The Voice of Interpreters and Translators THE ATA July/August 2016 Volume XLV Number 4 Conference Preliminary Program with this issue SOAP NOTES: Getting Down and Dirty with Medical Translation A Publication of the American Translators Association Many attendees find that meeting just a few key contacts and landing a large job American Translators Association or two can pay for the entire event. With 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 such a diverse group of players you are Alexandria, VA 22314 USA certain to find people who not only share Tel: +1.703.683.6100 your language, but also your occupation, Fax: +1.703.683.6122 area of interest, and often your experience. E-mail: [email protected] FROM THE PRESIDENT Attendees looking to connect with Website: www.atanet.org potential clients can find them at special DAVID RUMSEY events such as the new Job Fair or in the Editorial Board [email protected] Exhibit Hall. The Brainstorm Networking Geoff Koby (chair) Twitter handle: @davidcrumsey event combines both speed networking Jeff Alfonso and the chance to share solutions to Chris Durban common problems that translators and Corinne McKay ATA’s Annual Conference: interpreters may face. Many attendees Michael Wahlster A Gauge for Professional are thrilled just to meet people who understand what it is they do for a living. Publisher/Executive Director Growth The Annual Conference is often Walter Bacak, CAE [email protected] ailing in the open water can be both described as a “family reunion,” where folks can reconnect with old friends and exhilarating as well as somewhat Editor disorienting. Lots of people rely on network with new business contacts. S Jeff Sanfacon the sun, the stars, or more likely on GPS The conference is unique in that it offers [email protected] equipment, to keep track of their location. special programs developed to help first- But sometimes the best way to determine time attendees feel at home. The Buddies Proofreader not only where you are, but also where and Newbies program does an excellent Cathy Lada you’re headed is to make sure that you job of matching veteran attendees with come ashore every now and then. first-timers so that they can learn tips Advertising When we think of ATA, one of the about the do’s and don’ts and the “must- Lauren Mendell largest landmarks for the Association is attend” events at each conference. [email protected] our Annual Conference. The conference One of the biggest “must-attend” events Tel: +1.703.683.6100, ext. 3001 provides the opportunity for the Board is the Meeting of All Members that is Fax: +1.703.683.6122 and the membership to come together held on Friday morning, during which in a place of both celebration and members can raise their concerns, ideas, Design & Production collaboration. It’s an event that should be and comments directly to the Board. The Blue House Design on every member’s calendar each year. Meeting of All Voting Members is held on www.bluehouse.us The conference attracts upwards of Thursday morning, where members have 1,500 attendees each year, with the the chance to meet the candidates that The ATA Chronicle (ISSN 1078-6457) is published 2009 New York conference attracting are competing for positions on the Board. six times per year by the American Translators over 2,400 attendees, which was close Three directors are added to the Board at Association, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, to almost a quarter of the Association’s each conference. Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. Periodicals postage membership. ATA’s Annual Conference If you’re looking to see the Board in paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and additional is one of the largest conferences in the action, the Board meetings are also open mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address language industry in the world, and attracts to the public. The Board meeting is changes to The ATA Chronicle, 225 Reinekers translators, interpreters, academics, agency held on Saturday afternoon and Sunday Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. owners, government officials, and people morning. There is a special time at the The American Translators Association (ATA) from the realms of technology. end of the meeting for members to was established in 1959 as a not-for-profit With over 175 conference sessions address their comments directly to the professional society to foster and support the tailored to both beginners and Board. At many conferences, there is also professional development of translators and experienced translators and interpreters, the opportunity to get to know a member interpreters and to promote the translation and there can be a lot from which to choose. of the Board more closely at specially interpreting professions. The subscription rate for (The Preliminary Program is included marked tables at breakfast. a member is $25 (included in the dues payment). with this issue of The ATA Chronicle.) The After three days of meetings, sessions, The U.S. subscription rate for a nonmember is $65. conference is an excellent time for you and merriment, attendees and members Subscribers in Canada and Mexico add $25; to get your bearings in our own career, find themselves revitalized and their all other non-U.S. subscribers add $45. decide on any new directions you would careers re-energized. ATA’s Annual Single copies are available for $7 per issue. like to pursue, and learn any tips and Conference also provides the Board tricks of the trade to get you there. with a chance to touch base with the ©2016 American Translators Association One of the most important reasons membership in person and to use the attendees cite for returning to the experiences and exchanges to help guide Reprint Permission conference is the opportunity to network. the Association forward on our journey. Requests for permission to reprint articles should be sent to the editor of The ATA Chronicle 2 The ATA Chronicle | July/August 2016 at [email protected]. July/August 2016 Volume XLV CONTENTS Number 4 FEATURES 27 U.S. Immigration Benefits for Professional Translators 12 and Interpreters International Payment Updates The immigration options available Sending and receiving international to foreign-born translators and payments within the language interpreters are varied. An services industry is a requirement immigration attorney and a of doing business, but it can also certified translator explain the be expensive. Payment options benefits and drawbacks of applying available to our industry are for immigration benefits for foreign- changing constantly, so here is an born translators and interpreters. overview of recent updates to the international payment landscape. 12 16 COLUMNS Where Does Language Fit in with Big Data? 2 From the President What is “big data” and how did it become part of the language 4 From the President-Elect sector? How should translators and interpreters approach it? 5 ATA Social Media 5 Letters to the Editor 20 6 From the Executive Director SOAP Notes: Getting Down and 7 Treasurer's Report Dirty with Medical Translation Progress notes and patient 9 Outreach Report records are the medical 20 29 In Memoriam translator’s bread and butter, but this doesn’t prevent even the most 30 Our World of Words experienced medical translators from making mistakes. 27 33 The Entrepreneurial Linguist 34 Interpreters Forum 23 35 Resource Review How to Read and Translate R and 38 Certification Forum S Phrases in Technical Texts Risk phrases and safety phrases 38 New Certified Members are among the most ubiquitous text units encountered in chemical documentation. Let’s Looking for Member News explore the origin of these and Humor and Translation? phrases to get a better idea of These columns and more can now be how they work and their place in found in the Chronicle-Online edition: documents for translation. www.atanet.org/chronicle-online! www.facebook.com/ Connect www.atanet.org with ATA AmericanTranslatorsAssociation www.twitter.com/atanet www.linkedin.com http://bit.ly/ATA-youtube http://bit.ly/GooglePlusATA FROM THE PRESIDENT-ELECT New for San Francisco: Advanced CORINNE MCKAY [email protected] Skills and Training (AST) Day Twitter handle: @corinnemckay n looking over the attendee evaluations Interpreting: We have a variety of for into-English technical translators, of past ATA Annual Conferences, offerings for our interpreter members: Grant Hamilton’s session on marketing I several trends stand out. Most of our Holly Mikkelson’s sight translation and advertising translation for into- attendees rave about the conference and session, Katharine Allen’s note-taking English translators, or Philip Boehm’s say that whether they’re attending for session, Barry Olsen’s session on session on the voice in literary the first time or the 30th, they always presentation skills for simultaneous translation. (Philip was the recipient of learn something valuable and make interpreters, or Laura Burian and ATA’s Ungar German Translation Award new connections. Another ever-present Jacolyn Harmer’s session on memory in 2007 and 2013.) comment is “More advanced sessions!” development for consecutive interpreters. Although approximately one-third of each Financial Translation: We even have year’s attendees are first-timers who are a session for our advanced financial looking to learn the fundamentals of our We’re thrilled that these highly translators—always the hardest track for industry, an additional third are longtime acclaimed presenters have which to recruit sessions. Robin Bonthrone ATA conference participants who have will be presenting on International been in the industry for several decades. accepted our invitation to present Financial Reporting Standards. For ATA’s 57th Annual Conference in ATA Certification Exam Preparation: San Francisco, we’ve restyled Wednesday’s in San Francisco... Rounding out the AST lineup are two preconference sessions into an entire sessions for ATA certification exam day of offerings to meet the demand for candidates (one English>Spanish in-depth and highly specialized sessions, and one Spanish>English), offered and for training that is delivered better Business and Marketing: Nearly all by experienced graders Jane Maier, in person than online.