october 2002 volume xxxi number 10 the chronicle · by paulo rónai (translated by tom moore) an...
TRANSCRIPT
ChronicleThe
A Publication of
the American
Translators
Association
October 2002
Volume XXXI
Number 10
in this issueLegal Translating and Interpreting
in this issue October 2002
Volume XXXI
Number 10
Features
10 Minutes of the 2001 Annual Business Meeting of the American Translators Association
13 2002 ATA Annual Conference in Atlanta: Sponsors and Exhibitors
18 2002 ATA Annual Conference in Atlanta: Division Social Events
20 International Certification Study: Spain and PortugalBy Jiri Stejskal
22 French→English Legal Dictionaries: An American Lawyer’s AnalysisBy Tom L. West IIIThe time is ripe for a person to produce a bilingual dictionary that takes into accountthe way legal terms are used in each area of law and in each legal system.
27 What’s in It for me?By Courtney Searls-Ridge and Mary DavidWhy would anyone volunteer to be an ATA mentor? There are as many reasons as thereare mentors.
28 A Translators’ Tea Party in BostonBy Teresa S. WaldesA review of the presentations given at ATA’s recent professional development seminar,“The Business of Translating & Interpreting,” held in Boston this past August.
31 Professionalism 101By Betty HowellYears of translating develop skills and attitudes that distinguish the professional fromthe talented beginner. This article discusses some of the more obvious ones in an effortto help newcomers learn where to focus their energies.
A Publication of
the American
Translators
Association
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The ATA Chronicle | October 20024
2003 ChronicleEditorial Calendar
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The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 5
33 How to Sell Translation/Localization Services Without Spending Millions of DollarsBy Renato BeninattoSelling takes discipline, not millions of dollars. This article shows some proven practicesand tools to sell services professionally.
35 Your Mission, If You Choose to Accept It…By Hélène WimmerlinTranslation project managers play a crucial role in the translation industry. Who arethey? What makes good project managers and what is their future?
37 English➝Spanish Legal Dictionaries on ProbationBy Sandro TomasiA study on how best to translate the term probation into Spanish. As you will see, mostbilingual legal dictionaries to date have completely missed the mark.
45 Contracts in German(y)By Christiane BohnertAn overview of contracts according to German law.
49 Encouragement for Nonscientific Translators to Begin Translating Biomedical Documents By Mizuho IwamotoThe great variety of documents in the biomedical field offers many topics of interest totranslators with nonscientific backgrounds. Translating material from such fields canprovide fascinating work, and can also help to solve the shortage of biomedicaltranslators.
52 How I Learned PortugueseBy Paulo Rónai (Translated by Tom Moore)An essay by the late translator, linguist, and lexicographer Paulo Rónai (1907-1992)describing how he came to learn Portuguese and publish translations of Brazilian poetryin Budapest before the outbreak of the Second World War, and how he came to emigrateto Brazil.
56 The Rodríguez TangoBy Tony Beckwith Portrait in tempo of a summer night in Madrid.
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Display Advertising Index72 Almi International
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51 Cybertecwww.cybertecusa.biz
36 College of Charlestonwww.cofc.edu/~legalint
76 Cross Culturalwww.cccsorg.com
79 DFPwww.translationservices.net
68 GMTwww.gmt-ils.it
26 Iverson Languagewww.iversonlang.com
76 Language Matterswww.language-matters.com
26 National Security Agencywww.nsa.gov
76 Portland State ExtendedStudieswww.cep.pdx.edu
2 SH3, Inc.www.sh3.com
71 Star-GMBH TranslationTechnologywww.star-transit.com
80 TRADOS Corporationwww.trados.com
36 Wake Forestwww.wfu.edu/Academicdepartments/RomanceLanguages
The ATA Chronicle | October 20026
About Our Authors... Tony Beckwith is a free-lance translator and interpreter in Austin,Texas. Contact: [email protected].
Renato Beninatto has 20years of experience in thelocalization industry, serv-ing most recently as vice-president and director ofALPNET and Berlitz
GlobalNET, respectively. Currently, he is apartner at Common Sense Advisory, aboutique consulting company. Contact: [email protected].
Christiane Bohnert holdsa Dr. phil. from Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität inMainz. She began hercareer in academia teach-ing German literature, lan-
guage, and business. She relocated to theU.S. in 1985. From 1986-1993, she taughtat U.S. universities, publishing in bothGerman and English, and served as an in-house translator in 1993. She has been afull-time freelance translator specializingin law, finance, banking, investing,accounting, and tourism since 1994. Shealso translates books in the humanities.She is ATA-accredited (English→German),and is the current editor of Interaktiv, thenewsletter of ATA’s German LanguageDivision. Contact: [email protected] orwww.archgermantranslations.com.
Betty Howell is a Boston-born translatorfrom French and German to English. Shehas lived and worked in Montreal since1969, where her company, TraductionsBetty Howell Inc., has often hired studentinterns. Contact: [email protected].
Mizuho Iwamoto is a freelanceEnglish↔Japanese biomedical translator/writer with a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sci-ences. She has 10 years of experience asa translator in both Japan and the U.S.,including working as a government trans-lator for the Ministry of Labor and HealthWelfare, and as a senior editor in a Los
Angeles-based agency. Since 1998, shehas been providing freelance services inManhattan, Kansas. Contact:[email protected].
Tom Moore has been fascinated by thelanguage and culture of Brazil since 1994.In addition to Portuguese, he also trans-lates from Spanish, French, Italian, andGerman. He is the Music/Media Librarianat The College of New Jersey. Contact:[email protected].
Courtney Searls-Ridgehas been a translationproject manager, freelancetranslator, and bureauowner since the 1970s.She is currently the direc-tor of German Language
Services (est. 1979) in Seattle,Washington. She taught in the New YorkUniversity Translation Studies Program inits early years, and currently teaches the“Ethics and Business Practices of T&I”course at the Translation and InterpretationInstitute in Seattle, where she is also aca-demic director of translation. She is serv-ing her second term as secretary of ATA,and is head of the ATA Mentoring TaskForce. Contact: [email protected].
Sandro Tomasi is a certified court (NewYork) and medical (Washington) Spanishinterpreter. For the past five years, he hasworked for different prosecution offices inNew York City as a full-time interpreter,where he has also performed extensivework as a forensic transcriber and transla-tor. In addition to ATA, he is also a mem-ber of the National Association ofJudiciary Interpreters & Translators, andis currently the chair of the ProfessionalDevelopment Committee for the LegalInterpreters and Translators Association inNew York City. Contact: [email protected].
Teresa S. Waldes is anATA-accredited(Spanish→English) free-lance translator specializ-ing in law and finance.Born in Spain, she earned
college degrees in her native country andthe United States. She is also a graduateof New York University’s TranslationStudies and Paralegal Studies programs.Her work experience includes stints as anin-house translator for a major Wall Streetbank and as a paralegal for a top NewYork law firm. She volunteers as a proctorand organizer of the ATA accreditationexams in New York City, and currentlyserves as president-elect of the New YorkCircle of Translators. Contact:[email protected].
Thomas L. West III is thepresident of ATA. Hereceived his law degreefrom the University ofVirginia School of Law in1990. After practicing lawwith a large Atlanta law
firm for five years, he founded IntermarkLanguage Services, an Atlanta-basedcompany specializing in legal and financialtranslation. The author of the best-sellingSpanish-English Dictionary of Law andBusiness, he travels around the worldconducting seminars on legal translation.He is an ATA-accredited (French→English,Spanish→English, and German→English)translator, and has also studied Dutch,Swedish, and Russian. Contact:[email protected].
Hélène Wimmerlin is a French native withan M.A. in specialized translation from theUniversité des Sciences Humaines deStrasbourg, and was the first graduate ofthe master’s degree program in translationat the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.She is currently senior project manager atIverson Language Associates and an asso-ciate lecturer in the translation program atthe University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.She specializes in CAT tool evaluations,workflow troubleshooting, and consulting.Contact: [email protected].
AssociationsMake A BetterWorld
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The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 7
From the PresidentGetting the Word Out
Thomas L. West [email protected]
O ur ATA bylaws state that one ofthe objectives of the associa-tion is “to promote the recog-
nition of the translation andinterpretation professions.” I ampleased to report to you on severalefforts that we have made in thisregard over the past months.
First, ATA Director MadeleineVelguth attended the annual confer-ence of the American Association ofTeachers of French. Madeleine let theattendees know about our profession,and expects that several of them willjoin ATA as a result of her talk. Wealso hope that they will let their stu-dents know about the opportunities inour field.
Second, Barbara Bell, a long-timeATA member based in Atlanta, willbe heading up our high school out-reach on the Wednesday before ourannual conference. Barbara, who isan accredited French-to-Englishtranslator specializing in technical
translation and who occasionallyteaches French technical translationat Georgia State University, is coordi-nating an effort whereby ATA mem-bers will visit high schools in Atlantato talk about careers in translationand interpreting. This high schooloutreach is a program that ATA beganback in 1997 in San Francisco.Obviously, our goal is not to persuadeall the students to become translatorsor interpreters, but rather to makethem aware of our profession so thatwhen they become decision makersone day, they will remember to hireprofessional linguists when they needone of the services we offer.
Finally, this past summer, theAtlanta Journal-Constitution, ourlocal newspaper, ran a story on theinternational terminal at HartsfieldAtlanta International Airport (whichis currently the busiest internationalairport in the world). The story ques-tioned whether our airport is really
equipped to greet passengers fromaround the world. It just so happenedthat the week prior to the story, I’dhad a long wait in the internationalterminal (because my luggage hadfailed to arrive from Europe). Duringthe wait, I noticed the translated signsand jotted down some notes about thetranslation errors I saw, so when thearticle appeared, I sent my list off to“letters to the editor.” This past week,one of those editors interviewed meabout the signage, and, with assis-tance from Chris Durban, co-chair ofATA’s Public Relations Committee, Iwas able to provide the editor with anarticle regarding translation errors inthe signs at London Heathrow. I alsogave her a copy of the ATA Chronicleand talked to her about our professionand our upcoming conference. Myhope is that I will have some positivepress coverage of our profession toshare with you at the conference.
The Honorable René-Serge Marty, Consul General of France, will be our guest of honor.
Presented in partnership with the Consulate General of France, the French-American Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta, and TV5, theFrench TV channel in the USA.
Cost: $60 per person on-site. A full buffet dinner will be served with wine and coffee. Space is limited. For reservations, please con-tact Michèle Hansen. See ATA message board for details and contact info. For questions, contact Michèle [email protected].
Transportation by van between the Hyatt and the restaurant will be provided by the FLD, free of charge. Departure times are 6:15 pmand 6:45 pm. Please register for a time slot with Michèle Hansen if you are interested.
We are pleased to invite you to theFrench Language Division Reception
Friday, November 8, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pmSoleil Restaurant, 3081 Maple Drive, Atlanta, Georgia
The ATA Chronicle | October 20028
A t ATA and its chapters and divi-sions, we tend to focus onpractical ways of enhancing
our professional lives as translatorsand interpreters. Very often thatmeans a focus on the business side ofwhat we do.
But the business of translation andinterpreting has more to do with whatbinds us to our clients and less, I sus-pect, with what draws us together aspractitioners. Viewing the translatedtext as a product or, in more contem-porary terms, viewing translation andinterpreting as client-focused servicesis to see them primarily through theclient’s eyes.
This outward-facing stance is cer-tainly one a professional associationis intended to take, and is an impor-tant part of what we do. After all, it’show we earn a living. But we can alsoindulge in a little navel-gazing fromtime to time, especially in our quietermoments, which are getting fewerand farther between nowadays.
A 1996 JAT Bulletin article byRichard Thieme was picked up a fewyears ago by the Translorial, thenewsletter of the Northern California
Translators Association (read it atwww.ncta.org/html/art2.html). I stronglydisagree with much of what thewriter says about the translator/client relationship and translation asessentially servile and distinct from aprofession, discipline, or art. But theidea of translation as a craft and thetranslator as a tradesperson, like apotter, stuck with me, perhaps differ-ently from the way the writer intended.
A potter at his wheel is notthinking about the return on invest-ment in raw materials and time. Hismind and body are engaged in thework at hand. Specks of gravel in theslick clay scratch his fingers. Stonegrinds against stone as he pumps thekick-wheel pedal in time. Sunlightfrom the workshop window glints offthe clay body as he throws it. He feelsthe cool wet as he dips his hand in thedish, and the scent of soapstone andiron oxide is sharp behind his eyes.The taste on the back of his tongue islike pennies.
Each of these cues tells the pottersomething important about the com-position and consistency of the clay,the wheel’s speed, or the shape the jar
is taking on. If he looks forward tothese sensations, then his work is itsown reward in an intensely personalsense. If his work is just a means tomoney, it will be slow torture.
And let’s not forget that theHellenic Museum and many otherscarefully preserve vases and urnsnearly three-thousand years old, assome of the most beautiful objects inour artistic traditions.
If you and I are to be happy with,and at, our work in the long run, Ithink we need to resist the tempta-tion to reduce it to drachmas, half-liangs, dollars and cents. If the workwe do has now come into greaterdemand in the marketplace, does thatreally make it more rewarding than itever was before?
Here’s hoping you and I still get athrill (even after all these years) fromfinding just the right word.
This piece was adapted from acolumn that originally appeared inthe Capital Translator, the newsletterof the National Capital Area Chapterof ATA (NCATA), in October 2000.
From the President-electand Conference Organizer
Scott [email protected]
Sylvia M. Bock, Ph.D.Accredited English intoGerman2329 Second Street, Suite CSanta Monica, CA 90405Tel: (310) 399-2459Fax: (310) [email protected]
Bas van OosterhoutAccredited English into DutchDowangan RT03 RW16 No 81 Banyuraden GampingSlemanYogyakarta 55293 IndonesiaTel: 62(274)62182662(812)2794802Fax: (425) [email protected]
Silvana SicilianoAccredited Engish into ItalianVia Posillipo, 9-PalazzoDonn'annaNaples 80123 ItalyTel: 39(081)5751106Fax: 39(081)[email protected]
Vital InternationalPrograms, Inc.Contact: Maria A. Bruns34514 Dequindre, Suite CSterling Heights, MI 48310Tel: (586) 795-2500Fax: (586) [email protected]
Corrections to the 2002 Membership Directory
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 9
From the Executive DirectorThe Annual Conference: More than Educational Sessions
“I didn’t attend a single ses-sion. It was a great confer-ence!” The first few times I
heard this from ATA AnnualConference attendees I did not knowwhat to think…except I was relievedthat they thought the conference wasa success. Now I get it.
The conference is the founda-tion…the focal point…the premiereannual educational opportunity fortranslators and interpreters. Yet, thereis more to it than the 150-plus educa-tion sessions.
While I don’t encourage avoidingall the sessions, I do want you toblock time in your schedule to visitthe Job Exchange, walk through theExhibit Hall, and talk to someonestanding alone.
In the Job Exchange, several lan-guage services companies have
reserved tables to meet new transla-tors and interpreters as well as renewacquaintances. Stop and talk withthem; they are there to make contactsfor future work. Next, look at theresumes and brochures of your col-leagues. You will pick up a few ideasthat you can take home with you anduse in future efforts to market andpromote your services. Of course,check the book of job listings—theremay not be many—but you neverknow if there may be a good opportu-nity waiting for you.
In the Exhibit Hall, you can, amongother things, test drive various time-saving software programs, peruse dic-tionaries and other reference books,and meet with other language servicescompanies that were not in the JobExchange room. Take the time to talkwith the exhibitors. For example, they
may be able to offer guidance andinformation on how to address a chal-lenge that you did not know otherswere facing as well.
Finally, talk to someone standingalone; it can be during breakfast or abreak, at a reception, and even on theelevator. We have all been there. Itmakes the conference experience thatmuch more rewarding by nurturingrelationships.
I look forward to seeing many ofyou at ATA’s 43rd Annual Conferencein Atlanta.
New Orleans to Host 2006 Annual Conference
The ATA 47th Annual Conferencewill be at the Sheraton Hotel, NewOrleans, Louisiana, November 2–5,2006.
Walter Bacak, [email protected]
Translators and interpreters are fea-tured in the Summer 2002 issue ofthe Occupational Outlook Quarterly,an official publication of the U.S.government’s Bureau of LaborStatistics. The central message foroutsiders interested in our profes-sions: “These highly skilled workersenable the cross-cultural communi-cation necessary in today’s society.”
To read the full story, please go towww.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2002/summer/art02.pdf.
Translators andInterpreters Featured
in GovernmentPublication
The Atlanta Association of Interpreters and Translators welcomes you to ATA’s 43rd Annual ConferenceNovember 6–9, 2002 • Atlanta, Georgia
AAIT offers members
• networking sessions
• educational conferences
• training workshops
• quarterly newsletters
• job referrals
Visit our hospitality table for information about our city and our chapter!
The ATA Chronicle | October 200210
Minutes of the Annual Business Meeting of theAmerican Translators AssociationFriday, November 2, 2001 • Millennium Biltmore Hotel • Los Angeles, California
1. The meeting was called to orderby ATA President Ann Macfarlaneat 8:00 a.m.
2. Macfarlane welcomed associationmembers to the Annual Conferenceand to the Annual BusinessMeeting, and requested acceptanceof the agenda. The agenda wasapproved.
3. The minutes of the September 22,2000 Annual Business Meeting ofthe association were examined. TheBoard had previously approvedthese minutes, and no objectionswere raised from the floor.
4. Treasurer Eric McMillan reportedthat the financial affairs of the asso-ciation are in good shape. Atalmost 7,900 individual members,500 corporate members, and 100institutional members, membershipis at an all-time high. Reserves arehealthy, having grown from$510,000 on January 1 to $650,000as of October 31. This is the equiv-alent of three to four month’s oper-ating costs. The treasurer of theATA manages a $1.8 millionbudget. A very conservative plan isin effect for ATA’s investments, andthe association owns no individualequities. As predicted, the associa-tion had a deficit of $123,000 in2000, of which $66,000 consistedof unrealized losses. The 2002draft budget does not call for anincrease in individual fees,although it does call for anincrease in fees and benefits tocorporate members. TreasurerMcMillan predicted that the associ-ation should come close tobreaking even this year. He thankedthe members for entrusting himwith the responsibility for over-seeing the association’s financialaffairs for the past two years, and
expressed confidence in handingover the fiduciary responsibility tohis successor, Jiri Stejskal.
5. Committee reportsLilian Novas Van Vranken, chairof the Accreditation Committee,reported that the Committee hadconducted a grader training ses-sion in Boston this year for thepurpose of trying the new processof two-grader collaboration. Shereminded the membership thatthere will be a session at the con-ference to get member input on theHamm Report recommendations.Van Vranken also announced thatthe Committee has set the goal ofimplementing new eligibility andcontinuing education require-ments by November 2002.
Harvie Jordan, chair of the ActiveMembership Review Committee,reported that the Committee hadreviewed 130 applications sinceMarch 1999, and that 129 havebeen approved. He reported thatthere is still confusion over thefact that, while Active Mem-bership does confer full member-ship rights in the association, itdoes not grant accreditation.Jordan will continue to write arti-cles about Active Membership totry to eliminate the confusion.
Kirk Anderson, chair of theChapters Committee, reportedthat the chapters e-mail listserve isup and running. He thanked TonyRoder and Julia Bogdan Rollo forserving as moderators. Andersoncongratulated the Upper MidwestTranslators and Interpreters Associ-ation, a new ATA affiliate member.He informed the membership thathe is still seeking input on whetheror not the requirements for ATAchapterhood should be changed.
Tim Yuan, chair of the DivisionsCommittee, reported that divi-sions are thriving and that almostevery member of the associationbelongs to at least one division.He thanked Anne Vincent, AnnMacfarlane, Mary David, all divi-sion administrators, and other offi-cers. Yuan mentioned that theInterpreters Division has grown tobe the second-largest division.Yuan also reported that the possi-bility of two new divisions(Korean and Vietnamese) is beingenthusiastically discussed.
The following divisions held, orare planning to hold, conferencesin 2001-2002:
• Nordic Division—withMICATA, Wisconference,Milwaukee and Madison,April 19-21, 2001
• Portuguese LanguageDivision—Charleston, SC,March 30-31, 2001
• Translation CompanyDivision—Colorado Springs,CO, June 1-3, 2001
• Spanish Language Division—Cruise to the Bahamas,January 25-28, 2002
All division administrators werepresented with ATA hats and a cer-tificate as a mark of appreciationfor their contributions.
Jo Anne Engelbert, chair of theHonors and Awards Committee,announced the three prizes to beawarded in 2002: the 2002 StudentTranslation Award, the AlexanderGode Medal, and the GalantièrePrize. She thanked ATA Head-quarters for administrative sup-port, without which the volunteerson the Committee could not haveaccomplished their task.
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 11
Christian Degueldre, chair of theInterpretation Policy AdvisoryCommittee, reported on the Com-mittee’s work. He reported that theCommittee had provided valuableinput to the Department of Justiceand Department of Labor on pro-visions of services to LimitedEnglish Proficient clients pursuantto former President Clinton’sExecutive Order.
Courtney Searls-Ridge, chair ofthe Mentoring Task Force,reported that the Mentoring PilotProgram was off to a great start.
Marian Greenfield, chair of theProfessional Development Com-mittee, reported that the Com-mittee had decided not to try todevelop online training. It wasdecided that information on onlinetraining would be included in thepublication, Translator andInterpreter Programs in NorthAmerica, A Survey. She reportedthat the New York FinancialTranslation Conference in Mayattracted several hundred partici-pants and that it also made a profit.
Manouche Ragsdale, chair of thePublic Relations Committee,reported that the pro bono projectorganized on the occasion of thisyear’s Annual Conference bene-fited the Starlight Foundation,which helps critically ill or termi-nally ill children and their familiescope with illness. The ATA trans-lated the Starlight Foundation’s3,700-word brochure intoJapanese, Spanish, and French.Ragsdale thanked the followingATA members for their contribu-tion to this project: Izumi Suzuki(Japanese translation); Alba Jones(Spanish translation); HernandoCarranza (Spanish reviewer); andDavid Jeuda (Spanish proofreader).The French was translated byRagsdale herself. Jenny Isaacson,director of communications for theStarlight Foundation, attended thehand-over ceremony and thankedAnn Macfarlane for this muchappreciated volunteer project.
Sue Ellen Wright, chair of theTerminology Committee, reportedthat no terminology conference hadbeen held this year, but that theCommittee could organize confer-ences in different parts of thecountry provided local memberscould arrange for computer labs andother facilities. Wright alsoreported that the InternationalStandards Organization is issuingnew translation-oriented termi-nology standards.
Gertrud Graubart Champe, chairof the Training Committee,thanked Past-President MurielJérôme-O’Keeffe for initiating thePrograms in Translation Studies:A Handbook project, which is inproduction. She also thanked the19 ATA members who contributedto this project.
Alan Melby, chair of the Trans-lation and Computers Committee,reported that Standards-basedAccess service to multilingualLexicons and Terminologies (SALT)data-exchange standard is pro-gressing. He asked for volunteers toserve on this committee, andannounced that the Atlanta confer-ence will have more presentations byusers about how to use technology.
Macfarlane presented all com-mittee chairs with ATA hats andcertificates of appreciation fortheir work for the organization.She also called Bruce Downing,who has been representing theATA in the American Society forTesting and Materials (ASTM)Interpreting Standards Project,and Allan Adams, who has servedon the ATA Board for the last sixyears, to the stage to receive a cer-tificate of appreciation.
6. Comments from membersHarvie Jordan expressed thanks toMaggie Rowe at ATA Head-quarters for the “incredible admin-istrative support” she has given tothe Active Membership ReviewCommittee. He also thankedMacfarlane for her support.
Tony Roder thanked Macfarlaneand the outgoing ATA Board forthe recent decisions to change theaccreditation process.
Cheryl Ann Hutchinson asked ifconsideration is being given toproviding continuing educationcredit for seminars. Macfarlaneand Greenfield responded that thiswas being pursued.
Susana Greiss questioned why thebudget for professional develop-ment had been cut. Macfarlaneresponded that the financial trans-lation conference was a uniqueevent, and that it was anticipatedthat events in 2002 would be on asmaller scale.
7. Remarks by President-elect andConference Organizer ThomasL. West IIIWest announced changes in the con-ference schedule and urged atten-dees to look at the daily conferencenewsletter for up-to-the-minutechanges, and to express thanks toconference sponsors at everyopportunity.
He thanked Macfarlane for her suc-cessful presidency of the associa-tion, for her many inspiring ATAChronicle articles, her support, herfriendship, and, in particular, for herearly work with divisions.
Macfarlane thanked the ATA Boardand staff and former presidents fortheir support. She expressed hersupport of the changes being madein the ATA accreditation process,explaining that ATA accreditation isa voluntary certification, not thesame as a license to practice law ormedicine. Rather, it more closelyresembles the certification of aCPA (Certified Public Accountant).Macfarlane suggested that as thedesignation “CPA” is the gold stan-dard of voluntary certification, theATA should strive to make ATAcertification the gold standard forour industry.
Continued on p.19
The ATA Chronicle | October 200212
Director: (three-year term)Carl [email protected]
I feel honored tohave been nominated by
my colleagues to run for the ATABoard of Directors. In serving on theBoard, my primary objective is to represent the interests of individual,independent, and freelance translatorsand interpreters, who comprise thegreat majority (approximately 70%)of the association's members. TheATA was organized of, by, and fortranslators and interpreters, and oughtto preserve its identity as such. Ipromise to represent honestly andstraightforwardly the interests ofqualified translators and interpreters,and to make sure that our concerns areaddressed by the Board.
I pledge to work to restore ourdirect mail-in balloting for all votingissues. Mail-in ballots are a perfectlylegal right enjoyed and exercised byother New York nonprofit associations,
but taken away from ATA members 11years ago by irregular methods. I shallwork to restore ATA's traditional dem-ocratic meritocracy, and expand it toinclude electronic balloting.
I believe that accreditation con-tinues to be one of the strongest bene-fits of ATA membership. I will workto make sure that the value of ourmembership is not diluted by interestsalien to our own. Proposals by corpo-rate operators and nontranslatorsunfamiliar with our profession haveobscured the basic function of accred-itation, which is to preserve our iden-tity as an American TranslatorsAssociation and reaffirm our basiccommittment to quality. I wouldesteem it a compliment if you wouldfavor me with your vote and your per-sonal influence during the election.
Candidate background: CarlYoungblood has been actively involvedin Portuguese translation for the lasteight years, both as a freelancer and inacademia. He is an active member ofthe American Translators Association
and is ATA-accredited for Portuguese-into-English translation. While pur-suing a B.A. in Portuguese at BrighamYoung University, he received anundergraduate research award from theuniversity's Office of Research andCreative Activities for his assistance intranslating an 18th-century Portuguesetreatise on conceptism, entitled A NovaArte de Conceitos, by FranciscoLeytam Ferreyra. During this time, healso studied computer science atBYU, and has spent the last six yearslending his software developmentexpertise to a variety of corporate andpersonal ventures. Carl is currently theowner and CEO of YoungbloodConsulting Services, LLC, a Utah-based company that offers softwareconsulting and translation services.In addition to his business ventures,Carl is pursuing an M.A. inPortuguese literature and teachingPortuguese classes at BYU. He ismarried to the former Kami Allred ofProvo, Utah, and has a son, James.
2002 ATA Annual Conference in Atlanta:
New Candidate Statement
2003 TWO LINES: A Journal of Translation —Theme: “Parties”
We are looking for any and all interpretations of the theme: cele-brations, gatherings, affairs; factions, feasts, salons, unions;orgies, sects, partners, leagues; cabals, defendants, accom-plices; holidays, conspirators, partakers.
Deadline: December 31, 2002. Notification of acceptance will begiven in February or March 2003. The journal will come out inMay 2003.
What to Submit: Original translations into English of writingfrom any genre. In order to be considered, submissions mustinclude a brief introduction with information about the originalauthor, the background of the piece, special problems thetranslation presented, and the way you see the piece in relationto the theme of the issue. Please enclose a copy of the original
text with your submission. We expect translators to acquirecopyright permission for their translation and for reprinting theoriginal (in full, if poetry; in part, if prose). Permission can gen-erally be requested from the publisher of the original work.
How to Submit: Electronic submissions are greatly appreciated,but printed or typescript submissions are also welcome. Forelectronic submissions, please save your documents as RTF(Rich Text Format). If you would like your materials returned,please send an appropriately sized self-addressed stampedenvelope.
Send submissions to [email protected] or to TWO LINES: AJournal of Translation • PO Box 641978 • San Francisco, CA 94164.For more information, see our website: www.twolines.com.
Call for Submissions:
Carl Youngblood successfully petitioned to be added to the ballot.
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 13
2002 ATA Annual Conference in Atlanta:
Sponsors and Exhibitors
SponsorsGold SponsorsCLS Corporate Language Services AGTRADOS Corporation
Silver SponsorsNetworkOmni MultilingualCommunicationsProZ.com
Bronze SponsorTechno-Graphics & Translations, Inc.
ContributorsLanguage Services AssociatesMarguerite LaytonLetSpeak.comMH Translations
For more information on sponsorships,please contact Brian Wallace at:[email protected] or 800-394-5157 ext 38.
ExhibitorsAdler’s Foreign Books ASET International Services
CorporationATRIL Language Engineering Conference Systems, Inc. Continental Book Company CLS Corporate Language Services AGCross Cultural Communications
Systems, Inc.Federal Bureau of Investigationi.b.d., Ltd. Intermark Language ServicesJohn Benjamins PublishingKent State University-Institute for
Applied LinguisticsL’Arc-en-plume Language Line ServicesLanguage Services Associates Language Technology Centre, Ltd.LanguageWorks, Inc.Lingo Systems McNeil Technologies, Inc. Monterey Institute of
International Studies MultiCorpora R&D, Inc.MultiLing CorporationMultiLingual Computing, Inc.
NetworkOmni Multilingual Communications
New York University 1-Stop Translation USASchreiber Translations, Inc.SDL Desktop ProductsSTAR-USA, LLCTerminotix, Inc.TRADOS CorporationTranslation BureauTransPerfect Translations, Inc.TV5-DishNetworkUniversity of Arizona/National
Center of InterpretationVoice Productions InternationalWordFinder Software International ABWorld of Reading, Ltd.
For more information on exhibiting,please contact:Brian Wallace, ATA SalesMcNeill Group, Inc.385 Oxford Valley Rd., Suite 420Yardley, PA 19067Tel: (215) 321-9662,
(800) 394-5157 ext. 38 Fax: (215) 321-9636 [email protected]
Floor Plan for the Exhibit Hall
The ATA Chronicle | October 200214
2002 ATA Annual Conference in Atlanta:
Exhibitors’ Products/Services DescriptionsThe following companies are exhibiting atATA’s 43rd Annual Conference in Atlanta.Each company provided its own description.
Adler’s Foreign BooksContact: David Chmielnicki915 Foster StreetEvanston, IL 60201Phone: (847) 864-0664Fax: (847) 864-0804Email: [email protected]: www.afb-adlers.comFounded in 1939, AFB specializes in thedistribution of foreign language materialsto bookstores, institutions, and individuals. Product or Services: Large selection ofspecialized bilingual dictionaries in lan-guage, law, medicine, technology, sci-ences, etc.
ASET International Services CorporationContact: Randall Morgan2009 N. 14th Street, #214Arlington, VA 22201Phone: (703) 516-9266 Fax: (703) 516-9269Email: [email protected]: www.asetquality.comPremier translation services companyoffering translation, localization, mutilin-gual document production and inter-preting equipment, and services ofunparalleled quality in over 100 languages. Product or Services: A full range of multi-lingual products, including hardware/soft-ware documentation, equipment anduser’s manuals, scientific publications,and marketing brochures together withwired, wireless, and infrared simultaneousinterpreting equipment.
ATRIL Language EngineeringContact: Cristina GassóVia Augusta 13, Suite 60508006 Barcelona, SpainPhone: +34-93-217-86-00Fax: +34-93-217-83-06Email: [email protected]: www.atril.comDevoted to the development and distribu-tion of Déjà Vu, one of the most powerfulCAT tools on the market. Product or Services: Déjà Vu (demo CDs,live demonstrations).
Conference Systems, Inc.Contact: Bob Eburg202 Perry Parkway, Suite 5
Gaithersburg, MD 20877Phone: (301) 330-9090Fax: (301) 519-3792Email: [email protected]: www.conferencesystems.comProduct or Services: Portable and wirelesssimultaneous interpretation equipment.
Continental Book CompanyContact: Maurice Stambouli625 E. 70th Avenue, #5Denver, CO 80229Phone: (303) 289-1761; (800) 364-0350Fax: (303) 289-1764; (800) 279-1764Email: [email protected]: www.continentalbook.comImporters and distributors of foreign lan-guage publications for both technical andgeneral interests. Product or Services: Importers and dis-tributors of French, German, Spanish,Italian, and ESL materials for all levels andinterests.
CLS Corporate Language Services AGContact: Doris Marty-AlbisserCLS Corporate Language Services AGDianastrasse 6PO Box 1003CH-8039 Zurich, SwitzerlandPhone: +41-1-206-68-68Fax: +41-1-206-68-90Email: [email protected]: www.cls.chA leading provider of corporate languageservices to the financial services sector.Product or Services: Offering cost-effec-tive and innovative integral language serv-ices in the fields of financial services,telecommunications, and informationtechnology.
Cross Cultural Communication Systems, Inc.Contact: Zarita Araújo-LanePO Box 860Winchester, MA 01890Phone: (781) 729-3736Fax: (781) 729-1217Email: [email protected]: www.cccsorg.comProviding healthcare, educational, busi-ness, and legal institutions with effective,innovative, and caring strategies for rec-ognizing cultural similarities, under-standing uniqueness, and developingcost-effective standards.Product or Services: Linguistic/cultural
services enhancing communicationbetween organizations and cross-culturalclients. Interpreting, translation, and train-ings for interpreters and healthcareproviders.
Federal Bureau of InvestigationContact: Christine Prines935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20535Phone: (202) 324-6813Fax: (202) 324-8526Website: www.fbijobs.comThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is aFederal law enforcement agency. Product or Services: The Federal Bureau ofInvestigation will have brochures and fliersavailable that provide information aboutemployment opportunities for linguists.
i.b.d., Ltd.Contact: Freek LankhofPO Box 46724 Hudson StreetKinderhook, NY 12106Phone: (518) 758-1755 Fax: (518) 758-6702Email: [email protected]: www.ibdltd.comProduct or Services: Importer of diction-aries and language material gearedtowards the professional translator andinterpreter.
Intermark Language ServicesContact: Cami Townsend2555 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 295Atlanta, GA 30339Phone: (770) 444-3055Fax: (770) 444-3002Email: [email protected]: www.intermark-languages.comAtlanta-based agency specializing in legaland financial translation. Product or Services: Spanish→English,English→Spanish dictionaries for sale,plus networking opportunities for existingand potential contractors in all languagecombinations.
John Benjamins PublishingContact: Christopher BellPO Box 27519Philadelphia, PA 19118-0519Phone: (215) 836-1200Fax: (215) 836-1204Email: [email protected]: www.benjamins.com/jbp
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 15
John Benjamins Publishing Companydeals in publications that are of use in theinterpretation and translation professions. Product or Services: John BenjaminsPublishing will display academic books andjournals on translating and interpreting.
Kent State University—Institute forApplied LinguisticsContact: Geoffrey KobySatterfield Hall 109 Kent, OH 44242Phone: (330) 672-1814Fax: (330) 672-4009Email: [email protected]: http://appling.kent.eduA comprehensive university.Product or Services: Bachelor of Sciencein French, German, Russian, and Spanishtranslation; Master of Arts in French,German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanishtranslation.
L’Arc-en-PlumeContact: Danièle HeinenPO Box 592, Station BMontréal, Québec, Canada H3B 3K3Phone: (514) 341-5304Fax: (514) 341-5304Email: [email protected]: www.arcenplume.caDistribution of multimedia software andvideos in French from Montréal. Product or Services: Electronic bilingual(English/French) dictionaries; French dic-tionaries, encyclopedias, and VHS andDVD in French.
Language Line ServicesContact: Lara Magnusdottir1 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Building 2Monterey, CA 93940Phone: (831) 648-5832Fax: (800) 496-5330Email: [email protected]: www.languageline.comA world leader in over-the-phone interpre-tation, linking people through quality inter-pretation in more than 140 languages. Product or Services: Over-the-phoneinterpretation services and employment;document translation services.
Language Services AssociatesContact: Victoria Schriver607 N. Easton Road, Building #CWillow Grove, PA 19090Phone: (215) 657-6571
Fax: (215) 659-7210Email: [email protected]: www.lsaweb.comProduct or Services: Translation andinterpretation services.
Language Technology Centre, Ltd.Contact: Angelique Sirjean5-7 Kingston HillKingston Upon ThamesSurrey, United Kingdom KT2 7PWPhone: +44-208-549-6267Fax: +44-208-974-6994Email: [email protected]: www.langtech.co.ukSpecializing in software development,localization, translation, and multilingualwebsites. Product or Services: LTC Organiser is theone-stop shop for the language industry,web-based and integrating client/supplierdatabases with project management,finance, and report modules to managemultilingual projects. New freelance edi-tion for translators—official launch duringthe conference. Visit us at our booth!
LanguageWorks, Inc.Contact: John Labati1123 Broadway, Suite 201New York, NY 10010Phone: (212) 447-6060Fax: (212) 447-6257Email: [email protected]: www.languageworks.comAn employee-owned company founded in1993, LanguageWorks, Inc. has success-fully completed over 10,000 foreign lan-guage projects for firms in the finance,law, advertising, information technology,medical, pharmaceutical, chemical, andother sectors.Product or Services: Foreign languageservices including document translation,website localization, interpreting, contentmanagement, audio/video adaptation, cus-tomized workflow systems, and glossarymanagement.
Lingo SystemsContact: Jeff Williams15115 SW Sequoia Parkway, #200Portland, OR 97224Phone: (503) 419-4856Fax: (503) 419-4873Email: [email protected]: www.lingosys.comTranslation and localization services.
Product or Services: If your organizationis facing the challenges of expanding yourglobal market, or requires professionaltranslation and localization services, con-sider Lingo Systems. Localization of soft-ware, training materials, websites, ordocumentation is our specialty.Celebrating our 10th anniversary.
McNeil Technologies Inc.Contact: Tim Jones6564 Loisdale Court, Suite 800Springfield, VA 22150Phone: (703) 921-1714Fax: (703) 921-1610Email: [email protected]: www.mcneiltech.comProduct or Services: Provides languageinformation management and securityservices.
Monterey Institute of InternationalStudiesContact: Cathy Lee 460 Pierce StreetMonterey, CA 93940Phone: (831) 647-3591Fax: (831) 647-4188Email: [email protected]: www.miis.eduFounded in 1968, the Graduate School ofTranslation & Interpretation (GSTI),Monterey Institute of InternationalStudies, offers Masters of Arts inTranslation and Interpretation, ConferenceInterpretation, and Translation in English,Chinese, French, German, Japanese,Korean, Russian, and Spanish.Product or Services: The GSTI invites allATA participants to learn about the Masterof Arts degrees offered by our program.
MultiCorpora R&D Inc.Contact: Daniel Gervais490 Saint Joseph Blvd., Suite 102Hull, Québec, Canada J8Y 3Y7Phone: (819) 778-7070 ext. 232Fax: (819) 778-0801Email: [email protected]: www.multicorpora.caDeveloper of innovative multilingual infor-mation management solutions and aleader in computer-aided translation toolsbased on multilingual corpora. Product or Services: MultiTrans allows usto import previously translated documentsas a reference corpus; to carry out batchor interactive full-text searches ➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200216
within those corpus; to perform auto-mated terminology extraction; and tocreate and manage multilingual termi-nology databases.
MultiLing CorporationContact: Emmanuel Margetic55 N. University Avenue, Suite 225Provo, UT 84601Phone: (801) 377-2000Fax: (801) 377-7085Email: [email protected]: www.multiling.comProvider of translation services and trans-lation technology.
MultiLingual Computing, Inc.Contact: Bonnie Merrell319 N. First AvenueSandpoint, ID 83864Phone: (208) 263-8178Fax: (208) 263-6310Email: [email protected]: www.multilingual.comMultilingual Computing, Inc. is the pub-lisher of Multilingual Computing &Technology, a magazine focusing on lan-guage technology and software localization. Product or Services: Free one-year sub-scriptions to Multilingual Computing &Technology will be available at the booth.
NetworkOmni MultilingualCommunicationsContact: Irene Stone1329 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., 2nd FloorThousand Oaks, CA 91361Phone: (805) 379-1090Fax: (805) 379-2467 Email: [email protected]: www.networkomni.comFull-service translation company: translation, on-site interpreting, telephoneinterpreting. Product or Services: Translation and tele-phone interpreting and related productsand services.
New York UniversityContact: Milena Savova10 Astor Place, Suite 505New York, NY 10003Phone: (212) 998-7030Fax: (212) 995-4139Email: [email protected]: www.scps.nyu.eduProduct or Services: Translation studiesprogram.
1-Stop Translation USAContact: Don Shin3540 Wilshire Blvd., #611Los Angeles, CA 90010Phone: (213) 480-0011Fax: (213) 480-7560eFax: (801) 516-9231Email: [email protected]: www.1stoptr.comSpecializes in Korean English transla-tion and DTP. Offices in U.S. and Korea.Product or Services: Two-byte languagetranslation and DTP specialists will be atthe desk during the exhibit to answer anyquestions.
Schreiber Translations, Inc.Contact: Morry Schreiber51 Monroe Street, Suite 101Rockville, MD 20850Phone: (301) 424-7737 ext. 28Fax: (301) 424-2336Email: [email protected]: www.schreibertranslations.comTranslation publications.Product or Services: Translator’sHandbook (4th revised edition); translatorself-training programs, Spanish andFrench dictionaries.
SDL Desktop ProductsContact: Tori Brixius600 Davis StreetEvanston, IL 60201-4419Phone: (847) 492-1670Fax: (847) 492-1677Email: [email protected]: www.sdlintl.comTranslation productivity tools provider. Product or Services: SDL DesktopProducts, a new autonomous division ofSDL International, provides completeglobalization productivity solutions tobenefit freelancers, translation companies,and corporations.
STAR-USA, LLCContact: Tom Twiddy5001 Mayfield Road, Suite 220Lyndhurst, OH 44124Phone: (216) 691-7827Fax: (216) 691-7829Email: [email protected]: www.star-group.netWholly owned subsidiary of STAR AG, aworldwide company specializing in docu-ment localization and product globalization. Product or Services: Transit (a powerful
computer-aided translation system), soft-ware and web localization, international-ization consulting, localization workflowconsulting, and multimedia localization.
Terminotix, Inc.Contact: Micheline M. Cloutier240 Bank Street, Suite 600Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2P 1X4Phone: (613) 233-8465 ext. 227Fax: (613) 233-3995Email: [email protected]: www.terminotix.comDevelopment and distribution of CATtools.Product or Services: Translation, termi-nology, and document management soft-ware (LogiTerm®).
TRADOS CorporationContact: Mike Kidd113 S Columbus Street, Suite 400Alexandria, VA 22314Phone: (703) 797-2633Fax: (703) 683-9457Email: [email protected]: www.translationzone.comProduct or Services: TRADOS providesthe world’s leading language technologythat enables translators to be more pro-ductive. With over 55,000 licenses repre-senting the vast majority of the currenttranslation technology market, TRADOS isthe gold standard for professional transla-tors, translation companies, and enter-prise solutions providers, includingMicrosoft, Siemens, SAP, Volkswagen,Audi Group, and Bowne Global Solutions.
Translation BureauContact: Dominique Ste-Marie165 Hôtel-de-Ville StreetPlace du Portage, Phase II, Suite 500 EastHull, Québec, Canada K1A 0S5 Phone: (819) 994-6802Fax: (819) 997-1993Email: [email protected]: www.termium.comOne of the largest translation organiza-tions in the world, providing linguisticservices to Canadian Parliament and morethan 130 federal organizations. Product or Services: English-French-Spanish electronic dictionary consisting ofterms, synonyms, acronyms, definitions,examples of usage, and observations in awide variety of fields such as administra-tion, science, and informatics.
Exhibitors’ Products/Services Descriptions Continued
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The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 17
TransPerfect Translations, Inc.Contact: Mark Peeler3 Park Avenue, 39th FloorNew York, NY 10016Phone: (212) 689-5555Fax: (413) 460-5122Email: [email protected]: www.transperfect.comProduct or Services: Providing a full rangeof international communication services,including translation, interpreting, voice-overs, and multicultural marketing.
TV5-DishNetworkContact: Vincent Trinquesse34 Maple AvenuePine Brook, NJ 07058Phone: (973) 461-0835Fax: (973) 461-0899Email: [email protected]: www.kbs-tv.comTV satellite broadcaster.Product or Services:World’s largest French-speaking TVchannel, distributed everywhere in theU.S. via DishNetwork.
University of Arizona/National Center ofInterpretationContact: Armando VallesUA-MLB #67Tucson, AZ 85721
Phone: (520) 621-3615Fax: (520) 624-8130Email: [email protected]: www.arizona.edu/~ncitrp/htmTV satellite broadcaster.
Voice Productions InternationalContact: Maya León Meis5360 W. 84th AvenueArvada, CO 80003Phone: (303) 422-6702Fax: (303) 422-5118Email: [email protected]: www.voiceproductions.tvCommitted to meeting your needs for allyour foreign-language audio, video, andmultimedia productions, providing all ofthe key elements involved in the produc-tion process, from script translation, toprofessional voice-over talent innumerous foreign languages, to post-pro-duction. Product or Services: Specializing in serv-ices tailored to the audio, video, and mul-timedia industries, supporting productionneeds for international markets. Servicesinclude: script translation with timing andsynchronization to visuals; linguistic andcultural adaptation of scripts; castingvoice-over and on-camera native speakertalent; narration and dubbing in foreignlanguages; talent coaching and
co-direction; pre-production, production,and post-production assistance.
WordFinder Software International ABContact: Ola PerssonPO Box 155Vaxjo, Sweden SE-35104Phone: +46-470-70-00-00Fax: +46-470-70-00-99Email: [email protected]: www.wordfinder.comMarkets and sells a comprehensive selec-tion of language software.Product or Services: Offers an entirerange of language software tools thatopen the door to new clients and newmarkets.
World of Reading Ltd.Contact: Cindy TracyPO Box 13092Atlanta, GA 30324-0092Phone: (404) 233-4042; (800) 729-3703Fax: (404) 237-5511Email: [email protected]: www.wor.comEstablished in 1989 as a resource for foreignlanguage products. Sells retail and wholesalethrough print and online catalogue. Product or Services: Translation software,dictionaries, and language learning soft-ware for over 100 languages.
Choice of Plum Pork,Shrimp Louisianne, Prosciutto Chicken,
or Pistachio and Artichoke Pasta$24 per person
For reservations, contact Ines Bojlesen at [email protected].
We are pleasedto invite you to the
Portuguese Language Division Dinner
at the
Pleasant Pheasant
555 Peachtree Street NEAtlanta, Georgia
Friday, November 8, 7:00 pm
You are invited to attend a presentation and discussion about the initiative to establish
South Slavic Language Pairsfor ATA Accreditation
Saturday, November 910:15 am – 11:45 am, Lenox
An effort is underway to establish ATA accreditation for certainSouth Slavic languages. This presentation will discuss theprogress of this effort, as well as define and recruit for specificoperational positions prescribed by ATA guidelines.
This presentation will be led by: Paula Gordon, committee chairperson and Bosnian, Croatian,Serbian→English translator; and Marijan Boskovic, Slaviclanguages→English and English→Croatian interpreter and translator, and board member, Croatian Academy of America.
The ATA Chronicle | October 200218
Group Name Wednesday, Nov 6 Thursday, Nov 7 Friday, Nov 8
Chinese Language CLD Dinner at Oriental Pearl Division Seafood Restaurant, Chinatown,
6:30 pm; followed by tea party atGang Li’s. Contact Frank Mou.
French Language FLD Reception at Restaurant Division Soleil with Consul General of
France as guest of honor; 7:00 –9:00 pm; $60 to MicheleHansen; Take van from Hyatt torestaurant.
German Language GLD Dinner at Rathskeller in Division Hotel Renaissance, 7:00 pm;
$30 per person to Dorothee Racette. Walking distance from Hyatt.
Interpreters Division ID Reception, Aunt Pittypat’s Porch, 7:00 – 9:00 pm; $15 per person. Contact Elizabeth Tu. Walking distance from Hyatt.
Italian Language ILD Ice Cream Social in ILD Dinner at Charruscaria FogoDivision Hyatt, 8:00 – 9:00 pm; free to de Chão, 6:30 pm; members
ILD members. only $45. Contact Marcello Napolitano.
Japanese Language JLD Informal Gathering/Reception JLD Dinner at Pacific Rim Bistro,Division in hotel, 8:30 – 10:00 pm; free to 6:30 pm; $25. Contact
JLD members. Ben Tompkins.
Literary Division Book Splash (Kirk Anderson)8:00 – 9:00 pmAfter Hours Café9:00 pm – whenever!
Portuguese Language PLD Dinner 7:00 pmDivision Pleasant Pheasant; $24 per
person to Ines Bojlesen. Walking distance from Hyatt
Slavic Language SLD Dinner and Russian Division sing-along at Restaurant Amore,
7:00 pm; $40 per person.Contact Nora Favorov.
Spanish Language SPD Dinner, outside the hotel, Division details TBA.
Translation Company TCD Dessert Reception Division in Hyatt; 9:00 pm; $15 per
person; tickets on ATA registration form.
2002 ATA Annual Conference in Atlanta:
Division Social EventsSee ATA’s website for all the details:www.atanet.org/conf2002/special_main.htm orwww.atanet.org/conf2002/conference_update.htm.
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 19
Conferences and Events
Washington, DCTranslators Discussion Group Borders Books and Music18th & L Streets, NW
Meets the second Wednesday of eachmonth from 6:30-8:00 pm at Borders.For more information, please contactBorders at (202) 466-2152.
Berlin, Germany4th International Conference andExhibitionLanguages and the MediaTheme: Viewers, Languages, andMarketingHotel InterContinental BerlinDecember 4-6, 2002
Who should attend: language industryspecialists; manufacturers of languagetechnology and tools; consumer represen-tatives; decision makers and specialists onlanguages in the media; distributors ofaudiovisual media products and services;producers; exporters and importers ofmedia programs; subtitling and dubbingcompanies; and experts in media studiesand mass communication. Information:www.languages-media.com.
San Antonio, Texas2nd Annual ATA Spanish LanguageDivision ConferenceApril 25-27, 2003
This is an exciting opportunity for youto share your knowledge and experiencewith appreciative colleagues. For moreinformation, contact: Virginia Perez-Santalla([email protected]) or visitwww.ata-spd.org.
Dublin, Ireland14th International Japanese/EnglishTranslation Conference IJET-14 May 17-18, 2003
The 14th annual IJET conference inDublin will mark the first time that IJEThas met in Ireland, and promises to pro-vide an exciting and charming experi-ence for all attendees. This venue wasproposed in the hopes of not only provid-ing a thoroughly enjoyable conference,but also to expand the horizons of IJETattendees. Just as translations serve tobring Japanese- and English-speakingcultures closer together, IJET conferencesprovide an opportunity for first-hand
exposure to the languages and cultures. Itis hoped that IJET-14 will be a learningexperience, as well as a good time, for allparticipants. More information will beavailable at http://ijet.org/ijet-14/shortly.
Halifax, Nova ScotiaCanadian Association for TranslationStudies16th Annual ConferenceTheme: “Translation and Globalization”May 29-31, 2003Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, Nova Scotia
Information: Dr. Louise Brunette (organ-izer): [email protected] Charron: [email protected] Malena: [email protected] Fiola: [email protected]. Anne Malena (Program Committee Chair)Modem Languages & Cultural Studies200 Arts Building University of AlbertaEdmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E6. E-mail: [email protected]; Tel: (780) 492-1187; Fax: (780) 492-2106. www.uottawa.ca/associations/act-cats/
8. Announcement of election resultsInspector of Elections StevenShabad announced the results ofthe elections as follows:
OfficersFor President-elect:Scott Brennan, 453 votes
Brennan has been elected pres-ident-elect.
For Secretary:Courtney Searls-Ridge, 497 votes
Searls-Ridge has been electedSecretary.
For Treasurer:Jiri Stejskal, 495 votesStejskal has been elected treasurer.
Director, three-year term:Beatriz Bonnet, 396 votesRobert Croese, 306Robert Sette, 266Madeleine Velguth, 236Virginia Benmaman, 231Clove Lynch, 62
The three directors elected forthree-year terms are Bonnet,Croese, and Sette.
Immediate Past-President Mac-farlane passed the gavel to newlyinducted ATA President West, whoadjourned the meeting at 9:15 a.m.
Minutes of the Annual Business Meeting Continued from page 11
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Language Services Companies
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The ATA Chronicle | October 200220
A fter reviewing a variety of pri-vate certification programs inJapan in the last issue, we will
now revisit the continental model ofcertification by the government. Thisarticle will focus on the certificationprocess in Spain, because Portuguesetranslators and interpreters go to ATAor elsewhere for certification andaccreditation, as neither the Portu-guese government nor any privateorganizations offer certification in thesense described in this series. Beingof an orderly mind, I could not butwonder why I typed “Spain andPortugal” in the title of this columnrather than the other way around,which would at least follow the orderof the alphabet. After some reflection,I remembered the “kit and caboodle”example of Steven Pinker, professorof psychology at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology. He stated thatthere are sound patterns that peopleprefer all over the world, such as shortwords coming before long words, orsoft sounds coming before hardsounds. Hence, razzle-dazzle, notdazzle-razzle, and kit and caboodle,not caboodle and kit.
Having said that, I will begin withthe longer- and harder-soundingPortugal anyway. Alberto Carvalho([email protected]), a free-lance Portuguese translator, informsme that while there is no certificationprogram for translators and inter-preters in Portugal, there are severaluniversities offering five-year pro-grams for translators and interpreters,among them the UniversidadeCatólica De Lisboa and the Institutosuperior de linguas e Administração.The diplomas obtained from theseuniversities are fully recognized bythe Ministry of Education.
Translators and interpreters inPortugal are organized in theAssociação Portuguesa de Tradutores
(APT), a member of the InternationalFederation of Translators (FIT).While APT does not offer any certifi-cation, admission to membership isbased on the evaluation of candi-dates’ resumes and proof of relatedwork experience. APT’s web addressis www.apt.pt.
In Spain, the situation is quitedifferent, and can be compared tothat of Argentina, described in theJune 2002 issue. Alejandra Devoto([email protected]), who became a“traductor público,” or sworn trans-lator, in Argentina but later relocatedto Spain, provided me with detailedinformation on certification forSpanish translators and interpreters.
In order to become a sworn trans-lator in Spain, one has to earn a uni-versity degree first (not necessarily intranslation) and pass an examinationat the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Forthis examination, the candidate mustbe a “diplomado universitario” (i.e.,have a university degree called adiploma, which requires three yearsof study). Any diploma granted by aforeign university must first be vali-dated by the Spanish Ministry ofEducation. The eligibility require-ments also state that the candidatemust be of age, and be either Spanishor a national of any countrybelonging to the European Union.
Robert Sette, current ATAdirector, generously provided a trans-lation of the most recent relevantSpanish legislation (BOE 8322):
In virtue of the provisions ofRoyal Decree 79/1996, datedJanuary 26, which amends variousarticles of the Regulation gov-erning the Office of Interpretation ofLanguages, of the Ministry ofForeign Affairs (“Boletín Oficial delEstado” dated February 23), andthe provisions of the Order datedFebruary 8, 1996 by which stan-dards were established regardingexaminations for the appointment ofSworn Interpreters (BOE of[February] 23), examinations forSworn Interpreters are herebycalled for, which shall be held as ofOctober 1, 2002.
In order to participate in theexaminations for Sworn Interpreters,the applicant must meet the fol-lowing requirements:
a) Be of legal age.b) Have at least the Spanish
degree of University Diploma,Technical Engineer, TechnicalArchitect or the equivalent, or aforeign degree which has beenapproved as equivalent to one ofthe foregoing.
c) Be a citizen of Spain or of anyother member Country of theEuropean Economic Union.
Aspirants to the exam must ful-fill the foregoing requirements asof the last day of the term for sub-mission of applications.
The exams shall be limited onlyto official languages other thanSpanish for which qualified evalu-ators are available, in the opinionof the Examining Board.
International Certification Study: Spain and PortugalBy Jiri Stejskal
“…This article will focuson the certification
process in Spain, becausePortuguese translators andinterpreters go to ATA orelsewhere for certification
and accreditation…”
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 21
It is necessary to point out that inSpain, the designation “intérpretejurado,” or “sworn interpreter” in theRoyal Decree above, is actually usedfor a “sworn translator.” While theprofession of “intérprete jurado” inSpain dates back to 1841, the oralwork of interpreters was not recog-nized as having any legal effect, or“carácter official,” until 1996, theyear in which Royal Decree No. 79extended this status from the transla-tion of written documents to includeoral interpretation.
The examination administered bythe Ministry of Foreign Affairs con-sists of two components, written andoral. The written part is divided intotwo parts. The first part takes twohours, in which the candidate is giventwo short articles (one in the foreignlanguage and the other one inSpanish). Candidates are not allowedto use dictionaries or other referencematerials for this part. The text isusually of a general nature, such as anewspaper article. The second part isa legal translation into Spanish,which also takes two hours, and thecandidates are allowed to use asmany dictionaries as they can carry.The pass rate is very low, just as wehave seen in other government-runcertification examinations, and whichis also the case in our own accredita-tion program. For the oral part, thecandidates are given a newspaperarticle. First they read it and summa-rize it orally, and then they are askeda few comprehension questions and afew language questions. Reportedly,the oral component is much easierthan the written one and the pass rateis very high, which makes theresulting certification as an “intér-prete jurado” confusing to the out-siders, as translation skills areclearly examined in much greaterdepth. A detailed description of the
examination and interpreter-relatedissues can be found in an article byDr. Cynthia Miguélez, published inthe Spring 1999 issue of thenewsletter of the National Associationof Judiciary Interpreters and Trans-lators (NAJIT), entitled “CurrentIssues in Court Interpreting: Spain, ACase Study.” Go to NAJIT’s website atwww.najit.com for more details.
Spain has a procedure in place forthe recognition of translator and/orinterpreter credentials granted inother European countries. Candidateswho are sworn interpreters or transla-tors in a European country that offerssuch certification can register inSpain as such without the examina-tion, as long as they can provideproof for such a credential. This isnot just a theoretical possibility;reportedly, a rather large percentageof sworn translators residing on theSpanish island of Mallorca areGermans who earned their creden-tials in Germany, and whose certifi-cation was recognized by the SpanishMinistry of Foreign Affairs.
In addition to Spanish, three otherlanguages are officially recognized inSpain: Catalan, Vasco, and Gallego.In Catalonia, where Catalan is theofficial language, the autonomousgovernment (in particular, theDepartment of Linguistic Policy)makes a distinction between sworntranslators and sworn interpreters,and offers a three-part examinationfor conferral of status as either “tra-ductor jurat” or “intèrpret jurat.” Thefirst part of the exam tests for knowl-edge of the Catalan language, thesecond one for knowledge of Spanishlaw, and the third part tests eithertranslation or interpretation skills,depending on the choice of the candi-date. The written test consists of twotexts, general and legal, to be trans-lated from and into Catalan. In the
oral test, the candidate is presentedwith a video of a judicial situationand is asked to act as an interpreter.
Sworn translators and interpretersin both Spanish and Catalan are organ-ized in the Catalan Association ofSworn Translators and Interpreters(Asociación de Traductores e Intér-pretes Jurados de Cataluña, or ATIJC,listed below). The association’s web-site is currently available in Catalanonly, but Spanish and English versionsare reportedly coming soon. For fur-ther information on ATIJC, pleasecontact the association’s president,Josep Peñarroja, at [email protected] is also the official language ofthe Principality of Andorra, a tinynation sandwiched between Spain andFrance. The Andorran Ministry ofCulture offers examinations for “tra-ductor jurat” in the Catalan language.The examination is similar to the oneoffered in Catalonia.
There are many organizations fortranslators and interpreters in Spain.Among the members of FIT are thefollowing:
Associació Col·legial d’Escriptorsde Catalunya (ACEC) [candidate member] www.acec.tv
Asociación de Intérpretes deConferencia de España (AICE)www.aice-interpretes.com
Euskal Itzultzaile, Zuzentzaile etaInterpreteen Elkartea (EIZIE)www.eizie.org
Traductors i Intèrprets Associatspro Col·legi (TRIAC)www.traductors.com
Continued on p.30
I n a perfect world, only personswith training in the law wouldundertake legal translations. In
practice, however, many translatorswithout a legal background translatelegal documents on a daily basis. Asa result, they depend on bilinguallegal dictionaries to help them inter-pret foreign-language legal docu-ments and render these documents intarget-language legalese that a lawyerwill recognize and understand.Unfortunately, however, the mostcommonly used bilingual legal dic-tionaries in the French→English lan-guage pair leave much to be desired.To examine their usefulness, Iselected a sample sentence from eachof the following areas of law: 1) civilprocedure; 2) contracts; 3) corporatelaw; 4) trusts and estates (known as“le droit des successions” in French);and 5) trademarks. I then tried totranslate the sentences using the fol-lowing reference works:
Dictionnaire juridique et écono-mique, français-anglais, anglais-français. Michel Doucet. Maisondu Dictionnaire, 1979. ISBN:2-85608-011-1. Out of print.
Dictionnaire économique et juridiqueNavarre. Baleyte et al. 3rd edition,LGDJ, 1992. ISBN: 2-275-00643-5.
Dahl’s Law Dictionary (français→anglais, anglais→français). HenrySaint Dahl. William S. Hein & Co.,2001. ISBN: 1-57588-674-X.
The Council of Europe French-English Legal Dictionary. F.H.S.Bridge. Strasbourg: Council ofEurope Publishing, 1994. ISBN:92-871-2496-5. British-oriented,but unquestionably the bestFrench→English legal dictionaryavailable.
Dictionnaire juridique (français→anglais, anglais→français). JulesJéraute. Trois-Rivières, 1990. ISBN :2-9801960-0-2. Reprint of a dic-tionary originally published in 1953.
L’anglais juridique. Bernard Dhuicqet Danièle Frison. 20 dossiersbilingues sur les principes, lesprocédures et les institutionsjuridiques en Angleterre et auxÉtats-unis. Langues pour tous,1994. ISBN: 2-266-02904-5.
Lexique de termes juridiques.Guillien and Vincent, 1995.Dalloz. ISBN: 2-247-019790X. Auseful monolingual French legaldictionary.
Civil ProcedureI chose the following sentence from
U.S. civil procedure because it containsa very basic word in that field—“com-plaint”—that is also used in U.S. crim-inal procedure: “A civil action is com-menced by filing a complaint with thecourt.” In civil procedure the termcomplaint means “the document filedwith a court to commence a lawsuit,”and in criminal procedure it means “adocument sworn to by a victim orpolice officer that sets forth a criminalviolation and that serves as the charg-ing instrument by which charges arefiled and judicial proceedings are
commenced against a defendant in mag-istrate’s court.” As one might expect,two different words are used in Frenchfor this term: demande in civil proce-dure, and plainte in criminal procedure.However, the reference works do notalways make this distinction clear:
Doucet simply translates com-plaint as “requête, plainte,” with-out indicating the field of law.
Jéraute contains the followingentry: “grief, sujet de plainte;doléances; plainte formulée etdéposée; acte introductif d’in-stance; to lodge a complaint =porter plainte, déposer ou for-muler une plainte; to remove acause of complaint = faire droit àune réclamation.”
Navarre says “[U.K., U.S.] plainteauprès de qui de droit (commis-sariat de police, parquet), [U.S.]demande introductive d’instance.”
Dahl gives the following: “plainte,réclamation, demande introductived’instance. La plainte consiste enl’exposé des faits essentiels consti-tutifs d’un délit. Elle peut êtreeffectuée sous la forme d’uneprestation de serment devant unmagistrat [Fed. Rules of Crim.Pro., Rule 3].”
Of the four dictionaries, only Dahlhints that “plainte” is used in criminalprocedure, not civil procedure.Indeed, the dictionaries are so unclearon this point that the authors of a bookused to teach legal English-to-Frenchspeakers, L’anglais juridique, fall intothe trap of mistranslating “complaint”in the civil procedure sense as“plainte.” In Chapter 5 of that book,entitled “Civil Procedure,” we find thefollowing:
The ATA Chronicle | October 200222
“…It is not safe to takeanything in bilingual
dictionaries for granted;everything must be
checked and double-checked in monolingual
references…”
French→English Legal Dictionaries: An American Lawyer’s AnalysisBy Thomas L. West III
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 23
A [civil] action begins with thepleadings. The first step is thecomplaint. The complaint statesthe nature of the plaintiff’s claimand his demand for relief. Then, asummons is sent to the defendant,informing him that an action isentered against him and callinghim to answer the complaint.
L’action commence par les conclu-sions des parties. La premièreétape est la plainte, dans laquelle ledemandeur expose la nature de sarequête et les réparations qu’ildemande. Ensuite, une assignationest envoyée au défendeur, l’infor-mant qu’une action est intentéecontre lui et lui intimant de répon-dre à la plainte.
This makes it clear that instead ofsimply relying on bilingual dictionar-ies or even textbooks like L’anglaisjuridique, the translator should consultmonolingual dictionaries. If he looksup “plainte” in Lexique de termesjuridiques, he will find the followingdefinition, which shows that “plainte”is a term used in criminal procedure:
Plainte [Pr. Pén.] - Acte par lequella partie lésée par une infractionporte celle-ci à la connaissance duProcureur de la République,directement ou par l’intermédiaired’une autre autorité.
On the other hand, if he goesstraight to the horse’s mouth and con-sults the Nouveau Code de ProcédureCivile, he can be certain that he is usingthe terminology of civil procedure :
1. La demande initiale est cellepar laquelle un plaideur prendl’initiative d’un procès ensoumettant au juge ses préten-tions. Elle introduit l’instance.
2. L’assignation est l’acte d’huissierde justice par lequel le deman-deur cite son adversaire à com-paraître devant le juge.
Another interesting term from civilprocedure is subpoena duces tecum,which Black’s Law Dictionary definesas “a court process, initiated by a partyin litigation, compelling production ofcertain documents and other items,material and relevant to facts in issuein a pending judicial proceeding,which documents and items are in thecustody or control of the person orbody served with process.”
Doucet does not contain subpoenaduces tecum, but does translate “sub-poena” as “citation adressée auxtémoins, citation à témoin.” Jérautetranslates the term correctly: “citationavec ordre de produire certains objetsou documents.” Dahl, on the otherhand, gives a correct, but long-winded,explanation of the term: “citation àcomparaître comportant une obligationde produire les documents ou objetsdemandés aux fins d’être examinés.”
In Navarre we find the surprisingtranslation “ordonnance de soit-com-muniqué.” This translation alsoappears in the Council of EuropeEnglish-French Legal Dictionary (thecompanion to the French→Englishvolume by Bridge referred to above).Again, we must consult monolingualresources to determine whether thisFrench term matches the definition of“subpoena duces tecum” found inBlack’s Law Dictionary:
Termes juridiques explains ordon-nance de soit-communiqué like this:[procédure pénale] Acte par lequel lejuge d’instruction transfère le dossierd’une affaire au procureur de laRépublique, afin d’obtenir de lui sesréquisitions.
Obviously, this term has nothing todo with a “subpoena duces tecum,” and
one can only wonder how it found itsway into not one, but two bilingual dic-tionaries. Curiously enough, theCouncil of Europe French-EnglishLegal Dictionary translates ordon-nance de soit-communiqué correctly inthe other direction: an order by theinvestigating judge closing an investi-gation, transmitting the file, andinforming the public prosecutor’soffice that the case is ready for furtheraction; notification to proceed with aprosecution. This exercise shows clear-ly that it is not safe to take anything inbilingual dictionaries for granted;everything must be checked and dou-ble-checked in monolingual references.
ContractsI selected the following sentence
from a contract for services:
Le présent contrat est conclu intu-itu personae et sera exécuté exclu-sivement par l’artiste. Tout litigeentre les parties sera résolu par untribunal saisi à l’initiative de lapartie la plus diligente.
The first interesting part of this sen-tence is the expression conclure uncontrat, which is “to enter into a con-tract” in American legal English,never “to conclude a contract,” whichmay be taken to mean “to end a con-tract.” Unfortunately, however,Doucet succumbs to this very pitfall:his dictionary translates “conclusiondu contrat” as “the conclusion of thecontract.” Jéraute and Dahl, oddlyenough, do not include the expres-sion, even though it must be one ofthe most common phrases of all inlegal writing.
Navarre suggests that “conclureun contrat (contrat d’assurance)” is“to conclude a contract of insur-ance” (which is probably most accu-rately translated as “to take out ➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200224
insurance” in English), but doesinclude the correct “to enter into” inconnection with marché: to enter into abargain. The Council of Europe, by farthe best dictionary in the bunch, has thecorrect entry: enter into (a contract).
The Council of Europe is also theonly dictionary of the five to includeintuitu personae, a Latin phrase thatis only used in the civil law tradition(and not in the common law tradi-tion) and therefore must be translat-ed for common law readers. TheCouncil of Europe translates it as“personal relationship; involvingconsideration of the person,”although it might be best translatedin our sentence as follows: “Thiscontract is entered into in expressconsideration of the person.”
Now we turn to exécuter un con-trat, undoubtedly one of the mostcommon “false friends” in legal trans-lation. In U.S. English, to “execute acontract” means to “sign it,” whereasthe French phrase exécuter un con-trat means to “perform” it. Doucetgives both a correct translation and anincorrect translation of the Frenchphrase: “execution of the contract,performance of the contract.” Jérautesimply includes the mistranslation:“(un contrat) to execute.” Navarre hasit wrong, too—“to execute a con-tract”—but both Dahl and theCouncil of Europe get it right: “per-formance of the contract.”
The next phrase of interest is lapartie la plus diligente, whichmeans “the first party to takeaction,” not “the most diligentparty,” because “diligent” in Frenchrefers to speed, whereas “diligent”in English refers to zeal. Of the fivedictionaries reviewed, only Jérauteincludes the phrase, translating it as“the first mover,” which is the rightidea, but not as clear as the “firstparty to take action.”
Corporate LawI chose this passage from a set of
bylaws (statuts) in French:
Les actionnaires ont, proportion-nellement au montant de leursactions, un droit de préférence à lasouscription des actions denuméraire émises pour réaliser uneaugmentation de capital, droitauquel ils peuvent renoncer à titreindividuel. Si l’Assemblée Généralele décide expressément, ils bénéfi-cient également d’un droit desouscription à titre réductible.
The first term to consider is droit depréférence, which an Americanlawyer would call a “preemptive right”in this context. Shareholders oftenhave preemptive rights to subscribe tonew shares that a company issues sothat their percentage ownership willnot be diluted. Unfortunately, none ofthe dictionaries gets this one right.Doucet calls it a “right of preference,preference right,” while Jéraute calls ita “priority right,” and Navarre trans-lates it as “preferential, priority right.”Dahl does not even contain the term,and the Council of Europe translates itin another context: “right (of a mort-gagee or person entitled to a statutorypriority, preference or lien) to be paidin preference to other creditors; prefer-ential right.”
Actions de numéraire are foundonly in Navarre, which translatesthem as “shares paid in money,”which does not sound like realEnglish, and Doucet, which gives“cash shares, shares paid for in cash.”The latter are an improvement onNavarre, but the most authentic trans-lation is “shares issued for cash.”
Finally, we come to the very diffi-cult phrase à titre réductible, whichcan only be found in Jéraute, whichtranslates it as “for excess shares.”
Although this translation may appearstrange at first glance, it is actuallyright on the money. The French sen-tence means that shareholders willhave preemptive rights when the com-pany issues new shares, and if anyshares are left after preemptive rightshave been exercised (perhaps becausecertain shareholders did not exercisethose rights), the shareholders may beentitled to subscribe to excess shares.
Trusts and EstatesL’héritier peut, en face d’une suc-cession qui lui échoit, choisir entretrois positions: accepter purementet simplement, accepter sous béné-fice d’inventaire ou refuser.
This sentence from the law ofdecedents’ estates contains two inter-esting legal phrases: purement et sim-plement and accepter sous bénéficed’inventaire. The first of these meansthat the heir can accept his inheritanceunconditionally, but only the Councilof Europe tells the translator thatpurement et simplement is “uncondi-tionally” and not “purely and simply.”In fact, even the standard desktop dic-tionaries (such as the Larousse andthe Collins-Robert) translate thephrase as “purely and simply” (whichis clearly out of place in a legal con-text). The other phrase, sous bénéficed’inventaire, is included in all of thedictionaries reviewed except for theDahl. Doucet gives “acceptanceunder benefit of inventory, acceptancelimited by the value of the assetstransferred”; Jéraute gives “providedthe assets exceed the liabilities, condi-tionally, with reservations, for whatit’s worth.” Navarre says “acceptancewithout liability beyond the assetsdescended,” and the Council ofEurope includes an explanation: “lim-itation of the heir’s liability for thedebts of the estate to the amount of
French→English Legal Dictionaries: An American Lawyer’s Analysis Continued
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 25
the net assets he actually receives.”The “benefit of inventory” is a civillaw concept, not a common law one,and Jéraute’s solution of “providedthe assets exceed the liabilities” maybe the one that best lets an Americanlawyer know what the French means.
TrademarksThe heading of the trademark cer-
tificates issued by the InstitutNational de la Propriété Industriellein France reads as follows: marquesde fabrique, de commerce ou deservice. All of the dictionariesreviewed here contain the term “mar-que de fabrique,” defining it as “trade-mark,” but not one of them contains“marque de commerce,” which fromthe words alone (the French word“commerce” means “trade” inEnglish) appears to mean “trade-mark,” too. So how should they bedistinguished in translation? Again,the way to solve the problem is toconsult a monolingual dictionary.Termes juridiques explains that amarque de fabrique is “celle qui estapposée par le fabricant d’un
produit,” while a marque de com-merce is “celle qui est apposée parcelui qui commercialise le produitsans en être le fabricant.” In otherwords, the first is a “manufacturer’strademark” and the second is a “mer-chant’s trademark.” If we then consulta monolingual law dictionary inEnglish, we find that, in English, atrademark is “a mark that is used by amanufacturer or merchant to identifythe origin or ownership or goods andto distinguish them from others, andthe use of which is protected by law.”Therefore, English uses one word tomean both a “manufacturer’s mark”and “merchant’s mark.”
ConclusionFirst of all, this study clearly
shows how unreliable the existingbilingual dictionaries are. The time isripe for a person to produce a bilin-gual dictionary that takes into accountthe way legal terms are used in eacharea of law (civil procedure versuscriminal procedure, for example) andin each legal system. Second, eventhough the dictionaries do contain
many correct entries, they fall woe-fully short of being complete.Although no dictionary can ever be100% complete, it does not seemunreasonable to suggest that a lexi-cographer should sit down with the loidu 24 juillet 1966, which is theFrench law governing companies, andtry to include all the terms in that act.This would undoubtedly result in afairly complete list of terms used incorporate law in France. Anotheruseful procedure would be to collect anumber of contracts drafted inFrench, to sort through them, and tohighlight recurring terms and phrases.This would ensure a fair representa-tion of contract terminology.
The third conclusion to be drawnfrom the study is that no translator canhave too many monolingual referenceworks, because they are the source ofaccurate definitions of the terms inquestion. Finally, translators shouldcommit themselves to reading bookson the legal systems in France and theU.S., and shy away from heavyreliance on bilingual dictionaries.
“Ghosts,” the 2002 issue of TWO LINES: A Journal of Translation, is nowavailable. To order our latest issue of world literature, or any of ourprevious issues, send a check or money order for the total cost of theissues you wish to receive plus postage.*
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TWO LINES: A Journal ofTranslation
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The ATA Chronicle | October 200226
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The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 27
What’s in It for me?
By Courtney Searls-Ridge and Mary David
E veryone is busy these days. Welive in a 24/7 society with“time-saving technology” that
has simply packed more work intothe few hours we have. When—oreven if—we do have any free time,we still have a million and one thingswe really want to do for ourselves.Why, then, would we agree to spendtwo hours a month helping someonewe don’t know? Why would anyonevolunteer to be an ATA mentor?
Not surprisingly, the answer isoften personal: some of us mayremember being mentored by ateacher or friend, some of us liketeaching and coaching, and some of uswant to share what we have had tolearn the hard way. There are as manyreasons to mentor as there are men-tors. In fact, as the pilot year of ATA’sMentoring Program comes to a closethis fall, many of the mentors havebeen surprised to find more benefits tomentoring than they expected. Hereare 10 of the most popular reasons ourmentors found for mentoring.
1. Mentoring is making a differ-ence. You are having a positiveimpact in someone else’s life. Youfind yourself feeling proud oftheir successes and satisfied athaving made a difference.
2. Mentoring is feeling energized.You might have thought that beinga mentor would leave you evenmore tired and overwhelmed thanyou already are, but usually just theopposite is true. Our mentors deriveenergy from showing their menteesthe ropes and have found renewedenthusiasm for their own work.
3. Mentoring is a realization of yourown accomplishments. Most ofus aren’t really aware of how muchwe have learned from practical
experience. As you work throughspecific issues with your mentee,you will realize that you know a lotmore than you thought you did.
4. Mentoring is learning. Menteesalso come into the partnershipwith something to give, oftenwith knowledge in areas whereyou have no experience. And therelationship itself is also alearning experience. As you workout strategies for coaching,encouraging, and communicatingwith your mentee, you are devel-oping skills that can be used withclients and colleagues as well.
5. Mentoring is building the profes-sion. Face it—sloppy, unprofes-sional translators and interpretersreflect poorly on all of us. Byshowing your mentee good busi-ness practices and ethical conduct,you are helping to improve theimage of our profession.
6. Mentoring is getting as well asgiving. The mentoring process isa two-way street. Your menteewill not forget your help. Fromsimple grateful thanks to turningup job opportunities for you,mentees are looking for ways toshow their appreciation.
7. Mentoring is paying back. As youworked your way up in yourcareer, you more than likelyreceived advice that you’ve neverforgotten, advice that has helpedyou become successful. Becoming
a mentor gives you the chance torepay the support and help youreceived from others in your past.
8. Mentoring is receiving recogni-tion from our association and ourpeers. All too often our volunteerwork takes place in the backgroundof a larger event. Being an ATAmentor is different. Here, your par-ticipation as a mentor will be rec-ognized publicly by ATA, and yourrole will receive the acknowledge-ment of your colleagues.
9. Mentoring is contributing to thefuture. Most of us would like tothink that what we have given ofourselves will help shape thefuture. Your advice and guidanceas a mentor can do just that. Yourwisdom is a powerful legacy.
10. Mentoring is helping your associ-ation. Every association dependsupon the member benefits of edu-cation and networking. ATA is nodifferent. By sharing your “realworld” experience one-on-one,you will strengthen our associa-tion and its goals.
Many of you are in the uniqueposition of letting newcomers benefitfrom your experience, yet you arehesitant to become a mentor. Perhapsyou are afraid that mentoring willtake more time than you have to giveor that the needs of a mentee will beoverwhelming. These are legitimateconcerns, but they are not the road-blocks that you might imagine. Astructured mentoring partnershipaddresses these issues before thementoring begins. And the ATAMentoring Program trains new men-tors in how this structure works to
“…There are as manyreasons to mentor as there
are mentors…”
Continued on p.30
The ATA Chronicle | October 200228
T here was tea, but also coffee,pastries, and other goodies, asmore than 150 translators and
interpreters got together at theWyndham Hotel in Boston on themorning of Saturday, August 10.Their purpose was to attend an all-day event on “The Business ofTranslating & Interpreting,” one of aseries of professional developmentseminars sponsored by ATA andorganized by ATA ProfessionalDevelopment Committee Chair (andDirector) Marian Greenfield, with theinvaluable assistance of ATA staffmembers Mary David and TeresaKelly. The participants, who hailedfrom all over the U.S. and beyond(some from as far away asAustralia!), included translation com-pany (TC) owners and project man-agers as well as independenttranslators and interpreters. All werehoping to gain a better understandingof how to work with each other.
A well-chosen panel of speakersoffered interesting presentations on var-ious aspects of the agency-freelancerrelationship. Leah Ruggiero, seniorproject manager at Eriksen Trans-lations Inc. in Brooklyn, New York, andBeatriz Bonnet, president and CEO ofSyntes Language Group, Inc., a lan-guage services company in the Denvermetro area, cogently presented theTC’s point of view. Todd Burrell, a fed-eral and state certified court interpreterand instructor in the Court InterpreterCertificate Program at New YorkUniversity, and Eta Trabing, an experi-enced freelance translator and presi-dent of Berkana Inc., Center forTranslation and Interpretation Studies,gave invaluable advice on how tooperate a freelance T/I business.Courtney Searls-Ridge, owner andmanager of German LanguageServices and academic director oftranslation at Seattle’s Translation and
Interpretation Institute, discussed con-tracts and the contractual relationshipbinding the translator and the purchaserof translation services.
Why would anyone waste a beau-tiful summer weekend going to abusiness seminar? Well, besides theurge for self-improvement, theprospect of visiting Boston wasenticing. The Wyndham Hotel, wherethe event took place and where mostof us stayed, is conveniently located
in downtown Boston, near the harborand other tourist attractions. A broadrange of activities was available: his-tory buffs followed the Freedom Trailor visited the museums, while sunseekers took boat tours of the harbor.When we got hungry, we discoveredFaneuil Hall and Quincy Market, alively pedestrian area with manyrestaurants and boutiques just a shortfive-minute walk from the hotel. Ifyou had been there on Saturday nightyou would have found a group of usNew Yorkers, plus a newfound Israelifriend, sitting at an outdoor terracewatching the scene and listening tostreet performers sing mellow bal-lads. We ate delicious seafood, as youare supposed to do when you are inBoston, drank wine, and chatted lateinto the night. Not a bad way to spenda summer weekend.
Our enjoyable evening followed avery full day packed with informativesessions. In this short article Icouldn’t possibly report on every-thing that was discussed, so I willsimply mention what impressed memost. For instance, I found out theanswer to a frequent freelancer com-plaint: “I sent out a big mailing toTCs and got no responses!” Trans-lation companies receive lots ofresumes in the mail (as many as 10–20a day). Being very busy, they oftenstore them in a file box until someonehas time to look at them, whichmeans they sit there forever. TCsmuch prefer that freelancers sign upwith their searchable online data-bases available on their websites.
However, even if you have signedup online, you will not necessarilyget called. Agencies, as LeahRuggiero explained, like to workwith their usual pool of translatorsand will only reach outside that poolwhen there is a special need. BeatrizBonnet emphasized that it is up toyou, the translator, to articulate whyyou rather than someone else are theright person for the job. You mustoffer compelling credentials and/orexpertise to stand out in a crowdedfield. Networking is a powerful tool.You should take advantage of everyopportunity to get to know TCowners and project managers.
Assuming you have overcome allthe obstacles and have been offered atranslation job by an agency, you willthen be asked to register. Leah walkedus through the registration process(questionnaires, tax forms, confiden-tiality, and work agreements), usingher company’s paperwork as anexample. Your next challenge is tostay on the “active” list by developinggood relationships with project man-agers. What can you do to ensure theykeep calling you back?
“…Participants came fromall over the U.S. and
beyond, includingtranslation companyowners and projectmanagers as well as
independent translatorsand interpreters…”
A Translators’ Tea Party in Boston
By Teresa S. Waldes
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 29
Besides the three cardinalrules—1) do not misrepresent whatyou can do; 2) deliver a qualityproduct; and 3) always meet or beatyour deadline—there are otherthings to consider. As Beatriz pointedout, people do business with peoplethey like. Smile when you answer thephone: even if no one sees you, yoursmile will carry over to your voice.Be pleasant and accommodating.Each client has his own way of doingthings, so do not fight it or try toargue. Follow your instructions andglossaries to the letter. Be sure youunderstand what is expected of you,and do not hesitate to ask questions.Don’t create problems, be part of thesolution. This will earn you a reputa-tion as someone who is a pleasure towork with.
Beatriz had other marketing tips toensure that you get noticed by TCs.Send mailings that highlight yourstrengths (special expertise, greatrates, weekend availability, etc.).Offer a gimmick to get noticed, suchas a free trial or guaranteed satisfac-tion. Provide a list of major projectsand references.
To market to direct clients, youshould use slightly different tech-niques. First, research differentindustries by using the library and theInternet. A good website iswww.bizjournals.com. Then, identifytarget companies and use the phoneto locate the appropriate contact ineach company. A recommended web-site to learn useful sales techniques tosell your services to potential clientsis www.sellingpower.com.
To ensure that your rights are pro-tected, Courtney Searls-Ridge’s pres-entation addressed the practicalaspects of negotiating contracts andagreements with translation agencies/bureaus/companies, book publishers,and other end-clients. Book contracts
involve particular issues such ascopyrights and royalties. Translationbureaus usually ask freelancers tosign agreements in order to protectthemselves against liability and toensure confidentiality. Do not assumeyou have to sign any contract that isput in front of you. If there is some-thing you don’t like, voice yourobjection. Oftentimes, there is roomfor negotiation and you can bargainfor better terms.
Bear in mind that a contract is notnecessarily a written document. Anybargained exchange for valuable con-sideration is a contract. Wheneversomeone calls and asks you to do atranslation and the two of you agreeon a deadline and price, you haveentered into an oral contract that is justas binding as a written one. However,Courtney advises to always documentthe agreement in writing in case thereis a later dispute. It can be done veryinformally; just write an e-mailrestating the terms as you understandthem and ask your correspondent for aresponse to confirm agreement.
To end her presentation, Courtneyprovided samples of good and badcontracts, and engaged the partici-pants in mock negotiating sessions.She indicated that both ATA and theNorthwest Translators and Inter-preters Society offer model transla-tion contracts online. The URLs arewww.atanet.org/model_contract.htmand www.notisnet.org/notis/notisarc.html#Program. For more on contracts,see PEN’s Handbook for LiteraryTranslators at www/pen.org/translation/handbook.htm.
After a morning spent analyzingagency-related issues, the afternoonwas devoted to the freelancer’s view-point. In presenting it, Todd Burrell andEta Trabing agreed that the first thingan aspiring translator or interpretershould do is to take stock of his or her
skills and abilities. Both also empha-sized the need for training and creden-tials. Many people enter this professionby accident, and few set out to acquireexpertise in a systematic way.
Another consideration is the avail-ability of time and money. Starting afreelance business is very difficult.When you are struggling to get andkeep a customer base, cash flow canbe uneven and unpredictable. If youare making a career change you needsufficient income to tide you overuntil you are established, which maytake several years. Some peoplechoose to transition gradually,keeping a full-time job in another lineof work and accepting interpreting ortranslation assignments only in theevenings or on weekends.
Todd further stressed the need toresearch the advantages and pitfallsof an interpreting career before com-mitting. Some assignments requiretravel. Depending on your outlookand energy level, this can be a glam-orous lifestyle or an exhausting tread-mill. People who escort for the StateDepartment or during trade missionsare expected to be on call all the timefor a trip that may last several weeks.It takes a lot of stamina to be outinterpreting for your clients at dinnerafter you have been in meetings allday. Court or medical interpretingcan be emotionally difficult. It isimportant to maintain professionaldetachment while dealing withpeople in crisis situations.
While an interpreter is always onthe go and must travel to where his orher clients are, a translator will mostlikely operate from a fixed location.Eta offered several practical recom-mendations for starting a translationbusiness at home. First of all, plan awork schedule and create an officespace for your business. Do not allowfriends, relatives, or housework ➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200230
to interfere with your workspace oryour working hours. But, by the sametoken, do not let work overtake yourpersonal life. Stick to your scheduleand take evenings and weekends off.
Always answer the phone in abusinesslike manner. Do not use cuterecorded messages. Do not let chil-dren answer your business phone.Have a separate fax line. Be sure tobe reachable by e-mail and/or cellphone. This is a service business: youneed to be available when the clientneeds you, not when it suits you.
Invest in your equipment. Buy anup-to-date computer, software, fax,and printer, and have a high-speedInternet account. Get dictionaries andreference materials. All these itemsare a necessary initial investment inyour business. Keep detailed recordsof all your expenses, as a lot of themwill be tax deductible. Likewise, keep
very good records of your income,and don’t forget that you owe esti-mated tax payments. When you canafford to, hire an accountant who hasexperience working with the self-employed. Devise a system for fol-lowing up on unpaid receivables.
Once you are set up, market yourservices. Get business cards and agood resume. Network to becomeknown. You should try severalapproaches, including mailings, con-tacts with colleagues, professionalforums, etc. Decide on your ratesbefore clients call so you will have ananswer ready when asked. Presentyour estimates in writing. Ask ques-tions and make sure you understandwhat the assignment involves and whatthe client expects is included in theprice. Never miss deadlines for anyreason. Always remember that you area businessperson and act accordingly.
This last bit of advice is somethingall the panelists agreed on. Anotheroft-repeated recommendation was tonetwork, network, network. Seren-dipitously, the organizers had arrangeda cocktail hour at the end of the daywhere we were able to practice ournewly acquired networking skills.Everyone had garnered some usefulideas and expressed appreciation for avery interesting, well-organized event.
To round out the weekend, com-plementary events were scheduledfor Sunday. An accreditation sittingwas held Sunday morning, andCourtney Searls-Ridge, head of theATA Mentoring Task Force, offeredmentor and mentee training. In caseyou missed them in Boston, all threeevents will be repeated at the ATAconference in Atlanta (advancesign-up required).
A Translators’ Tea Party in Boston Continued
Other organizations include:
Asociación Profesional Española de Traductores eIntérpretes (APETI)www.lai.com/lai/spanish.html
ACE Traductores (ACEtt)www.acett.org
Asociación de Traductores e Intérpretes Jurados deCataluña (ATIJC)www.atijc.com
In the next issue, we will examine the fresh efforts inthe area of certification in the Ukraine. As the editor of thisseries, I encourage readers to submit any relevant infor-mation concerning non-U.S. certification or similar pro-grams, as well as comments on the information publishedin this series, to my e-mail address at [email protected].
International Certification Study: Spain and PortugalContinued from p.21
make the most of a limited amount of time, to set and staywithin boundaries, and to improve communication. It’smuch easier than you think!
More than ever, today’s newcomers to our professionneed the advice and encouragement of working translatorsand interpreters who have on-the-job experience. It is,after all, a dog-eat-dog world out there. But the ATA doesnot have enough mentors! We need more experiencedtranslator and interpreter volunteers! Please consider thischallenge and take this opportunity to make a difference.
Participation in the ATA Mentoring Program is an ATAmember benefit open only to ATA members. To become anATA mentor, complete the mentor application on the ATAwebsite (www.atanet.org/Mentor), attend the mentortraining session in Atlanta on Wednesday, November 6,and wait to be matched with a very excited and gratefulATA mentee.
Questions? Contact Mary David at ATA Headquarters;[email protected] or (703) 683-6100 ext 3009.
What’s in It for Me? Continued from p.27
I t occurred to me that it might beuseful to look at some of the atti-tudes and approaches that distin-
guish a translator with 30 years ofexperience from someone who hassignificantly less. What is it that Ihave learned from these many yearsof working that is different from whatinterns and junior translators know?
Concentration. This is basic: gettingthe work done and putting the effortwhere it needs to go. Experiencedtranslators have a very accurate ideaof how long a text will take to trans-late, even without reading it first.And, if mistaken, experience hasdeveloped that extra brainpowerrequired for laser-like focus on thetext that needs to go out. Let’s face it:translators must like deadlines or elsethey would be in a different line ofwork. If it has to be out by Wednesdaymorning, the effort required will bedosed carefully to reach that result.That’s why many experienced transla-tors will do a draft of a translationwhen it comes in to be sure it’s notgoing to require more time thanthey’ve allocated. It doesn’t matter ifwe’re early risers or night owls—mostof us know when we have a long dayahead, and when we can go out fordinner and a play and enjoy it.
Reasonable expectations. Most of usdon’t work on Nobel Prize literature.In fact, we have learned to accept it asa given that the text we have beenasked to translate for money meanssomething in one language, and thatwe must find appropriate equivalentsin the target language in order for it tohave the same impact on the targetreader. Although there are times whenthe “dumbest sentence of the week”contest becomes remarkably competi-tive and is felt to be the only way toget through some very long days, we
have generally stopped blaming thesource for infelicities. Instead, wesimply do our best to reproduceclearly and succinctly in the targetlanguage the ideas the text contains,however confusingly expressed. Wehave given up the temptation torewrite unless asked to (“I want anadaptation”), since that door, onceopened, can lead to never-ending revi-sion, and assumes a level of famil-iarity with the subject matter, asopposed to how it is expressed, thatwe may not have.
Plausibility. Truly original thought isencountered so seldom and so unex-pectedly that most of us have devel-oped a sixth sense for new meanings.An example of this from my ownediting experience would be a text foraspiring insurance sales representa-tives on data privacy. Legislation inQuebec requires everyone doing busi-ness with the public to keep only theinformation they need and to keep itconfidential. In the document I wasediting, this was said to apply to“everyone, from the tow-truck driverto the multinational company.”Surprised by this implausible pair, Ichecked the original French text anddiscovered that a translator unfamiliarwith the privacy regulations inQuebec had translated the worddépanneur, used in Quebec to desig-nate the corner convenience store, as“tow-truck driver,” its meaning inFrance. When experienced translatorsread something that doesn’t make
sense, they investigate further. Theyalso keep the text within the track ithas set for itself.
Good looks. I don’t mean for thetranslator—for the text. The finishedproduct has to look good, resemblingthe original to the greatest extent pos-sible in order to allow easy compar-ison of the two versions (facilitatingupdates, changes, and checks for com-pleteness). This can mean adding pagenumbers, using appropriate typefacesto distinguish handwritten and printedtext, etc. People who pay a reasonableprice for a translation deserve toreceive something they can use withminimal manipulation. Moreover, if atext looks good, it makes it less likelythat an unqualified person will have tore-enter the text and introduce newmistakes in the process.
Resources. A point I’ve made repeat-edly is that we have to invest in our-selves. If work is returned electronically,not in hard copy, then the quality andspeed of the printer only matters to thetranslator. And that is exactly whyexperienced translators invest in equip-ment that will improve their ownworking lives. They buy new com-puters at regular intervals, and not thebottom-of-the-line student model butthe best of the “home office” offerings,with substantial amounts of memory tohave numerous files open at once, verylarge hard drives to store all past work(for easy searching), many CD-ROMdictionaries, saved versions of inter-esting online glossaries, legal texts,etc. They also keep the old computersfor backup purposes (also an importantresource). We have high-speed Internetaccess because it is so incrediblyuseful, and several ways to access theInternet in case of ISP problems. Weknow that the work has to get out,however complicated it is for us.
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 31
➡
Professionalism 101
By Betty Howell
“…What do most of usthink of when we say that
someone is aprofessional?…”
The ATA Chronicle | October 200232
Generosity. We help our colleaguesout—without sneering at theirapparent ignorance. We participate inonline discussions, by language orspecialty, asking questions andanswering others. We share what wehave learned because we know we willneed help, and it feels good to be ableto do something for someone else fora change. We join associations, writearticles, and take part in workshops!We consider taking on interns (andeven paying them), teaching transla-tion courses so that the students willhave an accurate idea of the world thatawaits them, and even talking to theGirl Scouts on Career Day. We realizethat almost no one outside the transla-tion business has any idea of what wedo (and what we do it for), so weexplain it patiently and simply to thosewho ask. It’s a habit that has generousrewards (see below).
Good manners (it’s polite to waittill you’re asked). Being asked to
translate a text puts you in a relativelymore powerful position than solic-iting work from a customer.Obviously, you have to make yourservices known first, but there areother ways than just sending CVs andasking for work. Referrals are whatyou look for. If you are generous withyour time on committees, people getto know you and are more apt to thinkof you when someone mentions theneed for a translator. Even agencieslocated in distant places are morelikely to solicit you if your nameappears in more than just a directory.And direct translations, which paymore and are generally more satis-fying, are usually assigned to peoplewho are more than just a name to theperson placing the work.
Sense of balance. Those of us whohave survived in this business for atleast 10 years have stopped workingevery available minute. We know thatminds get tired as much as bodies,
and that we have to devote time toourselves and our families. We haveto save some thinking time forreading—and therefore cannot use upall our mental energy on work. Manyof us have outside nonverbal interests(painting, music, cooking, sports) thatwe have either acquired sincebecoming established as translators,or returned to once we had the moneyand realized we needed to make thetime to pursue our hobbies.
What do most of us think of whenwe say that someone is a profes-sional, whether speaking of transla-tors, plumbers, or tennis players?That they get the job done. That theydon’t make a lot of fuss about it. Thatthey know what they are doing. Thatthey respond reasonably to reason-able demands, and know whendemands are unreasonable. That theyget paid for their work. Sounds goodto me!
Professionalism 101 Continued
Agencies, Bureaus, and CompaniesFinancial Translation and InterpretingIndependent Contractors InterpretingLanguage-specific Sessions
Legal Translation and InterpretingLiteraryMedical Translation and InterpretingScientific and Technology
Social SciencesTerminologyTraining and PedagogyTranslators and Computers
Call for Papers
44th Annual Conference of the American Translators AssociationPhoenix, Arizona • Pointe South Mountain Resort • November 5-8, 2003
Proposals are invited on topics in of all areas of translation and interpreting, including the following:
Suggestions for additional topics are welcome. Proposals for sessions must be submitted on the Conference Presentation ProposalForm by March 14, 2003 to: Conference Organizer, ATA Headquarters, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314; Fax:(703)683-6122. All proposals for sessions must be in English.
There’s no time like the present! Pick up a Conference Presentation Proposal Form at the ATA Onsite Registration Desk, or downloadone at: www.atanet.org/abstract.htm.
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 33
A handful of companies in thetranslation and localization services industry can afford
global teams with salespeople presentin every major market, and can alsospend more dollars on marketing thanyour company makes in a year. I havemanaged two of those. But for most,the owners and maybe a couple ofsalespeople have to do the job… andon a budget.
I want to share with you some prin-ciples and practices that will makeyour sales more effective, and maybetake you away from the “if I work Idon’t sell, if I sell I don’t work” viciouscircle. It is a simple step-by-step plan:start by developing your sales strategy,then profile your buyer and define theprocesses that support your strategy,and finally, make a habit of trackingand managing your pipeline.
First, you need a strategy. If yourapproach to strategy is “follow theleader,” by now you are probably “alocalization company that providesservices for the IT, life sciences,transportation, manufacturing, andutilities industries,” just like yourcompetitor or the big companies inthe market. And I wouldn’t be sur-prised if you actually didn’t haveclients in any of these markets.
A good strategy drives processes,which influence behaviors andachieve results. In other words, youwant to create an environment thatgenerates sales for you, and to do thateffectively you have to put a processin place. Once you have a salesprocess, you will develop a “salesmentality,” and it will be easier toobtain the results you expect.
Start by targeting the most appro-priate markets, those that will bring thehighest probable sales and profitpotentials. The easiest way to do it is tolook at your existing client base and atyour success stories (and not your
competitor’s). If you don’t definetarget markets clearly, your sales effec-tiveness will be negatively affected.Correct targeting, on the other hand,can lead to improved sales.
By doing this exercise, andlooking at the supply chain of a cer-tain opportunity (the suppliers andclients that make up an industry), oneof my sales consulting clients wasable to unveil a $2 million pipeline ofpotential translation business thatwas being overlooked.
Targeting markets provides thebasis for defining sales territories,deploying salespeople, setting salesquotas, measuring performance, andidentifying problem areas. But most ofall, targeting allows you to focus yoursales efforts and maximize your mar-keting dollars. Another advantage oftargeting is that in doing research on acertain industry or vertical market, youbecome an expert and show more cred-ibility when talking to potential clients.
The next step is profiling, orobtaining detailed information aboutcharacteristics of your typical buyer.First, look at the characteristics ofyour current clients: total revenue,percentage of revenue from interna-tional markets, number of employeesin the U.S. and abroad, number ofcountries in which the company ispresent, Standard Industrial Classi-fication (SIC) codes, number of fac-tories, and any business informationthat you can acquire. Good sourcesof this type of information are salessupport sites like Hoover’s (www.hoovers.com), Corporate Information(www.corporateinformation.com),
ZapData (www.zapdata.com), and Dun& Bradstreet (www.dandb.com).Looking for companies with thesame profile as your current cus-tomers will increase the success rateof your sales calls.
By completing these two stages,you are moving away from the “sprayand pray” approach that is socommon in our industry. By now, youknow what vertical markets you aregoing to target and the characteristicsof your potential buyers. And if youvisited the websites I mentioned, youalso found a source of leads that canbe generated according to any of thecriteria that you listed. This is focus.
Now you need a process. A salesprocess is a sequence of steps thatwill guide the stages in your relation-ship with prospects and clients.Tracking these steps and attributingprobabilities of closing the sale toeach stage will allow you to build apipeline. If you use sales manage-ment tools like Salesforce.com, ACT,or Goldmine, they already incorpo-rate some of the process steps in theirstructure. Some basic steps are:
• Identifying potential customers;• Determining key decision makers;• Establishing if the prospect has a
budget and how big it is;• Identifying the needs and expecta-
tions of the prospect;• Meeting face-to-face with the client;• Matching the prospect’s needs to
your capabilities;• Developing an action plan and key
milestones;• Submitting a quote;• Negotiating terms and conditions;
and• Executing the contract.
By obtaining and tracking thisinformation for all your existing andpotential clients, and grading ➡
“…A healthy pipeline isthe best indication of a
well-managed business…”
How to Sell Translation/Localization ServicesWithout Spending Millions of DollarsBy Renato Beninatto
The ATA Chronicle | October 200234
each one of the steps according to yourhistoric performance, you will have themost valuable tool in sales manage-ment: a pipeline report for forecastingrevenue. The pipeline is gradedaccording to the probability of closinga project at each one of the stages. Yourgoal is to move the opportunity downthe list, thus improving the probabilityof getting the job.
Table 1 is a sample pipeline report.The weighed amount corresponds tothe amount of the project, multipliedby the probability of closing it at thedifferent stages.
Once you start tracking your salesthrough a pipeline, you need toacquire the habit of managing it on a
daily or weekly basis. You want tohave projects at different stages inyour pipeline at all times. Becauseselling is usually not fun (winningsales is fun, selling is work), you willhave to fight procrastination, and thebest way to do it is to look at a reportand see a picture of your future.Among the several tactics that I haveseen in our industry to create thehabit of selling, the one I like themost is the posting of a “Do NotDisturb, I am selling!” sign at thedoor, so that operational distractionsdon’t get in the way of your efforts togrow your company.
In my opinion, a healthy pipeline isthe best indication of a well-managed
business. It is the best way for you tomanage the revenue side of yourorganization and to plan your futureinvestments. Putting systems like thisin place can cost you very little, andit doesn’t have to take long. I haveimplemented sales tracking tools inorganizations with over 100 peoplefor a few thousand dollars in less thana week.
The most difficult challenges areactually making the decision to sellprofessionally, articulating a strategy,and sticking to a process. Once youtake that step, you are on your way topotentially making millions of dollarswithout spending millions of dollars.
How to Sell Translation/Localization Services Without Spending Millions of Dollars Continued
Opportunity Amount Weighed Amount Close Date Stage Critical Business Issue
Project A $50,000 $25,000 1/5/03 Submit proposal Time to market
Project B $10,000 $2,500 1/5/03 Needs analysis Quality
Project C $20,000 $18,000 1/10/03 Verbal approval Price
Project D $25,000 $0 1/15/03 Profiling Payment terms
Project E $15,000 $7,500 1/18/03 Contract negotiation Price
TOTAL $120,000 $53,000
Table 1: Sample Pipeline Report
This is an exciting opportunity for you to share
your knowledge and experience with appreciative
colleagues. For more information, contact:
Virginia Perez-Santalla ([email protected]).
ATA’s Spanish Language Division2nd Annual Conference
St. Anthony Hotel • San Antonio, Texas
April 25-27, 2003
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 35
“Y our mission…the localiza-tion into all EU languagesof an important document
designated operator’s manual. Youmay select any team members for theoperation. You have six days to pro-vide a print-ready version.”
Such is the mission proposed toagent X, project manager in a transla-tion agency. Mission impossible? Asunreasonable as clients can get, it israrely the case that they will make itso difficult that an agency will not beable to complete an assignment. True,translation projects can be obstaclecourses full of pitfalls and traps.However, agencies are hubs for cre-ative ideas and solutions, allowingthem to conduct projects in a qualitymanner while respecting tight dead-lines and serious budget constraints.The agency’s main weapon? Projectmanagers.
So little is known about projectmanagers. Clients sometimes thinkthey translate the projects them-selves. Or they wonder why theagency charges a project manage-ment fee, especially since the projectonly needs to be translated.Translators tend to have more of amixed impression, where the assign-ment provider image gets entangledwith that of a slave driver. So let’sbring some light to this misunder-stood profession…
It might seem obvious, but projectmanagers manage projects—translationor localization projects, that is.These projects have a translationcomponent at their core, but manydifferent tasks and services orbitaround that core, including, amongothers, quality control, desktop pub-lishing, software testing, translationmemory maintenance, proposalwriting, or billing. Project managersare in charge of coordinating all the
services on the project. To do so, theymanage the whole team of contrac-tors and internal staff and act as aliaison to the client.
Projects start with the projectmanager talking to the client andgathering as much information aspossible to define the exact scope ofthe project and the client’s expecta-tions. The client might not knowmuch about the job to be performed,so some important details might beomitted unless the right questions are
asked. After this initial interview, theproject manager sits down with theproduction team and the files get ana-lyzed and scrutinized, brainstormingtakes place to determine the bestcourse of action, a strategy plan iscreated, and a proposal gets sent tothe client. If the plan was wellthought out, the project managersimply implements it once the projectstarts and troubleshoots the minorproblems that might arise. Theproject manager moves the projectfrom translator to proofreader, fromproofreader to quality controller,from quality controller to desktoppublisher, etc.
It seems easy enough, but in prac-tice it is a rather complicated exer-cise. The project manager is thebuffer between clients and contrac-tors. Translators will often complainthat the project managers are not sen-sitive to their needs: they don’t pro-vide enough reference material forthe project, they don’t explain whatneeds to be done well enough, theydon’t answer questions, or they don’t
understand the need for sleep. On theother hand, clients can get frustratedbecause project managers don’t seemto deliver fast enough, they keep onasking for clarification on terms, andthey threaten to charge extra ifparameters to the project change.Although such complaints have beenheard, a good project manager willmanage to educate and satisfy bothparties, and will keep everybody in ahappy and productive mood. Thatskill is not given to everybody. Sowhat makes a good project manager?Many skills enter the mixture…
Project managers are musiciansattuned to languages. Even if they arenot all linguists themselves, theyhave a broad knowledge of transla-tion implications that will allow themto guide their clients in their localiza-tion decisions and to understand theirtranslators’ needs and requirements.
Project managers are clowns, jug-gling with time, money, and qualityin search of the perfect balance. Theirdecisions are crucial to the goodresults of the project, but also toclient and contractors and internalstaff satisfaction. No project managercan afford a decision that will shiftthe balance to a poor translation, alate delivery of an over-budgetproject, or, even worse, all of theabove altogether.
Project managers are warriorswith an arsenal of tools at their dis-posal to get the job done. These toolsrange from specialists they recruit forthe mission to software tools thatallow them to work more efficiently,or even reference materials that allowthem to proof the work.
Project managers are road-runners.They always work in a fast-pacedenvironment where they keep onmoving the project from one personto the next. Any time the projectspends unattended on their desk
“…The project manager isthe buffer between clients
and contractors…”
Your Mission, If You Choose to Accept It…
By Hélène Wimmerlin
➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200236
is time lost. Always keeping theproject moving is what allows for ashort delivery time.
Project managers are repairmenwho will find an answer for everyquestion or issue their team membersor clients have. They will help out tofind answers to terminology ques-tions, solve computer difficulties,deal with weather- or family-relatedcatastrophes that have an impact onprojects, or manage disagreementsamong team members.
Project managers are wizards whogrant the client’s wishes, even if theyimply deployment of a huge processstructure to make it happen. If some-body can make it happen, the projectmanager will.
People trained simultaneously tobe musicians, clowns, warriors, etc.,are hard to find. Although a fewtraining programs now exist, mostproject managers are trained on thejob. They get recruited from all sortsof backgrounds for their organiza-tional skills, their ability to multitask,their attention to detail, and their lin-guistic skills. Project managers oftenstumble into the profession withoutreally having decided beforehand tobecome a translation project manager.
It can take up to a year to trainproject managers to deal efficientlyand independently with all aspects oftheir job. The learning curve is quiteintense at the beginning, but this pacewill satisfy the project manager’s nat-ural appetite for learning. However,once they know “everything,” all toooften, project managers get burnedout or suffer from not being chal-lenged. Few advancement opportuni-ties are available to project managersin small- to mid-size translation agen-cies. Within a couple years of theirhire, chances are they will move on tobecoming a translator if they have the
necessary languages skills or elsethey might change professional fields.
There are associations for transla-tors and associations for translationagency owners, but no associationthat really looks into the role anddevelopment of translation projectmanagement. The lack of organizedrepresentation of project managementin the industry is disappointing, andtakes away from the worth of projectmanagers. Being a good project man-ager requires great talent and knowl-edge. Maybe the time has come forthe translation industry to recognizethe role of translation project manage-ment, which is so essential to its veryexistence. And maybe the time hascome for project managers to gettogether to share their knowledge. Soproject managers, your mission, ifyou choose to accept it, is to take aproactive stance to make your roleunderstood at all industry levels andto seek opportunities to share knowl-edge with your peers.
Your Mission, If You Choose to Accept It… Continued
AssociationsMake A BetterWorld
Assistant Professor of SpanishTranslation Studies and
LocalizationWake Forest University
Tenure-track, two-yearappointment renewable,
beginning August 2003. Fivecourses per year in translation,
localization, and language.Knowledge of CAT toolsrequired. For complete
description of job requirementsand credentials go to:
http://www.wfu.edu/Academic-departments/RomanceLanguages and click on
“Faculty Job Openings.” Sendletter of application, dossierand teaching materials byNovember 11 to Candelas
Gala, Chair.
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1-888-990-3282
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The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 37
T his article is based on my ownstudy of legal dictionaries,penal codes, and criminal pro-
cedure codes, in which I researchedhow the term probation, as it appliesto the criminal justice arena, ought tobe translated into Spanish. As youwill see, this term has been incrediblymistranslated by most bilingual legaldictionaries. At the same time, nobilingual legal dictionary to date is100% accurate. This being the case, itis important to keep in mind that thefollowing article was not written tocriticize the overall quality of the dic-tionaries mentioned here. It is simplya study on how best to translate theterm in question (probation).
The goal of a bilingual legal dic-tionary is to provide an accurate trans-lation of a source-language term and toprovide different alternatives whencontextual variations make it necessaryto do so. An explanation in the targetlanguage may be required when thereis no equivalent term or concept in thetarget system. In this situation, a for-mulated term may be welcomed, butonly after it is thoroughly researched tomake sure that it does not interfere withexisting legal terminology.
Legal translating can be tricky dueto the inherent differences betweenthe source and target languages andthe legal systems in their respectivecountries. Naturally, this is likely tolead to differences of opinion amongexperts on how to translate any oneparticular term. Discrepancies amongbilingual legal dictionaries may alsobe due to the resources used and thebackground knowledge and experi-ence of the individual author.Moreover, even when working withlanguages and legal systems wherenumerous reference works are avail-able, such as English and Spanish,there are times when these diction-aries provide translations that are not
completely accurate or that are erro-neous altogether.
Before reviewing the Spanishtranslations for the term probation, itis important to first understand whatthe term means in English. Black’sLaw Dictionary (6th and 7th editions)defines probation as a: “sentenceimposed for commission of crime,whereby a convicted criminal offenderis released into the community underthe supervision of a probation officerin lieu of incarceration. … For this
purpose the defendant must agree tospecified standards of conduct, andthe public authority operating throughthe court impliedly promises that if hemakes good, his probation will con-tinue; however, his violation of suchstandards subjects his liberty to revo-cation.” This definition allows us tounderstand that probation has fivebasic elements. That is, that probation:
1) Is a sentence imposed for commis-sion of a crime;
2) Is in lieu of incarceration; 3) Involves a convicted criminal
offender being released into thecommunity under supervision;
4) Requires the defendant to agree tospecified standards of conduct; and
5) States that liberty may be revokedif the defendant fails to abide bythe agreed upon standards.
Going beyond Black’s definition ofprobation, it may also be helpful tounderstand that a probation sentencemay be modified or revoked at the
court’s discretion. Furthermore, if asentence of probation is revoked, acourt may impose any other sentencethat initially could have been imposed.1
Let us now begin by quickly dis-carding one of the alternatives offeredby the bilingual legal dictionaryauthors (see Figure 1, page 41). Dahlmisses the mark with one of his trans-lations for probation by offering lib-ertad bajo fianza (release on bail).
Libertad CondicionalIt is absolutely mind-boggling how
12 English-into-Spanish legal diction-aries, including some of the mostrespected publications to date, havetranslated probation as libertad condi-cional. At first glance, this wouldseem to be correct because probationis, in a way, a “conditional release.”The question here is, does libertadcondicional hold the same legalmeaning as probation does in English?The first step that a legal translator cantake in order to verify the accuracy ofa target-language term in a bilinguallegal dictionary is to confirm themeaning of the term in monolinguallegal dictionaries. Having already con-firmed the English meaning for proba-tion, the next step is to see how themonolingual legal dictionaries inSpanish define libertad condicional.
Fernández de León defines lib-ertad condicional as: “La concedidaal penado merecedor por su conductade ser puesto en libertad antes deltotal cumplimiento de su condena,quedando sometido a la libertad vigi-lada para en caso necesario ser reinte-grado al establecimiento penitenciarioa efectos de que cumpla la pena remi-tida condicionalmente.” Cabanellas2,one of the foremost experts on legal ter-minology in Spanish, dedicates fiveparagraphs to describe libertad condi-cional in his authoritative eight-volumeDiccionario enciclopédico de ➡
English→Spanish Legal Dictionaries on Probation
By Sandro Tomasi
“…As laws change,terminology and/or
translations of such mayneed to do so as well…”
The ATA Chronicle | October 200238
derecho usual. The author states:“Beneficio penitenciario consistenteen dejar en libertad a los penados quehayan observado comportamientoadecuado durante los diversosperíodos de su condena y cuando yase encuentren en la última parte deltratamiento penal, siempre que sesometan a las condiciones de buenaconducta y demás disposiciones quese les señalen, a menos de ser reinte-grados al establecimiento penal paracumplir el tiempo faltante, con el malantecedente de esa frustración durantela ensayada libertad y retorno a laconvivencia normal en sociedad.”
The Spanish Penal Code describeslibertad condicional by stating: “Seestablece la libertad condicional en laspenas privativas de libertad para aque-llos sentenciados en quienes concurranlas circunstancias siguientes: 1.ª Que seencuentren en el tercer grado detratamiento penitenciario. 2.ª Quehayan extinguido las tres cuartas partesde la condena impuesta. 3.ª Que hayanobservado buena conducta y existarespecto de los mismos un pronósticoindividualizado y favorable de reinser-ción social, emitido por los expertosque el Juez de Vigilancia estime conve-nientes.” The term libertad condicionalappears in most Latin-American penalcodes (see Figure 2, page 42) and holdsthe same conceptual meaning as theabove descriptions.3
It is clear that libertad condicionalis the legal counterpart to parole,which has a well-established use inthe Anglo-American criminal justicearena. This is confirmed in Black’sLaw Dictionary, which defines paroleas a “conditional release from impris-onment which entitles the parolee toserve the remainder of his term out-side the confines of an institution, ifhe satisfactorily complies with allterms and conditions provided inparole order.” Interestingly enough,
all of the bilingual legal dictionariesthat included the term parole dis-played libertad condicional for itstranslation as well—this time, accu-rately so. So how is it possible that thevast majority of English-into-Spanishlegal dictionaries have erroneouslyoffered libertad condicional as thetranslation for the term probation?
There are a few reasons. First, therehave been minor misunderstandingsbetween the terms probation andparole in English for which Black’s hasfound it necessary to distinguishbetween the two. It states: “‘Probation’relates to judicial action taken beforethe prison door is closed, whereas‘parole’ relates to executive actiontaken after the door has closed on aconvict.” Second, no neo-Roman lawcountry whose official language isSpanish has an exact legal counterpartto the Anglo-American system of pro-bation. And third, there is even someconfusion among legal scholars inthese countries on the use of the termlibertad condicional. This is illustratedby Ossorio, who says, “Constituye undislate, al que no son ajenos algunosprofesionales del Derecho, confundiresta institución con la libertad provi-sional o con la condena condicional(v.).” To further investigate what thisblunder is all about, a cross-referencesearch on condena condicional inCabanellas’ dictionary provides furtherproof that such a mistake should beavoided at all costs. Cabanellas states:“Constituye vulgarismo jurídico con-fundir esta figura con la de la libertadcondicional, y más aún con la libertadprovisional (v.). Sin perjuicio deampliar los respectivos conceptos enlas voces citadas, indicaremos comosubstancial diferenciación que la lib-ertad provisional se otorga durante elproceso; la condena condicional se tra-duce en la suspensión de la condena(requiere fallo y no haber empezado a
cumplir la pena); mientras la libertadcondicional se concede a los que, yasufriendo condena, son liberadosanticipadamente, en forma condi-cionada por su buena conducta.” Whileit is evident that there is some confu-sion as to the use of terms in Spanish,confirming the meaning of libertadcondicional in a monolingual legaldictionary, and even more so, in mostpenal codes, would have undoubtedlyproved that libertad condicionalmeans parole and not probation.
Based on the fact that libertadcondicional has such a broadly codi-fied and established legal meaning, itis my opinion that variations of thisterm—e.g., Collin and Melcion’s lib-ertad condicional a prueba orRomañach’s libertad condicionada—may be easily confused for parole.
Condena CondicionalAuthors Lega and Oriolo offer the
term condena condicional for proba-tion (see Figure 1), while Benmaman,Connolly, and Loos offer a variationon the term: condena condicionalprobatoria (more on probatoriabelow). It seems as if these authorsmay have carried out more extensiveresearch for their translation of proba-tion by surpassing the libertad condi-cional “hurdle,” because they havemade the distinction between beingreleased right after conviction andbeing released after serving a min-imum prison term. Nonetheless, let usanalyze further what is meant in legalSpanish by condena condicional. TheDiccionario jurídico mexicano, anauthoritative four-volume work,describes condena condicional as:“una institución, de carácter jurídico-penal, cuya finalidad es la suspensiónde las sanciones, impuestas a losdelincuentes, cuando carezcan deantecedentes de mala conducta, sea laprimera vez que delinquen, la pena
English→Spanish Legal Dictionaries on Probation Continued
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 39
consista en prisión que no exceda dedos años (cumpliendo los demás req-uisitos del a. 90 del CP), para intentarsu reintegración a la convivenciasocial.” The Spanish authoritativefour-volume work, Enciclopediajurídica básica, includes: “consis-tente en suspender el cumplimiento dela pena (o su imposición, según lossistemas), a condición de que el sujetono vuelva a delinquir o cumpla otraserie de requisitos o cargas legal-mente previstos.” Although thespecifics may vary from one countryto another, condena condicional is asystem that is very close to probation,allowing a convict of a minor offenseto be released into society under cer-tain conditions with the under-standing that if those conditions arenot met, the defendant will have toserve the sentence that was previouslylooming over his head.
Before we continue, it is importantto note two things. First is that, unlikelibertad condicional, when a convictis “on release” with conditions, con-dena condicional does not mean thatthe offender is “serving a sentence”with conditions. To the contrary, theestablished legal meaning for condenacondicional is that there is a sentence,but it will only be carried out if theconditions of release are not met. Díazde León addresses this misnomer, aspart of his 11-page definition of theterm, when he comments that condenacondicional amounts to a “condena deinejecución condicionada.” It is alsoimportant to note that even thoughMexico4 is the only country to codifythe term condena condicional as atitle, others—e.g., Colombia, ElSalvador, and Uruguay (suspensióncondicional de la ejecución de lapena); Peru and Spain (suspensión dela ejecución de la pena); andParaguay (suspensión a prueba de laejecución de la pena)—have estab-
lished the term as a synonym to theircodified terminology. This is prob-ably the reason why Lega and Orioloalso offered their own variation: eje-cución condicional de la pena.
The Enciclopedia jurídica básicagoes further and makes a comparisonbetween the systems of condenacondicional, probation, and sursis (asimilar system used in Europe): “Detodos estos sistemas los más exten-didos son el angloamericano de pro-bation y el franco-belga del sursis. Enel sistema de probation, el proceso deimposición de la pena se divide en dosmomentos: En el primero, el juezdeclara la culpabilidad, pero noimpone la condena, dejándola en sus-penso durante un período de prueba,en el cual el sujeto es sometido amedidas de control y a medidas posi-tivas asistenciales y de reinserción,consistentes en el cumplimiento deciertas cargas [trabajos para la comu-nidad, participación en programas dereinserción, reparación del daño …],bajo la vigilancia de un funcionarioencargado de su seguimineto (proba-tion officer)....” In fact, there havebeen many comparative studiesbetween probation and condenacondicional, such as the followingtwo works which happen to share thesame revealing title, Suspencioncondicional de la pena y ‹‹proba-tion››: Maqueda Abreu (1985) andNuñez Barbero (1970).
For all the comparisons that havebeen drawn between probation andcondena condicional, one wouldthink that these terms constitute anaccurate translation. It is my opinion,however, that they do not becausecondena condicional is a conditionalsentence that is not carried out; proba-tion, on the other hand, is a sentencethat is carried out. This is governed bythe Comprehensive Crime ControlAct of 1984, which makes probation a
sentence in and of itself.5 Never-theless, I do believe that there isalready a legal counterpart to condenacondicional in U.S. criminal law. Theterm for this is suspended sentence,which Black’s Law describes as: “Aconviction of a crime followed by asentence that is given formally, butnot actually served. A suspended sen-tence in criminal law means, in effect,that the defendant is not required atthe time the sentence is imposed toserve the sentence.” The differencewith probation is that the defendant isserving an imposed sentence, albeitnoncustodial, and that the prison sen-tence will be set and carried out if thesentence of probation is revoked.
Libertad a Prueba and ProbatoriaAuthors Alcaraz Varó and Hughes,
Rivera García, and Robb offer libertada prueba for the translation of proba-tion in their dictionaries. EvenMorales Lebrón places probation(written in English) in parenthesesright next to the libertad a pruebaentry in his monolingual Puerto Ricanlegal dictionary. Libertad a prueba isalmost identical to the Anglo-American system of probation, andcan be found in the Puerto Rican crim-inal procedure code. However, it seemsto me that this term is not probation asit is currently defined in the U.S., buta suspended sentence instead. ThePuerto Rican criminal procedure code,as a commentary to Section 1026,Sistema de libertad a prueba, adds:“El sistema de sentencia suspendida olibertad a prueba son términos que seemplean indistintamente para referirsea una misma institución.”6 So here wehave it, under definition of PuertoRican law, libertad a prueba is thesame as a suspended sentence. Maybethis is why Meilij de Romero came upwith sentencia en suspenso (a prueba)for probation. ➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200240
Interestingly enough, evidencetends to show that probation was asuspended sentence before theComprehensive Crime Control Act of1984. The fourth edition of Black’sLaw Dictionary (1968) gives a dif-ferent case-law description of proba-tion than its sixth edition published 22years later. The earlier version statesthe following: “allowing a personconvicted of some minor offense (par-ticularly juvenile offenders) to go atlarge, under a suspension of sentence,during good behavior, and generallyunder the supervision or guardianshipof a probation officer.” This definitionis in contrast to the one I cited earlierfrom the probation edition, whichestablished probation as a sentence.What is also interesting is that it tooka few years for probation to completeits metamorphosis in the 1970s from asuspended sentence into a sentence.This is evidenced in the fifth edition ofBlack’s Law Dictionary (1979), whereit displays two contrasting case-lawdefinitions for probation. One of thecases described it as a sentence andthe other as a suspended sentence. Theimportant lesson to be learned here isthat as laws change, terminologyand/or translations of such may needto do so as well. All of the authors thatoffered libertad a prueba would havebeen accurate if we were talking aboutprobation in the 1960s, even thoughcondena condicional or suspensión dela ejecución de la pena were, by far,more established terms for the same inSpanish-speaking countries.
Many authors offer probatoria asa translation for probation, but all theSpanish-monolingual legal diction-aries used in this study that listedthis term defined it as “pertaining toevidence.” Rivera García is the excep-tion, and is the only one to define theterm as an early prison release forgood behavior. None of the codes I
reviewed support Rivera García’s con-tention, but offered, instead, termssuch as obligatoriedad probatoria andtérmino probatorio, displaying furtherproof that the legal term probatoriapertains strictly to evidence. Theexception to this rule is found inPuerto Rican case law (not its statutes)where this colloquialism appearsrepeatedly, demonstrating its currentlevel of acceptance by the courts.Indeed, Puerto Rico has its own lawsand terminology, but it is important toknow that probatoria is not a sentencein and of itself, as probation is in theU.S., and that it is used to describe itsown codified terms, libertad a pruebaand sentencia suspendida.
Alcaraz Varó and Hughes furthercontend that libertad probatoria wouldbe suitable. However, this compoundedterm can be found in Article 173 of theParaguayan Criminal Procedure Code,and refers to admitting evidence. Itdefines libertad probatoria as: “Loshechos y circunstancias relacionadoscon el objeto del procedimientopodrán ser admitidos por cualquiermedio de prueba, salvo las excep-ciones previstas por las leyes.” Onceagain, this demonstrates the wide-spread legal usage of the term proba-toria in relation to evidence.
Generic Terms for ProbationLibertad vigilada is offered by
Collin and Melcion, Ramos Bossiniand Gleeson, and West. It is fine todescribe probation as such; however,this term may be associated witheither libertad condicional or condenacondicional in civil law countries.Traditionally, a Juez de Vigilanciawould supervise convicts who were onlibertad condicional, hence libertadvigilada. But as supervision hasbecome a more popular tool in theneo-Roman law systems of condenacondicional, the term has been applied
generically for both. What’s more, insome countries, even the Juez deVigilancia is in charge of supervisingboth as well. Aside from libertad vigi-lada, terms such as tratamiento en lib-ertad, período de prueba, régimen aprueba, and régimen de vigilanciamay also be used to describe proba-tion, parole, and any other noncusto-dial sentences or releases.
ProbaciónThe term probación has not been
included in any of the bilingual legaldictionaries I reviewed. However,Goldstein does include it in hisDiccionario de Derecho penal y crimi-nología and offers Cuello Calón’sdescription of the Anglo-Americansystem of probation. At first, one maybe inclined to think that it is absurd touse this cognate, which has no legalmeaning in Spanish. True as this maybe, Goldstein is not off base, since theterm probación does conjure up similarimages. Let us go outside of the legalarena for one moment and confirm thedefinition of probación with the masterlexicographer María Moliner. The firstof the two meanings she offers isprueba. Just as in old English, probationis evidence or proof. The secondmeaning reads as follows: “En las*órdenes religiosas, prueba de vocaciónque se les hace a los novicios porespacio de un año por lo menos.” The30-volume Enciclopedia jurídicaespañola also includes probación andexplains it as Moliner does. Of course,neither of these two references istalking about convicted seminarists onprobation, but they do lend credence tothe use of probación in the criminal jus-tice arena because it subjects a person toa probationary period. This may even bewhy some other legal scholars havechosen to include the Spanish cognatein their comparative studies on proba-tion, e.g., Bases para el desarrollo de
English→Spanish Legal Dictionaries on Probation Continued
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 41
un sistema de Probación en Venezuala(Bravo Dávila, 1981) and Laprobación: Método de tratamiento indi-vidual del delincuente (Canestri, 1981).
There are, however, many legalscholars around the world who havealso performed comparative studieson probation, but have chosen to keepthis term in English.7 But what hap-pens when a term is kept in English asit is being discussed in a foreign lan-guage? Little by little, as an Englishword gets repeated over and overagain, it becomes engrained into thevernacular of a foreign language. Thissort of thing, as court interpretersacross the U.S. are able to confirm,has Spanish speakers uttering thelikes of “provecho” and “probeishon.”
Closing ThoughtsIt is my belief that the research on
how to translate probation has provedthat libertad condicional is an erro-neous translation for probation, andshould be used for parole instead. Theterm condena condicional and thePuerto Rican terms, libertad a pruebaand sentencia suspendida, were allequivalent to probation when theAnglo-American system was a sus-pended sentence. However, once pro-bation became a sentence in and ofitself, I think these three terms werebetter left for comparative studiesonly rather than precise translationsthereof. Currently, I believe that con-dena condicional, libertad a prueba,and sentencia suspendida are legal
counterparts of suspended sentence. Itmay very well be that the systems ofcondena condicional and libertad aprueba will be enacted in theirrespective countries as sentences inand of themselves, and allow courtsdiscretion on their modifications andre-sentencing procedures just as pro-bation has in the United States. Untilthen, I don’t think either of theseterms would constitute an accuratetranslation of probation.
The term probatoria offers aninteresting twist because, legally, itonly refers to evidence. However, ithas gained colloquial acceptance inPuerto Rico as the equivalent of lib-ertad a prueba. On the other hand, it isalso used in some parts of the ➡
Figure 1: English-into-Spanish Legal Dictionaries
Term Alcaraz Varó/Hughes Benmaman/Connoly/Loos Cabanellas/Hoague*probation libertad condicional o a prueba, condena condicional probatoria, libertad condicional
libertad probatoria, [explanation [usage: once full term established,of “probation” in Sp.]; probatoria may use only probatoria]
Collin/Melcion Dahl Espasalibertad vigilada, libertad bajo fianza, libertad condicionallibertad condicional a prueba libertad condicional
Kaplan* Lega/Oriolo Mazzucco/Maranghellolibertad condicional ejecución condicional de la pena, libertad condicional
condena condicional
Meilij de Romero Muñiz Castro Ramos Bossini/Gleesonsentencia en suspenso (a prueba) libertad condicional, probatoria libertad condicional,
libertad vigilada
Rivera García Robayo Robblibertad a prueba prueba, libertad condicional libertad condicional o a prueba,
probatoria (PR)
Romañach Solís/Gasteazoro* Westprobatoria; libertad condicionada 1. libertad condicional. libertad vigilada
2. [explanation of “probation” in Sp.]
* It is a great injustice to authors Cabanellas/Hoague, Kaplan, and Solís/Gasteazoro that their dictionaries are commonly referred to bythe publishers’ names—Butterworth’s, Wiley’s, and sometimes Aspen’s, and West’s, respectively—rather than their own.
The ATA Chronicle | October 200242
U.S. to translate the sentence of pro-bation. Notwithstanding, this is prob-ably due to the historical lack ofqualified court interpreters throughoutmost parts of the country, and theshortcomings of the bilingual legaldictionaries that have been published.
After performing exhaustiveresearch on the translation of proba-tion, I concur with authors BravoDávila, Canestri, and Goldstein onusing the term probación for thisAnglo-American system whenaddressing an audience in Spanish.8
This is one of the rare cases when anew term is warranted because there isno exact legal counterpart. The cog-nate holds similar meaning in Spanish,and, in my opinion, is available forscrupulous application in the legal con-text. Probación has gained some collo-quial acceptance in the U.S. and wouldbe easily recognized by other Spanishspeakers used to hearing the cognate inEnglish. Furthermore, due to the vastcomparative studies on probation andnoncustodial systems, there are many
legal professionals in Spain and LatinAmerica who would easily understandthe term probación in the context ofU.S. criminal law.
Due to the fact that legal transla-tion is such a complex discipline—which involves translating from onelanguage to another, from one legalsystem to another, and which mayeven include updating terms as lan-guage and legal systems evolve—oneshould always be aware of adhominem fallacies and acceptingexpert opinion uncritically. It is bythese criteria and all of the precedingdocumentation that I recommend toany person who consults English-Spanish legal dictionaries to treat themas if they have been sentenced to life-time probation (probación perpetua).
Notes1. 18 U.S.C. § 3565.
2. Although his full name,Cabanellas de Torres, is not givenin the reference works that are
cited, it is important to know thathe is the author of several mono-lingual dictionaries and should notbe mistaken for his son,Cabanellas de las Cuevas, co-author of the “Diccionariojurídico/Law Dictionary.”
3. Uruguay is the only country thatdiffers. Article 131, Section B, ofthe Uruguayan Penal Code estab-lishes that libertad condicional isgiven, upon conviction, to a defen-dant that was granted a pre-trialrelease (libertad provisional).Libertad anticipada is their codi-fied term for parole.
4. Art. 50 bis. of the Mexican penalcode (vigilancia de la autoridad)establishes the ability to imposecourt supervision for a defendantwho receives a suspensión condi-cional de la ejecución de la sen-tencia (i.e., condena condicional).
5. 18 U.S.C. § 3561.
English→Spanish Legal Dictionaries on Probation Continued
Figure 2: Penal and Criminal Procedure Codes from Spain and Latin America (terms used for parole)
Argentina Colombia Cuba Ecuadorlibertad condicional (aa. 13 a libertad condicional (a. 64 libertad condicional (a. 58 libertad condicional (aa.17 del CP y aa. 505 a 510 del CP) del CP) 87 a 93 del CP)del CPP)
El Salvador España Guatemala Méxiolibertad condicional (a. 85 libertad condicional (aa. 90 libertad condicional (aa. 78 a libertad preparatoria* (aa. 84 del CP) a 93 del CP) 82 del CP) a 87 del CP y aa. 583 a
593 del CPP)
Nicaragua Panamá Paraguay Uruguaylibertad condicional (aa. 108 libertad condicional (aa. 85 a libertad condicional (a. 51 del libertad anticipadaa113 del CP) 89 del CP) CP y aa. 496 a 497 del CPP)
CEC, Código de Enjuiciamiento Criminal; CP, Código Penal; CPC, Código de Procedimiento Criminal;CPP, Código Procesal Penal, Código de Procedimientos Penales (Mx.).* The Diccionario jurídico mexicano lists libertad condicional and indicates its synonymous use to libertad preparatoria by referring the
reader to the latter entry.
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 43
6. 1 Der. Civ. 619, n. 41 (1968-CDC-012).
7. “La Probation aux Etats-Unis” and“La probation en France” from theRevue de Droit Penal et deCriminologie, June 1965 andMarch-April 1970, respectively;“Probation e assistenza post-pen-itenziaria in Inghilterra e nelGalles,” Probation. Rassegna com-parata di legislazione e pratica(Klare, 1973); Probation e insti-tutos análogos (Devoto).
8. Depending upon context, a briefexplanation may need to be givento inform a target audience (usu-ally foreign legal professionals,since defendants are quick toinform themselves) about whatthis noncustodial sentence meansin U.S. criminal law. For this, Ipropose the following: Probación.Institución angloamericana equip-arable a la condena condicional,pero que a su vez constituye unapena en sí, obligando al penado asometerse bajo la vigilancia deun funcionario encargado de suseguimiento y cumplir con lascondiciones impuestas por el juezmientras se encuentre en libertad.You may continue with: Si el reobeneficiado reincide durante elplazo fijado de la probación, serásujeto, a discreción del tribunal, auna modifación de ésta o seráreconenado a una pena privativade libertad correspondiente aldelito por el cual se le concediódicho beneficio.
ReferencesAlcaraz Varó, Enrique, and Brian
Hughes. Diccionario de términosjurídicos Inglés-Español/Spanish-English. 3rd ed., rev. and enl.Barcelona: Editorial Ariel, 1997.
Arribálzaga, Martín Eugenio. Diccio-nario jurídico jurisprudencial.Buenos Aires: Ediciones Depalma,2000.
Becerra, Javier F. Diccionario de ter-minología jurídica mexicana(español-inglés). Assisted byGeorge E. Humphrey. Mexico City:Escuela Libre de Derecho, 1999.
Benmaman, Virginia, Norma C.Connolly, and Scott Robert Loos.Bilingual Dictionary of CriminalJustice Terms (English/Spanish).Binghamton, New York: GouldPublications, 1991.
Black, Henry Campbell. Black’s LawDictionary. 4th ed. St. Paul,Minnesota: West Publishing, 1968.
Black, Henry Campbell. Black’s LawDictionary. 5th ed. St. Paul,Minnesota: West Publishing, 1979.
Black, Henry Campbell. Black’s LawDictionary. 6th ed. St. Paul,Minnesota: West Group, 1990.
Black, Henry Campbell. Black’s LawDictionary. Bryan A. Garner,Editor in Chief. 7th ed. St. Paul,Minnesota: West Group, 1999.
Cabanellas de las Cuevas, Guillermo,and Eleanor C. Hoague. Diccio-nario jurídico/Law Dictionary. 2vols. Buenos Aires: EditorialHeliasta, 1998.
Cabanellas, Guillermo. Diccionario dederecho usual. 3 vols. Buenos Aires:Editorial Depalma, 1953-54.
Cabanellas, Guillermo. Diccionarioenciclopédico de derecho usual.Edited by Luis Alcalá-Zamora yCastillo. 27th ed., rev. and enl.,
8 vols. Buenos Aires: EditorialHeliasta, 2001.
Chanamé Orbe, Raúl. Diccionariojurídico moderno. Lima: EditorialSan Marcos, 1995.
Código de procedimiento criminal dela República Dominicana. n.p.Santo Domingo. n.d.
Código penal de 27 de diciembre de1987, República de Cuba. Havana:Editorial de Ciencias Sociales,1996.
Código penal de Colombia. www.derechos.org/nizkor/colombia/doc/penal.html. n.d.
Código penal de Guatemala (Decreto n. 17-73). www.unifr.ch/derechopenal/legislacion/cp_guatemala.htm. n.d.
Código penal de la Nación Argentina.31st ed. Buenos Aires: Abeledo-Perrot, 1998.
Código penal de la República de ElSalvador. www.unif r.ch/derechopenal /legislacion/cp_elsalvador01.htm. n.d.
Código penal de la República deNicaragua. www.unifr.ch/derechopenal/legislacion/cp_nicaragua.htm. n.d.
Código penal de la República delParaguay. 2nd ed. Asunción: Biblio-gráfica Jurídica Paraguay, 1999.
Código penal de la RepúblicaDominicana. Santo Domingo: n.p.,1997.
➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200244
Código penal de Panamá. www.unifr.ch/derechopenal/legislacion/cp_panama01.htm. n.d.
Código penal de Puerto Rico. SanJuan: Lexis Law Publishing dePuerto Rico, 1998.
Código penal ecuatoriano. www.unifr.ch/derechopenal/ljecuador/cpecuidx.htm. n.d.
Código penal para el distrito federal.59th ed. Mexico City: EditorialPorrúa, 2000.
Código penal y legislación comple-mentaria. 26th ed. Madrid: CivitasEdiciones, 2000.
Código penal. Lima: Editorial Rodhas,1994.
Código penal. Montevideo: EdicionesDel Foro, 1999.
Código procesal penal de la Nación.8th ed. Buenos Aires: Abeledo-Perrot, 1992.
Código Procesal Penal de la Repúblicadel Paraguay. Asuncion: Biblio-gráfica Jurídica Paraguay, 1998.
Código procesal penal. Lima:Editorial Rodhas, 1994.
Collin, P.H., Lourdes Melcion, et al.Spanish Law Dictionary. London:Peter Collin Publishing, 1999.
Criminal Law Handbook of New York.Binghamton, New York: GouldPublications, 2001.
Dahl, Henry S. Dahl’s Law DictionarySpanish-English/Inglés-Español. 3rd
ed., rev. and enl. Buffalo, NewYork: William S. Hein & Co., 1999.
Devoto, Eleonora A. “La ‘probation’(a propósito de su incorporación alCódigo Penal argentino),” La Leyno. 160 (August, 1994): 1-2.
Díaz de León, Marco Antonio.Diccionario de derecho procesalpenal. 4th ed., 2 vols. Mexico City:Editorial Porrúa, 2000.
Diccionario Espasa términos jurí-dicos español-inglés, English-Spanish. Madrid: Editorial EspasaCalpe, 2002.
Diccionario jurídico mexicano. JorgeMadrazo, Editor in Chief. Institutode Investigaciones Jurídicas. 14th
ed., 4 vols. Mexico City: EditorialPorrúa, 2000.
Diccionario terminológico de derecho/Dictionary of Legal Terminology.Chief Editor: Emilio-GermánMunñiz Castro. Madrid: EditorialLa Ley, 1992.
Enciclopedia jurídica básica. AlfredoMontoya Melgar, Editor in Chief.4 vols. Madrid: Editorial Civitas,1995.
Enciclopedia jurídica española. 30 vols.Barcelona: Francisco Seix, 1910.
Federal Criminal Code and Rules. St.Paul, Minnesota: West Group, 2002.
Federal Sentencing GuidelinesManual. St. Paul, Minnesota: WestGroup, 2000.
Fernández de León, Gonzalo.Diccionario jurídico. 3rd ed., enl., 4vols. Buenos Aires: EdicionesContabilidad Moderna, 1972.
Garrone, José Alberto. Diccionariojurídico Abeledo-Perrot. 2nd ed.,
rev., 3 vols. Buenos Aires:Editorial Abeledo-Perrot, 1993.
Goldstein, Raúl. Diccionario dederecho penal y criminología. 3rd
ed., rev. and enl. Buenos Aires:Editorial Astrea, 1993.
Gómez Aristizábal, Horacio. Diccio-nario jurídico penal. Bogota:Plaza & James Editores Colombia,1986.
Hendler, Edmundo S. “La suspensióna prueba del proceso penal,” ElDerecho no. 8513 (June 1994): 1-4.
Kaplan, Steven M. English-SpanishSpanish-English Legal Dictionary.2nd ed. New York: Aspen Law andBusiness, 2001.
Kent, Jorge, and Tristán GarcíaTorres. “Probation (Un fallo querecepta una exégesis adecuada dela institución),” La Ley no.—(December 1994): 3-4.
Lega, Marisa, and Mariana I. Oriolo.Diccionario de Términos Legales(inglés-castellano/castellano-inglés). Buenos Aires: SerieTécnica El Cronista, 1998.
Leyes de Puerto Rico Anotadas.Título 34—Código de Enjuicia-miento Criminal y Reglas. Orford,New Hampshire: Equity Pub-lishing, 1991 (with 2001 supple-ment).
Maqueda Abreu, María Luisa.Suspensión condicional de la penay «probation». Madrid: Ministeriode Justicia, 1985.
Continued on p.78
English→Spanish Legal Dictionaries on Probation Continued
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 45
T his article provides an overviewof contracts according toGerman law and outlines,
among other topics, the need fortranslation, the question of jurisdic-tion, the German definition of con-tracts, standards and contracts, somedifferences between German andAmerican contracts, and some trans-lation suggestions borne out of thesedifferences. The following text is theresult of theoretical input* fromknowledgeable colleagues, in addi-tion to several years of practice intranslating U.S. and German con-tracts and agreements. It summarizeslegal questions that I, as a legal trans-lator who did not study law, found ofinterest as background informationfor my own translation activities.
It is perhaps surprising, especiallygiven the flood of contracts reachingus, to learn that “Formfreiheit”(“freedom from formal require-ments”) applies to contracts involvinga debt obligation (section § 350 HGB[Handelgesetzbuch, or German Com-mercial Code]). Despite this, contractsinvolving international business trans-actions are usually set down in writingand subjected to formal (i.e., legal)requirements as a means of creatingevidence of validity.
Considering the rule of freedomfrom formal requirements, why mustcontracts or agreements written inEnglish be translated into German?The answer is the need for informa-tion. It may be that the contract hasbeen negotiated by a parent or sub-sidiary company whose subsidiary orparent in Germany needs to know thedetails—either for the records orbecause the purchase or sale beingcontemplated is contingent on thecontract. Or else it may be that theparties involved are from differentcountries, one German and the otherAmerican, and the former wants the
translation, again either for membersof their company who are not fluentin English, or because the negotiatorsthemselves do not know the con-tract’s language well enough toaccess the contract. In the latter case,German law requires a translation(the legal term is “Übersetzung-sobliegenheit”), as it specifies that allparties must have equal access to anagreement (i.e., to understand it
equally well so as to create an equi-table situation). The Übersetzung-sobliegenheit also applies to softwareand distribution agreements, whoseunknown parties may or may notunderstand the English of the originalcontract. The risks associated withthe translation are borne by the partythat requires the translation. If thecontract is declared valid in both lan-guages, neither party is at risk. If thecontract, in terms of communication,“sends” information, the sender isresponsible for making the informa-tion understandable.
For the translator, the reasonsbehind a translation are important.While each translation requires ourbest effort, we must take a particu-larly hard look at the subject matterwhen the situation requires us tofollow the conditions of the Überset-zungsobliegenheit. Do we have theexpertise in the subject matter that isrequired for us to render the contractunambiguously? In such cases, wemight also want to take a close look
at the writing style of the contract,since we cannot use a badly writtenoriginal as an excuse for a badlywritten translation. If we find that weare not completely clear as to themeaning of a contract’s content, wemight be better off declining the job.
According to German law, theEinführungsgesetz zum BürgerlichenGesetzbuch (EGBGB, or “LawIntroducing the [German] CivilCode”) rules on legal matters. Withregard to jurisdiction and venue (theGerichtsstand), this is usually givenin the contract as being either in theU.S. (e.g., “the courts in the State ofNew York”) or in Germany (e.g., “thecourts in the city of Frankfurt amMain”). Concerning foreign jurisdic-tions (see art. 3), Article 27 providesthat a contract is subject to the law(Rechtsordnung) selected by the par-ties. Article 28 rules that contractsnot selecting a law are subject to thelaw of the jurisdiction with whichthey are connected most closely. Inaddition, Article 32 emphasizes thatthe law applied to a contractaccording to Articles 27 to 30 is mostrelevant for this contract’s interpreta-tion. Thus, in German courts, a con-tract containing an appropriateselection of a law (it could even be athird country’s law) will be inter-preted accordingly.
A major problem with contracts istheir purely formal definition. Forcontent, almost any topic will do. Inthe U.S., contracts are defined in eachjurisdiction. German private law hasdeveloped a definition that comprisesfour aspects. Accordingly:
1. An agreement is made by two ormore persons;
2. This agreement centers on a state-ment of intent;
3. Each party must accept the state-ment or intent; and ➡
Contracts in German(y)
By Christiane Bohnert
“…A major problem withcontracts is their purely
formal definition. Forcontent, almost any topic
will do...”
The ATA Chronicle | October 200246
4. This acceptance will lead to a cer-tain legal result.
In its economic context, a contractalways creates a “Schuldverhältnis”(“an obligation” or “set of obliga-tions”), which results from the accept-ance of an offer. Individuals entitledto enter an agreement include:
1. Private persons (“natürliche undjuristische Personen”):a. Individuals, including sole pro-
prietors and partnerships;b. Corporations.
2. Public persons subject to interna-tional law (“Standardformulie-rungen in Völkerrechtsverträgen”are available from the “AuswärtigesAmt” [German Foreign Office]).
This article is only concerned withcontracts made by private persons.
The “Schuldverhältnis,” resultingfrom an offer and its subsequentacceptance, is constituted in variousways. There are unilateral, bilateral,and multilateral contracts.
1. A unilateral contract consists of anoffer and its implied acceptance.Examples include gifts, sureties,warranties, and contracts of inheri-tance (Schenkungen, Bürgschaften,Garantien, and Erbverträge). Uni-lateral contracts also include lastwills, foundations, and publicpromises of reward (Testamente,Stiftungen, and Auslobungen).
2. Bilateral contracts involve an offerby one party and an acceptance byanother party; thus creating amutual obligation. Such contractsare most commonly translated: sales,purchases, delivery agreements/contracts, rental agreements, workcontracts, as well as leasing,
licensing, and nuptial/marriageagreements (Verkaufs-, Kauf-,Liefer-, Miet-, Werk-, Leasing-,Lizenz-, and Eheverträge).
3. Multilateral contracts create an obli-gation for several parties to eachother. The most common examplesare the partnership agreement(Gesellschaftervertrag) and articlesof incorporation (Gründungsur-kunde [GmbH], Satzung [AG]).
With other texts, a translator maybe able to build glossaries of termsand phrases that occur repeatedly.However, since the legal doctrine of“contractual freedom” includes thefreedom to put a contract into what-ever terms and phrases sound good tothe parties or their lawyers, experi-ence can help, but glossaries are usu-ally limited to a few standards thathave developed over time, and whichmay be found on the Internet or inbooks such as the Formularbücher(Beck) and the Heidelberger Muster-verträge. For translations fromAmerican English, however, these areof limited value, as they leave outmatters important to U.S. law.
Some of the existing standards arethe result of international conven-tions and agreements, such as the commerce-related “incoterms”(abbreviated statements detailing howdelivery should be handled). Otherimportant agreements include: theArbitration Rules of the InternationalChamber of Commerce (ICC; Inter-nationale Handelskammer); the CISG(UN Convention on Contracts for theInternational Sale of Goods; Über-einkommen der Vereinten Nationen zuVerträgen im internationalen Waren-handel); and the Conditions ofContracts by the InternationalFederation of Consulting Engineers(FIDIC—the acronym represents the
French version of the name).Moreover, the European Union isplanning on codifying the general lawof contracts for its member states. Onan international level, there is theInternational Institute for theUnification of Private Law. Otherstandards have been created by con-sumer protection laws (Verbrau-cherschutzgesetze). When usinginstitutional and other reference mate-rials, it is important to be sure that anyterms or phrases really do get theintended meaning across. If unsure, itis better to stick closely to the text,even if the translation does not soundas elegant.
Some clauses that are standard inU.S. contracts, such as waivers, areunnecessary in German law. Whilethey cannot be left out, it is useful toknow this in case one encounters diffi-culties. While passages important toGerman readers may require lengthyresearch, with passages important onlyto U.S. law it may be justifiable to giveup sooner, perhaps entering a note.
As the contract’s writing stylemay swing between general Englishand legalese, it is important to keep inmind the general rules of translation:
1. Content is invariable; that is, theoriginal’s meaning must comeacross accurately and completely.
2. A translation shall have the sameeffect on its readers as the orig-inal: legal texts are informativetexts; hence, legal phraseology(Fachsprache) must be used.
3. Conventions are dictated by thetarget language; that is, the textshould not read like a translation.
Given the difficulties generated by thedifferent legal systems of the U.S. andGermany, items 1 and 3 will be most
Contracts in German(y) Continued
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 47
in conflict when translating legal textssuch as contracts.
A German contract consists of:title (Überschrift); place/date (Ort,Datum); head of contract (Rubrum orVertragskopf); recitals or whereasclauses (Präambel); definitions(Definitionen); clauses or sections(Klauseln, Ziffern, Absätze); final for-mulas (Schlussformeln); and signa-tures (Unterschriften).
In U.S. agreements, the date is fre-quently put directly before the signa-tures, although there are translatorswho insist that changing this tofollow the German format is permis-sible and even beneficial. However,this is not a common stance. Rather,the macrostructure of legal texts,including contracts, must remain: title,numbering, and sentence delimits.Periods are inviolable becauseGerman Juristen quote down to thesentence (Section XY, paragraph 0,sentence 0 - § XY, Absatz 0, Satz 0).By the way, “section” should never betranslated as “Abschnitt,” as this is nota legal term in German. A section is a§, an Artikel, a Ziffer, or an Absatz,depending on the numbering (“section1” may be a § or an Artikel, whereas“section 1.1” is an Absatz).
Regarding numbers mentioned inthe text—they should be written outas is customary in German contracts,even if the original has numbers.With prices, Germans put the numberfirst and then add the equivalent of“written out,” as in “EUR 800.000 (inWorten: achthunderttausend Euro).”
Differences also exist regardingthe use of tenses. German uses pasttense in the narrative part of a text;English uses present tense. Forstating obligations, English uses pre-scriptive future (“Buyer shall pay tothe seller...” or “Buyer agrees”),whereas German uses the so-calledGebotspräsenz (directing present
tense: Der Käufer zahlt demVerkäufer...). Occasionally, Germanmay also use “verpflichtet sich” (DerKäufer verpflichtet sich, demVerkäufer ... zu zahlen), or “hat zu,”or “muss.” In recitals (whereasclauses), the “whereas ... now, there-fore, ...” is replaced by indicative sen-tences (“whereas xy company sellsscrews; ...; now, therefore, ...” – DieFirma XY verkauft Schrauben. ...Daher ...). In this one case, the semi-colons will be replaced by periods.The contract will often set deadlines(Termine) and time periods (Fristen);the term “Datum, Daten” is compar-atively rarely used. Contracts mayalso give addresses (Anschriften),labeling and packaging rules(Beschriftungs- und Verpackungsvor-schriften), and procedures to be com-plied with (einzuhaltende Verfahren).
If one party has to act in the sourcecountry, original designations shouldbe left in English with translationsbeing added in brackets introduced by“in etwa.” The same applies to labelsthat have been agreed upon contractu-ally, procedures that (supervisory)authorities provide, and certificationsthat must be furnished. On the otherhand, if a party has to act in the targetcountry and the Namen, Beschrif-tungen, Verfahren, and Bescheini-gungen are given in Englishtranslation, some care needs to betaken and research will have to be doneto render them correctly into German.
In the adversarial court system ofthe U.S., interpretation is not pro-vided. Instead, interpreting a contractdepends on a term’s literal meaning.Hence, listings of every conceivablesynonym for expressing a certainmatter are the rule so as to excluderulings based on missing terms. InGerman law, the parties try to reachan equitable decision as to the per-formance (Leistung) to be provided
according to the contract. If an equi-table decision is not reached, a judgeis supposed to close the gap left bythe contract. In such cases, the judgewill interpret the parties’ intent(Parteiwillen) according to the con-tract; that is, according to a term’smeaning (Wortsinn) and its context(Kontext), with the objective being todiscover the parties’ “real intent”rather than discovering a truemeaning (Section § 133 BGB).
Therefore, unless a customerinsists on every word being trans-lated, a listing such as “liens,pledges, mortgages, (three morewords), and other encumbrances”may also be rendered accurately bysaying, for instance, “Pfandrechte,Hypotheken, and ähnliche Belas-tungen” instead of trying to find dif-ferent German words for eachsynonym in the list. In the same vein,“warranties and representations”translate into one German word:“Zusicherungen” (Warranty alone is“Gewährleistung”). A special case inthis context is the use of the term“provided that” as a way of intro-ducing an ancillary condition(Nebenbedingung) that defines indetail the condition first stated. Thus,it can often be rendered as “wobei(gleichzeitig) gilt,” which, in German,tends to describe the relationshipbetween the first and second condi-tion better than the common transla-tion “vorausgesetzt, dass,” since itemphasizes the importance of thissecond condition. Another specialcase is the listing of “successors andassignees”; the former being theRechtsnachfolger following an inher-itance, and the latter Rechtsnach-folger following a sale, insolvency, ortransfer.
Other terms may not be definedwell, and will require special carewhen translating their context. ➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200248
The term “Affiliate” (verbundenesUnternehmen) is defined in theGerman Shareholders’ Law (Aktien-gesetz, section § 15), which defines a“verbundenes Unternehmen” as onein relation to which the parent com-pany has a right to give instructions(Weisungsrecht). On the other hand,the German Commercial Code(Handelsgesetzbuch, section § 271,paragraph 2) uses the preparation offinancial statements as a yardstick: anaffiliate is a part of the parent com-pany’s consolidated statement(Konzernabschluss). The terms “con-fidentiality” (Geheimhaltung) and“trade secret” (Betriebsgeheimnis)are not defined as legal terms, butrather according to context (Gesetzüber unlauteren Wettbewerb—LawAgainst Unfair Competition—section§ 17, paragraph 1, and section § 90HGB). The U.S. “best efforts” phrasedoes not exist in German law:
traditionally, it is rendered as “nachbesten Kräften bemüht sein, (etwas zutun).” Also, the reference to the“arm’s length” principle is unknownin Germany. One German renderingfor it is “Fremdvergleichsgrundsatz”;that is, a party to a contract acts as anindependent enterprise (selbstständighandelndes Unternehmen), and isthus comparable to any other com-pany, even if it is a subsidiary.
Sometimes we encounter predic-tions stating that soon there will beless to translate as more and moreGerman companies turn to English astheir language of communication inthe boardroom. However, as all of uswho have seen examples of suchcommunications can probably testify,German boardroom English demon-strates the need for more, rather thanless, professional translation. More-over, the German economy still hasmany Mittelstand companies that are
vigorous exporters without seeingthemselves as linguistic globalplayers, and thus are beneficiaries ofthe legal Übersetzungsobliegenheit.Hence, legal translation will continueto be in demand, even if the presentdip, or double-dip, economy con-tinues for some time to come.
Notes* For the presentations that provided
me with much of my material, Ithank Corinna Schlüter-Ellner,lawyer and translator (Spanish→German), for her “Übersetzen vonVerträgen,” in Mit DienstleistungenZukunft schreiben (Konferenzband,ADÜ Nord-Tage, 2002, pp. 30-37);and Joost Dwerhagen for“Auslegung und Übersetzung vonVerträgen,“ in Rechtsterminologie(DTT-Symposion, 2000, pp. 61-69).
Contracts in German(y) Continued
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The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 49
W hat motivates you to stay inthe translation business? Youmay have a linguistic,
research, or financial interest, dependingon your individual tastes. For me, themost fun I get from the translationprocess as an English-into-Japanesebiomedical translator is being privyto advanced updates concerningdevelopments in this field.
Some Features of English-into-Japanese Document Translation
I started my translation businessfour years ago in Kansas after havinggained some experience doingresearch work in pharmaceutical sci-ence, in addition to my work as a gov-ernment translator in Japan and as aneditor for a U.S. translation agency.Since that time, the number of inter-national biomedical documents hascontinued to increase due to, amongother reasons, the establishment of aninternationally coordinated drugapproval system, the globalization ofbiotechnology, the development ofsophisticated medical devices, and anincrease in public concern over envi-ronmental chemicals. Because ofthese rapid developments, the bio-medical field is constantly in need ofmore talented translators.
The number of projects offered inthe biomedical field is much greaterthan I can handle—so much so thatclients sometimes ask me to intro-duce them to other translators in thebiomedical field. However, biomed-ical translators with only sciencebackgrounds are few. For instance,out of the 250 translators registeredwith ATA’s Japanese LanguageDivision, there are only around 40translators categorized in the biomed-ical field. And how many translatorsamong them have a strictly scientificbackground? Very few. Due to thesubject matter, many qualified trans-
lators may shy away from biomedicaltranslation due to the misconceptionthat they need a specialized degree inbiomedicine or another related sci-ence. Though a degree is certainlyhelpful, it is not, as you will discoverin this article, always a requirementfor translation work. There are manyways in which translators from non-scientific backgrounds can applytheir skills to take advantage of theopportunities that exist in this area.
Healthcare is a part of everydaylife. We are constantly exposed tonew information, through newspa-pers and other mainstream media,concerning the latest medical studiesand treatments. As such, we haveready access to a wide range of termsrelated to issues in biomedicine.There is an abundance of medicaldictionaries currently on the marketcovering many of the topics out there.Frequently, what you read is based onstudies in other countries. Mostlikely, the data has been translatedfrom foreign medical reports.Making this information accessible toa target audience requires more thanjust strict medical expertise (namely,the ability to analyze information,clear writing, text organization, etc.).It is in this area where the nonscien-tific translator can be of service.
Besides the obvious challenge ofthis type of work, there are manybenefits to be had from translationwork in the biomedical sector.Biomedical translators have many
chances to learn about state-of-the-arttopics related to our health. Forinstance, 10 years ago, when I trans-lated the instructions for a manometerto be used in public places to enablepeople to measure their blood pres-sure, this type of instrument wasunknown in Japan. Nowadays, youcan find a manometer in any grocerystore. If you were hospitalized forsome type of surgery and your bodywas connected to a newly importedvital sign monitoring system,wouldn’t you be very much relieved touse the monitor if you had alreadylearned about it in the process of yourtranslation work? Do you worry aboutenvironmental pollutants, such asdioxin, when eating vegetables? As abiomedical translator, the knowledgeyou gain through the translation of aglobal guideline for the chemicalsissued by an international organizationwill help you judge the degree towhich you should be concerned. Areyou curious about the steps othercountries take in the approval processof drugs that adversely affect you? Asa biomedical translator, your experi-ence, for example, in handling investi-gational new drug applications, willprove valuable in improving yourunderstanding of updated drug infor-mation. Once you are involved in thisfield, biomedical translation can proveto be fascinating.
Biomedical translation providesmuch variety in document types andtopics. I am going to discuss some ofthe characteristics of five areas classi-fied by topics. I include observationsabout the most salient features of eachtype, the intrinsic interest of eachtype, and the kinds of difficulties eachpresents for the translator. Throughthis general overview, I hope to makethe reader aware of the benefits ofbiomedical translation, and to provideyou with enough background to
Encouragement for Nonscientific Translators toBegin Translating Biomedical Documents By Mizuho Iwamoto
➡
“…Making thisinformation accessible to a
target audience requiresmore than just strictmedical expertise…”
The ATA Chronicle | October 200250
evaluate where your nonscientifictranslation skills might qualify you forsuch work. It will also give you an indi-cation of the areas of this field whichare better off handled by those withmore specific scientific knowledge.
1. Documents that deal with smallmedical devices are the most accessible in length and topic.
Documents in this category areknown as reader-oriented writing,consisting mostly of brochures orinstructional copy (manuals).Sentences are typically short andexpressions clear. Most of the med-ical terms in these documents caneasily be found in general medicaldictionaries or on the Internet.Probably the most significant chal-lenge here is to succinctly relay inwords what actions might be depictedin an accompanying illustration,since pictures of a device alone donot really provide the reader with athorough understanding of the oper-ating instructions. In these situations,translators with linguistic back-grounds might even be better off thanthose from scientific backgrounds,because of their objectivity. Sincethese translators are generally notinvolved in the actual studies or thedevelopment of a medical device, andbecause they are looking at the text fortranslation with the general reader inmind, they are more apt to uncoverinconsistencies in terminology andlogic. Their knowledge of sentenceconstruction and grammar will enablethem to relay the information in a waythat will be clear and applicable to thetarget reader. Other examples of topicsto be encountered in this area include:surgical instruments (e.g., coronarycatheter bipolar forceps, drainagesystem, disposable electrosurgicalelectrodes, intra-operative imagingsystem), sterilizers, stethoscopes,
portable manometers, and documentshaving to do with dental implants andartificial joints.
2. Translating documents related tolarge medical devices pays well, butrequires a lot of stamina.
Most documents in this categoryconsist of manuals with large volume(from 10,000 to 100,000 words).Sometimes such manuals are accom-panied by quick reference guides ortechnical bulletins. Such big projectsare lucrative, and once clients likeyour work, they will continue to askyou to update later versions.However, handling a big projectkeeps you busy. You must be a hardworker. The schedule is frequentlychanged. The starting date may besignificantly delayed, but the duedate is rarely extended. The transla-tion often needs to be completedquickly, which means that you mightsometimes have to work weekends inorder to meet a deadline.
Some medical devices in this cate-gory have an electronic display inwhich user interface strings have tobe translated. This work is similar tothe localization of computer soft-ware. User interface terms appearingin the manual must be exactly thesame as those on the display. A key tosuccess in this type of translation is tokeep terminology consistent through-out the text. Therefore, a translationmemory tool is required for a projectin this area.
The sentence structure of writingdealing with large medical devices isusually plain and clear. Illustrations,figures, or photographs attached withinstructions are helpful to visualizethe exact procedure. Examples oftopics in this area include: vital signmonitor systems, defibrillators, tissuecoagulation systems, ventilators,autotransfusion systems (which are
used at the bedside), automaticimmune measurement systems,hematology measurement systems,blood cell separating systems, andallergy-testing systems (which areused in a clinical laboratory).
3. Pharmaceuticals-related documents contain a lot of jargon,but a dictionary helps.
The most popular content in thisarea is related to clinical trials ofnewly developed drugs. Since thesedocuments are usually intended formedical doctors, pharmaceuticalindustry people, or researchers inmedicine, they contain a lot of jargon.Technical meanings, more thanexpressions, are more apt to be foundin sentences. This kind of translationmay require more time to managejargon and sentence patterns, as com-pared to the translation of documentsabout medical equipment. However,most of the jargon encountered canbe found in standard medical diction-aries, and a clinical trial guidelinebook is also very helpful. Once youmaster this type of document, youmight be tempted to say, “Now, I ama real biomedical translator.”
Some typical jargon you mightencounter includes terms such as“investigator,” which, in an investi-gator’s brochure, means a medicaldoctor in charge of a clinical trial(translated phonetically as “chiken-tantou-ishi” in Japanese). “Patient”means a patient who is registered in atrial experiment (for this, “shou-rei,”and not the usual “kanja,” is used).You need to be careful to translategenerally used words in a specificway. As an example of the challengeinvolved in capturing the exactmeaning, let’s look at the followingsentence: “Systemic exposure toDrug A was dose related but greaterthan dose proportional.” This should
Encouragement for Nonscientific Translators to Begin Translating Biomedical Documents Continued
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 51
be more specifically translated as:“The amount of systemic exposure toDrug A increased as an increase indose, and its increasing rate is greaterthan its dose rate.”
This category includes many typesof documents, such as reports sub-mitted to the government, academicpapers, conference reports, presenta-tion materials, abstracts, videoscripts, etc. You will need to adapt thewriting style depending on the docu-ment type. In particular, manuscriptsfor presentation and video require aspeaking, rather than written, style.The wording in Japanese is quite dif-ferent for each style.
Research papers by medical doc-tors are some of the most difficultdocuments to translate because theauthors focus on readers only in avery specific research area, and oftenno attempt is made to make the mate-rial easily understandable to the gen-eral reader. A workshop leader at therecent American Medical WritersAssociation conference said,“Medical doctors cannot write.”Indeed, you will often encounter con-cepts or terminology (such as abbre-viations) that are not fully explainedin the text, which is often due to theomission of necessary words. Thesepapers often seem to have beenwritten using arbitrary guidelines (ornone at all). Video scripts providenovelty in their topics (participatingin the development of a video scriptcan be fun), since they usually detailthe trial and error process of innova-tive medical developments, such aspharmaceutical trials.
4. Nomenclature is the key totranslations dealing withenvironmental chemicals and reagents.
Since topics in this category aremostly related to health concerns in
daily life, you must read up on thissubject before attempting to translatein this area. Documents in this cate-gory include material safety datasheets (which give instructions onhow to handle potentially hazardousmaterials), reagent catalogues for lab-oratory tests, toxicological reports byresearchers or government agencies,and guidelines by world organiza-tions. You may not have problems inunderstanding the content of thesedocuments, with the exception of ter-minology related to toxicological sub-jects. The biggest challenge you willface is the translation of chemicalnames. For instance, one documentcan sometimes mention several thou-sand chemical compounds. Of course,you can refer to a list of chemicalsboth in English and Japanese, but ifyou know the basic rule of nomencla-ture, it will help a lot.
The following are some simpleexamples that are often mistrans-lated. When “vinyl formic acid” istranslated into Japanese, the wordorder is the same as in English, butwhen “vinyl formate” is translated,the word “formate” comes first and isfollowed by “vinyl.” “Sulfite and sul-fate” are totally different compounds.“Carboxylic acid” is translated as“karubon-san,” not “karubokishi-san.” “Normal,” in “normal butylacetate,” does not need to be trans-lated (just “n-” is okay).
From the aspect of sentence con-struction, documents in this area aregenerally easier to handle than thosein pharmaceuticals. The writing stylein material safety data sheets is lim-ited. Most sentences are writtenclearly and are related to precautionsto keep in mind during the operationof a medical device; however, thewriting is often repetitious. Reagentcatalogues are, of course, easilyunderstandable because they are
intended for users. You may strugglewith terminology related to animaltests when you translate toxicologicalreports for the first time, but referringto an outline of animal tests will offersolutions. The English in internationalguides is sometimes written by nonna-tive speakers (e.g., from European lan-guages) who belong to a worldorganization like the World HealthOrganization or the Organization forEconomic Co-operation and Develop-ment. Capturing the precise meaningcan take time because the English sen-tences in these documents are oftenvery long and often contain nonstan-dard word choices.
Continued on p.55
© by Cora Tausz Rónai and LauraTausz RónaiRights granted by Solombra Books([email protected])
S ometimes I am asked how Ilearned Portuguese. I generallyanswer that I didn’t learn it and
probably never will. But the answerevokes for me my first encounterwith the language in which, throughcompletely unforeseeable circum-stances, I came to express myselfwith ease, and even to think.
At that time, I was teaching Latinand Italian in a high school inBudapest. Once a week I would go toa cafe where my linguist friends met.One of them was studying Sogdian,another was preparing an essay onpronouns in Vogul, a third had justpublished two thick volumes of sto-ries in Cheremissian. They were onlyinterested in exotic languages, had atrue passion for difficult tongues, anddespised my modest excursions in theNeo-Latin domain.
“But do you actually knowSpanish?” I asked one of them, anexpert in Finno-Ugric linguistics,one day.
“Come on!” he answered.“But do you?” I insisted.“I haven’t tried it yet,” he
answered haughtily, as if it weresomething like bicycling or horse-back riding.
I fell silent, humiliated. Really,Spanish could not compare with anyof those fabulous dialects. And whatwas worse, it was spoken by anexcessive number of people, and myfriends only appreciated dead lan-guages, or if not dead, spoken by ahalf dozen illiterate fishermen.
And so I couldn’t find it in myselfto tell them that I had begun to learnPortuguese—especially as Portugueseseemed to me, as a beginner, too
easy: like the beginning of a romancewhere everything is going smoothly,and nothing points toward subse-quent problems.
I still remember the day when thefirst book in Portuguese came intomy hands. It was the little anthologyThe Hundred Best Lyric Poems inPortuguese, by Carolina Michaelis. Ihad in my collection other antholo-gies in the same series, in French,Italian, and Spanish. I inferred that
there had to be one in Portuguese aswell, and ordered it from the PercheBookshop in Paris.
The little book arrived at 9:00 inthe morning on one of the holidaysaround Christmas. By 10:00, I hadalready found the only Portuguesedictionary to be had in the bookshopsin Budapest, the one by Luisa Ey inGerman translation. I then threwmyself into the poetry with avidcuriosity. By 3:00 in the afternoon,the sonnet “Sonho Oriental,” byAntero, had been translated intoHungarian verses; by 5:00, it hadbeen accepted by a magazine, whichwould publish it shortly thereafter.
Among all the Hungarian writerswhom I knew, Desiderius Kosztolanyiwas the only one who had gone so faras to approach the study ofPortuguese. At one point he spoke tome in Portuguese, which he thought
sounded as merry and sweet as thelanguage of birds. For me, seeing itwritten, it gave the impression of Latinas spoken by children or old people—at any rate, people with no teeth. Ifthey had teeth, how could they havelost so many consonants? And Ilooked with alarm at words like lua,dor, pessoa, and veia, trying to hangon to what there was left of the fulland sonorous Latin originals.
In fact, it was the pronunciationthat was beginning to concern me.
The nasals, which were sonumerous, gave me goosebumps,especially since the grammar, whichcame from who knows where,shrouded them in deep mystery. It isimpossible, said Gaspey, Otto, andSauer, to explain the pronunciation ofsuch sounds; the only way to learn itwas to ask a native of the country topronounce them many times. Buthow was I to find a native of Portugalin Budapest? And I began to thinkabout phonetic enigmas, such as thevarious sounds of x, a letter whichdoesn’t even exist in Hungarian, andeven in other languages is no morethan a vestige, but appears in four dif-ferent forms in Portuguese.
I still remember some of my reac-tions to the phenomena of the newlanguage. It was with a certainamount of impatience that I acceptedvarious illogicalities it presented me,totally forgetting those which I hadswallowed without protest in my ownlanguage. In particular, I could notget used to the feminine gender of theword criança. Nor did I want suchFrench nouns as chapéu or paletó tobe incorporated into Portuguesewithout my permission. But I recog-nized with excitement those termsthat had been carefully handed downfrom Latin, as well as those the otherRomance languages had treatedbadly: lar and ônus were old friends,
The ATA Chronicle | October 200252
How I Learned Portuguese
By Paulo Rónai (Translated by Tom Moore)
“…Portuguese seemed tome, as a beginner, too
easy: like the beginning ofa romance where
everything is goingsmoothly, and nothing
points toward subsequentproblems…”
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 53
made more beautiful by long tradi-tion. Words in which I found traces oftheir Latin formation, such asbebedouro and nascedouro, and evenhorrendo and nefando, smiled at me.Vocabulary stemming from Arabicseemed solemn, and much moreclosely connected to its origin than itactually is; it seemed impossible tome that an alfaiate could sew coatsand trousers in the English fashion,rather than only making albornozes.
Not only the vocabulary, but eventhe syntax provoked sentimental feel-ings in me. The discovery of the per-sonal infinitive was a surprise, andcaused my patriotic pride to waver,since I had thought it was a treasureto be found only in Hungarian. Iimmediately felt warmly towards themesoclitic forms of the verbs: falar-te-ei and lembrar-nos-íamos werelike an anatomical slice into wordsthat were irrevocably fused togetherin French or Italian, and caused me toimagine gifts of analysis and syn-thesis in all those who employedthem. I also admired the wiseeconomy that was manifested inexpressions made up of two adverbs,such as demorada e pacientemente,which is something only imaginablein a language that had been persistentin not moving away from its etymo-logical roots.
Little by little, still not knowinghow to read aloud, I puzzled out a newand different melody in Portuguese,and continued familiarizing myselfwith the little volume of one hundredpoems. I translated Almeida Garrett’s“Os Cinco Sentidos,” the romance ofthe “Nau Catrineta,” and a handful ofquatrains, among them the beginningof “O anel que tu me deste,” whichtoday still seems like a miracle ofpathetic simplicity.
The problem lay in getting hold ofother books. From Strasbourg, I
managed to get a copy of the Lusiadsin the Biblioteca Romanica. Thanksto a good Hungarian translation andthe reminiscences of Virgil andTasso, I was able to read themwithout much difficulty. But I stillhad not found a contemporary text, adocument of living Portuguese.
That was when one of the book-sellers, put on alert by me, uneartheda broken and filthy volume by amodern Portuguese author—SamuelRibeiro, if I remember correctly. Andthen things took a turn for the worse,since right on the first page there were20 words not listed by Luisa Ey. Itwas a rustic story, probably ratherregional, and the author seemed totake pleasure in calling the animalsand plants by their pretty, but incom-prehensible, names from Alentejo orMinho. Someone, upon learning ofmy difficulty, introduced me to afunctionary from the BrazilianConsulate to whom I showed therebellious page. He examined it atten-tively and declared that either it wasnot Portuguese, or else that in Brazilthey spoke some other language. Ascompensation, he pronounced variousnasals for me, which I tried to imitatewithout much success.
I put aside Samuel Ribeiro’s book,and set myself to reading Brazilianpoets.
My first Brazilian book was anAnthology of Paulista Poets, arrangedthrough the offices of a Hungarianbookseller in São Paulo whoseaddress I happened to obtain. I stillremember that little volume, poorlyproduced, very badly organized(which I never managed to find herein Brazil). It contained horrid por-traits of 30 poets from São Paulo withone poem by each, usually a sonnet.My difficulties began with the title,since Luisa Ey’s Wörterbuch, ofcourse, did not contain the word
paulista.Although I didn’t manage to
understand the majority of thepoems, I figured out the meaning of afew, and ended up translating a littlepoem by Correia Junior, which I pub-lished in a magazine. On rereadingmy translation some years later, herein Brazil already, I discovered withhumiliation an enormous error. Thepoet was talking of the net (ham-mock) in which he was relaxing andawaiting his dreams. Since I hadnever seen such a thing, I judged thatit was a poetic image and put “the netof dreams woven by the imagination”in the Hungarian text.
Thereafter, I “figured out” andtranslated a few more poems from thebook. With a single exception, theywere all, as I later learned with alarm,authors who were unknown in Rio deJaneiro. Happenstance caused one ofthese translations to fall into thehands of the Brazilian Consul inBudapest at the time, who called me,gave me a volume of Bilac, anotherone by Vicente de Carvalho, and threeold versions of the Correio da Manhã.
To the latter I sent, with a briefletter, a clipping of the “firstBrazilian poetry translated intoHungarian.” I never received ananswer to the letter, but one day, tomy great surprise, a large envelopearrived for me, covered with exoticstamps and full of poems, still unpub-lished, by a young poet from Rio,who, having read a notice in theCorreio about my strange mania, hadjudged me the most fitting person topronounce the first judgment on hisclandestine works.
This missive was followed by others,written by readers of the newspaper,all poets. From then on, I received anample correspondence from Brazil:letters with typed verses, or clippedfrom newspapers, magazines, ➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200254
and books. They arrived unsystemati-cally, sent by offices, friends, andstrangers. Some were stalwart, othersregular, and some weak. But I had noguide to orient me with the multitudeof new names, or to help me to estab-lish a proper scale of value.
I could not tell if some of thepoets, traditionalists in form andexpression, were from 1850 or today.At the same time, I took forextremely original a couple of 15-year-old poets (whose unpub-lished work I received), since I wasunaware of their models. Thus, whenI finally obtained a volume of Jorgede Lima, this great poet’s work nolonger gave me the pleasant surpriseof discovery, since I had alreadygotten to know his various disciples.
Along with these uncertainties,there were those associated with thelanguage itself. I kept on with thelittle dictionary of Mrs. Ey and aPortuguese-French dictionary bySimões da Fonseca, which was notmuch better. They were bothEuropean, and for that reason com-pletely ignored Brazilianisms. And soI had to rely once more on the dan-gerous system of conjecture.
Not all of the poems were easy. In the“Acalanto do Seringueiro,” by Mario deAndrade, the uirapuru had to be a bird.But it took me a long time to realize thatthe cabra resistente in the same poemwas not an animal, but a man.
In other cases, the lack of an equiv-alent notion in the Central Europeanmilieu made a translation almostimpossible. I had to torture my imag-ination in order to come up with aterm made of three words (kaucsukfa-caspoló) to translate seringueiro. I didnot dare use it until I had tried it outon various poet friends and verifiedtheir favorable reaction.
What really caused me to stumble,however, were the most common and
simplest words. The wise glottolo-gists of my cafe had to agree with me,however reluctantly, when I demon-strated to them that one of the mostdifficult Brazilian words to translateand fit into a Hungarian verse wasdezembro. Our December, etymologi-cally identical, but which evokesnotions of ice, snow, and misery,would never produce for anyHungarian reader the image ofChristmas in Rio, torrid and stifling.And then, what did the word Nordestemean? A long letter from RibeiroCouto (then secretary of the BrazilianLegation in the Netherlands) was nec-essary for me to get a rough idea ofthe complex geographical, anthropo-logical, sociological, and, above all,poetical sense of the term. With hiscomprehensive intelligence, the poetof Província sketched out a succinctspiritual portrait of the Northeasternregion, of which, as I was lackingother documentation, he drew me aschematic map. I was less lucky witha young adept of social poetry, inwhose poems I found innumerablereferences to the morros of Rio deJaneiro. Thinking I had not under-stood the word, he answered my querywith a list of synonyms: hill, hillock,etc. Only after another exchange ofletters did I come to understand that,contrary to what was the case in mycity, where the hills were coveredwith luxurious little palaces and onlysheltered rich people, in Rio, morroswere synonymous with favelas, or“groupings of popular dwellingsrudely constructed and unsuppliedwith hygienic resources.”
The publication in newspapers andmagazines of some of these transla-tions of Brazilian poetry producedsome curious episodes. In one of myLatin classes, for example, a studentasked, with his colleagues looking onderisively, that I explain to him a
strange poem he had read the nightbefore and began to recite, “No Meiodo Caminho” by Carlos Drummondde Andrade. Although I didn’t like tointerrupt my classes, this time I gaveinto temptation and quoted otherverses by the poet. I spoke of the nec-essary iconoclasm of modern poetry,of the healthy reaction to the stereo-typical “poetic,” of the deep value ofprimitive and virgin sensations. Ishowed how the demands of lyricismand logic are different. I insisted onthe emotional power of the grotesqueelement. I talked about the impor-tance of the collaboration of thereader with the poet. By this point,the explanation had transformeditself into an animated conversation,and by the end my students agreedwith me that each age has its own lit-erary expression, different fromthose which came before. Havingarrived at this conclusion, we couldreturn to reading Horace. And thenmy students read with much greaterinterest the ode in which the Romanpoet, considered until that point bymany of them as a versifier ofcliches, excused himself for the rev-olutionary boldness with which hehad introduced into Latin literatureforms and expressions, “never beforemade public.”
The appearance of the transla-tions in a volume entitled Messagefrom Brazil was welcomed by thecritics with the interest that themoment permitted (it was August of1939). For the first time in CentralEurope Brazilian verses were read,and one could get a glimpse of theexistence in Brazil, until that pointonly known as a producer of coffee,of a civilization worthy of study,even admiration. The critic GyörgyBálint, later to be murdered by theNazis, gave his article the title“Brazil comes closer.”
How I Learned Portuguese Continued
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 55
This was really my impression forthree days. On the fourth, the Germantanks crossed the Polish border. Acurtain of smoke came to hide Brazil,poetry, and the joy of living.
And then after 15 months, whosesufferings and anguish I will notrelate here, there I was with bagspacked and ready to get to knowBrazil up close. My trip had to bemade through Portugal, the only exitfrom a Europe already in flames. Iheaded for Lisbon with all the preoc-cupations of the exile, but somewhatconsoled by the interesting linguisticexperience that was waiting for me.What could happen to me, especiallyif I already knew the mesocliticforms and the personal infinitive?
I suffered, however, a great disap-pointment. I spent six weeks inLisbon without being able to under-stand anything of the spoken lan-guage. I picked up the newspaperand understood perfectly; however,the doorman at the hotel or thewaiter in the cafe would speak threewords, and once again I was lost inthe jungle. An even greater humilia-tion: the Portuguese intellectuals towhom I was introduced, after tryingwith frustration to speak their lan-guage with me, resorted to French. Iwent to a play (by Carlos Selvagem,if I remember correctly) withoutunderstanding the plot; to a highschool class without knowing if thestudents had answered correctly; toa defense in the Faculty of Philo-sophy without ever discovering thetopic addressed by the candidate.What would the philologists ofBudapest have said if they had seenme in such straits?
During my stay in the Portuguesecapital, I used to take a particulartrolley every day and get off at thesame stop, where the same conductorwould call out the same location. I sat
near the man, listened hard, trying tounderstand him—all in vain. I couldhave asked, of course, but thatwouldn’t have been fair play. I pre-ferred to get off, ashamed andunhappy, until, the day before I left,the revelation came. What the con-ductor was shouting was Restaura-dores; it was just that he wassuppressing three of the vowels, exag-gerating the r’s and hissing the s’s. Iwent running to check the sign at thecorner: I had it! But it was already toolate. The next day I embarked on theCabo de Hornos for Rio de Janeiro,tormented by dark premonitions.
I arrived 20 days later. What a reliefas soon as I arrived! Brazil received mewith a clear language, without mys-teries. I had not even disembarked, andyet I didn’t lose a single word of thestevedore, who, in compensation, lostone of my trunks. I understood thefunctionary from the customs officeequally as well; and was so happy thatI did not rebut his surprising declara-tion that Portuguese and Hungarianwere sister tongues. My amazementcontinued in the street, in my first taxi,in the hotel. The language I had learnedin Budapest really was Portuguese!
5. The biotechnology area is exciting,but contains newly created jargon.
If you are curious about state-of-the-art information, try gettinginvolved in the biotechnology field.Otherwise, this area is not a goodstarting point for translators with non-scientific backgrounds. It is dan-gerous to start translating documentsin this area without a thorough knowl-edge of the field. You need to knowthe basic technique before you cantranslate a newly developed techniquein a given area. I usually do not accepta rush job in this area unless the con-tent is very interesting or familiar tome. People in biotechnology maysynthesize a new word that youcannot find in a dictionary (e.g., “pro-teomics, “genomics,” or “G-protein”).
All the information in this articleis based on my experience. The fiveareas I have outlined are just part of
the documentation that needs to betranslated in the biomedical field.Translators in other areas of health-care focus on different aspects of thetext, so you will need to researchthese areas to discover if you qualifyfor translation work. However, I amsure biomedical translation will yieldsatisfaction in your translation career.
This article is related to a presen-tation entitled “Opportunities inMedical Translation for Translatorswith Non-Science Backgrounds,”which I am going to give at the ATAAnnual Conference in Atlanta inNovember with my colleague YukaTamura. We will discuss in moredetail how translators with nonscien-tific backgrounds can enter the fieldof biomedical translation (includingworking with sample sentences anddetailing reference tools for gettingmedical information).
Encouragement for Nonscientific Translators to Begin Translating BiomedicalDocuments Continued from p.51
The Rodríguez Tango
By Tony Beckwith
The ATA Chronicle | October 200256
I t was cool in the lobby of the oldhotel, and the lights were dim.Such a welcome relief from the
heat of the streets! Fernando andMariluz stepped through the doorwayand walked hand-in-hand across thetiled floor. The desk clerk looked upand grinned, “Buenas tardes.”
Fernando said, a little curtly, “Mr.and Mrs. Rodríguez.” The clerknodded and wrote in the huge ledger.“Your keys, Mr. Rodríguez,” he said,and grinned again.
Fernando shepherded Mariluz tothe elevator, carrying an overnightbag in his other hand. As the elevatordoor closed on them, the clerk’s grindissolved into a smirk. “Rodríguez!”he said knowingly, rippling his eye-brows up and down over his skinnyforehead.
******
Summer in Madrid is always hot,and before air conditioning changedthings, many families were separatedduring those weeks or months. Thewives went to the beach with thechildren while the husbands stayedin town to work and commuted to thecoast on the weekends. Over time,hotels noticed that, on those warmnights in the half-empty city, anabove average number of guestswere called “Rodríguez.” This sur-name is, of course, as common inSpanish as Smith is in English. Andthe guests, of course, were thosehard-working husbands and theirequally hard-working secretaries.
This summer trysting evidentlybecame so commonplace that the ideaentered the language in the form of thename that had graced so many hotelregisters. To this day, Madrileños willsay “Estoy de Rodríguez” when theirwives are out of town—though itdoesn’t necessarily mean that they aremisbehaving.
******
Mariluz swept into room 348,looking radiant. Fernando closed thedoor and threw his arms around her.
“Mariluz!” he whispered urgently. “Come on, open the bag,
Fernando!” she answered, thenmoved to the windows to close theheavy wine-colored curtains, shuttingout the view of the evening sky.
Fernando opened his bag, took outa cassette player, and set it on thenightstand. “Are you ready, mi amor?”
Mariluz came towards him withher arms open and her lips slightlyparted. She pressed her body againsthis and looked up at his handsomeface. “Yes!” she murmured.
He reached back and pressed thestart button on the cassette player. Asthe music filled the room he put his
arm around her waist, she put her out-stretched hand in his, and they movedas one, as dancers in a dream. Themusic was intoxicating, with an irre-sistible rhythm like the pull of anocean tide, and a baritone voice sangthe sad lyrics of a tango.
Tango has many moods, andFernando always pushed the bedagainst the wall to make room for themall. It was different every time.Sometimes Mariluz chose the music;sometimes she let him surprise her.They danced to everything they couldfind, from the scratchy recordings ofearly classics that crackled with abrittle, glaring intensity (and soundedso Italian), to the cerebral jazz-fusionof the later styles. In a thoughtful moodone evening, Fernando observed,“Tango is a voice for ordinary people.It’s like the blues or flamenco.”
“I like the tango far more than fla-menco!” said Mariluz, whose familywas from the south.
“Young people tend to turn awayfrom what their parents like,” hereplied patiently, his hand firmly onthe small of her back. “But I think itmight be cyclical, like fashions.Maybe one day Sevillanas will comeback into style.”
******
And they did. But by thenFernando and Mariluz Rodríguez hadair conditioning in their apartment,and stayed at home in the eveningswith the kids.
“…To this day, Madrileñoswill say ‘Estoy de
Rodríguez’ when theirwives are out of town…”
Looking for a freelance job or a full-time position?Need help finding a translator or interpreter for afreelance job or a full-time position?
Check out ATA’s online Job Bank in theMembers Only section of the ATA website at www.atanet.org/membersonly
yes
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 57
A s the ATA accreditation pro-gram moves forward, we main-tain our commitment to
developing and applying clear andconsistent evaluation standards.Starting in November 2002, graderswill mark examinations according toa point system, assigning 1, 2, 4, 8, or16 points for each error. In addition, agrader may award up to three qualitypoints per passage for specificinstances of exceptional translation.
Any quality points are subtracted fromthe error point total to yield a finalscore. A passage with a score of 18 ormore points receives a grade of Fail.
While this system allows moresubtle distinctions in the seriousness ofa given error, it also poses a challenge:How does the grader distinguishamong these finer shades of error? Theflowchart presented below is designedto serve as a systematic guide in thiscomplex decision-making process.
Refer to the instructions for graders(below) to see how this gradingsystem works.
Instructions to grader: For eachpotential error that you identify in thetarget text, begin with the diamond-shaped box in the upper left corner ofthe flowchart. Each diamond shaperepresents a decision that must bemade, and where you proceed nextdepends on whether you haveanswered “yes” or “no” to the
Accreditation Forum: Grading Standards—A Glimpse Behind the Scenes
Is meaning lost,changed, or obscured?
Error apparent to anattentive, linguisticallyknowledgeable reader?
Only a subtle or slightimprecision of meaning?
Are the consequencesminimal?
Is the meaning merelyobscured?
Is this an egregious violation of usage?
Are the consequencescatastrophic?
Error apparent to acasual, uncritical
reader?
4 points
4 points
0 points
1 point
2 points
4 points 16 points
8 points
2 points
no no
no
no
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
yesyes
yes
yes
no
➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200258
question in the decision box. Continueuntil you have arrived at a terminalbox, which tells you how many points(if any) you may assign to that error.
Of course, the evaluation of trans-lation quality is not a simple mechan-ical process. Errors don’t tumblethrough the flowchart like pennies,nickels, dimes, and quarters to besorted and neatly wrapped. Never-theless, the flowchart offers a way ofvisualizing and conceptualizing thequestions that graders consider asthey assign error points.
By the same token, the few exam-ples we present here (selected fromthe myriad that graders have seenover the years) may help to connectthese abstract questions to the con-crete context of translation and theaccreditation exam.
The most straightforward exam-ples involve target-language errors ofgrammar, spelling, punctuation, andusage. Some renditions that are tech-nically incorrect (according to certainstyle manuals) might not be countedas errors at all if they have becomeaccepted in everyday use. Forexample, into-English graders haveagreed not to penalize the use ofwhich for that when not set off bycommas: Shoes which are too smallmay cause blisters.
Errors that do not result in misun-derstanding typically incur just oneerror point.
• Run-on sentence (independentclauses joined by conjunction butno comma): The house has beenon the market for eight months andmy wife thinks we should move thegoats into the back pasture.
• Comma splice: I moved the goatsinto the back pasture, it took all day.
• Lack of agreement: The number ofruns batted in, not the number ofhits, decide the ball game.
• Error of capitalization: the germanlanguage or die Deutsche Sprache.
• Punctuation (absence of one par-enthetical comma): Shoes, if wornon the wrong feet may cause blis-ters and likewise Shoes if worn onthe wrong feet, may cause blisters.
The grader may assign two error pointsfor more serious target-language errorsif the reader can readily determine thecorrect meaning from the context.
• Spelling: A hiking boot with asturdy soul will support your feet.
• Syntax: She skis, plays tennis, androck climbing.
• Usage: They were suspected tobreak the rules.
What about four-point target-language errors? As one grader put it,“One-point errors make me sigh; two-point errors make me wince; four-pointerrors make me cringe.” Those whoinsist that even one such error shoulddoom a candidate to failure may con-sole themselves; experience shows thatan egregious target-language error veryrarely occurs in isolation, and theseerrors add up quickly.
Foregroundly it is a question ofwhether, a citizen with afghanicorigin and muslim in faith does ornot certify for being teacher, whenafter that she insist to also bear theheadscarf in the lesson.
Matters become more interestingas questions of meaning arise. Here,the grader’s mantra is context, context,context. Consider the German adjec-tive hartnäckig. If the intendedmeaning is persistent, the gradermight assign one error point for stub-
born, two for stiff-necked, four for pig-headed, and eight for hardscrabble.
A rendition that introduces ambi-guity might incur four error points:
• To reduce risks to the humanembryo, in-depth studies on suit-able laboratory animals areneeded. (clear)
• In-depth studies on suitable labo-ratory animals are required toreduce risks to the human embryo.(ambiguous)
Eight-point errors seriously impairthe meaning of a sentence:
• English into German: This situa-tion is the result of tidal forcestranslated as Diese Situationbewirkt die Gezeiten (This situa-tion causes the tides).
• German into English: …so hat derVersicherungsnehmer die Prozeß-führung dem Versicherer zu über-lassen translated as then Insurermust allow Policyholder to conductthe case (parties reversed). Similarexamples include the reversal ofVermieter (landlord) and Mieter(tenant) or Arbeitgeber (employer)and Arbeitnehmer (employee).
If the consequences of such a mis-translation are catastrophic, the errorincurs 16 points.
• Turn the lever to the right (insteadof to the left).
• Decrease the dose by 5 mg (insteadof to 5 mg).
Or a grader might assign a 16-pointerror when confusion of two sourceterms leads to a translation thatsimply doesn’t make sense in thetarget language.
Accreditation Forum Continued
Continued on p.76
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 59
The Onionskin is a client education column launched by the ITI Bulletin (a publication of the U.K.’s Institute ofTranslation and Interpreting) in 1996. Comments and leads for future columns are very welcome; please include fullcontact details. Contact: [email protected] or fax +33 1 43 87 70 45.
The Onionskin By Chris Durban
thebigquestion: Price PressuresSpark Debate in the U.K.
I n early July, translator forums inBritain were abuzz with surprisedand often angry reactions to a
mass mailing sent out by thebigword,which claims to buy more transla-tions than any other agency in thecountry (2001 sales: £4.5 million, ornearly $7 million).
After reviewing its successfulexpansion and high-powered clientlist, thebigword (previously known asLink-Up Mitaka) announced in thisletter that purchasing managers fromthese same satisfied customers wereturning up the heat, insisting on pricecuts of around 15%. More to thepoint for the translators on its books,it planned to pass these reductionson: “As from July 1st 2002, withimmediate effect, we expect ourtranslation suppliers to reduce theirrates significantly.”
Many freelancers deplored the factthat an industry heavyweight wouldseek to drive down already low pricesrather than hold firm and raise cus-tomer awareness of the added valueprovided by expert translators. Otherswere indignant at what they saw asthebigword’s arrogance and readinessto treat the services it brokers as a“mere commodity.”
To be sure, the move recalled sim-ilar ploys by major carmakersseeking to drive down the prices ofcomponent suppliers. When you arethe biggest act in town, you call theshots, right?
Take another look, says TheOnionskin, for whom the mailing wasabove all proof that thebigword’s ownpurchasing managers were doingtheir job, by employing a basic nego-tiating tactic designed to identifyindividual suppliers’ pain threshold.
A call to the agency confirmed asmuch: “We didn’t say we wouldlower prices,” our first contactadmitted. “In fact, if a translator canprove they are worth a higher rate, wemight well use them on a given job.”
The same employee nonethelessindicated that her company had notobserved any clear link between priceand quality—an astonishing com-ment that, if borne out, is bad newsfor clients, agencies, companies, andfreelance suppliers alike.
In a follow-up call, TBW FinanceDirector Chris Ball took a morenuanced approach, while expressingdisappointment at the vehemence and“unprofessionalism” of some transla-tors’ responses to the initial e-mail.
“There is a link [between priceand quality], but it is not that pre-cise,” he told The Onionskin. “Atthebigword we have seen some atro-cious mistakes by expensive sup-pliers and had fantastic service fromsome low-priced translators.”
Mr. Ball nonetheless insists thatthe average per-word rate paid bythebigword is higher than that of thefour independent agencies it acquiredlast year. He notes, too, that, as far ashis company is concerned, translatorswork for different reasons, henceprice differentials: “Some of ourtranslators are retired engineers, andwelcome an opportunity to keep theirhand in part-time.” Others reside incountries where living costs are lowerthan in the United Kingdom. Yet thebottom line is the bottom line:“Ultimately, the cheaper we can pur-chase translations, the more businesswe win for our freelancers.”
For The Onionskin, the standoffwas, above all, a reminder of the seg-mented state of the translationindustry, where large-scale players like
thebigword represent “supermarkets”prepared to cut margins to the bone tolock in business. True, such agenciesmay digest project management costshigher than those borne by smaller,more specialized suppliers, even as theytackle far bigger documents. But the flipside is their need for very large volumesof work. This explains their vulnera-bility to procurement officers unawareof what happens when you lop off onecent per word, then another, thenanother. To the nonlinguist, the pool oftranslation talent on tap can seem bot-tomless. For these naive buyers, throw insome upfront investment in technologyand you’re home free.
To be fair, as long as nobody seesany difference in quality anyway,thebigword has got a point. Yet someindustry observers cite the boom andbust cycles typical of the translationmarket, where new business modelsoften fail to deliver beyond the veryshort term. A stable group of skilledand loyal freelance providers cannotbe built up overnight, say these skep-tics. And even the most ambitioustranslation broker can be forced toreview its operations, perhaps evenreposition itself entirely, if it alienatesits core team.
What is certain is that thebigword’svision of the market is by no meansthe only one.
Boutique players, both agenciesand freelance, regularly demonstratetheir ability to carve out lucrativeniches, offering far higher prices thanthose charged (and paid) by tbw.They do this by specializing and byensuring that clients are aware oftheir input. Often their customers arethe same blue-chip companies servedby thebigword, although these spe-cialists may handle smaller docu-ments and fewer language ➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200260
The Onionskin Continued
combinations. Such suppliers tend todeal directly with authors and userswho are more aware of what is atstake—more aware, too, of whysqueezing the lemon too hard islikely to leave a sour taste in theclient’s own mouth at the end of theday. Larger companies have alsofound that painstaking attention todetail and client service can pay off.
While thebigword claims thatmany translators have responded pos-itively to its letter, public reactions ontranslator forums would indicate thata majority of suppliers are holdingfirm. Bluff, suicidal inclinations, orthe raw truth? Time will tell.
In the meantime, it is clear that nosupplier is immune to the market. Thereal challenge is to decide whichmarket you are pitching to. TheOnionskin is convinced that profes-sional associations, agencies, and free-lancers would be far better served by astrategy aimed at proving why it isworth paying a professional more toget the job done right. Ammunition,please, if client education is indeed thename of the game. (And in the mean-time, isn’t it about time that more sup-pliers begin claiming responsibilityand credit for their output by insistingthat their name go on the public docu-ments they translate, right in therenext to the photo credits?)
Switching Controls in RussiaRusski Zhurnal is a quality web
publication sponsored by severalwell-known Russian foundations.Features include an analytical reviewof the Western press, reviews, andother reports. In December 2001, thelaunch of a daily English editionmade the site available to a host ofnew readers, with articles—many intranslation—devoted to cultural,political, and social issues in Russia.
It is not certain, however, if the twoteams work together as closely as theymight. Example: a Russian-languagereview of an opinion piece by WilliamSafire (“That Dog Won’t Bark”), orig-inally published in The New York Timeson January 24, claimed that Safirecalled President Putin an urodets-kon-troler, and suggested that an officialnote of protest might be in order. TheRussian rendering was a pejorativeterm that translates roughly as “afreaky controller,” says our correspon-dent. Fortunately, the allegedlylibelous passage also appeared in apaste-in of the original English, whereit reads… “control freak” (www.russ.ru/politics/20020214-anal.html).
Our attempts to determine whetherthe Russian journalist’s original com-ment was tongue-in-cheek werefoiled when we failed to get past thejournal’s monolingual switchboard.The online text has now been cor-rected, however—proof that trans-lator feedback is heard. (Our thanksto Russian readers of this column forbearing with our own use of the Latinalphabet!)
Injustice Turns a Blind Eye in TurkeyOn September 10, Istanbul courts
ruled for the prosecution in thesecond case against Nermin Acar,accused of translating another novelguilty of “arousing sexual desire inreaders.” Ms. Acar is the Turkishtranslator of Serge Bramly’s La ter-reur dans le boudoir, a work looselyinspired by the life of the Marquis deSade. The courts imposed a €1,700fine for that work last spring,announcing simultaneously (andunexpectedly) that Acar would beprosecuted for the same offense forher translation of Alina Reyes’ Lilith.After hearing this second case, theyhave now slapped on an additional
€1,700 fine. “I have no choice,” saidthe judge, noting that she was onlyapplying the law.
The law also provides for anappeal, which Acar and her lawyerwill be filing within the next week,although she told The Onionskin thatshe is pessimistic as to the outcome.
The European Writers’ Congress/Federation of European Writers’Associations, which brings together51 member associations representingover 50,000 authors and literary trans-lators in 28 countries, has deploredthe ruling, saying it is counter to theUN Universal Declaration of HumanRights. Article 19 of the Declarationprovides for freedom of opinion andexpression, including the freedom,“to hold opinions without interferenceand to seek, receive, and impart infor-mation and ideas through any mediaand regardless of frontiers.” Shouldthe fines be upheld, it seems likelythat translator associations fromaround the world will raise funds toshow their support for Ms. Acar,while maintaining their protests. Asthings now stand, their demonstrationof international solidarity is the onlysilver lining in this sorry affair.
Thanks to Bob Blake and KonstantinLakshin.
Visit ATA’s website at
www.atanet.org
for an overview
of member benefits.
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 61
List of Names for Countries,Capitals, and Inhabitants(English↔French)Author:André RacicotPublisher:Canadian Government PublishingPublic Works and GovernmentServices CanadaOttawa (Ontario) K1A 0S9Publication date: 2000 ISBN: 0-660-61328-X (Paperback: 77 pages)Price: $18.95 (Canada)http//:publications.pwgsc.gc.ca 1-800-635-7943
Review by:Sharlee Merner Bradley
A ccording to the foreword, thislist, established in 1992, ishanded out to participants of
the French language course given bythe Training and Evaluation Servicesof the Canadian Translation Bureau.It has been modified several timesover the years to keep up withchanges in usage. This slim volumewill be useful to translators betweenEnglish and French in either direc-tion, since it is made up of two parts,each a mirror of the other. All one hasto do is turn the book upside down,start at the beginning, and voilà—there’s the list in the other direction,with the columns simply reversed.
Pages are easy to read and termsare organized in columns with lots ofwhite space, leaving room for nota-tions. For each country, we find thecommon name in either French orEnglish in the left-hand column, andits opposite translation, including an
article or the gender indication for theFrench name, in the right-handcolumn. This is followed by the ISO3166 code, which is used to identifythe country for such purposes as elec-tronic addresses. Next comes thecountry’s official name as recognizedby the United Nations (if the countryis a member), followed by its capital.This is followed by the name of theinhabitants, including the Frenchfeminine form, and finally, the prepo-sition to be used in French.Occasionally, there is an author’s noteat the end. Tables 1 and 2 offer exam-ples of this.
There could be two minorimprovements. First, there needs tobe some punctuation or spacingbetween the full name of the countryand the abbreviated name, in bothlanguages, to improve readability.Second, there is no apparent reason
for a period after the comments (indi-cated by >>).
The brief bibliography of sevenitems includes two interesting refer-ences that might be useful to transla-tors. The first would be for Frenchtranslators: Le Petit Robert des nomspropres (Dictionnaires Le Robert:Paris, 1997 [no further informationgiven]). The second would appeal tomore translators since it covers sixlanguages: Terminology Bulletin No.347, Country Names (United NationsOrganization: New York, 1997).
The Translation Bureau has alsoincluded a three-page listing of someof their 100+ glossaries in a variety ofspecific fields, such as family vio-lence, genetic engineering, pack-aging, and the transportation ofdangerous goods. They also plugtheir CD-ROM, Termium; presum-ably all glossaries, including
Silversteyn is chair of the ATA Dictionary Review Committee.
Dictionary Reviews Compiled by Boris Silversteyn
Table 2
Czech Republic (the) République tchèque (la)(ISO) CZ (ISO) CZ(Cap.) Prague (Cap.) Prague(Inh.) Czech (Hab.) Tchèque
> En République tchèque>> Parfois appelée à tort
Tchéquie.
Table 1
Libya Libye (la)(ISO) LY (ISO) LY(UN) the Socialist (ONU) la Jamahiriya arabe
People’s Libyan libyenneArab Jamahiriya populaire et socialistethe Libyan Arab la Jamahiriya arabeJamahiriya libyenne(abbreviated) (en abrégé)
(Cap.) Tripoli (Cap.) Tripoli(Inh.) Libyan (Hab.) Libyen; Libyenne
> En Libye
➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200262
Dictionary Reviews Continued
this one, are incorporated into theircontinually updated online version ofthis indispensable tool.
For the French→English trans-lator, the chief value of this little dic-tionary is that it provides the namesof the inhabitants of certain coun-tries, names that are not always self-evident. For instance, in English, aKyrgyz is from Kyrgyzstan; notknowing that, one might come upwith a hypothetical *Kyrgyzstani or*Kyrgyzstanian instead. In French,an inhabitant of Qatar is a Qatarien(Qatari in English), whereas aninhabitant of Oman is an Omanais(Omani in English).
I know of no other dictionary thatgives all the information so conve-niently as it is given here. ForEnglish, Webster’s Geographicalgives the capital, but not the name ofthe inhabitants; for French, PetitLarousse (1995 edition) gives thecapital and the name for the inhabi-tants in its Proper Names section, butKyrgyzstan is not an entry; theEuropa World Yearbook for 1999gives both the capital and the name ofthe inhabitants, but one must readthrough text to find the information.(In this invaluable English-only refer-ence, one can also ferret out the nameof the country’s currency. Every timemy local public library receives anew edition, I have been able toobtain the old edition at the library’sused book sale.)
To be sure, there are websitesthat provide quick access to someof this information. One that ishandy for country abbreviations iswww.immigration-usa.com/country_digraphs.html. Here we find, in side-by-side columns, the countrieslisted alphabetically (in English) bycountry and then alphabetically by
code. This site is the most legible ofseveral on the Internet. However, ourlittle volume has much more infor-mation than just the country codeshandily accessible in one place.
For the French→English trans-lator, a further advantage of theCanadian publication is that it pro-vides the feminine form of the nameof the inhabitants and the requiredpreposition. Finally, for translators ineither direction, the country abbrevi-ation, the official name, and therecentness of the collection make it adesirable acquisition.
Spanish Words & English Meanings:A New Concept DictionaryAuthors:José Merino and Susan Taylor Publisher:Editorial Anglo-Didáctica Calle Santiago de Compostela16, 28034 Madrid, Spain Tel/Fax: 91 378 01 88 Publication date:2000ISBN:84-86623-85-5 (Paperback, 336 pp.) Price:Not Given
Review by:Sharlee Merner Bradley
T his dictionary, from the sameauthors and publishers as thepreviously reviewed Catálogo
de Expresiones (ATA Chronicle,March 2002), was sent to theDictionary Review Committee as acourtesy of the publishers. It claimsin the introduction to be designed forstudents of English, teachers, transla-tors, interpreters, and linguists ingeneral. It also claims that the dif-ferent acceptions and shades of
meaning for each term are “studied,”and that “the” equivalent Englishterm is given for each.
Actually, “studied” apparentlymeans that (some) different accep-tions of each Spanish term are listedwith “one” English equivalent, or,rarely, with two (indice as “table ofcontents” and “index” is one example,but then the English terms indicatetwo separate concepts for Englishspeakers). The only hint of any limi-tations is the statement that theEnglish equivalent is not always theonly one possible.
Interestingly, this volume appearsto be most useful to Spanish studentslearning English, yet the cover is inEnglish, contrary to the standard lex-icographical principle that explana-tory material, which would includethe title, in a dictionary should be inthe source language. Indeed, the brief“Introducción” appears in Spanishonly.
Although there is no mention ofdistinguishing between British andAmerican usage, for cocina (arte),we find cookery/cooking, and forcocina (electrodoméstico), cooker/stove. Placing the British term firstsuggests that the English terms mightbe oriented towards British Englishthroughout. Indeed, British spelling isused: comportamiento infantil (nomaduro) is translated as “childishbehaviour.”
Here is what a typical entry lookslike:
PASAJEPasaje (billete) TicketPasaje (de un texto) PassagePasaje (viajeros) Passengers
The format is excellent and couldnot be simpler. The two columns take
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 63
up the page width, leaving lots ofwhite space. The headwords standout clearly. Nevertheless, the formatis marred by the use of a period aftereach English term (but not after eachSpanish term!), by the use of all cap-ital letters for each headword (nodoubt intended to make it more vis-ible), and by capitalizing the firstletter of each term in both languages.(Although no words that would nor-mally be capitalized have beenincluded, thus obviating possibleconfusion, capitalizing words that donot require capitalization is poor lex-icographical practice).
Comparing the number of accep-tions for our example in theMerino/Taylor vs. the Oxford SpanishDictionary (Oxford University Press,1994), we find three in Merino/Taylor,as opposed to six in the Oxford:
pasaje Merino/Taylor Oxfordbillete ✓ ✓
de un texto ✓ ✓
viajeros ✓ ✓
viaje 0 ✓
callejón 0 ✓
galería comercial 0 ✓
de música 0 ✓
Just looking at this one short exampleshows the strengths and weaknesses ofthe Merino/Taylor. Its format is infi-nitely simpler and thus more quicklyaccessible to the searcher. However, theOxford is more logically organized; eachacception is numbered, with relatedmeanings classified as (a), (b), (c), etc.Since only the numbered acceptions areparagraphed, there can be densecolumns which require a time-con-suming search to find the appropriatechoice. There is only one acception perline in the Merino/Taylor, enabling an
easier search. Both dictionaries distin-guish acceptions by a synonym in paren-theses.
So, despite this great referencesystem, how useful is the dictionaryto translators? I can see its value insituations where we can’t quite thinkof the right term for the context. Forexample, take Inasequible:
Inasequible (el precio de algo) Prohibitive
Inasequible (un objetivo) UnattainableInasequible (una persona) Inaccessible
The Spanish column reminds meof the indispensable tool for transla-tors from any language into English,the BBI (The BBI CombinatoryDictionary of English: A Guide toWord Combinations by MortonBenson, Evelyn Benson, and RobertIlson. John Benjamins, 1993). It mayalso represent the reverse of anotheruseful reference, the Dictionary ofAppropriate Adjectives (by E. H.Mikhail. Cassell, 1994), which isbasically a dictionary of Englishnouns followed by all kinds of appro-priate adjectives for each term.
However, the Oxford has the addi-tional advantage of many more wordsand acceptions. As seen in the firstexample in the previous column, therewas nothing in the Merino/Taylor thatcannot be found in the Oxford,whereas the contrary cannot be said tobe the case. We find no specializedterms, which are often among ourthorniest problems.
The new dictionary is doubtless ofgreat value to students, teachers, andmaybe even literary translators of thetwo languages, but it is probably notso essential for commercial transla-tors. That said, I hope to find thatsome day it gives me a quick answer.
Elsevier’s Dictionary ofAbbreviations, Acronyms,Synonyms, and Symbols used inMedicineAuthor: Samuel A. TsurPublisher: Elsevier Science, Inc.Publication date: 1999Price: $166ISBN: 0-444-82904Available from:Elsevier Science, Inc. P.O. Box 945Madison Square StationNew York, NY 10160-0757Languages: (English, with some French, Italian,Spanish, and German references)Number of pages: 646Number of entries: 20,000+
Reviewed by: Jacopo Madaro Moro
T he simple act of opening SamuelTsur’s dictionary is sufficient torekindle old irritations caused by
the similarly formatted De Sola’sAbbreviation Dictionary, published byElsevier in 1974. How can anyone putabbreviation after abbreviation in run-ning columns, separated by semi-colons, often with one acronym takingup half a page or more?
Sharlee Merner Bradley (Ph.D.) is anATA-accredited (Spanish and French toEnglish) translator. Contact: [email protected].
➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200264
Dictionary Reviews Continued
At times, the text becomes a visualblur; a thick diacritic underbrushinterspersed with copses of uppercaseletters hopelessly competing for aplaceholder’s role the eye cannotconfer. Worse, no attempts seem tohave been made to differentiatebetween entries, nor between entriesand comments or cross-references.The richer the headword, the harder itis to read. Thus, the transmittal of rel-evant information is hindered and theauthor’s honest hard work obscured.
To be fair, there are clear objec-tive limits. Already Tsur’s 20,000lemmata fill 636 pages (and onlybecause Elsevier uses such exquisitefonts and paper), skirting the porta-bility limit. Furthermore, organizingsuch a vast amount of material inanother manner could visually satu-rate the page beyond endurance orincrease some production factorsbeyond affordability. Nevertheless, Ido lament the lack of better solu-tions, because the format detractsfrom the real value of the work.
Its very size is staggering. Tobetter demonstrate this, let me intro-duce my benchmarks(*):
1. Davis, Neil M. Medical Abbrevi-ations. Hungtingdon Valley (1143Wright Drive, PA 19006): Neil M.Davis Associates, 1987/III. $5.95.
2. Farina, Angelo. Dizionario delleSigle Mediche. Italian-English*.Milan: R. Cortina Ed., 1984. Lit25.000.
3. Fuller Delong, Marilyn. MedicalAcronyms & Abbreviations. Oradel(New Jersey 07649): Medical
Economics Books, 1989/II. Noprice.
4. Lucchesi, Mario. Dizionario delleSigle Mediche. English-Italian*.Milan: R. Cortina Ed., 1994. Lit.45.000.
5. Touati, Maurice Alain. DictionnaireInternational des AbbréviationsMédicales. Paris: Maison duDictionnaire, 1994. FF 290.
A quick survey shows that Davishas 4,200 headwords; Farina, 6,000+;Fuller Delong, 6,000+; and Lucchesi,6,500+. The number of Touati’s head-words is unknown, but he offersabout 28,000 definitions.
Still, size alone does not establishrelevancy. To this effect, I’ll startwith acronyms I encountered whiletranslating, but did not find inFarina’s dictionary (i.e., my standarddesk reference). The tables on the fol-lowing pages give the results of thiscomparison.
From the standpoint of absoluteand relative success rates, Tsur’sachievement is nothing less thanimpressive. Weighting the scores, heemerges as the only author to offer theright answer in 13 instances out of 49,or in 26.5% of the cases. My runners-up, Touati and Lucchesi, share thishonor only 11% of the time; the firstwith 3 exclusive hits out of 27, and thesecond with 2 out of 18.
The title indicates that there ismore to this dictionary than justacronyms. To discover the true extentof Samuel Tsur’s vast scholarshiprequires an act of will on the part ofthe reader, who must avoid feeling
overwhelmed when perusing thisphonebook-sized reference for theinteresting stories it silently implies.Such an exercise is well worth theeffort, as the text is peppered withnotes, references, and explanations.
Regarding the LAL acronym onpage 66—only after reading Tsur didI discover that the Limulus of Limulusamoebocyte lysate is not a Latviangentleperson, but a horseshoe kingcrab. Conversely, Tsur reminds usthat ESP-1 (see ESP, p. 200), erro-neously considered the first humancancer virus, was named in 1982 afterthe researcher Elizabeth S. Priori(although the minimalist explanation,“Elizabeth S. Priori [virus],” is nottoo forthcoming). LES also meansLawrence Experimental Station, butwe will not find it in some remotecorner of the Québec province,because it is an agar-culturing device.
This is nothing. Hundreds ofchemical acronyms are named anddefined in terms of composition anduse. There are tables of geologicaleras (p. 235); metabolic pathways ofthe transmitter amines (on p. 166, forwhatever reason); numeration sys-tems (under Symbols on p. 559); ele-ments (pp. 187-193) and atomicnumbers (p. 634, under Z); an ava-lanche of graphic symbols more than10 pages long; the street names ofevery drug ever mentioned by judi-cial and scientific literature; 6columns of acronyms used in respira-tory testing (under PTF on pp. 456-459) and 2 of kidney function tests(pp. 328-329); 7 pages of hormones(pp. 267-274) and 5 of vitamins (pp.611-615); every immunoglobulinunder the sun (p. 296); countlessprefixes and suffixes (almost 2 pages
* The listed prices were current at the time of purchase and do not reflect actual sticker values.
A superb Internet site is www.acronymfinder.com, with some 236,000+ definitions. Due to its col-lective and ephemeral nature, it cannot be used for benchmarking purposes. Nevertheless, it is oftenan invaluable aid to translation. Continued on p.67
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 65
Acronym Definition Davis Farina Fuller Delong Lucchesi Touati Tsur
ABA α-amino-n-butyric acid — — — — — —
ANC absolute neutrophil count ✓ — — ✓ ✓1 ✓
AR amphiregulin — — — — — —
AUC area under the curve ✓ — ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
ATRA all-trans-retinoic acid — — — — — —
AVL augmented voltage left — — ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
BCF basofil chemotactic factor — — — ✓ ✓ ✓
BLI β-lactamase inhibitors — — — — — —
BMD bone mineral density — — — ✓ ✓ ✓
BPH benign prostatic hyperplasia — — — — — ✓
BSAP bone-specific alkaline phosphatase — — — — — —
CAC controlled anterior capsulotomy — — — — — —
CI confidence interval — — — ✓ — —
CNV (subfoveal) choroidal neovascularization — — — — — ✓
CR-1 crypto-1 — — — — — —
CsA cyclosporin ✓ — — ✓ ✓ ✓
CVAT costovertebral angle tenderness ✓ — — — — ✓
DAO diamine oxidase — — ✓ — ✓ ✓
DCR dacryocystorhinostomy — — — — ✓ ✓
DI deionized — — — — — —
DISS diameter index safety system — — — — — ✓
DNR do not resuscitate! ✓ — ✓ ✓ — ✓
DP/Cr deoxypyridinoline/creatine — — — — — —
ERC endoscopic retrograde cholangiography — — — — — ✓
EST exercise stress testing — — — — ✓ ✓
EtO ethylene oxide ✓ — ✓ — ✓2 ✓
FAB French American British [classification
of leukemia] ✓ — ✓ — — ✓
FPIA fluorescent polarization immunoassay ✓ — ✓ — ✓ ✓
FDP flexor digitorum profundus ✓ — — — — ✓
GHIS growth hormone insensitivity syndrome — — — — — —
GME gaseous microemboli — — — — — —
The ATA Chronicle | October 200266
Dictionary Reviews Continued
Acronym Definition Davis Farina Fuller Delong Lucchesi Touati Tsur
GSR galvanic skin resistance ✓ — — — — ✓
HAVS hand arm vibration syndrome — — — — — —
HEENT head eyes ears nose throat ✓ — ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
HMT histamine N-metyl-transferase — — — — — ✓
HRG_ heregulin _ — — — — — —
IABP interaortic balloon pump/pumping — — — ✓ ✓ —
ICGN idiopatic crescentic glomerulonephritis — — — — — —
IGHL inferior glenohumeral ligament — — — — — —
ILS increase in life span — — — — — ✓
INR international normalized ratio — — — ✓ ✓ ✓
LAL Limulus amoebocyte lysate ✓ — — ✓ ✓ ✓
LC50 median lethal concentration — — — — — ✓
LOD limit of detection — — — — — —
LSD lysosomial storage disorder — — — — ✓ —
LVD left ventricular dimension — — ✓ — — —
MAC Mycobacterium avium complex — — — — ✓ ✓
MPA microscopic polyarteritis — — — — — ✓
MRI magnetic resonance imaging ✓ — ✓ — ✓ ✓
MTD maximum tolerated dose — — ✓ — ✓ ✓
NCS newborn calf serum — — — — ✓ ✓
NIPB non-invasive blood pressure — — — — — —
NIST numeric index safety threads — — — — — —
NOAEL no observable adverse effect level — — — — — —
OC osteocalcin — — — — — —
PACU post-anesthesia care unit — — ✓ — — ✓
PCOD polycystic ovarian disease ✓ — — — ✓ ✓
PCP Pneumocystis carinii pneumoniae ✓ — ✓ — — ✓
PCR protein catabolic rate ✓ — — — — ✓
PPI plastic penile induration — — — — — —
PPM pulse per minute — — — — — ✓
PTA percutaneous transluminal angioplasty ✓ — ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 67
Acronym Definition Davis Farina Fuller Delong Lucchesi Touati Tsur
PTCA percutaneous transluminal
coronary angioplasty ✓ — ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
PVNS pigmented villonodular synovitis — — — ✓ ✓ ✓
RDW red cell distribution width — — ✓ — ✓ ✓
RGP rigid gas permeable — — — — — —
RHV rotating hemostatic valve — — — — — —
RO reverse osmosis — — — — — ✓
RPE rate of perceived exhertion ✓ — — — ✓ ✓
SEC spontaneous echo contrast — — — ✓ — —
SRI solute removal index — — — — — —
STD sexually transmitted diseases ✓ — ✓ ✓ — ✓
TD transdermal — — — — — ✓
TEE transesophageal echocardiography — — — — — ✓
TGF_ transforming growth factor _ — — ✓ ✓ — —
THA total hip arthroplasty ✓ — — — — ✓
THR target heart rate — — — — —
TIPSS transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic
stent shunting — — — — — —
TMJ temporal mandibular joint syndrome — — ✓ — — ✓
TSB trypticase soy broth — — — — — ✓
VWF vibration-induced white finger syndrome — — — — ✓ ✓
Xa activated factor X — — — — — —
Davis Farina Fuller Delong Lucchesi Touati Tsur
TOTAL HITS 21 0 19 18 27 49
PERCENTAGE OF HITS (n/82) 26% 0% 23% 22% 33% 60%
1. Listed as actual neutrophil count.2. Spelled as thylene oxide.
are dedicated to phobias alone underthe prefix phob-, including theintractable phobophobia—the fear ofone’s fears); not to mention the scien-tific journals and committees of every
professional association I am familiarwith (short of ATA and its DRC[Dictionary Review Committee]).
This aspect of Tsur’s work is prob-ably the most difficult to evaluate.
Every entry I saw was accurate andcomplete, but short of reading everypage, it’s impossible to know the realextent of the récueil. The tables are notindexed and, instead of appearing ➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200268
in an appendix, are dispersed accordingto a semistringent alphabetic order,sometimes starting with obscure head-words, the meaning of which the readermust already know in order to look forthe definition of a term listed underthem. For instance, the descriptionkindly provided by Janet Kershaw, ofElsevier’s Book Review Department,mentions a listing of serological testsfor syphilis. I uselessly looked undersyphil- (there is no such prefix); VDRL(Venereal Disease Research Laboratory,present without references); WR(Wasserman Reaction, absent); or Lues(I, II, and III are listed, again withoutreferences). I finally struck goldsearching for TPI (Treponema pallidumimmobilization) and FTA (fluorescenttreponemal antibody). Both refer to theheadword STS, or serological test(s).Without knowing the existence of sucha beast and its principal denouements, Iwould not have found one-and-a-halfsolid columns of data on page 550,including WR, Was, Wass, and anyother acronym on the subject.
The material presented is variousand complex and most resistant tosimple organization. For instance, Idid marvel at the ingenuity shown bya table entitled “Ten,” found on page572. It lists Latin prefixes and U.S.and British names of the positive andnegative powers of 10. It is won-derful. I had never heard of a vigintil-lion (1063 in the U.S. and 10120 in theU.K.) before, but to finally discover itwas a matter of sheer luck.
Luck is also required elsewhere.Greek letters do not appear at the begin-ning or end of their Latin equivalentheadings (a for alpha, etc.), as is cus-tomary, nor under the generic titleGreek Alphabet, but within the alpha-betical list of their English names in twounindexed tables. For example, theta
appears at least in four places: in a tableon page 557 under the subheading “4.Greek Alphabet” of the entry Symbols;on page 559, within the table “6.Numeration” of the same entry; and onpage 575, as the lowercase θ and theuppercase Θ, between therap- and therex (therapeutic exercise).
The problem of indexing foreigncharacters and graphic symbols is notnew, nor is it easily solved. In the mid-1960s, the Odyssey Press of New Yorkvaliantly tried to address this issue inits unsurpassed Odyssey TechnicalDictionaries and Encyclopedias, a 12-volume series edited by Polon, Reich,Witty, and Butterly. I know well the740 pages of the DEA, or Dictionaryof Electronics Abbreviations—Signsand Symbols. I did not particularlywant to, but to search for the meaningof an unknown wingding often meantstarting on page 629 and continuinguntil page 740, only to discover thatwhat I was looking for was in one ofthe 70 pages of symbols presented bythe DCCSA (Dictionary of Computerand Control Systems—Abbreviations,Signs, and Symbols).
Mercifully, Tsur forces us to searchthrough only 20 columns of symbols.Nevertheless, pray tell me why the ∆(delta) of change, finite difference, orincrement is listed after the π (pi of3.14 fame) on page 555; and on page556, once with the same meaning in theleft column before the abbreviation D(of differential coefficient), and again inthe right column under the variant ∆tafter the triple apostrophe ''' of Line(1/12 inch)? Even π reappears with aslightly different description on page556, this time after @ or at.
In conclusion, I believe that it is forexuberantly rich contents such as thisthat the computer was invented. Thecurrent price is not trivial, but would
be more justified if the publisherattached or offered, as an alternative, acompanion CD-ROM and a simplesearch engine with the text. McGraw-Hill, Oxford Press, Larousse, andmany other prestigious publishers haveappreciated the advantages of thisarrangement. Perhaps Elsevier couldrethink and better modulate its currentCD-ROM policy as well.
Jacopo Màdaro Moro is a technical trans-lator into Italian. He specializes in medi-cine, bioengineering, and optoelectronics.Contact: [email protected] or www.jmadaro.com.
Dictionary Reviews Continued
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 69
Anyone with sufficient creativityand leisure can create an alphabetjust for fun, but serious alphabets
designed for use by significant num-bers of people are not invented everyday. That is why the news about a pos-sible newly created alphabet for theInuit peoples of Russia, Alaska,Canada, and Greenland was exciting tothe Translation Inquirer. Evidently, thisvery widely scattered Inuktitut-speaking group, numbering about ahundred thousand, really needs acommon alphabet to enhance commu-nication. The Translation Inquirerrecalls the special magic of the one lan-guage learning experience in his lifewhere a mastery of a new alphabet(Russian) was required. Not long agohe met with some home-schooledteenage boys who were trying todecide what foreign language theyshould begin studying. Interestingly,with the Cold War over and somethingjust as menacing about to take its place,they were leaning strongly towardArabic. Nothing that these boys saidgave me the slightest feeling that theywere contemplating future militaryservice; Russian simply didn’t have themagic anymore, at least for them. Itstill does for me!
[Abbreviations used with this column:Ct–Catalan; D–Dutch; E–English;F–French; G–German; N–Norwegian;Sp–Spanish; Sw–Swedish.]
New Queries(D-E 10-02/1) This query has to do
with the bizarre concept, apparently,of medically operating on oneself as acause for being excluded from cov-erage in a life insurance policy, or soit seems. The text reads: “Een ingreepdie de aangeslotene op zichself uitvo-erde of die niet vereist is door eendoor deze decking gedekt ongeval.”
This from a Lantran who found it hardto believe he was actually readingwhat he was reading. What is actuallygoing on here?
(E-F 10-02/2) This one sounds likeit might be fun. A company hasadopted Can do, as in the militaryexpression Can do, sir!, as its mar-keting slogan. A French equivalent isneeded, and maybe the first one thatcame to this Lantran’s mind,“Toujours partant,” might not be thebest. Give it a try!
(E-R 10-02/3) Here is a legal puz-zler: to bring or recover in an action.The context, as provided by the ProZuser, is quite ominous: Because thereis little minority shareholder protec-tion in Russia, your ability to bring orrecover in an action against us will belimited. It almost sounds like a smugtaunt! What is good Russian for this?
(E-Sp 10-02/4) Dario Cavalierosneeds decent Spanish for this dense,buzzword-filled paragraph about aprogram to create a virtual Pentagon:The goal of this program is to ensureredundancy, survivability, recover-ability, manageability, availability,scalability and security, according toa Pentagon notice.
(E-Sp 10-02/5) Renato Calderón isconcerned about the lack of a Spanishequivalent for set the table. “Poner lamesa” falls short, because it means,literally, to put the table. An Internetsearch revealed nothing better thanponga figar, which is machine trans-lation at its worst. A correct Spanishrendering would probably involve theadjectival noun “cubiertos,” whichincludes dishes, knife, fork, spoon,and a napkin to wrap the latter threeitems in. Who can solve this?
(F-E 10-02/6) A Lantran workingfrom Swiss French wants to know, ina context of something which an
exposition-hall owner would provideas part of the leasing package for anevent, what a “vaubon” is. The con-text: “Prestations comprises de le prixde location. —Mis à disposition de 60vaubons, sur demande.”
(F-E 10-02/7) The text that gavethis subscriber to Lantra-L problemswas an article by a reporter who vis-ited the control room of a major powernetwork. The phrase that caused thetrouble here is in bold: “L’idée de larègle du n-1 est que, si un événementsoudain se produit comme la mise horstension d’une ligne, il faut que l’étatdans lequel se trouve le réseau toutde suite après soit un état sûr.” Whatdoes this mean?
(G-E 10-02/8) The term “Massen-werkzeug” appeared as part of a list oftooling hardware requirements to setup a stamping facility in the UnitedStates. Who can help this ProZ userwith the term?
(G-E 10-02/9) A German abbrevia-tion again—how long have we beenfighting these battles? It’s a legislativeact shortened to “KonTraG,” and theLantra correspondent is not all thatsatisfied with Act on Control andTransparency in the Corporate Sector,because if the first abbreviated compo-nent is “Kontrolle,” then perhaps mon-itoring should be used. Is there astandard English rendering of this?
(G-E 10-02/10) It is reasonablycertain that, on my watch, queriesabout the individual parts of buseshave not appeared until now. The bus,as a phenomenon of technology andculture, is so lowly, so unassuming.But “Frontzugmaul,” as a term refer-ring to a component that has beenfitted at the front of a bus, but not yetwelded in position, posed a problemfor a member of Lantra-L. What is it?What can one use in English?
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, isgratefully acknowledged.
The Translation Inquirer By John Decker
➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 200270
(R-E 10-02/11) A ProZ correspon-dent had trouble with the termhfpyjvfcinf,yfz cnhernehf kjnjrfin a book whose title was Memoдыaдanmuвныx cemok в зaдaчaxгaзoвoй дuнamuku. One may hopethat the term plus the title provideenough context to evoke some readyanswers in English.
(Sw-E 10-02/12) In the field of oldtechnology (namely, the processing ofores as it was done more than a cen-tury ago), Barry Creveling needs toknow the meaning of “nasar”: thedocument speaks of this in twoplaces: “Efter rostningen kunde denvara så hård att man fick skjuta söndernasen,” and “Det hände även här attdet blev riktiga nasar i botten som varmycket svåra att slå sönder.”
Replies to Old Queries(Ct-E 7-02/1) (“lloc de destí”):
Benjamín Ruiz states that this is thesame as the Spanish “lugar de des-tino,” and simply means destination.Case permanently closed.
(E-D 2-02/1) (to pull rank): As aformer member of the RoyalNetherlands Army, Reimer Vander-vlugt believes he has an authoritativeanswer to this: “op zijn [haar] strepenstaan.” This literally translates asstanding on his or her stripes,because noncommissioned officerswear stripes as a designation of rank.In a society like that of theNetherlands, with its predominantlack of respect for uniformedauthority, instances of pulling rankwere sometimes met with laughter,and did not obtain the desired result atall, he says.
(E-G 8-02/3) (entitlements, in oiland gas context): Helmut Froboesethought the matter over and came tothe conclusion that in this context, the
word would best be conveyed by“Inanspruchnahme.”
(E-R 8-02/4) (pre-crime unit):Alexander Aron suggests that theclosest equivalent might be the nameof a unit already in existence withinthe Russian Ministry of InternalAffairs: cke;,f ghjabkfrnbrbghtcnegktybq. This group is respon-sible for identifying both potentialcriminals and conditions favorable forcrime. Voilá!
(E-Sp 11-01/2) (pushing on astring): It’s the physics of this, ratherthan the linguistics, that Schwartranaddressed. He or she points out thatthis ought to mean applying a forcethat evokes not an unpredictableresponse, but no response at all. Thisis because if no tension is present inthe string, no force can be transmittedto the other end.
(E-Sp 4-02/7) (chapter, as in of an organization): Jarl RobertoHallemalm-Ashfield reports that inUruguay and Argentina, “capítulo” isused for chapter, as in of a book, andto a very lesser extent after a majorchange in one’s life: “He comenzadoun capítulo nuevo en mi vida.” As fora commercial organization, the hier-archy is “oficina,” then “division,”then “departamento,” then “sección,”and finally “subgrupo.” The bestapproach is to analyze the wordchapter beforehand, and obtain clarityabout what sort of organization isbeing discussed. The ultimatemeaning is what is aimed at, andtherefore a large, generalized, all-inclusive word for chapter is not to beused. Two equivalents suggested byJarl for noncommercial organizationsare “grupo,” which is principally forthe chapter of a club or civic organi-zation, and “unidad” for a majoroffline political subdivision. Note that
“sucursal” is principally for a bank ordepartment store chain.
(G-E 7-02/6) (“… haben mit ihmnach alles getan, dass er wiedergesund worden ist”): VolkmarHiranter states that since this was atranscribed interview, maybe it mightbe a slurred version of “danach.” If so,it confirms the inquirer’s assumptionthat the word should be understood tomean afterwards. KriemhildeLivingston believes that the singleword “nach” in the original is besttranslated as according to him.Another example of this usage: “DemChef nach ist sie faul” (According tothe boss, she is lazy). Anotherproblem with the original quote, asfound on page 58 of the July issue, isthat “worden” should be “geworden.”Thus, “dann” is totally inappropriateas an equivalent to “nach.”
(N-E 7-02/8) (“lysbord”): PaulHopper reasoned that the language isclose enough to Swedish and Danishto permit the consultation of diction-aries in those languages. The Swedish“ljusbord” is a layout (lining-up, illu-minated stripping) table. Using a dic-tionary providing a Russianequivalent, from Danish, he came upwith light table, illuminated planningtable, or mounting table.
(R-E 6-02/4) (hftiybr): Now forthe four responses that, unfortu-nately, had to be postponed fromSeptember: Zippy states that theword originally came from hf=r, apuppet theater, and Punch and Judyshow would do just fine in the con-text of the query. Viktor Gutman saysthe word means clown or buffoon ina low folk farce. The implication isthat the newspaper presented impor-tant news in the style of playing thefool. Tim Sergay recommendswww.yandex.ru and www.ets.ru
The Translation Inquirer Continued
➡
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 71
A s we fight terror on all fronts tomake the world safe for globalcapitalism and the Internet, it
is incumbent upon translators, as it isupon all others, to add their non-voices to the silence, to do nothing,say nothing, write nothing that couldpossibly give aid or comfort to theenemy, to not offend anyone, any-where, anytime.
It goes without saying, as manyhave pointed out, that we must totallysuppress inherently evil texts, such asHuckleberry Finn, The Wizard of Oz,the Harry Potter books, and the Quran.Let us be guided by the New YorkRegents, who have carefully edited theliterary passages on the New York
State high school examinations. Forexample, a passage from IsaacBashevis Singer’s In My Father’sCourt, a work about Jewish identityin Poland, was carefully stripped ofall references to both Jews and Poles;Annie Dillard’s reminiscences ofwhat she discovered as a white childin a black library was stripped of anymention of race. Translators fol-lowing these examples will rightlyproduce works in English such asGrimm’s Snow White and the SevenBusinessmen, Dostoevsky’s TheBrothers Smith, and Bowdler’s Bible.
But all the above is trivial. It is lit-erary. Mainly poetry that no one readsand obvious fiction (i.e., lies). No, it
is technical translation, 90% of alltranslation, where the real effort mustbe made, where satanic texts must benipped in the bud. Satanic?Definitely. What is the essence oftechnical translation. Details. And aswe all know, THE DEVIL IS IN THEDETAILS! “Traduttore traditore!”indeed. Are you the translator/traitorwho translated directions for openinga box of box-cutters, instructions forflying a cropduster, or (shudder)tourist guides to New York City andWashington, DC, into Arabic, Urdu,or Pashtun? I beg you, entreat you,implore you, put down that mouse,shut off that computer, and st
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
In Praise of Censorship
for such words. There’s even a websitefor this phenomenon: www.raek.ru. Hecalls hftiybr an untranslatable terminvolving both folk-verse and theatricalforms. The term is a diminutive of hfq(heaven), which can also mean cheap,high-up seats in the theater. He rendersit as in the form of raeshniki [i.e., old-fashioned, wise-cracking folk rhymes—Trans.].
Believe it or not, there will bemore on this in the November/December issue.
(R-E 7-02/9) (gjlcktgjdfnsq):Alla Toff suggests blurry-eyed win-dows of a village hut, or maybesquinted windows. Alexander Arongoes for rural huts never gettingenough light. Shifra Kilov: mole-eyedvillage huts.
(G-Sp 5-02/4) (“Putzbauweise”):Dario Cavalièros asserts that “friso” isthe Spanish equivalent of “Putz-,” asfound in the query which originallyappeared on page 63 of the May issue.
(Sp-E 6-02/5) (“motor de encen-dido provocado”): Nick Hartmannsays the Spanish term looks very sim-ilar to “Fremdzündung,” usually trans-lated as spark ignition. An externalstimulus, namely the spark, causescombustion of the fuel-air mixture tobegin. In contrast, diesel enginesinvolve combustion that begins spon-taneously when the mixture is suffi-ciently compressed by a piston. So hewould use spark-ignition engine.
(Sp-E 7-02/10) (“edificios catalo-gadas”): It’s the final word on whichKatherine Kirscheman has some insight,
since it means to classify or categorize.In Chile, where she lived, the word hada negative, euphemistic overtone.
Regarding the introductory para-graph written by the TranslationInquirer on page 58 of the July 2002ATA Chronicle describing the problemof rendering privacy into Russian,Pete Benson says that this word hasseveral aspects in English: private life(i.e., while not working); confiden-tiality of medical records; and alone-ness. Pete believes that what theauthor Maliarevsky is bemoaning isthe problem of rjyabltywbfkmyjcnm(confidentiality) in the workplace.
Thanks to the very many of youwho contributed! It’s fat again!
The Translation Inquirer Continued from p.70
The ATA Chronicle | October 200272
CLS Communication, Inc. is opening its first office in the United States in October 2002 on the banks of the HudsonRiver in Weehawken, New Jersey, directly opposite New York City. CLS Communication, Inc. is a wholly owned sub-sidiary of CLS Corporate Language Services AG, a leading provider of top-line translation and language services to majorfinancial institutions and telecommunications companies in Switzerland and neighboring European countries. To meetthe growing needs of our successful business, our in-house translation team in Weehawken is looking for German intoFrench and German into Italian translators. Candidates should have native fluency in the target languages and excel-lent command of the source languages. Start date is December 1, 2002. Our ideal candidate will have either of the fol-lowing profiles:
• a university degree with a good grounding and at least two years of translation experience in one of the followingfields: economics, banking, finance, investment, insurance, legal, advertising, corporate communications, public rela-tions, telecommunications
• professional with a business, economics, legal, communications, financial or accounting background, outstanding language capabilities and a flair for writing and translation
At CLS Communication, Inc. you’ll work closely with our clients and senior staff translators. Candidates will be atease with the latest language tools and will enjoy developing their creative skills in a lively team of language specialists.The company offers an attractive benefits package, performance incentives, flexible working models and a multiculturalenvironment. We will be interviewing at our Weehawken, New Jersey office and at the American Translators Associationconference from November 6 to 9 in Atlanta.
For further information contact:James Sievert at 1-877-4-CLS -COM ext. 802 or via e-mail at [email protected] or send your resume to CLS Communication, Inc. 1500 Harbor Blvd., Weehawken, NJ 07086-6732
CLS Communication, Inc.
Be a part of it…
The ATA Chronicle | October 2002 73
ATA Accreditation Exam Information
Upcoming Exams
TexasDecember 7, 2002AustinRegistration Deadline:November 22, 2002
April 26, 2003San AntonioRegistration Deadline:April 11, 2003
JapanFebruary 15, 2003Kyoto, JapanRegistration Deadline:January 24, 2003
CongratulationsCongratulations to the following people who have successfully completed accreditation exams:
French into EnglishPauline E. Haas-HammelChampcevinel, France
Russian into EnglishElizabeth H. AdamsVan Nuys, CA
English into ChineseHaichen SunBeijing, China
English into FrenchJoelle J. LakeWest Vancouver, Canada
English into GermanPatrick O. MuellerMandeville, LA
Susanna PfisterSomerset, NJ
English into RussianYulia CoePalm Harbor, FL
Kiamalia EmersonMcLean, VA
English into SpanishPatricia M. AcostaWaban, MA
Lorena N. LoguzzoMiami, FL
Olvido Soria PequenoCaceres, Spain
The Active Member ReviewCommittee is pleased to grantactive member status to:
Antonina L. BeanHarrisonburg, VA
Ann Marie HartmannEvanston, IL
Aleksandra MandrapaSaint Louis, MO
Liliana SilvestryAustin, MN
Jill R. SommerSolon, OH
Please direct all inquiries regarding general accreditation information to ATA Headquarters at (703) 683-6100. Registration for all accreditation examsshould be made through ATA Headquarters. All sittings have a maximum capacity and admission is based on the order in which registrations arereceived. Forms are available from the ATA website or from Headquarters.
An effort is underway to establish accreditation for these language pairs. A “volunteer committee” has been formed andwe are now collecting information about criteria in use by other organizations to grant accreditation and certification inthese languages. We also intend to survey ATA members who have listed any of these languages in their profiles abouttheir thoughts on the subject. Just two examples: How should we handle the accreditation of these languages intoEnglish—will this be one language pair or many? What standards should be used for the “from English” direction—will acommand of Cyrillic be required?
We hope to organize a meeting at the ATA Annual Conference in Atlanta (November 6-9) to report on our findings and dis-cuss these issues in person. Feel free to write to us c/o Paula Gordon ([email protected]) with your comments. A mes-sage stating your language pairs and interest in accreditation will reinforce our efforts and would be greatly appreciated.
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The ATA Chronicle | October 200274
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ATA Now Offers Customized Website Program
ATA and Two Radical Technologies (2RAD) have teamed up to provide ATA
members an opportunity to build their own customized websites. Through
2RAD’s online creation tools—RADTown—ATA members will be able to set up
their own online presence. The offer includes obtaining a domain name and
creating links to the ATA online directories. For more information, please con-
tact 2RAD at [email protected] or log on to www.atanet.org/radtown.
American Translators AssociationOfficersPresidentMr. Thomas L. West IIIIntermark Language Services Corp.2555 Cumberland Pkwy, Ste. 295Atlanta, GA 30339Tel: (770) 444-3055Fax: (770) [email protected]
President-electMr. Scott Brennan10005 Cairn Mountain WayBristow, VA 20136-3009Tel: (703) 393-0365Fax: (413) [email protected]
SecretaryMs. Courtney Searls-RidgeGerman Language Services2658 48th Avenue SWSeattle, WA 98116Tel: (206) 938-3600Fax: (206) [email protected]
TreasurerDr. Jiri Stejskal7312 Oak AvenueMelrose Park, PA 19027Tel: (215) 635-7090Fax: (215) [email protected]
Directors Committee Chairs Division AdministratorsMr. Kirk Anderson2455 Flamingo Drive, #401Miami Beach, FL 33140Tel: (305) 532-7252Fax: (305) [email protected]
Ms. Beatriz Bonnet7465 E Peakview AvenueEnglewood, CO 80111Tel: (303) 779-1288Fax: (303) [email protected]
Mr. Robert A. Croese204 Neely Crossing LaneSimpsonville, SC 29680Tel: (864) 967-3955Fax: (864) [email protected]
Ms. Marian S. Greenfield2619 Holly AvenueSouth Plainfield, NJ 07080Tel: (908) 561-7590Fax: (908) [email protected]
Prof. Alan K. Melby1223 Aspen AvenueProvo, UT 84604Tel: (801) 422-2144Fax: (801) [email protected]
Mr. Robert E. Sette109 Biddle AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15221Tel: (412) 731-8198Fax: (412) [email protected]
Ms. Ines Swaney6161 Harwood AvenueOakland, CA 94618Tel: (510) 658-7744Fax: (510) [email protected]
Prof. Madeleine C. Velguth2608 E Newport AvenueMilwaukee, WI 53211Tel: (414) 229-5968Fax: (414) [email protected]
Mr. Timothy Yuan89-33 Pontiac StreetQueens Village, NY 11427Tel: (718) 776-8139Fax: (718) [email protected]
AccreditationLilian Novas Van VrankenSpring, TXTel: (281) [email protected]
Active Membership ReviewLeland D. WrightKent, OHTel: (330) 673-0043Fax: (330) [email protected]
BudgetJiri StejskalMelrose Park, PA Tel: (215) 635-7090Fax: (215) [email protected]
ChaptersRobert A. CroeseSimpsonville, SC Tel: (864) 967-3955Fax: (864) [email protected]
Dictionary ReviewBoris M. SilversteynVenice, FLTel/Fax: (941) [email protected]
DivisionsDorothee RacetteSaranac, NYTel: (518) 293-7494Fax: (518) [email protected]
Education and Training(Non-ATA Programs)Gertrud Graubart ChampeSurry, METel: (207) [email protected]
EthicsVacant
Honors and AwardsJo Anne EngelbertSt. Augustine, FLTel: (904) 460-1190Fax: (904) [email protected]
Interpretation PolicyAdvisoryChristian DegueldreSan Diego, CATel: (858) 569-6162Fax: (858) [email protected]
Mentoring Task ForceCourtney Searls-RidgeSeattle, WATel: (206) 938-3600Fax: (206) [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]
Special ProjectsAnn MacfarlaneSeattle, WATel: (206) 542-8422Fax: (206) [email protected]
TerminologySue Ellen WrightKent, OHTel: (330) 673-0043Fax: (330) [email protected]
Translation and ComputersAlan K. MelbyProvo, UTTel: (801) 378-2144Fax: (801) [email protected]
Chinese LanguageFrank MouPittsburgh, PATel: (412) 767-4788Fax: (412) [email protected]
French LanguageMonique-Paule TubbChevy Chase, MDTel: (301) 654-2890Fax: (301) [email protected]
German LanguageDorothee RacetteSaranac, NYTel: (518) 293-7494Fax: (518) [email protected]
InterpretersHelen D. ColeSilver Spring, MDTel: (301) 572-2855Fax: (301) [email protected]
Italian LanguageMarcello J. NapolitanoMilpitas, CATel: (408) 422-7008Fax: (425) [email protected]
Japanese LanguageIzumi SuzukiNovi, MITel: (248) 344-0909Fax: (248) [email protected]
LiteraryClifford E. LandersNaples, FLTel: (941) [email protected]
NordicEdith M. MattesonBallwin, MOTel/Fax: (636) [email protected]
Portuguese LanguageTereza d’Ávila BragaDallas, TXTel: (972) 690-7730Fax: (972) [email protected]
Slavic LanguagesNora Seligman FavorovOrlando, FLTel: (407) 679-8151Fax: (646) [email protected]
Spanish LanguageRudolf HellerBrookfield, MATel: (508) 867-8494Fax: (508) [email protected]
Translation CompanySteven P. IversonMilwaukee, WITel: (414) 271-1144Fax: (414) [email protected]
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 RéthoréHarrisonburg, VATel: (540) 568-3512Fax: (540) [email protected]
To ASTM Translation UserStandards ProjectBeatriz A. BonnetEnglewood, COTel: (303) 779-1288Fax: (303) [email protected]
ATA Representatives
The ATA Chronicle | October 200276
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
School of Extended StudiesContinuing Education PressCall Toll Free 866-647-7377
or 503-725-4891www.cep.pdx.edu
• Arabic-into-English: Confusion of ish`aa`aat [radiation] and ishaa'aat[rumors] resulting in rumors emanating from an antenna…
We could go on and on—and around and around—about specific errorsand their consequences. Graders spend hours establishing guidelines, andeven then each decision calls for balanced judgment. If you find yourselftaking exception to the points assigned to these errors, arguing for a stricteror more lenient assessment, you may be a potential grader! If that ideaintrigues you, consider attending the grader recruitment session at the ATAConference in Atlanta (it’s on Saturday, November 8 at 3:30 pm), or read theAccreditation Forum column which appeared in the November/December2001 ATA Chronicle, where Terry Hanlen, deputy executive director andaccreditation program manager for ATA, described the process of joining theaccreditation program as a grader.
The Accreditation Forum Continued from p.58
This is an exciting opportunity for you to share your knowledge and experi-ence with appreciative colleagues. For more information, contact: VirginiaPerez-Santalla ([email protected]).
ATA’s Spanish Language Division 2nd Annual ConferenceSt. Anthony Hotel • San Antonio, TexasApril 25-27, 2003
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Get on the fast track: Transit XV.
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FOR LONG-TERMPLANNERS
FutureAnnual
ConferenceSites and
Dates
2003Phoenix,Arizona
November 5-8
2004Toronto,Canada
October 13-16
2005Seattle,
WashingtonNovember
10-15
The ATA Chronicle | October 200278
Mazzucco, Patricia O., and AlejandraHebe Maranghello. Diccionariobilingüe de terminología jurídica(inglés-español/español-inglés).3rd ed., rev. and enl. Buenos Aires:Editorial Abeledo-Perrot, 1998.
Meilij de Romero, Gabriela. Vocabu-lario legal y empresario/ Legal andBusiness Terms. Buenos Aires:Ediciones Depalma, 1987.
Moliner, María. Diccionario de usodel español. 2 vol. Madrid:Editorial Gredos, 1990.
Montoya, Mario Daniel. “La ‘proba-tion’ en los Estados Unidos,” LaLey no. 126 (December 1993): 1-4.
Morales Lebrón, Mariano. Diccionariojurídico según la jurisprudencia delTribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico. 2vols. San Juan: Colegio deAbogados de Puerto Rico, 1977.
New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice.St. Paul, Minnesota: West Group,2000.
Ossorio, Manuel. Diccionario deciencias jurídicas, políticas ysociales. Edited by GuillermoCabanellas de las Cuevas. 27th ed.,rev. and enl. Buenos Aires:Editorial Heliasta, 2000.
Pérez Caballero, Aurelio. Diccionario
jurídico peruano. 6th ed. Lima:Centro de Documentación Andina,1987.
Pina, Rafael de, and Rafael de PinaVara. 1965. Diccionario dederecho. Revised by Juan Pablo dePina García. Mexico City:Editorial Porrúa, 2000.
Ramos Bossini, Francisco, and MaryGleeson. Diccionario de términosjurídicos inglés-español/español-inglés. Granada, Spain: EditorialComares, 1997.
Ribó Durán, Luis. Diccionario dederecho. 2nd ed. Barcelona:Editorial Bosch, 1995.
Rivera García, Ignacio. Diccionariode términos jurídicos. 1976.Reprint, Orford, New Hampshire:Equity Publishing, 1981.
Rivera García, Ignacio. Diccionariode términos jurídicos. 3rd ed. SanJuan, Puerto Rico: Lexis-Nexis,2000.
Robayo, Louis A. Spanish-English,English-Spanish Technical, Legal,and Commercial Dictionary.Montreal: Dictionary Publishing,1952.
Robb, Louis A. Diccionario de tér-minos legales español-inglés
e inglés-español. 1965. Reprint,Mexico City: Editorial Limusa,1991.
Robb, Louis A. Dictionary of LegalTerms Spanish-English, English-Spanish. New York: John Wiley &Sons, 1955.
Romañach, Julio Jr. Dictionary of LegalTerms Spanish-English English-Spanish. Baton Rouge, Louisiana:Lawrence Publishing, 1992.
Saenz, Ricardo O. “La suspensión aprueba del proceso penal (proba-tion),” La Ley no. 134 (July 1994):1-2.
Solís, Gerardo, and Raúl A.Gasteazoro, Jr., Ed. West’sSpanish-English/ English-SpanishLaw Dictionary. St. Paul,Minnesota: West Publishing, 1992.
Tamini, Madolfo Luis, and AlejandroFreeland López Lecube. “La ‘pro-bation’ y la suspensión del juiciopenal a prueba (Comentarios a laley 24.316),” La Ley no. 165(August 1994): 1-3.
West, Thomas L. Spanish-EnglishDictionary of Law and Business.Atlanta, Georgia: ProteaPublishing, 1999.
English→Spanish Legal Dictionaries on Probation Continued from p.44
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