August 2002 Volume XXXI Number 8 The

Chronicle A Publication of the American Translators Association in this issue Medical Translating & Interpreting American Translators Association AnnualForty-Third Conference

Hyatt Regency Hotel u

November 6 – 9, 2002 Atlanta, Georgia

See registration form on page 66. August 2002 Volume XXXI in this issue Number 8

Features

A Publication of 17 International Certification Study: Denmark the American By Jiri Stejskal Translators Association 21 Cultural Awareness and the Arabic Interpreter By Aziz El-Nasser Ismail The time has come to meet the challenges of being in the public eye and maintaining the integrity of our work under sometimes difficult conditions.

24 Legal Issues in the Translation of Healthcare Documents Editor By Maria Cornelio Jeff Sanfacon A discussion of the federal government’s stringent regulations covering patients’ rights, [email protected] informed consent, and the protection of human subjects in medical research, and how they relate to the translation of documents written for the healthcare consumer. Proofreader Margaret L. Hallin 29 Alternative Treatment Beliefs and the Medical Interpreter Design/Layout By Vonessa A. Phillips Are there legal precedents that govern the care of patients seeking alternative treatment? Ellen Banker/Amy Peloff How should the medical interpreter react in the event that personal biases and beliefs Advertising interfere with his or her ability to remain impartial in such situations? Brian Wallace 33 Multilingual Medicine: Translation at Mayo Clinic McNeill Group Inc. By Karen Engler [email protected] Major international medical centers need to translate a great deal of written information (215) 321-9662 ext. 38 for patients, physicians, and the general public. This article describes the translation Fax: (215) 321-9636 process at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Executive Director Walter Bacak [email protected]

Editorial Advisors R. Michael Conner, Columns and Departments Leslie Willson, Mike Stacy 6 About Our Authors Membership and 7 From the President General Information 9 From the President-elect Maggie Rowe 10 From the Executive Director 13 The Treasurer’s Report [email protected] 14 Letters to the Editor Document-on-Request: 16 Conferences and Events 1-888-990-3282 57 Accreditation Forum website: www.atanet.org 58 Dictionary Reviews 62 The Translation Inquirer 64 Humor and Translation 64 Display Advertising Index 69 New Active and Corresponding Members 70 ATA Chapters and Groups 72 Marketplace American Translators Association 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 • Alexandria VA 22314 Tel: (703) 683-6100 • Fax (703) 683-6122 E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.atanet.org 2002 Chronicle The Editorial Calendar A Publication of the American Translators Association Chronicle 1999 FIT Best Periodical Award Winner January Focus: Professional Practices Submission Deadline: November 1 The ATA Chronicle Submission Guidelines

February The ATA Chronicle enthusiastically encourages members to submit articles of interest to the fields of Focus: ATA Divisions: Past, translation and interpretation. Present, and Beyond 1. Articles (see length specifications below) are due the first of the month, two months prior to the Submission Deadline: month of publication (i.e., June 1 for August issue). December 1 2. Articles should not exceed 3,500 words. Articles containing words or phrases in non-European March writing systems (e.g., Japanese, Arabic) should be submitted by mail and fax. Focus: Marketing 3. Include your fax, phone, e-mail, and mailing address on the first page. Submission Deadline: 4. Include a brief abstract (two sentences maximum) emphasizing the most salient points of your January 1 article. The abstract will be included in the table of contents. April 5. Include a brief biography (three sentences maximum) along with a picture (color or B/W). Please Focus: Public Awareness be sure to specify if you would like your photo returned. Do not send irreplaceable photos. Submission Deadline: 6. In addition to a hard copy version of the article, please submit an electronic version either on February 1 disk or via e-mail ([email protected]). May 7. Texts should be formatted for Word or Wordperfect 8.0. Focus: Literary Translation 8. All articles are subject to editing for grammar, style, punctuation, and space limitations. Submission Deadline: 9. A proof will be sent to you for review prior to publication. March 1

June Standard Length Focus: Adapting for Success Letters to the editor: 350 words; Opinion/Editorial: 300-600 words; Feature Articles: 750-3,500 Submission Deadline: words; Column: 400-1,000 words April 1

July Focus: Agencies, Bureaus, and Companies An Easy Reference To ATA Member Benefits Submission Deadline: May 1 Your ATA membership has never been more valuable. Take advantage of the discounted programs and services available to you as an ATA member. Be sure to tell these companies you are an ATA member and August refer to any codes provided below. Focus: Medical Translating/ Interpreting Business Owners Insurance MasterCard Submission Deadline: June 1 National Professional Group MBNA America (888) 219-8122 Reference Code: IFKV September www.ata-ins.com (800) 847-7378 • (302) 457-2165 Focus: Interpreting Submission Deadline: Collection Services/Receivables Medical, Life, and Disability Insurance July 1 Management Mutual of Omaha October Dun & Bradstreet (800) 223-6927 • (402) 342-7600 Focus: Legal Translating/ Mike Horoski www.atanet.org/mutual.htm Interpreting (800) 333-6497 ext. 7226 Submission Deadline: Overnight Delivery/Express Package Service August 1 (484) 242-7226 [email protected] UPS November/December Reference Code: C0000700415 Focus: Training and Pedagogy Conference Travel (800) 325-7000 Submission Deadline: Stellar Access www.ups.com September 1 Reference Code: 505 (800) 929-4242 • (619) 453-3686 Professional Liability Insurance Moving? Find an e-mail: [email protected] National Professional Group www.stellaraccess.com (888) 219-8122 error with your www.ata-ins.com address? Credit Card Acceptance Retirement Programs We’ve done everything possible to ensure Program/Professional Services Account Washington Pension Center that your address is correct. But sometimes NOVA Information Systems (888) 817-7877 • (301) 941-9179 errors do occur. If you find that the informa- Reference Code: HCDA tion on the mailing label is inaccurate or out (888) 545-2207 • (770) 649-5700 of date, please let us know. Send updates to: The ATA Chronicle • 225 Reinekers Lane, ...And, of course, as an ATA member you receive discounts on the Annual Conference registration fees and ATA publi- Suite 590 • Alexandria, VA 22314 cations, and you are eligible to join ATA Divisions, participate in the online Translation Services Directory, and much Fax (703) 683-6122 • [email protected] more. For more information, contact ATA (703) 683-6100; fax (703) 683-6122; and e-mail: [email protected].

4 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 36 A Quality Assurance Model for Remote Language Mediation By David Sawyer, Frances Butler, Jean Turner, and Irene Nikolayeva Stone A new quality assurance model for telephone interpreters addressing the challenge of identifying, training, and testing competent bilinguals in this burgeoning sector of the telecommunications industry.

40 Resource Materials for the Japanese→English Translation of Lab Animal Studies The ATA Chronicle (ISSN 1078-6457) is published By Lee Seaman monthly, except bi-monthly A compilation of some of the new trends and terminology from recent medical studies. in November/December, by the American 44 Developing a Glossary of Special Lexical Units Used in Cuba’s Variant of Translators Association. Spanish By Eduardo González Reprint Permission: Using the prose of Zoé Valdés to develop a comprehensive bilingual glossary of special Requests for permission to lexical units, to include colloquial and vulgar Cuban Spanish. reprint articles should be sent to the Chronicle editor at [email protected]. 49 An Interview with Professor Bernard Lewis The subscription rate for a By Lily Liu member is $43 (included in The Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Emeritus, at Princeton University discusses his the dues payment). The U.S. long career and his impressions of Middle Eastern literature and history. subscription rate for a non- member is $50. Subscribers in Canada and Mexico add 66 ATA Annual Conference Registration Form $25; all other non-U.S. sub- scribers add $45. Single 68 ATA Court Interpreting and Translation Seminar Registration Form copies are available for $5 per issue. Second-class Postage rates paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and additional mailing offices. Mark your calendar! The 2002 Annual Meeting of the Upper Midwest Postmaster: Changes of address Translators and Interpreters Association should be sent to The ATA Saturday, October 19, 2002 • Minneapolis, Minnesota Chronicle, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314. The Why attend? American Translators • Help shape the translation and interpreting industry in the upper Midwest. Association (ATA) was • Meet local colleagues and agencies. established in 1959 as a • Learn about the exciting new initiatives underway. not-for-profit professional society to advance the standards of translation ...And much more! Watch for complete details coming soon. and to promote the intel- Contact: [email protected]. lectual and material inter- ests of translators and interpreters in the United States. The statements Attention Exhibitors! made in The ATA ATA’s 43rd Annual Conference Chronicle do not neces- sarily reflect the opinion Atlanta, Georgia • Hyatt Regency Hotel • November 6-9, 2002 or judgment of the ATA, its editor, or its officers or Plan now to exhibit at the American Translators Association’s 43rd Annual Conference in Atlanta, directors and are strictly Georgia, November 6–9, 2002. Exhibiting at the ATA Annual Conference offers the best opportunity those of the authors. to market your products and services face-to-face to more than 1,500 translators in one location. Translators are consumers of computer hardware and software, technical publications and refer- ence books, office products, and much more. Face-to-face selling, as you know, is the most effec- tive and successful method of marketing. The ATA Annual Conference is the perfect venue, and you are assured of excellent visibility. Exhibit space is limited, so please reserve your space today. For additional information, please contact Brian Wallace, McNeill Group Inc., at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 321-9662, ext. 38.

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 5 About Our Authors...

Frances A. Butler (Ph.D.) is a senior Kearney. He is also a certified U.S. federal of materials for FDA submission, articles research associate and language testing court interpreter, medical interpreter, and and books for publication (including specialist at the UCLA Center for the Study writer for newspaper columns. He gradu- Valvular Heart Disease, in collaboration of Evaluation. Known for her research in ated from the University of Havana with a with Steven M. Sherman, M.D., and ABO language testing, especially English as a Licenciatura in English→Spanish transla- Incompatible Kidney Transplantation, in Second Language (ESL), she leads test tion and interpretation. He received his collaboration with Noriko Hill), and regula- development projects and related research Ph.D. from the Moscow Foreign Language tory materials from Japanese→English. focusing on K-12 language minority popu- Pedagogical University. He is a member of Contact: [email protected]. lations and adult ESL learners. She has ATA, the National Association of Judiciary been consulted on, and directed, language Interpreters and Translators, the Nebraska Irene Nikolayeva Stone (Ph.D.) is the testing projects for such organizations as Association of Translators and Interpreters, director of Continuing Education at the Los Angeles Unified School District, the and the National Education Association. NetworkOmni®. A linguist with 20 years of California Department of Education, the Contact: [email protected]. translating, interpreting, language, and liter- Educational Testing Service, and the ature teaching experience and a graduate of Kayenta Unified School District on the Aziz El-Nasser Ismail is an ATA-accredited Kiev State University, she completed a doc- Navajo Reservation in Arizona. Contact: (Arabic→English) translator and simulta- torate program in literary studies and linguis- [email protected]. neous interpreter, who works at conferences, tics and a language teaching methodology seminars, and in the courts. His consultant course in Great Britain. Her dissertation was Maria Cornelio is the work includes test writing and Arabic inter- dedicated to the psychological aspects of director of the Hispanic preter training. Contact: [email protected]. the American novel. She taught English, Research and Recruitment American literature, and translation at Center at Columbia- Lily Liu has translated the essays of con- leading state universities and Kiev Presbyterian Medical temporary Chinese women writers of the Polytechnic University. Her current profes- Center in New York City, Republic of China. She works as a sional interests include the neuropsycho- where she oversees writer/editor in Washington, DC. Contact: logical and neurolinguistic aspects of recruitment and language support pro- [email protected]. bilingualism, the methodologies of intensive grams for Spanish-speaking participants in interpreter training, and the development of clinical studies. She also serves as Vonessa A. Phillips serves as coordinator of training models for business applications. Spanish-language consultant to the New Translation Services at Cross Cultural Contact: [email protected]. York State Psychiatric Institute and teaches Communication Systems, Inc., in Winchester, English→Spanish “Translation in Health- Massachusetts. She is an experienced legal Jean L. Turner (Ph.D.) is an associate pro- care,” a course at New York University’s and medical interpreter, and has worked as a fessor in the School of Languages and Center for Foreign Languages and Trans- language coach and interpreter trainer. She Educational Linguistics at the Monterey lation. She has a master’s degree in interna- is currently involved in the development of Institute of International Studies. She tional studies from the University of Denver training materials for medical interpreters. teaches courses in applied linguistics, and a Diplôme d’Études Françaises from the Contact: [email protected]. including language assessment, research University of Poitiers, France. She studied at design and statistics, and second language the University of Seville, Spain, and has a David B. Sawyer (Dr. phil., Diplom- acquisition. Her current professional and B.A. in Spanish and French from Hunter Dolmetscher, Diplom-Übersetzer) is an asso- research interests include the measure- College of the City University of New York. ciate professor and German program head in ment of oral and aural skills and issues Contact: [email protected]. the Graduate School of Translation and related to the integration of teaching Interpretation at the Monterey Institute of and assessment. She served on the Karen Engler is a transla- International Studies. A conference inter- Educational Testing Service’s Test of tion coordinator in the preter (AIIC—International Association of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Division of Communica- Conference Interpreters) and language medi- Committee, which developed the founda- tions at Mayo Clinic in ation consultant, he has extensive experi- tion for a communicatively-oriented, com- Rochester, Minnesota. She ence in private industry and government. He puter-delivered test of English language is responsible for managing steered the development work of the com- proficiency. She has also consulted with the translation of materials mittee on language interpreting of the the Center for the Study of Evaluation at produced by the Clinic for public distribution. American Society of Testing and Materials. A UCLA and other national and international Contact: [email protected]. graduate of the University of Mainz in organizations. Contact: [email protected]. Germersheim, he also taught conference Eduardo Gonzalez was born interpretation and translation at his alma in Cuba, and has lived in mater. His research interests include cur- Resources ... Europe and South America. riculum and assessment issues in interpreter Directory of Translation and He is an assistant professor education. Contact: [email protected]. Interpreting Services and of Spanish, French, and Directory of Language translation/interpreting in Lee Seaman has been specializing in med- Services Companies the Department of Modern ical and pharmaceutical translation since Languages at the University of Nebraska at 1986, working primarily in the translation (www.atanet.org)

6 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Thomas L. West III From the President [email protected] ATA and Commercial Disputes Among Members

ash flow problems, missed these disputes, the no-win likelihood issue.) This policy codifies what has deadlines, unethical owners, that ATA members were involved on been in effect for the past seven to C poor quality translations… both sides, and that the disputes were eight years. these are just a few of the many com- too time and energy intensive for a The Board is very much aware mercial dispute issues involving ATA shrinking pool of volunteers and a that this policy may draw some crit- members that I have heard as ATA growing membership. icism. In fact, the issue was dis- president. While the association tries However, in 1996, in an effort to cussed again at the June meeting in to do what it can for its members, get- help ATA members, the Board terms of getting consensus on how to ting involved in commercial disputes approved offering the services of Dun disseminate the policy. (It will be is not one of them. & Bradstreet for receivables manage- posted on the ATA website and pub- I understand that ATA’s Ethics ment and collections. D&B’s steeply lished each year in the ATA Member- Committee used to get involved in discounted services for ATA members ship Directory.) ATA will continue to such matters, but that ended nearly a have helped both freelancers and educate both buyers and sellers of decade ago. From what I can surmise, company owners alike. language services as to the best prac- a number of factors got us out of this More recently, at the March 2002 tices: check references, get a com- business, including, number one, the meeting, the ATA Board of Directors mitment in writing, provide quality fact that the world is more litigious approved the Policy of Non- work, etc. than ever. In addition, ATA was driven Intervention in Commercial Disputes. out by the he-said/she-said nature of (The policy appears on page 8 of this

Candidates Announced

ATA Elections • 2002 ATA Annual Conference • Atlanta Georgia

ATA will hold its regularly scheduled election at the upcoming 2002 ATA The candidates proposed by Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, to fill three directors’ positions. The the Nominating Committee are: candidates’ statements will be published in the September ATA Chronicle. Director (three positions, Further nominations, supported by acceptance statements in writing by three-year terms) each additional nominee and a written petition signed by no less than 35 voting members, must be received by the Nominating Committee within 30 Kirk Anderson days of publication by the ATA Board of Directors of the names of nominees Kathy Hall Foster proposed by the Nominating Committee. Acceptance statements and peti- Alexandra Russell-Bitting tions may be faxed to the chair of the Nominating Committee, Ann Madeleine Velguth Macfarlane, in care of ATA Headquarters at (703) 683-6122. Laura Wolfson Timothy Yuan Official ballots will be mailed to all eligible voters prior to the conference. Votes may be cast: 1) in person at the conference; 2) by proxy given to a voting member attending the conference; or 3) by proxy sent to ATA Head- quarters by the date indicated in the instructions enclosed with the ballots.

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 7 The American Translators Association and Commercial Disputes Between Members

All members of the American Translators Association (ATA), by the act of joining the association, agree to abide by the ATA Code of Professional Conduct and Business Practices.

In addition to the principles outlined in the Code, ATA encourages all its members to follow established business prac- tices. Such practices include exercising due diligence and good business judgment before accepting or offering work by verifying that the prospective client or vendor has a satisfactory business record and qualifications with a reasonable expectation of satisfactory future performance.

ATA recognizes that, even with due diligence, commercial disputes between members will sometimes arise. It is the pol- icy of ATA not to undertake to resolve or publicize such disputes for the following reasons:

1 Publicizing alleged cases of non-payment by members would not only require ATA to review such cases and make a finding of improper action, which is not feasible for lack of expertise and resources, but could also open ATA up to potentially expensive and damaging litigation if such cases were publicized on incorrect or insufficient grounds of evidence.

2 The Board of Directors is obligated to allocate ATA resources in a way that maximizes the return to members on the investment they make in joining. Pursuing a policy of intervention in commercial disputes would require us to set aside financial resources to cover the potential legal costs, and to curtail other programs of established bene- fit to members.

3 If ATA were to adjudicate commercial disputes involving claims of non-performance on the part of translation com- panies, fairness would dictate that it also adjudicate disputes involving claims of non-performance by individual translators and interpreters. To do so, ATA would have to determine whether a translator’s or interpreter’s work for pay meets professional standards, a function ATA is not prepared to undertake.

The ATA Ethics Committee is ready to consider cases in which a member has been convicted of a felony or other crime of moral turpitude in a court of law, cases of alleged impropriety in the conduct of association business, and other cases properly brought before it under Article III, Section 6 of the ATA Bylaws. The ATA Ethics Committee will decline to con- sider disputes of any other type.

ATA Committees, Chapters, and Divisions shall not publicize alleged cases of non-payment by members or nonmembers in their newsletters, websites, electronic listservs, or other publications. All ATA members are free, of course, to share among themselves views on commercial or other matters, provided that ATA channels are not used for communications covered by this policy.

ATA wishes to encourage good business practices and to foster a culture of prompt payment among its members. To this end, ATA has made the collection and receivables management services of Dun & Bradstreet available to members at reduced rates. This commercial service, while not always able to resolve a dispute to member satisfaction, neverthe- less offers a useful and economical membership benefit. ATA has also made available on its website a Model Contract for Translation Services. The Board welcomes the initiative by the Translation Company Division to establish a voluntary code of business practices and quality standards for corporate members. ATA members who wish to suggest other ways to help ATA foster good business practices are invited to do so. All suggestions will be carefully reviewed and, if deemed appropriate and feasible, implemented. March 2002

8 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Scott Brennan From the President-elect [email protected] Conference Update: Looking Ahead to Atlanta

TA’s next Annual Conference For prospective T&I mentees and For the athletically inclined, ATA will be held November 6-9, mentors, Courtney Searls-Ridge, ATA Board member Rob Croese has put A 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia. Secretary and head of ATA’s together a round-robin tennis tourna- Read on for a sneak preview. Mentoring Program Task Force, will ment. Rob organized a similar event offer free preconference seminars on three years ago in Hilton Head. Educational Sessions making the most of your mentoring Jack Nowicki, Rita McGrath, ATA members and invited relationship. Sandra Bravo, and other members of speakers will share their expertise our host chapter, the Atlanta Associ- through a strong lineup of educa- Special Events ation of Interpreters and Translators tional sessions and preconference Veteran conference-goers William (AAIT), have volunteered to staff a seminars this year. In addition to Skinner and Anne Vincent have welcome table in the registration area solid offerings in the language pairs agreed to host a Thursday morning so we can all get our bearings and the traditionally well represented at the orientation session for first-time most out of our stay in Atlanta. AAIT conference, I was pleased to see a attendees, offering strategies for is also helping us identify a pro bono substantial number of Dutch and making the most of the ATA confer- project that will benefit a worthy cause Hebrew proposals. Financial, legal, ence: session-picking, making the in the Atlanta area. medical and technical terminology, scene of your choice, working the Barbara Bell is organizing a high interpreting, and literary translation halls… and what’s up with those school outreach program to bring are also well represented across lan- colored dots? ATA members into Atlanta-area guages. See for yourself when the The truth is, I have always thought schools for talks and interpreting Preliminary Program arrives in your that what goes on outside the educa- demonstrations aimed at our next mailbox this month. tional sessions at the conference is generation of colleagues. The “Translation Support Tools just as important as what goes on Forum” will invite a spectrum of soft- inside. Relationships and referrals Hotel ware vendors to present their prod- drive our business. As a catalyst, we Our conference space is a near per- ucts to conference attendees in a hope to offer a networking skills fect fit this year, with session and panel/Q&A format designed to spot- development seminar immediately exhibit halls centrally located on three light the relative strengths of each. before the Thursday evening levels under a 23-story atrium. The Alan Melby, who chairs ATA’s Networking Session. Hyatt Regency on Peachtree Street Translation and Computers Com- On Friday evening, an issues downtown offers a range of dining mittee, will moderate. forum on “Translation and National options, including an attached food At “Translation, Publicity, and Security” will examine the vital role court and restaurants within walking Public Relations: Why Grassroots of T&I with knowledgeable speakers distance. A subway stop is right next Activism Can Make a Difference to and panelists from inside and outside door; the cost from airport bag claim to Your Bottom Line,” members of the professions. hotel is $1.75. For updates, ride/room- ATA’s Public Relations Committee mate match boards, and to browse the will discuss how we can all locally Extracurricular Activities Preliminary Program, visit the confer- work with the media, raise the public ATA’s division administrators are ence website at www.atanet.org (click profile of translators and interpreters, already planning extracurricular on “Conference”). and enhance our image. activities and outings. In addition to Also of special interest to chapter, the Book Splash, After-Hours Café, One of my favorite things about committee, and division officers and and ATA-folia world dance party, the ATA has always been the generosity volunteers is “Jurassic Parliament,” a Chinese, French, German, Italian, and sharing among colleagues, and this preconference seminar on running Japanese, Nordic, Portuguese, Slavic, group effort is the best example. For productive meetings, offered free of Spanish, Interpreters, and Translation me, the Annual Conference is what charge by ATA’s immediate past Company divisions are all planning ATA is all about. See you in Atlanta! president, Ann Macfarlane. social gatherings.

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 9 Walter Bacak, CAE From the Executive Director [email protected] Board Meeting Highlights

ccreditation and membership the ATA treasurer gave an in-depth sent to language services company issues topped the agenda for presentation on his research into the owners, both ATA members and non- A the ATA Board of Directors break-even analysis of the accredita- members alike. This survey will be meeting, held June 29-30 in New tion program, including where we are more in-depth due to the nature of Orleans. Here are some of the high- now and where we can project to be there being more financial and oper- lights from the meeting. once the proposed changes are made to ating areas to address. This survey the accreditation program. will be mailed. Of course, these sur- Accreditation. The Board had veys will be conducted by an outside lengthy discussions over the reports Membership. The Board voted to party, with all information held in given by the Eligibility Requirements increase membership dues. This is the complete confidence and in accor- Ad-hoc Committee and the Continuing first increase since 1996. (For more dance with government regulations. Education Ad-hoc Committee. These information, please see The Treasurer’s The ATA attorney will also review the two committees were established by Report on page 13.) The Board also surveys and the results. ATA President Thomas L. West III, approved offering joint individual/ working in conjunction with Accred- corporate membership. This move will Finances. The Board approved a itation Committee Chair Lilian Novas allow individuals to also have corporate motion by ATA Treasurer Jiri Stejskal Van Vranken and Deputy Chair Celia membership, with the dues discounted to change the ATA fiscal year from the Bohannon. The Eligibility Require- to show some appreciation for sup- calendar year to July 1 to June 30. The ments Ad-hoc Committee, chaired by porting ATA through holding dual change will take place in 2003. (For ATA Treasurer Jiri Stejskal, offered its membership. In addition, the Board more information, please see The initial look at the areas where ATA approved placing a proposed bylaws Treasurer’s Report on page 13.) In should establish eligibility require- amendment on the ballot for November addition, the Board approved placing a ments before a candidate may sit for to broaden the eligibility for student proposed bylaws amendment on the the exam, including levels of education membership. More information on this ballot to change the name of the Budget and years of experience. The Con- will appear in the September ATA Committee to the Finance Committee, tinuing Education Ad-hoc Committee, Chronicle. which more accurately describes the chaired by ATA Director Marian committee’s domain—overseeing the Greenfield, presented its preliminary Surveys. The Board reviewed and association’s finances and investments look at how much continuing educa- discussed the drafts of two surveys while Headquarters and the treasurer tion a “certified” translator should that ATA will be conducting this take care of the budget. have, what constitutes continuing edu- month. The first one is the Translation cation (attending ATA conferences and and Interpreting Services Survey, The minutes of the meeting are seminars as well as non-ATA educa- which will be similar to the survey posted in the Members Only section tional seminars, membership in organ- ATA conducted in 1999. It will be sent of the ATA website (www.atanet.org/ izations, giving presentations, etc.), to all ATA members. In addition, the membersonly). Past meeting minutes and how often someone should have to survey will be sent to nonmembers in are also posted on the site. The next be recertified. Both these committees an effort to make the survey as com- Board meeting is set for November are also looking at what other profes- prehensive as possible. This survey 9Ð10 in Atlanta, Georgia. As always, sions are requiring. These committees will be conducted online. The second the meeting is open to the membership. will report on their continuing efforts survey is the ATA Industry Profile/ at the next Board meeting. In addition, Financial Survey. This survey will be

Join your colleagues at the 43rd Annual Conference in Atlanta, November 6-9, to Are you interested in an discuss the establishment of an ATA Medical Division. ATA Medical Division? An information session will be held on Thursday, November 7, at 5:15pm.

10 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002

ATA’s Fax on Demand 1-888-990-3282 Need a membership form for a colleague? Want the latest list of exam sites? Call ATA’s Document on Request line, available 24-hours a day: The call is toll-free and user-friendly...simply follow the voice prompts and have the ATA documents you need faxed to you. Here’s the current list of documents that are available and their document numbers:

1 Menu 33 Request for Accreditation Review 57 1999 Chronicle Index 20 Membership Brochure 40 List of Publications & Order Form 58 2000 Chronicle Index 21 Membership Application 50 Chronicle Editorial Guidelines 59 2001 Chronicle Index 22 Alternative Routes to Active or 51 Chronicle Advertising Rates 60 ATA Code of Professional Conduct Corresponding Membership 52 1994 Chronicle Index 61 ATAware Order Form 30 A Guide to ATA Accreditation 53 1995 Chronicle Index 70 Chapters, Affiliated Groups & 31 ATA Accreditation Practice Test 54 1996 Chronicle Index Other Groups Request Form 55 1997 Chronicle Index 80 ATA Annual Conference 32 ATA Accreditation Examination 56 1998 Chronicle Index Information Registration Form 90 Model Contract for Translators

Announcing Two New Seminars of Interest to Italian Language Services Translators and Interpreters Global Multilingual Translations Lima, Peru Via Cavour, 15 International Congress for Translators and Interpreters The Colegio de Traductores del Perú 50129 Firenze (FI) October 1-4, 2002 Tel. +39 055 2658133 For more information, e-mail [email protected]. Fax +39 055 2654102 http://www.gmt-ils.it Los Angeles, California Spanish Legal Translators e-mail 1: [email protected] and Interpreters Seminar e-mail 2: [email protected] Intermark Language Services Italian translations October 18-19, 2002 made in Italy For more information on this 9-hour seminar, log onto by Italians for Italians www.intermark-languages.com Technical/Non technical Quality, Speed, Accuracy

12 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Dr. Jiri Stejskal The Treasurer’s Report [email protected] New Membership Fee Structure and Change of Fiscal Year

n an effort to streamline our oper- Student Membership: $65 the fiscal year is the fact that our ations and to boost the associa- Institutional Membership: $150 annual conference, which is the I tion’s revenues, two significant second most significant variable in changes were approved at the ATA The Corporate Membership fee was terms of revenues and the most signif- Board meeting, which took place in raised in 2002 and will remain at $300. icant variable in terms of expenditures, New Orleans on June 29-30, 2002. occurs at the end of the current fiscal The one change directly affecting A new membership category was year which coincides with the calendar nearly all members is the raising of also approved at the June Board year. By changing the fiscal year so membership fees. The individual meeting, namely Joint Individual/ that it begins on July 1, we will be able membership fee was last raised in Corporate Membership. This new cate- to process the actual revenues from the 1996 from $75 to $95. This year’s gory is modeled after the Two-in-One conference and the related expendi- increase was necessitated by infla- Household membership, and will allow tures early in the fiscal year and, if tion of the dollar, as well as the intro- owners of small businesses to combine necessary, take appropriate measures. duction of new programs which do corporate and individual memberships In addition, this will enable us to pre- not generate revenues, but are vital to in a single package with a reduced rate. pare the following year’s budget with our association, such as enhanced The fee for Joint Individual/Corporate all the fiscal data from the most recent electronic services and public rela- Membership will be $365. conference in hand, which will make tions efforts. As of January 2003, the Another significant departure from for better forecasting. I am indebted to dues will be: the current practices of the association our immediate past president, Ann is the change of our fiscal year. As of Macfarlane, for her insights in this Individual Membership: $120 July 1, 2003, the fiscal year of the area. I will be happy to answer any Life Membership: $60 association will be changed to a year questions and provide additional infor- Two-in-One Household: $190 starting on July 1 and ending on June mation on an individual basis. Three-Year Membership: $320 30. The main reason for the change in

Announcing An ATA Professional Development Seminar ATA Court Interpreting & Translation Seminar The Westin St. Francis San Francisco, California • Saturday, September 14, 2002

This seminar will feature a full day of in-depth sessions on court Space is limited. To register, contact ATA Headquarters at 703- interpreting and translation. All sessions will be in English and will be 683-6100 or visit the ATA website—www.atanet.org—On the home submitted for Continuing Education Credit for the States of California page, click on the Court Interpreting and Translation Seminar link and Washington. Abstracts and speaker biographies can be found at under What’s New. www.atanet.org/court/abstracts.htm. To reserve a hotel room, contact The Westin at (415) 397-7000. Plus, an ATA accreditation exam sitting is scheduled for Sunday Be sure to mention that you are attending ATA’s Court Interpreting and morning, September 15, in the hotel. (A separate registration is required Translation Seminar. for the exam. Please contact ATA Headquarters for more information.)

Early-Bird Registration Fees: ATA Members $165 Nonmembers $255 After September 6 and On-site: ATA Members $235 Nonmembers $330

See page 67 for complete information.

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 13 Letters to the Editor

Is there a Place for Pedagogy in the tioners—in order to draw new attention related technologies, for example, put Ivory Tower? to questions of translation pedagogy. their relevance at risk.) A Response to Marilyn Gaddis Rose To that end, it should be noted that Finally, while I believe that the In this age of increasingly rapid pedagogy has no place in the rather academy has an important role to play information transfer, it should per- long list of disciplines named by in the training of translators and in the haps come as no surprise that a book Gaddis Rose as having a connection to creation of life-long learners, I believe can be critiqued before it has even translation studies, which raises the that it is legitimate to ask from time to made it into galley proofs. Never- question: is there a place for pedagogy time that the academy move “beyond theless, I was somewhat dismayed to in the Ivory Tower? the ivory tower” in order to address the read remarks by Marilyn Gaddis Issues of teaching methodology are question of its relevance to the profes- Rose in the June 2002 issue of the clearly the big loser in the debate over sion. (I do not, by the way, share Gaddis ATA Chronicle (page 45) directed at a theory versus practice, insofar as it is Rose’s alarm at the fact that students volume I co-edited for the ATA essentially a debate over curricular prepared in a professional translation Scholarly Monograph Series entitled content (Do we offer workshops on master’s program may not be best pre- “Beyond the Ivory Tower: Re- practical skills or courses on transla- pared to continue in Binghamton’s Thinking Translation Pedagogy” tion theory and history?). In fighting Translation Ph.D. program, which is (forthcoming). Assuming from the over whether to teach “theory” or housed in a department of comparative title of the volume that we were “practice,” the whole question of how literature. Relevance is, after all, rela- invoking the rather tired and, in many to teach translation skills and concepts tive.) However, I also firmly believe respects, specious opposition of prac- most effectively is ignored. Gaddis that plunking a practitioner in the class- tice versus theory (we hope that the Rose defends against the narrowing of room does not in any way guarantee choice facing translator trainers is the translation curriculum into a series that classroom activities will be either not, as Doug Robinson has suggested, of practical workshops, which is, I relevant or effective. Indeed, as Maria- a choice between tools and rules)1 and believe, a worthy battle. The object of Luisa Arias-Moreno has noted: “Most that we were coming out on the side our volume, however, is different: to translators have had the experience of of the former, Gaddis Rose writes: improve the effectiveness of transla- being asked to teach translation “When we see that the next volume of tion teaching. because it is their profession, and many the ATA Series will have a pedagog- In addition to being a metonym for of them have accepted the job although ical theme, ‘Beyond the Ivory Tower,’ the opposition of theory to practice, the they usually do not have any training in we can confidently anticipate the sub- image of moving beyond the ivory teaching…. But if the translator has had text: getting outside is good for trans- tower also makes reference to specific no formal training, the experience is lator training; staying inside may pedagogical initiatives developed over more than chaotic and catastrophic for even be harmful. I beg to differ” (39). the last 25 years that seek to move the students.”5 As one of the editors of the volume beyond traditional models of classroom It is our hope that as doctoral pro- in question, I feel obligated to point out instruction symbolized by “the anti- grams are developed here in the U.S. that Gaddis Rose’s assumption is off quated grammar-translation method of to meet the growing need for compe- the mark. In naming our volume foreign language teaching.”3 These new tent and effective translator trainers, “Beyond the Ivory Tower,” we were initiatives, most widely implemented in translation pedagogy will find its way using “ivory tower” not as a metaphor foreign language classrooms, have into the curriculum.6 In fact, transla- for the academy—in which all the edi- sought to “bring the real world into the tion pedagogy can offer a way out of tors are employed—but as a classroom”4 in such a way as to engage the impasse between theory and prac- metonymic reference to the debate higher level cognitive processing in tice by forcing us to ask different and, over theory versus practice that serves, order to increase student motivation, I think, more useful questions. Instead in many respects, as the organizing confidence, and overall communicative of “How relevant is what I’m teaching principle of the comments made by competence. “Beyond the Ivory Tower” to the profession?” we might better Gaddis Rose. Despite the eloquent addresses the various pedagogical ask, “How effectively am I teaching voices that have pointed out the spe- issues involved in bringing the real students to think about translation.” cious nature of the opposition, the world—often synonymous with profes- theory versus practice debate continues sional practice—into the classroom. Notes to be waged in translation-related (Of course, one does not always have a 1. Robinson, Douglas. 1991. The books and journals.2 I hope that our choice in whether or not to bring the Translator’s Turn. Baltimore: Johns volume might help translator trainers real world into the classroom, as Hopkins University Press, xvi. to see beyond this opposition—that so Gaddis Rose points out. Translator 2. On the debate over theory versus often pits academics against practi- trainers who ignore new computer- practice, see Pym, Anthony. 2001.

14 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 “To Localize and Humanize…On Linguistic Subplot? known as a “Meturgeman” (trans- Academics and Translation.” Lan- In the June issue of the ATA lator), a name still found occasionally guage International, 13 (4): 26Ð28. Chronicle (page 22), Kim Braithwaite among old Jewish families. So, it 3. Kiraly, Donald. 1995. Pathways to takes issue with a passage in a TV would not be surprising that someone Translation. Kent: Kent State series in which Judas Iscariot says he is in the circle of Jesus exercised that University Press, 7. “a translator of documents.” Whether function. It may be an invention of the 4. Krahnke, Karl. 1987. Approaches the Scriptures (i.e., the New Testament, screenwriter that Judas Iscariot trans- to Syllabus Design for Foreign written a generation after the time of lated documents, but it would be in Languages. New York: Prentice- the apostles) back it up, I don’t know. keeping with the custom of the times. Hall, 57. But Braithwaite forgets that Jesus and 5. Maria-Luisa Arias-Moreno. 1999. his followers were all observant Jews. Albert A. Feldmann “What? Teach Translation?” As such, they read and studied the [email protected] Proceedings of the 40th Annual Torah in its original Hebrew. Conference of the American At the time of Jesus, Hebrew had Translators Association, 335. become an archaic language no longer 6. Kent State University is in the understood by many Jews living in It pays ... process of developing such a doc- Judea. The colloquial language was toral program in translation studies. Aramaic, which is closely related. It to keep your listings updated was the custom at the weekly Torah in ATA’s online Directory of Translation and Brian James Baer reading (Torah = the five Books of Interpreting Services and Directory of Associate Professor of Russian Moses) for a translator to deliver a Language Services Companies and Translation Studies running translation from Hebrew into Kent State University Aramaic, the so-called “Targum.” A (www.atanet.org) [email protected] person performing that function was

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 15 Conferences and Events

Washington, DC Rimini, Italy Dublin, Ireland Translators Discussion Group Federecentri International Conference 14th International Japanese/English Borders Books and Music Theme: The Translation Industry Today Translation Conference 18th & L Streets, NW October 11-13, 2002 IJET-14 May 17-18, 2003 Meets the second Wednesday of each Topics: Communication issues, technol- month from 6:30-8:00 pm at Borders. ogy updates, and market developments. The 14th annual IJET conference in For more information, please contact For information, please contact: Susan Dublin will mark the first time that IJET Lily Liu at [email protected] West, has met in Ireland, and promises to pro- (Tel: +39/051/6008831; vide an exciting and charming experi- Slavonice, Czech Republic Fax: + 39/051/6008870; ence for all attendees. This venue was E-mail: [email protected]. proposed in the hopes of not only pro- Slavonice International Translators viding a thoroughly enjoyable confer- Conference 2002 Minneapolis, Minnesota ence, but also to expand the horizons of September 19-22, 2002 2002 Annual Meeting IJET attendees. Just as translations Upper Midwest Translators and serve to bring Japanese- and English- For more information, please contact: Interpreters Association speaking cultures closer together, IJET Zuzana Kulhankova Saturday, October 19, 2002 conferences provide an opportunity for Jana Zizky 2, 378 81 Slavonice first-hand exposure to the languages and Czech Republic Why attend? cultures. It is hoped that IJET-14 will be Tel: +420-332-493777 • Help shape the translation and inter- a learning experience, as well as a good Fax: +420-332-493770 preting industry in the upper time, for all participants. More informa- Mobil: +420-605-726432 Midwest. tion will be available at http://ijet.org/ijet- E-mail: [email protected] • Meet local colleagues and agencies. 14/ shortly. www.scholaludus.cz • Learn about the exciting new initia- tives underway. Cambridge, Massachusetts Call for Manuscripts ...And much more! Watch for complete 6th Annual Massachusetts Medical Multilingual Matters Series Interpreters Association Conference details coming soon. Contact: uppermid- [email protected]. Professional Interpreting in the “Unheard Voices” Real World Cambridge College 1000 Massachusetts Avenue Berlin, Germany Suggested topics: Method (field-specific); October 25-26, 2002 4th International Conference and Procedure (field-specific); Regulations Exhibition (field-specific); Interpreting Equipment For information or to be placed on the Languages and the Media (conference and legal); Education mailing list, contact either Joy Connell Theme: Viewers, Languages, and (basics per field, advanced skills per at (617) 626-8133 Marketing field, advanced theory per field); Skills Hotel InterContinental Berlin ([email protected]) or (memory retention exercises, note tak- December 4-6, 2002 John Nickrosz at (617) 636-5212 ing, troubleshooting per field, and spe- ([email protected]). cific language pair applications). The Who should attend: language industry spe- series editor will be pleased to discuss cialists; manufacturers of language tech- proposals with potential authors. Please Help Us Get the Word Out! nology and tools; consumer representa- tives; decision-makers and specialists on send them to: c/o Multilingual Matters languages in the media; distributors of Ltd., Frankfurt Lodge, Clevedon Hall, Please send us audiovisual media products and services; Victoria Road, Clevedon, information on your upcoming producers; exporters and importers of BS21 7HH, U.K.; or by e-mail to events (including dates, venue, media programs; subtitling and dubbing [email protected]. and contact information) to companies; and experts in media studies Guidelines for book proposals can be [email protected]. and mass communication. Information: found on our website www.languages-media.com. (www.multilingual-matters.com).

PLAN Court Translating and Interpreting Seminar • San Francisco, California AHEAD September 14, 2002 • See page 67 for details!

16 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 International Certification Study: Denmark

By Jiri Stejskal

ith this examination of the Interpreters under the Danish Com- on the authorization of translators situation in Denmark, we merce and Companies Agency. and interpreters. W will close our discussion of With the examination committee, the Nordic countries, initiated in the Historical Overview the Association of Danish-Authorized February 2002 ATA Chronicle with On August 21, 1635, the Danish Translators (Translat¿rforeningen) the discussion of certification proce- King Christian IV published an open came into existence. The authorized dures in Finland and Sweden, and letter stating that all foreign shipping translators obtained the sole right to continued in the last issue with the documents had to be translated into use the title “state-authorized trans- discussion of Norway. Norway and Danish. Thus, the translation industry lator and interpreter” and, de facto, Denmark are closely related (they in Denmark began with the Sound an exclusive right to do interpretation constituted a single country for nearly Dues, a special toll levied on all ships and translation work in the Danish half a millennium). Therefore, the his- passing through the sound between courts of law. The exclusive right was torical data presented in this article granted under the Danish Admin- will apply to our past discussion of istration of Justice Act, entering into Norway as well. Information on “…Certification…is force in 1919. Pursuant to Section selected organizations in Scandinavia administered by the Danish 149 of this Act, the official language is also available in the September of the courts is Danish, and any ques- 1998 ATA Chronicle. In addition to a government and granted to tioning of persons who do not speak well-informed article on the Nordic students who have the Danish language must, if pos- languages in general, followed by an successfully completed sible, be performed through an article on the Danish language in par- authorized interpreter. ticular, the 1998 issue features articles five years of in-depth In 1966, Denmark introduced the on organizations for translators and translation studies…” allegedly first ever law on state- interpreters in Denmark, Norway, authorized translators and interpreters Sweden, and Finland. in the world. All legislation con- The historical data in this article is Denmark and Sweden, with Hamlet’s cerning the authorization of transla- largely based on the information pro- Elsinore being a major traffic junc- tors and interpreters in Denmark can vided by J¿rgen Christian Wind tion for international shipping at that be found at http://130.228.210.124/ Nielsen, state-authorized translator time. The “Translation Office” asso- eogs/lov/menu/tolke.htm (Danish only). and member of the Danish Associ- ciated with the Sound Dues con- Another important piece of legisla- ation of Business Language Graduates tinued to exist until 1857. tion is the Nordic Convention on and of the Association of Danish- Reportedly, in 1785, a royal certi- Languages, Den Nordiske Sprog- Authorized Translators. Information fication was issued to a translator konvention, which entered into force on the associations described here was capable of translating Swedish, on March 1, 1987. The Convention found on their respective websites. Portuguese, Italian, and several makes an exception concerning citi- More detailed reports were generously other languages. By 1800, 10 trans- zens of other Nordic countries by provided by Birgitte Jensen, president lators were certified by the king, allowing them to hand in to public of the Danish Association of Business most of them multilingual and trans- authorities and courts of law docu- Language Graduates; by Flemming lating up to four languages. Certi- ments that are written in their native Koue, past president of the Associ- fication was issued on application, languages. This exception is also appli- ation of Danish-Authorized Trans- and applicants were tested by a cable to Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, lators, state-authorized translator, notary public, who was in charge of Norwegian, and Swedish citizens and assistant professor at the Copenhagen official translations during this to their respective languages. Business School, and coordinator of period. This system was in effect until Translat¿reksamen (a special examina- 1863, the year when the Ministry of Authorization of Translators and tion for translators which is described the Interior was appointed the compe- Interpreters in this article); and by Bo Myhrmann, tent authority. An official examination Certification—or authorization, state-authorized translator and member committee was established in 1910 in as the Danes prefer to call it—is of the Board of Translators and tandem with the first executive order administered by the Danish ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 17 International Certification Study: Denmark Continued government and granted to students in Denmark who want to translate into official Danish title is “translatør og who have successfully completed five and from their mother tongue, but tolk,” or simply “translator,” which is years of in-depth translation studies. also by Danes who want to obtain protected by law. Authorization is thus granted to trans- authorization to perform certified The eligibility requirements are lators and interpreters after they have translations into and from these lan- set forth in the above-mentioned law obtained the degree of cand.ling.merc. guages. The requirements of this spe- on state-authorized translators and (M.A.) in translation and interpretation cial examination do not differ much interpreters (Act No. 213 of June 8, from either the Copenhagen Business from the requirements of the regular 1966). While the law has been School (CBS) or the Århus School of M.A. program, but a major difference amended several times since then, the Business (ASB). is the fact that no structured training is original text is quoted here in unoffi- Studies in English, French, German, available (i.e., candidates are left to cial English translation. Pursuant to Spanish, and, to a limited extent, Italian study on their own). The examination Section 1(2), authorization may be and Russian are offered by the business is both written and oral, and is con- granted to any person who: schools as full-time programs. The ducted more or less along the lines of present training structure for these lan- the M.A. program. This means that i. Is of Danish nationality; guages is three years for the bachelor’s students have to demonstrate an ability ii. Is a resident of Denmark; degree and another two years for the to translate complex and up-to-date iii.Has attained the age of 25; master’s degree—the last two years texts of, for instance, a legal, technical, iv. Is under no legal incapacity or being devoted to specialization in and economic nature, representing guardianship, and whose estate is either international communication and realistic text types from the Danish not in the hands of the Official marketing/corporate communication, market for freelance translation serv- Register; and who language engineering or, most impor- ices. Each text is about one page long. v. Has passed a particular examination. tantly in this context, translation and Dictionaries and other aids are allowed interpreting with a focus on language (but not the Internet), and so is the use Under Section 1(4), “the Com- for special purposes. The core subjects of computers. The examination used to merce and Companies Agency may taught in the qualifying master’s pro- be free, but currently the whole grant exemption from the condition gram for translation and interpreting process of authorization is estimated to stipulated in Subsection (2)(i) include legal language, technical lan- cost about 1,800 euros. Mr. Flemming above.” In fact, the requirement of guage, economics, accounting, banking Koue of CBS is responsible for the Danish nationality and residency in and finance, and interpretation skills. professional standard of the languages Denmark no longer applies to citi- Moreover, grammar, linguistics, the not included in the regular M.A. pro- zens of the European Union and the methodology of information retrieval, gram, and can provide detailed infor- European Economic Area. This and translation theory serve as useful mation in this respect (contact: means that a Danish citizen is now tools for students, who are required to [email protected]). allowed to reside in a foreign EU or pass a broad range of examinations, When candidates have successfully EEA country and work as a state- written and oral, to obtain the degree. It completed their master’s degree from authorized translator. Besides, any is important to note that translation either of the two business schools or citizen of the EU or EEA is eligible studies also include translation into and passed the special translator’s exami- for authorization when he or she has from Danish, as authorized translators nation at CBS, they are eligible for obtained the qualifying degree at the commonly translate into their foreign “state authorization” from the Danish Danish business schools. language. Detailed information on the Commerce and Companies Agency Translators from other EU coun- programs is available at the websites of under the Danish Ministry of tries may apply for authorization in the two schools (www.cbs.dk and Economic and Business Affairs. The Denmark in compliance with the www.asb.dk, respectively). authorization is granted automati- provisions of Council directive In languages other than those men- cally upon application, and entitles 89/48/EEC concerning mutual recog- tioned above, candidates may register translators to use the official stamp nition of diplomas. In this situation, the for a special translator’s examination or seal (with the crown at its center) Danish Commerce and Companies administered by CBS. This is an and to call themselves “state-author- Agency passes on the application, option frequently used by foreigners ized translator and interpreter”—the together with the respective diploma,

18 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 to the Board of Translators and court of law or presented to the gov- Translators (Translat¿rforeningen) and Interpreters and to CBS for their com- ernment authorities in a foreign the Danish Association of State- ments. These official bodies then com- country (pleadings, wills, divorce Authorized Translators and Inter- pare the contents of the diploma with orders, exam papers, and birth certifi- preters (Dansk Translat¿rforbund), the Danish rules and standards. cates). The translator’s signature and respectively. Translat¿rforeningen was Frequently, these diplomas do not stamp (or seal) must later be authen- established on March 20, 1910, and meet the Danish standards because ticated by the Commerce and acted as one of the six founding mem- they do not include a test in legal, tech- Companies Agency, whose signature bers of the International Federation of nical, or economic language, and the and stamp (in case of a translation Translators (FIT) in 1953. Its members applicants are required to pass the cor- into a foreign language) are authenti- are all trained translators or graduates responding examinations before they cated by the Danish Ministry of from one of the previously mentioned can obtain the authorization (Danish Foreign Affairs. Finally, the min- Danish business schools, and are certi- being one of the required languages). istry’s signature and stamp need to be fied by the Danish state to work as In addition to the rules on authori- authenticated by the consulate of the translators and interpreters. They may zation, Act No. 213 lays down the country where the translation is going write the abbreviation “MTF” after rights and responsibilities of state- to be used. It is at this point that the their name to indicate their member- authorized translators and inter- document obtains legal validity in the ship in the association. Translat¿r- preters. Overall, this law is mainly country in question. New rules and foreningen now has about 180 intended to protect customers by bilateral conventions have been members, divided into five categories, imposing on translators an obligation adopted to avoid this very formal and and is represented on the Board of to be careful and accurate in their pro- time-consuming procedure. As a Translators and Interpreters under the fession, and by specifying that any result, some countries only demand a Danish Commerce and Companies infringement of the provisions will be single stamp on a translation to make Agency (currently by Bo Myhrmann). considered a punishable offence. it legally valid, either from their own The association serves its members by They must also strictly observe the consulate or from the Commerce and providing advisory services, pro- rule of professional secrecy. Companies Agency. moting their interests in relation to Section 3(2) of the law stipulates The total number of state-authorized government agencies, and organizing that the Danish Commerce and translators and interpreters in courses on relevant subjects. Courses Companies Agency may set up a Denmark is 2,385 (as of April 30, are also open to nonmembers. board to assist the agency in adminis- 2002), most of whom are organized In 1989, a group of authorized tering the law. The Board of with the Danish Association of translators left Translat¿rforeningen to Translators and Interpreters is thus Business Language Graduates form the Danish Association of State- consulted on many aspects of rele- (EsF), described in the next section. Authorized Translators and Inter- vance to the authorization and the A growing number of translators preters (Dansk Translat¿rforbund), profession of translators, including combine in-house work with part- while Translat¿rforeningen joined changes in study programs and time freelance activities, and may forces with the Danish Association of authorization applications from trans- therefore also be members of one of Business Language Graduates (EsF, lators with diplomas from foreign the two trade associations for see below) as a section for self- institutions of higher education. mainly self-employed translators. employed authorized translators. The A state-authorized translator has Self-employed translators account hundred or so members of Dansk the right to perform certified transla- for roughly 400-500 of all state- Translat¿rforbund are translators and tions into and out of Danish and the authorized translators. interpreters, mostly self-employed, relevant foreign language. This is who are certified by the Danish state understood to mean a translation that Associations for Authorized and who indicate their membership in the translator signs and stamps to cer- Translators and Interpreters the association by writing the letters tify that the text is “a true and faithful Today, Denmark has two profes- “MDT” after their names. Dansk translation of the attached document.” sional associations for state-authorized Translat¿rforbund has adopted a code This could typically be a legal docu- translators and interpreters: the of ethics which every member must ment that needs to be used in a foreign Association of Danish-Authorized follow. Each member of DT is ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 19 International Certification Study: Denmark Continued under an obligation to keep his or her published by the two organiza- be a major stumbling block in the future professional knowledge and profi- tions, and other publications); discussion as to whether such arrange- ciencies updated. To help contribute ments will be feasible. to this process, DT regularly holds 2. To assist each other with advice Another important lesson learned courses on relevant subjects. The and guidance concerning profes- from this agreement is the fact that courses are also open to nonmembers. sional matters when such assis- while in Denmark it reportedly serves The alliance between Translat¿r- tance may be offered without legal as a tool used by the EsF secretariat foreningen and EsF ended in 2001, liability to the assisting party; when giving advice to members who when Translat¿rforeningen again are traveling to the U.S., on the ATA became an independent organization 3. To render assistance to the organiza- side, the agreement could be acted upon in response to developments in the tion’s members in connection with with greater involvement than is cur- market for self-employed authorized professional matters in the country rently the case. For future arrangements translators, and to avoid any conflict in question, when customary and of this nature, it will be important to of interest between employees and feasible; establish a mechanism for continued employers among the two organiza- support and development of such agree- tions’ own members. 4. To mutually admit members of the ments, perhaps through a standing com- other organization to attend as mittee or a staff member. Danish Association of Business observers and to participate on Further information on the organi- Language Graduates equal footing with the organiza- zations described in this article is The Danish Association of Business tion’s members in open meetings, available at their respective websites: Language Graduates (Erhvervssprogligt courses, seminars, conferences, or Forbund, or EsF) is among the associa- other similar activities of the Association of Danish-Authorized tions featured in the September 1998 organization, on standard terms, Translators ATA Chronicle. EsF, a member of FIT, fees, and conditions of entry; (Translat¿rforeningen): essentially acts as a trade union. In addi- www.translatorforeningen.dk tion to the issues directly related to the 5. To permit simultaneous membership (Danish and limited English) T&I field, such as organizing courses in both organizations, upon payment and conferences for translators and of required dues and compliance Danish Association of interpreters, EsF is actively engaged in with conditions of membership. State-Authorized Translators working conditions for employees, and Interpreters including salaries and maternity leave, The purpose of the International (Dansk Translat¿rforbunds): working hours, all types of contractual Certification study is to explore the possi- www.dtfb.dk (Danish and limited issues, and employment in Denmark bility and feasibility of such reciprocal English) and abroad. While EsF does not offer arrangements, particularly in the field of any certification, it is of interest here certification. While reciprocity in certifi- Danish Association of Business because it is the only foreign organiza- cation does not apply to the document Language Graduates tion for translators and interpreters with above, there are other reasons why future (Erhvervssprogligt Forbund): which ATA has a formal agreement, arrangements of this sort might prove dif- www.esf.dk (Danish only) entitled “Principles of Cooperation.” ficult. In the case of Denmark and other The document, signed in the fall of 1999 Scandinavian countries, a major consid- In the next issue we will examine the by Past ATA President Muriel Jérôme- eration is the fact that the certification very different certification procedures O’Keeffe and current EsF President processes in the U.S. and in Scandinavia in Japan. As the editor of this series, I Birgitte Jensen, serves the following are essentially different in nature. While encourage readers to submit any rele- purposes: in the U.S., certification is carried out by vant information concerning non-U.S. independent professional organizations, certification or similar programs, as 1. To exchange current information namely the accreditation offered by ATA, well as comments on the information about, and between, the organiza- in Scandinavia, certification (authoriza- published in this series, to my e-mail tions (official notices, mono- tion) is granted directly by the govern- address at [email protected]. graphs, circulars, periodicals ment of the respective country. This will

20 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Cultural Awareness and the Arabic Interpreter

By Aziz El-Nasser Ismail

(Note: The following appeared in the resources, from law enforcement to passport-issuing departments do not Winter 2002 [Vol. XI, No. 1] issue of the media. How can anyone tell who have this limitation, and so banks and Proteus, the newsletter of the National is who? airlines have to deal with name vari- Association of Judiciary Interpreters Males and females from Arab ance as a continuing issue. and Translators. It is reprinted here countries, including Christians and Immigrants to Western countries use with permission.) Muslims, use the father’s first name three names when filling out docu- as a middle name. (Initials are never ments: first name, father’s first name, ince the tragic events of used in Arabic or other Arabic- and family name. Name divergence September 11th, issues related alphabet-based languages, such as was at the root of the confusion when S to Arabic→English translation Farsi or Urdu.) When a child is born, authorities first tried to identify the and interpretation have been more in families may to want to honor a 9/11 hijackers by matching foreign the public eye than ever before. Many great-great-grandfather who was a passport names to those on green articles in the electronic and print notable, or the prophet Muhammad, cards and drivers’ licenses. media have focused on the shortage of and those names may be included To further complicate matters, Arabic interpreters and translators within the full name. when Arabic-origin names are translit- and the shortcomings of their work. erated into English, they can be Colleagues have been interviewed in- spelled in different ways. There is no depth about methods, processes, and “…Interpretation must be official or government standardization delivery systems. Interpreter accuracy balanced with connotation in the U.S. except at the Verbatim has been both praised and debated. Section of the United Nations. The time has come to meet the and context…” International media use The New York challenges of being in the public eye Times Manual of Style and Usage. and maintaining the integrity of our Individuals and other entities do as work under sometimes difficult con- Thus, it is not unusual for a name to they wish. For this reason, we see ditions. The Arabic language is have four or five components, gener- “Shaikh,” “Sheikh,” and even common to 22 countries, each with ally in this order: the given name, the “Shaykh.” The article “Al-” is also its own colloquialisms, dialect, cul- father’s first name, the grandfather’s spelled “El-,” and sometimes as “el-.” ture, and view of religion. Not all first name, the great-grandfather’s We also see “Abdel-Rahman,” “Abdul- Arabs are Muslims and not all first name, and then the family name Rahman,” and “Abd el-Rahman.” (The Muslims are Arabs; Arab Christians (surname). For example, my birth adjective “Abdel” is never used alone, and Arab Jews are minorities ranging certificate and original ID list my as it means “servant of…” and the from small to large in some countries. name as “Aziz Abd El Rahman El- name which follows can be any one of Interpreters will inevitably have to Nasser Ismail Fahmy.” On my first the 99 names which refer to God. function occasionally as educators passport, the clerk dropped “Fahmy.” Though the name “Abdel-___” is pri- within the legal system, not only to However, my brother’s official name marily used by Muslims, Christians clarify to others the nuances of is Ahmed El-Nasser and my sister is use it as well.) Arabic, but also to interpret the Dalia Fahmy. You can imagine what rhetorical flourishes of the spoken we went through as kids growing up Communication in the Legal Arena language without creating the wrong in Lowell, Massachusetts! Not all Arabic interpreters have impression. Like it or not, whether by The first official document is the had the opportunity to visit or work default or force majeure, our work, to birth certificate, from which a in all parts of the Arab world, or to some extent, is to interpret culture as national ID card is based. The pass- have friends and acquaintances from well as language. port is based on the ID card. Along different regions—which differ not the way, government clerks can drop only in their use of vernacular, but What’s In a Name? names, depending on the space avail- also in culture, religion, politics, and Culture often begins with a name. able on the document. Countries tran- ideology. While some interpreter The issue of Arab and Muslim names sitioning to computer-generated coordinators in the different courts has befuddled many in the West, documents have a space limit of four are aware of regional issues and from airline personnel to human names. However, most countries’ endeavor to assign interpreters ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 21 Cultural Awareness and the Arabic Interpreter Continued carefully, in some cases, the inter- In the Abdel-Rahman trial, a gov- anything which might be misunder- preter may need to determine before- ernment translation of a sermon, stood. We have to balance our interpre- hand the appropriateness of a which quoted extensively from the tation with connotation and context. particular assignment. An Arabic Koran and Hadith,3 was introduced. In the Abdel-Rahman trial, a interpreter may be called to interpret When the English translation was common everyday interjection, for defendants and witnesses from read in the courtroom, the Arabic Yikhrib Beitak, used innocuously by anywhere in the Arab world. The interpreters had to translate it back Egyptians and other Arabs, was liter- interpreter will always be able to per- into Arabic. Anyone familiar with the ally translated for the jury as “May form more effectively if the country Koran and Hadith knew that the God destroy your home” or “May of origin of the person needing the English did not closely reflect the your house be destroyed.” However, if interpretation is known. original. Should the interpreter depart translated contextually from a com- For example, if a defendant is from the document and quote directly bined linguistic and cultural perspec- from North Africa, I ask whether he from the religious books, or interpret tive, the translation might be: “Oh, would be more comfortable with a accurately from a bad English trans- you fool.” or “God, you’re such an French interpreter. If he prefers lation? In this case, a combination of idiot.” Clearly, any time in a criminal Arabic, I ask if he understands both was best, and the interpreter trial where life and freedom are at Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). In informed the listener in advance—the stake, a misinterpretation of a word or one case, I was given an affirmative Sheikh himself—that the Koranic phrase, minor as it may be, may have answer, but once the proceedings verses were not being cited verbatim unintended or devastating results. started, the defendant requested inter- in the reverse translation. Another example occurred in the pretation in Egyptian dialect, which crash of Egyptair Flight 990 in he readily understood. The Importance of Cultural October 1999. When the cockpit When a defendant or witness does Awareness voice recorder was retrieved, one not have the benefit of much educa- Cultural awareness of the differ- phrase spoken by the co-pilot, tion, he tends to speak in a colloquial ences and similarities in the Arab “Tawakkalt 'ala Allah,” was trans- language, using local words or terms world became important in the exten- lated according to the news reports as, which may be unfamiliar to the inter- sive media coverage of the 1990- “I put my trust in God.” The media preter. I faced this in a case with an 1991 Persian Gulf War. Many speculated that it was a prayer, and a Iraqi witness. In these instances, one Arabic-language speeches and state- suicide prayer at that. Egyptian does the best one can, and asks the ments, as well as follow-up debate experts and government spokesper- person to speak in “classical,” or to and clarification by Arab-origin sons pointed out that it is an everyday provide synonyms for unfamiliar experts, were interpreted into expression in Egypt. (Egyptians rou- expressions. English. When it was reported that tinely use this expression when com- Trials in which a non-Western reli- American children were traumatized mencing a journey or starting the car, gion or belief system is highlighted in by images of Arabs and could not for example.) Similarly, Muslims evidence or testimony will pose spe- sleep at night, ABC News aired a often use the phrase “Bismillahir cial challenges. In trials involving three-hour television special. Peter Rahman Nir Rahim” (“In the name of Islamic militants, there will almost Jennings, who for years had been God, the Merciful, the Compas- certainly be references to Islam, based in the Arab world, wrote and sionate”), especially to begin a speech Shariah,1 and the Koran.2 Indeed, anchored the program. Among the or before any written or verbal com- there were numerous references to many points raised were the role of munication. Does this mean that Islam in the case involving the Iraqi, interpreters, both government and every action is a kind of Jihad per- but not as many as in the later trial of TV-contracted, and how translations formed in the name of Allah, the Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the of emotional rhetoric and religious Merciful, the Compassionate? The blind Egyptian cleric who was the verses sound to an American ear. possible misunderstandings are spiritual leader of the Islamic group Interpreters under pressure gener- obvious. When an expression indige- El Gama’a El-Islamiya, who was ally do not have the benefit of (or the nous to certain people is not inter- tried for seditious conspiracy in a plot time for) clarification. We have to be preted culturally in the context in to blow up New York landmarks. careful not to inject meaning or say which it is uttered, it might very well

22 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 indicate aggressive, antagonistic enhance your skills is through con- behavior to a foreign listener. stant dictionary usage. Consider When the job of translating the seeking ATA accreditation in cockpit recorder is assigned, a savvy Arabic→English translation, and Traveling to ATA’s 43rd language coordinator would know to join the ATA Interpreters Division. Annual Conference in look for a culturally and religiously Atlanta, Georgia appropriate interpreter. But the average ¥ Observe Arabic↔English interpre- Couldn’t Be Easier! person would not think of it, any more tation at every opportunity. This than if he were seeking a Spanish inter- includes taping TV coverage of preter, for example. Any interpreter visits of Arab dignitaries where ATA once again offers the accepting such an assignment would there is interpretation, either services of Stellar Access to help do well to suggest that it would be simultaneous or consecutive, as you with your travel arrange- helpful to have an Egyptian colleague well as news coverage of Arab ments. Through Stellar Access for consultation. Under the circum- world events. conference attendees are eligible for discounted air travel and stances, an interpreter’s need for fur- rental cars. ther consultation should not be viewed ¥ Develop a network of professionals Call Stellar Access at 1-800- as a lack of skill. However, it is up to (linguists, interpreters, and transla- 929-4242, and ask for ATA the interpreter to make these matters tors) with whom you can consult Group #505. Outside the U.S. known, and to doublecheck with other about unfamiliar terminology. and Canada, call 858-805-6109; experts before pronouncing an expres- fax: 858-547-1711. A $30 ($35 sion which may carry different shad- Notes from outside the U.S. and ings in different countries. 1. The principle source on which Canada) transaction fee will be The following suggestions may help Islamic law is based is the Koran, applied to all tickets purchased us face delicate situations in the future. which contains the rules by which by phone. Reservation hours: the Muslim world is organized and Monday-Friday 6:30am-5:00pm Pacific Time. ¥ Ask friends from other Arab coun- governed. It describes the rela- A $15 transaction fee will be tries to speak to you in their collo- tions between man and God, and applied to all tickets purchased quial Arabic so your ear becomes the means to resolve conflicts online. Visit their website at used to it, and ask for explanations among individuals and between www.stellaraccess.com and book of certain words and phrases. the individual and the state. your reservations from the con- venience of your home or office ¥ Study legal documents and refer- 2. Literally, “recitation,” a record of anytime! First-time users must ences in Arabic and English, concen- the exact words revealed by God register and refer to Group #505. trating on criminal law first. Much through the Angel Gabriel to the can be downloaded from the Internet. Prophet Mohammad. It contains Mark your calendar! 114 Suras, or chapters, dictated to November 6 – 9, 2002 ¥ It is helpful to have at least a pas- the companions of the Prophet and sive knowledge of French, espe- is written by scribes who cross- cially in the legal field. Consider checked the content with the studying it to, at a minimum, Prophet during his lifetime. Not u acquire reading comprehension. one word of the chapters has changed since that time. ¥ Become as familiar as possible with ATA’s 43rd Annual the Bible, Koran, Hadith, and 3. “Traditions of the Prophet,” a reli- Shariah texts in Arabic and English. ably transmitted report of what Conference Prophet Mohammad said, did, or Atlanta, Georgia ¥ If you are primarily an interpreter, approved of during his lifetime. sharpen translation skills to the highest possible level. One way to

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 23 Legal Issues in the Translation of Healthcare Documents

By Maria Cornelio

n my capacity as a reviewer of 3. Knowledge of the purpose of the In 1999, JAMA published the translations at a major medical translation. results of a study conducted among I center, I am called upon to pass Medicare enrollees in a managed care judgment on the quality of translated In this article, I will examine the last organization. This study found that documents intended for the health- three factors in the context of the fed- 33.9% of English speakers and care consumer. Quite often, the eral guidelines and how they relate to 53.9% of Spanish speakers also had problem with those translations is not healthcare translations. In order to do problems understanding written one of quality, but one in which the that, we must first look at the issue of instructions.4 original and the translated document adult literacy in the United States. Another study, published in 1994, seem to be intended for completely found that the mean reading level of different purposes. This article is Spanish-speaking Medicaid recipi- written from my perspective as a “…As translators for the ents is grade 3.1.5 reviewer of translations for the healthcare consumer, we According to the January 2002 issue Spanish-speaking user of healthcare of the online journal, U.S. Pharmacist: services in the United States. not only have to think like “More than 40% of patients with However, many of its recommenda- doctors, we also have to chronic illness are functionally illit- tions can probably be adapted for use erate. Almost 4 of all adults read at or by translators of other languages. think like lawyers…” below a 5th grade level, while medical Most professional translators do not information is generally written at a seem to be aware of the fact that the 10th grade level or above.”6 federal government has established Adult Literacy in the U.S. and Its Among the statistics cited by the certain guidelines for writers of con- Implications for Healthcare Minnesota Extension Service are the sumer health information. It is clear The 1993 National Adult Literacy following: “One in five adults cannot to me that many of the translations I Survey found that about 90 million tell the difference between a bottle of see have not been done with the people are functionally illiterate.1 medicine and a bottle of poison,” and guidelines in mind, even when the That is, they have difficulty finding a each year there are 700,000 high English originals follow those guide- specific piece of information in a brief school graduates who cannot read lines very closely. news article, computing one-step their own diplomas.7 It is generally agreed that transla- math problems, or signing in the In addition, illness, pain, and tors must: appropriate place on a form. These many medications tend to reduce people are at higher risk of misunder- people’s comprehension levels. 1 Have an excellent command of standing their diagnosis, prescription their source and target languages. materials, self-care and safety instruc- Medical Writing for the 2 Be good writers with an extensive tions, as well as making serious errors Healthcare Consumer general vocabulary. in administering medications.2 Given these statistics, it is obvious In 1995, the Journal of the Ameri- that writing for the healthcare con- And, of course, for anyone doing can Medical Association (JAMA) pub- sumer has its own set of constraints translations in the medical field, there lished the results of a study carried out that set it apart from other types of is a third requirement: knowledge of in two public hospitals in Atlanta, medical writing, such as writing for medical terminology. Georgia, and Los Angeles, California. medical journals and medical profes- There are three additional factors More than 35% of English speakers sionals. Generally, documents written that are equally important, but do not and more than 61% of Spanish for the healthcare consumer can be always receive as much attention. They speakers had difficulty understanding divided into three major types are crucial when we talk about the directions on prescription bottles and according to the purpose they are translation of health-related materials: appointment cards. In addition, 33% of intended to serve, and the translators the Spanish speakers, “could not of these documents must take this 1. Precision in the use of language. understand a Spanish translation of into account. 2. Use of the appropriate register for standard patient instructions about The first type of document con- the intended audience. how to prepare for x-rays.”3 sists of patient education materials.

24 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Their purpose is to provide informa- materials. The website of the National but also to protect the rights and safety tion. Some examples are: advising Institutes of Health (NIH), www1.od. of patients undergoing invasive med- patients on how to manage a chronic nih.gov/execsec/guidelines.htm, has ical procedures. Mandatory compli- illness, such as diabetes or kidney an excellent resource for those who ance also affects all documents written failure; teaching patients about ill- wish to take these issues into account for human subjects taking part in med- ness prevention, exercise, or diet; and when writing for the healthcare con- ical and scientific research. indicating dosages and side effects of sumer: “Clear and to the Point: The federal government has estab- medication. Guidelines for Using Plain Language lished a rigorous set of procedures The second type includes at NIH.” that govern the conduct of clinical informed consent forms, which, in The guidelines offer practical sug- research. These are known as “Good addition to providing information, gestions for producing a document Clinical Practices,” or GCP for short. are also meant to protect a person’s that is easily accessible to the average The GCP codifies the way in which legal rights. They are used in surgery reader. It makes an important distinc- clinical research is conducted, how and other invasive medical proce- tion between what constitutes “plain the quality of the results is monitored dures, and also when people volun- language” (grammatically correct and evaluated, and how the welfare teer for medical research studies. language with accurate word usage and rights of study subjects are pro- The third type of document is a that is clearly written and does not tected. The GCP has several require- questionnaire designed to obtain infor- have unnecessary words or expres- ments. Of concern to translators is the mation from the patient or research sions) and unprofessional writing that one that stipulates that each study volunteer. This type includes medical is “dumbed down” or that “talks must be reviewed and approved by an histories, demographic information down” to the reader. The guidelines Institutional Review Board (IRB) sheets, and research questionnaires. cite several features as the hallmarks where the research is being conducted of plain language. Among the more to ensure that the rights and safety of Government Guidelines: important ones are the following: the subjects are protected and that Voluntary Compliance their consent to participate in the In all of these types of documents, ¥ Use common, everyday words. study was informed and freely given. it is crucial that the patient under- ¥ Use “we,” “you,” and other stand the information that is being personal pronouns. Food and Drug Administration conveyed. Because of the literacy ¥ Use the active voice. Regulations Pertaining to IRB problems I mentioned earlier, in ¥ Avoid the use of undefined Protection of Human Subjects recent years several federal agencies technical terms. Of the many Food and Drug have developed standards to serve as ¥ Avoid the use of long strings of Administration (FDA) regulations a guide for writers of healthcare nouns. dealing with clinical research, the information aimed at the consumer. ¥ Use logical organization. following have a direct bearing on Of course, if the English original ¥ Use easy-to-read and understand how documents for the subject are does not follow the guidelines, the design features, such as bullets written and translated. translator is under no obligation to do or tables. so. But as a reviewer, I see increasing 21 CFR 56.111 (a) (3) numbers of English documents that Included is a “Simple Measure of Information must not be mis- follow the guidelines while their Gobbledygook (SMOG) Readability leading to subjects, especially to translations do not. Index” to determine the grade level of the physically and mentally ill or There are two types of compliance the text (the recommended reading those who are economically or with respect to these guidelines: vol- level being fourth to eighth grade). educationally disadvantaged. untary compliance and mandatory compliance. Voluntary compliance Government Guidelines: 21 CFR 56.111 (b) involves the use of the guidelines to Mandatory Compliance The IRB must institute appro- make health information more acces- Compliance with the guidelines priate safeguards to protect the sible to the public and to enhance the becomes mandatory when the docu- rights and welfare of research sub- effectiveness of patient education ments are meant not only to inform, jects. This includes using ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 25 Legal Issues in the Translation of Healthcare Documents Continued

appropriate language so that the The IRB of each research institu- The first section states the purpose subject can fully understand the tion formulates its own guidelines, of the study. Here, the subject is told information he or she is given. specifying in great detail just how a what the study is designed to discover researcher is to carry out the govern- or establish and is provided with some The informed consent form (gen- ment’s language requirements for background information on the study erally referred to simply as the con- subject informed consent forms. The hypotheses, including why and how sent form) is the most important federal government is extremely vig- the subject was selected to participate document given to a research subject. ilant in monitoring an IRB’s handling and how many people and institutions Its wording is closely monitored by of subject consent. It demands strict will take part. FDA regulations do not the federal government and the IRB adherence to its requirements, and permit investigational drugs to be of each institution. Besides being the some IRBs around the country have given to “patients,” since that presup- subject’s major source of information been sanctioned or even shut down poses “treatment.” Therefore, it is on the study in which he or she will by regulatory agencies for laxity in important in studies of such drugs to participate, it is also a legal document enforcing regulations. Therefore, call participants “subjects” to make it that binds the researcher and the translators should be aware that by clear that they are participating in an institution to protect the subject’s the time they receive a consent form experimental “study” and not under- rights and safety. to be translated, the document has going established medical treatment. The Office for Protection from been through a complete IRB review Many of the translations I see use the Research Risks of the Department of and both the style and content have Spanish word for “patient” even Health and Human Services has been carefully crafted. This means though the English original clearly developed a document entitled “Tips there is very little room for creativity states “subject.” on Informed Consent,” which can be on the part of the translator. The section describing the study consulted on their website (http:// Let’s look at the various elements procedures explains what will happen ohrp.osophs.dhhs.gov/humansubjects/ of a consent form and how the trans- to subjects as a result of their partic- guidance/ictips.htm). Even a cursory lator can inadvertently change them so ipation in the study. The various pro- reading will make it clear just how as to make them unacceptable to a cedures are described in chronological strictly the government regulates the reviewer enforcing IRB regulations. order. All of the explanations must be topics to be covered, as well as the The examples I will be using are taken given in non-medical terms. That language, on the informed consent from IRB documents used in clinical is, an English consent form that form. In the first paragraph of the trials at a major research institution. describes a test for “high cholesterol” “Tips,” we read: While consent forms for surgical and should not have a translation that other procedures may differ from says “hypercholesterolemia.” Bone Information must be presented to these in certain respects, the basic marrow obtained from the “hip enable persons to voluntarily premise still holds: the document’s bone” should not be translated as decide whether or not to partici- content and style are crucial in pro- taken from the “iliac bone.” A proce- pate as a research subject...The tecting the patient’s rights. Therefore, dure to detect “abnormal cells” procedures used in obtaining the translator must pay close attention should not be translated as detecting informed consent should be to the original. In all cases, if there is “dysplasia.” designed to educate the subject a death, life-threatening issue, or mal- The study benefits section population in terms that they can practice lawsuit, the consent form the describes the ways in which the sub- understand. Therefore, informed patient or subject signed is certainly ject may benefit from participation in consent language and its docu- one of the most important documents the study. Often it includes the sen- mentation (especially explanation that will be examined. tence: “You may or may not benefit [sic] of the study’s purpose, dura- Every consent form for a research personally from this study.” Many tion, experimental procedures, study has several major sections, translations will have only one part of alternatives, risks, and benefits) each designed to give the subject spe- the statement (“You may benefit...” or must be written in ‘lay language’ cific information about the study. “You may not benefit...”), perhaps (i.e., understandable to the people Some of these sections seem to act as because the translator considers that being asked to participate). traps for the unwary translator. one implies the other. According to

26 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 the IRB, however, both parts of the been provided to them, that their par- translation has the potential for statement must be included. ticipation is voluntary, and that they raising legal issues. And even when One of the most important sec- understand their legal rights. Some that is not the case, translations that tions of the consent form is the one translators do not change to the first are vague, imprecise, or do not take listing the risks of the study. It person when they reach this section. into account the purpose of the docu- informs the subject of all potential Many institutions use the phrase: ment can confuse the patient, change risks, discomforts, and inconven- “The ____ Hospital will furnish that the results of research, or negate the iences that may be expected. If the [sic] emergency medical care deter- validity of a diagnostic instrument. study includes any drugs, the most mined to be necessary by the medical Here are some examples from trans- serious side effects must be mentioned staff of this hospital.” That sentence lations I have reviewed: first, even if they occur only rarely, is frequently misinterpreted by trans- followed by the other principal side lators. It does not mean that the nec- ¥ The sentence, “your surgery will effects, listed in order of frequency. essary medical care will be furnished be performed under your doctor’s For some unexplained reason, many by the hospital’s medical staff. It does care” means something very dif- of the translations I see do not follow mean that only the hospital’s medical ferent from “your surgery will be the order as it appears in the original. staff will determine what medical performed by your doctor.” The section on costs includes any care is necessary. That is, a physician costs to the subject for tests, proce- from outside the institution cannot In the first sentence, the doctor is per- dures, transportation to the study site, decide what medical care the subject mitted to delegate the actual perform- etc. If there are no costs to the sub- needs. That determination can only ance of the surgery to another ject, this should be stated. However, be made by hospital staff. physician. The second sentence is many IRBs are adamant as to the The IRBs at many institutions restrictive to a specific doctor, and the wording. For example, if treatment or require that consent forms be written patient may have grounds for a law- drugs will be provided, the consent in 12- to 14-point font and that the suit if anyone else were to perform the form should state that these will be pages be numbered using the format surgery. given “at no cost to you,” and never “Page __ of __.” A very large number as “free treatment or medication.” of the translations I receive use a ¥ I once reviewed a translation in The reason for this is that lawyers much smaller font (probably to con- which the English document have determined that the word “free” serve paper) and do not follow the informed the patient that, “you may be coercive to financially con- required numbering format. will be injected in a muscle.” The strained subjects. Finally, the last page of the con- Spanish said that, “you will be The section on voluntary partici- sent form must include a statement injected in a thigh.” pation informs the subject that he or such as, “The solicitation of subjects she may “refuse to participate or into this study has been approved by In Spanish, there is only one syllable withdraw from the study at any time” the (name of institution) Institutional difference between the two words, without incurring penalties or sanc- Review Board.” The IRBs can be “muslo” (thigh) and “músculo” tions of any kind. Often the transla- very creative in the names they give (muscle). When I asked the translator tion will have only the first part of the themselves in various languages. It is to correct it, she resisted, since, after statement. However, it is important to always wise to ask if the IRB already all, “the thigh is a muscle.” The let subjects know that even if they has a particular name that it prefers to problem is that not every muscle is a agree to participate, they retain their use in its translations. For example, I thigh. The Spanish document restricts right to stop participating at any point know of at least three different names the area where the injection can be even after the study has begun. in Spanish used by the IRBs at var- given, while the English document The entire consent form should be ious institutions. does not. written in the second person, with one exception—the final statement of Translating Beyond the ¥ A “replacement dose” of a med- consent. This section represents the Consent Form ication cannot be translated as an subjects’ own statement that they are Besides consent forms, there are “additional dose.” satisfied with the information that has other documents in which an imprecise ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 27 Legal Issues in the Translation of Healthcare Documents Continued

This can end up as an “overdose,” which more likely to remember a familiar many documents for the healthcare may bring on problems of its own. name, such as Juan Pérez, and the consumer. The translator must be Spanish word for market (mercado). If aware that seemingly minor points ¥ In a questionnaire, the patient is the patient does not remember them a may be of crucial importance. I often instructed to “circle your answer.” few minutes after hearing them, the tell my students that as translators for clinician has grounds for suspecting the healthcare consumer, we not only If the translation says, “mark your memory problems rather than simply a have to think like doctors, we also have answer,” the patient may put down a lack of familiarity with the names. to think like lawyers. check mark. But if the aim of the doc- ument is to assess the patient’s hand- ¥ A questionnaire with four Notes eye coordination by making a circle responses in English: 1. Adult Literacy in America. around a word or group of words, this 1. Completely satisfied National Adult Literacy Survey. translation would not give the patient 2. Satisfied Washington, DC: U.S. Depart- the correct instructions. The clinician 3. Dissatisfied ment of Education.1993. may think the patient did not under- 4. Completely dissatisfied stand or did not read the instructions, 2. Giorgianni, Salvatore J. 1999. since the English clearly says “circle” is translated with just three “Responding to the Challenge of and the clinician assumes the transla- responses: Health Literacy.” Pfizer Journal, tion says the same thing. 1. Completely satisfied Ch.1: p. 1. 2. Satisfied ¥ A patient interview to assess memory 3. Dissatisfied 3. Williams, M. V., et.al. 1995. impairment or cognitive dysfunction “Inadequate Functional Health includes the following question: “I Problem: The survey is being done Literacy Among Patients at Two am now going to read a phrase to with 5,000 respondents. In a statistical Public Hospitals.” Journal of the you. Please repeat this phrase and analysis of the responses, there would American Medical Association, try to remember it: “Robert Jones, be no equivalence between the two sets 274:1677-1682. 30 Market Street, Boston.” Several of questionnaires. The English questions later, there is the instruc- speakers have two negative choices 4. Gazmarian, J. A., et.al. 1999. tion: “Please repeat the phrase that I while the Spanish speakers have only “Health Literacy Among Medicare asked you to remember a few min- one. The investigators would have no Enrollees in a Managed Care utes ago.” Here, the clinician waits way of knowing how many of the Organization.” Journal of the to see if the patient will repeat the Spanish speakers were merely “dissat- American Medical Association, sentence, “Robert Jones, 30 Market isfied” as opposed to “completely dis- 281:545-551. Street, Boston,” correctly. The satisfied.” There is an entire category translation kept the personal and that would have a value of zero in the 5. Weiss, B. D., et.al. 1994. “Illiteracy street name as is. Spanish version, which would not nec- Among Medicaid Recipients and Its essarily reflect how the respondents Relationship to Healthcare Costs.” Of course, we all know that proper really felt. The translation has changed Journal of Health Care for the Poor names are not translated. However, in the results of the research. and Underserved, 5:99-111. this case, we are not referring to a real person or a real address. The purpose When a translator believes that the 6. Grissinger, Matthew, and Nancy of the questionnaire is to find out if the choices or categories in a question- Globus. 2000 (January). “ISMP: patient remembered what was said. naire do not translate well into the lan- Patient Health Literacy.” U.S. But people who speak no English are guage in question, it is important to Pharmacist, 27:1. not likely to remember English names communicate with the client in order that most likely are unfamiliar to them. to find a mutually acceptable solution. 7. Schuster, Ellen. (ed.). 1992. 1992 In this case, it would be more appro- From the previous discussion, it is Literacy and Extension Educator. priate to translate the names. For clear that there are important legal Minnesota Extension Service, p.1. example, a Spanish-speaking person is implications in writing and translating

28 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Alternative Treatment Beliefs and the Medical Interpreter

By Vonessa A. Phillips

he medical interpreter is, among director of surgery at a New York people were infected with HIV other things, a facilitator of com- hospital. “As a group, they are the through transfusions administered T munication between a healthcare best educated consumers the surgeon between 1982 and 1985. It has been provider and a patient who do not will ever encounter.” said, too, that blood transfusions are speak the same language. Whenever It is well documented that the use responsible for 10% of HIV infections possible, the interpreter would like to of blood in medicine has been a sub- throughout Africa and 40% of the walk away from the medical session ject of much controversy since the AIDS cases in Pakistan. Today, with the feeling that he or she has not experiments of the French physician because of improved screening, HIV only served as a conduit of informa- Jean-Baptiste Denis involving the transmission through blood transfu- tion, but has also helped to engender a transfusion of animal blood to human sion is rare in first-world nations. sense of trust between patient and patients. In 1670, the procedure was However, such transmission continues provider. At times, though, a patient banned in France and, soon after, in to be a problem in developing nations may refuse a recommended treatment. that lack an effective screening For example, healthcare professionals process. Consequently, there has been, frequently encounter Jehovah’s Wit- “…By respecting our on the part of the international com- ness patients who abstain from treat- clients, we will personally munity, an increased interest in blood- ment involving whole blood, packed less medicine and surgery. What red blood cells, plasma, or platelets. share in the elevation of alternatives have been found? What might motivate a patient to take the profession and the Recent medical advances have such a stand? What alternative treat- done much to dispel the popular belief ments exist? Are there legal prece- promotion of equal access that blood transfusion is the “only” dents governing how providers should to quality medical care…” treatment for certain critical medical treat patients seeking alternative treat- conditions. Some time-tested quality ment? And how will the ethical inter- treatment alternatives are Ringer’s lac- preter react in the event that personal England. Only in the late 19th cen- tate solution, dextran, and hydrox- biases and beliefs interfere with his or tury did blood transfusions regain yethyl starch, all used to maintain her ability to remain impartial in such popularity. Consequently, during blood volume, thus preventing hypo- an emotionally charged situation? World Wars I and II, blood was volemic shock. Genetically engineered widely transfused into wounded sol- proteins can stimulate the production “Blood…is the most dangerous sub- diers. Today, in the U.S. alone, more of red blood cells (erythropoietin), stance we use in medicine.” than 11,000,000 units of red cells are blood platelets (interleukin-11), and Dr. Charles Huggins, transfused into 3,000,000 patients various white blood cells (GM-CSF, Massachusetts General Hospital each year. G-CSF). Other medications greatly (The Boston Globe Magazine, Concern over the health risks of reduce blood loss during surgery February 4, 1990) transfusion has grown since the (aprotinin, antifibrinolytics) or help to Korean War, when nearly 22% of reduce acute bleeding (desmopressin). For Bible-based reasons, Jehovah’s those who received plasma transfu- Biological hemostats, such as col- Witnesses refuse blood transfusions sions developed hepatitis. By the lagen and cellulose woven pads, can (see Acts 15:20, 28, 29). Inter- 1970s, the U.S. Centers for Disease stop bleeding through direct applica- estingly, the media has consistently Control estimated the number of tion. In addition, fibrin glues and portrayed Witness patients as igno- deaths from transfusion-related hepa- sealants have been used effectively to rant of, and resistant to, advances in titis at 3,500 a year. In the 1980s, it plug puncture wounds or cover large medicine. But statistics show that was discovered that blood could be areas of bleeding tissue. Many sur- Jehovah’s Witnesses do accept, and contaminated with HIV, the virus that gical teams also have access to blood are proactive in their pursuit of, leads to AIDS. Since then, scandals salvage equipment, which is used to quality alternative medical treat- exposing HIV-contaminated blood recover blood lost during surgery or ments. “Jehovah’s Witnesses actively have rocked the global community. trauma. Surgical planning and laparo- seek the best in medical treatment,” For example, it is estimated that in scopic surgical instruments are also stated Dr. Richard K. Spence, former France, between 6,000 and 8,000 effective. Interestingly, Dr. ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 29 Alternative Treatments and the Medical Interpreter Continued

Stephen Geoffery Pollard, a British law of informed consent has been Jehovah’s Witnesses, but patients in consultant surgeon, stated that the based on two premises: first, that a general, are today less likely to be morbidity and mortality rates among patient has the right to receive suffi- given unnecessary blood transfusions those who receive bloodless surgery cient information to make an because of the work of the Witnesses’ are: “at least as good as those patients informed choice about the treatment Hospital Liaison Committees.” who receive blood, and, in many recommended; and second, that the Some doctors and hospitals have cases, they are spared the postopera- patient may choose to accept or to expressed concern over legal issues such tive infections and complications decline the physician’s recommenda- as liability. This concern has proved often attributable to blood.” tion…Unless patients are viewed as largely unfounded, as most Witnesses Currently, most major cardiac, having the right to say no, as well as are eager to sign medical release forms vascular, gynecological, obstetrical, yes, and even yes with conditions, relieving physicians and hospitals of orthopedic, and urological surgery much of the rationale for informed liability. In addition, Witnesses usually can be performed successfully consent evaporates.” carry wallet-sized medical directives, without the use of blood or blood Even so, patients attempting to which are updated annually and signed products. In fact, bloodless medicine exercise this freedom of choice have in the presence of legal witnesses. has proved so effective that Professor encountered opposition from health- Common among medical release forms Luc Montagnier, discoverer of the care providers, some of whom have are the Advance Medical Directive/ AIDS virus, commented: “The evolu- elected not to operate on Witness Release and the executed Durable tion of our understanding in this field patients. On the other hand, over 78 Power of Attorney (DPA). shows that blood transfusions must bloodless medicine centers have been Similarly, a properly signed “Refusal one day die out.” established in the United States. In to Accept Blood Products” form is these centers, patients seeking non- widely considered a contractual and “There are two good things in life, blood management are treated with legally binding agreement. In March freedom of thought and freedom of dignity and receive quality care. 1990, the Supreme Court of Ontario, action” Jehovah’s Witnesses have pro- Canada, upheld a decision that com- William Somerset Maugham moted quality nonblood medical man- mented favorably on such a document: agement by developing a system of “The card is a written declaration of a Today, many hospitals publicly over 1,400 Hospital Liaison Com- valid position which the card carrier display a “Patient’s Bill of Rights.” mittees worldwide, equipped to pro- may legitimately take in imposing a One of these rights is informed con- vide doctors and researchers with written restriction on the contract with sent or informed choice. J. Lowell medical literature from a database of the donor.” Dixon (M.D.) explains the concept of over 3,000 articles related to blood- Indeed, courts worldwide have informed consent as follows: “After less medicine and surgery. These repeatedly upheld the supremacy of the patient is informed of the poten- committees are available 24 hours a an adult patient’s right to choose. In tial results of various treatments (or day, seven days a week, and serve as one case, the New York Court of of nontreatment), it is his choice what intermediaries between Witness Appeals stated that: “The patient’s he will submit to. At Albert Einstein patients and healthcare communities, right to determine the course of his Hospital in the Bronx, New York, a even assisting Witnesses in locating own treatment [is] paramount…A draft policy on blood transfusion and medical providers willing to imple- doctor cannot be held to have vio- Jehovah’s Witnesses stated: ‘Any ment alternative treatment techniques. lated his legal or professional respon- adult patient who is not incapacitated Providers who cooperate with sibilities when he honors the right of has the right to refuse treatment no Hospital Liaison Committees and a competent adult patient to decline matter how detrimental such a refusal stay abreast of developments in medical treatment.” may be to his health.’” bloodless medicine often find them- Further exploring the issue of selves administering fewer transfu- Witness Children and informed consent, the publication sions. Thus, Dr. Charles Baron, a Alternative Treatment Informed Consent-Legal Theory and professor at Boston College Law Often, in cases involving minors, Clinical Practice (1987) notes: “The School, noted that: “Not only medical personnel have sought court

30 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 backing to give blood. And in a few “Well, the one I can think of is rape some agency or officer of the state” isolated cases, providers have gone because…a rape is getting something (Parham v. J.R., 1979). ahead without court permission and done without your will, and it’s just That same year, the New York forced blood on Witness children. like that.” Court of Appeals ruled: “The most Consider Lisa, a 12-year-old Canadian Judge David R. Main concluded significant factor in determining diagnosed as having acute myeloid that Lisa was to be returned to the whether a child is being deprived of leukemia, usually a fatal condition. custody, care, and control of her par- adequate medical care…is whether Providers prescribed intensive ents. He expressed his admiration for the parents have provided an accept- chemotherapy and multiple blood her in the following words: “She has able course of medical treatment for transfusions. Hoping to encounter a a well thought out, firm, and clear their child in light of all the sur- more cooperative staff, Lisa’s parents religious belief. In my view, no rounding circumstances. This inquiry took her to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick amount of counseling from whatever cannot be posed in terms of whether Children. That night, a nurse entered source or pressure from her parents the parent has made a ‘right’ or a Lisa’s hospital room to give her a or anyone else, including an order of ‘wrong’ decision, for the present state blood transfusion. Lisa pleaded with this court, would shake or alter her of the practice of medicine, despite her to stop, but the nurse continued to religious beliefs. I believe that Lisa its vast advances, very seldom per- administer the transfusion. The next K. should be given the opportunity to mits such definitive conclusions. Nor morning, a court order was sought to fight this disease with dignity and can a court assume the role of a sur- authorize the hospital to use force in peace of mind. That can only be rogate parent” (In re Hofbauer). imposing treatment. The trial began achieved by acceptance of the plan Reflecting on the complexities of three days later in a room at the hos- put forward by her and her parents.” pediatric medicine, Dr. James L. pital. Each day, at her own request, Addressing the issue of the forced Fletcher, Jr. commented: “I fear it is Lisa was brought into the room on her blood transfusion, he said: “I must not uncommon for professional arro- hospital bed. Although very sick, she find that Lisa has been discriminated gance to supplant sound medical judg- was determined to be heard in matters against on the basis of her religion ment. Treatments that are regarded as that involved her faith. and her age pursuant to Subsection ‘the best today’ are modified or dis- On the fourth day of the trial, Lisa 15 (1) [of The Canadian Charter of carded tomorrow. Which is more dan- was propped up so she could directly Rights and Freedoms]. In these cir- gerous, a ‘religious parent’ or an address the court. She began to dis- cumstances, upon being given a arrogant physician who is convinced cuss her determination to remain obe- blood transfusion, her right to the that his or her treatment is absolutely dient to God’s law on the sanctity of security of her person pursuant to vital?” (Pediatrics, October 1988). blood, and pledged to physically Section 7 was infringed.” In conclusion, while many have resist any effort to give her a blood Thus, multiple court rulings have criticized the Witnesses refusal of transfusion. She then explained her encouraged providers to work with blood transfusions, a great number of feelings about the blood transfusion Witness parents to develop a treat- medical professionals echo the senti- already administered, saying: “It ment plan acceptable to all. ments of Dr. Grant E. Steffen, who made me feel like a dog being used Regarding a parent’s voice in medical asserted that: “quality medical care is for an experiment, because I couldn’t matters affecting underage children, the capacity of the elements of that control anything. Just because I’m a the U.S. Supreme Court has stated: care to achieve legitimate medical and minor, people feel they can do any- “The law’s concept of the family nonmedical goals” (The Journal of the thing to me, but I feel that I have a rests on a presumption that parents American Medical Association, July 1, right to know what’s going to happen possess what a child lacks in matu- 1988). Clearly, “nonmedical” goals to me and why they’re doing these rity, experience, and capacity for would include respecting the con- treatments, and why they’re doing judgment required for making life’s science and informed decisions of a them without my parents’ consent.” difficult decisions…Simply because patient seeking alternative treatment. When asked if she could think of a the decision of a parent (on a medical comparison to explain to the judge matter) involves risks does not auto- The Ethical Interpreter what getting a blood transfusion matically transfer the power to make How relevant is the above informa- against her will was like, she said: that decision from the parents to tion to your effectiveness as a ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 31 Alternative Treatments and the Medical Interpreter Continued medical interpreter? In the U.S., the particularly useful outline is the May we, as medical interpreters, medical interpreter is a key element of Medical Interpreting Standards of strive evermore to be ethical inter- quality care for non-English speakers Practice, developed by the Massa- preters. Let us not forget that each and those with limited-English profi- chusetts Medical Interpreters Associ- individual is the rightful guardian of ciency. The interpreter must be acutely ation and Education Development his own health, whether physical or aware of any personal tendency to Center, Inc. Its principles delineate a spiritual. And thus, by respecting our obstruct a patient’s access to that care. course of action for ethical inter- clients, we will personally share in Interestingly, the likelihood of inter- preters, which can be applied to a the elevation of the profession and preting for a patient who requires non- variety of situations that may arise in the promotion of equal access to blood management grows ever greater, the triadic encounter. quality medical care. due to the fact that some of the largest According to the Standards,the immigrant populations in the country ethical interpreter has developed the References hail from countries with fast- following skills: “Wisdom Beyond Her Years.” expanding Witnesses communities. AWAKE! October 22, 1987. For example, there are now over 1. Can clearly separate personal 542,000 Witnesses in Mexico; values and beliefs from those of “Bloodless Medicine and Surgery: 555,000 in Brazil; 111,000 in the other parties. The Growing Demand.” AWAKE! Columbia; 123,000 in Argentina; 2. Is able to withdraw from situations January 8, 2000. 138,000 in the Philippines; 120,000 in where strongly held personal Russia, and another 120,000 in the values and beliefs may interfere Dixon, Lowell J., M.D. 1988. Ukraine; as well as 113,000 in France; with impartiality. “Blood: Whose Choice And 228,000 in Italy; and 220,000 in 3. Lets the parties speak for them- Whose Conscience?” New York Japan. Therefore, when facing a situa- selves and does not take sides in State Journal of Medicine. tion where a patient requests alterna- the conflict. tive treatment, how should the medical 4. Remains calm in stressful situa- “Jehovah’s Witnesses: The Surgical/ interpreter react in the event that per- tions or where there is conflict. Ethical Challenge.” JAMA—The sonal biases and beliefs interfere with 5. Focuses on the communication Journal of the American Medical his or her ability to remain impartial? between provider and patient, and Association, November 27, 1981, Several professional organizations refrains from interjecting personal Volume 246: 2,471, 2,472. have established guidelines shaping issues, beliefs, opinions, or biases. the ethics of medical interpretation. A 6. Refrains from counseling or Medical Interpreting Standards of advising. Practice. Developed by Massa- chusetts Medical Interpreters Rimini, Italy It must be said that exercising pro- Association and Education Devel- fessional restraint of one’s emotions opment Center, Inc. Federecentri International in medical interpretation is no easy Conference task. Rather, it is an art to be devel- “How Can Blood Save Your Life?” October 11-13, 2002 oped over time and with practice. 1990. Watch Tower Bible and Interpreter associations can provide Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Theme: training, guidance, and support, as The Translation Industry Today can a handful of privately operated Websites cross-cultural institutes. Many of www.watchtower.org Topics: Communication issues, technology updates, and market these offer study programs and work- (Jehovah’s Witnesses developments. For information, shops designed to produce ethical, Official website) please contact: Susan West, culturally competent medical inter- Tel: +39/051/6008831; preters. Several include training in www.noblood.com Fax: + 39/051/6008870; transparency, conflict resolution, (Bloodless Medicine and E-mail: [email protected]. “culture coaching,” and stress man- Surgery Network) agement in the interpreting session.

32 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Multilingual Medicine: Translation at Mayo Clinic

By Karen Engler

ince it was founded in the late generally the same throughout the free interpreter services in over 30 19th century as one of the healthcare industry. The increasingly different languages, as well as trans- S world’s first group medical global reach of modern medicine lated materials in many languages. practices, Mayo Clinic continues to requires that patients, physicians, Translated materials for patients provide diagnosis and treatment in researchers, and others at major med- currently include more than 500 virtually every medical and surgical ical centers communicate across lan- non-English patient education mate- specialty. Each year, nearly 400,000 guage barriers. rials and general patient/visitor items patients from all over the U.S. and the like maps, forms, handbooks, and world are treated at Mayo Clinic’s other basic information. Our primary outpatient and hospital facilities in “…When written languages for international patients Rochester, Minnesota; Jacksonville, are Spanish, Arabic, and Turkish. Florida; and Scottsdale, Arizona. information is provided in Primary languages for local limited- Like other international medical a patient’s or a physician’s English proficiency (LEP) patients centers, not every patient who walks are Spanish, Somali, and Vietnamese. through our doors speaks English. native language, patient While patients are our most impor- And not all information required to care is enhanced and the tant audience for translated materials, treat patients is available in English. communication of medical requests are often received from Bringing the best treatments to physicians or researchers in need of patients today is truly an international knowledge flows freely…” translations of medical journal articles endeavor, often involving teams of or scholarly presentations. Commu- physicians from around the world, nications and marketing departments research conducted in many lan- Audience often need translations of news press guages, and patients who speak every Each year, nearly 10,000 patients releases and news articles in foreign language on the globe. For example: from 120 countries visit Mayo Clinic publications. In addition, Internet treatment for a specific patient might facilities. Many international patients content has become increasingly hinge on the contents of a research come from the Middle East, Mexico, important for healthcare providers. article written in German; a patient Central and South America, Canada, Mayo Clinic has recently added non- from Spain might need specific and and Europe. In addition to interna- English content for international detailed instructions for self-care tional patients, the Clinic also serves patients on its website (www.may- after a procedure; physicians in the diverse local populations of the oclinic.org/international). Brazil might learn about a new treat- communities located near its facilities, ment for pancreatic cancer from a including recent immigrants and The Translation Process presentation by an English-speaking refugees who do not speak English. At the Rochester facility, the trans- physician using accompanying slides For example, in the small city of lation coordinator in the Division of and handouts in Portuguese. Rochester, Minnesota, several immi- Communications coordinates transla- Translators provide an invaluable grant groups saw a population increase tions of a public nature. These include service by facilitating the exchange of nearly 400% between 1990 and items for patients, visitors, physicians of written information between all of 2000. One of these growing groups and staff, and the general public. All these groups. This information can represents one of the largest Somali translations are completed by highly sometimes improve medical treat- communities in the United States. qualified freelance translators, and are ments, increase patient compliance, These local and international subsequently reviewed internally by or even save lives. non-English-speaking patients should at least one staff member (a native This article will describe the pro- receive the same level of care as speaker of the target language) who is duction of written translated docu- every other patient that comes to the familiar with the content. These ments at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Clinic. Providing services to patients reviewers are either medical inter- Minnesota. Though the translation in their own language is one way we preters who work in the Language process may differ from one health- provide appropriate care. Language and Cultural Services Department or care institution to the next, the audi- services for patients and visitors to other qualified staff members around ence and demand for translation are Mayo Clinic in Rochester include the institution. ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 33 Multilingual Medicine: Translation at Mayo Clinic Continued

The production of documents include: urgency for the patient; status revision dates, a content review date, often involves in-house graphic of the source publication (has the con- ordering information, and usage designers, who format the pieces tent been approved by a Mayo physi- instructions, in addition to numerous according to the visual identity stan- cian, is it due for revision?); number other fields that are used by those dards of the institution. Most mate- of patients served; and priority as involved in the production of a piece. rials are produced in either part of a patient education plan. Every piece is tracked at each stage PageMaker or Quark XPress, and Each request is given a numerical throughout its production. localized versions of software are ranking, and translation usually pro- Staff members can access these used for non-Latin-based languages ceeds on high- and medium-priority completed documents via the Clinic’s such as Arabic. To aid healthcare pieces. Translation of low-priority intranet site for employees. PDF ver- providers, all titles and subtitles are pieces may be dropped or moved to a sions of most translated items can be formatted bilingually (in English and later date. downloaded and printed directly from the target language). Generally, requests by physicians the intranet from anywhere in the After a piece is designed, the trans- for the translation of documents crit- Clinic. An English version is available lation coordinator, or her assistant, ical to their research or practice are for each translated publication, so reviews all translations for layout and honored. Requests are often received healthcare providers know what is formatting, accuracy of the English for the translation of medical journal being presented to patients. In addi- content, and correct assignment of doc- articles, presentations for physicians or tion, special intranet pages on trans- ument numbers. All documents are administrators who are traveling cultural patient care offer cultural assigned a unique number (“MC abroad, and for occasional correspon- information, phrase sheets, and menu number”), and non-English versions dence from other physicians or choices in many different languages are given a language extension (SP = researchers. All translations of confi- for patients who are hospitalized. Spanish; AR = Arabic) for tracking dential, patient-specific information The translation coordinator attends purposes. Version control and docu- are completed by interpreters in the division and department meetings, ment storage are maintained in a data- Language and Cultural Services and writes articles for staff publica- base, and revision dates are listed on Department. This includes faxes and tions in order to publicize the exis- the back cover of each revised piece. e-mails from patients, as well as patient tence of translated materials and to The translation coordinator is respon- records from referring physicians. teach employees how to access these sible for maintaining and updating all The translation coordinator chairs materials through the intranet sites. existing translated materials, as well as a translation team, which is made up The large number of staff at Mayo the creation of new materials. The of approximately 10 people around Clinic in Rochester (over 25,000 entire translation process can take sev- the Clinic who work on translations employees) makes internal communi- eral weeks to several months, and patient education. This group cation about translation a challenge depending on the length and com- meets monthly to discuss translation and an ongoing need. The interpreters plexity of the document. Most transla- issues and share information about also play a critical role in helping to tions are based on existing English current projects. The group also initi- distribute translated materials. pieces, although we are seeing an ates continuous improvement and increase in the production of culturally- evaluation projects. Recent Initiatives specific pieces for certain audiences. Issues related to translation in a All medical centers must manage Tracking and Accessing Translations healthcare setting are often complex. their limited translation resources All patient education and visitor Most institutions lack the resources to wisely to ensure the best use for the information pieces (including non- produce large numbers of translated greatest good of the patients. The English pieces) published by the Clinic materials. Existing English publica- sheer volume of requests received by are tracked in several databases main- tions may not be culturally appropriate the Clinic necessitates prioritizing all tained by the Section of Patient for translation for certain audiences. translation requests. Requests for Education and the Publishing and In addition, it may be difficult to know patient education and patient visitor Media Technology Services Division. whether translated materials are being information are prioritized based on a Information available in the databases used by their intended audience. Like number of criteria. These criteria includes an abstract, copyright and other healthcare institutions, we face

34 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 all of these challenges at Mayo Clinic. of translated material and the avail- discussion. To provide excellent med- Nevertheless, recent initiatives and ability of technology in patient ical care today, medical centers must programs are helping us address some homes. We are trying to identify navigate a multilingual course to of these concerns. appropriate methods of delivering serve a more diverse medical and More than a dozen healthcare patient education to these audiences: patient community. organizations in Minnesota have in-person communication, written, Though this article is about trans- formed the Translated Health audio, video, or via the Internet. lation, I would also like to acknowl- Resources Exchange. This group meets Based on our findings, we will begin edge the work of interpreters, who monthly to share information about work on some pilot audio, video, and provide a critical service at many translation resources and issues. The print products soon. We also have medical centers and who are often group’s goals are to share information plans to conduct patient and provider actively involved in the translation about translated materials currently surveys of select patient education process, as they are at Mayo Clinic. available at each site, to share health documents to determine the effective- Though this article focuses on trans- education approaches that work for ness of these materials. Our goal is to lation, both translation and interpre- LEP patients, and to develop a clear- develop more culturally-specific tation are crucial tools in providing inghouse for translated health educa- materials in the future. compassionate care to non-English- tion resources. The Health Resources speaking patients. Exchange also plans to jointly create Conclusion For those of you reading this who new and culturally appropriate mate- In a field where life or death can are medical translators, I hope you rials in multiple languages. The clear- depend on accurate communication, also find a renewed appreciation for inghouse is currently in the planning healthcare institutions must find ways the work you do. You are making a phase, and development is scheduled to to overcome language barriers. This difference in the lives of people— begin this summer. We are hoping to need will only grow in the future. patients and physicians who are share the responsibility and cost of When written information is provided sometimes desperately seeking a cure developing patient education pieces in in a patient’s or a physician’s native for a life-threatening illness. Those of multiple languages. Documents in the language, patient care is enhanced us who work in healthcare institu- clearinghouse will be available to all and the communication of medical tions see this nearly every day. You Exchange members. knowledge flows freely. Treatment are making their journey a little less The Clinic has also recently com- possibilities may expand. After trans- frightening. You are giving physi- pleted a pilot survey of local Somali, lation, patients or physicians have an cians new tools to fight disease. Your Vietnamese, and Spanish-speaking important reference tool or a docu- words truly have the power to heal. patients to determine the usefulness ment to serve as a common source for

Call for Proposal ATA’s Spanish Language Division 2nd Annual Conference St. Anthony Hotel • San Antonio, Texas April 25-27, 2003

ATA’s Spanish Language Division invites you to submit a proposal for presentation at their 2003 Annual Conference. The deadline is September 15. This is an exciting opportunity for you to share your knowledge and experience with appreciative colleagues. Click on www.ata-spd.org to find the Proposal for SPD Conference Presentation form. Note: Conference registration fee waived for presenters. For more information, contact: Virginia Perez-Santalla ([email protected]).

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 35 A Quality Assurance Model for Remote Language Mediation

By David Sawyer, Frances Butler, Jean Turner, and Irene Nikolayeva Stone

ince the establishment of the company’s hiring procedures. Interpreting is carried out in a Emergency Telephone Inter- Developed in conjunction with prac- variety of different settings, each S preter Service in Australia in ticing interpreters and experts in with unique characteristics.3 While 1973, the use of call centers for the interpreting studies, applied linguis- interpreter training has been formal- provision of interpreting services has tics, and language testing, the ized in academia for conference, risen exponentially. Telephone inter- NetworkOmni¨ Telephone Inter- legal, healthcare, and social service preting services are currently pro- preters Certification Program ensures settings, this has not been the case for vided to the global marketplace in clients that language mediators have telephone interpreting. Telephone Australia, France, Germany, Great the necessary knowledge and skills to interpreting differs from other set- Britain, Japan, the U.S., and a tings in that it cuts across both venue growing number of other countries. and subject matter. In addition, the Ease of use, interpreter accessibility, “…The demand for remote market it serves is comparatively new and the skyrocketing volume of com- language mediation will to language mediation. It consists of munication over conventional tele- many entities in the public and pri- phone lines has led to a demand for continue to rise in the vate sectors, such as hospitals and remote interpreting services that out- wake of quality social service agencies, that, in the strips the supply of interpreters trained past, have either not needed or been in academic institutions. Moreover, improvements in wireless required to provide language services educational institutions offer training networks and to their clients. in only a few of the languages offered voice-over-IP…” Telephone interpreting is a recent by service providers. The demand for form of remote, spoken language remote language mediation will con- mediation, resulting primarily from the tinue to rise in the wake of quality work in the area of telephone inter- rise of globalization and telecommuni- improvements in wireless networks preting. This program provides tele- cations technology over the past 20 and voice-over-Internet Protocol (IP). phone interpreters with credentials years. Due to rapid growth in this area, Provisioning this global marketplace that benchmark their skills in the lan- it is not surprising that telephone inter- with qualified bilinguals who can pro- guage industry. The program also preting has yet to be integrated into vide premier customer service in a provides a model for training and translation and interpretation curricula mediated language environment is a testing in industries requiring compe- in academic settings. In many lan- formidable challenge.1 There is a great tent bilingual staff. Validation studies guages experiencing mid-to-high call need for valid and reliable procedures are currently underway. volume, such as Vietnamese, for training and testing telephone Cantonese, Portuguese, and Haitian interpreters. Indeed, the professional- Fundamental Considerations Creole, little or no language-specific ization of the language industry calls The NetworkOmni¨ Certification training is available in the United for rigorous quality assurance systems Program in Telephone Interpreting is States. Concurrently, the rapid growth that provide convincing evidence of designed as a proprietary training and in demand for telephone interpreting validity and reliability to public and testing program that prepares skilled services has resulted in the need for private service providers.2 bilinguals to work as language inter- trained bilingual staff who can begin In response to this situation, the preters on the telephone. The primary providing effective service within a Linguistics Division at NetworkOmni¨ purpose is to improve quality in tele- relatively short span of time. Hence the Multilingual Communications is phone interpreting, and thus add value need for a formal training and testing funding the development of a two- to the company’s products and estab- program certifying that performance tiered, proprietary certification pro- lish a new benchmark in the language requirements have been met. gram for both professionally trained industry. At the end of the program, In the language industry and interpreters and skilled bilingual indi- successful participants will be beyond, there is much confusion con- viduals who wish to serve the awarded the NetworkOmni¨ Tele- cerning the term certification.4 Several expanding multilingual markets. The phone Interpreting Certificate for the types of certification models can be new training and testing program cur- language combination in which they readily identified. One type includes rently being implemented refines the complete the program. certification programs mandated by

36 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 legislation and administered by gov- The range and depth of the certifi- last up to one minute or longer. The ernment agencies (e.g., federal and cate program are clearly defined. The majority of telephone calls are rela- state court interpreter certification program is designed to equip the tively short in duration, with most programs).5 By definition, any legally bilingual with basic skills in consecu- exchanges lasting less than 10 min- mandated certification falls into this tive interpreting and with knowledge utes. Many calls are routine category, and, strictly speaking, is of interpreting in general, and tele- exchanges of much shorter duration; considered a licensing that restricts phone interpreting in particular. however, a small percentage of calls access to employment in the area it Material is drawn from representative are much longer than 10 minutes. governs (Wilson, 2002; Hamm, 2002). content in the customer service, A second type includes voluntary cer- insurance, emergency/911, finance, Telephone Interpreting: A Special tification programs offered through healthcare, and information tech- Form of Language Mediation nonprofit professional associations, nology sectors. Though knowledge of Telephone interpreting differs from generally on an industrywide scale. (A the pertinent subject matter and ter- other forms of interpretation in several good example is the ATA accreditation minology is required to complete the ways (Stone, 2001). First, when inter- exam.) A third type is found in the training course, this program is not preting over the telephone, interpreters educational system. Colleges and uni- intended to provide specialized certi- do not have the visual cues that are versities offer programs of study, both fication in any of these subject fields. normally considered to be extremely internal and external degree programs, important in mediated communica- leading to certificates. Finally, propri- A Brief Task Description of tion. The vast majority of calls con- etary certification is sometimes con- Telephone Interpreting cern business that would be conducted ducted by corporate sector entities that The telephone interpreter serves as over the telephone if there were no offer their own testing and training a remote linguistic and cultural language barrier. By the same token, programs. This type of credential is bridge to facilitate the exchange of many exchanges, such as roadside widespread in the computer industry ideas between two parties over the assistance and emergency situations, (Tittel, 2002). Proprietary certification telephone. Usually, the two parties can only take place via the phone. programs have the potential to lay the and the interpreter are geographically Participants in NetworkOmni¨’s certi- groundwork for industrywide stan- separated from one another. (On rare fication program are trained to rely dards and other certification efforts occasions, particularly in emergen- heavily on auditory acuity in devel- that may also be spearheaded by pro- cies, the two parties may be in the oping their active listening skills. fessional associations or public sector same location.) To make telephone They are also trained to verify infor- institutions. interpreting possible, a three-way call mation, particularly names and num- As a private sector entity, is set up through a call center. As a bers, when they have the slightest NetworkOmni¨ offers a proprietary, result, parties who would otherwise doubt that they have not heard the corporate-sector certification to both not have access to language support information correctly. In addition, contract and staff interpreters as a can communicate efficiently and participants learn a set of techniques means of adding value to its services. effectively (American Society for to use intermittently to prompt The certification program formalizes Testing and Materials, 2001). speakers in order to ensure that the the company’s internal hiring, The telephone interpreter gener- exchange continues to flow. All of training, and testing procedures, and ally works in the consecutive mode. these factors ensure successful com- may eventually acquire recognition In routine situations or in times of munication, which is vital given the throughout the language industry. As emergency, these brief exchanges, customer service function inherent to a statement that participants have which may only consist of a few this type of language mediation and completed the testing and training words or a phrase, may occur in rapid client base. program in telephone interpreting, succession, so that the interpretation the NetworkOmni¨ Telephone is almost simultaneous. At other Industries Served Interpreting Certificate is intended to times, exchanges may be highly NetworkOmni¨ handles calls in a set standards, educate practitioners, descriptive or provide sequential wide variety of industries. The calls gen- and inform the lay public (primarily instructions. When this occurs, the erally fall into one of several categories: the company’s clients). interpreted segment of the call may customer service, insurance, ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 37 A Quality Assurance Model for Remote Language Mediation Continued healthcare, finance, emergency/911, abilities in the necessary subject in the sector of the language industry information technology, or legal. areas (construct validity). Finally, that has emerged most recently. Some calls also fall into more than monitoring should show that inter- Through the joint efforts of applied lin- one category (e.g., medical emer- preters who pass the tests perform guists, language testing specialists, gencies). Typical call scenarios acceptably on real interpreting tasks interpreting studies researchers, prac- include customer service requests, (predictive validity). ticing interpreters, and clients, well- roadside assistance, credit card Validation evidence, then, is ide- established principles of language inquiries, and the filing of insurance ally gathered in multiple ways and testing and interpretation pedagogy claims. Most calls are initiated by an from multiple perspectives. First, test are being employed to intensify and English-speaking client representing materials and procedures should be streamline training and testing for public or private entities with a based upon real needs (i.e., empirical this particular target group. Thus, strong focus on customer service. data should serve as the basis for the this certification project brings When NetworkOmni¨ telephone inter- development of the test content). In together technical expertise in these preters begin taking calls for the first the case of telephone interpreting, key areas on an unprecedented level time, they interpret general customer evidence is required of the types of in an effort to lay the groundwork for service calls. As their training and call scenarios that must be inter- empirically-based test design and experience increases, the range of call preted. This evidence comes from development in interpreting. types they handle becomes broader. interpreted calls that are transcribed The pace of development in the as part of the test development language industry is determined, to a Test Validation process. Second, testing needs to be large extent, by technological innova- Because the NetworkOmni¨ carried out consistently and systemat- tion. Demographic trends, ensuing Certification Program in Telephone ically. For this to happen, the individ- language use, public policy, and leg- Interpreting includes several phases uals administering and scoring a test islation are also determining factors. of testing and training, test validation need to be trained. Third, data that In the U.S., industry observers have is an important process. The purpose reflect the needs and expectations of seen that interpreter education in col- of test validation6 is to ascertain users of interpreting services should leges and universities has been out- whether tests are indeed serving the be gathered. User opinions con- stripped by the demand for language purpose for which they are intended. cerning the suitability of interpreting mediation in the public and private Validation means that any decisions tests should also be solicited. Finally, sectors, particularly by the demand based upon test results are appro- interpreter performance on tests for remote interpreting. As the pace priate and meaningful (e.g, the tests should be compared with perform- of innovation quickens and media are demonstrably useful in deter- ance on other interpreting tasks. This technologies integrate, a key platform mining whether a NetworkOmni¨ comparison helps to determine for today’s interlingual, mediated contract interpreter who has com- whether performance in the test situ- customer service applications—the pleted the training program is able to ation is consistent with performance use of the telephone for spoken lan- successfully interpret the types of in actual interpreting settings. guage interpreting—is destined to calls required by clients). In this Given the need for multiple become a springboard of tomorrow. sense, validation is an essential part approaches and perspectives when of a quality assurance program. gathering evidence, validation is a Notes In determining whether a test is long-term effort. It should be recog- 1. For an industrywide summary of valid for a particular use, different nized as an inherent part of ongoing call center trends and demo- types of validation evidence must be quality control and quality assurance graphics, see Call Center News gathered. First, the appropriateness of processes, rather than an isolated, (2002). the test content should be established short-term project (Bachman, 1990). (content validity). Second, documen- 2. For a discussion of the importance tation should be provided which Conclusion of validity and reliability in inter- shows that successful performance The NetworkOmni¨ Certification preter education, see Sawyer on the test requires the application of Program in Telephone Interpreting pro- (2000). See also Stansfield and representative interpreting skills and vides systematic, well-rounded training Turner (2001).

38 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 3. See F 2089Ð01 Standard Guide for Beltran Avery, M.-P., and E. Roat, C. 1997. “The Certification Language Interpretation Services Berinstein. 2001. “The Massa- Blues: Pitfalls and Peaks Along the of the American Society for chusetts Medical Interpreters Road to Certifying Medical Testing and Materials (2001). Association’s Efforts to Achieve Interpreters.” Retrieved March 28, Medical Interpreter Certification.” 2002, from www.diversityrx.org/ 4. For a broad discussion of certifica- ATA Chronicle, XXX (2). 25-28. HTML/MOIPR5.htm. tion issues in the language industry and beyond, see Beltran Avery and Call Center News. 2002. “Industry Sawyer, David B. 2000. “Towards Berinstein (2001); Cross Cultural Trends.” Retrieved April 30, 2002, Meaningful, Appropriate, and Healthcare Program (2002); Hamm from www.callcenternews.com/ Useful Assessment: How the False (2002); Roat (2002); Tittel (2002); specials/ws_news.shtml. Dichotomy Between Theory and and Wilson (2002). Practice Undermines Interpreter Cross Cultural Healthcare Program. Education.” ATA Chronicle, XXIX 5. See Federal Court Interpreter “What Are the Issues Nationally in (2): 32-41. Certification Program; National the Certification of Medical Center for State Courts (2001); Interpreters.” Retrieved April 30, Stansfield, C., and J. Turner. 2001 and the Judicial Council of 2002, from www.xculture.org/ (Summer). “U.S. Federal Court California (2002). new/ask/detail.cfm?QID=4&list= Interpreter Certification Exami- 6%2C4. nation Program.” Language 6. For a theoretical discussion of Testing Update, 29, 34-35. validity and types of validation “Federal Court Interpreter Certifi- evidence, see Alderson, Clapham, cation Program.” Retrieved March Stansfield, C.W., M.L. Scott, and and Wall (1995); Bachman (1990); 28, 2002, from www.cps.ca.gov/ D.M. Kenyon. 1992. “The and Bachman and Palmer (2000). fcice-spanish/index.asp. Measurement of Translation Ability.” Modern Language References Hamm, M. and Associates. “Certi- Journal, 74(4): 455-467. Alderson, J.C., C. Clapham, and D. fication and Accreditation.” Wall. 1995. Language Test Retrieved March 28, 2002, from Stone, I. 2001. “New Concepts for Construction and Evaluation. http://members.aol.com/mhamm9 Telephone Interpreting.” ATA Cambridge: Cambridge UP. 0528/. Chronicle, XXX (1): 58-66.

American Society for Testing and Judicial Council of California. 2002. Tittel, E. 2001. “Certification Materials. 2001. F 2089Ð01 “Court Interpreters Program.” Essentials.” Retrieved March 28, Standard Guide for Language Inter- Retrieved March 28, 2002, from 2002, from www.leapit.com/html/ pretation Services. West Consho- www.courtinfo.ca.gov/programs/ cert_essentials/toc.htm. hocken: ASTM. courtinterpreters/. Wilson, L. “Certification vs. American Translators Association. Consortium for State Court Licensing.” Retrieved April 30, “ATA Accreditation.” Retrieved Interpreter Certification. 2001. 2002, from www.anma.com/ March 28, 2002, from www.atanet. “National Center for State licvscert.htm. org/bin/view.pl/285.html. Courts.” Retrieved March 28, 2002, from www.ncsc.dni.us/ Bachman, L.F. 1990. Fundamental research/interp/Members.htm. Considerations in Language Testing. Oxford: Oxford UP. National Center for State Courts. 2001. “Court Interpretation.” Associations Bachman, L.F., and A.S. Palmer. Retrieved March 28, 2002, from Make A Better 2000. Language Testing in www.ncsc.dni.us/research/interp/ World Practice. Oxford: Oxford UP. index.html.

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 39 Resource Materials for the Japanese→English Translation of Lab Animal Studies

By Lee Seaman

hen Tony Atkinson and I first The Good News popular press on recent medical talked about doing a presen- Fortunately, there is also a growing advances involving animals. W tation at the 13th Inter- demand for high quality “value- national Japanese/English Translation added” translation, especially from Pig Cloning for Human Organs Conference (IJET 2002), held May Japanese to English. Younger Japanese (Chicago Tribune: January 4, 2002) 11-12 in Pacifico Yokohama, Japan, managers and researchers understand Today, there are more than 70,000 we selected the provisional title, the value of submitting materials in Americans on waiting lists for scarce “Trends in Medical Translation— accurate and professional-sounding human organs. That makes a tremen- Building Your Business in a Time of English. They are looking for transla- dous humanitarian and economic Change.” tors who can collaborate with them in incentive to develop an animal Although it turned out that business producing a finished document that source for organ transplants. Most kept me home this year, I’m delighted will not only get the information researchers have focused on pigs to have this opportunity to share some across, but will add to their interna- because the organs are of the right thoughts with you on the field of med- tional credibility. size and transmit fewer germs to ical and pharmaceutical translation. I people than primates such as hope we can build an ongoing dialogue baboons. And since pigs are already that will help all of us continue to grow “…Medicine and slaughtered for food, their use may as translators. (You can contact me at pharmaceuticals have seen present less of an ethical issue. [email protected].) The problem is that most mam- some radical changes in mals, including pigs, produce a sugar Challenges in the Medical the last few years…Many called GGTA1 on cell surfaces. Translation Business of those changes are just Humans and their close primate rela- Medicine and pharmaceuticals tives stopped making GGTA1 mil- have seen some radical changes in the beginning to affect the lions of years ago, and developed last few years, including the mass translation market…” antibodies that attack any tissue con- production of monoclonal antibodies taining the sugar. That’s useful in and T-cell receptors, the use of genet- protecting us against bacteria car- ically engineered animal models of What’s in This Article rying that sugar, but it is a major human disease, and the increasing The kind of “value-added” transla- stumbling block for xenotransplanta- internationalization of standards and tion I am speaking of requires good tion (the cross-species transplanta- regulations (the International Con- writing and good client relation skills, tion of organs, especially from other ference on Harmonization of Tech- but you also have to have field-specific animals into humans). Heart valves nical Requirements for Registration expertise. My current area of interest is from pigs can be safely transplanted of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, animal studies, because there is a lot of into people because the tissue is not or ICH). Many of those changes are new technology coming down the living and no longer produces the just beginning to affect the translation pike. Most of it will be tested on ani- troublesome sugar. market. We’ll see a lot more of them mals before it is tried on humans, and Researchers at the University of in the work that crosses our desks in when testing moves into the clinical Missouri and at PPL Therapeutics the next few years. trials, there will be further discussion Inc. in Virginia inserted a disabled of the findings resulting from tests on version of the sugar chain into ordi- The Bad News laboratory animals. So I did a bit of nary fetal pig cells as they were I anticipate continued downward research on some of the areas that I dividing, and then made copies of the pressure on prices in some areas of med- think are “up-and-coming,” and ran modified cells and injected their ical and pharmaceutical translation, due down the answers to some terminology DNA into eggs, making cloned pig in part to improved database technology questions. As they say in medical arti- embryos. which makes machine translation more cles, “results are reported below.” “If it worked, the number of feasible for highly repetitive materials, transplants we did wouldn’t be lim- and also due to the large number of Up-and-Coming: In the Popular Press ited by organ availability, but by the people willing to translate for low rates. Here are some excerpts from the number of recipients and the number

40 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 of operating rooms you have to do VEGF is the same growth factor that Euthanasia and Pain Management the surgery,” said Dr. David Cronin, cancer cells use for angiogenesis, to With the new developments in a liver transplant surgeon at the improve the blood supply to tumors. genetically modified animal models University of Chicago. Expect to see this technology stay in for human disease, look for more arti- animal trials for some time yet. cles on humane killing, including Monoclonal T-cell Receptors establishing humane endpoints in (New Scientist: April 20, 2002) Up-and-Coming: From animal models of cancer. Monoclonal antibodies can seek Technical Literature out and destroy diseased cells. Now Here are some topics I expect to When death was imminent, ani- researchers at Avidex and at Sunol see fairly frequently in the materials I mals were euthanized by inhala- Molecular are developing drugs translate, accompanied by excerpts tion of methoxyflurane followed by which can detect and destroy all dis- (indented, in italics) from the publica- decapitation. eased or cancerous cells, not just the tions Comparative Medicine and 10% to 15% targeted by monoclonal Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Euthanized vs. Sacrificed antibodies. Animal Science, both published by the Articles in AALAS publications Starting with human T-cells, American Association for Laboratory overwhelmingly favor “euthanized,” researchers extract the genes that man- Animal Science (www.aalas.org) and with “humanely killed” coming in a ufacture the T-cell receptor. They reproduced here by permission from distant second. I have seen only one shuttle those genes into E. coli bac- AALAS. I chose selections on topics AALAS article in the last six months teria, and the bacteria start producing which I think are likely to be encoun- that used “sacrificed,” although this identical copies of the receptor pro- tered by a medical translator. These term is still used in English-language tein. This process mimics the one used excerpts are also representative of articles in Experimental Animals, the for creating monoclonal antibodies, the typical writing style and termi- publication of the Japan Association for which is why the mass-produced nology use to be found in medical Laboratory Animal Science. receptors have been termed “mono- publications. clonal TCRs.” Avidex is just begin- Animal Models of Disease ning animal trials. Humanitarian Handling of Animals Selective breeding has been used for The humane treatment of animals years to develop and maintain animal Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor will be an increasingly important issue strains for studying various human dis- (New Scientist: March 23, 2002) as the ICH provides uniform guide- eases, such as obesity, diabetes, high The brain reacts to a stroke by lines for pharmaceutical research. blood pressure, and heart disease. In trying to grow new blood vessels. Expect increasing emphasis on the many cases, these conditions originated Cells around the edge of the damaged “Three Rs”: refinement (better study as spontaneous mutations, and have area secrete vascular endothelial structure and use of statistical analysis been maintained by careful breeding. growth factor (VEGF), which stimu- software); replacement (computer lates capillary growth and breaks simulations and in vitro studies); and Mice homozygous for the mutation down the blood-brain barrier long reduction (using no more animals scid (SCID mice) were identified in a enough to allow housekeeping cells than are necessary). Other topics you breeding study examining antibody to cart off dead brain tissue. In rat can expect to see more frequently subclasses in specific-pathogen- models of stroke, treatment with include: environmental enrichment to free-housed (SPF-housed) mice. extra VEGF has dramatically reduce boredom in caged animals, Absence of detectable antibodies in increased the density of blood vessels including tying toys to the cage bars some of the animals led to extensive in the damaged area, and provided (baby rattles are popular with rabbits characterization of this spontaneous more complete recovery. and hamsters); and the merits of mutation. There are several problems, how- wire-bottom vs. solid-bottom rodent ever. VEGF increases the perme- caging and group housing vs. indi- Angiogenesis was examined in an ability of blood vessels, so the vidual caging. (My favorite quote: inflammatory context in SCID mice treatment for stroke could increase “Catching group-housed rabbits can grafted with human skin and then the risk of cerebral edema. Also, be a challenge.”) given human blood leukocytes ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 41 Resource Materials for the Japanese → English Translation of Lab Animal Studies Continued

allogeneic (genetically different environment, so that results can be groups of 10 in polycarbonate donor) to the skin. Allogeneic recog- reproduced reliably by other scien- cages (47.6 cm x 26 cm x 15.2 cm) nition established the inflammatory tists. Mice and rats are prone to on hardwood bedding (Beta-Chip: response necessary to trigger angio- chronic infections (for example, Northeastern Products Corp., genesis. A similar model was devel- minute virus of mice [MVM], and Warrensburg, NY). During the oped to examine discordant graft mouse parvovirus 1 [MPV]), which study, the animal room was main- rejection in the context of gener- can significantly change baseline tained at 26 to 27¡C and 30% to ating pigs as universal transplant values. Test animals and breeding 70% relative humidity with 12:12-h donors for humans. stock are frequently shipped from light: dark cycle. A maintenance one laboratory to another, increasing diet of rodent chow (Teklad 8640, An immunodeficient mouse does not the risk of infection. 22/5 Rodent Diet [W]; Harlan reject the transplantation of tissue Teklad, Indianapolis, IN) and tap from other animals, so it can be used Despite the absence of clinical dis- water were made available ad as a small and relatively inexpensive ease and histopathologic changes, libitum during the study. Animals “living test tube” for in vivo studies. murine parvovirues can have were cared for in accordance with appreciable deleterious effects on guidelines set forth by the Guide for The SCID-bo mouse was developed research due to their immunomod- the Care and Use of Laboratory as a rodent model to study the ulatory effects in vivo and in Animals. All procedures were bovine immune system. This mouse vitro.... However, serologic assays approved by the Institutional model is created by surgical implan- cannot be used to detect par- Animal Care and Use Committee of tation of small sections of second- vovirus infections directly in the University of Tennessee Health trimester fetal bovine liver, lymph immunodeficient strains of mice Science Center (Memphis, TN). node, and thymus into the peritoneal that cannot generate a humeral cavity of a female C.B-17 scid-bg immune response.... As a result, Genetic Engineering mouse. The resultant xenochimeric polymerase chain reaction (PCR) So what IS a knock-out mouse, mouse is capable of developing pri- assays that specifically detect anyway? mary and secondary bovine rodent parvovirus DNA have been Confused about the difference humeral immune responses to developed and have proven to be a between selective breeding and T-cell-dependent antigens, and useful adjunctive diagnostic genetic engineering? There’s a fairly long-term self-sustaining multilin- method to detect or confirm the clear definition on page 53 of eage bovine hematopoiesis. Use of presence of MPV in mice. Pharmacology (fourth edition) by HP this rodent model allows for the Rang, MM Dale, JM Ritter, and P. functional study of the bovine External Laboratory Environment Gardner (Churchill Livingstone, immune system while avoiding Most discussions of animal exper- 2001). I’ve excerpted it below. (The many of the problems associated iments will include a description of subheadings are mine.) with using large animals in animal housing. The following is research, such as expensive typical. Selective Breeding housing, difficulty of handling, By selective breeding, it is pos- uncertain health status, and nonuni- Upon arrival at our AAALAC sible to obtain pure animal strains form genetic background. International-accredited facility, that express abnormalities closely animals were quarantined for two resembling human disease condi- Of course, immunodeficient mice to three weeks. Animals were incor- tions. These are extremely useful for must be carefully protected from any porated into our monthly in-house characterizing drug effects that may source of infection. screening for coronavirus, Sendai be clinically relevant. Genetic models virus, and Mycoplasma pulmonis of this kind include spontaneously Prevention of Disease in by the Immunocomb method hypertensive rats, genetically obese Laboratory Animals (Charles River Laboratories, mice, epilepsy-prone dogs and mice, Good Laboratory Practices require Wilmington, MA). During the quar- rats with deficient vasopressin secre- careful attention to the laboratory antine period, mice were housed in tion, and many other examples.

42 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Transgenic Animals be switched on or off by an external “Bagg albino” in 1913 from stock More recently, deliberate genetic signal, such as the administration of from an Ohio pet dealer. Inbred in manipulation of the germ-line is interferon, allowing the animal to 1923 by McDowell. To CRL in increasingly used to generate trans- develop normally up to this point. 1974 from NIH. Caesarean rede- genic animals with defined mutations rived in 1975. Coat color: albino. as a means of replicating human dis- Mostly Mice ease states in experimental animals. At present, the technology used in Crl:CD-1¨-nuBR (nude) These animal models are expected to genetic engineering is mainly con- Origin: Developed from the be more predictive of therapeutic fined to tests on the mouse, which transfer of the nude gene to a CD-1 drug effects in humans. breeds quickly but is inconveniently mouse through a series of crosses small for many experimental pur- and back-crosses. The animal does “Knock-outs and Knock-ins” poses. Despite this, its importance is not have a thymus, and is therefore This technology, first reported in growing rapidly. immunodeficient and unable to 1980, allows for the inactivation of produce T-cells. Coat color: hair- existing genes (“knock-outs”) or the Nomenclature less, albino background. insertion of new genes (“knock-ins”) Those Strange Abbreviations for in breeding colonies of animals. Rat and Mouse Names BALB/cAnNCrlÐnuBR Examples of such models include Here is some background informa- Origin: Developed through crosses transgenic mice that overexpress the tion for the names of mice and rats and back-crosses between BALB/ amyloid precursor protein (APP), commonly used in preclinical trials. cABon-nu and BALB/cAnNCrj-nu which is important in the pathogenesis The abbreviations sometimes provide at Charles River Japan (CRJ). This of Alzheimer’s disease. When they are an abbreviated history of the animal. mouse is inbred, and genetic mon- a few months old, these mice develop (These are all summarized from the itoring results confirm it to be a pathological lesions and cognitive Charles River Laboratories website, BALB/c nude. It also lacks a changes resembling Alzheimer’s dis- www.criver.com). Charles River uses thymus and is therefore T-cell ease, and provide a very useful model the following abbreviations (my com- deficient. Coat color: hairless, for testing possible new therapeutic ments in parentheses): albino background. approaches. CRL or Crl: Charles River Laboratories. Rats Conditional Mutagenesis Crl:CD (SD)IGS BR The technology (of genetic engi- SD: Sprague Dawley descended rats. (Sprague Dawley) neering in animals) is improving rap- Origin: Originated in 1925 by idly, and the use of such models CD: Caesarean-derived (offspring are Robert W. Dawley from a hybrid in pharmacology will undoubtedly born by caesarean section rather hooded male and a female Wistar become widespread. There are several than by natural birth to prevent rat. To CRL in 1950 from Sprague limitations. One is that the gene switch contagion—this is often done to Dawley, Inc. Caesarean rederived in may cause the animals to die during save a valuable line of animals that 1955 from original Charles River gestation, or shortly after birth. A has become infected by disease). Sprague Dawley¨ colonies. IGS second is that adaptive changes may refers to animals bred using the compensate for the lack, or overex- Barrier-reared: Animals are raised in a CRL International Genetic Standard pression, of a particular gene and com- basically germ-free environment, system. Coat color: albino. plicate interpretation of the phenotypic and stringent measures are taken to changes seen in the transgenic animals. avoid infection. This is necessary to Crl:(ZUC)ÐfaBR (Fatty Zucker) To overcome these problems, ways of maintain lines of animals bred to Origin: The obese or fatty condition achieving conditional mutagenesis are have an impaired immune system. appeared spontaneously in the 13M being developed, whereby the intro- strain of Theodore and Lois Zucker duced genes are engineered so that Mice at the Laboratory of Comparative they are expressed only in particular BALB/cAnNCrlBR (BALB) Pathology in Stow, Massachusetts. cells (e.g., neurons), or so that they can Origin: H.J. Bagg developed the Research colonies were ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 43 Resource Materials for the Japanese → English Translation of Lab Animal Studies Continued

established at many institutions developed in 1979-1980 through a from this nucleus colony. Coat series of matings involving eight color (four principal variants): 1) inbred rat strains. This athymic Attention predominantly brown; 2) brown nude rat is T-cell deficient and Exhibitors and white; 3) predominantly shows depleted cell populations in black; and 4) black and white. thymus-dependent areas of periph- ATA’s 43rd Annual eral lymphoid organs. Coat color: WKY/NCrlBR (Wistar) albino, black, black & white. Conference Origin: Outbred Wistar stock from the Kyoto School of Medicine to More on Laboratory Animals Atlanta, Georgia • Hyatt Regency Hotel November 6-9, 2002 NIH in 1971. This is the same stock See the updated CRL Technical from which the SHR/N strain was Bulletin No. 1 at www.criver.com/ developed. Coat color: albino. pdf/tecbul.pdf. Plan now to exhibit at the American Crl:(WI)BR (Wistar) Some of the Animal Testing Offered Translators Association’s 43rd Origin: To Scientific Products by Charles River Laboratories Annual Conference in Atlanta, Farm, Ltd. (predecessor of Charles Georgia, November 6–9, 2002. River United Kingdom [CRUK]) Expression Testing in 1947 from Wistar Institute. Estimation of the level of expres- Exhibiting at the ATA Annual Caesarean rederived in 1975 to sion from a transgene or knockout Conference offers the best oppor- form the nucleus of the current construct using reverse transcription tunity to market your products and Wistar rat colonies. This particular PCR (RT-PCR) methods to quantify services face-to-face to more than colony was selected because of a the level of RNA production within 1,500 translators in one location. low incidence of hydronephrosis. an animal model. Coat color: albino. Translators are consumers of com- SCID Testing puter hardware and software, tech- SHR/NCrlBR Severe combined immunodefi- nical publications and reference (Spontaneous Hypertensive) ciency (SCID) is the result of a sponta- books, office products, and much Origin: Okamoto, Kyoto School neous autosomal recessive mutation. more. Face-to-face selling, as you of Medicine, 1963, from outbred Charles River can confirm the pres- know, is the most effective and Wistar Kyoto male with marked ence or absence of this point mutation successful method of marketing. elevation of blood pressure mated using PCR. The ATA Annual Conference is the to female with slightly elevated perfect venue, and you are assured blood pressure. Brother x sister Zygosity Testing of excellent visibility. Exhibit space mating with continued selection Determination of two-fold difference is limited, so please reserve your for spontaneous hypertension was in copy number between hemi-/hetero- space today. then started. Coat color: albino. and homozygote status of knockout and transgenic rodents using quantita- For additional information, please Crl:NIH-rnu (nude) tive PCR (Q-PCR) methods. contact: Origin: The NIH nude rat was Brian Wallace McNeill Group Inc. [email protected] Looking for a Check out ATA’s online Job Bank in the (215) 321-9662, ext. 38 freelance job or Fax: (215) 321-9636. Members Only section of the ATA website at a full-time position? www.atanet.org/membersonly Space is Limited!

44 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Developing a Glossary of Special Lexical Units Used in Cuba’s Variant of Spanish

By Eduardo González

(Note: The following is based on a she uses a rich mosaic of expressions Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, presentation the author gave at the that are utilized in Cuba and abroad the Yucatán peninsula, and other Mid-America Conference on Hispanic (no less than 20% of the total Cuban Spanish-speaking areas, makes her Literatures at the University of Kansas population lives “abroad,” perhaps prose attractive and appealing for in Lawrence, Kansas, October 4-6, the largest exodus per capita in the Spanish speakers and readers all 2001.) whole Western hemisphere). When around the world. However, the very referring to daily life in Cuba, she bold style that characterizes Valdés he extremely prolific Cuban resorts to the very argot that is used can become a true nightmare for the exile writer Zoé Valdés, former and heard all over this island: a com- translator who wants, or needs, the T university student, magazine bination of slang, colloquialisms, challenge of translating such lan- editor, and writer of poetry, fiction, resemantizations of old terms, and guage variants, especially into the and semibiographical prose, has even “deeper” aspects, like changing most widespread lingua franca in the undoubtedly blazed a few new trails the gender in old words to denote a world today: English. in Spanish literature. Zoé writes the With such concerns in mind, and way Cuba speaks. Her uninhibited also thinking about the possibility of style, full of colloquialisms, vul- “…Zoé Valdés’ uninhibited including some of Valdés’ vocabulary garisms, Cubanisms, and “Zoisms,” style, full of in courses on the Caribbean and Cuba has earned her a respectable place (lexicology and semantics of the among writers in Spanish all over the colloquialisms, Spanish language, and so forth), I world, including the large Hispanic vulgarisms, Cubanisms, started to develop a glossary of all the population in the United States. special lexical units (SLUs) found in Fabiola Santiago, in a recent issue and ‘Zoisms,’ has earned Zoé Valdés’ prose. At first, this glos- of Críticas, writes the following: her a respectable place sary was limited to just Te dí la vida among writers in Spanish entera, a Planeta Prize finalist and Valdés is in a category of her own winner of $100,000 in Spain. On with impressive sales figures, a all over the world…” average, I found one to two SLUs for successful list of titles that cross every two pages (for about 150 total) literary genres, and a bold style while going through this novel. After that has turned her most painful completely new and different ref- researching the most complete and life experiences into daring works erent. For example, the word (el) pal- updated dictionaries of Cubanisms, I of art…(Críticas, Jan/Feb 2002) adar meant, and still does, either found that these references listed (mouth) palate or taste; as such, pal- only 20-30% of the SLUs used by In 1996, Le Monde, the prestigious adar is a common noun, masculine in Valdés. In some cases, only a partial French journal, wrote: gender. A new usage has evolved meaning was given. In all cases, nei- which depicts the new realities of ther an explanation nor a translation Zoé Valdés tells us about daily life Cuba: (la) paladar, meaning a little, into English was offered. In other in the last bulwark of socialism. semi-illegal “restaurant.” This estab- words, the dictionaries I consulted Once again, after Solzhenitsin and lishment is usually inside a common- only addressed the Spanish-speaking Kundera, a novel is a better accu- looking house, hidden from reader who wants to understand the sation than any essay: the plain passersby, where drinks and some meaning of a word or expression used telling of the story is worth more food not available to the general pop- by Cubans. Even the most recent dic- than all anathemas… ulation are served in exchange for tionary (Paz-Perez, 1998), though an U.S. dollars. With this new meaning, excellent source for colloquial and The above characterizes another paladar has become a feminine vulgar Cuban Spanish, does not major aspect of Valdés’ prose: it gender noun. account for roughly 60% of the SLUs shows without telling us; it criticizes The very fact that Zoé Valdés used in Valdés’ writing. without telling the reader it is a cri- writes using an updated general style Therefore, the task at hand is to tique. Valdés never even mentions the and register, so common and yet create a comprehensive glossary, per- name of the Cuban dictator. Instead, sometimes so different in Cuba, The haps a dictionary, of all the SLUs ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 45 Developing a Glossary of Special Lexical Units Used in Cuba’s Variant of Spanish Continued found in Valdés’ prose, starting with B Cocomacaco her first famous novel, La nada cotid- Bolo Combinación de “coco” (fantasma iana (1995), through her latest book Unidad léxica utilizada en Cuba para imaginario para asustar a los niños) y in Spanish, El pie de mi padre (2002). referirse a los soviéticos, primero “macaco” (tipo de mono supuestamente The current glossary is complete con- despectivamente y luego de modo muy feo)/Persona muy fea, horrible. cerning Te dí la vida entera and neutral: Esa rubia es bola. Estudié Milagro en Miami (1996 and 2001, con los bolos (en la USSR). Tiene su Combination of coco (boogie man) respectively), although I am still origen en la forma física de los and macaco (type of monkey, suppos- working through several of her other “rusos” que comenzaron a ir a Cuba edly a very ugly macaque), meaning a novels. The novelty that makes the en 1960-1961: bajos, regordetes y “very ugly, horrible-looking” person. glossary a useful multipurpose refer- redondeados. También por los zap- ence is, in my opinion, the fact that atos “puntera de bola” que usaban Comediante En Jefe each SLU has an explanation in los primeros “bolos” vistos en Cuba. Neologismo producto de la alteración Spanish, followed by a selection of del nombre común Comandante, possible synonyms. A literal transla- Lexical unit originally used in Cuba usado muy frecuentemente por el rég- tion is then given in English, accom- to refer to the former Soviet people: imen cubano para referirse al dic- panied by a short definition and a “Rounded like a ball.” Used first as a tador Castro: “Comandante en Jefe.” suggested “free” translation. derogatory term, it eventually became Ahora significa “Payaso en Jefe”; I encourage and appreciate any neutral in its connotation. Used as an comments, critiques, or suggestions adjective and as a noun. She is a Neologism resulting from the alter- readers may have regarding the glos- “bola”; I studied with the “bolos” (in ation of the common noun sary. Some entries could be consid- the USSR). Commander, especially from the ubiq- ered “foul language,” but are uitous phrase used by the government included here because these expres- Bora (Ir en ~) media to refer to Dictator Castro: sions form an important part of the Ir abajo, ir echando, irse, menos “Commander in Chief.” It now means language, both in the texts I uno; siempre con el significado de “Comedian, Clown in Chief.” researched and in real life. A brief “marcharse”; glossary sampling follows: Cayo Cruz No literal translation/to hit the road; Basurero famoso cerca de la ciudad Bilingual Spanish-English Glossary scram; beat it. Always with the de La Habana. Usase actualmente of Special Lexical Units/Sampling meaning of “leaving, departing.” para referirse a Cuba y, en especial, a Eduardo González (May 2002) La Habana; C A Cagástrofe Name of a famous garbage dump Aplaudir la Cara Neologismo. Palabra compuesta de close to Havana City. Used now to Sopapear, dar de bofetadas, dar gaz- cagar + catástrofe refer to Cuba and, especially, Havana. natones, galletear; Desastre, tormenta o huracán de “mierda” con el significado de CH (Literal Translation) To “applaud, clap” “pobreza, desgracias, derrumbes de Changó (con conocimiento) someone’s face; to slap repeatedly/to edificios que no se arreglan, En la expresión “tener/coger/darle ( a slap someone dumb. apagones, etc.”; alguien ) un ~ quiere decir “tener un ataque de nervios” o “coger un Agua Tibia (Inventar el ~) Neologism. Compound of two muerto.” Se refiere a la deidad afro- Inventar, crear lo ya inventado Spanish words meaning, respectively, cubana Changó (Sta. Bárbara) y a lo o creado; “crap, shit,” and “catastrophe.” It que acontece a algunos practicantes de refers to a chain of misfortunes in ritos “espirituales”: coger un muerto, (Literal Translation) To invent/ Cuba: poverty, scarcity, the collapse darle un ataque con convulsiones, etc. discover lukewarm water; to reinvent of buildings for lack of repairs, black- En este caso significa molestarse tanto the wheel. outs, etc. (“Crapastrophe”). que a la persona le da un ataque.

46 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Derived from what happens to some “de verdad” “fuerte” “mejor” pero be translated as “to go through a lot,” people who practice Afro-Cuban rit- siempre con la idea de que no será “to have a (very) hard time,” “more uals: to get into a fit; a seizure-like fácil lo que se haga. Proviene del worn out than an old shoe,” etc. trance. Changó is the name St. béisbol o “pelota dura” donde se Barbara receives in Afro-Cuban rit- lanza una pelota muy dura y a gran G uals. Here it means to get so upset velocidad. Para aumentar el efecto, se Guerra De Dependencia about something that the person gets añade “sin guantes” y “sin careta,” o Forma burlona de referirse al control in a fit or hysterical crisis. sea, con todos los riesgos posibles. que los extranjeros, en especial los españoles, han adquirido en los D Sometimes followed by “with no últimos años en muchos aspectos de la Desencolado gloves” and “without a mask,” this economía cubana. Se basa en el tér- Tristón, deprimido, “por debajo.” expression comes from baseball jargon mino histórico “Guerra de Indepen- Proviene de la frase “(como un) and means “really hard,” “very diffi- dencia,” o sea, la que sostuvo Cuba piano desencolado”; cult,” “risky” (imagine a real baseball contra el colonialismo español a game where players wear no gloves partir de 1895 y que culminó con la (Literal Translation) Unglued. From a and the catcher wears no mask!). intervención norteamericana de 1898, phrase in Spanish that denotes a piano la derrota total del gobierno español y that has come apart. Blue, depressed, E la fundación de la República de Cuba “down,” torn apart. Extranjia el 20 de mayo de 1902. Neologismo usado para referirse a Diplo cualquier país que no sea Cuba y sus (Literal Translation) “War of Depen- Prefijo que se antepone a nombres habitantes. Los procedentes de tal dency,” a jocular modification of comunes para denominar a personas hipotético país pueden comer en los “War of Independence.” A true histor- y cosas del “área dólar” y, por ende, buenos restaurantes, alojarse en los ical term which refers to the war con acceso a beneficios que no están hoteles buenos, obtener adecuada against Spanish colonialism in Cuba, al alcance la población en general. atención médica, etc. pagando, por which began in 1895 and led to the supuesto, con dólares de los EE.UU. total defeat of the colonialists and to Prefix used with common nouns to País de los “no cubanos.” U.S. intervention in 1898. Eventually, refer to people and things from the U.S. troops departed and the “dollar areas” (what is not within the Neologism used to denote those who Republic of Cuba was founded on reach of the general population). are “Non-Cuban” (and thus have access May 20, 1902. “War of Dependency” Some examples: to the best hotels, adequate medical refers to the gradual control foreign attention, good restaurants, etc., by companies, especially Spanish, have Diploauto: Diplocar (“foreign”car paying in U.S. dollars). A hypothetical been gaining in the present chaotic or car obtained with “diplomoney”); country whose inhabitants are “Non- Cuban economy. It is equivalent to Cuban.” Proposed translation equiva- “return to colonialism.” Diplobarriga: Diplobelly (big belly lent: “Noncubanland.” from eating and drinking “diplo- H products”); F Habanecer Forro De Catre Neologismo cubano con el signifi- Diplopuerco: Diplopig/pork (type of A veces seguida de “Viejo,”esta unidad cado de “amanecer en La Habana.” meat only obtained in dollar areas); léxica se utiliza en la expresión Formado por la combinación de idiomática “pasar más trabajo que un Habana + amanecer; Diploputa: Diplohooker (type of pros- forro de catre (viejo)” y quiere decir titute who specializes in foreigners). “Pasar las de Caín,” atravesar muchas Neologism for “Dawn in Havana,” or dificultades para poder obtener algo; “the start of a new day in Havana.” Duro (Al ~) Combination of Habana (the capital of A veces seguida por “sin guantes” y (Literal Translation) To go through Cuba) and amanecer (dawn; beginning “sin careta,” esta expresión significa more hardship than a cot canvas. Can of a new day): Habanadawn. ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 47 Developing a Glossary of Special Lexical Units Used in Cuba’s Variant of Spanish Continued

I speak and complain “freely,” day- It means “she was pretty” or “she was Invernación (Oficina de ~) dream, and make plans to flee Cuba. young and attractive” when the affir- Variante jocosa e irónica de “Oficina mative is used (She was 15 once), and de Inmigración.” Lugar donde se Ñ the opposite when the negative is used hacen los trámites para poder salir Ñengueteá (She was never 15). It also implies that del país. Las demoras y los trámites En la expresión “quedarse ~.” Usase the female in question is not young burocráticos ¡son tan largos que es también en masculino. Quiere decir anymore. In Spanish, Los Quince is como invernar en lugar de emigrar! “tullido, lisiado, imposibilitado, the equivalent of “Sweet Sixteen” in retorcido” como suele ocurrir cuando English. Possible translation equiva- (Literal Translation) Hibernation se sufre un ataque grave al cerebro lents: “She was a looker once”; “She (Office). Comic, ironical way to refer (apoplejía). Connotación negativa; was a knockout in her time.” to the “Immigration Office,” where red tape and delays are so marked that Handicapped; crippled, as after a R people who want to “emigrate” must major stroke: (physically) “f---ed up.” Retama De Guayacol instead “hibernate!” Very negative connotation. Expresión popular que significa “lo peor,” “de baja calidad,” “vulgar” si L P se refiere a personas. La palabra Lenguaetrapo Parar Bola retama se usa también sola con el Palabra formada por la aleación de En la expresión “no parar bola” mismo significado; tres palabras pronunciadas juntas: quiere decir “no prestar atención,” “lengua de trapo.” Significa chis- “no hacer caso” a alguien. Idioms that mean “the worst”: “scum,” moso, lengua larga (lenguilargo); “riffraff,” “the dregs.” The word retama (Literal Translation) “(Not to) stop can be used in isolation to mean the (Literal Translation) “Rag tongue.” the ball.” It means “not to pay atten- same as the whole expression. Combination of three words pro- tion to”; “not to show interest in.” In nounced together (see above). It can this case, the context is not to be inter- T be translated as “telltale,” “big ested in purchasing cocaine from Tajada De Aire mouth” (Deep Throat?). someone. Eufemismo por “no tener nada que comer”; “pasar hambre”; M Pinguero Muro De Las Lamentaciones Vulgarismo por “prostituto.” Usual- (Literal Translation) “A slice of air.” It Desplazamiento semántico del signifi- mente el joven que se ofrece para means “to have nothing to eat”; “to cado de un término a un referente cualquier actividad (bi)sexual a starve.” totalmente distinto, pero basado en la cambio de dólares estadounidenses; connotación actual. El Muro de las Talla Super Extra Lamentaciones de Tierra Santa se uti- (Literal Translation) “Dicker.” Uno de los numerosos calificativos liza aquí para referirse al Malecón de Vulgarism for “(young) male prosti- que usa el cubano para referirse al La Habana, donde los cubanos se tute” who offers his body for any and dictador Castro; sientan y suspiran mirando al mar all kinds of (bi)sexual activity in mientras se lamentan, sueñan y hacen exchange for U.S. dollars. One of many ways the Cuban popula- planes para huir del país; tion uses to refer to Dictator Castro Q (superextra size): (Literal Translation) The Wailing Quince Otros ejemplos. Other examples Wall. Semantic displacement from a Usase en la expresión “tener quince” include: true referent to a different one, but (Ella tuvo quince) con el significado based on a newly acquired connota- de “fue bonita”; “fue joven y atrac- Cara de coco/caradura: shameless tion of the new referent. It refers to tiva” o lo contrario al decir “ella no the Havana seawall (el Malecón) tuvo quince.” Implica que la mujer de where Cubans go to look at the sea, quien se habla no es joven ya; Continued on p.61

48 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 An Interview with Professor Bernard Lewis

By Lily Liu

rofessor Bernard Lewis is the history of the Ottoman Empire. He is that poems from four leading literary Cleveland E. Dodge Professor the author of more than 20 books, traditions of the Middle East have P of Near Eastern Studies, including: The Arabs in History (1950); appeared in English in a single Emeritus, at Princeton University. He The Emergence of Modern Turkey volume compiled by one translator. was educated at the School of (1961); The Political Language of These poems present a broad sweep Oriental and African Studies at the Islam (1988); Race and Slavery in the of medieval Middle Eastern history, University of London, where he Middle East: An Historical Enquiry encompassing more than one thou- received both his B.A. and Ph.D. in (1990); Islam and the West (1993); The sand years, from the 7th to the 18th history. He also did part of his grad- Shaping of the Modern Middle East century. I have chosen poems repre- uate work at the University of Paris, (1994); The Middle East: A Brief senting the three major languages of and spent some time touring the History of the Last 2,000 Years (1995); medieval Islam (Arabic, Persian, and Middle East. In 1938, he accepted his and A Middle East Mosaic: Fragments Turkish) and Hebrew. Quite a few of first teaching appointment as an of Life, Letters, and History (2000). His the poems appear here in English for assistant lecturer in Islamic history at the first time. the School of Oriental and African The introduction does discuss the Studies at the University of London. “…Translations of literary problems of translation at some From 1940-1941, he served in the and other works can serve length: how I set about it, what I was British Army (Royal Armoured able to do, what I wasn’t. I think a Corps and Intelligence Corps). He as an important channel of translator might be interested in this was attached to a department of the communication, even as collection of translation samples. Foreign Office from 1941-1945, where his work involved some trans- a bridge between different LL: How did the idea to publish lation of captured and intercepted societies and cultures…” this collection come about? documents. He remained at the I had published some of these University of London until 1974, translations in odd places here and when he started teaching at Princeton articles on Islam and the West have there, in journals and so on. The University. He retired in 1986. appeared in Atlantic Monthly, Foreign notion of a book came up in the Professor Lewis has been a Fellow Affairs, National Review, and The course of a conversation with a pub- of the British Academy, and was New Yorker. He recently published a lisher. The idea was later taken up by appointed a Jefferson Lecturer in the collection of his translations of clas- Princeton University Press. I liked Humanities by the National Endow- sical poems from the Middle East in the idea, and set to work to put the ment for the Humanities. He has been Music of a Distant Drum: Classical collection together. Most of the trans- the recipient of 13 honorary doctor- Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Hebrew lations in the book were done quite a ates. His professional affiliations have Poems (Princeton University Press, long time ago, with some being 50 included membership in: the Institut 2001). The following interview, con- years or older. d’Egypte, Cairo; the Turkish Historical ducted in December 2001, talks about Society, Ankara; the Turkish Academy this latest publication. LL: Was it necessary to go back of Sciences; the American Philo- and fiddle with some translations? sophical Society; the American LL: Where did the title of this Yes, I must confess, partly because Academy of Arts and Sciences; and the volume, Music of a Distant Drum, the English language has changed. I Institut de France, Académie des come from? did some of those translations back in Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. That’s from Edward Fitzgerald’s the 1930s, and the English we use Professor Lewis’ earliest interest translation in the mid-1800s of one of now and the English used then are not was in medieval Islamic history, espe- the quatrains of Omar Khayyam, the quite the same language. The over- cially religious movements such as the Persian poet and scientist. tones and undertones of particular Ismailis and Assassins. As a result of words have sometimes changed to the the war years, he became interested in LL: What is significant about this point where, if left as originally the contemporary Middle East. His collection of 129 poems? worded, the effect of the poem would major research interest has been the This volume marks the first time be totally misleading. ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 49 An Interview with Professor Bernard Lewis Continued

Take, for example, the very Europe and, undoubtedly, influenced and within the period may be very common adjective “gay.” As a substi- the development of rhymed verse in difficult to penetrate for someone tute, depending on the context, one European languages. The early elsewhere and at another time. could now say “happy,” “merry,” Arabic poets developed a number of “cheerful,” or “bright.” There are a different meters. Persian, Turkish, LL: So, what’s a translator to do? number of possible words, but you and Hebrew poets adapted them and I can only tell you what I did, can’t really say “gay” anymore added others. Their metrics, however, although I wouldn’t put what I am without evoking other, and irrelevant, differ from those of most European about to tell you in the form of a “guid- connotations. poetic traditions in that they are ance manual.” I have translated poetry based on quantity, not stress. from a very early stage in my life, par- LL: So, should there be periodic ticularly during the war, but often after re-translations of classics? LL: Why is it more difficult to that, for several reasons. The main I think it’s not a bad idea for major translate poetry than prose? reason, to be honest, is because I works to be re-translated from time It is obviously more difficult enjoyed it. I’ve always liked reading to time, because of the changes in because in a poem each word has a poetry and enjoyed the challenge of the language and also the changes special resonance. When you’re translating it, if only to convince in approach. For example, when translating a prose text, particularly myself that I’d really understood it. Fitzgerald translated Omar Khayyam, an historical text, the use of words is It will often happen—not just with he tried, on the whole pretty success- normally fairly straightforward. It’s poetry, but with more ordinary fully, to reproduce the meter and not always as simple as, “The king writing—that you read something rhyme scheme of the original, but went out and won a battle,” but, nev- and think you’ve understood it. But you can’t do that without doing some ertheless, it is a simple narrative try and translate it, and then you sud- violence to the content. I mean, it’s statement, at least for the most part in denly realize that perhaps you difficult enough to translate poetry, earlier texts. If you don’t know a haven’t understood it or, even worse, but to do it in rhyme and meter is, I word, you can look it up in a dic- you may have misunderstood it! I would say, impossible without sacri- tionary, and that will give you an think, in that sense, translating is a ficing some of the meaning. So, one approximate, or even better than very useful test of understanding, and resolution I made when translating approximate, idea of what it is about. that is another reason why I did it. I the poems in this volume was that I However, it is much more tricky to felt it deepened my appreciation of would not try to reproduce scansion do this if you’re reading a poem, the poem if I could turn it into my and meter. because the word in a poem not only language, and found this process very uses the dictionary meaning, but will interesting, stimulating, and valuable. LL: In your introduction, you said have all kinds of resonances and I also translated poetry because I that Middle Eastern poetry has associations which are part of the cul- found it useful in my work as an his- very elaborate prosody. ture. This is a common difficulty, torian. I am not a literary scholar; by Yes, very elaborate. Now, what I even between neighboring languages training, I am an historian. All my life did was simply to translate into, how like English and French or French I have studied, written, and lectured shall I put it, poetic, rhythmic prose, and Italian. on history. You might ask, “What has but nevertheless prose, and without It’s much more difficult, and an historian to do with poetry?” And any attempt at rhyme. This is more of therefore more interesting and chal- I would say, “A poem is an historical a problem in Middle Eastern poetry lenging, to try and read a poem that document, no less than a treaty or a (Arabic, Persian, and Turkish), was written several hundred years diplomatic report, and considerably because the rhyme is very important. ago in a land several thousand miles more interesting!” As you know, the Greeks and the away—a different culture, a different Romans didn’t use rhyme. civilization—and by an author who LL: Please talk about your transla- The extensive use of rhyme in was nurtured on different classics and tions of historical texts. Middle Eastern poems is a major scriptures. Therefore, things that I did a two-volume history of innovation. The Arab conquerors of would be immediately intelligible to the Middle East, from the death of Spain and Sicily brought it into a listener or reader within the culture the Prophet to the capture of

50 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Constantinople in 1453, entirely in the straightforward as it may sound. I I have the one general principle form of excerpts from history books, mean, you can like a poem without which Arthur Waley, the renowned literary works, travel books, docu- fully understanding it. And how can translator from Chinese, gave me, ments, and other writings of the period. you be sure that you really do under- and I think it is a very important one. The idea was to tell the history of the stand it? You look at it, you under- He said it’s the only basic rule he Middle East, from the 7th to the 15th stand it. Then you start trying to would offer to translators: Never century, entirely through the words of translate it, and you begin to think, introduce an image which is not in their own historians and other “Well, maybe I don’t quite under- the original. If you can reproduce writers—not as I see it, but as they saw stand it!” And then you start pursuing the image in the original, do so. If it. The excerpts were arranged chrono- things. For example, you look up a you can’t, drop it. Don’t try to logically to give a more or less con- word in a dictionary and it gives you replace it. nected history of those centuries in one or more equivalents to the term. the region. To achieve this, of course, But that can be very misleading, par- LL: So, what’s “lost” in translation? I had to translate these writings. The ticularly in poetry, because the asso- That’s a very interesting question. title of the book is Islam from the ciations, the resonances, are so Obviously, something is lost. There is Prophet Muhammad to the Capture of different. This is why I had to be sure a story told of a Turkish poet of the Constantinople. Volume I is Politics that I could understand it. late 19th/early 20th century, Ahmed and War and Volume II is Religion The third requirement, which is Hashim, who was asked one day, and Society. not the same as the second, was that I “What is the inner essence of Each text had to be introduced had to be sure I could translate it. poetry?” And he said, “That which is and, where necessary, annotated. The Sometimes you can really satisfy lost in translation.” purpose of that book was scholarly. I yourself that you have understood the Then, there is also the 17th-century was writing as an historian for stu- thing and still not be able to render it English writer, James Howell, who dents of history to give them what in English. Or to do so, but only with remarked that some people hold you might call the “raw material” of lengthy footnotes and explanations. translations to be not unlike the history, the documentation. And, of I wanted to do this book as a wrong side of a Turkish tapestry! course, I provided brief introductions volume of poems for people to to the pieces and annotations, appreciate as poems. I did not want LL: Is there anything “gained” on explaining unfamiliar terms, filling in to distract them with learned foot- behalf of readers from your having the allusions, and so on. notes and “See the Quarterly Review translated this volume of Middle of this or that” (which would be an Eastern poetry, especially in light of LL: Is the process you use different entirely different kind of book). I did current events? when translating poetry? have some of that in my collection of It is nice to have something about Now, when I go on to poetry, this is historical excerpts. Middle Eastern Islamic civilization a different matter. I have different prin- Music of a Distant Drum is dif- that is not connected with bombs and ciples of selection. How did I choose a ferent. It is a collection of poems terrorists—to show that there is poem? I don’t claim that my collection offered as poems for the appreciation another side to it. Translations of lit- of poems in Music of a Distant Drum of the reader. It was my objective to erary and other works can serve as an is in any sense representative; not of present poems that could stand on important channel of communica- the literature, not of the poets. If it is their own as poems without the need tion, even as a bridge between dif- representative of anything at all, it’s to go into explanatory footnotes, ferent societies and cultures. An representative of my taste. asides, or anything of that sort. That obvious example is the translation of How did I choose these poems? meant excluding some poems that I ancient Greek philosophic and scien- Requirement #1: I had to like it. thought were very beautiful and very tific works into Arabic, and their Obviously, I wasn’t going to waste effective, but which would fall flat in re-translation from Arabic into Latin time translating a poem I didn’t like. English unless adequately explained. in the medieval West. Another is the It had to have something that translation of ancient Persian works appealed to me. Requirement #2: I LL: Do you have any “principles of into classical Arabic, and of classical had to understand it. That’s not as translation”? Arabic works into Persian. ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 51 An Interview with Professor Bernard Lewis Continued

LL: What do you hope that readers theme as it is in Islamic poetry, if you He who built the heavens and will gain from this book? look at Rumi, for example. made the stars The first thing I hope they would What I find very attractive and dis- and fashioned mind and soul and gain is the aesthetic enjoyment of the tinctive about Middle Eastern poetry, made mankind poems. That surely is the primary and particularly Persian poetry, is the tied all the strings of being in a knot purpose. But also, to gain some use of humor. A lot of the poetry is then lost the thread of this insight into the culture. All the poems what you might call epigrammatic. cosmic tangle. I translated in this volume are, These are often short poems—they without exception, pre-modern. particularly liked the quatrain, the LL: How did all this interest in the From the time when Middle four-line poem. Some of these have a Middle East start in your life? Eastern poets came under the influ- kind of lightness of touch, which, in I was going to be a lawyer. As you ence of Western civilization in the late Western literature, you would rele- know, before doing law, you can take 18th century, everything changed, gate to the comic pages, so to speak. a degree in whatever amuses you. It including poetry. And the themes, the Let me give you an example from a never occurred to me at that time that patterns, the scansion, and almost relatively minor Persian poet, Mujir one could actually earn a living by everything else were affected by (Music of a Distant Drum: 105): studying Middle Eastern languages Western (mostly English or French) and cultures. So, I indulged my influences. Therefore, I limited this In one hand the Qur’an, in the curiosity, as it were, without wor- collection to poems that were com- other a wineglass, rying about a profession, in the posed before that great change. These sometimes keeping the rules, secure belief that I was going to go poems are, so to speak, authentic sometimes breaking them. on afterwards and become a barrister. within the culture, and are not the Here we are in this world, unripe It didn’t quite work out that way. I products of external influences. and raw, really got totally absorbed in what I not outright heathens, not was doing. I did start my legal LL: So, these poems reflect cultures quite Muslims. studies in a desultory sort of way, but that are…? never finished them. I received my That are very rich and very diverse. I think that’s rather charming. Some- B.A. in history with special reference That have striking resemblances with times they are even quite philosophical. to the Near and Middle East, and our own culture, but also contain Here’s another one with a light went on to do a Ph.D. in the history some differences. There are always touch by the Persian poet of Islam, after which I took an aca- the universal themes of wine, women, Kamaluddin Isma’il Isfahani (Music demic position. And that launched and song. Remember that we are of a Distant Drum: 116): me in a career which I have followed dealing with a predominantly Muslim ever since, and which I have never civilization in which wine is for- Though my master speaks ill of me for one moment regretted. bidden and access to women is cir- I shall not mar my face with pain. cumscribed by all sorts of elaborate I shall speak nothing but good of him LL: When did you start to do restrictions. Nevertheless, they man- so that we may both be seen as liars. translations? aged to produce a lot of poetry about Languages were an important part wine, women, and song. I really like these two quatrains by of my education, and translating was the Persian poet Ubayd-i Zakani (Music an important part of the course of LL: What do the poems reveal of a Distant Drum: 127 and 126): study in English schools, starting at an about cultures that are different early age. I had to translate vast quan- from the West? Lord, of your grace all that I hope tities from both French and Latin, and Certainly religion is a more is this— later, also Greek. Then, when I did my important element. But we have reli- keep the realm of my Middle Eastern studies, I had to trans- gious poems in the West. For pleasure prosperous late from Arabic, Hebrew, and, later, instance, in English, we have the avert from me the calamity of chastity Persian and Turkish. Thus, translation metaphysical poets who were deeply and keep far from me the doom was, so to speak, a component of the religious. But it is not as important a of repentence. curriculum.

52 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Things were really difficult in published scholarly works of the var- He was the only one with whom I those days. We had to do a great deal ious authorities. These are not by any discussed translations of poetry. of translation from whatever language means all in English. So, it was With my other teachers, it was more we were studying into English, absolutely necessary to read German, or less discussions of routine stuff, working from both classical and Italian, and so on. more particularly historical texts. modern texts. From time to time, we I attended the University of With Adnan Bey, we developed, how were even required to translate from London. It is a kind of a federation of should I put it, a higher level of com- English into the language. I remember colleges, schools, and institutes, munication. I took the liberty of in Latin class, for example, being which together form the university. showing him some of my transla- required to translate the leading The School of Oriental and African tions of poetry, and he commented article from The Times into Latin! We Studies was among them. It has its on them. Very enlightening. had one Latin master with a more own professors specializing in these imaginative approach. He used to get various languages, cultures, and his- LL: When did translations first us to translate some of Damon tories. So, I had people teaching me appear in the Middle East? Runyon’s stories into Ciceronian these languages and giving me exer- You have translations for practical Latin, so one confronted such prob- cises to do. purposes and administrative purposes lems as, “How would you say ‘a Later, I went on to Paris to con- from a very early date. When people hotdog seller from East Side’ in tinue my studies. This is where I did of different countries needed to com- Latin?” I don’t think we would have most of my studies in Persian and municate with each other they had won any literary prizes for our Latin Turkish. While in Paris, I had the interpreters (we usually use that word versions, but it was a good exercise! rather difficult task of learning a for- for oral translation). But they also eign language in a foreign language, had written translations. This goes LL: In what sequence did you learn and translating from one foreign lan- back to remote antiquity. We learn, the languages you know? guage into another! It was also quite for example, of translators from the French and Latin at school, a, shall we say, demanding exercise. Bible. There are occasional refer- which was later supplemented by ences to translators, because there German. My father was a passionate LL: Of all these different languages were contacts between people of dif- lover of Italian opera; he didn’t you’ve studied, do you have a ferent languages and cultures. Thus, know any Italian, but he could sing favorite? for example, we read in Genesis Italian very lustily and vigorously. No, it depends on my mood. I like 42:23 that when Joseph, as a high And since I was always passionately different languages for different pur- Egyptian official, spoke to his interested in languages, I took the poses. I find it very difficult to define brothers newly arrived from Canaan, opportunity to learn some Italian. these “moods.” I’ll just say that there they did not know that he understood He was able to give me the more or are times when I find that I can them when they spoke among them- less correct pronunciation—vocally, express myself better in Turkish, or selves (“for he spake unto them by an as it were. Since I was already doing when I like to read Turkish, and at interpreter”). The New Testament French and Latin, Italian wasn’t that other times, another language. offers this piece of advice: “If any difficult. I did some Hebrew as part man speak in an unknown tongue, let of my religious education, and that LL: Did you discuss the art of trans- it be by two, or at the most by three, led me on to Arabic. Latin, of lation with any of your teachers? and that by course; and let one inter- course, led to Greek. One that I particularly cherished pret” (1 Corinthians 14:27). Once I started on Middle East was my Turkish teacher, a Turk Sometimes when reading of a great studies as a career, I was required to named Adnan Adivar. I used to do empire (for example, Persia, which learn the other two major Middle translations from Turkish into extended from India to Ethiopia), we Eastern languages, namely, Persian English. English was not his mother are told that the emperor’s decrees, and Turkish. And my teachers took it tongue, but he had a good knowledge “were made known to all in their own for granted that if you are intending of English and was able to read and languages.” So, obviously, someone to do serious scholarship in this comment on my translations from had to be doing some translating field, you have to be able to read the Turkish into English. somewhere. ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 53 An Interview with Professor Bernard Lewis Continued

Then you have religious transla- early among them. There are collec- poet wasn’t just an author; he was an tions, scriptures, for spreading the tions of poets, biographies of poets, important public figure. Remember, message of God. There is an inter- and histories of poetry. They did this is before the mass media and esting contrast between the Jewish translate a fair number of texts from before printing, so that a poem was vir- and Christian, on the one hand, and Greek, mainly philosophy and sci- tually the most effective way of com- the Muslim on the other. The Jews ence. But there was also some municating a message. Poets were and the Christians translated their interest in poetics, and then they pro- employed by rulers to serve as what we scriptures from a very early age. You duced a rich literature of poetics would nowadays call “spin doctors.” know, the Old Testament is in themselves. Hebrew and the New Testament is in There’s another thing about LL: What insights have you gained Greek. There came a time when most Europe that contrasted with the from your studies about translation Jews didn’t know Hebrew and most Islamic world: there’s a much greater between cultures? Christians didn’t know Greek. So, variety of languages. In the whole of What I think is an interesting they made translations that were the Middle East, you basically had question that deserves to be exam- widely used in many languages. three major languages: Arabic, ined more closely is the role of mis- The Muslims didn’t do this. The Persian, and Turkish. In Europe, you translation, especially systematic and Muslim view is that the Qur’an is had many, many languages. We have purposeful mis-translation. What I’m divine and miraculously untranslat- a 14th-century Persian historian who thinking of is mainly in diplomacy. If able, so it was forbidden to translate says, “The Franks have 25 different you look at the diplomatic negotia- the Qur’an. But, in fact, they did. It languages which they use among tions between two countries using was called a “commentary,” an themselves, and nobody understands different languages, neither knows “interpretation,” or an “explanation.” the language of anybody else.” It the language of the other. So, both It is a de facto translation, if you like, meant that Europeans had greater have to use interpreters. Now, who from Arabic, which is the language of skill in learning languages. There’s are the interpreters, how are they the Qur’an, into whatever language it nothing genetic about it. If you lived found, who employs them, and how was that the particular group of in Europe, you had to learn lan- reliable are they? Those are very Muslims was using (possibly Persian, guages. If you wanted to read your interesting questions. Turkish, or languages of South and scriptures in the original, you had to I had occasion to examine this in Southeast Asia or Africa—wherever read Hebrew and Greek, and, for a some detail on one particular issue. I the Muslim faith spread). few passages, Aramaic. If you wanted was looking at the beginning of diplo- Obviously, there had to be transla- to have a good education, you had to matic relations between England and tors, since for a translation, you need learn Latin and Greek. If you wanted Turkey. This comes towards the end of a translator. Somebody who knows to talk to your neighbors, you prob- the 16th century. The Levant the source language well enough to ably had to learn one or more modern Company, an English trading corpora- understand it and is able to express European languages. tion, thought it would help them in what he has understood, presumably For an Arab in the Arab world, his their work if they had a diplomatic in his own language (one normally scripture was in Arabic, his history mission in the Turkish capital, and translates into one’s own language was in Arabic, and his classics were persuaded Queen Elizabeth to estab- from another language). in Arabic. He didn’t have any need lish one. So, the first English embassy or, therefore, incentive to learn other was established in Istanbul, and the LL: In your introduction to Music languages. Sultan agreed to receive it. of a Distant Drum, you mentioned Now, nobody in England knew a an early Arabic translation of LL: In your introduction, you word of Turkish, and nobody in Turkey Aristotle’s Poetics. What would present an enlightening discussion knew a word of English. So, they used have given rise to the translation of about the role of poetry in Middle Italian as a sort of medium of commu- such works? Eastern culture. nication. Educated Englishmen of The Arabs were very conscious of Yes, poetry has had a public and that time would know Italian; Turks poetry. The discipline of literary his- social role. Poetry was not just some- would not know Italian, but they had tory and literary analysis begins quite thing that you read in private and the people who learned Italian. So, the

54 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 correspondence and discussion was differences between the two—some- culture. That will affect almost any carried on through interpreters from body trying to cheat somebody! reference to the matter. The same English into Italian and from Italian into thing is true for different perceptions Turkish, and then from Turkish into LL: This underscores the impor- of religion, as well as for many other Italian and from Italian into English. tance of language training, doesn’t topics. It is not a question of better or Thus, communication involved two it? worse, just different. stages of translation in every case. I think it is important to have And, a lot can happen. better language training available so LL: Have you written specifically We are very fortunate in that from that people can really acquire a mas- about translation? the English and Turkish archives, we tery of foreign languages. Not just Yes, the piece is called “From have a good set of the documents, not enough to scratch at them and pick Babel to Dragomans,” a lecture that complete, but enough to give you the out driblets of meaning, which is fre- was read to the British Academy on picture. quently all that happens, but enough May 19, 1998, and published in the to get the finer points. I think it’s Proceedings of the British Academy LL: And that picture is of… extremely important. English has (Volume 101, 1999). It was a memo- Of the systematic mis-translation! become a world language, and we do rial lecture for a distinguished Not by the principals on either side, have a tendency to sit back and say, scholar, Elie Kedourie. The piece was but by the interpreters and translators “Why should we bother? Everybody written to show the importance of on both sides. This was purposeful speaks English.” translation and translators in human mis-translation in order to avoid history in general, and more particu- trouble. At that time, the Sultan was LL: What needs to be better “trans- larly in relations between cultures. the greatest power on earth. England lated” between the Western and was a very minor little country at the Middle Eastern cultures? LL: Do you have any advice to give far end of Europe. So, the Sultan What needs to be better translated to translators? would write what was intended to be for our purposes are the things they What you should not do is hurried a friendly letter to Queen Elizabeth in say among themselves. What we get translations. You need to think about which he says, I’m quoting from from these other places is what they it carefully and test the resonance of memory, but I think it’s approxi- say to us, which is often quite dif- it. And be very careful in your use of mately right: “You will continue to be ferent from what they say to their dictionaries. Dictionaries give you firm-footed on the path of loyalty and own people. For example, I have seen almost mathematical equations, you obedience to our Imperial throne.” In interviews given by heads of state know. “Good” equals “bon,” equals other words, he’s treating her as a sort where the differences between the “gut,” equals “buono.” Words are not of tributary princess. This is trans- English version, for distribution to mathematical symbols. This word lated into Italian as: “You will con- the world press, and the Arabic ver- does not equal that word, even if you tinue to show sincere friendship” sion (or whatever other language it take the most simple, ordinary every- (“…sincera amicizia”). We have the may be), for distribution to the local day word between culturally related Turkish text and the Italian version press, are quite dramatic. languages. You may be told that the from the Turkish text. From this, we French for “good” is “bon.” Let us can see that the translator systemati- LL: What is difficult to understand say that in 99 cases out of 100, “bon” cally toned down the rather haughty or “translate” about Middle Eastern and “good” would be interchange- and imperious style, making it some- culture? able, but there’s always the 100th thing more, shall we say, genteel. I don’t think it’s specific to the case where it is different, where there Now, we don’t have the text the other Middle Eastern culture. Between any is an overtone or an undertone. way, but one may safely assume that two different cultures there will be ele- Or, what do you do with simple the same thing was being done. ments that are different. Take women, questions regarding, for example, the You see this also in treaties. for example. References to women, seat of the emotions? In English, and Sometimes if you look at the texts of womanhood, and the role of women in most European languages, the seat treaties that are drawn up in two lan- will be different between a monoga- of the emotion is conventionally at guages, you may see quite remarkable mous culture and a polygamous the heart. In Persian and Arabic ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 55 An Interview with Professor Bernard Lewis Continued poetry, it’s sometimes the heart and did not have a political meaning. Even an ordinary letter or a speech sometimes the liver. To someone with “Freedom” was a legal term; you would be written in what they hope is a Western education, the idea of were “free” if you were not a slave. a reasonable approximation to the writing poetry about your liver does The West used freedom and classical language. There are many seem comic. But, be reasonable. slavery as a metaphor for good and colloquial languages, of course, a dif- There’s no reason why the liver bad government, which the classical ferent one in each place, but collo- should be any more or less appro- literatures of the Middle East did not. quial language has not really priate than the heart. They are both In modern times, of course, they do. acquired literary status. In Turkey it parts of the anatomy; both are cru- Freedom now in present-day Arabic, has, but not in the Arab countries. cial. One convention has the heart Persian, or Turkish means much the They still preserve the classical lan- and another convention has the liver. same as it does in English, French, or guage, or what they imagine to be the Turks use both. German. But in pre-modern times, it classical language. But, it means that when you are wouldn’t have occurred to them to translating, you may sometimes have use “freedom” in that sense. They LL: Do you have any other transla- to substitute one for the other. An defined good government as justice, tion projects ongoing at this time, English poet would say to his beloved: not as freedom. or any translation project you wish “You have set my heart aflame.” That to do? sounds right, but if you translate liter- LL: How did translations start I have no translation projects as ally from Persian and say, “You have appearing in the Middle East after such, but I continue to translate, from turned my liver to kabob”… this early exposure to the West? the Middle Eastern originals, pas- There is a fair amount of transla- sages that I quote from documents LL: You mentioned that in the 18th tion into Arabic, Persian, and Turkish and other writings on Middle Eastern century, Western civilization from European languages. Naturally, history. An example is the study of started to have an impact on they started with things which were Osama bin Laden’s declaration of war Middle Eastern culture. Can you more familiar: The Talisman, on the U.S., published in Foreign explain more? Robinson Crusoe, and The Count of Affairs (November/December, 1998). What happened was that because Monte Cristo were among the first My new book, What Went Wrong? of the dominance of the West in the works to be translated. These works Western Impact and Middle Eastern world, they felt obliged to learn had a sort of familiar ring about them. Response (2002), quotes extensively Western languages, primarily French Then, they went on and translated from Middle Eastern discussions of and English. First, Italian was over- more and more. these matters, translated, of course, taken by French, and then French was Today, there is a sizable body of from the Middle Eastern originals. overtaken by English. So, you had Western literature available in trans- generations of people who learned lation in these languages. This has LL: After more than half a century these languages at school. Great inevitably had a tremendous impact of doing translations, what would numbers of them went to Western on their own literature. It has brought you say doing translations has universities for their advanced studies in completely new forms, for added to your life? in the hope of catching up with the example, the novel, play, and drama. I would say that doing translations advancing West. And, inevitably, they What they did not have very much of has added enormously to my life. were, so to speak, contaminated. in Arabic, but a great deal of in First, and most obviously, in Their own traditions were modified, Persian and Turkish, was narrative achieving a better understanding of and they were transformed in a poetry. The Arabs didn’t have epics. alien cultures expressed in foreign variety of different ways. And words languages. Second, and perhaps more changed meaning because of it. Even LL: In that region, has a shift from important, in enriching my own word associations. Take a word like using the classical language to the understanding of the different ways “freedom.” We all agree that freedom use of the vernacular in literature in which our common humanity can is a good thing, but freedom in the happened? be expressed. West has a political meaning. In the The vernacular language is still traditional Middle East, this concept not treated with respect even today.

56 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Accreditation Forum:

New Policies to Take Effect in November 2002

By Celia Bohannon, deputy chair, ATA Accreditation Committee

Examination Format Point Marking System awarded for overall “artistic impres- eginning with exams offered at Accreditation exams taken at the sion.”) Each exceptionally good ren- the ATA Annual Conference in ATA Annual Conference in Atlanta dition may be awarded one quality B Atlanta, the ATA accreditation and all subsequent exams will be point, for up to a total of three quality examination will consist of three pas- graded according to a point marking points per passage. sages of approximately 225Ð275 system. The grader will identify Examples of renditions earning words each. The passages present errors by category according to the quality points include: common translation challenges that long-established Framework for may vary from one language combi- Standardized Error Marking. The ¥ Choice of a particularly felicitous nation to another. The level of diffi- grader will assign 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 word or phrase; culty is comparable to the level that error points for each error. This scale ¥ Exceptionally skillful casting of a professional translators would expect reflects experienced graders’ judg- sentence or sentences; and to see in their daily work. ments about the relationships among ¥ Target-language rendition that One passage is mandatory for all different types of errors, and about precisely mirrors ambiguity in the candidates. This general text is what sorts of errors might be allowed source text. written for the educated lay reader in in a translation that meets ATA stan- expository or journalistic style. dards. Criteria include whether a Any quality points are subtracted Each candidate must also choose target-language reader would cer- from the error point total to yield a between two elective passages, one tainly recognize the error, and how final score. A passage with a score of from the domain of science/tech- serious the consequences would be in 18 or more points receives a grade nology/medicine and one from the the context of the passage. of Fail. domain of law/business/finance. One of the main advantages of the Although the use of points may These passages have the characteris- new point system is that our grading impart a certain impression of objec- tics of typical texts within these will now reflect five different levels of tivity, it is, in truth, still subjective. In domains, but should not contain spe- seriousness for each error, rather than no way is the score on each passage cialized terminology or require mas- only two. The two scales below illus- meant to be a percentage. For tery of a particular field. trate this important difference example, an error score of 20 does Under the new policy, a candidate between the old and new systems. not mean that 80% of the passage is should only complete two passages: correct. The error score is simply a the mandatory general passage and Old System: number that, along with the error one of the two elective passages. If a minor error major error scale that generates it, embodies the candidate does not follow instruc- grader’s understanding of translation tions and translates both elective quality and accreditation standards. passages, the ATA accreditation pro- The ATA Accreditation Committee gram staff will arbitrarily select one New System: firmly believes that these changes, of the two for grading. A passage 124816 along with those they build on and that is substantially incomplete is others still to come, will strengthen not graded. the accreditation program and An examination receives a grade enhance the stature of the credential it of Pass if the translation of the gen- In addition, under the new system provides. Watch this space and the eral passage and one elective passage a grader may award quality points for ATA website for more information. meets the standards established by specific instances of exceptional the ATA accreditation program. translation. (Quality points are not

Visit ATA on the web at www.atanet.org

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 57 Dictionary Reviews Compiled by Boris Silversteyn

Silversteyn is chair of the ATA Dictionary Review Committee.

Legal Dictionary for Businessmen of the Njkrjdsq /hblbxtcrbq nations are deemed necessary, also (6th edition) ckjdfhm ,bpytcvtyf. appear in this format. Njkrjdsq /hblbxtcrbq ckjdfhm This little gem provides not only For English→Russian, there is a ,bpytcvtyf better translations, but it explains the cross-reference list of the English Author: terms in Russian. As an example, terms which refers one to the page M.A. Baskakova /hblbxtcrjt kbwj and abpbxtcrjt where that Russian term appears. In Publisher: kbwj were bothersome terms. (Law is this section, too, the “lead” terms are Finances and Statistics, Moscow not my specialty, and my client was in all caps, while the subordinate terms Publication date: hard to reach.) Lingvo was the only have only the first letter capitalized. 1994 dictionary that provided a number of Of note for legal translators are Price: translations for the former, but in the over 20 pages of Latin→Russian and About $24 context of the paper, none made much Russian→Latin terms used in legal ISBN: sense with the possible exception of texts and banking. 5-279-01288-2 “legal entity.” Thanks to the Russian The other sections of this little Available from: explanation in this Njkrjdsq, not gem include: Eastview Publications only did I understand why “legal Languages: entity” was the most suitable transla- ¥ Some typical terms and conditions Russian↔English tion, but the difference between the of foreign trade contracts Number of pages: two terms was clear as well. And (Russian→English); 634 pfrjy, a word we all think we know, ¥ Monetary units of foreign coun- Number of entries: can be translated as “legislative act,” tries and territories About 2,600 terms another term that made better sense in (Russian→ English); this particular paper. ¥ Names of foreign countries and Reviewed by: Printed on the cheaper paper territories (Russian→English); Roy Cochrun seen in so many older books from ¥ Deciphering of English abbrevia- Russia, the dictionary is nonethe- tions of some monetary units; hen Kamkin’s Russian less well bound and easy to read. ¥ Some free-trade zones; Bookstore closed recently, I The layout of the dictionary is ¥ Court bodies of some foreign W was one of those who unusual in that there are no head countries considering commercial waited in line that last day for over terms on each page, and the Russian disputes; two hours to save 40% on my pur- word or term is printed in all capi- ¥ Supreme legislative and court chases. I already had invested two tals on the right side. On the left bodies in developed countries; and hours grabbing dictionaries, glancing side, also in all caps, is the English ¥ A list of Russian legislative acts at the titles, and placing those that translation. Beneath both is the (to which references are made in seemed to have potential value into Russian explanation of the word or the dictionary). my growing stack. After I was home term. I found I really liked this and had arranged them neatly on the layout, and the explanations were shelves, I forgot most of the titles. extremely helpful. Roy Cochrun is a freelance Internet Recently, however, I translated a Subordinate terms to what might researcher and Russian→English trans- paper about the influence of organ- be considered a “lead” term appear in lator. Since 1995, he has maintained the “Language Conference List” ized crime on business and came italics, once again on the right side of (www.royfc.com/confer.html), which across one or two terms, the transla- the page, with the English translation presently lists over 550 events for lin- tion of which from other sources on the left side in standard typeface. guists, translators, interpreters, and lan- bothered me. So, I started to look These terms refer the user to the guage teachers. He holds a B.A. in more closely at those “new” diction- “lead” term for the entry contained foreign languages from the University of Maryland. Contact: [email protected]. aries on the shelf. It was there I dis- elsewhere in the dictionary. In addi- covered I had the most recent edition tion, lesser terms, for which no expla-

58 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Vocabulario para Direito Societário more than their price of approxi- Michaelis was the only other dictionary (Portuguese→English) mately $10, and are a tremendous where I found “lote fracionário” (actu- Author: addition to the scant ally, “lote fracionado”). Danilo Nogeuira Portuguese→English resources. You There are helpful examples of Publisher: should be able to purchase these usage, for instance, distinguishing SBS–Special Book Services, São books directly from the publisher between two occurrences of “bonus”: Paulo, Brazil (www.sbs.com.br), through Brazilian 1) A empresa comprou bônus do Publication date: Translated (www.braziliantranslated. tesouro. = The company bought 2000 com), or through Nogueira (danilo. treasury bonds.; and 2) Pagamos um ISBN: [email protected]). bônus pela produção. = We paid a N/A. My library of Portuguese→ production bonus. Another example Number of pages: English financial and legal resources is the difference between “liberar” (66 pages, softcover, clear, is not extensive. I doubt anyone’s is, as “release” and “pay.” Nogueira easy-to-read type) because there simply isn’t much out gives: 1) Ele foi liberado de seu com- there. I generally rely on my promiso. = He was released from his Vocabulario para Balanços e Spanish→English resources, Noronha’s commitment.; and 2) As ações Relatórios Anuais legal dictionary, Michaelis’ business somente foram liberados em 31 de (Portuguese→English) dictionary, and, more than anything dezembro. = Shares were only paid on Author: else, the Internet. (When I find finan- December 31. While I prefer the Danilo Nogeuira cial terminology translated into latter sentence to read, “Shares were Publisher: English on the Internet, it is often in not paid in until December 31,” SBS–Special Book Services, São an article written by Nogueira.) Nogueira gets his point across and Paulo, Brazil Each dictionary includes several allows the user to come up with an Publication date: abbreviations and acronyms. They appropriate translation. 2000 also contain extremely useful expla- Nogueira gives an excellent expla- ISBN: nations of many terms. Since these nation of how to translate “quota” 8587343173 dictionaries are aimed at into-English (meaning “share”) and how it differs Number of pages: translators, I would have preferred from “ação” in Portuguese, but not (64 pages, more than 1,600 terms, these explanations to appear in in English. Nogueira also gives the softcover, clear, easy-to-read type) English, but they are invaluable expansion and translation for the nonetheless. Grammatical informa- acronyms used by several Brazilian Reviewed by: tion is provided for each headword. market-related associations that I was Marian S. Greenfield Few synonyms and no appendices, not able to find elsewhere. In addi- tables, or illustrations are provided. I tion, he gives “ITR,” “Quarterly hese two dictionaries are iden- did not find much in the way of filler Report” (informações trimestrais), tical in format and type of con- or errata in either dictionary. Both which I found nowhere else. T tent. There is some, but not dictionaries include primarily U.S. Generally speaking, I agree with excessive, overlap between them. usage, and occasionally include a Nogueira’s choices of translation, Each offers 60-odd pages of hard to well-marked alternative for the although I have some reservations find jewels. Lookup is convenient, United Kingdom. There are helpful about a few. Acknowledging in a with many compound terms listed notes on the differences between lengthy note the difficulty of translating under a given headword. Given their Brazilian and U.S. laws and practices. “ativo permanente” and explaining size, neither dictionary stands alone One typo I found was “lote,” trans- what it includes, Nogueira gives “per- as a primary source for legal or finan- lated as “lote” in Direito, although in manent assets.” I would not use that cial translation, but they are certainly the same entry “lote fracionário” is translation, but he gives enough infor- a good place to start a terminological translated correctly as “odd lot,” and mation to arrive at the translation search. They are worth much, much both appear correctly in Balanços. “assets subject to indexation,” ➡

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 59 Dictionary Reviews Continued

and, if necessary, to footnote the term ernment agency” is the way to go. Review by Sharlee Merner Bradley and explain that it includes long-term Nogueira is again spot-on with his investments (which Nogueira calls “per- translation of “sócio oculto” (not hat I like best about this dic- manent investments”), property, plant found elsewhere) as “dormant tionary is that for each place and equipment, and deferred charges. partner; silent partner.” W name, it gives the first known For “livro de registro de ações In summary, I highly recommend form (or at least one early spelling), nominativas,” Nogueira gives “nomi- these two little and unbelievably inex- together with its date, and the etymo- native shares register; stock transfer pensive dictionaries. I am looking for- logical meaning. This gives us some register; stock transfer ledger.” My ward to the next in the series. And idea of the age of the name and of its clients have always accepted “stock when Nogueira decides the series is original form. Most of the early forms ledger,” and, rather than “nomina- complete, I really hope his publisher are from Old English, often from the tive,” I would prefer “registered.” will issue a compilation so we can have Domesday Book (1086), although the (Noronha translates “livro de registro all these little books in one big volume. names themselves often go back to de ações” as “share recorder; share Anglo-Saxon times between the 5th registration book.”) Marian Greenfield is the owner of and 11th centuries. The note under “interesse,” msgreenfield Translations. Formerly the The place names included in the “interest; equity; stake,” is excellent manager of Translation Services at JP dictionary are for England only, Morgan, she translated in New York’s and something I’ve had to explain Financial District for 20 years. She is excluding Wales and Scotland. countless times to students and col- now a full-time translation industry con- According to the introduction, there leagues. “Interest é o termo genérico. sultant and freelancer, translating financial are more than 12,000—not too many Equity é uma participação societária. documents from Spanish, Portuguese, for a fairly compact book to take trav- and French into English. She is also an Stake inclui qualquier tipo de inter- adjunct associate professor of transla- eling with you. Indeed, they are the esse, inclusive, por exemplo, o inter- tion at New York University. Active at the names that tourists will find on most esse que os fornecedores têm no national and local levels, she is a of the road atlases. Thus, we have all sucesso de uma empresa. member of the ATA Board of Directors, ” and has served on or chaired the fol- the better-known places in England: The translations for the many lowing ATA committees: Chapters, towns and cities; a good number of entries under “ação,” including “ação Membership Rights and Benefits, villages, hamlets and city suburbs; caída em comisso” (forfeited share); and (currently chairs) Professional counties and districts; and many Development. Contact: msgreenfield@ “ação cheia” (cum dividend share); msgreenfieldtranslations.com. rivers and coastal features. Ameri- “ação de primeira linha” (blue chip cans can find the origins of the many share); and “ação divisível” (frac- U.S. towns and cities that were tional share) are all excellent and not named after “the old country,” such generally found elsewhere. Oxford Dictionary of English as Boston, Lancaster, and Chatham. One particularly elegant entry that Place-Names Two maps are printed to show the I think you would be hard-pressed to Author: counties before and after the 1996 find elsewhere is “corregir,” trans- A.D. Mills reorganization. The importance of lated as “apply indexation; restate for Publisher: those changes is that each place inflation,” along with an explanation New York: Oxford University Press name in the dictionary is followed of what it means and a warning not to Publication date: by its county. This provides a major translate it as “correct.” This is 1998 (second edition) incentive for publishing a second absolutely on the money. I did not ISBN: edition (the first appears to have find this term elsewhere. 0-19-280074-4 come out in 1991). No pronuncia- Another real-life usage translation Available from i.b.d. or your bookseller tions are given (try asking for direc- given by Nogueira is “government Price: tions to Cholmondeley!*) agency” for “orgão público,” while £7.99 My second favorite feature is the Noronha gives “public agency; public Number of pages: long introduction (xi-xxvi), which, in officer.” At least here in the U.S., “gov- Paperback, 411 pages addition to explaining the dictionary,

60 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 is fascinating to any word sleuth, a cannot but agree that when traveling Developing a Glossary of Special term applicable to most translators. about England, I would be delighted to Lexical Units Used in Cuba’s Variant The author chronologically discusses be able to refer to this absorbing refer- of Spanish Continued from p.48 the different languages represented: ence book to seek the stories behind pre-Celtic or “Old European,” Celtic, such names as Wigwig, Were, and Cebolla: Onion (like an onion, the dic- Latin, Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian Wigglesworth. Who would ever sus- tator makes women cry in the kitchen for (Old Danish and Old Norse), French, pect that Barnacle in Warwickshire lack of food to prepare for the family) and even modern concoctions, all of was written as Bernhangre in 1086 and which mirror the history of the meant “wooded slope by a barn,” from Tía Tata: Mother Goose (the dictator English language itself. Old English bere-ærn + hangra (wood as a storyteller, fantasizing and never Different types of place name for- on a steep slope)? It almost looks like telling the truth) mation are also discussed, such as an example of folk etymology. back formation, with a typical www.hombreprofundamentebestia.com: example such as the River Plym, Note www.profoundlybeastlyman.com whose name came about because the * Pronounced Chum’ lee. Webster’s village name of Plympton, “(histori- New Geographical Dictionary (G. Z cally ‘farmstead of the plum-tree’) & C. Merriam Co., 1972) gives Zangaletúo/a came to be understood as ‘farmstead pronunciations, but, being interna- Crecido, grande, ya un hombre/una on the stream called Plym.’” tional in scope, does not include mujer. También zangaletón/a, tara- The entries are quite brief, aver- such tiny English village names. jayúo/a. Usase con la connotación de aging four or five lines in two “listo para trabajar, buscarse la vida”; columns. The names are in bold, easy Update: to spot, but the type size of the infor- The publisher of the Catálogo de Grown up; big guy/gal (not a child mation about each is small. Expresiones Para la Traducción anymore). Used in the sense of “ready At the end of the dictionary, the Inversa Español-Inglés, reviewed in to go make a living/support him/ author gives us a fairly extensive glos- the March 2002 issue, has informed herself; grown up enough to work.” sary of common elements in English me that you can once again find this place names, with the language of volume listed on i.b.d.’s website References origin and the meaning of each, fol- (www.ibdltd.com). The price is still González, Eduardo. 2001. “Idioms, lowed by a three-page bibliography of $28. According to the publisher, all of Colloquialisms, and Neologisms in other dictionaries and works of refer- Anglo-Didáctica’s books may also be Zoé Valdés’ Te dí la vida entera: An ence, surveys, monographs, and inter- purchased from El Corte Inglés Example of Cuban Idiosyncrasy in pretive studies. One of the earlier (www.elcorteingles.es), or directly Exiles’Writing.” Paper presented at place-name dictionaries listed, by E. from the publisher: the Mid-America Conference on Ekwall, was a standard reference Hispanic Literatures, October 4-6, work, and was also published by Editorial Anglo-Didáctica Lawrence, Kansas. Oxford, but way back in 1960. C/Santiago de Compostela, 16 Author Mills is not only a place- 28034 Madrid, Spain Montes, Almudena. 1997. Adivi- name buff, but a professional: Tel./Fax: +34 91 378 01 88 nanzas, trabalenguas, dichara- Emeritus Reader in English at the chos, refranes cubanos. Agualarga University of London, member of the Editores: SL, Madrid. Council of the English Place-Name Society, and of the Society for Name Sharlee Merner Bradley (Ph.D.) is an ATA- Paz Pérez, Carlos. 1998. Diccionario Studies in Britain and Ireland. accredited (Spanish and French to cubano de habla popular y vulgar. One of the blurbs on the back cover English) translator. Agualarga Editores: SL, Madrid. Contact: [email protected]. says, “a book which will prove to be an indispensable traveling companion.” I Continued on p.64

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 61 The Translation Inquirer By John Decker Address your queries and responses to The Translation Inquirer, 112 Ardmoor Avenue, Danville, Pennsylvania 17821, or fax them to (570) 275-1477. E-mail address: [email protected]. Please make your submissions by the 25th of each month to be included in the next issue.

f you are a fan of this column, it (E-G 8-02/3) Social science has Renato Calderón wonders whether may be fun for you to have a look at “entitlements” as one of its most any of three Spanish equivalents I some old introductory paragraphs prominent buzzwords, but how does which he saw really do the job: “Duro culled out from columns from years this word fit into the world of oil and de matar,” “Bicho malo nunca muere,” past, and placed in a special section gas? A Lantra user discovered it in an or “Matar dificilmente.” Before the entitled “Publications” on the Trans- English-to-German job: Excluding the Translation Inquirer gives Renato’s lation Inquirer’s brand-new website effects of lower entitlements caused suggestion, he will allow readers a (www.languagesofmontour.com). by higher crude prices, liquids pro- chance to suggest something. Just go to the bottom of the publica- duction was 3% higher than 1999. (F-E 8-02/7) Admitting that “legal tions page, and click on the section How can the word be explained in this is not my bag,” a lantran discovered clearly labeled as referring to the context, and what would be good three troublesome phrases in a docu- Translation Inquirer column. Rather German for it? ment relating to infringement on a than put many excerpts onto the site, (E-R 8-02/4) True, the English corporate trademark. Bold print marks I agonized over what to eliminate, term described here refers to a fic- the problems in the three sub-queries: and chose only four. But if I get a tional, futuristic concept, that of a pre- (7.a) Objet: “xxxx vs. vous-mêmes;” good response regarding these, I may crime unit within the judicial system. (7.b) “Cette marque se retrouve be tempted to put in more. Perhaps I But who knows? It may some day be d’ailleurs dans de nombreuses mar- could be persuaded to double the a reality, when police come to feel ques de commerce enregistrées appar- number to eight. Every website ought that they must arrest individuals tenant à notre cliente et constitue la to have at least a little comic relief! whose personalities predispose them totalité de son nom commercial et to murders, armed robberies, etc., of corporatif;” (6.c) at the beginning of [Abbreviations used with this column: which they currently are innocent. a paragraph, near the end of the docu- Da-Danish; D-Dutch; E-English; Several ProZ attempts were made to ment: “en conséquence de tout ce F-French; G-German; R-Russian; provide Russian equivalents, such as qui précède” Ð something such as in Sp-Spanish; Sw-Swedish.] jnltk ghtdtynbdyjq gjkbwbb> uheggf light of the foregoing? ghtljndhfotybz ghtcnegktybq, etc. (F-E 8-02/8) A decoration “dans la New Queries But the concept, besides tickling the masse,” (i.e., inside the flexiglass), (Da-E 8-02/1) “Ændringskontrol” imagination, invites many approaches. caused trouble because of its indefi- appeared in a document encountered by Any further ideas? niteness and the need to choose a ProZ correspondent which turns out to (E-Sp 8-02/5) Deep within the between participles such as sculpted, be a back-translation of something world of banking a phrase has carved, or whatever. Who can solve which began life in English. The emerged that needs to be well ren- the problem of proper English, if pro- problem sentence: “‘Blev ændringskon- dered into Spanish, as found in the vided with this contextual sentence: trol gennemført for alle ændringer?’ og bold-print part of this context sentence “Le garçon pose son verre sur la petite er ét af en række sp¿rgsmål I orbindelse from a ProZ user: The institution con- table de jardin en flexiglass épais, med projectvaluering.” tinues to rely on potentially volatile coûteusement décoré dans la masse.” (D-E 8-02/2) A Lantra correspondent liabilities, as reflected by a Net Non- (G-E 8-02/9) Apparently, “Ablaufen,” presented a railway technology question Core Funding Dependence Ratio. No as a verb, can be applied to commer- whose troublesome phrase was “en op clue about this can be found in the cial paper, since a Lantra member dis- het dak afvoren.” Here is the overall con- Dictionary of Finance from the Oxford covered “abgelaufene Stocks und text: “Een elektrodynamische rem, die Paperback Reference series, so it is up Bonds” in a pseudo-German text de aandrijfmotoren als generator laat to financially savvy readers of this regarding a database of historical werken, waarbij de geleverde energie column to try this one. What is it? securities prices. Would expired be teruggeleverd wordt aan het net of in (E-Sp 8-02/6) Spanish television appropriate in English, or is there remweerstanden op he dak afgevoerd in the Los Angeles area offered a something more appropriate? wordt. The verb “afvoeren” means to show which featured Steven Segal, (G-E 8-02/10) A ProZ correspon- remove, to find a way out. entitled Hard to Kill in English. dent felt uneasy about posing a query

62 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 regarding what he felt was surely one förändrats från 1960-talet till idag?” means he started drinking alone,is of the easier words in a technical sen- No real agreement was reached, and the solution Boris votes for. tence, but the word was “Streuspanne”: now the much larger ATA member- (R-E 4-02/12) (Jnws Pdtpljybq): “Die Streuspanne ist definiert als das ship can give it a try. Boris Silversteyn adds to what we Verhältnis der Bauteil-Dauerfestigkeit have learned in previous replies about be 10 prozentiger Überleben- Replies to Old Queries this, which pinpointed the reference swahrscheinlichkeit un der Bauteil- (E-R 4-02/6) (gestural sketch): as being from Vladimir Voinovich’s Dauerfestigkeit be 90 prozentiger After consulting a professional artist, novel Moscow 2042. What previous Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit.” Good Boris Silversteyn believes that correspondents did not say was that, English, please, to shatter this trans- yf,hjcjr or ,scnhsq yf,hjcjr as a member of the Politburo, this lator’s mental block. (quick sketch) are quite adequate to bogus priest stars himself instead of (Sp-G 8-02/11) For a ProZ convey the meaning. crossing himself. He touches his fore- member, there were two stumbling (G-E 5-02/3) (“Wangentisch”): head, one knee, both shoulders, and blocks in a document on swimming Philip Tomlinson learned from an then the other knee. pool bottom cleaners. The first (11.a) antique dealer’s website that it is a was “vaso,” and it appeared thus: trestle table in English, and that it pre- Query E-R 8-02/4 about a “pre- “Existen dos versiones de las serves medieval characteristics, with its crime unit” within the police reminds boquillas xxx…Normalmente su x-shaped oak panels at either end; the me of the half-joking references I have instalación se efectúa en el momento “legs” for the table top. He gives a made over the last few years about a de las construcción del vaso.” What is useful reference: The Complete possible future federal-level Depart- it, and what might be appropriate in Encyclopedia of Antiques by Ramsey, ment of Marginal Males. The job of German? Then appeared “boquillas published by Hawthorn Books in 1962. this department would be to use every barredoras emergentes” (11.b), as in (R-E 9-01/8) (Cyfxfkf gbk c tool of modern social science and “Es un conjunto de una válvula y evjv> f gjnjv-jlby): The first part of psychology to conduct early (in child- boquillas barredoras emergentes the sentence refers to a period in the hood, if possible) identification of que impulsan el agua efectúando drinker’s life when he had his wits marginal males (the ones who grow automáticamente la limpieza del about him, says Boris Silversteyn, and up and buy guns to shoot up schools, suelo de su piscina.” he needed the company of others. As fast-food restaurants, and post (Sw-E 8-02/12) Body of thought, he went deeper and deeper into alco- offices) and get them off the streets conceptual baggage, or paradigms holism, the second part of the sen- and into sheltered workshops from were just three of the suggestions that tence became effective, and he might which they would never emerge for came out of a long Lantra discussion not have even wanted company. Lucy the rest of their lives. Looks like the of “tankegods.” It came out of a Gunderson’s suggestion, presented on author of the film script referred to in rhetorical question type of sentence: page 58 of the April 2002 ATA the query beat me to it. “Finns där ett tankegods som inte Chronicle, in which she asserts that it

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The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 63 Humor and Translation By Mark Herman Herman is a librettist and translator. Submit items for future columns via e-mail to [email protected] or via snail mail to Mark Herman, 5748 W Brooks Rd., Shepherd, MI 48883-9202. Discussions of the translation of humor and examples thereof are preferred, but humorous anecdotes about translators, translations, and mistranslations are also welcome. Include copyright information and permission if relevant.

How’s That Again?

ark Twain said that the differ- animal husbandry till they caught cloud looks like lobster thermidor.) ence between the right word him at it.” M and the almost right word is Did you devine the enigma. the difference between “lightning” All of which suggests that English and “lightning bug.” Such is the dif- has traps for the unwary, and that the Pleat your thumb and the second ference between “villains” and “vil- non-native speaker needs help to finger. (Do-it-yourself torture lagers” as a translation of avoid them. But definitely not the sort instructions.) “Dorfbewohner,” an infelicity found of help offered Turks by an English- in a translation of a history of Turkish conversation book published You did not administrate the German railways submitted to me by in 1949. Excerpts from this book were establishment. fellow columnist John Decker. submitted to me by Costa Kanellos. English has other interesting etymo- Included are typical Turkish conversa- Do you like some mere beer? (You logically related words: demagogue/ tional phrases, English translations, plebeian!) synagogue/agony; housewife/ hussy; and a pronunciation guide to the god/giddy; iceberg/burglar; teach/ English translations. Here are some of They did not agitate the guestion. prejudice; supposition/suppository. “I the English translations, verbatim, could have corrected your incorrect sometimes followed by my comments Is it killed anybody? Thanks to the supposition about ‘suppository’ if in parentheses: Cod, did not. (Said on the next-to- you hadn’t sat on it.” the last voyage of the Pequod.) Sometimes even the right word isn’t: Sing at my front (but dance at my back). You did not dried the boody-linens. “He’s a criminal lawyer.” “Aren’t they all?” He did tier his note-book. He did arrest the ball. (What for? Speeding?) Tom Lehrer’s “He majored in The weather is very delicious. (That

Developing a Glossary of Special Lexical Units Used in Cuba’s Display Variant of Spanish Continued from p.61 Advertising Index Pérez López Luis. 1998. Así hablaba Valdés, Zoé. 2001. Milagro en Cuba. Original Impressions: Miami. Editorial Planeta: S.A., Miami, Florida. Barcelona, España. 12 Global Multilingual Translations www.gmt-ils.it Ramos Huerta, O. 1997. Diccionario Valdés, Zoé. 1999. Interview. Diario 15 ITR popular cubano. Agualarga Clarín. Buenos Aires, Argentina. www.itrblackjack.com Editores: SL, Madrid. Valdés, Zoé. 1999. Te dí la vida 15 Iverson Language Santiago, Fabiola. 2002. “The Sweet entera. 4th edition, Editorial www.iversonlang.com and Sexy Sadness of Exile.” Planeta: Barcelona, Spain. 75 Star-GMBH Translation Interview in Críticas, January/ Technology February. www.star-transit.com

76 TRADOS Corporation www.trados.com Visit ATA on the web at www.atanet.org

64 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 American Translators Association 43rd Annual Conference HYATT REGENCY HOTEL • ATLANTA, GEORGIA NOVEMBER 6 – NOVEMBER 9, 2002

Plan now to attend ATA’s Annual Conference. Join your colleagues for a rewarding experience in Atlanta, Georgia.

ATA’s 43rd Annual Conference will feature: • Over 150 educational sessions offering something for everyone; • The Job Exchange where individuals promote their services and companies meet translators and interpreters; • Over 50 exhibits featuring the latest publications, software, and services available; • Opportunities to network with over 1,600 translators and interpreters from throughout the U.S. and around the world; and • Much more!

The Registration Form and Preliminary Program will be mailed in July to all ATA members. The conference rates are listed below. As always, ATA members receive significant discounts.

Conference Registration Fees ATA member Nonmember Student Member

Early-Bird (by October 1) $245 $335 $110 One-day $125 $170 n/a After October 1 $305 $420 $130 One-day $160 $220 n/a On-site (after October 26) $380 $525 $150 One-day $195 $270 n/a

Note: Students and one-day participants do not receive a copy of the Proceedings. All speakers must register for the conference.

Hotel Accommodations

The Hyatt Regency Hotel, the host hotel, is conveniently located in downtown Atlanta at 265 Peachtree Street, NE. The hotel is 20 minutes from Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport. Conference attendees can register at the discounted rate of $160 single, $165 double, $175 triple, and $185 quadruple plus tax per night. (Regency Club accommodations are offered at an additional charge of $35 per room based on availability.) This rate is good until October 15, 2002. The availability of guest rooms or the group rate cannot be guaranteed after that date. To make your hotel reservations, contact the Hyatt Regency at 1-866-333-8880 or 404-577-1234. Be sure to specify that you are attending the ATA Annual Conference.

Travel Arrangements

ATA once again offers the services of Stellar Access to help you with your travel arrangements. Through Stellar Access conference attendees are eligible for discounted air travel and rental cars. Call Stellar Access at 1-800-929-4242, and ask for ATA Group #505. Outside the U.S. and Canada, call 858-805-6109; fax: 858-547-1711. A $30 ($35 from outside the U.S. and Canada) transaction fee will be applied to all tickets purchased by phone. Reservation hours: Monday-Friday 6:30am-5:00pm Pacific Time. A $15 transaction fee will be applied to all tickets purchased online. Go to www.stellaraccess.com and book your reservations from the convenience of your home or office anytime! First-time users must register and refer to Group #505.

Mark Your Calendar Today! November 6–9, 2002

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 65 66 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Announcing ATA Court Interpreting & Translation Seminar The Westin St. Francis • San Francisco, California • Saturday, September 14, 2002

Join your colleagues in San Francisco on September 14 for a full day of in-depth sessions on court interpreting and translation. All sessions will be in English and will be submitted for Continuing Education Credit for the States of California and Washington. A continental breakfast will be served in the morning and a Networking Session will be held immediately after the final presentation.

Translation of Civil Legal Documents from Mexico: Resources, Comparative Law, Evidentiary Requirements Holly Mikkelson

“Did I Say That?” “Isn’t That What She Said?” Self-Monitoring and Other Monitoring Activity in the Courtroom: Process and Problems Nancy Schweda Nicholson

Sight Translation Sara García-Rangel

Untangling Legalese: Maximizing Clarity in the Translation of Pleadings into English Joe McClinton

Enhancing Retention for Consecutive Interpreting Janis Palma

Abstracts and speaker biographies can be found at www.atanet.org/court/abstracts.htm.

Early-Bird Registration Fees: ATA Members $165 Nonmembers $255

After September 6 and On-site: ATA Members $235 Nonmembers $330

Space is limited. For more information, contact ATA Headquarters at (703) 683-6100 or visit the ATA website at www.atanet.org and click on the Court Interpreting and Translation Seminar link on the home page. (Direct link is www.atanet.org/court.)

In addition, be sure to make your hotel reservations at The Westin St. Francis, 335 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. Contact The Westin at (415) 397-7000. Be sure to mention that you are attending ATA’s Court Interpreting and Translation Seminar.

The Westin is located 30 minutes from San Francisco International Airport and 40 minutes from Oakland International Airport, in the heart of downtown San Francisco overlooking Union Square.

Complete the following Registration Form to register today!

An ATA Professional Development Seminar

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 67 Court Interpreting & Translation Seminar The Westin St. Francis ¥ San Francisco, California ¥ September 14, 2002

REGISTRATION FORM

Name: ATA Member Number: First Name Middle Initial Last Name

Employer/School: (Only list employer or school if you want it to appear on your badge.)

Address: Street

City State/Province Zip/Postal Code Country

Telephone - Primary: Secondary:

Fax Number: E-mail Address:

SEMINAR REGISTRATION FEES: ATA Member Nonmember* Early-Bird (before September 6) $165 $255 $______On-site (after September 6) $235 $330 $______*Individuals who join ATA when registering for this seminar qualify for the ATA member registration fee. Please contact ATA or visit the ATA website for a membership application.

TOTAL PAYMENT: $______

Cancellations received in writing by September 6, 2002, are eligible for a refund. Refunds will not be honored after September 6. A $25 administrative fee will be applied to all refunds.

_ Check/Money Order: Please make payable, through a U.S. bank in U.S. funds, to American Translators Association. _ Credit Card: Charge my _ American Express _ VISA _ MasterCard _ Discover Card No. __/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/__/ Expiration Date:______Name on Card: Signature:

Please send payment and completed form to: American Translators Association, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314. OR, if paying by credit card, please fax completed form to: (703) 683-6122.

_____Please check here if you require special accessibility or assistance. (Attach a sheet with your requirements.)

For more information about the ATA Court Interpreting and Translation Seminar or ATA membership, please visit the ATA website at www.atanet.org or contact ATA at (703) 683-6100 or [email protected].

An accreditation exam sitting will be held on Sunday, September 15. This will be a standard exam, not specialty- specific. To register, please visit the ATA website to obtain the Accreditation Examination Registration Form.

~An ATA Professional Development Seminar~

68 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 ATA Accreditation Exam Information

Upcoming Exams Please direct all inquiries California Minnesota Italy regarding general accredita- September 15, 2002 September 22, 2002 September 20, 2002 tion information to ATA San Francisco Minneapolis Bologna Headquarters at (703) 683- Registration Deadline: Registration Deadline: Registration Deadline: 6100. Registration for all August 30, 2002 September 6, 2002 September 6, 2002 accreditation exams should be made through ATA Colorado Texas The Netherlands Headquarters. All sittings September 14, 2002 December 7, 2002 September 28, 2002 have a maximum capacity Boulder Austin Utrecht and admission is based on Registration Deadline: Registration Deadline: Registration Deadline: the order in which registra- August 30, 2002 November 22, 2002 September 13, 2002 tions are received. Forms are available from the ATA web- Georgia Utah site or from Headquarters. November 9, 2002 September 28, 2002 Atlanta Salt Lake City Registration Deadline: Registration Deadline: October 25, 2002 September 13, 2002

Congratulations Congratulations to the follow- Japanese into English English into French The Active Member Review ing people who have Ramon M. Escamilla, Jr. Perrine V. Delcour-Trinta Committee is pleased to grant successfully completed Bella Vista, CA Dekalb, IL active or corresponding accreditation exams: member status to: Russian into English Veronique G. Ponce Toronto, Canada Keith E. Supko Active Arabic into English Washington, DC English into German Celia Rosar Arburua Zaha Al-Bustami Lima, Peru Manchester, NH English into Chinese Rainer Klett Ardmore, PA Paula S. Gordon Yuanxi Ma French into English Wilmington, DE Chicago, IL English into Spanish Joann C. Domingue John H. Zimet Ana Bravo East Syracuse, NY English into Dutch Berkhamsted New York, NY Irene J. Paquet. Stoel United Kingdom German into English San Jose, CA Judit Marin Vanesa Karam Oakland, CA Rosemead, CA Petra A. Van Wingerden Simpsonville, SC Marcial Torres-Soto Corresponding Ursula Kewer San Juan, PR Jose A. Fernandes Chicago, IL Adriana I. Urgelles Oliveira de Azemeis, Portugal Austin, TX

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 69 ATA Chapters, Affiliated Groups, and Other Groups

ATA Chapters New York Circle of Translators (NYCT) Upper Midwest Translators and Atlanta Association of Interpreters P.O. Box 4051, Grand Central Station Interpreters Association (UMTIA) and Translators (AAIT) New York, NY 10163-4051 Coordinator, P.O. Box 12172 Tel: (212) 334-3060 Minnesota Translation Laboratory Atlanta, GA 30355 [email protected] • www.nyctranslators.org 218 Nolte Center Tel: (770) 587-4884 315 Pillsbury Drive SE [email protected] • www.aait.org Northeast Ohio Translators Minneapolis, MN 55455 Association (NOTA) Tel: (612) 625-3096 • Fax: (612) 624-4579 Carolina Association of Translators 1963 E Sprague Road [email protected] and Interpreters (CATI) Seven Hills, OH 44131 318 Bandock Drive Tel: (440) 526-2365 • Fax: (440) 717-3333 Utah Translators and Interpreters Durham, NC 27703 [email protected] Association (UTIA) Tel: (919) 577-0840 • Fax: (775) 244-2746 www.ohiotranslators.org 3617 S 1400 West [email protected] • www.catiweb.org Salt Lake City, UT 84119 • Local group meetings held in Asheville, Northern California Translators Tel: (801) 973-0912 • Fax: (208) 441-5390 Charlotte, and Research Triangle Park, Association (NCTA) [email protected] • www.utia.org NC; Columbia and Greenville/ P.O. Box 14015 Berkeley, CA 94712-5015 Spartanburg, SC. Other Groups • Membership directory, $12; CATI Tel: (510) 845-8712 • Fax: (510) 883-1355 This list gives contact information for Quarterly subscription, $12. [email protected] • www.ncta.org • Telephone/online referral service. See translation and interpretation groups as a service to ATA members. Inclusion does Florida Chapter of ATA (FLATA) searchable translator database on website. not imply affiliation with or endorsement P.O. Box 14-1057 • NCTA Directory of Translators and by ATA. Coral Gables, FL 33114-1057 Interpreters available on CD-ROM or Tel/Voice: (305) 274-3434 diskette for $15. American Literary Translators Fax: (305) 387-6712 Accept MasterCard/Visa. Association (ALTA) [email protected] • www.atafl.com Northwest Translators The University of Texas at Dallas MC35, P.O. Box 830688 Mid-America Chapter of ATA (MICATA) and Interpreters Society (NOTIS) Richardson, TX 75083-0688 6600 NW Sweetbriar Lane P.O. Box 25301 Tel: (972) 883-2093 • Fax: (972) 883-6303 Kansas City, MO 64151 Seattle, WA 98125-2201 [email protected] Attn.: Meeri Yule Tel: (206) 382-5642 • www.literarytranslators.org Tel: (816) 741-9441 • Fax: (816) 741-9482 [email protected] www.notisnet.org [email protected] • www.ata-micata.org Southern California Area Translators and Austin Area Translators and Interpreters Association (AATIA) National Capital Area Chapter Interpreters Association (SCATIA) P.O. Box 13331 of ATA (NCATA) P.O. Box 34310 Austin, TX 78711-3331 P.O. Box 65200 Los Angeles, CA 90034 Tel: (512) 707-3900 Washington, DC 20035-5200 Tel: (818) 725-3899 • Fax: (818) 340-9177 • [email protected] • www.aatia.org Tel: (202) 255-9290 • Fax (202) 234-5656 [email protected] www.scatia.org [email protected] • www.ncata.org The California Court Interpreters • The Professional Services Directory of Affiliated Groups Association (CCIA) the National Capital Area Chapter of the Michigan Translators/Interpreters Network 345 S Hwy 101, Suite D American Translators Association (MiTiN) Encinitas, CA 92024 (NCATA) has gone online. It lists NCATA P.O. Box 852 Tel: (760) 635-0273 • Fax: (760) 635-0276 members and the services they offer, Novi, MI 48376 [email protected] • www.ccia.org together with additional information Tel: (248) 344-0909 • Fax: (248) 344-0092 that enables translation and interpreta- [email protected] Chicago Area Translators and Interpreters tion users to find just the right lan- www.mitinweb.org Association (CHICATA) guage specialist for their projects. P.O. Box 804595 Bookmark www.ncata.org and check Chicago, IL 60680-4107 out the NCATA directory. If you maintain Tel: (312) 836-0961 language-related webpages, you may [email protected] • www.chicata.org want to include a link to the directory. NCATA is always interested in comments and suggestions.

70 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 Colorado Translators Association (CTA) New England Translators CANADA 3054 S Xanthia Street Association (NETA) Association of Translators and Denver, CO 80025 27 Wachusett Avenue Interpreters of Alberta (ATIA) Tel: (303) 743-7719 Arlington, MA 02476 P.O. Box 2635 [email protected] Tel: (781) 648-1731 • Fax: (617) 232-6865 Station M • For more information about the online [email protected] • www.netaweb.org Calgary, Alberta, T2P 3C1 Canada directory, newsletter, accreditation Tel: (403) 243-3477(Alberta office) or exams, and professional seminars, New Mexico Translators and Interpreters (780) 434-8384 (Edmonton office) please visit www.cta-web.org. Association (NMTIA) www.atia.ab.ca P.O. Box 36263 Delaware Valley Translators Albuquerque, NM 87176 Association of Translators and Association (DVTA) Tel: (505) 352-9258 • Fax: (505) 352-9372 Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO) 606 John Anthony Drive [email protected] 1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1202 West Chester, PA 19382-7191 www.cybermesa.com/~nmtia Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 7B7 Tel: (215) 222-0955 • Membership Directory available for $5. Tel: (613) 241-2846, [email protected] Please make check payable to NMTIA Toll-free: 1-800-234-5030 and mail your request to the address Fax: (613) 241-4098 El Paso Interpreters and Translators listed here, or contact us by e-mail. [email protected] • www.atio.on.ca Association (EPITA) 1003 Alethea Place The Translators and Interpreters Ordre des Traducteurs, Terminologues et El Paso, TX 79902 Guild (TTIG) Interprètes Agréés du Québec (OTTIAQ) Tel: (915) 532-8566 • Fax: (915) 544-8354 962 Wayne Avenue, Suite 500 2021 Union, Suite 1108 [email protected] Silver Spring, MD 20910 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2S9 Tel: (301) 563-6450 • (800) 992-0367 Tel: (514) 845-4411 Houston Interpreters and Translators Fax: (301) 563-6020 Toll-free: (800) 265-4815 Association (HITA) [email protected] • www.ttig.org Fax: (514) 845-9903 P.O. Box 421343 [email protected] • www.ottiaq.org Houston, TX 77242-1343 Washington State Court Interpreters and Tel: (713) 202-6169 Translators Society (WITS) Society of Translators and Interpreters of www.hitagroup.org P.O. Box 1012 British Columbia (STIBC) Seattle, WA 98111-1012 Suite 514, 850 W Hastings Street, Box 34 The Kentucky Translators and Interpreters Tel: (206) 382-5690 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Association (KTIA) www.witsnet.org V6C 1E1 P.O. Box 7468 Tel: (604) 684-2940 • Fax: (604) 684-2947 Louisville, KY 40257-0468 [email protected] • www.stibc.org Tel: (502) 548-3988 International Groups E-mail: [email protected] FIT ENGLAND Fédération Internationale des Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI) Metroplex Interpreters and Translators Traducteurs/International Federation of Exchange House Association (MITA) Translators (FIT) 494 Midsummer Boulevard 712 Cornfield Drive 2021 Avenue Union, Bureau 1108 Central Milton Keynes Arlington, TX 76017 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2S9 MK9 2EA England Tel: (817) 417-4747 Tel: (514) 845-0413 • Fax: (514) 845-9903 Tel: +44 (0) 1908 255905 www.dfw-mita.com [email protected] Fax: +44 (0) 1908 255700 www.fit-ift.org [email protected] • www.iti.org.uk National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT) AUSTRALIA Note: All announcements must be received 2150 N 107th Street, Suite 205 Australian Institute of Interpreters and by the first of the month prior to the month Seattle, WA 98133-9009 Translators, Inc. (AUSIT) of publication (For example, September 1 Tel: (206) 367-8704 • Fax: (206) 367-8777 P.O. Box A202 for October issue). For more information [email protected] • www.najit.org Sydney South, NSW 1235 Australia on chapters or to start a chapter, please contact ATA Headquarters. Send updates Tel/Fax: +61 (02) 9626 7046 to Mary David, ATA Chronicle, 225 [email protected] • www.ausit.org Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314; Tel: (703) 683-6100; Fax: (703) 683-6122; [email protected].

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 71 MARKETPLACE

Czech, Slovak <> English Job Opportunity Polish<>English

Highly experienced, reliable, fast translator / con- Full-time independent translator/conference ference interpreter. Any work volume. Quality interpreter. PC/Macintosh. Dr. Piotr Graff. control. (303) 530-9781; Fax: (303) 530-5600, 802-258-4667. [email protected] [email protected]. www.sover.net/~graff

English <> Vietnamese Czech <> English

Top quality and high volume translation services. Michael Borek, translator/conference interpreter, DTP and Lino output. PC and Mac. We support technical/business background, US State most Vietnamese fonts. Call us today at (954)570- Department contractor. Voice: (202) 338-7483; 9061; Fax: (954)570-9108. Fax: (202) 338-7901; E-mail: [email protected]

For Sale Recruitment Translation & Interpretation Agency • Established 1991 • Current Sales $500,000 and growing Small Interpretation/Translation company is • Business nets owner approx. $125,000 per year recruiting for a position of DIRECTOR OF • Offering price: $261,000 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. You will be • Seller financing of 50% of selling price responsible for a new business development sales Contact Brian Mazar, Sunbelt Business Brokers at: to generate revenue source for interpretation 502-244-0480 email: [email protected] /translation business. This encompasses leading the marketing and sales, providing strategic and Korean<>English<>Japanese tactical marketing direction, and managing mar- French > English ket-related operations. Responsibilities include Translation & Interpretation: Legal, financial, research, PR, proposal support, marketing plan Highly experienced, accurate translator in multi- biz, and technical. Volume welcome. quick development and execution. Candidates must ple subjects seeks freelance work. Voice: response, high-quality, competitive rates. Voice have a minimum of 3 years experience in the cor- (717)432-7010; Fax: (717)432-9478; E-mail: (925)228-5500; fax (925)313-9100; e-mail porate business development. Respond to: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Attention All Serbo-Croat, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian↔English Translators and Interpreters Proposal for a new New Language Pair for ATA Accreditation

An effort is underway to investigate the possibility of establishing accreditation for the above language pairs. The first step is underway; that is, forming a “volunteer committee” to work on this project. Then we must demonstrate that there is a desire on the part of the membership to establish these language pairs. Therefore, we would like to hear from anyone who would take this accreditation exam if it were available, and especially anyone interested in participating in this long and arduous (and, in our case, perhaps a little more complicated than usual) process. Please write to Paula Gordon—[email protected]—if you would be willing to join this initial committee. Even if you are not, a message simply stating your language pairs and interest in accreditation would be greatly appreciated.

72 The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 American Translators Association Announces New Publications

Translating and Interpreting in the Translating and Interpreting in the Federal Government, Federal Government compiled by Ted Crump, is a comprehensive survey that provides the language needs, career ladders, and contact information for over 80 federal agencies and offices. 174 pages; $30 (ATA members), $50 (nonmembers).

Getting Started: A Newcomer’s Guide to Translation and Interpretation, compiled by Sandra Burns Thomson, is a compilation of articles from ATA publications and serves as a straightforward guide American Translators Association Compiled by Ted Crump for newcomers to the professions. 72 pages; $15 (ATA members), $25 (nonmembers).

Order Today!

American Translators Association • 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 Alexandria, VA 22314 • Phone: 703.683.6100 • Fax: 703.683.6122 E-mail: [email protected] ✁ Fax your order form to ATA at 703.683.6122

Name Member Number

Organization

Street Address

City State/Province Zip/Postal Code

Phone Number Fax Number

E-Mail Address

Payment Method (Check what is applicable) Qty Title Unit Cost ❑ Check or Money Order ❑ MasterCard/Visa/Discover/AMEX (please circle credit card type)

Credit Card Number Exp Date

Signature

Print Name as it appears on card Date 2 Tax & Shipping: Virginia residents add 4 % sales tax. Tax/Ship Shipping is included for domestic orders. International orders, add $20 postage per order. Total

The ATA Chronicle | August 2002 73 American Translators Association Officers

President President-elect Secretary Treasurer Mr. Thomas L. West III Mr. Scott Brennan Ms. Courtney Searls-Ridge Dr. Jiri Stejskal Intermark Language Services Corp. 10005 Cairn Mountain Way German Language Services 7312 Oak Avenue 2555 Cumberland Pkwy, Ste. 295 Bristow, VA 20136-3009 2658 48th Avenue SW Melrose Park, PA 19027 Atlanta, GA 30339 Tel: (703) 393-0365 Seattle, WA 98116 Tel: (215) 635-7090 Tel: (770) 444-3055 Fax: (703) 393-0387 Tel: (206) 938-3600 Fax: (215) 635-9239 Fax: (770) 444-3002 [email protected] Fax: (206) 938-8308 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Directors Committee Chairs Division Administrators

Mr. Kirk Anderson Accreditation Interpretation Policy Chinese Language Literary 2455 Flamingo Drive, #401 Lilian Novas Van Vranken Advisory Frank Mou Clifford E. Landers Miami Beach, FL 33140 Spring, TX Christian Degueldre Pittsburgh, PA Naples, FL Tel: (305) 532-7252 Tel: (281) 374-6813 San Diego, CA Tel: (412) 767-4788 Tel: (941) 513-6972 Fax: (305) 532-0885 [email protected] Tel: (619) 462-6739 Fax: (412) 767-9744 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Active Membership Review Nordic Ms. Beatriz Bonnet Leland D. Wright Mentoring Task Force French Language Edith M. Matteson 7465 E Peakview Avenue Kent, OH Courtney Searls-Ridge Monique-Paule Tubb Ballwin, MO Englewood, CO 80111 Tel: (330) 673-0043 Seattle, WA Chevy Chase, MD Tel/Fax: (636) 207-7256 Tel: (303) 779-1288 Fax: (330) 673-0738 Tel: (206) 938-3600 Tel: (301) 654-2890 [email protected] Fax: (303) 779-1232 [email protected] Fax: (206) 938-8308 Fax: (301) 654-2891 [email protected] courtney@ [email protected] Portuguese Language Budget germanlanguageservices.com Tereza d’Ávila Braga Mr. Robert A. Croese Jiri Stejskal German Language Dallas, TX 204 Neely Crossing Lane Melrose Park, PA Professional Development Dorothee Racette Tel: (972) 690-7730 Simpsonville, SC 29680 Tel: (215) 635-7090 (ATA Programs) Saranac, NY Fax: (972) 690-5088 Tel: (864) 967-3955 Fax: (215) 635-9239 Marian S. Greenfield Tel: (518) 293-7494 [email protected] Fax: (864) 967-4808 [email protected] South Plainfield, NJ Fax: (518) 293-7659 [email protected] Tel: (908) 561-7590 [email protected] Slavic Languages Chapters Fax: (908) 561-3671 Nora Seligman Favorov Ms. Marian S. Greenfield Robert A. Croese msgreenfield@ Interpreters Orlando, FL 2619 Holly Avenue Simpsonville, SC msgreenfieldtranslations.com Helen D. Cole Tel: (407) 679-8151 South Plainfield, NJ 07080 Tel: (864) 967-3955 Silver Spring, MD Fax: (646) 205-9300 Tel: (908) 561-7590 Fax: (864) 967-4808 Public Relations Tel: (301) 572-2855 [email protected] Fax: (908) 561-3671 [email protected] Chris Durban Fax: (301) 572-5708 msgreenfield@ Paris, France [email protected] Spanish Language msgreenfieldtranslations.com Dictionary Review Tel: 33(1)42935802 Rudolf Heller Boris M. Silversteyn Fax: 33(1)43877045 Italian Language Brookfield, MA Prof. Alan K. Melby Venice, FL [email protected] Marcello J. Napolitano Tel: (508) 867-8494 1223 Aspen Avenue Tel/Fax: (941) 408-9643 Milpitas, CA Fax: (508) 867-8064 Provo, UT 84604 [email protected] Kevin S. Hendzel Tel: (408) 422-7008 [email protected] Tel: (801) 422-2144 Arlington, VA Fax: (425) 977-8511 Fax: (801) 377-3704 Divisions Tel: (703) 516-9266 [email protected] Translation Company [email protected] Dorothee Racette Fax: (703) 516-9269 Steven P. Iverson Saranac, NY [email protected] Japanese Language Milwaukee, WI Mr. Robert E. Sette Tel: (518) 293-7494 Izumi Suzuki Tel: (414) 271-1144 109 Biddle Avenue Fax: (518) 293-7659 Novi, MI Fax: (414) 271-0144 Pittsburgh, PA 15221 [email protected] Special Projects Tel: (248) 344-0909 [email protected] Tel: (412) 731-8198 Ann Macfarlane Fax: (248) 344-0092 Fax: (412) 242-1241 Education and Training Seattle, WA [email protected] [email protected] (Non-ATA Programs) Tel: (206) 542-8422 Gertrud Graubart Champe Fax: (206) 546-5065 Ms. Ines Swaney Surry, ME [email protected] 6161 Harwood Avenue Tel: (207) 664-7448 ATA Representatives Oakland, CA 94618 [email protected] Terminology Tel: (510) 658-7744 Sue Ellen Wright To International Federation of To Joint National Fax: (510) 658-7743 Ethics Kent, OH Translators (FIT) Committee for [email protected] Vacant Tel: (330) 673-0043 Peter W. Krawutschke Languages (JNCL) Fax: (330) 673-0738 Kalamazoo, MI Christophe Réthoré Prof. Madeleine C. Velguth Honors and Awards [email protected] Tel: (616) 387-3212 Harrisonburg, VA 2608 E Newport Avenue Jo Anne Engelbert Fax: (616) 387-3103 Tel: (540) 568-3512 Milwaukee, WI 53211 St. Augustine, FL Translation and Computers [email protected] Fax: (540) 568-6904 Tel: (414) 229-5968 Tel: (904) 460-1190 Alan K. Melby FIT: www.fit-ift.org [email protected] Fax: (414) 964-6937 Fax: (904) 460-0913 Provo, UT [email protected] [email protected] Tel: (801) 378-2144 To ASTM Translation User Fax: (801) 377-3704 Standards Project Mr. Timothy Yuan [email protected] Beatriz A. Bonnet 89-33 Pontiac Street Englewood, CO Queens Village, NY 11427 Tel: (303) 779-1288 Tel: (718) 776-8139 Fax: (303) 779-1232 Fax: (718) 776-3589 [email protected] [email protected] ATA Court Interpreting & Translation Seminar

The Westin St. Francis

San Francisco, California

Saturday, Get on the fast track: September 14, Transit XV. 2002

Transit XV has a unique file based lation times as well as faster access to structure. It means that large projects proposed translations (fuzzy matches). See page 67 stay small, rarely larger than 10 Kbytes. Transit XV also has a unique feature: for details. Transit is the best solution for today’s the Report Manager. It optimizes project translation managers. The translation evaluation, costing and billing. It is a memory and the translation projects tool to help you cut costs, and shortens themselves consist of simple text and the time you spent on management by formatting tags. This is why Transit XV at least 50% – that means real savings! gives you the extremely short pretrans- www.star-transit.com