-R 7-05/4) Vibrating vehicles,also known as thumper trucks, was anunknown phrase in a text having to dowith oil drilling that a ProZer wasworking on into Russian. Here’s a bitmore context: “The surface-basedtechniques, including vibrating vehi-cles (thumper trucks), explosions inholes drilled beneath the surface, andspecial ‘air-guns’ for marine loca-tions…. [Presumably the list goes
on]. What sort of equipment is it, andhow is it expressed in Russian?
(E-Sp 7-05/5) A Lantra-l user sus-pected, probably correctly, that “centrode crisis” was not proper Spanish forcrisis center. Frustrated, she turned toher colleagues. Perhaps real help cancome in this expanded venue.
(E-Sp 7-05/6) To be of any help inthis query, which originated on ProZ,you must know what clip bondcoupons are in the world of financialservices, and how this can be ren-dered into good Spanish.
(F-E 7-05/7) Originally, the posterof this query wanted Hungarian, butEnglish will do. The problem term isa phenomenon from the world of cos-metics and beauty: “effet liftant.” It isdefined as “la texture gainante de xproduit enveloppe la peau pour uneffet tenseur immédiate.” Who wantsto try? And if you are really ambi-tious, provide the Hungarian.
(Fi-G 7-05/8) Here’s someFinnish, also a rarity. The subject istourism, and the two trouble wordsappear in bold print: “Tilalla on mah-dollisuus myös suopungin heittoon.Kodassa nautitaan nokipan-nukahvista pullan kera sekä tutustu-taan vanhan ajan esineidänhistoriaan.” English will be accepted.
(G-E 7-05/9) The term“Speicherblock P” was problematicalto a Lantran in this phrase: “zumJahresende konnte zudem die zukün-ftige Hamburg Port Authority alslangfristiger Mieter für einen noch zumodernisierenden Speicherblock Pgewonnen werden.” What is it?
(Gg-E 7-05/10) This marks the firsttime a Georgian-language query hascome to the column: the contractualterm “sagarantio khelshekruleba,”which might (or might not) come closeto meaning guaranteed agreement.
Address your queries and responses to The Translation Inquirer, 112 Ardmoor Avenue, Danville, Pennsylvania17821, or fax them to (570) 275-1477. E-mail address: [email protected]. Please make your submissions by the25th of each month to be included in the next issue. Generous assistance from Per Dohler, proofreader, is gratefully acknowledged.
The Translation Inquirer By John Decker
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 45
Sorry about not using the Georgianalphabet for this.
(Sp-E 7-05/11) Things as slangy aswhat follows never have a fully defini-tive answer where translation is con-cerned. There exists a Cuban cha-chatune (“¡Rico Vacilon!”). What wouldbe good English for that? Readers needto understand that the second wordobviously comes from “vacilar.”
Replies to Old Queries(G-E 4-05/9) (“Mandat”): Clearly,
says John Kinory, the problem wordmeans authority, mandate, appoint-ment, or power of attorney. Beyondthat, though, the context sentence(found on page 45 of the April 2005 Chronicle) does not make it clear who
took authority from whom. Perhaps itwas the owner of a holiday home,withdrawing authorization from anagency that had been letting the houseto vacationers.
(Pt-E 5-05/11) (“bula”): DavidSteffen defines this as a productinsert, or, if it is external but physi-cally attached to the package, aproduct outsert. Piero Brentani saysthat pharmacies often do not hand outthis insert when providing a prescrip-tion drug, but rather replace it withthe pharmacy’s own blurb, which iseasier to read. Helen Hasselriis,Wayles Browne, and Gabe Bokor callit a package insert.
(Pt-E 5-05/12) (“cartela”): PieroBrentani calls it the pack or package.
According to David Steffen andWayles Browne, it’s a blister pack.Dubravka Martincic renders it asblister card.
(Sp-E 1-05/11) (“condición sus-pensiva”): Susana Greiss was sur-prised to see this query, since theanswer to it is in all the dictionaries:condition precedent.
The relatively light content of thiscolumn matches the mostly summeryquality of the weather in which mostreaders will read it. If you con-tributed, thanks!
XVII World Congress of theInternational Federation of Translators“Rights On!”Tampere, Finland • August 4-7, 2005
The International Federation of Translators holds its World Congress every three years, when about 500
translators, interpreters, and terminologists from all over the globe meet to discuss the latest topics pertinent
to our profession.
The 2005 Congress, with the theme of translators’ rights, promises to be worthwhile and will cast new light
on our profession. It is hosted this year by the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters(www.sktl.net). You will find that Tampere is a dynamic university town where everything is conducive to
acquiring knowledge (www.tampere.fi/english_v). Don’t miss this opportunity to meet new friends, chat
with familiar colleagues, and learn valuable information.
For more information, contact:Tel: +358-3-366 4400
Fax:+358-3-222 6440
E-mail: [email protected]
www.tampereconference.fi
www.fit2005.org/registration_form.htm
The ATA Chronicle | July 200546
T he British Victorian stereotypeof Italians is best expressed byWilliam S. Gilbert’s sendup of
it in Ruddigore: “He gave me anItalian glance — thus (business) —and made me his.” This prejudiceextended even to the ancient Romanpoet Sextus Propertius. Ronnie Aptergives an account of his fate at thehands of critics and translators in herbook Digging for the Treasure.
According to Apter, to Victoriancritics Propertius was the embodimentof “abandonment to sensibility,”“absorption in self-pity,” “ardent sin-cerity in the expression of the passionof love,” “desperate sincerity,” and a“pre-eminently Italian intensity ofwarm, luxurious passion.” Obviously,such a poet could not possibly befunny. Therefore, Sir Charles Elton(1778-1853) translated Propertius’line “non sum de nihilo blandusamator,” which literally means “I amnot a flattering lover for nothing,” into“Nor [do] airy nothings prompt myamorous dream.”
Ezra Pound’s opinion of the poetwas very different. Pound wanted to“induce a few Latinists really to lookat the text of Propertius instead ofswallowing an official ‘position’ andthen finding what the textbooks tell
them to look for.” Pound thought thatJ. W. Mackail, one of the criticsquoted above, didn’t have “anyinkling of the way in which Propertiusis using Latin. Doesn’t see that S. P. istying blue ribbon in the tails of Virgiland Horace.”
And so, in 1919, to howls ofprotest, Pound published his Homageto Sextus Propertius. Included werethe lines:
And Cynthia was alone in her bed.I was stupefied.
I had never seen her looking so beautiful. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . You will observe that pure form has
its value.
The last line is a nearly literaltranslation of “En quantum per se can-dida valet.”
Though Pound’s work had animmediate influence on originalpoetry written in English, his influ-ence on translation took hold onlyslowly. In 1937, Arthur S. Way couldstill publish a translation of Propertiuswith the lines:
Nay, this will I write — and thinewhole life shall not efface theshame—
“Cynthia peerless in beauty —Cynthia faithless of speech.”
Believe me, howe’er thou dost scornthe whisper of evil fame,
Cynthia, the line with bloodlesspallor thy cheek shall bleach.
By 1957, Pound’s influence wasbeginning to be felt, and FrancesFletcher could translate:
But I’ll write — words you cannot, no,Not in your lifetime, un-write:Cynthia, compelling in beauty;
Cynthia, frail in honesty.Scorn as you will, Cynthia, the
gossiping tongues,This verse — believe me — will put
the fear of God in you.
At last, in 1972, John Warden wasable to fully and skillfully conveyPropertius’ irony:
. . . I’ll write a poemwhich will mark you till your dying day;scorn as you willthe mutterings of reputationthese words will make you blench:
IN BEAUTY CYNTHIA EXCELS(but you should hear the lies she tells).
Herman is a librettist and translator. Submit items for future columns via e-mail to [email protected] or viasnail mail to Mark Herman, 5748 W Brooks Rd., Shepherd, MI 48883-9202. Discussions of the translation of humorand examples thereof are preferred, but humorous anecdotes about translators, translations, and mistranslationsare also welcome. Include copyright information and permission if relevant.
Humor and Translation By Mark Herman
Prejudice
First Ohio Valley Regional Interpreter ConferenceOctober 28–30, 2005Kent State UniversityKent, Ohiowww.ccio.org
The Community and Court Interpreters of the Ohio Valley invites you to the First OhioValley Regional Interpreter Conference! Many wonderful speakers, CEUs, and networkingwith court and medical interpreters from Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia,Kentucky, and Tennessee! See the CCIO website for more details: www.ccio.org.
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 47
International Federation of TranslatorsStatutory and General Congress
August 4-7, 2005
Tampere, Finland
www.fit-ift.org
ATA Professional Development Seminar“The Business of Translating
and Interpreting”September 24, 2005
Salt Lake City, Utah
www.atanet.org/pd/business
ATA 46th Annual ConferenceNovember 9-12, 2005
Seattle, Washington
www.atanet.org/conf2005
Upcoming Seminars and Conferences NEW COURSES FOR
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AND ANYANY OTHEROTHER LANGUAGELANGUAGE- Choose from the courses listed below and receive 1 hour of college credit approved by the American Council on Education
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PRESENTER: CAROL PATRIE, Ph.D., CSC, SC:L, CI, CTTo Sc Toll free: 1-877-LMI-7333
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See our website for more in our Effective Interpreting Professional Education Series™
www.language-matters.com
TO SCHEDULE A CLASS , CONTACT [email protected]
TOLL FREE: 1-877-LMI-7333
Winner of the SBA Award for Excellence
Corporate Memberships:
American Translators Association (ATA)
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Since 1985
CONSISTENCY. RELIABILITY. ACCURACY.
Recruiting Technical
Translators in All Languages
VOICE: 800.682.8242
FAX: 206.243.3795
TTY: 206.431.5186
15215 52nd Ave. S.,
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DYNA MICl a n g u a g e c e n t e rDYNA MICl a n g u a g e c e n t e rCONSISTENCY. RELIABILITY. ACCURACY.
The ATA Chronicle | July 200548
ATA ChaptersAtlanta Association of Interpreters and Translators (AAIT) P.O. Box 12172Atlanta, GA 30355Tel: (770) [email protected] • www.aait.org
Carolina Association of Translators and Interpreters (CATI)318 Bandock DriveDurham, NC 27703Tel: (919) 577-0840 [email protected] • www.catiweb.org
Delaware Valley Translators Association (DVTA)606 John Anthony DriveWest Chester, PA 19382-7191Tel: (215) [email protected]
Florida Chapter of ATA (FLATA)P.O. Box 14-1057Coral Gables, FL 33114-1057Tel/Voice: (305) 274-3434 Fax: (305) [email protected] • www.atafl.org
Michigan Translators/Interpreters Network (MiTiN) P.O. Box 852 Novi, MI 48376-0852 Tel: (586) 778-7304 • Fax: (248) 344-0092 [email protected] • www.mitinweb.org
Mid-America Chapter of ATA (MICATA)6600 NW Sweetbriar LaneKansas City, MO 64151 Tel: (816) 741-9441 • Fax: (816) [email protected] • www.ata-micata.org
Midwest Association of Translators andInterpreters (MATI)542 S Dearborn Street, Suite 1060Chicago, IL 60605Tel: (312) 427-5450 • Fax: (312) [email protected] • www.matiata.org
National Capital Area Chapter of ATA (NCATA)P.O. Box 5757Washington, DC 20016-5757Tel: (703) 255-9290 • Fax (202) [email protected] • www.ncata.org
New York Circle of Translators (NYCT)P.O. Box 4051, Grand Central StationNew York, NY 10163-4051Tel: (212) [email protected]
Northeast Ohio Translators Association (NOTA)33425 Bainbridge RoadSolon, OH 44139Tel: (440) [email protected] • www.ohiotranslators.org
Northern California TranslatorsAssociation (NCTA)P.O. Box 14015Berkeley, CA 94712-5015Tel: (510) 845-8712 • Fax: (510) [email protected] • www.ncta.org
Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society (NOTIS)P.O. Box 25301Seattle, WA 98165-2201Tel: (206) [email protected] • www.notisnet.org
Southern California Area Translators andInterpreters Association (SCATIA)P.O. Box 34310Los Angeles, CA 90034Tel: (818) 725-3899 • Fax: (818) [email protected] • www.scatia.org
Upper Midwest Translators andInterpreters Association (UMTIA)Minnesota Translation LabUniversity of Minnesota218 Nolte CenterMinneapolis, MN 55455Tel: (612) [email protected] • www.umtia.org
Affiliated GroupsHouston Interpreters and TranslatorsAssociation (HITA) P.O. Box 421343Houston, TX 77242-1343Tel: (713) 202-6169www.hitagroup.org
Iowa Interpreters and TranslatorsAssociation (IITA)P.O. Box 7631Urbandale, IA 50323Tel: (515) 865-3873 • Fax: (515) [email protected] • www.iitanet.org
Utah Translators and InterpretersAssociation (UTIA)P.O. Box 433Salt Lake City, UT [email protected]/utia
Other GroupsThis list gives contact information for translation and interpretation groups as aservice to ATA members. Inclusion does notimply affiliation with or endorsement by ATA.
American Literary Translators Association (ALTA)The University of Texas at Dallas Box 830688 Mail Station JO51 Richardson, TX 75083-0688 Tel: (972) 883-2093 • Fax: (972) 883-6303 www.literarytranslators.org
Association of Language Companies (ALC)1911 N Fort Myer Drive, Suite 702Arlington, VA 22209-1605Tel: (800) 338-4155 (within North America)(703) 812-0883 • Fax: (703) [email protected] • www.alcus.org
Austin Area Translators and InterpretersAssociation (AATIA)P.O. Box 13331 Austin, TX 78711-3331Tel: (512) 707-3900 [email protected] • www.aatia.org
ATA Chapters, Affiliated Groups, and Other Groups
Two Rad [email protected]/radtown
ATA MembersWebsite Development
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 49
California Court Interpreters Association (CCIA)345 S Hwy 101, Suite DEncinitas, CA 92024Tel: (760) 635-0273 • Fax: (760) [email protected] • www.ccia.org
Chicago Area Translators and InterpretersAssociation (CHICATA)P.O. Box 804595Chicago, IL 60680-4107Tel: (312) [email protected] • www.chicata.org
Colorado Translators Association (CTA)941 Cedwick StreetLafayette, CO 80026Tel: (720) [email protected]
Delaware Translators Network (DTN)2401 Pennsylvania Avenue #912Wilmington, DE 19806Tel: (302) [email protected]
El Paso Interpreters and TranslatorsAssociation (EPITA)P.O. Box 27157El Paso, TX 79926 Tel: (915) 598-4757 or (915) [email protected]
The Kentucky Translators and InterpretersAssociation (KTIA)P.O. Box 7468 Louisville, KY 40257-0468Tel: (502) 449-4499E-mail: [email protected]
Metroplex Interpreters and TranslatorsAssociation (MITA) 712 Cornfield DriveArlington, TX 76017Tel: (817) 417-4747www.dfw-mita.com
National Association of JudiciaryInterpreters and Translators (NAJIT) 603 Stewart Street, Suite 610Seattle, WA 98101Tel: (206) 267-2300 • Fax: (206) 626-0392
New England Translators Association (NETA) 672 Salls RoadGreensborough Bend, VT 05842Tel: (802) [email protected] • www.netaweb.org
New Mexico Translators and InterpretersAssociation (NMTIA)P.O. Box 36263Albuquerque, NM 87176Tel: (505) 352-9258 • Fax: (505) [email protected]/~nmtia
The Translators and Interpreters Guild (TTIG)962 Wayne Avenue, Suite 500Silver Spring, MD 20910Tel: (301) 563-6450 • (866) 563-6456Fax: (301) [email protected] • www.ttig.org
Washington State Court Interpreters andTranslators Society (WITS)P.O. Box 1012 Seattle, WA 98111-1012Tel: (206) 382-5690www.witsnet.org
International GroupsFITFédération Internationale desTraducteurs/International Federation ofTranslators (FIT)2021 Avenue Union, Bureau 1108 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2S9Tel: (514) 845-0413 • Fax: (514) [email protected]
AUSTRALIAAustralian Institute of Interpreters andTranslators, Inc. (AUSIT)PO Box 1070Blackburn North VIC 3130 AustraliaTel: +61 3 9597 9958 [email protected] • www.ausit.org
CANADAAssociation of Translators andInterpreters of Alberta (ATIA)P.O. Box 546Main Post OfficeEdmonton, Alberta, Canada T5J 2K8 Tel: (780) 434-8384www.atia.ab.ca
Association of Translators andInterpreters of Ontario (ATIO)1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1202Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 7B7Tel: (613) 241-2846, Toll-free: 1 (800) 234-5030Fax: (613) [email protected] • www.atio.on.ca
Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues etinterprètes agréés du Québec (OTTIAQ)2021 Union Avenue, Suite 1108Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2S9 Tel: (514) 845-4411Toll-free: (800) 265-4815 Fax: (514) [email protected] • www.ottiaq.org
Society of Translators and Interpreters ofBritish Columbia (STIBC)850 W Hastings Street, Suite 514, Box 34Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6C 1E1Tel: (604) 684-2940 • Fax: (604) [email protected] • www.stibc.org
ENGLANDInstitute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI)Fortuna HouseSouth Fifth StreetMilton KeynesMK9 2EU EnglandTel: +44 (0) 1908 325 250Fax: +44 (0) 1908 325 [email protected] • www.iti.org.uk
MEXICOOrganización Mexicana de Traductores A.C.Capítulo Occidente Av. Vallarta 1525–304 Col. Americana Guadalajara, Jalisco MexicoTel: +52-33-3124-0236 Fax: [email protected]
PERUAsociación de Traductores Profesionalesdel Perú (ATPP)Casilla Postal 18-0251Lima 18 PerúTel: +51 (1) 264-2214 • Fax: +51 (1) [email protected]://www.atpp.org.pe
Note: For more information on chapters or to start a chapter, please contact ATA Headquarters. Send updates to Mary David, ATA Chronicle, 225Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314; Tel: (703) 683-6100; Fax: (703) 683-6122; [email protected].
50
American Translators AssociationOfficersPresidentMr. Scott Brennan25494 Crossfield DriveSouth Riding, VA 20152Tel/Fax: (703) [email protected]
President-electMs. Marian S. Greenfield2619 Holly AvenueSouth Plainfield, NJ 07080Tel: (908) 561-7590Fax: (908) [email protected]
SecretaryProf. Alan K. Melby1223 Aspen AvenueProvo, UT 84604Tel: (801) 422-2144Fax: (801) [email protected]
TreasurerDr. Jiri Stejskal7312 Oak AvenueMelrose Park, PA 19027Tel: (215) 635-7090Fax: (215) [email protected]
Directors Committee Chairs Division AdministratorsMr. Kirk Anderson9208 Carlyle AvenueSurfside, FL 33154Tel: (305) 532-7252Fax: (305) [email protected]
Dr. Claudia Angelelli2676 W Canyon AvenueTel: (619) 594-1678Fax: (619) [email protected]
Ms. Beatriz Bonnet7465 E Peakview AvenueEnglewood, CO 80111Tel: (303) 779-1288Fax: (303) [email protected]
Dr. Nicholas Hartmann611 N Broadway, Suite 509Milwaukee, WI 53202Tel: (414) 271-4890Fax: (414) [email protected]
Dr. Jean Leblon1130 5th Avenue S, #104Edmonds, WA 98020Tel: (425) 778-9889Fax: (425) [email protected]
Ms. Virginia Perez-Santalla1153 Ridge DriveMountainside, NJ 07092Tel: (908) 232-2559Fax: (908) [email protected]
Ms. Dorothee Racette668 Pup Hill RoadSaranac, NY 12981Tel: (518) 293-7494Fax: (518) [email protected]
Mr. Tony Roder9485 SW Bayou DriveMcMinnville, OR [email protected]
Mr. Timothy Yuan89-33 Pontiac StreetQueens Village, NY 11427Tel/Fax: (646) [email protected]
Active Membership ReviewMr. Timothy Yuan89-33 Pontiac StreetQueens Village, NY 11427Tel/Fax: (646) [email protected]
CertificationLilian Novas Van VrankenSpring, TXTel: (281) 374-6813Fax: (208) [email protected]
ChaptersRobert A. CroeseJenison, MI Tel: (616) 667-1502Fax: (616) [email protected]
Continuing EducationRequirementsIzumi SuzukiNovi, MITel: (248) 344-0909Fax: (248) [email protected]
Dictionary ReviewBoris M. SilversteynVenice, FLTel/Fax: (941) [email protected]
DivisionsDorothee RacetteSaranac, NYTel: (518) 293-7494Fax: (518) [email protected]
Education and Pedagogy(Non-ATA Programs)Claudia AngelelliSan Diego, CA Tel: (619) 594-1678Fax: (619) [email protected]
EthicsMuriel M. Jérôme-O’KeeffeAlexandria, VATel: (703) 548-7570Fax: (703) [email protected]
FinanceJiri StejskalMelrose Park, PA Tel: (215) 635-7090Fax: (215) [email protected]
Honors and AwardsMarilyn Gaddis RoseBinghamton, NY Tel: (607) 774-9910Fax: (607) [email protected]
Interpretation PolicyAdvisoryChristian DegueldreSan Diego, CA Tel: (619) 594-6210Fax: (619) [email protected]
Mentoring Courtney Searls-RidgeSeattle, WATel: (206) 938-3600Fax: (206) [email protected]
John P. ShakleeCanton, OH Tel/Fax: (330) [email protected]
Professional Development(ATA Programs)Marian S. GreenfieldSouth Plainfield, NJTel: (908) 561-7590Fax: (908) [email protected]
Public RelationsChris DurbanParis, FranceTel: 33(1)42935802Fax: 33(1)[email protected]
Kevin S. HendzelArlington, VATel: (703) 516-9266Fax: (703) [email protected]
TerminologySue Ellen WrightKent, OHTel: (330) 673-0043Fax: (330) [email protected]
Translation and ComputersAlan K. MelbyProvo, UTTel: (801) 422-2144Fax: (801) [email protected]
Chinese LanguageYuanxi MaChicago, IL Tel: (312) 861-7972Fax: (312) [email protected]
French LanguageMichèle F. LandisLittleton, CO Tel: (303) 904-8412Fax: (303) [email protected]
German LanguageFrieda Ruppaner-LindLeawood, KS Tel: (913) 649-5147Fax: (208) [email protected]
InterpretersSteven MinesAustin, TX Tel: (512) 627-3726Fax: (512) [email protected]
Italian LanguageJoan B. SaxRandolph Center, VTTel: (802) 728-9864Fax: (802) [email protected]
Japanese LanguageKen WagnerShoreline, WA Tel: (206) 368-9271Fax: (206) [email protected]
LiteraryClifford E. LandersNaples, FL Tel: (239) [email protected]
Medical Martine DougéHollywood, FL Tel/Fax: (954) [email protected]
NordicMr. David Rumsey Seattle, WA 98103Tel: (250) 744-0979Fax: (250) [email protected]
Portuguese LanguageTereza d’Ávila BragaDallas, TXTel: (972) 690-7730Fax: (972) [email protected]
Slavic LanguagesAlex LanePagosa Springs, CO Tel: (970) 946-0617Fax: (719) [email protected]
Spanish LanguageThomas G. MansellaArlington, VA Tel: (703) 228-7665Fax: (320) 209 [email protected]
Translation CompanyKim VitrayAustin, TX Tel: (512) 472-6753Fax: (512) [email protected]
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005
To International Federation ofTranslators (FIT)Peter W. KrawutschkeKalamazoo, MITel: (269) 387-3212Fax: (269) [email protected]: www.fit-ift.org
To Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL)Christophe L. RéthoréCharlottesville, VA
Tel: (434) 924-7158Fax: (434) [email protected]
To ASTM Translation UserStandards ProjectBeatriz A. BonnetEnglewood, COTel: (303) 779-1288Fax: (303) [email protected]
ATA Representatives
51
Eligible Continuing Education
Continuing Education Points
If you are now certified, your first 3-yearreporting period ends on January 1, 2007.
If you become ATA-certified after January 1,2004, your first reporting period ends 3 yearsafter the certification date.
You can begin accruing continuing educationpoints on January 1, 2004, or as soon as youbecome certified. ATA-certified translators whowill be 60 and older on the date their report-ing period ends are exempt from continuingeducation requirements. All others must pro-vide evidence of their continuing educationactivities as described here.
Keep track of your continuing educationpoints and supporting documentation: this isyour responsibility. Use the forms on pages53 and 54 to request approval, if required,either before or after the event. ATAHeadquarters will notify you and providematerials for reporting your continuing educa-tion points, when due.
You must earn 1 continuing education pointon the ethics of translation and interpretingduring your first 3-year reporting period. Youmay choose between attending an ethicsworkshop at the ATA Annual Conference ortaking a self-directed course available onlineand in print. The self-directed course is availableonline at www.atanet.org/acc/ce_online_ethics_component.htm The Continuing EducationRequirements Committee may approve otherethics classes.
Guide to ATA ATA-certified translators must earn 20 points of continuing education credit over 3 years, with a maximum of 10 points in any given year, to keep their certification current.
You can earn continuing education points in any of 6 categories. Each has a maximum numberof points per year or 3-year reporting period.
A. Translation/interpreting courses, seminars, workshops, and conferencesPoints: 1 point per hour for attending translation/interpreting seminars, workshops, and conferences (up to 10
points per event); 1 point per hour for college and university courses (up to 5 points per course); 2 points per hour
for teaching/presenting classes, seminars, workshops, and conference sessions.
Maximum: Up to 10 points in any given year.
No approval required: ATA annual/regional conferences, preconference seminars, and professional development
seminars. ATA chapter and division seminars, conferences, and workshops. Courses, seminars, and conferences offered
by nationally accredited university translation/interpreting programs in the United States. ATA Certification Program grader training.
Approval required (before or after the event): Translation/interpreting courses, seminars, workshops,
and conferences offered by other translation/interpreting associations in the United States or abroad, or by university
translation/interpreting programs abroad. Privately offered seminars on translation/interpreting.
Approval process: While no approval is required, ATA chapters, divisions, and nationally accredited translation/
interpreting programs in the United States are encouraged to submit an approval request to ATA Headquarters for record
keeping prior to their classes, seminars, and conferences.
For other events, use the forms on pages 53 and 54 to submit instructor credentials and a session abstract,
course description, syllabus, conference proceedings, or other supporting documentation to the Certification
Program Manager at ATA Headquarters for approval, either before or after the event.
Examples: ATA Spanish Division Mid-Year Conference; NYU Translation Program online courses; Kent State
University’s Terminology Summer Academy; conferences organized by the National Association of Judiciary
Interpreters and Translators.
B. Other courses and seminarsPoints: 1 point per hour for attending, 2 points per hour for teaching/presenting (up to 2 points per course or seminar).
Maximum: Up to 5 points in a 3-year period.
No approval required: Courses, seminars, and workshops in your area of specialization, such as law, medicine,
finance, or technical fields. ATA translation/interpreting ethics workshop. Target-language grammar and writing courses.
Seminars and workshops on translation-support software and other tools of the trade.
Approval required (before or after the event): Seminars and workshops on running your business.
Approval process: You will be asked to provide a statement at reporting time attesting that each course, seminar,
or workshop relates to your specialization. You can claim the ATA ethics workshop only once.
For seminars and workshops on running your business, use the forms on pages 53 and 54 to submit instructor credentials
and a session abstract, course description, syllabus, conference proceedings, or other supporting documentation to the
Certification Program Manager at ATA Headquarters for approval, either before or after the event.
Examples: Financial Accounting course at the University of Vermont; California Bar Association online legal continuing
education; training sessions on TRADOS, Déjà Vu, Star, Transit, and other translation-support tools; Pharmacological Update
at the Georgetown School of Nursing and Health Studies.
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005
C. Memberships in professional associationsPoints: 1 point for each current membership in a professional association of each type: translation/interpreting or specialization-specific.Maximum: Up to 2 points per 3-year period.No approval required: Membership in a translation/interpreting professional association.Approval required: Membership in a specialization-specific professional association.Approval process: You will be asked to provide evidence of membership at reporting time. For specialization-specific professional associations, you will be asked to provide a description of the association and how it relates to your translation work.Examples: ATA and ATA local chapters; National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators;International Association of Conference Interpreters; Austin Area Translators and Interpreters Association;
Société Française des Traducteurs; Society for Technical Communication; Society of Automotive Engineers; European Society of Clinical Pharmacy.
D. Mentors, mentees, and ATA Certification Program gradersPoints: 1 point for each activity per year.Maximum: Up to 6 points per 3-year period.Approval required: ATA certification exam grading. ATA certification exam passage selection. Participating as a mentor or mentee in the ATA Mentoring Program.Approval process: ATA Certification Program graders must have graded exams or selected passages during the year for which they claim points. Mentors and mentees must provide a statement from the Mentoring Committee Chair at reporting time.
E. New certifications and accreditations Points: 1 point for each new certification or accreditation acquired from an approved professional organization or government agency.Maximum: Up to 3 points per 3-year period.No approval required: National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators, Federal Court, and foreign sworn translator credentials.Approval required: Other credentials.Approval process: National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators, Federal Court, and foreign sworn translator credentials are pre-approved, but proof must be provided. For other credentials, a description of the criteria for conferring the credential must be submitted to the Certification Program Manager at ATA Headquarters for approval. Attach a copy of the certificate awarded to your approval request.
F. Authoring articles or booksPoints: 4 points for each new book published; 2 points for each new article published.Maximum: Up to 4 points during the 3-year period.Approval required: Published book on translation/interpreting. Published article on translation/interpreting in a professional journal/publication. (Translating a book or article is not counted as authoring a book or article.)Approval process: Submit a copy of the title page of the book or article with the author’s name.
If you have any questions or
comments, please contact Terry Hanlen,
ATA Certification Program Manager, at
(703) 683-6100, ext. 3004.
American Translators Association
225 Reinekers Lane
Suite 590
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.683.6100
Fax 703.683.6122
www.atanet.org
The ATA Chronicle | July 200552
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 53
1. Name of requesting individual: Daytime Phone: ATA Membership Number:
2. Event sponsor’s contact informationName of Sponsor:
Contact Person: Email:
Address:
Phone: Fax:
3. Event/presentation:
4. Brief description of content:
5. Speaker’s name & title:
For conference or multi-day events, please list names and titles of speakers on a separate sheet
6. Date(s) of activity: 7. Time of activity: (from) (to)
8. Number of continuing education points requested:
1 point per hour credit for seminars, workshops, and conferences, with a max.10 points/event; 5 points max./university course
9. Signature of requesting individual: Date:
For ATA Use Only
Points approved: Comments:
Reviewed by:
Date:
Approval Request FormATA Continuing Education Points (Individuals)American Translators Association225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 • Alexandria VA 22314Tel: (703) 683-6100 • Fax (703) 683-6122 • E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.atanet.org
Refer to CE Guidelines in print or online at www.atanet.org for further information!
Please print or type.
The ATA Chronicle | July 200554
1. Event sponsor’s contact information
Name of Sponsor: ❑ ATA Chapter/Division: _____________________________________________________________________
❑ Other*: ________________________________________________________________________________
*Approval for non-ATA-sponsored activities must be sought by either the sponsor or the individual attending the activity
Contact Person: Email:
Address:
Phone: Fax:
2. Event/presentation:
3. Brief description of content:
4. Speaker’s name & title:
For conference or multi-day events, please list names and titles of speakers on a separate sheet
5. Date(s) of activity: 6. Time of activity: (from) (to)
7. Number of continuing education points requested:
1 point per hour credit for seminars, workshops, and conferences, with a max.10 points/event; 5 points max./university course
8. Signature of requesting individual: Title: Date:
For ATA Use Only
Points approved: Comments:
Reviewed by:
Date:
Approval Request FormATA Continuing Education Points (Groups)American Translators Association225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 • Alexandria VA 22314Tel: (703) 683-6100 • Fax (703) 683-6122 • E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.atanet.org
Refer to CE Guidelines in print or online at www.atanet.org for further information!
Please print or type.
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 55
CEP Request Form for Groups1) Provide the name and contact information for the group spon-
soring the event. a) Check the appropriate box for your group and provide the
group’s name. b) “Other” can include affiliated groups, international transla-
tion organizations, and universities.
All ATA chapter educational events are automatically eligi-ble for continuing education points. Events not sponsoredby ATA or ATA chapters must be approved individually.Approval may be denied if documentation is insufficient orif the educational content does not meet ATA criteria.
2) Provide the name of the event or presentation.3) Provide a brief description of the content of the event or pres-
entation—two or three sentences should be sufficient.4) Provide the speaker’s name and title.
a) If this is a single session, one name and descriptive title aresufficient.
b) If this is a conference or multi-day event, provide all namesand titles on a separate page.
5) Provide the date(s) of the event.6) Provide the starting and ending times.
a) If this is a conference or multi-day event, provide the num-ber of session hours for each day of the event. Sessionhours do not include breaks or meals.
7) Provide the number of CEPs you are requesting for your atten-dees—one hour of creditworthy activity equals one CEP—nopartial hours can be counted.
8) The form must be signed and dated by the individual recom-mending the presentation or event for CEP approval.
CEP Request Form for Individuals1) The individual requesting the CEPs must provide his/her ATA
membership number and sign and date the form.2) Provide the name and contact information for the group spon-
soring the event.
All ATA chapter educational events are automatically eligi-ble for continuing education points. Events not sponsoredby ATA or ATA chapters must be approved individually.Approval may be denied if documentation is insufficient orif the educational content does not meet ATA criteria.
3) Provide the name of the event or presentation.4) Provide a brief description of the content of the event or pres-
entation—two or three sentences should be sufficient.5) Provide the speaker’s name and title.
a) If this is a single session, one name and descriptive title aresufficient.
b) If this is a conference or multi-day event, provide all namesand titles on a separate page.
6) Provide the date(s) of the event.7) Provide the starting and ending times.
a) If this is a conference or multi-day event, provide the num-ber of session-hours for each day of the event—sessionhours do not include breaks or meals.
8) Provide the number of CEPs you are requesting—one hour ofcreditworthy activity equals one CEP.
Instructions for Completing ATA Continuing Education ApprovalRequest Forms
General Information:• ATA maintains a database of approved events at which ATA-certified members may earn continuing education points (CEPs). • For events not listed, an ATA approval request form must be completed and submitted to ATA Headquarters.• Approval may be requested either prior to an event or after an event, with the understanding that the approval may be denied if documen-
tation is insufficient or if the educational content does not meet ATA criteria.• Individuals and groups requesting CEPs will be notified by ATA Headquarters that the event has been approved for a particular number of
CEPs or that approval is denied.• Individuals must keep track of their earned CEPs and report them to ATA Headquarters every three years upon request.
Select one of the following forms to complete:1. If you represent a chapter, regional group, organization, institution, or other sponsor of activities, complete the Approval Request Form for
Groups (page 54).2. If you are an individual, complete the Approval Request Form for Individuals (page 53).
REMINDER• ATA offers 1 CEP per hour for approved seminars, workshops, conferences, and presentations based on full hours (not including meals
and breaks), up to a maximum of 10 CEPs per event. No partial hours will be counted. • ATA offers a maximum of 5 CEPs for an approved college, university, or other course regardless of its length. • The requesting group or individual will be notified if ATA does not approve the number of points requested.• When reporting points, an ATA member is allowed a maximum of 10 CEPs for any given year.
56
GOLD SPONSORS$3,700 Contribution
SDL Desktop Productswww.sdlx.com
TRADOS Corporationwww.translationzone.com
American Translators Association46th Annual Conference
As of July 1, 200546th Annual Conference Exhibitors
SILVER SPONSORS$2,700 Contribution
CLS Communication, Inc.www.cls-communication.com
Idem Translations, Inc.www.idemtranslations.com
NetworkOmni Multilingual Communications
www.networkomni.com
1-Stop Translationwww.1stoptr.com
Adler's Foreign Books www.afb-adlers.com
American Red Cross www.redcross.org
Atrilwww.atril.com
Beetext Productivity Solutionswww.beetext.com
CLS Communication, Inc. www.cls-communication.com
Defense Language Institute,Foreign Language Center www.dliflc.edu
Dynamic Language Centerwww.dlc-usa.com
Federal Bureau of Investigationwww.fbijobs.com
John Benjamins Publishing Co.www.benjamins.com
Kent State University,Institute for Applied Linguisticsappling.kent.edu
LanguageWorks, Inc.www.languageworks.com
Lexis-Nexis/Martindale-HubbellLaw Directory www.martindale.com/resources
Monterey Institute ofInternational Studies, Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation www.miis.edu/gsti-about-dean.html
Multicorpora R&Dwww.multicorpora.com
MultiLing Corporationwww.multiling.com
National Center forInterpretation, University of Arizona www.nci.arizona.edu
NetworkOmni MultilingualCommunications www.networkomni.com
New York University www.scps.nyu.edu
Schreiber Publishing www.schreibernet.com
SDL Desktop Productswww.sdlx.com
Telelanguage Inc. www.telelanguage.com
Terminotix Inc.www.terminotix.com
TRADOS Corporationwww.translationzone.com
Translation Bureau/Bureau de la traductionwww.termium.com
TransPerfect Translationswww.transperfect.com
TripleInk www.tripleink.com
U.S. Department of State, Office of Language Services www.state.gov
WordFinder SoftwareInternational www.wordfinder.com
Interested in becoming a Sponsor or an Exhibitor? Contact Matthew Hicks [email protected] or (215) 321-9662, ext. 19.
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 57
Programs in TranslationStudies
An ATA Handbook
Gertrud Graubart ChampeEditor
American Translators AssociationAlexandria, Virginia
A practical handbook for anyone interested in translation
studies in the United States.$30 Members • $50 Nonmembers
Order onlinewww.atanet.org
or call Headquarters at 703.683.6100
Programs inTranslation
Studies:An ATA Handbook
The ATA and the American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation (AFTI) invite nominations
for the annual award of the S. Edmund Berger Prize.
The $1,000 prize is offered to recognize excellence in scientific and technical translation by an ATA
member.
Individual translators or translation companies wishing to nominate a translator for this prestigious
award may obtain a nomination form from the AFTI website (www.afti.org) or from AFTI at the
following address:
AFTI • Columbia Plaza—Suite 101 • 350 East Michigan Avenue • Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Nominations must be received by September 17, 2005, and will be judged by a three-member
national jury. The recipient of the award will be announced during the 2005 ATA Annual
Conference in Seattle, Washington, November 9-12.
S. Edmund Berger PrizeIn Excellence in Scientific and Technical Translation
You’ll find the most up-to-datecontact information for your ATAcolleagues online, day or night! Search by name, loca-tion, even by email address—just click www.atanet.org/membersonly.
ATA’sMembershipDirectoryKeeps You Connected All Year Long
The ATA Chronicle | July 200558
Round Robin Tennis TournamentATA 46th Annual Conference in Seattle, WAThursday, November 10, 4:00pm-6:30pm
If you love to play tennis, here's your chance to get to know your colleagues and friends in a mixed, partner-rotating, single session tennis event!
Men and women of all ages and tennis experience can join us on the beautiful indoor courts of the Nordstrom Tennis Center of the University of Washington, just a short ride from the conference venue. The fee includes transportation between the conference hotel and the Tennis Center and all court fees. You will be playing for the coveted annual ATA tennis trophy in your category, along with other prizes. All you need to bring is your racket, tennis shoes, and tennis attire. For additional information contact Rob Croese at [email protected] required. See the Registration Form in the Preliminary Program.Pictures taken at last year’s
Round Robin in Toronto.
2005 Harvie Jordan ScholarshipATA Spanish Language Division
Purpose: To promote, encourage, and support leadership and professional development of translators and interpreters
within ATA’s Spanish Language Division and to honor Harvie Jordan’s lifetime contributions as a language professional.
Description of Award: Paid registration to ATA’s Annual Conference or an SPD Conference, as desired.
Eligibility: Limited to ATA Spanish Language Division members in good standing with two or more years of membership.
Deadline: September 17, 2005
Criteria for Selection:1. Demonstrated leadership skills and career goals;
2. ATA Spanish Language Division involvement and commitment to service;
3. Special contributions to translation and interpretation.
Please limit your response to each of the selection criteria above to 100 words or less. Send your application via e-mail to AFTI
at: [email protected].
Applications will be numbered, de-identified, and distributed to the Scholarship Selection Committee. The Selection Committee
will consist of leaders of ATA’s Spanish Language Division.
All selections are final. The number of scholarships available will depend on the funds available. Scholarship winners will be asked
to contribute an article to Intercambios, the SPD newsletter, reporting on the conference or a session they attended.
The Selection Committee has the option of not presenting an award in a given year.
The ATA Chronicle | July 2005 59
ADVERTISE IN ATA& WATCH YOUR AD TRANSLATE INTO $$$
Contact Matt Hicks today for rates and information.
215-321-9662 ext. 19 [email protected]
DIRECTORY OF LANGUAGE SERVICESTo place an ad contact Matt Hicks at 215-321-9662, ext. 19 or [email protected]
Over 50 years of professionalmultilingual translations
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The best professionaltechnical translations,especially for Euro, Africanand Brazilian Portuguese.Quality, reliability, speed. Let ushelp you optimize your project.
www.cybertecusa.com800.769.7891
Fax [email protected] Highly experienced, reliable, fast translator /
conference interpreter. Any work volume.Quality control. (303) 530-9781; Fax: (303) 530-5600, [email protected].
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To Advertise call Matt Hicks today at
215-321-9662, ext. 19
Your Experienced Chinese Translator Prompt service at modest price Have translated over 1.2 million words and have interpreted 76,000 minutes since 2000 Call Toll Free: 1-800-818-0684 or www.TranslationUSA.org for details [email protected]
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Experienced translator. Technical, software and computer, business, and medical documents. Ph.D. inengineering. Voice: (909) 860-9155; Fax: (909)860-5643; E-mail: [email protected].
46th Annual Conference
SEATTLE
Over 175 educational sessions that cover topics in a variety of languages and
specialties, offering something for everyone
A multitude of networking events that allow you to connect with over 1,200 translators
and interpreters from throughout the U.S. and around the world
Opportunities to promote your services and interview with language services companies
at the Job Marketplace
An exhibit hall that brings companies together for you to see the latest software,
publications, and products available that fit your unique needs
The Westin Seattle is located in downtown Seattle, 15 miles from the Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport and within walking distance to Pike Place Market and the Space Needle.
Take advantage of this special rate, available only until October 19.
Call (800) WESTIN-1 (937-8461) and tell them you’re attending the ATA Conference.
The Westin Seattle, 1900 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone: (206) 728-1000, Fax: (206) 728-2007; www.westin.com/seattle
of the American Translators Association
The Westin Seattle l Seattle, Washington l November 9-12, 2005
Hotel
RegisterLook for the Conference Registration Form with the July issue of The ATA Chronicle
to take advantage of special Early-Bird rates, available until October 3.
Join ATA to register at the discounted ATA Member rate. For an application, contact ATA
or join online at www.atanet.org/membapp.htm.
Special Room Rates for ATA Conference Attendees (exclusive of tax)
Single: $179 l Double: $194 l Triple: $204 l Quad: $214
Don't miss this opportunity to network, meet newcomers
and seasoned professionals, market yourself and your skills,
reunite with friends and colleagues, and have fun!
Features
See What We’ve Got Brewin’ in. . .See What We’ve Got Brewin’ in. . .
Look for the Preliminary Program and Registration Form with The Chronicle in July!
The ATA Chronicle | July 200562
Did you missDid you missATA’s Financial Translation
& Interpreting Conference
Order the CD-ROM Today!
Only $69 for ATA Members
($129 for nonmembers)
To Learn More, Visit
www.atanet.org/pd/finance.
?
To Learn More, Visit
www.atanet.org/pd/finance.
?
The ATA Financial Translation and Interpreting Conference was the inaugural event
for creating an electronic library of advanced education that will serve to reach more
professionals in more successful ways.
More than 30 sessions---over 45 hours
of content---have been audiotaped and
integrated with supporting slides,
documents, and other information to
create a multimedia CD-ROM that
will serve as a valuable
educational tool.
Note: Not all presentations are included
due to speaker consent or program changes.
Visit www.atanet.org/pd/finance/cdrom.htm
to learn which sessions are included.
Attention ATA-Certified Members:
This CD-ROM has been approved for Continuing Education Points. Earn one point for
each hour viewed, up to a maximum of 10 points.
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If you're interested in an association with acompany that values your expertise andskills–if you want to capitalize on current
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Please visit us at the ATA AnnualConference in Seattle at Booth 15 and 16 or call Dr. Fabienne-Sophie Chauderlot, Director of Language Services, at 800 543-4244 x2216.
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