The Voice of Interpreters and Translators THE ATA Mar/Apr 2020 Volume XLIX Number 2
BRING YOUR “A” GAME TO VIDEO GAME LOCALIZATION A Publication of the American Translators Association best solution to this problem. A victory American Translators Association in California will greatly facilitate 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 obtaining similar exemptions in other Alexandria, VA 22314 USA states that pass strict versions of the Tel:Tel: +1-703-683-6100+1.703.683.6100 ABC Test. Fax:Fax: +1-703-683-6122+1.703.683.6122 Through its membership in the Email: [email protected] 5 Professional Certi cation Coalition , Website: www.atanet.org FROM THE PRESIDENT ATA is also monitoring state legislation TED R. WOZNIAK regarding voluntary certi cation programs Editorial Board [email protected] to ensure that they do not negatively Paula Arturo impact ATA’s Certi cation Program. Lois Feuerle Geoff Koby (chair) CorinneMary McKee McKay 2020 is shaping up to be a year TedMary Wozniak McKee in which ATA focuses a great deal JostTed ZetzscheWozniak Advocacy and Jost Zetzsche on state and national legislation Publisher/Executive Director Other Business Publisher/ExecutiveWalter Bacak, CAE Director affecting the translation and [email protected] Bacak, CAE s I conclude the third month of [email protected] my term as president, I nd interpreting professions. Editor A myself spending a lot of time on JeffEditor Sanfacon advocacy efforts. [email protected] Sanfacon 2020 is shaping up to be a year in [email protected] which ATA focuses a great deal on state But not all proposed legislation Advertising and national legislation affecting the has negative consequences for ATA [email protected] translation and interpreting professions. members. H.R. 5339, the Freedom Tel: +1-703-683-6100,[email protected] ext. 3007 As expected, California Assembly to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Tel: +1.703.683.6100,Fax: +1-703-683-6122 ext. 3007 Bill 5 (AB 5), which went into effect Act6, introduced in the U.S. House Fax: +1.703.683.6122 Design & Production January 1, has had widespread negative of Representatives by Representative DesignBlue & House Production DC consequences for many of our members Abigail Davis Spanberger, would permit www.bluehousedc.comBlue House DC in California. Similar legislation has been ATA members to use 529 tax-preferred or will be proposed in other states. www.bluehousedc.com savings accounts to pay for expenses The ATA Chronicle (ISSN 1078-6457) is published In response, ATA is supporting the related to becoming certi ed (e.g., Thesix ATA times Chronicle per year (ISSN by the 1078-6457) American Translatorsis published Coalition of Practicing Translators and practice tests, exam preparation, and sixAssociation, times per year225 byReinekers the American Lane, SuiteTranslators 590, 1 Interpreters of California (CoPTIC) costs) and maintaining certi cation Alexandria,Association, VA 225 22314 Reinekers USA. Periodicals Lane, Suite postage 590, in its efforts to drum up grassroots (e.g., continuing education requirements Alexandria,paid at Alexandria, VA 22314 Virginia,USA. Periodicals and additional postage support for an amendment to the law, such as professional development mailingpaid at of ces.Alexandria, POSTMASTER: Virginia, and Send additional address providing a speci c exemption for training and attendance at the Annual mailingchanges of ces. to The ATAPOSTMASTER: Chronicle, 225 Send Reinekers address translators and interpreters. Working Conference). I encourage you to contact changesLane, Suite to The 590, ATA Alexandria, Chronicle, VA 225 22314 Reinekers USA. with the Joint National Committee for your representatives and senators to urge Lane,The American Suite 590, Translators Alexandria, Association VA 22314 (ATA)USA. 2 Languages and CoPTIC, ATA issued them to support this bill. Thewas Americanestablished Translators in 1959 as Association a not-for-pro t (ATA) an of cial statement3 in favor of such professionalwas established society in to1959 foster as aand not-for-pro t support the professionalprofessional societydevelopment to foster of translatorsand support and the an exemption as well as an information IT’S NOT ALL POLITICS sheet for use by members when interpretersprofessional and development to promote ofthe translators translation and and But don’t think legislative advocacy advocating for such an exemption with interpretinginterpreters professions. and to promote The thesubscription translation rate and for is the only thing ATA and I have been their state legislators (see page 7). ATA interpretinga member is professions. $25 (included The in subscription the dues payment). rate for working on for the past three months. also issued a statement in response Thea member U.S. subscription is $25 (included rate for in a thenonmember dues payment). is $65. Planning is well underway for ATA’s to California Senate Bill 875, which TheSubscribers U.S. subscription in Canada rate forand a Mexicononmember add $25;is $65. proposes including translators and 61st Annual Conference, to be held Subscribersall other non-U.S. in Canada subscribers and Mexico add add $45. $25; Single copies are available for $7 per issue. interpreters in the list of professional in Boston October 21–24. (For more all other non-U.S. subscribers add $45. StatementsSingle copies of fact are or availableopinion are for the $7 responsibilityper issue. services that are exempt from the ABC of what ATA61 has in store, see ATA Statementsof the authors of fact alone or opinionand do notare implythe responsibility an opinion Test requirement in AB 5.4 While well- President-Elect Madalena Sánchez onof thethe authorspart of thealone of cers and do or notthe implymembers an opinion of ATA. intentioned, the proposed wording Zampaulo’s column on page 4 of this issue.) The Professional Development on the part of the of cers or the members of ATA. is very problematic and shows a lack ©2020 American Translators Association Committee continues to work on of understanding of the translation ©2019 American Translators Association and interpreting professions. A expanding and improving professional Reprint Permission “clean” straightforward exemption for Requests forReprint permission Permission to reprint articles translators and interpreters remains the Continued on page 5 shouldRequests be sent for to permission the editor toof reprintThe ATA articles Chronicle should be sentat [email protected] the editor of The .ATA Chronicle
2 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 at [email protected]. Mar/Apr 2020 Volume XLIX CONTENTS Number 2 FEATURES 22 Why You Should Care about Terminology Management—Even if You Never Translate 7 a Single Term Assembly Bill 5: What Now? If proactive terminology management before Get involved in standing up for our profession! starting a translation is currently not part of your Start with this how-to advocacy handout, a step- routine, here are some compelling reasons to by-step action plan showing you how to present change your ways. your case to state lawmakers. The information includes how to nd your representatives 26 and sample talking points to use in letters or Bring Your “A” Game to Video conversations with legislators. Game Localization Video games require translators to take so 10 7 much more than the translatable text into Member Opinions: Discussion on Opening account. Video game localization is a target- ATA’s Exam to Nonmembers oriented translation and its goal is to entertain. In the November/December issue, the Board encouraged members to submit their opinions, 29 both pro and con, regarding opening ATA’s A Look at Subtitling and Closed- certi cation exam to nonmembers. Member Captioning Software feedback is important to the discussion, so What should you be looking for in audiovisual share your thoughts! software? After looking at what’s come before, we’ll review some of the features that are a 15 must for translators working with subtitling and Translation and Emotions: Keys for Effective closed-captioning software. Online Instruction and Collaboration How do we compensate for the lack of direct ADVERTISING DIRECTORY human interaction in online training courses? 9 Middlebury Institute The socio-affective strategies discussed here http://bit.ly/Middlebury-Institute will help optimize the instructor’s effectiveness 15 14 UMass Amherst and prepare students for the workplace. http://www.umass.edu/onlineTI 40 Alliant 19 http:/ata.alliant.com Creating New Terminology: Do Translators Really Do This? COLUMNS Technical material is authored to achieve clarity. 2 From the President Therefore, new terms must not be coined randomly. This article will introduce readers 4 From the President-Elect to the principles of term formation covered in 5 ATA Social Media international standard ISO 704 Terminology Work—Principles and Methods. 6 From the Executive Director 12 Outreach Report 32 Interpreters Forum Looking for Member News and Humor and Translation? 34 Resource Review These columns are found in the Chronicle-Online edition: www.atanet.org/chronicle-online! 19 37 Certi cation Forum 38 New Certi ed Members
Connect www.atanet.org http://bit.ly/ATA-LinkedIn with ATA www.twitter.com/atanet http://bit.ly/ChannelATA
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http://bit.ly/ATA-Instagram From Harvard Square and Beacon Hill to Freedom Trail and Faneuil Hall Marketplace, every corner of Boston has something to enjoy. FROM THE PRESIDENT-ELECT MADALENA SÁNCHEZ ZAMPAULO deals, search the local events calendar, and [email protected] purchase tickets to Boston attractions. Twitter handle: @mszampaulo The Westin will house the majority of sessions, with just a handful of sessions and meetings taking place in the adjoining Boston Convention Center, a very short Boston, Here We Come! walk over the enclosed sky bridge. We’re planning some exciting new Advanced lanning is in full swing for roots, you can’t visit Boston without Skills and Training (AST) sessions for ATA’s 61st Annual Conference appreciating the beautiful Boston accent! the Wednesday before the conference P in Boston, Massachusetts, set to ATA members in the Boston area are of cially starts, and you’ll see tweaks and take place October 21–24 at the Westin eager to welcome their colleagues. (For improvements to some of the evening Waterfront Boston. more information on the New England events in an effort to make your conference For many of us, this is the event of Translators Association, check out their an even greater experience and investment. the year—known for the high level of website listed in the sidebar.) We expect the room block at the Westin professional development opportunities We anticipate even more attendees to ll rather quickly, so watch for the and networking available to members at the 2020 conference than we had announcement to book your room soon! and attendees. As one 2019 attendee said in New Orleans and Palm Springs, Registration for the Annual Conference will about her experience, “It’s just wonderful! respectively. After reviewing the results open in July. And I go back home energized.” of the Professional Development Survey It’s my sincere pleasure to be the we recently conducted for members, we conference organizer in my role as ATA For many of us, this is the were able to gauge the kinds of topics you president-elect. Please feel free to contact would like to see at the conference. From me with any questions or suggestions event of the year—known for there, we sent out the call for conference you have about the conference. See you the high level of professional proposals, highlighting the topics that were in Boston! especially requested as a way to solicit development opportunities and presentations in these areas and prioritize the content our members need most. What to Do and See in Boston networking available to members Hopefully many of the requested topics Boston Sightseeing Trolley Tours and attendees. and areas will be well represented at the https://www.trolleytours.com/boston Boston conference as a result of this effort. Boston USA ATA President Ted Wozniak and I https://www.bostonusa.com/plan-your-trip/ recently returned from a site visit to the After enjoying the sunny days and host hotel for ATA61. And while we were Faneuil Hall Marketplace chilly evenings in Palm Springs at ATA60, in Boston for the Annual Conference in https://faneuilhallmarketplace.com/ I’ve heard from many of you that you’re 2011 for ATA52, this year’s conference Fenway Park even more excited to head to the historic will be held in a different part of the city. https://www.mlb.com/redsox/ city of Boston this year. I don’t think you’ll The Westin Waterfront Boston, a newly Freedom Trail be disappointed! renovated hotel, is located in the Seaport https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/tours From Harvard Square and Beacon District near South Boston. This is an Hill to Freedom Trail and Faneuil Hall exciting area of town that boasts a great Harvard Square Marketplace, every corner of Boston has restaurant scene within walking distance https://www.harvardsquare.com/ something to enjoy. For those of us who and sites like the New England Aquarium, New England Aquarium are self-proclaimed “foodies,” Boston is Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and more. You https://www.neaq.org/ best known for its wonderful seafood— can even arrive a day early to enjoy one of make sure you try a lobster roll and a the Boston sightseeing trolley tours! Boston New England Translators Association bowl of clam chowder while you’re in USA provides an of cial guide application www.netaweb.org town. And lest we forget our linguistic for iPhone and Android users to nd great
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German producer Jamila American Translators Association Wenske of Berlin-based February 21 Achtung Panda! Media is working on two upcoming projects that A project to empower young interpreters within school contexts explore facets of the immigrant “On the 30th and 31st of January 2020, the Translation, experience in Germany—“Elbow” Interpreting and East Asia Studies Department of the UAB and “The Arabic Interpreter” hosted the kickoff meeting of the project ‘Empowering Young #translator | Variety: https://bit.ly/3aaFF3H Language Brokers for Inclusion in Diversity,’ funded by the FEB 21 / @ATANET / #1NT #XL8 European Commission and coordinated by the MIRAS research group of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.” Bong Joon Ho Interpreter Learn more—https://bit.ly/2w9VDMr Sharon Choi Relives Historic ‘Parasite’ Awards Season in Her Own Words #translator | Variety: https://bit.ly/37UCfAh FROM THE PRESIDENT FEB 19 / @ATANET / #1NT #XL8 Continued from page 2
development opportunities, including NOTES Santa Maria High students webinars and in-person events, in 1. Coalition of Practicing Translators in California recognized part driven by the recent Professional and Interpreters of California, nationally for work on bilingual http://coalitionptic.org. Development Survey in which yearbook #translator: members provided topics of interest 2. Joint National Committee for Languages, https://bit.ly/3a8mK9F to them. At ATA Headquarters, the www.languagepolicy.org. FEB 13 / @ATANET / #1NT #XL8 new website is nearing completion and 3. should debut in the near future. The Statement of Position Regarding California Assembly Bill 5 and Membership Committee continues to WWII Japanese interpreters Request for Exemption, examine ways to increase the value http://bit.ly/ATA-AB5-statement. honored for their service with of ATA membership, to reach and exhibit #translator: recruit new members, and retain 4. ATA Statement on California https://bit.ly/37XF9Vc current members. The Governance SB 875 (Exemption to AB 5 for FEB 7 / @ATANET / #1NT #XL8 and Communications Committee Translators and Interpreters), http://bit.ly/ATA-SB875-statement. is working on policies to increase transparency at ATA. 5. Professional Certi cation Coalition, Volunteer translators burn I had hoped to report on these www.profcertcoalition.org. midnight oil to ensure smooth developments and other outcomes from delivery of overseas medical aid to 6. the recent Board of Directors meeting H.R. 5339—Freedom to Invest Wuhan #translator | Global Times: in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, here, but my submission deadline http://bit.ly/SB-5339. https://bit.ly/2HXmGgF requires that I include that report in my FEB 6 / @ATANET / #1NT #XL8 next column. Until next time. www.atanet.org American Translators Association 5 Strategy Committee: The Board approved establishing a Strategy Committee and appointing Treasurer John Milan as chair. The committee will focus on trends and issues affecting translators and interpreters and what they mean for the Association. FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Membership: The Board reviewed WALTER BACAK, CAE the Membership Committee’s updated [email protected] Membership Roadmap that looks at ways to improve membership retention and target new members. President-Elect Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo is the chair Board Meeting Highlights of the Membership Committee.
he American Translators Association’s Con ict of Interest Policy: The Board Board of Directors met February 8–9, approved a Con ict of Interest Policy 2020, in Charleston, South Carolina. T for Board members, committee chairs, The meeting followed the Board’s Annual and division administrators. These key Strategy Day. volunteers must submit a con ict of The Annual Strategy Day allows interest form each year. the Board to discuss in-depth aspects of the Association and the translation Nominating and Leadership and interpreting professions. Strategy Development Committee Day is coordinated and led by ATA’s Standing from left: Directors Alaina Brandt, Appointment Approved: The Board president-elect, who, by of ce, is the Meghan Konkol, Elena Langdon, Jamie Hartz, Geoff approved the appointment of the chair of the Governance and Koby, Eve Lindemuth Bodeux, Melinda Gonzalez- members of the Nominating and Communications Committee. Hibner, Tony Guerra, and Cristina Helmerichs. Leadership Development Committee. This year, President-Elect Madalena Seated from left: Treasurer John Milan, President- They are Past President David Rumsey Sánchez Zampaulo guided the Board Elect Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo, President Ted (chair), Lucy Gunderson, Yolanda through a Strengths, Opportunities, Wozniak, and Secretary Karen Tkaczyk. Secos, David Stephenson (Certi cation Aspirations, Results (SOAR) Analysis Committee chair), and Izumi Suzuki. and discussion. (The Board’s top areas with respect to ATA’s nancial and The committee reviews and selects the were advocacy, continuing education, tax reporting. slate of candidates for the elections each and inclusivity/expanding membership.) Strategy Day discussions do not fall. This year, we have elections for Next, Treasurer John Milan led necessarily lead to concrete action plans, three directors. a discussion about the proposed but they do serve as the foundation for Strategy Committee, speci cally working through the Board’s activities Finance and Audit Committee: The how it could advise the Board on its for the year. Board approved the appointment of planning, the skills and experience Here are some highlights from the Robin Bonthrone to the Finance and committee members should have, and Board meeting. Audit Committee. Robin brings a strong the importance of the committee’s Advocacy: President and Government nance and accounting background to independence to provide its insights. Relations Committee Chair Ted Wozniak the committee. The Board then looked at the future of briefed the Board on ATA’s responses to The Board meeting summary is posted the Annual Conference with a general California Assembly Bill 5 (independent online. The minutes will be posted once discussion about the structure of the contractor vs employee classi cations) they are approved at the next Board event, the audience, and locations. and the efforts to get an exemption for meeting. Past meeting summaries and The Board also discussed possible translators and interpreters. President minutes are also posted online at www. revisions to ATA’s membership structure Wozniak shared with the Board other atanet.org/membership/minutes.php. and categories. draft federal and state legislation that The next Board meeting is set for April Treasurer Milan closed the day’s the committee is monitoring. Related, 18–19, 2020, in Alexandria, Virginia. activities by reviewing and explaining the Board approved renaming the As always, the meeting is open to all how Board members are expected to Government Relations Committee the members, and members are encouraged satisfy their duciary duties to ATA Advocacy Committee. to attend.
6 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org FEATURE
What can you do? Do not underestimate the power of your vote. Politicians depend on you to stay in office. Nothing can equal the pressure individual translators and interpreters can bring to bear on their elected officials. Get involved in standing up for our profession! Start below with this how-to advocacy handout, a step-by-step action plan showing you how to present your case to state lawmakers. The information includes how to find your representatives and sample talking points to use in letters or conversations with legislators. Get out there! Remember, you have the power. Use it!
Ted R. Wozniak President, American Translators Association
WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT MANDATORY EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION LEGISLATION IN MY STATE? Now is the time to contact your state legislators and demand an exemption for interpreters and translators. Constituent- driven advocacy is how ordinary citizens hold lawmakers accountable to their constituents. Your active involvement with the lawmakers who work for you is necessary to protect your freedom to work as an independent contractor. By taking informed, strategic action in your district and state capital, you can make the policy process yield the results you need to protect the integrity of our professions, the survival of our operations, and the communities we serve.
WHAT STEPS SHOULD I TAKE? Communicate with and visit your lawmakers by following the Assembly Bill 5: What Now? steps below. 1. Look up the title/designation of the mandatory employee Do not underestimate the power of your vote. Politicians classification legislation in your state. See the section depend on you to stay in office. Nothing can equal the on “Finding Existing or Proposed Legislation on Worker Classification” on page 8 to learn how and where to find pressure individual translators and interpreters can this information. bring to bear on their elected officials. 2. Look up your state lawmakers and their local district offices here: https://openstates.org/find_your_legislator. ince California’s Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5) went into Enter your address in the search bar, and your elected effect January 1, an increasing number of freelance representative to the lower and upper chambers of S translators and interpreters report that they are your state legislature will be displayed. Open each struggling to stay in business. Several other states are link in a new window/tab to view and copy the considering similar legislation. contact information for your state representative, In September, ATA joined forces with other translator and assemblyperson, delegate, or senator. Make a note of interpreter organizations to request an exemption from AB 5 their email address, phone number, and the location of for translators and interpreters.1 The Association is now their local office. actively supporting the Coalition of Practicing Translators Your representative and senator need to hear from you. and Interpreters of California2 to continue advocating for They and their staff can do their job best when they the exemption. ATA also issued a statement in response understand what affects you most. to California Senate Bill 875, which proposes including 3. Call and arrange a meeting with your lawmakers. Fridays are translators and interpreters in the list of professional services often the best days because lawmakers are typically in their that are exempt from the ABC Test requirement in AB 5.3 local district offices.
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 7 ASSEMBLY BILL 5: WHAT NOW? continued
employee classi cation, such as loss of a Simpli ed Employment Pension-IRA retirement option or previously fully deductible business deductions that would now be limited as an employee’s “unreimbursed business expenses.” Ask your lawmakers what they will do to address this need immediately. 5. Finally, report back to ATA about your experience. Please send an email summarizing your meeting and the reaction of your representatives to [email protected]. Thank you for taking action to protect our professions and our livelihoods.
FINDING EXISTING OR PROPOSED LEGISLATION ON WORKER CLASSIFICATION A Department of Labor list of 2019 classi cation schemes used to determine unemployment insurance in each state has Your representative and senator need to hear from been posted on ATA’s website. (See the link for “Determination you. They and their staff can do their job best when Employer-Employee Relationship” at the end of this article.)4 The situation is changing rapidly as legislatures are moving they understand what affects you most. quickly to follow California’s lead. The information in this Department of Labor document may already be out of date, or there may be legislative proposals to change the scheme. Use the tips below to determine the state of affairs in your state.
Depending on your representative’s schedule, you 1. Try using Google. Search for “mandatory employee may not meet them personally but with a legislative classi cation” plus your state. aide instead. If so, treat them just as you would your 2. Use www.WorkerClassi cation.com. Click on State representative. These aides are often the “gatekeepers” Resources, then your state, to see existing and/or proposed and have a lot of in uence on their bosses. If an in- legislation and news on worker classi cation. Note that person meeting is not possible/practical, send them an different legislation and classi cation tests may apply email expressing your concerns and asking them to take for different purposes (e.g., unemployment insurance speci c actions. and workers’ compensation). California AB 5 and similar 4. Before you go, hone your three-part message: legislation mandates uniform application of the ABC Test for most purposes. Tell your story about who you are and how your profession serves the community. Be prepared to 3. Use www.Congress.gov to nd the website for your state legislature. Then use the search function to browse explain how the translation and interpreting industry for pending legislation with keywords such as “worker and professions work, how many agencies you work classi cation,” “independent contractors,” or “ABC Test.” for during a year, and why the independent contractor/ agency model works best for you and for agencies and end clients. Tell them if you’ve received noti cations SAMPLE TALKING POINTS FOR CONVERSATIONS OR from agencies informing you that they will no longer LETTERS TO LEGISLATORS (MAY BE ADAPTED INTO A work with you (or only if you incorporate). CALL SCRIPT) Explain how and why you are or will be harmed 1. Vulnerable populations will suffer the most from an without an explicit exemption from the scope of ABC Test without a language industry exemption. With the law or proposed bill, how it threatens upheaval at least 500 languages spoken in the U.S., the potential of your livelihood and those you serve, and why impact to vulnerable populations would be catastrophic. its implementation and enforcement would disrupt Should there be a signi cant reduction in the availability and damage your operations and language services of language services, in particular on the interpreting side, occupations in your state. Discuss the loss of and if companies are forced into the employee model, they business and other economic impacts of mandatory will be much less likely to contract people to work in rare
8 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org languages, since the need for them is much more infrequent than the more common languages. Immigrants and refugees would have more dif culty in receiving services at hospitals, schools, or in legal settings. Rising costs will put seemingly unrelated sectors at risk of violating federal law. As you may know, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits recipients of federal nancial assistance from discriminating based on national origin by, among other things, failing to provide meaningful access to individuals who are limited English pro cient (LEP). This is serious considering that countless industries, including health care, law enforcement, and nance, which receive federal dollars, rely on language companies to comply with language access laws and facilitate best practices. By dismantling the language industry’s independent contractor model, an ABC Test will have unintended consequences for seemingly unrelated industries as they scramble to ll the void. 2. Without a language exemption, an ABC Test is unfair to businesses and workers. Given all of the costs and administrative requirements associated with employees, an ABC Test places our industry at a competitive disadvantage. If a worker is classi ed as an employee, the employer suddenly bears the responsibility of 1) paying Social Security and payroll taxes, 2) unemployment insurance taxes and state employment taxes, 3) providing workers’ compensation insurance, and 4) navigating state and federal statutes governing the wages, hours, and working conditions of employees. Translators and interpreters themselves are educated, highly experienced, highly trained, and often certi ed individuals performing highly specialized and professional services, who average $40/ hour in the private marketplace.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH A UNITED FRONT I strongly encourage our members to support the efforts for an exemption and to contact their state representatives and senators. Just as the passage of AB 5 in California is serving as a model for other states, gaining an exemption in California will also serve as a model and make it easier for professional translators and interpreters to be exempt from being classi ed as “gig economy” workers in other states. We can only protect our profession by showing a united front and through grassroots efforts to educate our state legislators.
NOTES 1. Statement of Position Regarding California Assembly Bill 5 and Request for Exemption, http://bit.ly/ATA-AB5-statement. 2. Coalition of Practicing Translators and Interpreters of California, http://coalitionptic.org. 3. ATA Statement on California SB 875 (Exemption to AB 5 for Translators and Interpreters), http://bit.ly/ATA-SB875-statement. 4. “Determination Employer-Employee Relationship,” http://bit.ly/employer-employee-relationship.
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 9 MEMBER OPINIONS
IT’S MORE THAN CREDIBILITY— Discussion on Opening ATA’s IT’S BEST PRACTICE Obviously, we don’t have a crystal ball to Exam to Nonmembers peer into the future, but there’s plenty of proof to suggest that decoupling is the he November/December issue Why? Well, it began with simple right way forward. included an announcement that curiosity. I wanted to understand how our The biggest argument against T the Board had voted to postpone a Association works. As a volunteer, I was decoupling appears to be the notion decision to open ATA’s certification exam a small cog in ATA’s “engine room,” but I that there is no evidence that other to nonmembers. This was followed by wanted to see who was steering the ship. credentials have increased credibility after the answers to some frequently asked Why am I telling you this? Because it was a membership requirement was removed. questions concerning the issues involved at one of those meetings when I rst heard Here’s the thing: in the association (http://bit.ly/FAQ-Decoupling). Here the Board discuss the issue of opening ATA’s world, best practice is (and has been) to is another response we received after certi cation exam to nonmembers and how separate credentialing from membership. members were encouraged to submit to keep the membership informed about A membership requirement is the their feedback. it. Since then I’ve followed the issue fairly exception rather than the rule. What’s But don’t let the conversation stop here! As closely, including reading related articles in more, requiring membership has not been this very publication and discussing it with an ATA member, your voice is important, so shown to add value to a credential. It’s Board members. ATA also presented a free clear that the vast majority of professional please send us your comments. 1 webinar on the subject in October. associations see greater value in a Why am I so interested in “decoupling”? “decoupled” credential. Why ATA Should Open the Because I’m excited to see our Association take steps aimed at expanding our Certi cation Exam to All IT’S MORE THAN LOGICAL— Professional Translators reach beyond the current membership. Decoupling is about ATA’s vision for the IT’S THE RIGHT STEP FORWARD By Matt Baird, CT future—a future in which ATA becomes Organizations constantly have to weigh ATA-certi ed (German>English) the recognized credentialing body for the pros and cons of the status quo versus Niederkassel, Germany the entire translation profession—and I moving in a new direction. Although it I’ve been attending ATA Board meetings applaud the Board for having the courage may feel safer to leave things the way they at ATA’s Annual Conference for years. to pursue this initiative. are, associations that fail to adapt become
10 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org stagnant and irrelevant. Our profession Obviously, we can’t judge the accuracy certi ed. To say otherwise is false is changing rapidly. Decoupling is not of this poll, but ProZ is an international and misleading. only the logical step forward, it’s the community of translators so we can’t deny The fact is that the Board has done its right one. By removing the membership that it indicates considerable interest in due diligence. Our Association’s nances requirement, ATA greatly expands the our credential around the world. have been reviewed, structures are in pool of translators eligible to take the place, and the Certi cation Committee exam. We’re creating conditions to enable IT’S MORE THAN REPORTS AND is ready to go. It’s time to do this, and I more participation. The only way we’ll BYLAWS—IT’S ABOUT DUE DILIGENCE urge every voting member to vote “yes” ever know if nonmembers will choose to on the amendment. The Hamm Report5 has been named do so is by actually allowing them to make Obviously we can’t see beyond the repeatedly in this debate. That’s because that choice. horizon, but I’ve watched our ship’s it started our Association down this path. What’s more, by separating membership of cers carefully plot this course and I But this report is not—and never has from the credential, ATA makes it clear believe it’s the right one. Considering that been—the decoupling bible. Whether or that we are the recognized certifying some 75% of ATA’s current members are not the Board chose to follow all of the body for the entire profession, not just not certi ed, it seems that most of us— report’s recommendations is beside the for people who choose to be members. including me, a member since 2000 and point. The nding that an independent This will inevitably increase our only certi ed since 2017—understand credential will be a more credible Association’s stature. that the value of ATA membership goes credential hasn’t changed. way beyond certi cation. If we open ATA’s Bylaws have also been hijacked, IT’S MORE THAN OPENING rst by the claim that the Board wasn’t ATA’s certi cation exam to all professional UP THE EXAM—IT’S ABOUT authorized to make this move. Indeed, translators, we will set sail on a journey there was concern about this issue, which that could take our credential—and our REMOVING BARRIERS Association—to the next level. The logic behind decoupling actually is why the Board consulted with ATA’s legal counsel, received a favorable legal doesn’t stop there. We know that people NOTES response, and decided to move ahead. are interested in becoming ATA-certi ed 1. “Opening the ATA Certi cation and that the hurdle of membership is real. Now that decoupling has been postponed Exam to Nonmembers,” ATA Case in point: ATA’s Government and the Board has proposed an amendment Webinar Series (October 1, 2019), Division has con rmed something ATA to make it clear in the Bylaws that taking http://bit.ly/webinar-decoupling. the certi cation exam is not an exclusive already knew, though until recently only 2. “All about COOL,” www.cool.navy.mil. anecdotally. Many government employees, member right, the Bylaws are once again 3. including military members, can gain being used to spread misinformation. “Discussion on Opening ATA’s Exam approval and receive funding to attain Let’s be clear: the amendment will not to Nonmembers: Robert Sette and Jessica Hartstein,” The ATA Chronicle civilian certi cations relevant to their remove any ATA member’s right to take the certi cation exam and become ATA- (January/February 2020), 12, principal occupations. The Department of http://bit.ly/Sette-Hartstein. Defense Credentialing Opportunities On- certi ed as stated in the opinion pieces 4. Line (COOL) program is one example.2 published in the January/February 2020 See www.proz.com/polls/19180. ATA’s certi cation exam is not eligible to issue of this publication. It extends the right 5. ATA Accreditation Program Report participate because the program stipulates to all translators in our profession to sit for (Michael Hamm & Associates, 2000), that the credentialing body may not the exam, and if they pass, become ATA- http://bit.ly/Hamm-report. require membership. That program is only the tip of the iceberg. Although ATA can’t precisely We want to hear from you! predict demand for the certi cation exam, we know it is there and it is real. Members are encouraged to submit their opinions, both pro and con, regarding opening ATA’s certi cation exam SPEAKING OF DEMAND… to nonmembers (also referred to as decoupling) for publication in The One of the opinion pieces published in ATA Chronicle. While it may not be possible to print all submissions, the January/February 2020 issue of The ATA Chronicle3 cited a ProZ poll4 from equal space will be provided for members to present views on both December 2019, but very relevant results sides of the issue. Please send to [email protected]. were ignored. Take a closer look: 38% of Note: In keeping with standard ATA editorial policy, submissions must those who participated said they would want to take ATA’s certi cation exam if include the author’s name, which will be published. Anonymous submissions it was open to nonmembers. Another will not be accepted for publication. 20% said “maybe.” That’s nearly 60%! www.atanet.org American Translators Association 11 OUTREACH REPORT BY LUCY GUNDERSON ATA at “Protect Translators. Protect Interpreters. Protect the World.”: A Panel Discussion at the United Nations
international recognition and protection they deserve. The impressive list of panelists included: ■ María Bassols, ambassador and deputy permanent representative, Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations ■ Bill Miller, director of regional operations of UNDSS ■ Maya Hess, founder and chief executive of cer of Red T ■ Betsy Fisher, director of strategy at IRAP ■ Lucio Bagnulo, head of translation at Amnesty International’s Language Resource Centre ■ Simona Škrabec, chair of PEN International’s Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee ■ Caroline Decroix, vice president of the Association des interprètes et auxiliaires afghans de l’Armée Française From left: Bill Miller, Linda Fitchett, Ambassador María Bassols, Maya Hess, Simona Škrabec, and Caroline Decroix ■ Abdul Qaiyoum Najbullah Habibi, a con ict-zone interpreter ■ Moderator: Linda Fitchett, chair of AIIC’s Con ict Zone n December 11, 2019, the Permanent Missions of Spain Interpreter Project and the Republic of Fiji to the United Nations, together The precursor to the panel discussion was a roundtable O with the United Nations Department of Safety and held at the UN in April 20182, which explored the risks and Security (UNDSS), hosted a panel discussion on the urgent need vulnerabilities experienced by translators and interpreters for enhanced legal and physical protection for translators and working in con ict situations. interpreters in high-risk settings. The event was co-organized on In her opening remarks, Moderator Linda Fitchett expressed behalf of the world language community by Red T, a nonpro t the hope that the UN will move toward an international response advocating for laws and policies that promote the safety of to address the need for protecting translators and interpreters in linguists at risk.1 con ict zones. For the rst time, the occasion brought together not only Ambassador Maria Bassols noted that Spain, a staunch representatives from the major translator/interpreter (T&I) supporter of a broad humanitarian agenda, believes that associations across the globe, but prominent humanitarian translators and interpreters play a critical role in international organizations whose support Red T was able to secure, relations and enhance knowledge within the international including PEN International, Amnesty International’s Language community. The big question, though, is how to t the issue Resource Centre, and the International Refugee Assistance of protection for this group into the UN agenda. While Project (IRAP). In addition to ATA, the other T&I associations pointing out that visa programs are national programs run by represented were the International Association of Conference sovereign states, Bassols also observed this does not mean that Interpreters (AIIC), International Association of Professional international criteria cannot guide these policies. She stressed, however, that there is a lack of information about the numbers Translators and Interpreters, International Association of involved and that more solid data is needed to take any further Translation and Intercultural Studies, International steps within the UN. Such steps could include the establishment Federation of Translators, and the World Association of of a UN working group or “group of friends” (an informal group Sign Language Interpreters. of states formed to support the peacemaking of the UN), and even a resolution, although this last measure would require RISKS AND VULNERABILITIES tremendous effort. In addition to discussing steps for mitigating risks and UNDSS Director Bill Miller, whose department protects vulnerabilities, the panel also focused on what can be done people who “require extraordinary protection in the service to help translators and interpreters in con ict zones gain the of others,” explained that 44 areas around the world are
12 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org now classi ed as high risk and above, and that translators and interpreters are key in helping bridge the gap of misunderstanding behind the social and nativist drivers that create high-risk areas. Translators and interpreters play a critical role in international relations and enhance knowledge within the international community. The big question, though, is how to fit the issue of protection for this group into the UN agenda. From left: Linda Fitchett, Pablo Gutiérrez, Ambassador Maria Bassols, and Maya Hess
After noting that relocation programs are rife with backlogs, delays, and inexplicable red tape and essentially amount to Maya Hess then expanded on the fact that T&I protection is merely remedial measures, Fisher described speci c steps that virtually absent in the current international legal regime, and can be taken in con ict zones to ensure the safety of translators that it can only be inferred. However, Hess stated that “ample and interpreters. For example, occupying forces must nd ways and gruesome evidence has shown that inferential rights are to protect the identities of linguists, including: not suf cient, especially since linguists af liated with troops, ■ humanitarian organizations, and the media often operate on Providing on-base housing so that linguists cannot be identi ed on their way to work. the frontlines and in other violent settings.” She pointed out that this lack of protection is further compounded by “the ■ Allowing linguists to wear masks, use pseudonyms, and relocate diminishing relevance and protective power of the Geneva within the country. Conventions due to changes in the traditional model of ■ Keeping accurate information about who has worked for them. warfare,” including “the growing tendency to outsource wars Next, Simona Škrabec spoke about PEN International’s efforts to private defense contractors whose pro t motives supersede to protect and relocate translators living and working in war interpreter welfare.” To address these factors, Hess proposed zones and other high-risk settings. Škrabec noted that PEN’s various solutions, including: main focus is freedom of expression and that linguists, who serve ■ Establishing a UN working group focused on this thematic. as “pillars of peace and mutual understanding,” are especially ■ Appointing a special rapporteur who would investigate and draft vulnerable and exposed by virtue of their abilities. Some of the a report on the scope of the issue. translators PEN International has helped resettle include: ■ Mohammad Habeeb, one of the most prominent translators in ■ Drafting a document similar or iterative to the Montreux Syria, who was imprisoned for nine years due to his criticism Document3, which outlines applicable law and best practices of human rights violations committed by the al-Assad regime. for private military and security companies in war zones. ■ Ashur Etwebi, a well-known Libyan poet, novelist, and ■ Proposing a UN resolution that would articulate T&I rights and translator, who was forced to leave his home after an attack by establish a normative framework for future protection. Hess militia and resettled in Trondheim, Norway. noted that such a resolution would shift the paradigm of how con ict-zone linguists are perceived and treated—a shift that, ■ Amani Lazar, a translator and writer from Syria, who was in a in turn, would save lives. particularly vulnerable position as a woman in a war-torn area close to ISIS-held territory. Lucio Bagnulo, head of translation at Amnesty International’s PROTECTING OUR LINGUISTS Language Resource Centre, also spoke about the idea that IRAP Director of Strategy Betsy Fisher addressed interpreter freedom of expression cannot exist without translators and safety and offered some important statistics. For instance, interpreters. After observing that language enables Amnesty she noted that 216 documented interpreters have been killed InternationaI to do its work and that the importance of in Iraq. Family members not only face direct, personal, and translation and interpreting cannot be overstated, he noted credible death threats from those in their local communities, that the international community still does not have access to but are also seen as security threats by their employers. In one an instrument that provides translators and interpreters with case, a contract interpreter placed a call to an insurgent at the protection at the international level. He similarly highlighted the direction of his employer and was subsequently suspected by need to provide support to translators and interpreters who work his employer of having misplaced loyalties, speci cally because for non-governmental organizations, noting that these linguists of this phone call. face as much risk as those employed by occupying forces. www.atanet.org American Translators Association 13 ATA AT “PROTECT TRANSLATORS. PROTECT INTERPRETERS. PROTECT THE WORLD.” continued
The hope is the UN will move toward an international one country to another and create inequality within the interpreter community. response to address the need for protecting Finally, the panel heard from Abdul Qaiyoum Najbullah via video recording. Najbullah worked for the U.S. and Canadian translators and interpreters in con ict zones. armed forces from late 2007 to 2013. He took on this work because he saw it as a way to provide for his family while helping bring peace to his homeland. In 2010, however, his parents were murdered due to his collaboration with the French attorney Caroline Decroix described her battle with International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and he was forced to ee. He paid a human traf cker to take him to the French government to protect Afghan interpreters who Germany, a journey that lasted over seven months and at times worked for the French army. The French government was in involved greater risk than working for ISAF in Afghanistan. Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014 and employed approximately The rest of his story is best told in his own words: 800 Afghan nationals, largely as interpreters under xed-term contracts. As the French forces started to withdraw in 2012, “After arriving in Germany, I found one of my Canadian several criteria were introduced for relocating these linguists team members I worked with in Afghanistan. I was facing deportation from Germany to Austria and Hungary because of to France, including assessing the threat level to the person the Dublin Treaty and asked him for help. He promised that concerned, the quality of services rendered, and the ability he would take me to Canada. After that, Joe Warmington, a to integrate into French society. Under these criteria, only 73 journalist from the Toronto Sun, started writing articles about people were accepted, and under revised criteria submitted me. Red T read my story, got involved, and helped me. I was three years later, only 100 more were accepted. In the fall of stuck without money in a refugee camp in southern Germany 2018, 51 additional families were admitted to France under and needed to get to the Canadian Embassy in Berlin for a third procedure. There are a number of cases still pending, a visa. Red T contacted the German Federal Association of which points to the need for a harmonized response from Interpreters and Translators and asked them to bring me to the UN, since selection criteria for relocation vary from my visa interview. Together with Joe Warmington, they kept my case in the news and on social media. All this worked—I got my visa and landed in Canada on April 15, 2016.” Online Certificate in Translation and Interpreting THE NEED FOR AN INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE The panel concluded with additional contributions from policy experts and a lively discussion. The overall message to attending member states was, to use Hess’ words: “The time has come for an international response to what is an international problem, and we call on the UN to rmly place the protection of linguists on its Protection-of-Civilians agenda.”
NOTES 1. To learn more about Red-T, visit www.red-t.org. 2. Gunderson, Lucy. “ATA at ‘Protect Translators and Interpreters, Protect the World’: A Roundtable at the United Nations,” The ATA Chronicle (July/August 2018), 7, http://bit.ly/UN-roundtable. 3. The Montreux Document is the result of an international process launched by the government of Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross. It’s an intergovernmental document intended to promote respect for international humanitarian law and human rights law whenever private military and security companies are present in armed con icts. It was rati ed in Montreux, Switzerland, in September 2008. For more information, see http://bit.ly/Montreux-Document.
multilingual • your own pace • renowned instructors Lucy Gunderson, CT is an ATA-certified Russian> English translator specializing in human rights, legal flexible payment plans • world-class university documents, and academic translation. She is also a past chair of ATA’s Divisions Committee and a former umass.edu/onlineTI administrator of the Slavic Languages Division. Contact: [email protected].
14 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org FEATURE BY DIEGO MANSILLA
of any learning process, and positive relationships with the instructor and other students are fundamental to learning.1 For many students, not having enough direct contact with instructors and peers is among the biggest challenges of online training. But how do we compensate for the lack of direct human interaction in online training courses?
Since virtual classes lack physical presence and interaction, feelings of isolation and frustration on the part of students are a frequent problem.
There’s a growing awareness of the essential role that emotions play in many cognitive processes, including the two that are central for successful completion of translation tasks: decision-making and problem-solving.2 Affective aspects in learning processes Translation and Emotions: have been considered (at best) of secondary importance, but they’re essential for any learning to take place. Keys for Effective Online Instruction In addition, “emotions and teamwork have as much relevance for effective and Collaboration learning as the development of mental skills and individualized study.”3 As Emotional aspects in learning processes have been considered (at best) of mentioned previously, since virtual secondary importance, but they’re essential for any learning to take place. classes lack physical presence and interaction, feelings of isolation and oday, it’s nearly impossible to the demand for which is expected frustration on the part of students are a think about producing a high- to increase. However, with the rise frequent problem. T quality professional translation of online training options, there’s a As educators, we should look for without access to online resources, concern that we’re losing a key element didactic strategies in the socio-affective both passive (e.g., dictionaries, that’s important to a future translator’s domain to create an environment that glossaries, and reference material) and success: fostering relationships through helps students avoid negative emotions, interactive (e.g., discussion forums, direct human contact. not only in terms of the relationship chat rooms, and professional groups). Interaction with project managers, of the student with the study material, It’s increasingly common for translation colleagues, clients, reviewers, editors, but also in terms of collaboration with professionals to conduct their work and other professionals, who form fellow students and the instructor. Here remotely and collaboratively. This makes part of the constellation of direct I’ll discuss possible ways of effectively it completely natural and effective professional contacts of any translator, using social and affective strategies that for future translators to be trained in is a crucial aspect of the translation we’ve studied and implemented in our surroundings similar to those in which trade. A translator’s professional success own instruction within the Translation they will practice their profession. depends to a great extent on the quality Certi cate program at the University This trend is re ected in the growth of these relationships. At the same of Massachusetts Boston. We hope of online translator training programs, time, interaction is also an integral part that other translation instructors can www.atanet.org American Translators Association 15 TRANSLATION AND EMOTIONS: KEYS FOR EFFECTIVE ONLINE INSTRUCTION AND COLLABORATION continued
interpretation and reformulation of students’ ideas.5 ■ Including additional information from external sources.6 ■ Scheduling synchronous activities (virtual meetings). Students in synchronous courses usually rate the instructor’s presence higher. Synchronous virtual meetings also emphasize the existence and identity of the group and its members in a more tangible way. In many cases, these meetings are the only opportunity for students to have a real-time conversation with their classmates and the instructor. Therefore, they play a prominent role in the socio-affective well-being of the class. However, students who are unable to participate in a real-time meeting (due to time Socio-affective strategies involve stimulating learning through zone differences, work, or family responsibilities, etc.) can feel left out. establishing a level of empathy between the student and instructor. Therefore, it’s important to organize synchronous meetings at different times to give everyone the possibility to participate in the discussion at least once. incorporate these strategies in their communication can help develop this Creating Communicative Proximity: virtual classrooms successfully. These atmosphere include: Research in the field of communication strategies are also transferable to a ■ Increased effectiveness in day-to-day provides ways for the instructor to professional virtual work environment. communication. The availability of create a sense of psychological closeness electronic media allows the instructor or communicative proximity in a CREATING COMMUNICATIVE to respond and initiate conversations virtual classroom by means of physical PROXIMITY quickly and regularly. and verbal behaviors that reduce the Socio-affective strategies involve ■ An increased perception of the psychological and physical distance stimulating learning through instructor’s availability on the part of between individuals. In a traditional establishing a level of empathy between the students. Communication outside classroom environment, physical the student and instructor. This can be the traditional schedule of a face- behaviors include eye contact, smiling, and leaning in during conversations done in a variety of ways. to-face course creates a sensation of constant attention and contact. with students. Students who notice Enhancing the Instructor’s Social such behavior on the part of their ■ Increased opportunities for shy Presence: For students to feel the instructor tend to report feeling more students, who might not feel instructor’s presence, the instructor motivated and perceive their instructor comfortable in an open classroom has to be “visible,” which in a as more reliable.7 In order to create forum, to speak to the instructor and virtual environment usually requires such proximity in a virtual class, the ask questions or express doubts. some type of action. Technology instructor can use: An instructor might also choose to allows the instructor to create what ■ Video recordings so as to include the Rebecca DiVerniero (a lecturer in the create their own social presence by: gestural components of language, Communication Studies Department at ■ Focusing discussions on specific such as the feeling of a direct gaze. Christopher Newport University) and problems. Donald Kiraly, who taught Such an effect can be achieved by Angela Hosek (the director of Emerson in the School of Applied Linguistics filming the instructor in an informal College’s Communication 100 program) and Cultural Studies at Johannes environment while they look call “a dialogical atmosphere.”4 Three Gutenberg-Universität Mainz in directly at the camera. A smile and ways in which computer-mediated Germany, calls this appropriation open gestures can also shorten the
16 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org psychological distance between the ■ Build discussions around PROMOTING PRODUCTIVE instructor and students. students’ own interests, concerns, COLLABORATION and experiences. ■ Voice recordings, since being able Instructor’s Role: The instructor is to hear the instructor’s voice makes ■ Recognize and reinforce student essential in the creation of a productive, students feel more connected and contributions, identify areas of satisfactory, and genuine collaboration helps to humanize the virtual learning agreement and disagreement, and seek for students in a virtual class. The experience.8 Recordings reinforce a way to achieve consensus, learning, instructor should monitor and evaluate the presence of an instructor in a and understanding. the collaborative processes used and virtual classroom. Podcasts can also be ■ Evaluate the effectiveness of the provide help, advice, and tools.12 To very effective in a virtual course, discussion process.9 promote effective collaboration, it’s as they help reduce students’ Instructors themselves must model the suggested that the instructor: feelings of isolation and promote a form of communication desired in the ■ Create the work groups carefully. social presence. forum. They should emphasize that their It’s preferable to organize small ■ More visual elements such as colors, opinion isn’t the only correct one. This groups (three to four students), taking images, and photographs of the will encourage students to offer their own into account the primary variables instructor in an academic environment opinions and not just try to guess the in student background (such as that emphasize their expressiveness, answer that the instructor wants to hear. dominant language, specific areas of accessibility, and dedication. Peer Review: Peer review and mentoring prior knowledge, and expertise activities are very effective in improving with technology). both group dynamics and each student’s BUILDING A SHARED COMMUNITY ■ Create fixed roles within the group. translation strategies and techniques. They It’s advisable for each participant to OF PRACTICE allow students to reflect on their own perform in a fixed role and assume translation process, learn different ways to Discussion Forums: Online discussion responsibilities within the group. A solve translation problems, participate in forums help reduce students’ sense of prior discussion of such roles can the creation of shared knowledge, and as a isolation and provide a space for sharing help avoid social laziness, or the result, create a community of practice.10 achievements, fears, and frustrations situation in which some students about the course in general or about a let others do the work. If this is particular activity, thus creating a sense Interaction is an integral part noticed, the instructor can make “a of community. For the forum to become diplomatic intervention.”13 the center of the community of practice, of any learning process, and ■ instructors might: Prior to the activity, teach students positive relationships with the essential rules for effective ■ Provide specific guidelines on the use collaborative work and follow up on of the forum, such as instructions to: the instructor and with other students’ success in collaboration after 14 Address others by name. students are fundamental each group activity. Many humorous videos on collaboration practices Justify their opinions and expand for learning. and teamwork that can be found on general statements. YouTube could help foster a more Always treat others with respect, effective team-member effort. especially when expressing an ■ Set clear instructions regarding deadlines opposing opinion. For the peer review to be effective, it’s and the work to be completed. recommended that the instructor: Remember that in an online course, relationships with others are built ■ Explain the benefits of peer review Positive Interdependence: As Juan through language, so the details of and feedback to students; Antonio Prieto-Velasco and Adrián the communication in the forums ■ Provide students with an adapted Fuentes-Luque, of the Department must be handled carefully. version of the ATA Certification of Philology and Translation at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide in Spain, Quote or reference other Program’s Framework for Standardized note, the two main potential problems students’ ideas. Error Marking as a basis for peer evaluation.11 This practice will help in collaborative class activities are a Read all the comments before them reflect on the process and product lack of participation by some members adding one’s own so as to of their own (and others’) translation and the excessive control of group contribute positively to the work. At the same time, it will bring dynamics by participants with dominant discussion and avoid the repetition learning closer to the standards of personalities.15 To prevent such of ideas already expressed. professional translation. behaviors, positive interdependence and
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 17 TRANSLATION AND EMOTIONS: KEYS FOR EFFECTIVE ONLINE INSTRUCTION AND COLLABORATION continued shared responsibility should be created presence to encourage students’ ability Education (July 2009), 350–371, using the following techniques: to relax and become fully engaged. http://bit.ly/Schrodt-instructor-credibility. 8. ■ Students should receive a group ■ Creating a community of practice by Bolliger, Doris, Supawan Supanakorn, and reward for their work, which creates using discussion forums and peer Christine Boggs. “Impact of Podcasting on Student Motivation in the Online reward interdependence. Students review, both for effective learning and Learning Environment,” Computers and to reduce stress and tension. may receive a shared grade in at Education (September 2010), 720, least one of the aspects of ■ Establishing situated learning to http://bit.ly/Bolliger-podcasting. collaborative work. generate interest and connection with 9. Baker, Credence. “The Impact of ■ Create resource interdependence in the future professional activity. Instructor Immediacy and Presence which each student depends on the for Online Student Affective Learning, Cognition, and Motivation,” others to ll in their own knowledge NOTES Journal of Educators Online (January 2010), 23–24, gaps. For example, weekly readings 1. Vygotsky, Lev. Mind in Society: The http://bit.ly/Baker-immediacy. can become shared readings. Each Development of Higher Psychological student in the group reads part of the Processes (Harvard University Press, 1978). 10. Kiraly, Donald. A Social Constructivist material on the selected topics and 2. Rojo, Ana. “The Role of Emotions,” In J. Approach to Translator Education: Empowerment from Theory to Practice shares what they’ve learned. W. Schwieter and A. Ferreira (Editors), The (St. Jerome Publishing, 2000), 111. Handbook of Translation and Cognition ■ Create roles for the work process. (John Wiley & Sons, 2017), 382. See 11. ATA Certi cation Program Framework For example, one group might be also: Oxford, Rebecca. Teaching and for Standardized Error Marking, required to depend on another to Researching Language Learning Strategies http://bit.ly/error-framework. complete the assignment as a whole, (Pearson, 2011). 12. with some students translating and Jahng, Namsook. “Collaboration Indices 3. González Davies, M. “Socioconstructivismo, for Monitoring Potential Problems in others editing. humanismo y plataformas pedagógicas: Online Small Groups,” Canadian Journal of ■ Include anonymous peer evaluation De la teoría al proyecto auténtico de Learning and Technology (Winter 2013), 2, in which each student evaluates the traducción,” In M. Cánovas, M. González http://bit.ly/Jahng. Davies, and L. Keim (Editors), Acortar work of the other members, as well as 13. Kiraly, Donald. A Social Constructivist distancias. Las TIC en la clase de the effectiveness of the group’s work in Approach to Translator Education:
general, indicating both strengths and traducción y de lenguas extranjeras Empowerment from Theory to Practice (October 2010), 144. areas for improvement. (St. Jerome Publishing, 2000), 117. 4. DiVerniero, Rebecca, and Angela Hosek. 14. Huertas-Barros, Else. “Collaborative “Students’ Perceptions and Communicative Learning in the Translation Classroom: Management of Instructors’ Online Self– In the virtual classroom, good Preliminary Survey Results,” JoSTrans: Disclosure,” Communication Quarterly The Journal of Specialised Translation management of the socio- (August 2011), 429–430. (July 2011), 42–60, https://goo.gl/kKJTYh. 5. affective domain is essential for Kiraly, Donald. A Social Constructivist 15. Prieto-Velasco, Juan, and Adrián Approach to Translator Education: Fuentes-Luque. “A Collaborative both the learning process and the Empowerment from Theory to Practice Multimodal Working Environment for (St. Jerome Publishing, 2000), 79. the Development of Instrumental and translation process. 6. Baker, Credence. “The Impact of Professional Competences of Student Instructor Immediacy and Presence Translators: An Innovative Teaching for Online Student Affective Learning, Experience,” The Interpreter and Cognition, and Motivation,” Journal of Translator Trainer (April 2016). Educators Online (January 2010), 23–24, http://bit.ly/Baker-immediacy. ESTABLISHING A SOCIO-AFFECTIVE , CT teaches 7. Mottet, Timothy, and Virginia Richmond. Diego Mansilla DOMAIN IS KEY “An Inductive Analysis of Verbal advanced translation courses In the virtual classroom, effective Immediacy: Alternative Conceptualization and is the director of the management of the socio-affective of Relational Verbal Approach/ Spanish>English Translation domain is essential for both the learning Avoidance Strategies,” Communication Certi cate program at the process and the translation process. Quarterly (January 1998), 25–40, University of Massachusetts The socio-affective strategies discussed http://bit.ly/Mottet-Richmond. See also: Boston. He is also a professional translator with here help optimize the instructor’s Schrodt, Paul, Paul Witt, Paul Turman, over 20 years of experience. He is a member of the board of directors of the New England effectiveness and prepare students for Scott Myers, Matthew Barton, and Translators Association. An ATA-certi ed the workplace by: Kodiane Jernberg. “Instructor Credibility as a Mediator of Instructors’ Prosocial English>Spanish translator, he is a grader ■ Creating a sense of the instructor’s Communication Behaviors and Students’ for ATA’s English>Spanish certi cation exam. communicative proximity and social Learning Outcomes,” Communication Contact: [email protected].
18 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org FEATURE BY BARBARA INGE KARSCH
for preparing and compiling terminologies both inside and outside the framework of standardization, and describes the links between objects, concepts, and their terminological representations. The standard also contains a section on term formation. The following will cover the seven term formation principles from ISO 704 that allow us to assess existing synonyms or new term suggestions. While not all principles and methods are transferable to other languages, many are. Readers may recognize what works in another language, but also identify additional methods for their languages. My goal here is to share this topic with a wide audience and help make naming a more conscious and deliberate effort.
WHY DO WELL-FORMED TERMS AND NAMES MATTER? One of the primary goals of technical material is to pass on information to a user. A large component of technical texts are terms and names (designations). Indeed, terms and names are the main carriers of Creating New Terminology: information, as they’re the representations of concepts covered by the text. If we invent terms and names randomly, Do Translators Really Do This? chances are nobody will understand the concepts behind them. Communication Here are the seven term formation principles from ISO 704 Terminology will be inhibited or not occur. If we form Work—Principles and Methods that allow us to assess existing synonyms terminology with a systematic approach, a or new term suggestions. larger percentage of readers will grasp the concept, and grasp it faster. In his Manuel he rhetorical question in the title above elsewhere in that form and, therefore, pratique de terminology, Canadian translator- originates in my work with translation has to be assigned a term. Translators terminologist Robert Dubuc states: “[a] T students in the Master’s in Translation may work in or for organizations where term is well-formed if the concept comes and Interpreting program at New York new departments or new roles need to be through either via the etymology or via the University. In their second semester, they named on a regular basis. In manufacturing components of the term. Terms that follow may not have thought about translating environments, for example, the number of the morphology of a language are often well- in subject areas that are new to the target existing products and new versions may be formed.”2 [Note: Translation mine.] culture and where terminology has not yet so high that new names are rst suggested been coined. I explain that, as translators, by computer programs before a human they might get to form new terms. approves them. This is not the norm. ISO TERM FORMATION PRINCIPLES Sometimes, I hear a tiny gasp from students It’s still humans who name most new The 2009 edition of ISO 704 lists seven in my online course. concepts. So, the more systematically they principles of term formation for the English Naturally, not every technical translator go about it, the better for the audience. language. They allow us to examine will coin new terminology in every Language professionals from around the existing or new terms. In fact, a better assignment. There’s plenty of work in world have come together in the framework term for these principles might be “term domains with little innovation and on of the International Organization for assessment principles.” The sections on the documents with repetitive material. But Standardization’s (ISO) Technical Committee following pages cover the seven principles, there are also scenarios that most certainly 37, Language and Terminology, to create complete with examples from my work as include new concepts. For example, a ISO 704 Terminology Work—Principles a terminologist. For more details, please see patent is a text about a new invention that and Methods.1 This international standard the standard itself. (Link provided at the end is by de nition a concept that doesn’t exist establishes the basic principles and methods of this article.) www.atanet.org American Translators Association 19 CREATING NEW TERMINOLOGY: DO TRANSLATORS REALLY DO THIS? continued
with more than two rotor systems). (See Figure 2 below.)
4. APPROPRIATENESS The designation must be appropriate for the audience of the text and the subject Figure 1: Short terms are usually less transparent. eld and shouldn’t have any unwanted connotations. This principle suggests that short as possible. This matters even more 1. TRANSPARENCY we pick the right register for the audience. in environments where limited space is If terms and names are transparent, But it also helps us avoid creating terms available (e.g., cell phone screens). the informed reader will not need a that are hard to pronounce or that have dictionary or de nition to understand Even where space plays no roll, communicators often prefer short terms for distracting undertones. them. The meaning of the concept they Even companies that aren’t concerned represent will be clear from looking at the convenience. For example, NATO is used far more often then the full form North with many of the other principles designation. Terms that are transparent discussed here obey the latter aspect of this re ect important characteristics of the Atlantic Treaty Organization. But users and creators of terminology must be aware that one when coining new product names. concept (e.g., form or function). For example, when Windows® Vista was Medical terminology, for example, is shorter terms are less transparent. When named, language experts for over 100 generally transparent to the subject matter asked whether DNA is a transparent term, languages were asked what Vista meant to experts of the eld. Medical professionals invariably at least one says yes. Tongue in them. When only the Lithuanian linguists will immediately recognize the concept cheek I af rm that everyone knows that it refers to the Democratic National Alliance, mentioned that višta means hen in their underlying the term microprolactinoma a former political party in Trinidad and language, the Windows team deemed Vista as a small (micro-) tumor (-oma) that has Tobago. Without knowing at least the acceptable for use worldwide. an effect on the level of the hormone, subject area, we cannot be sure of the prolactin, in the body of the patient. underlying concept. (See Figure 1 above.) That’s not to say that all medical 5. DERIVABILITY AND COMPOUNDABILITY terminology is created with transparency A new concept and its term may lead to in mind. Some are what we call ill-formed. 3. CONSISTENCY new ways of communicating about them. For example, a particular gene of the fruit Within the subject eld, designations If possible, we should keep in mind while y was named Cheap Date, as a geneticist- should be consistent and re ect the coining the term that we may have to friend pointed out years ago. Even to him underlying concept system. Readers new form other parts of speech (derivability) the name was murky, but then he learned to a subject eld learn more quickly or compounds (compoundability) that are that the name was motivated by the fact when the terminology is consistent, based on the term in the future. Here are that ies with a mutation in this gene are as retention is enhanced. Some good two examples: 3 examples of this include: susceptible to alcohol. ■ Starting with the Microsoft® Of ce ■ Chemical formulas and their 2007 suite, the user interface navigation 2. LINGUISTIC ECONOMY corresponding terms that re ect the changed from menu-driven navigation to 2 While the term/name must be clear and underlying concept system (e.g., N O, the “ribbon,” a graphical control element 2 7 unique, it should also not be a long or dinitrogen monoxide; Cl O , or in the form of a set of toolbars placed on 4 description. After all, we could use dichlorine heptoxide). several tabs. Pretty soon other software de nitions to be precise, but that wouldn’t ■ Rotary-wing aircrafts are named based developers “ribbonized” their interfaces be convenient in most communication on the number of rotor systems each and introduced ribbons as navigational scenarios. Therefore, a term should be as aircraft has (e.g., a multicopter is one aids. And eventually the ribbon was
Figure 2: Term base entries for consistently named rotary-wing crafts
20 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org Readers new to a subject field learn more quickly when the terminology is consistent, as retention is enhanced. Figure 3: Excerpt of a Japanese website with English terms and names
broken down into “ribbon tabs” and terminology, but that doesn’t always work There’s nothing easy about naming, “ribbon groups.” out. Even IT experts in Germany voted especially if we don’t do it regularly. to replace the above-mentioned example Companies that are serious about their ■ When German terminologists decided that the noun for the English “upload” of the verb uploaden with the existing linguistic presentation and professional and perfectly ne German term would be “Upload” in German, they hochladen image put work into naming their when asked in a survey during an industry didn’t think about the term as a verb products, features, departments, job titles, event in 2004. Replacing such a prevalent yet. For a while, even the IT community and most of all the company itself. As term many years after it was introduced is their extended representatives, translators struggled with the past tense of the extremely costly for a company. must put equal care into the coining of term, which could be upgeloaded or That’s why it was a surprise when new terms and names. ISO 704 provides geuploaded. Both sounded cumbersome Microsoft insisted on using the English us with seven term formation principles to and looked incorrect. term “ rstline worker” (for a new category guide us in this endeavor. of workers) in many target-language 6. LINGUISTIC CORRECTNESS markets. It’s one thing to retain the name NOTES A new term must follow standard rules of a product or a company name, but it’s 1. ISO TC37 Language and Terminology. “ISO of the language with regard to spelling or not advisable to impose terms for general 704:2009 Terminology Work—Principles grammar. Particularly areas of business that concepts on another language. Even if and Methods,” Vol. ISO 704 (Geneva: ISO/ TC 37/SC 1, 2009), http://bit.ly/ISO-704. are sales-oriented are prone to violating we don’t speak Japanese, we can see from this principle in their naming. Being hip the excerpt shown in Figure 3 above, 2. Dubuc, Robert. Manuel Pratique De trumps being correct. And yet, following which comes from a Japanese website, Terminologie, 4th Edition (Brossard: established rules allows us to create terms that it might be a problem.4 Just think of Linguatech éditeur inc., 2002). or names that will be acceptable to a larger the sales representative who is trying to 3. Krulwich, Robert. “Fruit Fly Scientists audience, less exposed to ridicule, and less introduce clients to a product for rstline Swatted Down Over ‘Cheap Date,’” NPR likely to necessitate a change. workers. It’s easy to imagine that by the All Things Considered (February 9, 2009), Inspired by English, many business second time they have to pronounce http://bit.ly/Cheap-Date. owners of small businesses in Germany it, they’ll have invented something that 4. “Naming of Molecular Compounds,” use the apostrophe “s” for possessives works more naturally for them. http://bit.ly/naming-compounds. in their business name: e.g., Mirko’s 5 IT Media News, http://bit.ly/Japanese- rstline. Dönerbude or Erika’s Nagelstudio (correct: THERE’S NOTHING EASY ABOUT NAMING Mirkos Dönerbude and Erikas Nagelstudio). In my classroom, we look at terms in As linguists, we’re aware of hyphenation, the context of their underlying concept Barbara Inge Karsch is the capitalization, and other rules that apply and assess whether or not they meet the owner of BIK Terminology, a to our languages and follow them. principles discussed above. Students terminology consultancy and notice that most terms don’t meet all the training company. As a consultant and trainer, she works with 7. PREFERENCE FOR NATIVE LANGUAGE principles. As mentioned earlier, a term companies and organizations on Often, we have a choice between a can often only be transparent (where the terminology training, terminology development, and the loanword, which we could introduce meaning of the underlying concept is readily implementation of terminology management systems. from the source language into the target understood) or short (where the meaning She draws on her 14 years of experience as an in- language, and a term in the native language is less transparent). When this is the case, house terminologist for J.D. Edwards and Microsoft. of the target market. The preferred term in a concept might be represented by both She has been an adjunct instructor in the Master’s most cases is a term in the native language a long and a short form. For instance, the in Translation and Interpreting program at New York (not a loan), because it’s generally easier long, more transparent, form should be used University since 2012. As a U.S. delegate to ISO for target-language readers to understand. initially, but then the shorter form can be Technical Committee 37, Language and Terminology This principle applies speci cally to our used in the rest of the document, especially (International Organization for Standardization), she is scenario of creating terms during the if space is an issue. Sometimes long forms leading the revision of ISO 12616 (“Terminology work translation process. aren’t very easy to pronounce, and therefore in support of multilingual communication—Part 1: Particularly the IT professionals in might lack appropriateness. Again, this is Fundamentals of translation-oriented terminography”). other countries are willing to use English where a short form might come in handy. Contact: [email protected]. www.atanet.org American Translators Association 21 FEATURE BY UWE MUEGGE
When my favorite topic comes up in conversation with translation professionals, I consistently hear people say three things: 1. I know I should be managing terminology. 2. But I don’t really understand why. 3. And even if I understood why, I wouldn’t know how.
Almost any translation professional constantly deals with words that they either have to look up or should be translating in a uniform way for consistency.
In the following, I’ll address the two latter comments, because that’s actually easier to do than some experts have you believe. (Of course, the rst comment needs no addressing, since if you think you should be managing terminology, I Uwe Muegge presenting on terminology at the Übersetzernachlässe conference, organized by Deutsches couldn’t agree more!) Literaturarchiv. Because this is a discussion of terminology management fundamentals, Why You Should Care about let’s begin with the most basic concept. WHAT IS A TERM? In my experience, if you ask two Terminology Management—Even if terminologists to de ne a term, any term, you’re guaranteed to get three different You Never Translate a Single Term answers, at a minimum. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are many Managing terminology can improve your translation speed, your earnings, de nitions for “term,” ranging from and, ultimately, make you a happier translator! the esoteric (e.g., “a designation that represents a general concept by linguistic The following is a revised and expanded professionals to take terminology means”1) to the mundane (e.g., “a word version of the presentation on terminology management seriously, but I’m going that matters to the client of a translation management I gave at the Übersetzernachlässe to give you an even better reason for professional,” which is the de nition conference, organized by Deutsches systematic terminology management. I’m I give to those in my introduction to Literaturarchiv, on November 26, 2019, telling you that managing terminology terminology management course). But in Marbach, Germany. can improve your translation speed, ultimately, in this terminologist’s view, your earnings, and, ultimately, make the question of what is and isn’t a term is hose who keep advocating ultimately an academic concern. for terminology management you a happier translator! These bene ts as a translation best practice apply not only to those who translate T WHAT KIND OF WORDS typically tell you that managing technical, scienti c, legal, and other terminology means higher translation types of terminology-rich material, but SHOULD TRANSLATION quality, improved consistency, and, any translation professional, including PROFESSIONALS MANAGE? ultimately, happier clients. These are all literary translators and others who might Now this is a question that’s actually perfectly good reasons for translation never translate a single technical term! relevant to the practice of translation.
22 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org My personal view is that not only the special words that belong to a speci c discipline should be managed as part of every translation project, but every “dif cult” word. And by “dif cult,” I mean any word, or string of words that: ■ You don’t know the translation of and would have to look up in a dictionary or other resource. Example: technical terms, idioms, jargon, archaic words, and any other words with which you may be unfamiliar. Figure 1: Translating with ad hoc terminology management means multiple (unproductive) ■ You know and that might be translated transition times. more than one way. For example, if you’re translating a computer to the dictionary resource (e.g., a website A typical translation process using catalogue, it would probably be a or standalone dictionary application). ad hoc terminology management looks good idea to use the term “USB stick” Transition times can vary from a few like this: consistently throughout the catalogue seconds to minutes (e.g., when working ■ Translate until you come across a instead of using “USB stick” on one with multiple paper dictionaries). dif cult word in the source document. page, “ ash drive” on another, and “thumb drive” on yet another, even ■ Stop translating. though they all mean the same thing. WHAT IS AD HOC ■ Transition from the translation While it’s mostly the translation TERMINOLOGY MANAGEMENT? environment to the terminology professionals working in domains When someone solves a problem in management environment (e.g., such as technical, scienti c, and legal an ad hoc fashion, they’re doing so in consulting one or a combination of translation who deal with “terminology,” an unsystematic, on-the- y manner. print and online dictionaries, online It’s probably safe to assume that almost Translation professionals who use ad term bases, parallel texts, etc.). any translation professional constantly hoc terminology management resolve ■ Search for the target-language deals with words that they either have terminology issues one by one as word in the terminology to look up or should be translating in a they encounter them during translation. management environment. uniform way for consistency. What does translating with ad ■ Transition from the terminology hoc terminology management look management environment back to the In my experience, if you ask two like? When you translate without translation environment. a comprehensive, project-speci c, ■ Manually insert the target-language terminologists to define a term, multilingual term base, you must word into the target-language content. manage terminology ad hoc, meaning any term, you’re guaranteed to ■ Translate until there’s another dif cult during translation. Doing terminology word in the source document. get three different answers, at management during translation always means you have to interrupt ■ Stop translating, and so on and so a minimum. forth. (See Figure 1 above.) the translation process to manage terminology! The result is an increase in transition times, leading to decreased WHAT IS PROACTIVE productivity. This rule is particularly true TERMINOLOGY MANAGEMENT? WHAT ARE TRANSITION TIMES? if the following conditions apply: Being proactive means taking control Transition times are the periods when ■ The source document contains many and preparing a solution for a problem translation professionals switch from dif cult words. in advance. Likewise, in proactive translation mode to terminology terminology management, translation research mode (i.e., when they’re neither ■ Many of the dif cult words are professionals systematically extract and translating nor researching terminology). unknown words. research the dif cult words involved in For example, when working with online ■ You want to translate all the dif cult a translation project. Most importantly, dictionaries, transition time is the time terminology extraction and research words correctly. required for moving the cursor from the happen before translation begins. translation environment (e.g., a word ■ You want to translate all the dif cult What does translating with proactive processor or translation memory system) words consistently. terminology management look like? www.atanet.org American Translators Association 23 WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT TERMINOLOGY MANAGEMENT— EVEN IF YOU NEVER TRANSLATE A SINGLE TERM continued
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO IMPLEMENT PROACTIVE TERMINOLOGY MANAGEMENT? For many quality-conscious translation professionals, the answer to this question is: surprisingly little! To implement a simple proactive terminology management practice, you only have to do two things. First, you need to read the source text in its entirety before translation (which many of you already do). Second, while reading the source text, extract, research, and record the dif cult words, phrases, and their translations before you begin the Figure 2: Translating with proactive terminology management can reduce the number of actual document translation process. transitions times to one. Even translation professionals who are most comfortable working with Having a comprehensive, project- ■ You can translate faster because there a word processor can start managing speci c, multilingual term base available are no transition times involving going terminology proactively—tomorrow, if at the beginning of a translation back and forth between your translation they so choose. As you can see in Figure project made a dramatic difference in environment and the terminology 3 to the left, a standard word processor my personal practice when I was still management environment. can easily display a term base window in working as a translation professional. It’s also worth noting that, at least in addition to windows for the source and In all likelihood, being proactive when my personal experience, transitioning target text, respectively. it comes to terminology management from terminology management to would also work for you. Why? translation only once not only improves HOW IS A TRANSLATION MEMORY translation speed but also quality. ■ You don’t have to research SYSTEM A SUPERIOR TRANSLATION Eliminating interruptions for terminology dif cult words during translation, management also eliminates the risk ENVIRONMENT, EVEN FOR NON- which means; of losing your train of thought when REPETITIVE TEXT? ■ You can translate without managing terminology during translation. Many translation professionals I know interruptions, which means; (See Figure 2 above for an illustration.) who work on non-technical/scienti c/
Target Text Source Text
Term Base
Figure 3: Term base window when translating in a word processor
24 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org Relevant terms in term base
Automatic Terminology No match Recognition in Translation Memory
Figure 4: Automatic terminology recognition in a translation memory system legal/ nancial translations would never I’m familiar, including the many free management, switching to a translation consider exchanging their word processor translation memory products and web- memory system will take your translation for a translation memory system as based services available today. practice to a whole new level of speed their primary translation environment. and ef ciency, even if your source texts The main reason for this attitude seems While translation memory are not repetitive (yes, I’m talking to you, to be the persisting myth that using a literary translators). Proactive terminology translation memory system makes sense systems are most useful for the management in a translation memory only when translating repetitive text. system is a good idea for all translation And many translation professionals translation of repetitive text, they professionals who look up words, be they who currently use a word processor for also make a world of a difference proper terms or just dif cult words, as translation deal with non-repetitive text. part of their translation projects. I’ve been telling anyone who is willing for the translation of non- And nally, remember that proactive to listen that while translation memory terminology management not only systems are most useful for the translation repetitive text. means higher translation speed, of repetitive text, they also make a world improved earnings, and, ultimately, a of a difference for the translation of non- happier you, but the results also make repetitive text. One of the main reasons for happier clients. that translation memory systems are so WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN FOR YOU? useful is that once words and phrases are If terminology management before NOTE stored in the terminology management translation is currently not part of your 1. ISO 1987:2019 Terminology work and component of a translation memory translation routine, you now have one terminology science—Vocabulary, system, these words and phrases are more very compelling reason to change http://bit.ly/ISO-term. automatically recognized in the source your ways. In addition to being able text. Automatic terminology recognition to produce more consistent (meaning Uwe Muegge is Head of means that all dif cult words are better) translations, proactive terminology Terminology, Global Business highlighted in the source sentence, and management could also make you a faster Marketing at Facebook. He has the translated (dif cult) words stored in translator (no more pesky interruptions more than 20 years of experience the term base can be inserted into the to look up words during translation). in translation and localization, target sentence at the push of a button. And it cannot be emphasized enough that having worked in leadership It deserves emphasizing that automatic managing terminology proactively doesn’t functions on both the vendor and buyer sides terminology recognition works with a really add time/effort to a project, since of the industry. He has published many articles completely empty translation memory you have to look up the dif cult words in on translation tools and processes and taught database, as Figure 4 above illustrates. a project anyway. computer-assisted translation and terminology Plus this feature is available in every If you still use a word processor for management courses at the college level in both translation memory system with which translation, with proactive terminology the U.S. and Europe. Contact: [email protected]. www.atanet.org American Translators Association 25 FEATURE BY MARINA ILARI
afraid of a good challenge, this could be a good niche for you. The following describes the different aspects to consider when working on video game localization so that you can bring your “A” game each time.
THE GAMER IS EVERYTHING When localizing a game, we need to constantly think about who will be playing that game; we need to think about “the gamer.” We want the gamer to be entertained and feel compelled to continue playing the game, and to buy products from that developer or publisher. If a segment doesn’t translate effectively into the target language, or the translation could confuse the gamer or disrupt their experience, we might need to consider sacri cing the accuracy of the localization that we render. This means that some character names, terminology, and complete phrases might need to be entirely transcreated. Think of it as switching the focus from words to intention and emotion. The gamer comes rst. We want those playing the localized version to be immersed in the universe of the game and to have the same experience as Bring Your “A” Game to Video those playing the non-localized version of the game. Your job is to make them feel that the game was designed Game Localization for them. If you’re a translator who is passionate about games and audiovisual content, if you like to get creative and enjoy jobs of the “transcreation” When localizing a game, we need type, and if you’re not afraid of a good challenge, this could be a good niche to constantly think about who will for you. From in-game scripts to packaging and marketing, video games be playing that game; we need to offer a broad spectrum of content bound to keep translators engaged and think about “the gamer.” entertained—and challenged!
So, do you need to be a gamer s gaming quickly becomes the translation” for a reason. Video games yourself? There are con icting world’s favorite pastime and require translators to take so much opinions on this. I’ve seen successful as video game developers and A more than the translatable text into game localizers who are not gamers publishers continue to invest to account. Its localization is a target- themselves, but who love creative internationalize their games, there are oriented translation and its goal is translations and are detail-oriented. more opportunities for professional to entertain. I’ve also seen full-time gamers fail at translators who have a passion for If you’re a translator who is passionate localization because they lack other localizing this type of content. However, about games and audiovisual content, if important traits that a good video game the gaming industry calls it “video game you like to get creative and enjoy jobs of localizer should have. Therefore, you localization” instead of “video game the “transcreation” type, and if you’re not don’t necessarily have to be an active
26 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org gamer yourself, but you need to like and that tend to be considerably longer are tags and variables. Translators understand games. Why? Because you’ll than English, reducing the length of are likely all too familiar with these, likely be required to play and familiarize your translation to t the character especially if they translate software. yourself with the games you localize. limit can be a real nightmare. However, Tags are formatting indicators in the it’s important to understand that those text that must stay exactly the same THE CONTENT TO LOCALIZE limits are there for a reason. In video in the translation. We have to identify games, as with other domains such as what the tags are modifying to place VARIES—A LOT! software localization, the user interface them correctly in our translation. One of the most fascinating aspects might be designed in a way that only Sometimes the purpose of the tag of video game localization is the allows a certain amount of space for is very obvious. For example, a tag large variety of content that needs text. If we don’t follow the character that reads
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 27 BRING YOUR “A” GAME TO VIDEO GAME LOCALIZATION continued could be used in this translation, such as “es juego de niños” (it’s a kids’ game), “es una papa” (“it’s a potato”—for the enjoyment of Argentine readers!), or “es como tirarles a patitos en la feria” (it’s like shooting rubber ducks at the funfair), etc. Of course, you can choose the one that ts the context and the target audience better. Many years ago, I encountered a phrase that had me puzzled: “to the choppaaaa.” What is “choppa?” I couldn’t nd the word in the dictionary and my research attempts were not getting me anywhere. (Keep in mind that this was over 12 years ago, and it wasn’t as easy to Google and get hundreds of visual references.) I nally asked my husband, who is a native English speaker, if he knew what this phrase could refer to, and he laughed (really hard). It turns out that “to the choppa” is a reference from the movie Predator, in which If a segment doesn’t translate effectively into the target language, Arnold Schwarzenegger shouted “to or the translation could confuse the gamer or disrupt the player’s the chopper” (the helicopter), but because he has an accent, it sounded experience, we might need to consider sacrificing the accuracy of the like “choppa.” My husband told me that localization that we render. if you were not born in the U.S. in the 1980s, you might not understand this cultural reference. Video games are packed with pop culture references, so buckle up and This same criterion should be applied can be lots of fun, but at the same time enjoy that ride, or as I like to call it now, to all proper names within the game, very technical. to the chopper! including the in-game art, geographical This article does not intend to places, entities, battles, etc. Otherwise, be comprehensive, since there are TO LOCALIZE OR NOT TO LOCALIZE... you risk the gamer missing out on the numerous other aspects that are immersive experience of the game. important to video game localization. THAT IS THE QUESTION. Remember that localization is your ally Rather, I hope I’ve provided a small One of the common debates is if for creating an immersive experience for window into what it could be like to proper names should be localized gamers in any language. localize video games. in video games. For example, do we Unleashing your creative self want “Hannah” to be called “María” in will serve you well in this eld, but Spanish? This, of course, depends on Marina Ilari, CT is an ATA- what route the game developers want remember you should never forget certi ed English>Spanish translator with over 15 years to follow. that video game localization is an of experience in the translation However, a good rule of thumb audiovisual entertainment form. This means that you cannot separate the industry. She is an expert in should be: when a name carries translation tools and managing text from what players are seeing and meaning, we don’t want the gamer projects in English and Spanish. She has worked hearing on-screen. So, have fun being to miss that in their language. For as a translator, editor, and quality assurance example, if a character’s name is “Berry creative with your translations, but don’t specialist for many companies around the world Cute” because it’s a strawberry, we might forget the visual and audio aspects. with a special focus on creative translations and want to think about an equivalent in Don’t exceed the character limitation, video game localization. She is the chief executive the target language that carries the same don’t place the tags and variables of cer of Terra Translations and co-host of the meaning—something about the fruit incorrectly, and basically, don’t have fun podcast about translation, En Pantu as. and the cuteness. (just joking!). Video game localization Contact: [email protected].
28 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org FEATURE BY DEBORAH WEXLER
while editing.2 We would load film reels while performing some sleight of hand to get the celluloid to go into the Moviola’s many nooks and crannies so that it could be run. Sometimes the light source would burn the film, and if that happened, we would have to cut the piece that burned and splice it back together. I did only a few movies this way before the company provided me with access to a computer. However, the computer didn’t have a hard drive. The software was run through a floppy disk drive in DOS. We used SoftNi, the first PC-based subtitling system. It had all you needed, except the background color for the subtitle was black, which bothered everyone. I remember how happy we were to get away from a black screen and into the whiteness of Word documents.
Subtitling software isn’t cheap, and you should be utilizing every feature available to you, not only a handful, like most audiovisual translators. A Look at Subtitling Betamax and VHS: The introduction of and Closed-Captioning Software the home VCR opened a different world, allowing translators to work from home. We After a brief overview of the technological developments in this field, first worked with Betamax and then with VHS, along with our personal computers, we’ll review the pros and cons of some of the top programs on the market, still using SoftNi’s software. We would have including a peek into the future of subtitling and closed-captioning software. to go to the office to get the videotapes, but this gave me and my colleagues a chance to hen I started translating that number of frames into spaces, translate connect with each other. audiovisual content, linguists the dialogue mentally, count the characters W in the industry weren’t called to see if they fit in the space allowed, and International Couriers: The profession “audiovisual translators,” but “movie finally write it down with a pencil. There stopped being local once tapes could be translators.” I worked on paper that was were no spellcheckers available, so the delivered to linguists around the world via formatted with spaces for the title, page writing had to be perfect at that point. We DHL and FedEx. Translators would work number, in time (the time at which the would then take a large stack of pages to the with licensed software paid for by their subtitle appears on-screen), out time (the editing room to be typed by the Chyron1 client and, in rare occasions, with their time at which the subtitle disappears), and operator so the subtitles could later be own software (I state “rare” because prices the translation, which was divided by letter. burned into the film reels. were unaffordable for freelancers). This is (See Figure 1 on page 30 for an example.) when the number of audiovisual translators My colleagues and I would listen to the Moviola and Computers: Then I started increased from a handful to dozens. dialogue on the video played in a three- working the night shift for a bigger quarters VCR (the width of the film was company, arriving just in time to see Internet and FTP: Audiovisual translation three-quarters of an inch), pause it, write them transitioning from a Moviola to exploded when the file transfer protocol the in time and out time, and subtract the in computers and a three-quarters VCR. became available and both video and time from the out time to get the duration of The Moviola was an editing machine that templates could be sent via the internet. the subtitle. We would then have to convert allowed a film editor to view the film This is when the number of audiovisual www.atanet.org American Translators Association 29 A LOOK AT SUBTITLING AND CLOSED-CAPTIONING SOFTWARE continued
comparison of the features of three free and three commercial brands. These include: ■ Freeware: Subtitle Edit, Subtitle Workshop, and Aegisub ■ Commercial: SubtitleNEXT, EZTitles, and Ooona Tools The results can be found in the table on page 31. If you decide to use cloud-based software (e.g., Ooona Tools or the online version of Subtitle Edit), I would Figure 1: An early subtitling format on paper (note the translation is divided by letter) recommend reviewing the nondisclosure translators increased from dozens of features for granted, but when you’re agreements you’ve signed with your specialized linguists to hundreds. developing new software, these are very clients, since these programs store hard to integrate into your program. information on servers and not just on Cloud-Based: Cloud-based subtitling your desktop. You could be breaking your software nished opening the doors for Audio Waveform: Certain software agreements without knowing it. audiovisual translators. Larger clients now programs offer a waveform feature. A have their own subtitling software. Medium waveform is a visual representation of the PRICING clients still pay for licenses for their linguists, lm’s audio track that can be used to help Ooona Tools but more and more translators are buying time the subtitle. Some consider this feature subtitling software, which allows them to a huge convenience, since you can drag and http://bit.ly/Ooona-tools work for several clients. With the cloud, the position subtitles on the waveform, along Only the professional versions of Ooona number of subtitling experts increased from with their in and out times. I personally Tools have the waveform feature and the hundreds to the thousands. don’t like this method and don’t use it. It’s allow you to click and drag on it. Per probably due to my background, learning their website, the price range goes SUBTITLING SOFTWARE WISH LIST how to time subtitles with a pause button from the Translate package ($12.00 per month) to the Review Pro package ($450 Now that you have an idea of how and a piece of paper. I can time by eye pretty much technology has progressed in accurately within three frames of audio just per month). this eld, let’s explore what features are by looking at the timecode on screen. But indispensable in today’s software. During young audiovisual translators are used to SubtitleNEXT my research for this article, I selected the waveform feature, and new developers http://bit.ly/SubtitleNEXT eight basic features I considered a must should include it in their programs. Per their website, SubtitleNEXT has a in subtitling software. This might not package called Air Live, which allows for seem so important to those who’ve been Full-Screen Mode: Since context is subtitle insertion during on-air playback. using subtitling programs for a while, but king in subtitling, the size of the screen You can buy SubtitleNEXT Novice it’s very important for companies who matters. This is more important nowadays for $485. You can rent SubtitleNEXT are just starting to develop their own. where, due to security concerns, linguists Explorer for $142 per month or buy The architecture of a new program must receive heavily watermarked videos with it for $1,881. Or you could buy the consider a solution for all these features which to work. Some programs borrow SubtitleNEXT Expert bundle, which at the front end of the project or risk very video players (e.g., VLC media player) includes all the plug-ins, for $3,807. expensive patches at the back end. and some have them fully integrated. Free or Affordable: This goes EZTitles Zero Mouse Interaction: I’m not talking without saying. Some programs on the http://bit.ly/EZTitles about an absolute zero, but as far away market still make it unaffordable for the You can rent or own EZTitles. They have from the mouse as we can get. The less average translator. six types of licenses from which to choose. interaction our hand has with the mouse, You can rent the TV, DVD, and Enterprise Spellchecker: Some programs have their the faster we can type. The faster we can packages for 80 to100 euros per month. own spellchecker and others integrate type, the more money we can make. The purchase price ranges from 1,620 dictionaries from Word, Open Of ce, or euros for their Basic package to 2,380 other open dictionaries. COMPARING SUBTITLING SOFTWARE euros for their Enterprise package. Only Find and Replace, Undo and Redo, After doing an extensive search of over 50 TV and Enterprise licenses have closed- Merge and Split: We tend to take these software programs, I decided to focus on a caption capabilities.
30 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org COMPARISON OF SUBTITLING PROGRAM FEATURES Subtitle Edit Subtitle Workshop Aegisub SubtitleNEXT EZTitles Ooona Tools Freeware Y Y Y Commercial Y Y Y Video Player VLC Media Player Integrated VLC Media Player Integrated Integrated Integrated Full-Screen Mode Y Y Y Y Y Waveform Y Y Y Y Y Y Merge/Split Windows 10 Y Y Y Y Y Error Analysis Y Customizable Y Customizable Customizable Customizable Find/Replace Y Y Y Y Y Y Spellchecker Open Office Word Open Office Open Dictionaries Y Y Multilanguage Y Y Y Y Y Y Third-Party Exports Dozens Over 60 and Customized Over 10 Over 45 Over 50 Conversion Software Font and Color Y Y Y Y Y Y Undo/Redo Y Y Y Y Y Y Customizable Zero Mouse Interaction Shortcuts Shortcuts Shortcuts Hotkeys Keyboard Cloud-Based Y Y Desktop-Based Y Y Y Y Y
TWO THINGS YOU CAN DO which means typing about 120 words per There are many subtitling programs TO IMPROVE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY minute). The “Intel processor” in your brain (and at least one plug-in I know about) on the market today. My recommendation is All things being equal, what can directly can certainly translate more than 120 words to watch YouTube tutorials or use the free affect your subtitling income is speed. I’m per minute. If you’re open and willing to trials most companies offer to see what not talking about brain processing speed accept advice from me, let it be this: take the user interface you prefer. And don’t just or the amount of time spent on research test and do some exercises to increase your look at one, invest your time and look or reviewing your work, but about typing typing speed. at three at the very least to compare and speed. There are two things you can do to make an informed decision. impact your typing speed and, consequently, FUTURE OF SUBTITLING SOFTWARE your income, and they’re free and simple. Machine Translation and Post-Editing: NOTES Get Off Your Mouse: Don’t be so quick They are upon us. Localization companies 1. A Chyron is a machine that creates text-based to dismiss this one. If you memorize and departments will start integrating them graphics to be superimposed on a television every keyboard shortcut in your subtitling into their subtitling software. Of course, screen or film frame, such as subtitles or the banners you see on a newscast (e.g., program—and not just the shortcuts you how fast this will happen will depend on “Breaking news: The Storm is Coming.”). use the most—you’ll at least double your how many translators accept post-editing typing speed! Subtitling software isn’t cheap, work. Imagine if no translators accept post- 2. To watch how a Moviola works, see “Editing and you should be utilizing every feature edits? Or, a more moderate idea: what if on a Moviola,” http://bit.ly/Moviola-editing. available to you, not only a handful, like translators charge the same for post-editing most audiovisual translators. If your software as for translating? I think this would slow Deborah Wexler is an ATA- doesn’t allow you to drop the mouse, drop down the snowball coming our way. certified English>Spanish the program and get a new one! Translation Memories: SDL Trados Studio translator and editor with over 20 years of experience specializing Increase Your Typing Speed: First, test broke ground last year with their subtitling in audiovisual translation and your speed. For this, I like the FastFingers plug-in. I think, more than anything Spanish orthography. She is the website (http://bit.ly/FastFingers-speed) else, that this is the future of subtitling. cofounder and administrator of ATA’s Audiovisual because it’s free and you can be tested in Companies will start integrating translation Division. She has translated over 6,000 program your target language. Check if you’re a memory into their proprietary software (I’ll hours for television, VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, streaming normal typist leave the legal and ethical considerations of media, and the big screen. She is the operations (40 words per minute), a superfast typist (75 this one for another time), and audiovisual manager of the Americas at Pixelogic Media. She words per minute), or fall under the “rolling translators will finally be able to reap is a frequent speaker at national and international in dough” category (working fewer hours the rewards of all their body of work by conferences, and has mentored and trained many than your colleagues for the same money, bringing it together in a memory. translators who want to get into the subtitling field. www.atanet.org American Translators Association 31 INTERPRETERS FORUM BY CRISTINA HELMERICHS Vicarious Trauma and Interpreters
(The following was originally published MEDICAL on the blog of ATA’s Interpreters Division, In the medical interpreting world, www.ata-divisions.org/ID/blog.) vicarious trauma has also become a subject of concern. Some of the he first time I heard of interpreters trainings and articles available in this experiencing vicarious trauma was eld include: in 2000. First it was mentioned T ■ The National Council on Interpreting in relation to the interpreters working in Health Care Trainers Webinar during a trial related to the Balkan is free for members or available to Wars at the International War Crimes nonmembers for $30. You can nd Tribunal in The Hague. But the idea Lorem ipsum links to the webinar and slides at was quickly expanded to include all http://bit.ly/NCIHC-webinar. interpreters working directly with victims of crime and/or medical ■ A 2018 presentation by Ludmila patients. Simultaneously, the sign Golovine, “Vicarious Trauma and Professional Interpreters,” is language community was becoming ■ Harvey, Michael A. “Shielding Yourself available as a free webinar on the acutely aware of the impact of from the Perils of Empathy: The vicarious trauma on our sign California Healthcare Interpreting Case of Sign Language Interpreters,” language colleagues. Association’s YouTube channel: Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Generally, vicarious trauma is http://bit.ly/CHIA-Golovine. Education (April 2003), 207–213, understood to be the emotional residue http://bit.ly/Harvey-empathy. ■ Knodel, Rebekah K. “Coping of exposure that counselors have from with Vicarious Trauma in Mental ■ working with people as they hear Lai, Miranda, Georgina Heydon, Health Interpreting,” Journal of trauma stories and become witnesses and Sedat Mulayim. “Vicarious Interpretation (Registry for to the pain, fear, and terror that trauma Trauma Among Interpreters,” Interpreters of the Deaf, 2018), survivors have endured. According to International Journal of Interpreter http://bit.ly/Knodel-vicarious. the American Counseling Association, Education (May 2015), it’s important not to confuse vicarious http://bit.ly/Lai-vicarious. trauma with “burnout.” Interpreters LEGAL ■ may be more at risk because they Macdonald, Jami L. “Vicarious Marjory Bancroft, a specialist in this eld, restate the facts related in rst person, Trauma as Applied to the authored a 40-hour curriculum called Voices especially when this is combined with a Professional Sign Language of Love and began publishing a blog in phenomenon called “receptor fatigue,” Interpreter,” Montview Liberty 2015 under the same name. Unfortunately, which is a biological response to University Journal of Undergraduate that project is not funded and not currently overstimulation of one of the senses. Research (2015), active, but you can read the blog archives Below, you’ll nd a listing of http://bit.ly/Macdonald-sign-language. here: http://bit.ly/voices-love. some of the articles, books, trainings, There is, however, a 30-hour ■ Andert, Olivia L., and Allison P. Trites. and other reference material available curriculum called Breaking Silence, “Vicarious Trauma Among Sign on the subject. This is not a complete a training for interpreters working in Language Interpreters: A Pilot Study,” or exhaustive review of what’s available, victim services, that has a lot of content (Northeastern University, 2014), but it seeks to provide a clear sampling for addressing both interpreting for of what is being written and studied. http://bit.ly/Andert-study. trauma and managing its effects. A set of ■ Lor, Mailee. “Effects of Client materials by Marjory Bancroft, Katharine SIGN LANGUAGE Trauma on Interpreters: An Allen, Carola Green, and Lois Feuerle is Here’s a sample of the material produced Exploratory Study.” (St. available free for download from Ayuda: by the sign language and American Sign Catherine University, 2012), ■ Training Manual: Language community http://bit.ly/Lor-client-trauma. http://bit.ly/Breaking-Silence-manual
Interpreters are a vital part of ATA. This column is designed to offer insights and perspectives from professional interpreters.
32 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org ■ Workbook: http://bit.ly/Breaking-Silence-workbook ■ Glossary: http://bit.ly/Breaking-Silence-glossary ■ In 2017, the National Center for State Courts published a listing of resources regarding vicarious trauma: http://bit.ly/NCSC-vicarious.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS OF NOTE FROM WITHIN THE INTERPRETING WORLD ■ Justine Ndongo-Keller’s “Vicarious Trauma and Stress Management” appears in Chapter 21 of The Routledge Handbook of Interpreting, edited by Holly Mikkelson and Renée Jourdenais (Routledge, 2015), http://bit.ly/Routledge-interpreting. ■ Swain, Martyn. “Reliving the Nightmares of Others,” International Association of Conference Interpreters (October 2019), http://bit.ly/Swain-nightmare.
SCIENTIFIC AND GENERAL Systematic Literature Review,” public understanding and appreciation INTEREST JOURNALS The European Journal of of the profession and may help enable Articles of interest published in Counselling Psychology (2016), interpreters to advocate with regard other scienti c and general interest http://bit.ly/Darroch-trauma. to their working conditions and even journals include: ■ Splevins, Kevin, Keren Cohen, Stephen fair compensation. ■ Vigor, Jana. “Vicarious Trauma Joseph, Craig Murray, and Jake Bowley. and the Professional Interpreter,” “Vicarious Post Traumatic Growth Cristina Helmerichs is an The Trauma and Mental Health Among Interpreters,” Sage Journals (July ATA director and chair of ATA’s Report (January 2012), 2010), http://bit.ly/Splevins-vicarious. Interpretation Policy Advisory http://bit.ly/Vigor-vicarious. Committee. She has more ■ Mehus, Christopher, and Emily than 30 years of interpreting ■ Kindermann, D., C. Schmid, C. Becher. “Secondary Traumatic Stress, and translation experience as Derreza-Greeven, D. Huhn, R.M. Burnout, and Compassion Satisfaction an English<>Spanish conference and judicial Kohl, F. Junee, M. Schleyer, J.K. in a Sample of Spoken-Language interpreter. She is certi ed as an interpreter Daniels, B. Ditzen, W. Herzon, Interpreters,” Traumatology (December by both the Administrative Of ce of the U.S. and C. Mikendei. “Prevalence of 2016), http://bit.ly/Mehus-trauma. Courts and the National Association of Judiciary and Risk Factors for Secondary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT). She has been Traumatization in Interpreters for ■ “The Cost of Caring.” A Report a consultant to the Federal Court Interpreters Refugees: A Cross-Sectional Study,” by NIMDZI Insights, a short version Certi cation Program and the National Center for Psychopathology (July 2017), of which is available at: State Courts Interpreting Training Program. She http://bit.ly/Kindermann-trauma. http://bit.ly/NIMDZI-caring. is also an interpreter trainer. She serves on the ■ Darroch, Emma, and Raymond Vicarious trauma constitutes an area Texas Association of Judiciary Interpreters Dempsey. “Interpreters’ Experiences where there is still much opportunity and Translators’ Education Committee. She of Transferential Dynamics, Vicarious for research and study. Such further was ATA’s and NAJIT’s technical adviser to Traumatisation, and Their Need research, as well as raising awareness the European Union’s Grotius II Project. for Support and Supervision: A of the issues, can help foster greater Contact: [email protected].
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 33 RESOURCE REVIEW BY JOST ZETZSCHE Talking with the Developer of GT4T
allas Cao is the developer of GT4T1, I wanted to have a tool that suggestions are helpful, they can replace a little, unobtrusive application the original text in the originating D that allows you to connect from would allow humans to decide application. Am I correct so far? Do you any Windows or Mac application to a and choose which part of a want to talk about some other features large range of machine translation (MT) that differentiate GT4T? engines. As such, it represents a different sentence to be “translated” by way of accessing MT suggestions from D GT4T also offers special shortcuts many of the translation environment MT on the fly without disrupting that allow you to automatically tools within their interfaces, and it also their workflow. translate segments in a CAT tool like allows you to access MT suggestions SDL Trados Studio or memoQ. You can from within any non-translation-speci c hit a shortcut to translate the current environment. Also, you can use GT4T to segment or several segments. The automatically override terminology used shortcuts work in a long list of CAT there had been such a tool then, I would by the MT engines. I talked to Dallas tools, including web-based ones like have been a happy user of it and there about the history of the tool, its features, Smartling and Crowdin. would never have been a GT4T. and his future plans. Other than MT engines, GT4T also The rst version of GT4T was written helps access various online dictionaries as a Microsoft Word macro and only Jost: More and more translators use MT in the same fashion—without having worked in Microsoft Word. I was excited as one of their resources for translation. to leave your working environment or to nd that it was even more useful than Professional translators who are using a open a browser window. You can use I had initially thought, and very soon translation environment or computer- a shortcut to submit your selection the idea of selling it came to my mind. assisted translation (CAT) tool usually There are always phrases that human simultaneously to several online use an API-based2 connector to a MT translators know MT will certainly do dictionaries, glossaries, or terminology engine that brings the MT suggestions well with, like a list of country names. sites like the Interactive Terminology right into their environment alongside Using GT4T would simply save some for Europe (the EU’s terminology translation memory matches, term base keystrokes. With time, that alone would database), Microsoft Glossary, or the suggestions, and other resources. Your be a huge productivity gain. terminology collection at Proz.com. tool, GT4T, deals with MT differently. But To make a long story short, the spirit of GT4T goes one step further than similar before we get into what it actually does entrepreneurship is to continually push a tools like IntelliWebSearch. Instead of and how it can be used, tell us a little bit simple idea forward and see how far it can automatically opening the webpages, about GT4T’s history and why you chose go. With some twists and turns, GT4T has GT4T collects the dictionary results and to create it in the rst place. grown in features and translation quality. displays them in a pop-up window. The user can pick a translation and hit Enter Dallas: The original idea of GT4T is As MT gets better, GT4T automatically to insert it into the document in which simple. You select a portion of source gets better too! I have also grown into a they are working. text and press a keyboard shortcut, and con dent programmer. the selection is then replaced by Google’s One interesting feature of GT4T MT translation. J Let’s talk about the tool itself. It J I started working on GT4T for my runs on Windows and Mac and you didn’t mention is the custom- personal use as early as 2009, when the gives access to Google Translate (either made glossary that automatically neural MT engine was nonexistent and the neural or the statistical MT engine), replaces terms in the MT suggestions. I MT was little more than a laughingstock. Microsoft Translator, DeepL Pro, assume that it’s particularly valuable for But I found while MT was almost always Yandex, and a variety of Chinese-based languages with no morphology, like bad at understanding the structure of a providers, including Baidu, Youdao, Chinese. What about languages with sentence, it could be used to translate Tencent, Sogou, CloudTranslation, and rich morphology (which I assume will phrases. I wanted to have a tool that NiuTrans. The user can select which result in a lot of missed replacements)? would allow humans to decide and engines—and which language Can the user apply some kind of choose which part of a sentence to be combination—they want to use, and wildcard to nd morphological variants? “translated” by MT on the y without upon highlighting text in any And is there a way to accommodate disrupting their work ow. application and pressing a keyboard things like gender and possible I was a translator who had never combination, the result(s) is displayed automatic replacement of articles thought of becoming a programmer. If in a pop-up window. If any of the or pronouns?
34 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org The replacement feature doesn’t D support wildcards, just exact matches, and there’s no way to accommodate things like gender, nor are there any future plans for this. A feature like that would require a team of linguists who know many languages. So far, GT4T is still a one-man endeavor, and I have no plan to have a team or incorporate it. I have limited knowledge of linguistics and don’t know how well the replacement feature would work with language pairs other than English>Chinese. However, I know of at least one Dutch>English translator who is very excited about this feature, so I assume it’s also useful for languages with rich morphology As the sole developer of this app, my strength is flexibility, but I also when properly used. know my limits, which is why I’ve been hugely dependent on users’ Other than replacing MT translation results, users can also use glossaries to suggestions and reports for new features. keep their translations consistent. The glossary le is an Excel spreadsheet and users can easily import old translations But that’s not really what I mean. In your tool, it’s possible to enter or add items. To nd out how a term J What I mean is rather than J personal API keys for the various is translated in previous translations, manually highlighting a fragment and MT engines. I assume this means that I you’ll just have to select it and press a looking for a translation, it’s much more would then receive suggestions from that shortcut. And you’re not limited to one ef cient to have various MT suggestions respective engine via my own API and CAT tool or app. You can search the in the background that display pay for it. How is that different from glossary anywhere in any app. receiving suggestions without me fragments only when there are matches entering an API? Can users access their between the rst few keystrokes of the I personally think that MT as a own customized engines at Google or J translator within their translation translation resource is often more Microsoft like this? I assume that you’re useful on a subsegment level. The way environment and something within the also accessing the engines via your API that’s often done in translation MT suggestions. I understand that this key and that you need to pay for that. environments is to have the tool is possibly not as relevant in a target How does that work for you nancially? automatically select subsegments from a language like Chinese, but it is for many Also, some users who use your tool to longer MT suggestion on the basis of other languages. Is that something that access DeepL Pro cannot access it keystrokes. Is that something that’s could be implemented? otherwise because they’re living outside possible with your tool? And if not, are the European Union. Suggestions from you thinking of introducing something D That’s an interesting idea, and DeepL Pro are more expensive than those like that? would be revolutionary if this from other tools. How do you account could be done. GT4T is a standalone for that? D Yes, that’s actually the original app that offers system-wide keyboard idea of GT4T! You select a chunk shortcuts. It cannot “see” the text of a Yes, users can choose either to use of text, whether it be a phrase or even a D their own API and pay a small document until a user makes a selection word, where you think MT will do a subscription fee for GT4T, or buy a plan and hits a shortcut. Perhaps it’s easier good job. I always want GT4T to be that already includes MT data. There’s used only as a productivity tool, a for CAT tool developers to implement no difference between using your own reference. Translators use it to save a this feature within their tools. It could API or the built-in API. You get the few keystrokes, or get translation also be an add-on. As a standalone app, same results from the MT engine. I suggestions on a subsegment, or simply GT4T would probably need to pre- haven’t started on the customized when their brain stops at a word and translate documents rst in the engines yet, but I’ll certainly study them needs to be nudged. background. I’ll think about it. when I have time.
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 35 TALKING WITH THE DEVELOPER OF GT4T continued
GT4T offers very exible plans. Users the framework so users can add their as well as Microsoft Of ce types. Users can buy either time-based packages own API keys for some engines that are will then be able to translate their that have no usage-limit, or character- not supported? documents without having to upload based packages with no time-limit. them to a server, and they can even I pay MT engines on the basis of the D Thanks for updating me with this browse a folder and ask GT4T to number of characters used. Time-based information and recommending translate all the les in the folder and licenses work on only one computer at Naver Papago and other engines. If they subfolders in the background. Your a time, but you can install a character- offer API access and I can reach an idea of providing suggestions while a based license on up to 30 computers. I agreement with them, I’ll certainly add user is typing is also helpful. I’ll calculate pro ts for each purchase using them to GT4T. Users certainly will then reevaluate it and other suggestions that server-side scripts. Occasionally I do be able to use their own API as well. you brought up. actually end up paying more for a user As the sole developer of this app, my than they pay me, but on the whole I strength is exibility, but I also know make money from time-based licenses. I always want GT4T to be just a my limits. Frankly, I’ve been hugely But the danger is real: theoretically, a productivity tool, a reference. dependent on users’ suggestions and very hard-working translator on a time- reports for new features, and sometimes based plan could bankrupt me, and I even for debugging. don’t have a plan for that. GT4T is also valuable as a free tool. Remember, if you have any ideas and/or The dictionary, glossary feature, and two Here’s a question about security suggestions regarding helpful resources MT engines (Yandex and Tencent) are J and privacy. You’re located in or tools you would like to see featured, actually free. China, which might be a concern to please e-mail Jost Zetzsche at jzetzsche@ some users or their clients. Are requests internationalwriters.com. J Let’s talk about the accessible to the various MT engines actually engines I listed earlier. What I’m visible to you and/or do you store that missing are engines such as Amazon data? Or does your tool just facilitate NOTES Translate, SDL BeGlobal, PROMT, and the connection between the user and the 1. You can check out GT4T at Naver Papago. How do you decide respective MT engine so you don’t https://gt4t.net/en/. which engines to include, and can users actually ever get to the data? 2. ask you to add engines? API stands for application programming interface, and is the technology that Neither the requests nor the The rst thing I consider is D allows different programs to talk with replies from MT servers are visible each other (such as Trados or GT4T with D translation quality. It seems DeepL to me or are being collected. When a Google Translate). and Google excel in quality, and there’s user selects some text and presses a 3. Zetzsche, Jost. “Thoughts on Naver no urgency to add more engines. I GT4T shortcut, the selection is sent seriously consider suggestions from Papago with MT Engineer Lucy Park,” directly to the respective MT servers and The ATA Chronicle (November/December users. Some engines don’t offer API then the user receives replies from them. 2019), 30, http://bit.ly/Naver-Papago. access. I recently added Systran at the GT4T collects the following for request of a user and later removed it licensing purposes: a unique hardware because I couldn’t reach an agreement code and the number of characters you Dallas Cao is an with Systran. I recommended NiuTrans submit to MT servers through GT4T. English>Chinese translator to her and she was happy with it. By the The last time you used GT4T and your and self-taught programmer. way, NiuTrans is a dark horse that IP address are also collected He developed GT4T, a Windows/ deserves more attention. It performs automatically by the GT4T licensing Mac app that allows users to pretty well, even for European server. They’re actually collected by all use online machine translation language pairs. websites you visit, and it takes hard and dictionaries in any programs without having to open the browser. Contact: [email protected]. work not to collect them. I’m not sure I agree completely. For J Jost Zetzsche is chair of instance, in the case of Naver Any future plans with GT4T that ATA’s Translation and Papago (whose engineer we interviewed J might be interesting for us? Interpreting Resources 3 in the November/December issue ), the Committee. He is the author results are often judged better by Korean D I’m currently working on a new of Translation Matters, a users. Amazon also might produce better version that does document collection of 81 essays results in some language combinations. translation. It will support many le about translators and translation technology. Maybe it would be possible to just add types, including popular CAT le types Contact: [email protected].
36 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org CERTIFICATION FORUM BY DAVID STEPHENSON Changes in ATA Continuing Education Requirements
TA introduced continuing education requirements for A certi cation in 2004. Prior to that, ATA certi cation was a “once-and-done” system, meaning that individuals who passed the exam remained certi ed as long as they remained ATA members. Introducing continuing education requirements brought the Association more in line with the practices of other credentialing bodies, where it had long been commonplace to require credentialed persons to submit proof of activities and experiences that advance professional development. In the intervening 16 years, the criteria for earning continuing education points (CEPs) have remained largely static. In a number of cases, the Certification Program manager has fielded requests to award CEPs for activities not explicitly addressed in the original materials on continuing education. Quite a few of these requests have been granted, but the A year ago the Certification Committee created a Continuing Education overall structure for awarding CEPs has Task Force to consider changes in the continuing education criteria, remained the same. For that reason, a year ago the so that they might better reflect the realities of today’s translation Certification Committee created a Continuing Education Task Force to profession and marketplace. consider changes in the continuing education criteria, so that they might better reflect the realities of today’s translation profession and marketplace. who are 60 years of age or older must reported as Category B (independent In July 2019, the task force presented submit CE points, but are exempt from study). Proof that an online course was its recommendations to the Board, paying the recerti cation fee. This interactive must be submitted to qualify which approved the changes. A few change does not apply to those who for Category A. tweaks were subsequently made and already claimed the over 60 exemption approved by the Board when it met in the past, or to those born before Other Category A Changes: Events during the Annual Conference in Palm January 1, 1963. are capped at no more than ve points Springs. The changes took effect at the per day (one hour = one point), or beginning of this year. Online Courses: Previously, conferences, up to 10 points for multi-day events. Here’s a summary of what’s new: courses, workshops, and seminars on Previously, it was possible to earn points Exemption for Age 60+: Previously, translation and interpreting (whether by reading articles in the ATA Conference certi ed translators (CTs) were online or onsite) were reported as Proceedings, but this possibility has now exempted from reporting CEPs once Category A (which earns the highest been eliminated. they reached the age of 60. Now, number of points). Now, this applies the reporting requirement continues only to interactive online events. Non- Category B (Independent Study): regardless of age. This means that CTs interactive online courses must be The maximum reportable points for
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 37 NEW CERTIFIED MEMBERS CHANGES IN ATA CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS continued
this category has been lowered from CEPs. Nonmember entities may apply Congratulations! 15 points to ve points per reporting for such approval (for a fee) only if period. Also, the ATA Independent they are nonpro t organizations or The following members have successfully Study Veri cation Paper that was educational institutions involved in the passed ATA’s certi cation exam: already required for each activity must translating and interpreting professions. now be accompanied by a statement Nonmember for-pro t entities may English into Spanish of how the activity relates to the CT’s Gloria Hughes not apply for or receive approval for Bakers eld, CA professional development. awarding ATA CEPs. Beatriz D. Mendoza Jacobo Category F: This category allowed Nonmembers: In the event that Aurora, IL points for “translating and interpreting ATA membership is eliminated Natalia Pommier work experience involving particularly as a requirement for earning and Monterey, CA challenging assignments, allowing the maintaining certi cation, nonmember member to expand his/her translation CTs will have to satisfy the same English into Ukrainian and interpreting capabilities.” The reporting requirements for maintaining Iryna Isayeva Continuing Education Task Force certi cation as member CTs (proof of 20 Kyiv, Ukraine found this to be especially vague and CEPs every three years). Nonmembers dif cult to verify, so this category has would be required to pay the review fee Chinese into English been eliminated. regardless of age, and the certi cation Tong Xu renewal fee for nonmember CTs New York, NY Category G (Now Category F): This would be higher than that paid by category related to membership in ATA members. Japanese into English professional associations, allowing Tanya Williams one point per membership up to a ATA recognizes that because of the Marina, CA maximum of four points per reporting three-year reporting period, there may period. As of 2020, the maximum per be individuals who planned to claim reporting period is three points, and points for activities that have now been this is limited to associations “related eliminated, or for which the point cap has to the translating and interpreting been lowered. The Certi cation Program professions, other than ATA.” CTs may manager (contact [email protected]) is also receive CEPs for membership willing to work on a case-by-case basis in professional associations related with anyone who believes they have been to their work as translators in a unfairly disadvantaged by any of these specialized field (e.g., law, medicine, changes with respect to an upcoming and engineering). In addition, proof of reporting deadline. membership must be provided for three On a related note, it has been consecutive years during the reporting proposed that an online system for period. In the case of specialized fields, logging certi cation points be made a statement of how membership in the available to members, so stay tuned association relates to the CT’s work for news about that. Finally, see must also be submitted. http://bit.ly/ATA-CE-Record for full information about continuing Approving Events for Awarding education requirements. CEPs: In recent years, the Certi cation Program manager has spent an increasing amount of time processing David Stephenson, CT is the seemingly frivolous requests for chair of ATA’s Certification Committee. An ATA- approval to award CEP points for certified German>English, events that have little or nothing to Dutch>English, and do with translation. To address this Croatian>English translator, situation, the new policy states that any he has been an independent translator for ATA individual or corporate member over 30 years, specializing in civil litigation may apply free of charge to have an and creative nonfiction. Contact: david@ activity or event approved for awarding stephensontranslations.com.
38 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2020 www.atanet.org Be challenged
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