February 2008 Volume XXXVII Number 2 The A Publication of the American Translators Association CHRONICLE

In this issue: ATA’s Latest Compensation Survey The Perfect Keyboard Delivering Multilingual Justice As a benefit of ATA membership, members can join any or all of ATA’s 15 divisions. Divisions—or professional-interest groups—play an important role in the Association. By providing specialty-specific information and networking, divisions allow members to focus on meeting the practical needs of their business. Join an ATA Division Today! To join a division online, simply login using your ATA User Name and Password in the Members Only section of ATA’s website (www.atanet.org/membersonly). To learn more, visit the links here.

Chinese Language Division Korean Language Division Portuguese Language Division www.ata-divisions.org/CLD www.ata-divisions.org/KLD www.ata-divisions.org/PLD

French Language Division Language Technology Division Slavic Languages Division www.ata-divisions.org/FLD www.ata-divisions.org/LTD www.ata-divisions.org/SLD

German Language Division Literary Division Spanish Language Division www.ata-divisions.org/GLD www.ata-divisions.org/LD www.ata-divisions.org/SPD

Interpreters Division Medical Division Translation Company Division www.ata-divisions.org/ID www.ata-divisions.org/MD www.ata-divisions.org/TCD

Italian Language Division Nordic Division www.ata-divisions.org/ILD www.ata-divisions.org/ND

Japanese Language Division www.ata-divisions.org/JLD February 2008 American Translators Association Volume XXXVII 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 • Alexandria VA 22314 USA Number 2 Tel: +1-703-683-6100 • Fax: +1-703-683-6122 Contents February 2008 E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.atanet.org A Publication of the American Translators Association 12 Summary of ATA’s Latest Translation and Interpreting Compensation Survey By Shawn Six 12 The latest edition of the Compensation Survey serves as a practical tool, revealing general tendencies in the translation and interpreting industry. 16 The Perfect Keyboard By Naomi J. Sutcliffe de Moraes Learn how you can modify your keyboard layout or create your own. 24 Delivering Multilingual Justice: A Look into the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia By Isabelle Der-Kévorkian An overview of the challenges that translators at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia routinely encounter. 28 School Outreach Profile: Patrice Van Hyle By Lillian Clementi ATA member Patrice Van Hyle found inspiration at an inner-city high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 44 2008 Honors and Awards 16

Columns and Departments

6 Our Authors 33 Certification Exam Information 7 From the President 33 New ATA-Certified Members and 9 From the President-elect Active Membership Review 24 10 From the Executive Director 34 Dictionary Review 29 Upcoming Events 36 The Translation Inquirer 30 Business Smarts 38 Humor and Translation 31 Geekspeak 39 Certification Forum 32 The Onionskin 48 Directory of Language Services

3 The ATA Chronicle (ISSN 1078-6457) is published monthly, except bi-monthly in November/December, by the American Translators Association, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The ATA Chronicle, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. The American Translators Association (ATA) was We Want You! established in 1959 as a not-for-profit professional society to foster and support the professional development of translators and interpreters and to promote the translation and interpreting professions. The subscription rate for a member is $43 (included The ATA Chronicle enthusiastically encourages in the dues payment). The U.S. subscription rate for a nonmember is $65. Subscribers in Canada and members and nonmembers to submit articles of Mexico add $25; all other non-U.S. subscribers add interest. For Submission Guidelines, log onto $45. Single copies are available for $7 per issue.

©2008 American Translators Association www.atanet.org/chronicle. The ATA Chronicle is published 11 times per year, with a combined Reprint Permission: Requests for permission to reprint articles should be sent November/December issue. Submission deadlines are two months to the editor of The ATA Chronicle at [email protected]. prior to publication date.

Editor Jeff Sanfacon [email protected]

Proofreader Sandra Burns Thomson

Design Ellen Banker Amy Peloff

Advertising Matt Hicks McNeill Group Inc. Advertising [email protected] Japan Pacific Publications, Inc. +1-215-321-9662 ext. 19 Directory 23 www.japanpacific.com Fax: +1-215-321-9636 Executive Director Monterey Institute of Walter Bacak 11 International Studies [email protected] http://translate.miis.edu/ndp Membership and National Security Agency General Information 5 acrossSystems 51 Maggie Rowe www.across.net www.nsa.gov/careers [email protected] Payment Practices Inc. website: www.atanet.org 23 Cybertec USA, Inc. 49 www.cybertecusa.com www.paymentpractices.net 49 ifstudio-translations.com 52 SDL International Moving? www.1translate.com www.translationzone.com Find an error with your address? Send updates to: The ATA Chronicle 225 Reinekers Lane Suite 590 Alexandria, VA 22314 USA Fax +1-703-683-6122 [email protected] 4 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008

Our Authors February 2008

Lillian Clementi is a member of ATA’s United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Public Relations Committee and a Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands, where she currently trans- partner in LinguaLegal, a translation lates from English into French. Contact: [email protected]. consultancy based in Arlington, Virginia. She translates from French and German Shawn E. Six is a principal at Industry Insights, Inc. in Columbus, into English, specializing in law and Ohio (www.industryinsights.com). Contact: [email protected]. commerce. Contact: [email protected]. Naomi J. Sutcliffe de Moraes is an ATA-certified Portuguese→English free- lance translator based in São Paulo, Brazil, where she recently completed a Isabelle Der-Kévorkian is a professional translator and interpreter Ph.D. in linguistics at the University of São Paulo. Originally from the U.S., she who started her career as a freelance interpreter for the European earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering and an M.S. in physics from the Union. She spent eight years working in a variety of roles for a University of California, Los Angeles. She specializes in engineering, legal, and leading localization company. In November 2005, she left a posi- medical translations. Contact: [email protected]. tion as a translation manager in Boulder, Colorado, to join the

It’s Time To Renew!

If you have not renewed your membership, now is the time! From membership in any or all of ATA’s 15 divisions to discounted business services, ATA gives you the strategic edge that benefits your bottom line. Renew online at: www.atanet.org/MembersOnly Or call: +1-703-683-6100 Thank you for your past support and for renewing for 2008.

6 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 From the President Jiri Stejskal [email protected]

On Statistics and Competition

Last month we looked at who ban on certification sittings abroad. The tive differentiation across a given we are (or not) as an association. Let ban was imposed in July 1999 in market. But, as we know, human us now take a closer look at who we response to concerns expressed by some translation is not a commodity. are as individual members. members about unfair competition from So how do we effectively compete As of December 2007, there were other countries. Based on the feedback in a globalized world? We make sure nearly 10,500 of us, predominantly from ATA members and on intense translation is not traded or perceived freelancers: individual members deliberation, the Board decided to allow as a commodity. To do that, we need account for 92% (this number also certification sittings abroad and to sup- to specialize in order to differentiate includes in-house translators, project port the international character of ATA. our translation or interpreting work managers, and other individuals who Indeed, there is nothing in ATA’s qualitatively. This is not a new con- do not work as full-time freelancers). bylaws about protecting U.S. mem- cept. Our immediate past president, The remaining 8% is divided between bers from competition abroad. On the Marian S. Greenfield, who is herself corporate members (7%) and institu- contrary, one of the objectives of ATA an example of a successful translator tional members (1%). In terms of indi- is to “promote professional and social specializing in finance, has empha- vidual membership, women account relations among its members.” As sized the need for specialization on for about 70%, which means that there are more than twice as many women as men in our association. We are a highly educated crowd. Of the roughly 6,500 members who indi- One of the objectives of ATA is to “promote cated their level of education in their professional and social relations among profiles, 99% have training beyond high school, 72% have graduate degrees, and its members.” 32% have a degree in translation and/or interpreting. About 19% of individual members are certified in one or more language combinations. We speak 92 long as ATA membership is not numerous occasions. There are areas different languages as our mother restricted to U.S. residents (there is in which only translators based in the tongue, from Afrikaans to Yoruba. The nothing about that in the bylaws U.S. can excel, just as there are areas top five native languages are English either), we cannot promote profes- in which only translators living in (35%), Spanish (32%), French (6%), sional and social relations among the other countries can outperform the German (6%), and Russian (4%). members while trying to protect U.S. competition. By becoming an expert Our profession is international by members from competition abroad. in a carefully selected field, you can definition, because we as translators In 1776, Adam Smith explained in help to dispel the myth of translation and interpreters facilitate cross- Wealth of Nations that free interna- being a commodity and enjoy the sat- border communication. Accordingly, tional trade is essential to each nation’s isfaction of truly professional work we are spread over 90 countries, with well-being, and stressed that protec- with the compensation that goes 16% of the membership residing out- tionism does not increase the total with it. side of the U.S. Aside from the U.S., output of the country, but merely the top five countries are Canada, diverts its energies from more produc- with 3% of the overall membership, tive to less productive industries. What followed by Italy, Mexico, Germany, this means for us is that inexpensive and Argentina, with 1% each. translation from developing countries Visit The international orientation of our can be viewed as a threat to U.S.- www.atanet.org association is not without controversy. based translators only insofar as trans- today! The decision to support the interna- lation is perceived as a commodity tional character of ATA was made eight that can be produced regardless of years ago in the wake of a temporary location and supplied without qualita-

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 7 Parts of the following tribute were adapted from an obituary that appeared in the Austin American Statesman on December 30, 2007 (statesman.com).

Amos Leslie Willson Jr., past president of ATA, died on December 28, 2007 in Austin, Texas. In Memoriam Leslie was born on June 14, 1923 in Texhoma, Oklahoma. With his parents, Amos Leslie Willson and Richie Hobgood Willson, and sister, Patricia Mae Willson, Leslie moved from town to town within the Texas panhandle during the Great Depression before settling in Amarillo, where he graduated from Amarillo Amos Leslie High School. He was a voracious reader and, contemplating a writing career, entered the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a journalism degree. World Willson, Jr. War II interrupted his education, and Leslie joined the army, where he discovered a talent for the German language, in which he quickly became fluent. 1923-2007 Toward the end of his three-year military service, Leslie was assigned, along with other German-speaking soldiers, to a top secret operation at Fort ATA President: Hunt, Virginia, known only as P.O. Box 1142, an operation only recently declassified. He and the other men of P.O. Box 1142 lived with and interro- 1991-1993 gated high-level prisoners of war who had knowledge of Germany’s subma- rine and rocket technology. After the war, Leslie returned to the University of Texas at Austin, but changed his major to Germanic languages. While attending graduate school there, he met Margaret Jeanne Redrow, of Cincinnati, Ohio, a fellow graduate student in German. Jeanne and Leslie were married in 1950 in Cincinnati. They moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where Leslie attended graduate school. After receiving his Ph.D., Leslie taught briefly at Wesleyan College in Connecticut and Northwestern University in Illinois before returning to Austin to accept a teaching position at the University of Texas. Leslie then taught at Duke University and Pennsylvania State University before settling again in Austin in 1966 as a full professor at the University of Texas. He served as chairman of the university’s German department for eight years. Leslie became a highly respected educator and translator of contemporary German literature, befriending many top German writers along the way, including Günter Grass. From 1968 to 1994, he was the editor of Dimension,a bilingual literary magazine dedicated to the presentation of contemporary German-language authors. Leslie was the co-founder of the American Literary Translators Association, and served as the association’s president from 1978 to 1979. Leslie was recognized for his scholarly work with awards from the Goethe-Institut in Munich and the German government. He retired as professor emeritus in 1992. Leslie was a member of ATA from 1974 to 2003. During this time, he served as a member of ATA’s Board of Directors from 1985 to 1988. He was the association’s president-elect from 1989 to November 1991, after which he served as ATA president from 1991 to 1993. Leslie continued to stay active in the association, serving as a member of the editorial board of The ATA Chronicle from 1993 to 2003. He was also a member of the Austin Area Translators and Interpreters Association. Leslie is survived by his three children, Brian, Juliet, and Kevin, six grand- children, and three great-grandchildren. His wife Jeanne died on May 11, 2006. Leslie’s memorial service was held on January 5, 2008 at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home in Austin. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Central Texas SPCA, P.O. Box 98, Cedar Park, TX 78630.

8 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 From the President-elect Nicholas Hartmann nh@nhartmann.com ATA’s 49th Annual Conference in the Sunshine State!

Here is some good news to get will be held under the palm trees allows a free drop if your ball ends up you through the North American around one of the two swimming anywhere near an alligator). You can winter: ATA’s 49th Annual Conference pools. A wide selection of restaurants, see more wildlife on an airboat ride will be held on November 5-8, 2008 in shopping, and entertainment opportu- through the wetlands, go hang gliding the Sunshine State! This year’s confer- nities is available at Downtown or skydiving, drive a NASCAR race ence hotel (adjacent to the site of the Disney, which is right across the car, get wet in half a dozen water 2000 conference) is the Hilton in the street. You can also take advantage of parks, or attend a Western-themed Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, the many other dining options in the dinner extravaganza featuring cos- Florida, which promises to be an out- Orlando area: seafood freshly caught tumed riders on horses, bison, standing venue for all the educational along Florida’s 1,300 miles of coast- ostriches, and even pigs. Nor is culture and social activities that make every line; all-you-can-eat buffets; steaks for neglected: Orlando has four art ATA Annual Conference a uniquely every budget; Mediterranean, Middle museums, a symphony orchestra, a rewarding experience. Eastern, Indian, Caribbean, and Latin repertory theater, a Shakespeare the- ater, and the Orlando Ballet and Orlando Opera. Nowhere else will you find such a concentration of theme The two most important reasons for attending ATA’s parks, from Cypress Gardens and SeaWorld to Universal Studios, MGM Annual Conference are to learn and to teach. Studios, and, of course, Disney’s own world-famous Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The Kennedy Space Center, Daytona Beach, the Everglades, and Located about half an hour by American restaurants; and your choice the Tampa-St. Petersburg area are shuttle van from the Orlando of British or Irish pubs, one of which within easy driving distance. When International Airport, to which dozens claims to serve the “best fish and chips you finally get to relax at a local spa, of airlines offer flights from all over in the USA.” do not miss the citrus-zest facial and a the world, the hotel has recently been You might also plan to stay a little massage with your choice of spherical renovated. It provides comfortable longer and explore more of what Florida specialties—ruby grapefruit or guest rooms as well as outstanding Florida has to offer. Golf enthusiasts heated golf balls. Find out more at conference facilities indoors and out; can select from over 175 courses www.orlandoinfo.com. many social and networking events within an hour’s drive (local custom

Call for Papers

American Translators Association 49th Annual Conference Orlando, Florida • November 5-8, 2008 Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort

The two most important reasons for attending ATA’s Annual Conference are to learn and to teach. ATA’s members have a long history of sharing their knowledge and experience, and your contribution to the educational program of the upcoming confer- ence is what will make it successful. Please help continue this vital tradition by proposing a session for presentation in Orlando. All the details are available from ATA’s website at www.atanet.org/conferencesandseminars/proposal.php.

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 9 From the Executive Director Walter Bacak, CAE [email protected] E-mail and New Member Benefits

send a weekly broadcast e-mail in a www.atanet.org/sponsored_services_ ATA e-mail announcements con- digest format each Wednesday. The creditunion. In addition to the competi- tinue to be a challenge. From an digest format—meaning you will see tive rates, ATA members will benefit administrative point of view, ATA is several headlines which are links to from the OAS staff’s international com- very sensitive to avoiding bombarding more information—will allow us to merce knowledge and experience, members with too much e-mail. On disseminate more news and informa- which is often a challenge for many the other hand, we need to dissemi- tion in a more concise manner. For local bank branches. nate valuable information, such as example, now all ATA members will division newsletters, or news on have access to information on all divi- E-newsletter: The first edition of ATA’s upcoming professional development sion events. I emphasize access e-newsletter, ATA Newsbriefs, is out. and networking opportunities. because if you have no interest in The e-newsletter’s summaries provide a Continuing along the lines of con- XYZ division, you can skip opening broad look at translation and inter- trolling the number of messages sent, the link. preting in the general media. Please let ATA does not send division news to Of course, this does not mean we me know what you think. If you missed non-division members. We also do not will not have other e-mail traffic; it is the first edition, please go to the mem- e-mail information about other associa- just that we want to limit the number bers only section on ATA’s website. tions’ events, excluding, of course, ATA of messages sent. If you have any chapters and affiliates. (For information question or comments about this Job Bank: ATA’s Job Bank is online. on other events, be sure to check out the change, please contact Mary David, There is no charge to post a job or for comprehensive calendar on ATA’s web- ATA’s member services and project members to access them. You may site at www.atanet.org/calendar.) development manager, who coordi- want to check out www.atanet.org/ Furthermore, we abide by the nates, compiles, and sends the e-mail jobbank daily as jobs are listed. applicable federal regulations, such as messages. Mary can be reached at identifying the source of the e-mail as [email protected] or +1-703-683-6100, Dues Renewal coming from ATA and including the ext. 3009. Please take a moment to renew ability for recipients to opt out. your dues for 2008. You may renew Finally, ATA does not rent or sell New Member Benefits online or download a renewal form at members’ e-mail addresses. Credit Union: ATA members now www.atanet.org/renew.php. If you All this leads to finding the proper have access to the Organization of have already renewed your member- balance between getting information American States Staff Federal Credit ship, thank you! Members with ques- to the members without flooding their Union. ATA members can join the tions about the renewal process inboxes. In conjunction with the intro- OAS Staff FCU by setting up a “reg- should contact Maggie Rowe at duction of the monthly e-newsletter ular share account” of at least $5. This [email protected] or +1-703-683- (read on for more information), we gives them access to surcharge-free 6100, ext 3001. will limit how often ATA e-mail is ATM transactions as well as competi- Thank you for being an ATA sent. The e-newsletter is scheduled to tive rates on certificates of deposit, member. be sent the last Wednesday of the loans, mortgages, and wire transfers. month. With that set, we will now For more information, please check out

Individual ATA members can join the OAS Staff Federal Credit Union and benefit from a wide range of ATA-sponsored Business Service banking services, typically with lower fees and better interest rates. Services include: interest-bearing checking accounts; more than 25,000 worldwide surcharge-free ATMs; discounted wire transfer fees; Organization of American auto, mortgage, and personal loans; home equity line of credit; free identity theft protection; annual States Staff Federal Credit Union loyalty bonus; and bilingual customer service. For more information: www.atanet.org/membership/sponsored_services_creditunion.php

10 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 Are you connected?

Many of ATA’s announcements and special offers are now sent to members by e-mail. E-mail you will receive from ATA includes:

• Information about seminars, confer- ences, and regional group meetings • Association and division news updates • Membership renewal reminders • Notices of certification exams, division newsletters

Don’t miss out! Keep your ATA contact infor- mation current. You can make updates online at www.atanet.org/MembersOnly, or you can send your information to [email protected] with your ATA membership number in the subject line.

ATA does not sell or rent the e-mail addresses of its members.

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 11 Summary of ATA’s Latest Translation and Interpreting Compensation Survey

By Shawn Six

careers in the translation and inter- The survey was compiled, tabu- The recently released fourth preting profession can use this tool to lated, and prepared for ATA by edition of ATA’s Translation and steer their specific career decisions Industry Insights, Inc., a professional Interpreting Compensation Survey and to gain insight about the potential research and consulting firm that pro- should prove to be an invaluable compensation they may earn. vides management and marketing serv- benchmarking tool for nearly ices to dealer organizations, individual everyone in or affiliated with the translation and interpreting profes- sion. The study is designed to allow Figure 1: Respondent Demographics an individual or company to compare easily their compensation levels to Gender Percent Born in U.S. Percent their peers’. In addition, the study Male 31.4% Yes 38.8% serves as a practical tool for a broader Female 68.6% No 61.2% audience. Companies involved in translation and interpreting will com- Education Level Years of Employment in monly refer to this report when evalu- High School 2.5% Translation and Interpreting ating independent contractors or Associate Degree 4.6% 0-5 years 15.4% in-house staff, and determining their Bachelor’s Degree 32.9% 6-10 years 22.5% competitiveness with respect to com- Master’s Degree 43.8% 11-15 years 19.8% Doctorate 10.8% 16-20 years 13.8% pensation. It is also a useful tool for Professional 5.4% 21+ years 28.5% companies that are looking to estab- lish compensation or hourly rate ranges. Students who are considering

12 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 Figure 2: 2006 Average Gross Income* by Employment Classification (U.S.-Based Respondents)

Full-time In-house Private Sector $59,472

Part-time In-house Private Sector $24,304

Full-time Independent Contractor $60,423

Part-time Independent Contractor $22,935

Translation and Interpreting Company Owner $67,559

Educator $50,958

Government Employee $59,924

*Income from translation and interpreting only.

Figure 3: Full-time Independent Contractor 2006 Average Gross Income* by U.S.- versus Non-U.S.-Based Respondents (U.S. Dollars)

U.S.-Based $60,423

Non-U.S.-Based $56,672

*Income from translation and interpreting only.

membership organizations, and profes- Inc. This represents a response rate tions analyzed in this report include: sional trade associations and their of 11%. Forms received after the full-time independent contractors; part- members. The company specializes in final deadline and questionnaires time independent contractors; full-time compensation and benefits studies, with incomplete information were in-house private sector personnel; part- industry operating surveys, member not included. time in-house private sector personnel; needs studies, educational programs, Upon receipt, all data were company owners; educators; and gov- and customized research activities. checked both manually and by a spe- ernment employees. For detailed An e-mail was distributed to cially designed computer editing pro- analysis, responses were broken down approximately 8,700 ATA members cedure. Strict confidence of survey by geographic region, education, years and nonmembers in August 2007 responses was maintained throughout of employment, primary language containing a link to an online ques- the course of the project. Final results combination, ATA membership status, tionnaire. In total, 979 completed were tabulated, and the report was and ATA certification status. This com- and useable survey forms were sub- completed in October 2007. prehensive data allows users to com- mitted directly to Industry Insights, The seven employment classifica- pare their own income, hourly ➡

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 13 Summary of ATA’s Translation and Interpreting Compensation Survey Continued rates, and rates per word to individuals U.S.-Based Respondents Earned More the lowest rate were English into in similar situations. Some of the key Than Non-U.S.-Based: For example, Italian and English into Portuguese. findings of the report follow. full-time independent contractors based The highest average hourly rates in the U.S. earned an average gross 2006 by language combination were Respondent Demographics: Survey income from translation and interpreting English into Chinese ($74.92) and respondents had varying backgrounds of $60,423, compared to only $56,672 Chinese into English ($65.79). and experience. As shown in Figure 1 for those outside the U.S. (see Figure 3, on page 12, more than two-thirds were page 13). Trends: More than half of the respon- female, more than half were born out- dents reported that their 2006 gross side the U.S., 77% had a bachelor’s or ATA Certification Matters: Respon- income from translation and inter- master’s degree, and nearly two-thirds dents who were ATA-certified earned preting increased compared to 2005. had 11 years or more of employment a higher gross income in 2006 than One-quarter reported no change in in translation and interpreting. those who were not ATA-certified. income, while 17% reported a decline. Using the full-time in-house private Income Varied by Employment sector as an example, Figure 4 shows Education and Experience: Three Classification: As shown in Figure 2 the impact ATA certification had on out of four respondents had achieved on page 13, translation and inter- gross income. Those with ATA certifi- either a master’s degree (44%) or a preting company owners reported the cation earned 35% more than their bachelor’s degree (32%). One-fifth highest gross income at $67,559, noncertified counterparts ($72,261 reported having a degree in translation, slightly ahead of full-time inde- versus $53,632). while 12% reported having a degree in pendent contractors ($60,423), gov- interpreting. One-third reported having ernment employees ($59,924), and the Rates Per Word and Hourly Rates: a non-degree certificate in translation, full-time in-house private sector At an average of $0.19 per word, the while 27% reported having a non- ($59,472). The lowest income was language combinations commanding degree certificate in interpreting. Other reported by part-time independent the highest rate per word were English credentials reported include court contractors, at $22,935. into Arabic and English into Danish. certification (5%), passing the State At an average of $0.12 per word, the Department exam (9%), and passing language combinations commanding the UN exam (1%).

Figure 4: Full-time In-house Private Sector 2006 Average Gross Income* by Certification Status (U.S.-Based Respondents)

ATA Certified $72,261

Non-ATA Certified $53,632

*Income from translation and interpreting only.

14 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 Areas of Specialization: The most Technology Tools Used: The most tioned in this article. It is important to common areas of specialization common technology tools used were remember that the statistics published reported were business/finance (57%), word processing applications (98%), by ATA should be regarded as guide- law (55%), medicine (47%), and translation memory tools (47%), termi- lines rather than absolute standards. industry and technology (38%). nology management software (27%), ATA intends the survey to reveal gen- Uncommon areas of specialization and desktop publishing software (25%). eral tendencies in the industry, not included entertainment (18%), natural exact amounts. sciences (16%), and pure sciences (8%). Ordering Information The full report is available to ATA ATA’s 48-page Translation and members ($45) and nonmembers Translation Speed: The average Interpreting Compensation Survey ($65). Order your copy today at respondent reported a translation presents the survey results in much www.atanet.org/publications/form_ speed in target words per hour at 540. greater detail than possible in this publication_ataware.pdf. Average translation speeds ranged summary article. The complete report from 324 to 660 depending on the includes charts and tables that provide employment classification. a detailed profile of each of the seven employment classifications men-

Call for Papers American Translators Association 49th Annual Conference Orlando, Florida • November 5-8, 2008 Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort

Proposals are invited on topics in all areas of translation and interpreting, including the following: Financial Translation and Interpreting; Independent Contractors; Interpreting; Language Services Providers; Language-Specific Sessions; Language Technology; Legal Translation and Interpreting; Literary; Media; Medical Translation and Interpreting; Science and Technology; Terminology; and Training and Pedagogy. Suggestions for additional topics are welcome.

Proposals for sessions must be submitted on the Conference Presentation Proposal Form to: Conference Organizer, ATA Headquarters, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA; Fax: +1-703-683-6122. All proposals for sessions must be in English. Submission deadline: March 14, 2008 There’s no time like the present! Download a Conference Presentation Proposal Form at www.atanet.org/conferencesandseminars/proposal.php.

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 15 The Perfect Keyboard By Naomi J. Sutcliffe de Moraes

Translators work with at least two lan- keyboard layouts in MS Windows, two steps beyond. Again, please refer guages, and this often entails using please refer to Jost Zetzsche’s article to Jost’s article if you need a refresher two different sets of characters and on this topic in the April 2006 issue of course on this subject. sometimes even two different keyboard The ATA Chronicle. layouts. This article describes how You may want to switch back and Modifying an Existing you can modify your keyboard layout forth between two keyboard layouts Keyboard Layout or create your own, with the possible for different languages. You can also For some pairs of languages, trans- side benefit of reduced pain in your create your own keyboard layout and lators can get by with just one key- wrists (due to keyboard-related repeti- switch between it and the standard board layout, which is the case for tive strain injuries). layout so your computer is accessible Portuguese/English. The ABNT2 to others who might need to use it. Brazilian keyboard layout has every- Before I explain how to create This article assumes that you are thing one might need to type in both the perfect keyboard layout for you and familiar with how to configure and English and Portuguese! your languages, let me define the term switch between keyboard layouts in A more difficult situation is the keyboard layout. Every computer has a MS Windows, and takes you one or German/English pair. Even translators physical keyboard, and the keyboard translating into English must search layout is a file hidden on your PC that Figure 1: Keyboard icon on status the Internet and interact with their defines what happens when you type bar for switching between clients and colleagues in German. The on your physical keyboard. The phys- keyboard layouts U.S.-International keyboard men- ical keyboard normally matches the tioned by Jost in the article cited above default keyboard layout when the is an option. Another option is to computer, operating system, and key- switch back and forth between the board are purchased as a package. German and English keyboard lay- However, this does not need to be the outs. The German keyboard is shown case. You can use any keyboard layout in Figure 2. As you can see, it has what with your physical keyboard if your physical keyboard has the correct Figure 2: German Keyboard number of keys. If it has fewer keys, some characters will be missing. To switch between two different keyboard layouts for the same physical keyboard, use the keyboard icon on the Windows status bar in MS Windows (see Figure 1), or use a shortcut key combination defined in the Control Panel settings. If you do not yet know how to configure and switch between

16 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 Figure 3: MS Keyboard Layout Manager

is called a QWERTZ layout rather times and the QWERTZ layout at other These changes can be made using than the QWERTY layout that is used times. One possible solution to this Keyboard Layout Manager (KLM), a in the U.S. These names come from problem is to modify the German shareware program developed in the characters on the line above the layout, putting the Z and Y keys back Serbia by Milan Vidakoviç and Igor home (center) row for the left hand. into their U.S. keyboard locations Milijaseviˇ ç. The two principal win- Remembering where the extra keys while keeping the accented vowels and dows are shown in Figure 3 with the are on the German keyboard may not other special keys in their original standard Brazilian Portuguese layout be that difficult, but if you were raised positions. The French layout also dif- in the editing window. The program is typing on the U.S. layout you may find fers from the U.S. layout in the posi- very easy to use and extensive help is the switch of the Z and Y keys con- tions of several letters. It could also be available online. Another option— fusing. This is especially true if you modified as described above for the which I have not tried—is the must use the QWERTY layout some- German layout. MS Keyboard Layout Creator. ➡

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 17 The Perfect Keyboard Continued

Figure 4: Diacritical Editor The Dvorak Keyboard Layout immediately afterward. In the days of As described above, if all your lan- manual typewriters, dead keys typed guages use the same basic alphabet the accent on the paper, but did not you can create a combined layout that cause the carriage to move to the left, allows you to type everything with one thus allowing the character to be keyboard layout. However, you will accented to be typed in the same loca- probably be using some variation on tion on the paper. In KLM, dead keys the very inefficient QWERTY layout, are shown in red and are edited in a which is unnecessarily tiring. The separate window. Dead keys on your QWERTY layout was created to slow PC can be used to type almost any typists down! Back in the olden days character. Figure 4 shows what I have (when I learned to type!), typewriters done with my double quote key. If I were made of long “fingers” with the type " followed by a space, I get ". If letters on the tip. If the typist typed too I type " followed by o, I get o" (a fast, the fingers got tangled and the Hungarian letter). If I type " followed typist had to stop to untangle them. by a, I get å (a Norwegian letter). Unfortunately, the QWERTY layout is Since the computer does not work like still the standard, not only for English, Information on both programs is pro- a typewriter, I do not need to use a but for many different languages. vided in the references at the end of dead key for a single type of accent as Portuguese does not even have a K in this article. on a typewriter. Indeed, in KLM, I can its alphabet, but K is on the home row assign any character to the dead key, (the row beginning ASDF on the Dead Keys and this character will appear when QWERTY keyboard) of the Dead keys are accent keys that put the dead key is followed by a space. Portuguese and Brazilian keyboards. an accent on the character typed (For more information on the evolu-

Figure 5: Dvorak Keyboard for English

18 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 Figure 6: My Customized Layout

tion and problems related to the keys you need for your other languages. Common key combinations like QWERTY keyboard, see the articles Dvorak-style layouts are available for WH, QU, and TH should also be on “The Curse of QWERTY,” published some other languages (though not built opposite hands (w on one hand and in Discover Magazine, or “Make Mine into the operating system) at the Dvorak H on the other). Dvorak,” published in Slate. See the Zine site listed in the references. The • The row above the home row is the references at the end of this article.) principles behind the Dvorak layout and second easiest and the row below it An alternative standard layout is the Dvorak-style layouts are: is the hardest, so put rare letters on English Dvorak layout shown in Figure the lowest row. 5 on page 18. It is one of the standard • The most-used letters should be on • The strongest fingers are the index MS Windows layout options, so you the home row. and middle fingers, with the ring and pinky fingers being the weakest.

Many people are reluctant to If your languages all use the same basic alphabet you change keyboard layouts because they believe it will take too long to learn can create a combined keyboard that allows you to the new layout. I learned my new key- board layout (described in the next type everything on one keyboard layout. section) in a day. I was able to type at my normal speed within two weeks, and I have been typing much faster and with no wrist pain for seven years. just need to select it in the appropriate • A typist can type faster when alter- Needless to say, the transition is easier control panel. All PCs running any nating letters are on different hands. if done during a vacation. To learn the Windows OS, the Macintosh OS, and Thus, the Dvorak layout puts the new layout, print out a copy and tape most flavors of Linux have a built-in vowels on the left side of the home it above your keyboard or on the English Dvorak layout. You could also row and the most common conso- bottom edge of your monitor. Create start with the Dvorak layout for one of nants on the right side of the home sentences using words you can type your languages as a base and modify it row, increasing the frequency of using only the letters on the home slightly to include the accents or special alternating hands with each letter. row. (Remember how hard this ➡

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 19 The Perfect Keyboard Continued was with the QWERTY keyboard in The home row is marked in red. 4. Write down common letter pairs in typing class? There is not much you After using this layout for seven the two languages, such as WH and can do with just one vowel and eight years, there are a few things I wish I TH in English, QU and ST in consonants.) Practice these words, had done differently, especially the Portuguese. then add more words using first the position of the letter V. Since my hus- letters typed by the index finger, and band’s name is Vítor, I use the letter V 5. Put the vowels on the left side, then the letters typed by the middle more frequently. I get around this by with the most common vowels finger, etc. You will be up to speed in addressing e-mails to him as under the index finger (U and I on no time. The rarely used keys, like \, “Querido”: all but the Q are on the my keyboard). Put the most will be the hardest to remember home row! common consonants on the right during the first month. I think it is Deciding what to put where was not home row. Put the dead keys on the easier to learn a completely different too difficult. To create a similar layout right to alternate with the vowels. I layout that to learn a layout with just for your languages, do the following: would probably not put the dead a few differences. keys under the pinky finger if I 1. Find text written in the languages in were to redo my keyboard, but I Creating a New Keyboard question, either something you wrote probably made this decision based Layout from Scratch for Your or off the Internet. Remove any on the fact that I do not need them Specific Needs proper names, since if the text is on to type in English. I might put I type 50% in English, 45% in Zimbabwe and this word is repeated them closer to the index finger in Portuguese, and 5% in other lan- many times you will have an inaccu- the top row, and put some conso- guages, most of which need accented rate count of how many times Z and nants on the pinky finger. vowels. Once I started experiencing W appear in the language. 6. Work out the positions of other con- sonants based on letter pairs. The easiest keys to reach with the index fingers on my keyboard are marked Many people are reluctant to change keyboard in blue and green in Figure 6 on page 19. I should probably have put layouts because they believe it will take too W on the upper row for WH, switching with Ç. H is very long to learn the new layout. common in English, but relatively rare in Portuguese, which does not have WH, TH, nor PH. Having H on the left worked out well for pain in my wrists after becoming a 2. After removing proper names, cut combinations with WH and TH. translator (I used to be a physicist and the text down so you have the same PH was not such a good choice, systems engineer), I searched in vain amount of words in each language since it uses the same finger for for a Portuguese Dvorak layout or if you write 50% of the time in both letters. Do not forget to con- some other Dvorak layout with the each: a few thousand at least. Put sider your name, the names of your accents I needed so I could type in the text into MS Word. family members, and the names of both English and Portuguese without the countries you must type most switching layouts. After discovering 3. Going letter by letter through the often (like the Z in Brazil, which I the KLM program, I decided to create alphabet and punctuation, replace forgot when designing my layout). my own Dvorak layout optimized for each character with the @ symbol both Portuguese and English (in other using Replace All. MS Word will tell 7. Remove things you do not use words, a compromise between what you how many replacements it has often and put them on the Alt Gr or would be optimized for one or the made. Note this down in a chart and Alt level (meaning you would need other). The result is shown in Figure 6 you will have the average letter fre- to hold down the Alt Gr or Alt key on page 19. quency for the two languages. before pressing the character key).

20 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 This is great for £, {,}, and §. What 1. Use two different keyboard layouts MS Word can automatically capitalize you need depends on what you and switch between them (using the first letter of a sentence or of type. I love the underscore “_” for the status bar or a shortcut key proper names. naming files and computer pro- combination). These could be stan- gramming, so I put it on my home dard layouts or customized lay- Phonetic Keyboard Layouts row at the far left, without the shift. outs, as described above. I have not needed to type in any other foreign alphabets/scripts, but a As you can see, since I tried to treat 2. Create a dual keyboard layout that colleague suggested using a phonetic Portuguese and English equally, my uses the Shift key to switch from keyboard layout for Russian. The basic idea is that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the letters for the two languages (with extra keys for extra letters, when necessary), and What you need depends on what you type. you type using a layout that mimics your English layout, but which out- puts characters in the other language on your screen. See the references at keyboard favors English in the place- one to the other. This would need the end of this article for an ment of some keys and Portuguese in to be created based on the key- explanation of one possible phonetic the placement of others, like Q. You board for one of the languages, Russian keyboard provided by Paul will want to analyze closely how much either customized or standard. Gorodyansky. you type in each language before creating a “middle-of-the-road” solu- 3. Use a phonetic keyboard layout Pros and Cons tion, and adjust the percentage of text that mimics your normal keyboard If you are used to switching back in each language before calculating layout, but which results in charac- and forth between two keyboard lay- frequency statistics. ters in the other language. outs, you should be able to type using The location of punctuation on my both your new personalized keyboard keyboard is similar to that of the Dvorak Two-alphabet Keyboard Layout and the standard QWERTY. My hus- keyboard, and is great for typing num- Using Shift-lock band does this. The advantage of cre- bers on the number pad (I prefer the “.” When I began studying modern ating a new keyboard layout (rather on the number pad, while the Portuguese Greek, I became frustrated at how than using macros in MS Word) is that standard keyboard puts a “,” there). hard it was to type vocabulary lists. I it is valid for all programs running on When I need to type in a long list of had to switch to the Greek keyboard your operating system, not just spe- numbers including commas and periods, and back every other word! I had cific programs, and can be installed I use the numerical keypad on the right already created a Dvorak-style Greek on multiple computers quickly. I have for numbers and the decimal point, and keyboard layout (of course!), so I then been using my keyboard layout, with my left hand hovers over the comma on created a third dual keyboard that con- small updates, since 2000. During this the left. On those few occasions when I tained only lowercase letters. The time, I have twice visited friends for type numbers on the top line, at least my Shift key does not necessarily need to extended periods of time. I spent 10 hand does not need to jump three rows provide the uppercase letter corre- minutes setting up my layout on their (!) every time I want a comma or period, sponding to the lowercase letter on the computers so I could use it while I like with the QWERTY keyboard. same key. I used my customized was visiting. I did not set it as the layout as the base layout and then re- default layout, so they did not even Creating a New Keyboard Layout created my Greek layout for the shift know it was there, and then I erased it for Two Languages with Different layer (the different layers are shown before leaving. Alphabets or Writing Systems on the right in Figure 6 on page 19). I recently had to translate a hospital What do you do if you need to type This is great for typing terminology, bill including all the internal codes for in a language with a different and is not too bad for typing in MS the different items used, such as cotton alphabet? You have several options: Word with the autocorrect turned on. balls. I was amazed at how many ➡

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 21 References and More Information The Perfect Keyboard Continued of the codes had letters like K, J, Y, Keyboard Layout Manager English and International and F. It was almost painful typing (KLM) Dvorak Keyboard Layouts these codes, which are off the home www.klm32.com http://dvzine.org/info/ row on my keyboard. I realized that Lite edition (free): Does not allow international.html they were probably chosen because editing of dead keys or ligatures. Note that left-hand-only and they are easy to type on a QWERTY right-hand-only layouts are also keyboard. Typing them on my Dvorak- Pro edition ($22): Allows dead key available for typists with physical style keyboard reminded me what it and ligature editing, in addition to limitations. was like to type regular words on a editing of certain other keys on the QWERTY keyboard. keyboard, including “.” on the The Curse of QWERTY If you have little control over your numeric keypad. Two other ver- http://discovermagazine.com/1997/ computer at work or must use public sions are also available, so see the apr/thecurseofqwerty1099 computers often, a personalized key- website for details. The program is Article in Discover Magazine by board is probably not the right choice compatible with Windows Vista. Jared Diamond, author of Guns, unless you feel comfortable switching Germs and Steel. back and forth. If you are used to Microsoft Keyboard Layout switching keyboards, this should not Creator Make Mine Dvorak be a problem. Another option is to try www.microsoft.com/globaldev/t www.slate.com/?id=2061547 the English Dvorak keyboard if you ools/msklc.mspx Article in Slate by Nicholas type principally in English, since it is This program appears to do the Thompson. available on all PCs. I no longer touch same thing as KLM, but it is free type on the QWERTY keyboard, and and appears to be much more dif- Paul Gorodyansky’s Phonetic must hunt and peck when my person- ficult to use. I have not tried it. Keyboard for Russian alized keyboard is not available. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/ Despite this, I have never regretted Wikipedia Keyboard homepages/PaulGor/kbd_e.htm#p switching, especially since the pain in Layout Information 1251 my wrists has not returned. Not http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ having your layout while you are on Keyboard_layout vacation (assuming you do not have a This and other sites provide some laptop or do not take it on vacation) history on keyboard layouts for could actually be considered a different languages. bonus—you will actually relax!

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The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 23 Delivering Multilingual Justice: A Look into the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia By Isabelle Der-Kévorkian

including the translation of docu- Established by Resolution 827 ments and the interpretation of court of the United Nations (UN) Security proceedings. The Registry’s judicial Council in May 1993, the responsibilities cover the organization International Criminal Tribunal for of the hearings, the legal filings and the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) is the archives, the operation of the legal aid first international body established for program for indigent defendants, the the prosecution of war crimes since provision of assistance and protection the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials took to witnesses, and the management of place in the aftermath of World War the detention unit. II. The ICTY has the authority to For such a large organization, the prosecute four types of offenses: ICTY’s workflow can seem surpris- grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva ingly simple and old-fashioned. First, Conventions; violations of the laws or the Registry sends translation requests customs of war; genocide; and crimes to the relevant language unit, where against humanity. Its mission is to: they are received by the administrative staff. Documents are then assigned to a • Contribute to the restoration of translator according to availability and peace by prosecuting persons expertise. Once the document is trans- allegedly responsible for serious lated (using either a translation violations of international humani- memory tool or, most often, simply tarian law. MS Word), it is printed and edited by a reviser, who is tasked with correcting • Render justice to the victims of mistakes and making any necessary war crimes. stylistic or preferential changes. All changes made by the reviser are hand- • Deter further crimes. written and then returned to the trans- lator, who enters them in the electronic This article will highlight a few of the document. The final product is challenges routinely encountered by returned to the Registry and uploaded translators at the ICTY. to the ICTY’s judicial database, where it resides along with all jurisprudence Conference and Language Services for use and reference by staff members Organization and Processes and judges. Translators at the ICTY are divided into different language units that are A Hybrid Legal System grouped under the larger Conference As an international tribunal, the and Language Services Section. The ICTY is a hybrid institution that Conference and Language Services draws from common law (an adver- Section is part of the Registry, which sarial system) and civil law (an is the organizational branch respon- inquisitorial system). Common law— sible for the administration and judi- which is used in the U.S., the U.K., cial support services of the ICTY, and Canada—is the predominant legal

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 system at the ICTY. In common law, nology. For example, in English, a dep- known as Serbo-Croatian, different the judges act as impartial referees osition refers to the oral declarations variants of which were spoken between the parties involved in a trial. made by a witness prior to the com- throughout Yugoslavia. Judges can make or refine the law mencement of a trial, whereas the Translators at the ICTY translate when the existing jurisprudence does French term déposition applies solely to from and into French, English, and not make a clear enough statement a statement given at a trial (testimony). BCS, but not always directly. For concerning the case at hand. In civil instance, documents drafted in BCS law—which is practiced throughout Two Official Languages are first translated into English and Europe and Latin America—the The ICTY has around 1,100 staff then, if necessary, into French, which judges must follow existing rules and members from 81 countries. Its two often results in the loss of information regulations. official languages are French and and nuance that this extra layer of The dual nature of the ICTY gives English, but the vast majority of deci- translation entails. However, BCS rise to a number of translation chal- sions are rendered in English, which itself cannot be considered as one lan- lenges. It is easy enough to get around is also the language used most often guage, despite the Tribunal’s best by calling judges “Your Honor,” but by the organization’s trial attorneys efforts. Some defendants with strong how do you deal with legal concepts and lawyers. Because of this, transla- nationalistic views insist that they from other countries that do not exist tors seeking to be employed by the only understand “their” flavor of the in your target language? For instance, ICTY will have a difficult time getting language, and demand that everything how do you translate “aiding and hired if they are not intimately be translated into that particular abetting” into French or, worse, acquainted with the subtleties of the dialect. Such a request creates an “aider” and “abettor?” In this English language. While most docu- enormous burden on translators by giving rise to motions, replies, and responses filed while the legal parties fight over whether this falls within the How do you deal with legal concepts from another rights guaranteed by ICTY’s Statute. When the trial chamber is presided country that do not exist in your language? over by a French-speaking judge, it also means that all the document sub- missions are going to require transla- tion into French. instance, the concept expressed by the ments are initially prepared in Obviously there are some limits French term complicité seems to come English, they are often the product of when it comes to delivering multilin- closest to being an adequate equiva- nonnative English speakers who may gual justice. It can be a difficult bal- lent, yet it lacks the precision of the not have mastered the finer points of ancing exercise to reconcile, on the English phrase. The same difficulty common law terminology and proce- one hand, the rights of defendants to arises with the concepts of “multiple dures, which makes the translation of communicate in a language they can hearsay evidence,” “double jeopardy,” legal texts extremely challenging. understand in order to receive a fair and mens rea, which can refer, and speedy trial, and, on the other, the depending on the context, to the moral Multiple Language Combinations financial and logistical demands of the element of a crime, the culpable inten- Since the ICTY’s Statute,1 which Tribunal. tion of its author, or to a superior’s sets out the rights guaranteed to the knowledge of crimes committed by defendant to ensure a fair trial, stipu- Dealing with References one of his subordinates. lates that the accused is entitled to All submissions for translation, par- Another trap the translator must communicate in a language he or she ticularly judgments, make extensive ref- avoid are false friends—words in two understands, the Tribunal has another erence to legal publications and to languages or dialects (or letters in two working language: Bosnian-Croatian- decisions rendered by foreign courts, alphabets) that look and/or sound sim- Serbian (BCS). BCS is the politically international legal bodies such as the ilar, but differ in meaning—which correct solution coined by the ICTY European Court of Human Rights, and, abound in the Tribunal’s legal termi- to designate the language formerly of course, to previous decisions of ➡

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 25 Delivering Multilingual Justice: A Look into the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Continued the ICTY itself. Translating such refer- ences is no easy task when the duty to be true to the quoted original conflicts Check it Out with the fact that terminology often dif- fers between legal institutions. It can be quite a challenge just dealing with refer- ences to the ICTY’s principal internal ICTY Homepage documents, such as its Statute and the www.un.org/icty Rules of Procedure and Evidence, which govern the conduct of trials. ICTY Links to Glossaries and Press Briefings For the most part, the ICTY’s www.un.org/icty/glance-e/index.htm internal documents were drafted at the time the organization was estab- Geneva Conventions lished. As such, the terminology in www.genevaconventions.org these documents has evolved, in part because the law is ever changing, but mostly because, through a trial and error process, new and improved is compounded by the fact that trans- the client’s quality expectations, and translations for common law con- lators are not trained jurists. to deal with the ever-existing pressure cepts have been discovered. For of doing more, at a faster pace, and for a cheaper price. It has been my expe- rience that international organizations such as the ICTY have entirely dif- ferent needs. Although those who There is nothing like the feeling that you are doing have never worked in the private something that truly matters. industry may disagree, there is really only one priority in such organiza- tions: quality. There is a close-to-zero tolerance for mistakes at the ICTY, since someone’s future may depend example, in international criminal Sharing Documents on a misunderstood or poorly trans- law, the notion of deportation strictly Although translation memory tools lated nuance. This is a most welcome refers to the legal transfer of a popu- are available at the ICTY, they are relief, as it allows the translators to lation beyond national borders. rarely used for a variety of reasons give their best and concern them- Mostly in order to avoid the negative that fall outside the scope of this selves only with their craft. connotations of the word, the article. Thus, translators have to resort The one piece of advice I have for term was translated in the ICTY to old-style solutions, such as creating those of you out there who have Statute as “expulsion.” However, manual glossaries, to guarantee con- always dreamed of working for an again strictly under international sistent terminology. international organization is to keep criminal law, expulsion is but a means applying. There is nothing like the of deportation. Priorities feeling that you are doing something My background is in localization, that truly matters. Complex Legal Conclusions an industry heavily governed by time Translators at the ICTY must also and budget constraints. Regardless of Notes deal with documents filled with com- whether I worked as a translator, 1. ICTY Statute, www.icls.de/ plex legal reasoning, which requires project manager, or manager of trans- dokumente/icty_statut.pdf. extensive research even before trans- lation services, I always had to bal- lation can start. This is a difficulty that ance my priorities as a translator with

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To learn more about ATA, visit www.atanet.org or contact ATA at +1-703-683-6100 or [email protected]. School Outreach Profile: Patrice Van Hyle By Lillian Clementi

Patrice Van Hyle (left) spoke to students of advanced French at Riverside High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Patrice discussed the skills and per- well prepared and enthusiastic. “My A school outreach presenta- sonality traits best suited for each. She entire presentation was conducted in tion to students of advanced French at also described a translator’s typical French,” she noted, “and the students Riverside High School in inner-city day, illustrating the importance of ter- had no problem understanding me and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, proved minology and research with quotes communicating back to me at their rewarding and inspiring for ATA from an article in The ATA Chronicle level. They were not inhibited to member Patrice Van Hyle. The owner on technical translation by veteran speak even if they made mistakes. I of Milwaukee-based PVH TRANS- translator and fellow Milwaukee local was impressed by their academic LATE LLC, a French and Italian lan- Nicholas Hartmann. “The students accomplishments. They have over- guage service provider, Patrice commented that they did not realize come a lot of hardships, and I am glad translates and interprets in a variety of subject areas and has written for a number of periodicals in the U.S. and abroad. Although she has taught French and Italian extensively, she was particularly impressed by the I was impressed by the students’ accomplishments, and Riverside students. I am glad The ATA Chronicle is highlighting Challenging and Thoughtful their efforts. “I spoke to 15 seniors who were just days away from graduation. In spite of their excitement, they were very focused on my presentation and asked incredibly challenging and how complex and multifaceted the The ATA Chronicle is highlighting thoughtful questions.” Because they translation and interpreting field was, their efforts.” were poised for college, she said, “the and said how much they appreciated whole discussion of using your for- learning the ins and outs from a pro- 2008 School Outreach Photo eign language in a real job was very fessional,” she noted. Contest Now Open pertinent and useful.” Though Riverside faces many of ATA is now accepting entries for After explaining the difference the challenges common to urban the 2008 School Outreach Contest. between translation and interpreting, schools, Patrice found the students The prize is free registration to ATA’s

28 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 49th Annual Conference at the Hilton 2. Pick the age level you like the best using the subject line “School in the Walt Disney World Resort in and click on it. Outreach Contest,” or mail it to 225 Orlando, Florida, November 5-8, Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, 2008. 3. Download a presentation and Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. Please deliver it at your local school or include your name and contact infor- The deadline for submissions is July university. mation, the date, the school’s name 21, 2008, and the winner will be con- and location, and a brief description tacted no later than August 18, 2008. 4. Get someone to take a picture of of the class. Here is how to enter: you in the classroom. For tips on getting a winning photo, visit You may submit multiple entries, and 1. Visit the School Outreach homepage at www.atanet.org/ata_school/photo_ any member of ATA or any ATA- www.atanet.org/ata_school/index.php contest_guidelines.php. affiliated organization is eligible to enter. and click on Presentation Resource For more information, contact Lillian Materials. 5. E-mail your entry to ATA’s Public Clementi at [email protected]. Relations Committee at [email protected]

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March 7–8, 2008 May 13–17, 2008 August 4–7, 2008 Institute of Germanic and Association of Language Companies International Federation of Translators Romance Studies 2008 Annual Conference 18th FIT World Congress Nordic Translation Conference San Francisco, California Shanghai, China London, England www.alcus.org www.fit-ift.org www.awaywithwords.se/nordic.htm May 16–18, 2008 November 5–8, 2008 March 28-30, 2008 National Association of Judiciary American Translators Association ATA Spanish Language Division Interpreters and Translators 49th Annual Conference 5th Mid-Year SPD Conference 29th Annual Conference Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort Philadelphia, PA May 16-18, 2008 Orlando, Florida Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania [email protected] www.atanet.org http://najit.org March 28-30, 2008 Mid-America Chapter of the ATA Annual Educational Symposium for Language Professionals Visit ATA’s Calendar Online Bethany, OK www.atanet.org/calendar/ www.ata-micata.org for a more comprehensive look at upcoming events.

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 29 Business Smarts Why Do We Need Translation Standards?

Despite years of discussion about quality forced to buy language services. This therefore be viewed less as a limitation in language translation, it was only means that translation terminology and more as a new opportunity for you recently that an actual industry standard must be explained to inexperienced as an independent translator both to for translation was finalized. ASTM F buyers, and the steps involved in pro- educate and to evaluate your clients. 2575-06, entitled “Standard Guide for ducing flawless copy—including The detailed definitions of translation Quality Assurance in Translation,” was selecting a translation service provider, processes can be useful tools for published in June of 2006. Although defining project specifications, actual explaining your work to customers and many translation companies have wel- production (terminology management, justifying its cost. The document also comed this effort to standardize quality, translation, editing, formatting, proof- benefits you as an individual translator individual freelancers continue to be reading, and quality control), and post- by providing a framework within concerned that newly introduced stan- project review—must be formally which you can measure the working dards may constitute a threat. described. This is the purpose of ASTM methods of your agency clients against F 2575-06 (entitled “Standard Guide an accepted objective yardstick. For Dear Business Smarts, for Quality Assurance in Translation”). example: Do they take the time to pro- I read about the new translation stan- Translation companies may see the vide you with specifications, termi- dards in The ATA Chronicle and else- standard as a way to “quantify quality” nology, and client expectations? Are where, but am confused about the and thereby set themselves apart from you given an opportunity to review meaning of these documents for my their competitors; the increasing trend editing changes, and is your work business as a freelancer. I heard that one toward documentation and continuous reviewed at all? Does the client make of the objectives was to push small free- improvement processes (CIP) is part of an effort to listen to your comments? lance contractors out of the market and this growing emphasis on quality. Since Last, but not least, is the quality of the to make it harder for them to get work ASTM F 2575-06 is principally rele- final product really everyone’s highest from direct clients. But at a conference vant to projects larger than any you are priority? session I attended, I heard that nothing likely to handle as a freelancer, it would change for freelancers and that I should not interfere with your relation- Notes was “probably already doing” what the ship with direct clients as long as the 1. ASTM International, F 2575-06 standard discussed. Why, then, did we quality requirements listed in the stan- “Standard Guide for Quality need a standard? Many thanks for any dard are met. “At a minimum, project Assurance in Translation,” June 2006. additional information you can provide. management, translation, and editing Standard Question tasks performed by highly qualified 2. Ibid. individuals at all stages should be con- Dear Standard Question, sidered the default to obtain a transla- Thanks largely to the arrival of the tion that meets high quality standards.”1 Comments? Internet, the global translation market In a reflection of industry realities, the has grown tremendously in the past document also concedes that “[i]n ATA members can discuss business issues online decade, and large numbers of new some cases, the project manager and at the following Yahoo! group: providers are pushing into the field. the translator are the same person.”2 http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/ Clients who never before had to deal In fact, an individual independent group/ata_business_practices. You will with foreign languages, including gov- translator can perform all the functions need to register with Yahoo! (at no charge) if you have not already done so, and provide your ernment agencies and small to mid- of a “translation provider” as defined full name and ATA member number in order to sized companies, are suddenly being by the standard. The standard can join the group.

The information in this column was compiled by members of ATA’s Business Practices Education Committee for the benefit of ATA members. This column is not intended to constitute legal, financial, or other business advice. Each individual or company should make its own independent business decisions and consult its own legal, financial, or other advisors as appropriate. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of ATA or its Board of Directors. Send your questions about the business of translation and interpretation to The ATA Chronicle—BPEC Q&A; 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA; Fax: +1-703-683-6122; E-mail: [email protected]. Questions must be accompanied by a complete name and address, but will be published anony- mously or pseudonymously upon request.

30 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 GeekSpeak Jost Zetzsche [email protected] Spinning the Crystal Ball

Former long-time ATA Board dictions are your answers to the recent already pointing the way. When I first member Tony Roder was kind enough tool survey, which have not yet been heard about server-based computing it to send me a few manuscripts of talks compiled as I write. sounded way too futuristic, and I on translation memory (TM) tech- resented the idea because it seemed to nology that he gave in the late 1990s Subsegment search and automatic uti- promise me less control. However, I at ATA conferences. Here is one quote lization will become much more impor- have come to the conclusion that that I found remarkable: tant, and if you think about it, it is a freedom (from software updates, com- no-brainer. Of course, there are more puter problems, and backup worries) is In acknowledging that this is an irre- matches on the subsegment level than on not a bad thing either. versible phenomenon, we come to the sentence level, and if these can be the realization that TM work is so intelligently filtered and automatically Sharing of language resources will no different from conventional transla- reused as some tools have already started doubt become more relevant. It remains tion, that it is creating a distinct form to do, there is a potentially steep produc- to be seen whether it will come through of language transposition which tivity gain on the horizon—one, by the SaaS-like tools, project-specific client- opens the gates to an uncharted ter- way, that cannot yet be quantified and server constellations, an industry con- ritory, in which the demand for TM discounted in clients’ pricing schemes. I sortium like TAUS, a commercial model specialists can only grow, and in predict that terminology work and sub- like TM Marketplace, or some open- which the choice of becoming a TM segment processing will slowly merge. (I source model. Chances are that it will be specialist becomes a viable alterna- can just imagine how this will make true a mixture of all of the above and some- tive. In my crystal ball, I see a terminologists cringe). thing else that we have not even seen yet. migration, a diaspora of translators moving into that specialty, weighed Merging of TM and machine trans- Automated workflow processes will down by computers with gigabytes lation is also a no-brainer. It already become more prevalent, especially for of memory, and by all the software happens on the enterprise level, but I larger projects, and this hopefully will they can carry; but with no diction- think that we will see this more and also include the TM-based authoring aries to speak of. more on the agency and freelancer of the source text (which I still believe level in the next three to five years. is one of the most underutilized oppor- Hats off to Tony: few predictions for Yes, I know, it is sort of a bitter pill to tunities of our industry). the future have been more on the mark! swallow, but let’s face it: the stuff that As I write, we have not yet is worthwhile to process with machine Open-source projects will become launched into 2008, so it seems fair translation is not worth wasting our more relevant. Existing projects to for me to gaze into my own crystal time on. (This is because users have watch include the conceptual design of ball in an attempt to identify trends in low expectations of the quality of the a Translation Memory Open Source TEnTs (translation environment tools) output and because, so far, the only System (TMOSS), OmegaT and Sun’s that we will see in the coming months successful implementations have been Open Language Tools, and now even and years, and that naturally will have in strongly controlled environments.) open source versions of established an impact on translators. (We will TEnTs (such as OpenWordfast). Also, have to wait and see whether these Software as a Service (SaaS) has just look to XLIFF (XML Localization predictions will be as good as Tony’s.) reached our industry, but it arrived with Interchange File Format) to become a Admittedly, I did not conjure these great force. SaaS is the concept of not much more common translation stan- ideas out of thin air. For the 100th having to install the software on your dard format, and help with some of the edition of my newsletter (www. local computer, but instead using it file format issues we are dealing with internationalwriters.com/toolkit), I through a Web browser, with most, if right now, and, in turn, substantially sent a note to most tool vendors asking not all, of your language data being assist the open-source communities. them for their opinion on the future of hosted by a server. In the realm of translation tools. I then published those project management for the language And, yes, for those of you who are opinions in the newsletter, and they industry this has already become the de still wondering about when and how served as a good springboard for my facto standard, and it also represents the own opinions. Not included in my pre- future for TEnTs, with a few of them Continued on p. 32

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 31 The Onionskin is a client education column launched by the ITI Bulletin (a publication of The Onionskin Chris Durban the U.K.’s Institute of Translation and [email protected] Interpreting) in 1996. Comments and leads for future columns are very welcome; please include full contact details. Winging it in Milan Contact: [email protected].

A little knowledge can be a At our request, a French sales for some six years. Was this dangerous thing. executive who describes his own Onionskin person not engaging in a Consider what happens when a English as “fluent” looked through crass commercial bid to steal a client? translation comes under the microscope the offending text from Malpensa and Mr. Ciserani did not respond to our for tweaking or an ultimate green light. agreed it was flawed, but not until he requests for an interview, but we stand If the “reviser” is not genuinely fluent had reached the end, where “catch- by our analysis: the text speaks for itself in the target language, his or her input ment area” caught his attention. as proof that somebody was bluffing can do more harm than good. “That’s a strange word; it’s wrong, somebody along the supply chain. For example, a European busi- isn’t it?” he commented. Well, no, While Malpensa has declined to nessman recently gave a thumbs- actually. In fact, “catchment” was one pursue the issue, the advert highlights down to “Putting clients first” as a of the rare correct bits. the challenge facing well-meaning heading in the English version of a To get that far, our man had waded, clients who simply cannot judge the brochure testifying to his company’s oblivious, through “Malpensa, the quality of work delivered. “Trust me, focus on service. “Golf terms should only airport wanted by the EU for the I’m a professional” is only as good as not be used in formal business docu- Trans European Network”; through the quality of the work on the page, ments,” he opined to colleagues, who “9,3% increase of passengers”; and when time is short and the buyer fortunately set him straight. through “The shopping mall with the inexperienced (or simply too More commonly, nonnative buyers greatest Fashion Designers of the trusting), accidents happen. For or revisers let errors slip through for Made in Italy sector”; and more. Not Malpensa, this was an expensive one: lack of language awareness. An adver- a single one of these glitches had the Financial Times rate sheet indi- tisement promoting Milan’s Malpensa caught his eye in the English text— cates the airport spent €l60,000 on its airport to readers of the Financial just as the U.S. and British businesses advertising space, only to run a poorly Times on November 30 and again on regularly cited in this column fail to translated text that flies in the face of December 7 hit this wall. The aim was notice errors in their German, Italian, the sophisticated international image to convince foreign businesspeople of French, and Japanese texts. it wished to convey. the airport’s efficiency, punctuality, and Back in Milan, an airport represen- Once again from the top: the general appeal. A clever visual shows tative confirmed to the Onionskin that higher the stakes, the more important banknotes folded into paper planes the English text had been supplied by it is to use a professional, and to clustered on the tarmac around a an external specialist in communica- solicit regular feedback from inde- modern terminal. tions, Luca Ciserani. At their request, pendent, literate, native-speaking Alas, the accompanying 100-word we prepared an earnest and detailed sources. To ensure future texts get off text fails to fly due to odd phrasing critique, which they kindly passed on. the ground in Milan, we are sending and grammar, starting with, “A growth But it fell on deaf ears, Mr. Ciserani both Malpensa and their external spe- without comparison” in boldface. insisted to Malpensa that the English cialist a copy of the Italian version of Growth, in English, takes no article; “a text had been crafted by a bona fide Translation, getting it right. growth” is more often than not a med- translator—yessir, a native speaker of ical condition requiring surgery. American English—working in Italy

GeekSpeak Continued from p. 31 The GeekSpeak column has two goals: to inform to make the plunge for a TEnT, it will Well, there they are—my bold the community about technological advances and at indeed become (or should I say “it crystal ball predictions for the heady the same time encourage the use and appreciation already is”) so commonplace that it translation future. I will leave it up to of technology among translation professionals. Jost will be a struggle to do without Tony to check back 10 years from now also publishes a free technical newsletter for trans- (unless you strictly translate nonfunc- to test their validity. lators (www.internationalwriters.com/toolkit). tional texts).

32 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 ATA Certification Exam Information Upcoming Exams All candidates applying for ATA certification must provide proof that they meet the certification program California Orlando New Jersey eligibility requirements. Please direct all inquiries San Diego November 8, 2008 New Brunswick regarding general certification information to ATA March 15, 2008 Registration Deadline: April 19, 2008 Headquarters at +1-703-683-6100. Registration for Registration Deadline: October 24, 2008 Registration Deadline: all certification exams should be made through ATA February 29, 2008 April 4, 2008 Headquarters. All sittings have a maximum capacity Indiana and admission is based on the order in which San Francisco West Lafayette North Carolina registrations are received. Forms are available from March 22, 2008 March 22, 2008 Raleigh ATA’s website or from Headquarters. Registration Deadline: Registration Deadline: April 19, 2008 March 7, 2008 March 7, 2008 Registration Deadline: April 4, 2008 San Francisco Massachusetts April 26, 2008 Somerville Oklahoma Tennessee Washington Registration Deadline: June 1, 2008 Bethany Nashville Seattle April 11, 2008 Registration Deadline: March 30, 2008 September 14, 2008 April 26, 2008 May 16, 2008 Registration Deadline: Registration Deadline: Registration Deadline: San Diego March 14, 2008 September 5, 2008 April 11, 2008 September 6, 2008 Michigan Registration Deadline: Texas Wisconsin Grand Rapids Pennsylvania August 22, 2008 May 3, 2008 Austin Milwaukee Philadelphia April 12, 2008 May 3, 2008 Registration Deadline: March 30, 2008 Florida April 18, 2008 Registration Deadline: Registration Deadline: Registration Deadline: March 28, 2008 April 18, 2008 Miami March 14, 2008 May 31, 2008 Novi Registration deadline: August 9, 2008 May 16, 2008 Registration Deadline: July 25, 2008

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The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 33 Compiled by Dictionary Review Peter A. Gergay [email protected]

A Supplementary Russian- A Supplementary Russian- entries, with headwords having more English Dictionary, Second English Dictionary, Second Edition than 10 subentries, which facilitates Edition (ASRED 2) begins where the author’s the reader’s task of finding the entry previous volume, A Supplementary sought. The information customary Author: Russian-English Dictionary (Slavica for Russian-to-English dictionaries— Stephen Marder Publishers, 1992), left off. Unique in for example, gender if the noun is its approach, ASRED 2 does not irregular, aspect, specialized termi- Publisher: attempt to be a comprehensive dic- nology (medical, legal, sports), and Slavica (Bloomington, Indiana) tionary of the Russian language. As stylistic level (slang, colloquial)—is Stephen Marder clearly states in his indicated. Publication date: introduction, this is a supplementary 2007 dictionary that is not designed to sub- Content stitute for or compete with Alexander Though ASRED 2 claims to be— Number of pages/entries: Smirnitsky’s or Marcus Wheeler’s and certainly is—a dictionary, this 736 pages/81,000 entries well known works. The purpose of work frequently reads like an encyclo- ASRED 2 is to fill in the gaps and to pedia. Marder has included in the def- ISBN: provide definitions for the huge initions a wealth of interesting, 978-0-89357-327-0 number of terms that have emerged in arcane, fascinating, and often highly Russian over the past 15 years fol- amusing details. It is unlikely that any Price: lowing the collapse of the Soviet other lexicographer would have come $44.95 (Hardcover) Union and the concomitant collapse up with more than 50 synonyms or of the stylistic boundaries of Russian related words for ,f,rb (slang for Available from: and of a frozen Marxist lexicon. “money/dough”) or provided an entire Slavica Publishers The language of the Internet, camp paragraph explaining the meaning of www.slavica.com slang, criminal jargon, international dibdjcnm and why, in modern banking and finance terminology, Russian, the word has lost the original Reviewed by: ecological terms, adolescent slang, meaning of “lice” and taken on the Lynn Visson and terms relating to health, drugs, meaning of “to give an acid test,” “to and AIDS have had an enormous check out thoroughly.” Nor would impact on Russian, and in particular most dictionaries explain that ghj- on the spoken language. Words that ctxrf , as a rules of the road violation, previously were rarely or never seen is entered on the driver’s ownership in print, and that were confined to the papers or registration rather than on vocabularies of prisoners or the driver’s license. Or that vjyujk- teenagers, are now common currency crbq rekfy is an Asiatic wild ass in the press and in the language of (Equus hemionus hemionus). A refer- political officials (e.g., Vladimir ence to dzkjntreobq includes the Putin’s now classic “vjxbnm b[ d information that the term, as applied cjhnbht”). to schizophrenia (sluggish, slowly developing), was coined by Professor Structure Snezhnevsky, the former head of The dictionary is superbly pro- Moscow’s Serbsky Institute of duced, a solid hardback printed on Forensic Psychiatry, and was often excellent quality paper with entry used in reference to dissidents. headwords in boldface font that jump The entry for lrm (ljujdjh j rjk- off the page at the reader. In contrast ktrnbdyjq ,tpjgfcyjcnb) includes an to the first edition of ASRED, the explanatory note on the parties to the numbered entries are listed vertically treaty and its purpose. An interesting rather than horizontally for long reference to vjkjlbkmyst z,kjrb

34 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 discusses the folkloric roots of the in Vladimir Shlyakhov and Eve Overall Evaluation expression and its association with Adler’s Dictionary of Russian Slang Okay, enough nit-picking. ASRED 2 “anti-aging” or “wonder” remedies. and Colloquial Expressions. As is an invaluable asset for all students and Also, you probably did not know that Marder states in his introduction, teachers of Russian, and for any trans- “djy/xbt” gjxnjdst vfhrb were however, ASRED 2 is not intended to lator or interpreter with a serious interest scented postage stamps, and that Russia be a dictionary of slang. Those slang in the language. This is a book that the had released a set of fruit-scented expressions that are included (e.g., Slavist will enjoy reading and leafing stamps in 2003, or that kfrvec is still ,kby, tryenmcz, kf;f) come with through for the pure linguistic fun of it, the word for a “personal taster” whose useful synonyms for the reader and and Slavists are deeply indebted to Steve job it is “to ascertain the quality of food translator. Marder for the incredible amount of and drink and to test for the presence of Marder also includes a disclaimer work he has put into producing this poison.” In a word, ASRED 2 is every- for “Britishisms and New Zealan- superb volume. It is a masterpiece of thing you ever might have wanted to disms,” the result of decades spent in kbyudjcnhfyjdtltybt as well as lexi- know about Russian, but never knew these countries. Nevertheless, the def- cography, a sweeping canvas of the whom to ask. inition of “crumblie” (senile person) Russian language of our time, carefully The dictionary covers so much for cnfhsq vfhfpvfnbr is unlikely to designed and brilliantly executed in ground in so many fields and levels of resonate with the American reader. masterful and colorful verbal brush language that it is hard to fault it for Also, while the culinary history pro- strokes. ASRED 2 should be a yfcnj- various omissions. For some reason, vided in the entry for cfkfn jkbdmt is kmyfz rybuf for anyone seriously inter- .. the long list under xthysq did not admirable, I would respectfully ques- ested in Russian for years to come. .. include the very common xthysq gbfh tion the author’s assertion that the (smear campaign), which is found on modern-day version necessarily multitran.ru; the definition of ahern did includes “cooked sausage cut into not refer to the very common colloquial cubes.” A good many of the salads Lynn Visson is an editor at Hippocrene Books use of the word to mean an unpleasant (and recipes for the salad) this in New York. She was a staff interpreter at the individual or an oddball; and there was reviewer has encountered, recreated, United Nations for 24 years. Contact: gjyns no entry for the very common or consumed in Russia or abroad were [email protected]. (lies, falsehoods), which is included beef or chicken-based.

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The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 35 The Translation Inquirer John Decker [email protected]

It took this many years before after hour, my tiny machine per- the Translation Inquirer finally forming like a champ. And when I got attended his first fully interpreted home, I listened to my tapes and Abbreviations conference; that is, one in which vir- found that often the man speaking used with this column tually every word spoken was inter- English was indistinct, but that his preted. Looking with a bit of doubt at baritone speaking range matched that D–Dutch Gr-Greek his microcassette tape recorder, the of the interpreter exactly. So the tape E–English H–Hungarian Translation Inquirer asked one of the was not as easy to follow as the live [E]–English I–Italian bigwigs at the conference if it was event, which was held in a cavernous accepted, the K–Korean okay to record the speakers in either interior space. It was then that the original query did Pt–Portuguese language, and he replied, “Sure, go light went on for me. In principle, in ahead. If we ever become that merce- an ideal world, a woman should inter- not involve English R–Russian nary about our speakers, I encourage pret when the main speaker is a man, F–French Sp–Spanish you to quit our organization.” That and a man should interpret for a G-German Sw–Swedish was refreshing. So I recorded, hour woman speaker. Right?

New Queries cation. The passage is all about new burns over 70% of his body. Does (E-F 2-08/1) Without a context sen- job opportunities and competencies. Swedish have a separate word for this? tence, but with the knowledge that it relates to software for a telephone, a (E-H 2-08/4) The context sentence for (F-D [E] 2-08/7) This has to do with a member of ProZ asks about the the problem term, valve bases, is a 4x4 motor vehicle, and the troubling meaning of quatrefoil shot and how model of technical simplicity: The French sentence was: En manÏuvre de French might handle that. centre connections from the valve parking (en 1ère et marche arrière) et bases are drain pipes. Who can deal à l’approche des butées de braquage (E-G 2-08/2) A ProZer stumbled with the Hungarian for this? le véhicule est légèrement freiné dans over reproductive health in a sa progression. Provide, if you can, brochure that a chemical company (E-R 2-08/5) A music-related query good Dutch or English for the three issued pertaining to the health of its appears at last. A translator working on words in bold. employees. Naturally, the company a manual for a home audio system wants consultation to be available at stumbled over note velocity. This (G-Sp [E] 2-08/8) I never feel quite the plant for anyone who is con- seems like an odd musical term, but comfortable unless a column contains cerned about the possible effects that maybe not so in the world of electronic something juicy in technical German. the chemicals might have on the keyboards. Here is what the translator The trouble word here is Zulauf- reproductive system. found: To lower the minimum MIDI förderung: Das Füllen des Pumpen- note velocity: Select a key to start the gehäuses bei Aggregaten unterhalb des (E-Gr 2-08/3) What on earth is work process. Adjust the MIDI key velocity Anschlagpunktes, die durch Zulauff- circulation? A ProZer, trying to trans- sent to the solenoid on each key to örderung versorgt werden, erfolgt late into Greek, found material about create optimal playback performance. durch Entfernen des Einfüllstopfens 9 how to create a learning pathway that Note that the reference is to situations und nachfolgendem Öffnen des saug- mentioned this, among other things: where the keyboard plays something seitigen Schiebers. There is more to this Some may want to use it [Learning recorded within the device. sentence, but the part that appears here Pathway] to evaluate their current should be enough for you to provide competencies to assess areas that (E-Sw 2-08/6) Here a ProZer is won- good Spanish or English. might need to be developed (e.g., dering about electrocution. This is not through work circulation), whilst the kind used to administer the death (I-E 2-08/9) In this review, the lowly others may use it when making a penalty, but rather what happened to a motorcycle takes center stage: Moto detailed plan to achieve a new qualifi- boy struck by lightning who suffered Guzzi 1950 Falcone Sport [start of new

36 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 line:] Non si tratta di una novità asso- (E-Sp 11-07/3) (discharge cross transliteration. In former times, educated luta, ma è stato migliorato con tanti pic- strainer access plate): Gonzalo Koreans would have used four Chinese coli accorgimenti. Per risolvere Ordóñez says that in the context of characters to express this, but more definitivamente alcune critiche circa la water engineering, the word dis- modern Koreans are doing away with lentezza e la scarsa dolcezza della leva charge could mean to give outlet or to them. The term in the request means delle marce, il Falcone viene equipag- pour forth a fluid, with the correspon- Heilongjiang Sheng, or Heilongjiang giato con il cambio ‘tipo Condor,’cioè a ding noun forms. Descarga is usually Province, which is in northeast China. Quattro rapporti con ingranaggi sempre the word of choice for that in This literally means Black Dragon River. in presa e gli alberini sullo stesso piano. Spanish. It seems to Gonzalo that All would have been well for this ProZ- cross is linked here to strainer,prob- Have you ever delved into patents? affiliated translator if not for the words in ably meaning a strainer formed by The older ones seem to be a bit more of bold print. What are they all about? two wires crossed at right angles. So, a gentleman’s game than what now rou- in Spanish, the five consecutive tinely appears, with little flourishes that (Pt-Sp [E] 2-08/10) The Portuguese nouns could be la placa de acceso al add charm. My grandfather-in-law, term coletiva de impresa seemed colador de cruz para descarga. whose regrettably short life ended opaque when printed in material about before he could see any of his grandchil- the launching of a new product. The (F-E 11-07/5) (prise en charge ambu- dren, received a U.S. patent in document states that the term in ques- latoire): Both Janice Wood and Sharon December 1927, after waiting more than tion will happen at a certain place at a Neeman call this out-patient treat- three years, for a “gravity dumping- certain time. What is it? English will ment. Fleshing out the original quote, truck body.” Right at the outset is the be accepted for this. Sharon uses in an out-patient treat- term Letters Patent, reminding me that ment framework for dans le cadre what now is a noun once was an adjec- (R-E 2-08/11) A member was thor- d’une prise en charge ambulatoire. tive. Common knowledge of the art is oughly confused when he found used where we would routinely say state gjfrhjdsq being used as an adjective (F-E 11-07/6) (platine épasseur): This is of the art. There is a rare personal note in referring to payment for work done likely to be a misspelling of épaisseur. If the transition sentence between the spec- per square unit area in a marine envi- this is the case, then the term in question ification and his nine claims: Having ronment. First, the country has been a means spacer plate, says Sharon Neeman. now described my invention, what I metric country for a long time. Janice Wood thinks this is an omission of claim is…. The very last sentence is a Second, acre presumably refers to dry a measurement in the French text. fine one: In testimony whereof I hereto land. What is happening here? affix my signature [plus his name]. Why (G-E 11-07/7) (gefangene Räume): did these fine little details have to vanish Replies to Old Queries Sandra Thomson, an ardent admirer of from this kind of writing? (E-Pt 11-07/1) (Pod surfing, thumb- this column, consulted her brother, an sucking, snarfing, etc.): Gabe Bokor architect, who, in turn, checked with a This column is solely intended as a means of facilitating says that all these terms refer to the colleague who is responsible for over- a general discussion regarding terminology choices. For use of portable devices for down- sight of building code enforcement. feedback regarding pressing terminology questions, loading confidential or copyrighted The latter called these dead-end please try one of these online forums: Lantra-L material. The first two are used when rooms, and that indeed seems to fit. (www.geocities.com/athens/7110/lantra.htm), the portable device is an iPod, and the ProZ.com (www.proz.com), or Translators Café third one is used when it is a (I-E 11-07/8) (Chirurgia protesica sia (http://translatorscafe.com). Bluetooth. The best thing, he says, is mono che tricompartimentale): This, Address your queries and responses to The to leave the terms untranslated and says Sharon Neeman, is tricompart- Translation Inquirer, 112 Ardmoor Avenue, Danville, explain them in Portuguese with mental knee replacement surgery. Pennsylvania 17821, or fax them to (570) 275- something like this: métodos para Here, there is a pair of terms, and the 1477. E-mail address: [email protected]. Please baixar arquivos confidenciais ou pro- “mono” refers to unicompartmental make your submissions by the first of each month to tegidos por copyright para disposi- procedures of this kind. be included in the next issue. Generous assistance from tivos portáteis—iPods para os Per Dohler, proofreader, is gratefully acknowledged. primeiros dois ou Bluetooth para o (K-E 11-07/9) (Heuklyongkangseong): terceiro. This, says Bruce Hyman, is indeed a

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 37 Humor and Translation Mark Herman [email protected] English to German to English to German to…

Many works have been trans- was not felicitous, and the German Confessions of an Opium-Eater, pub- lated, then adapted, and then had the libretto was newly translated into lished The Fatal Marksman, an English adaptation retranslated into the orig- English for the London premiere, also translation of the original German inal language. This was the fate of The in 1800. The new English translation, short story. It was from the English of Beggar’s Opera / The Threepenny the fact that Haydn’s original auto- The Fatal Marksman, not the German Opera, discussed in the October 2007 graph score was lost in 1803, and of Der Freischütz (nor the resulting column. But the Anglo-German ori- some legal wrangling over who had opera), that The Black Rider stems. gins of this work are relatively the right to translate what, have led to But that was not the end of the straightforward compared to those of a widely circulated but totally incor- matter. The Black Rider, an American Die Schöpfung [The Creation] and The rect depiction of the oratorio’s cre- musical written in English, was trans- Black Rider, two musical works, two ation: that the work was composed to lated (retranslated?) into German for centuries apart, whose ancestries are an English libretto, that all copies of its premiere production in Hamburg, tangled indeed. the original were lost, and that current Germany in 1990. The first perform- The earlier work, Die Schöpfung English versions are retranslations of a ance in English did not take place until [The Creation], composed between surviving German translation of the 1998 in Edmonton, Canada, and the 1796 and 1798 by Joseph Haydn, is an original English lyrics that Haydn set. first performance in the musical’s oratorio based on the biblical books of The recent work is The Black native land did not occur until 1999 in Genesis and Psalms, and on John Rider: The Casting of the Magic New York City. Milton’s Paradise Lost. The original Bullets: A Musical Fable. The book libretto, written anonymously in for this contemporary musical was English, had previously been offered written by William S. Burroughs, the Herman is a librettist and translator. Submit to George Frederick Handel, who author of Naked Lunch. The music and items for future columns via e-mail to her- turned it down. However, this English lyrics are by Tom Waits. [email protected] or via snail mail to Mark libretto was not what Haydn set to The source of The Black Rider is Herman, 1409 E Gaylord Street, Mt. Pleasant, MI music. Instead, Haydn set a German Der Freischütz, the German folk tale 48858-3626. Discussions of the translation of humor translation of the libretto by Baron van best known to English speakers as the and examples thereof are preferred, but humorous Swieten. Van Swieten then “adapted” basis for Carl Maria von Weber’s anecdotes about translators, translations, and mis- the original English libretto so that it famous romantic opera of the same translations are also welcome. Include copyright infor- could be sung to Haydn’s music. name. Weber’s opera premiered in mation and permission if relevant. The oratorio was published in a 1821. Two years later, Thomas de bilingual edition in 1800. However, Quincey, the Victorian British author van Swieten’s English “adaptation” best known for his 1821 book

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38 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 Certification Forum Corinne McKay Chair, ATA Certification Maintenance Committee Revisions to Continuing Education System

For the past year, ATA’s Certifi- lation and interpreting professions. offered by third parties do not qualify. cation Maintenance Committee—com- • CE improves our membership’s ATA’s Ethics Module is equivalent to posed of Veronica Albin, Arlene Kelley, combined knowledge and helps one CE point. Corinne McKay (chair), Susanne van make ATA a stronger association. Eyl, and Caitilin Walsh—has been • CE brings ATA’s Certification Activities Accepted for revising the continuing education (CE) Program into line with the credentials Continuing Education Points points system. The committee’s pri- of other professional organizations. Continuing Education points can be mary goals have been to increase the • CE enhances the prestige and recog- accrued in a variety of ways. Many number of free and low-cost continuing nition of ATA’s Certification Program activities reasonably deemed to be education opportunities; to increase the and of ATA-certified translators. related to translation and interpreting number of options that can be com- (T&I) are considered qualifying, pleted from home; to place special Certification Maintenance including CE points earned from other emphasis on continuing education that Requirements and Reporting Period T&I associations worldwide. ATA will is verifiable; and to make the CE point ATA requires its certified members not authorize or approve specific con- system reflect the work that ATA mem- to accrue 20 CE points every three tinuing education courses offered by bers do on a daily basis. The revised CE years. The three-year reporting period entities outside the T&I industry, but points grid that appears here is the cul- begins when a member first becomes will instead provide guidelines that the mination of the committee’s efforts. certified, or immediately following the certified member may consult in order Some major changes to this grid previous reporting period. CE points to determine if a given activity meets include: the addition of a category for earned must be verifiable; continuing ATA’s requirements. Continuing edu- independent study work; the acceptance education that is not verifiable is not cation course work or activities must of work done in the areas of translation, accepted for CE points. Two exceptions contribute to the professional knowl- interpreting, and translation/interpreting to the CE point requirements exist: edge and development of the T&I business practices; the addition of a practitioner, or must demonstrate an translation/interpreting work experience 1. Certified members who are 60 ongoing commitment to the profession category; and a redistribution of the years of age or older are exempt and client education through service points allocated to the various cate- from this requirement. and volunteerism. gories. The Certification Maintenance 2. ATA Headquarters has the Acceptable continuing education Committee looks forward to your feed- authority to extend the deadline for may include, but is not limited to: back on the revised CE points grid. accruing CE points, upon request, Please send any comments to for up to one year based upon • Attending conferences, courses, [email protected]. extenuating circumstances such as seminars, and workshops on T&I long-term illness, undue hardship, (or related to T&I specialty fields Purpose of Continuing Education military duty, etc. Additional one- or business practices) offered or and ATA Certification Maintenance year exceptions may be granted if authorized by state, private, • Continuing education (CE) is an required. Any points earned during national, and international organi- integral aspect of ATA’s mission to such an extension shall not count zations, and by corporations, agen- help all of its members provide high toward the next reporting period. cies, or institutions of higher quality translation, to demonstrate learning, whether online or onsite. an ongoing commitment to the pro- Ethics Course • Conducting independent study of fession, and to educate clients and All newly-certified members must educational T&I audio or video, the public about the translation and complete during the first reporting films, slides, or Internet articles on interpreting professions. period either the free online ATA T&I, T&I technology, and business • CE allows ATA-certified members Ethics Module, or the in-person practices (or material related to the to meet the requirements for main- Ethics Module offered at ATA’s translator’s specialty fields) published taining their certification. Annual Conference. The module need by recognized private, national, and • CE helps ensure that every member not be repeated in subsequent international trade associations, cor- recognizes changes within the trans- reporting periods. Ethics courses porations, or organizations. ➡

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 39 Certification Forum Continued

ATA Continuing Education Grid (Certified members must accrue at least 20 CE points in each three-year reporting period)

Activity Points/Max Per Year Documentation Examples

Attending conferences, courses, workshops, and 1 hour = 1 point Copy of certificate of atten- ATA Annual Conference, chapter-spon- seminars on T&I (or T&I-related specialty field or Maximum 10 points per event. No dance, receipt, or letter of sored seminars, T&I technology business practices) offered or authorized by maximum per reporting period. completion. workshops, American Medical Writers industry-recognized professionals, by state, private, Association educational meetings. national, and international organizations, and by ATA conference and seminar CDs, corporations, agencies, or institutions of higher DVD-ROMs, and conference proceed- learning, whether online or onsite. ings can earn 1 point per hour viewed/read up to a maximum of 10 points for each individual activity.

Independent study of educational T&I (or T&I-related Each activity = 1 point per hour of Copy of ATA Independent The ATA Chronicle, Proteus (NAJIT), specialty field or business practices) audio or video, activity. Maximum 15 points per Study Verification form for Caduceus (ATA), Intercambios (ATA), films, slides, or Internet articles on T&I, T&I tech- reporting period. each activity. the ATA Scholarly Monograph Series. nology, or the translator’s specialty fields published by recognized private, national, and international trade associations, corporations, or organizations.

Authoring or editing published books or articles 6 points per published book. Date and title of the article Books on T&I theory, articles for on T&I. 2 points per published article. or book and name of the The ATA Chronicle. Maximum 8 points per reporting period. publisher.

Teaching or developing a T&I course, seminar, or 1 hour = 2 points Date, title, and length of pre- Presentation at ATA Annual workshop. Credit may be earned only for new pre- No maximum per reporting period. sentation, and name of spon- Conference, chapter-sponsored semi- sentations. Repeating the same presentation does soring organization. nars, for-profit workshops. not earn additional points.

Volunteerism (T&I-related work or school outreach T&I-related: 2 hours of service = Description of the activity, presentations). 1 point. hours given, and name of School outreach: 1 hour of service = sponsoring organization. 1 point. Maximum 6 points per reporting period.

T&I work experience during particularly chal- Every 2 hours of extra time spent on Copy of T&I work experience Assignments for which the member lenging assignments, allowing the member to the assignment = 1 point. Maximum form for each assignment. has expanded his/her T&I capabili- expand his/her T&I capabilities. 6 points per reporting period. ties due to the challenging nature of the work.

Membership in professional associations other 1 point per membership. Maximum 4 Proof of membership. T&I (or related discipline or specialty than ATA. points per reporting period. field) associations, ATA chapters.

40 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 • Writing or editing books or articles domly audit certified members within a member’s listings or profiles in ATA’s on T&I. period of one year after the conclusion online directories. ATA members • Teaching or developing a T&I (or of a reporting period. Certified mem- whose certification has been T&I-related) course, seminar, or bers will be given 30 days notice to pro- rescinded may not use the designation workshop. (Credit may be earned vide documentation of their CE points “ATA-certified,” “certified by the only for new presentations.) to ATA Headquarters. Records include American Translators Association,” or • Providing pro bono T&I services, conference attendance certificates, the professional designation “CT” grader training, service in ATA’s course completion letters, and ATA (certified translator) after the trans- School Outreach/Mentorship pro- Independent Study Verification papers. lator’s name until they complete the grams, or client education in a Each self-directed activity must be sub- outstanding CE requirements. Loss of formal volunteer capacity. These stantiated by a report on the activity certification does not affect a person’s volunteer services will not be con- using the ATA Independent Study membership status. sidered if provided to an organiza- Verification form available on ATA’s Once a member has lost certifica- tion, association, or client of which website (See pages 42 and 43 for the tion, ATA will inform him/her of the the volunteer translator/interpreter Work Experience and Independent process required to reactivate his/her is also a paid employee. Study verification forms, or download ATA certification. Members who have • Maintaining membership in pro- them from www.atanet.org/certifica lost their certification will be encour- fessional T&I associations other tion/cep_verification_php.) Records aged to reactivate their certification as than ATA. are to be kept by the certified member long as they are still members of ATA for a period of one year after the con- and active in the profession. ➡ Repeating an identical continuing edu- clusion of a given reporting period, and cation opportunity does not earn addi- should not be sent to ATA unless tional CE points. requested by the Association in case of an audit. Recordkeeping and Verification The certified member must accrue Loss of Certification ATA Ethics Course the required CE points in the three-year A certified member’s certification reporting period, and is responsible for will be rescinded if the appropriate All certified members are required to earn one keeping a record of all CE activities and CE requirements have not been continuing education point by completing an completing ATA’s online CE reporting reported by the deadline or extended ethics course. form (www.atanet.org/docs/CE_approval deadline, as appropriate. ATA will For details, go to: www.atanet.org/ _request_form.pdf). ATA may ran- remove any certifications from a certification/online_ethics_overview.php

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The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 41 Certification Forum Continued

American Translators Association Independent Study Verification

Date: Member Name: ATA Membership Number: Title of Publication, Article, Book, or Educational Tool: Author (if applicable): Length:

Please give short answers to the following questions:

1. How does the material relate to the translation or interpreting professions?

2. How would you summarize this material?

3. What is the author or creator’s main argument?

4. Were there any omissions or flaws in the development of the argument?

5. What did you gain from this material?

42 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 American Translators Association Work Experience Verification

Date: Member Name: ATA Membership Number:

List what you consider the four subject areas with which you are most familiar when translating in your principal language combination:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Describe the subject area of the work experience instance or assignment for which you are claiming CE points.

What resources did you consult in order to complete the assignment in question (books, periodicals, website URLs, conversations with colleagues, online instructional materials)?

How much extra time did you spend on this assignment (as a percentage, compared with the time you would have needed for an assignment in a familiar subject area)?

Having completed this assignment, do you believe you are now better able to accept future work in this subject area?

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 43 Honors and Awards | 2008

The Alexander Gode Medal

The Alexander Gode Medal, ATA’s Nominations Conference in Orlando, Florida most prestigious award, is presented Nominations are welcomed from (November 5-8, 2008), transportation to to an individual or institution for out- the past recipients of the Gode Medal and from the conference, and up to four standing service to the translation and and the ATA membership at large. A nights’ lodging at the conference hotel. interpreting professions. This award sufficiently detailed description of the may be given annually. individual or institution’s record of Please send nominations of the indi- service to the translation and/or inter- vidual or institution you consider worthy Eligibility preting professions should be included of receiving the next Gode Medal to: Individuals or institutions nominated as part of the nomination. Petitions and do not have to be members of ATA; letter campaigns are not encouraged. American Translators Association however, a history of constructive rela- 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 tions with ATA and the language profes- Deadline: May 1, 2008 Alexandria VA 22314 sions in general is desirable. Nominees Phone: (703) 683-6100 do not have to be U.S. citizens. Award Fax: (703) 683-6122 Gode Medal, complimentary reg- E-mail: [email protected] istration to ATA’s 49th Annual Web: www.atanet.org/membership/ honorsandawards.php Alicia Gordon Award for Word Artistry in Translation

ATA invites nominations for the 2008 2. The translation and the source text 9. By submitting a translation for consid- Alicia Gordon Award for Word Artistry must be submitted electronically by eration, the applicant expressly agrees in Translation. This award has been June 1, 2008 to [email protected]. to comply with these guidelines. established in memory of Alicia Gordon, known for creating imaginative solutions 3. Only one submission per applicant 10. The award will be announced at ATA’s to knotty translation problems based on will be accepted. Submission of 49th Annual Conference in Orlando, rigorous research. The award was estab- more than one translation will result Florida (November 5-8, 2008). lished by Alicia’s sister, Dr. Jane Gordon, in disqualification of the applicant. and award funds are administered by the Deadline: June 1, 2008 American Foundation for Translation 4. The translation must have been done (Candidates are encouraged to submit and Interpretation (AFTI). by an individual (no group efforts). nominations early!)

Eligibility 5. If the translation was done as a Award The award is open to ATA members work for hire, the party that con- $250 and a certificate of recognition in good standing. Passages may be sub- tracted for the translation must mitted by the translators themselves or consent in writing to its submis- Please send nominations to: by others on their behalf. The translation sion for the award. Alicia Gordon Award for Word that, in the opinion of the judges, Artistry in Translation demonstrates the highest level of artistry 6. Former award recipients are American Foundation for in translation will receive the award. excluded from subsequent cycles. Translation and Interpretation, Inc. Columbia Plaza, Suite 101 Submission Guidelines 7. The decision of the judges is final. 350 E Michigan Avenue 1. Translations of up to 750 words Kalamazoo, MI 49007 between (to or from) English and 8. Applicants will be notified of the Phone: (269) 383-6893 Spanish or French in any subject judges’decision with respect to their Fax: (269) 387-6333 matter field will be considered. submission. Notification will be by E-mail: [email protected] electronic or other means as deter- Web: www.afti.org mined by the committee of judges.

44 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 Lewis Galantière Award

The Lewis Galantière Award is The translator does not have to be • Two copies of the translated pages bestowed biennially in even-num- an ATA member; however, the trans- that correspond to the 10 consecu- bered years for a distinguished book- lator should have a strong connection tive pages provided from the orig- length literary translation from any with the U.S. through citizenship or inal work. Please do not staple. If language, except German, into permanent residence. The nomination providing a dual-language work, English. The Ungar German must be submitted by the publisher of copies are still required. Translation Award is given in odd- the translated work. numbered years. Deadline: May 1, 2008 This award honors distinguished Nominations Publishers are encouraged to submit ATA founding member Lewis The nomination must be submitted nominations early. Galantière (1894-1977). His transla- by the publisher of the work and must tions from French drama, fiction, include the following: Award poetry, and scholarship enriched cul- $1,000, a certificate of recognition, tural life during the middle decades of • Cover letter with complete publi- and up to $500 toward expenses for the 20th century, and are still being cation information for the work attending ATA’s 49th Annual read a quarter century after his death. being nominated, including the Conference in Orlando, Florida date of publication. (November 5-8, 2008). Eligibility To be eligible for the award, the • Brief vita of the translator, Please send nominations to: book-length literary translation must including place of residence and American Translators Association have been translated from any lan- contact information. 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 guage, except German, into English Alexandria VA 22314 and have been published in the U.S. in • Two copies of the nominated work Phone: (703) 683-6100 2006 or 2007. with one extra copy of the dust jacket. Fax: (703) 683-6122 The published translation must list E-mail: [email protected] the translator’s name on the title page • Two copies of 10 consecutive Web: www.atanet.org/membership/ and preferably on the dust jacket. pages from the original work, honorsandawards.php Preference will be given to published keyed to the page numbers of the works that provide biographical infor- translation. Please do not staple. If mation about the translator. providing a dual-language work, copies are still required.

S. Edmund Berger Prize for Excellence in Scientific and Technical Translation

ATA and the American Foundation may obtain a nomination form from Please send nominations to: for Translation and Interpretation the AFTI website (www.afti.org) or American Foundation for (AFTI) invite nominations for the from AFTI at the address listed below. Translation and Interpretation, Inc. annual S. Edmund Berger Prize. Nominations will be judged by a Columbia Plaza, Suite 101 The $1,000 prize is offered to recog- three-member national jury. The 350 E Michigan Avenue nize excellence in scientific and tech- recipient of the award will be Kalamazoo, MI 49007 nical translation by an ATA member. announced during ATA’s 49th Annual Phone: (269) 383-6893 Conference in Orlando, Florida Fax: (269) 387-6333 Nominations (November 5-8, 2008). E-mail: [email protected] Individual translators or translation Web: www.afti.org companies wishing to nominate a Deadline: September 18, 2008 translator for this prestigious award

The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 45 Honors and Awards Continued

Student Translation Award

In 2008, ATA will award a grant- published translations are ineligible. words, together with the correspon- in-aid to a student for a literary or sci- No individual student may submit ding source-language text, must tech translation or translation-related more than one entry. accompany the application. The trans- project. lation sample may consist of two or The project, which may be derived Application more separate passages from the same from any facet of translation studies, Applicants must complete an entry work. For poetry, the number of words should result in a project with post- form (www.atanet.org/membership/ must total at least 300. grant applicability, such as a publica- honorsandawards_student_form.php) tion, a conference presentation, or and submit a project description not to Deadline: April 18, 2008 teaching materials. Computerized exceed 500 words. If the project is a materials are ineligible, as are disser- translation, the description must Award tations and theses. Translations must present the work in its context and $500, a certificate of recognition, and be from a foreign language INTO include a substantive statement of the up to $500 toward expenses for attending ENGLISH. Previously untranslated difficulties and innovations involved in ATA’s 49th Annual Conference in works are preferred. the project and the post-competition Orlando, Florida (November 5-8, 2008). form the work will take. The applica- One or more certificates may also be Eligibility tion must be accompanied by a state- awarded to runners-up. The award, to be presented at ment of support from the faculty ATA’s 49th Annual Conference in member who is supervising the project. Please send the entry form and Orlando, Florida (November 5-8, This letter should demonstrate the application materials to: 2008), is open to any graduate or supervisor’s intimate familiarity with American Foundation for undergraduate student, or group of the student’s work and include detailed Translation and Interpretation, Inc. students, attending an accredited col- assessments of the project’s signifi- Columbia Plaza, Suite 101 lege or university in the U.S. cance and of the student’s growth and 350 E Michigan Avenue Preference will be given to students development in translation. Kalamazoo, MI 49007 who have been or are currently If the project involves an actual Phone: (269) 383-6893 enrolled in translator training pro- translation, a translation sample of not Fax: (269) 387-6333 grams. Students who have already less than 400 and not more than 500 Email: [email protected] Web: www.afti.org

NEW Marian S. Greenfield Financial Translation Presentation Award

The American Translators Associ- Application Please send nominations to: ation (ATA) and the American Founda- Individuals wishing to nominate a American Translators Association tion for Translation and Interpretation financial translation presenter for this Attn: Jonathan Mendoza (AFTI) invite nominations for the prestigious award need to submit a 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 Marian S. Greenfield Financial Trans- nomination form to the address listed Alexandria, VA 22314 USA lation Presentation Award. below. The nomination form can be Phone: +1-703-683-6100 found at www.atanet.org/member Fax: +1-703-683-6122 Eligibility ship/honorsandawards_greenfield_aw Email: [email protected] The prize, to be presented at ATA’s ard_form.php. You may nominate 49th Annual Conference in Orlando, yourself. Nominations will be judged Florida, (November 5-8), recognizes an by a three-member national jury. outstanding presenter of a financial trans- lation session during the conference. Go Deadline: May 1, 2008 to ww.atanet.org/conferencesandsemi nars/proposal.php to review the ATA Award Annual Conference Presentation $1,000; waiver of conference reg- Proposal form online. Conference pres- istration fee. The recipient of the entation proposals must be submitted by award will be announced in the March 14, 2008. summer of 2008.

46 The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2008 American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation JTG Scholarship in Scientific and Technical Translation or Interpretation

b) Three letters of recommenda- Purpose Selection Criteria tion in a sealed envelope with rec- This is a $2,500 non-renewable 1. Demonstrated achievement in transla- ommender’s signature over the scholarship for the 2008-2009 aca- tion and interpreting; envelope flap; demic year for students enrolled or c) Essay; planning to enroll in a degree program 2. Academic record; d) A copy of the applicant’s aca- in scientific and technical translation 3. Three letters of recommendation by demic record with a copy of the or in interpreter training. faculty or nonacademic supervisor; major/minor or other program form, or a departmental statement Eligibility 4. A 300-500-word essay outlining the of admission to the translation or 1. Applicants must be graduate or under- applicant’s interests and goals as they interpreting program. graduate students enrolled or planning relate to the field of translation or to enroll in a program leading to a interpreting. Award degree in scientific and technical A national award committee will translation or in interpreting at an Application Process announce the name of the scholarship accredited U.S. college or university. 1. Applications may be obtained from: award winner by the end of August 2008. American Foundation for The committee’s decision is final. 2. Applicants must be full-time students Translation and Interpretation, Inc. Disbursement of the award will occur at who have completed at least one year Columbia Plaza, Suite 101 the beginning of the Fall Semester, 2008. of college or university studies. 350 E Michigan Avenue 3. Generally, an applicant should Kalamazoo, MI 49007 About JTG Inc. present a minimum GPA of 3.00 Phone: (269) 383-6893 Founded in 1995 by ATA Past overall and a 3.50 in translation- and Fax: (269) 387-6333 President Muriel Jérôme-O'Keeffe, JTG interpreting-related courses. E-mail: [email protected] Inc. is a language consultancy that sup- Web: www.afti.org ports homeland security, intelligence, 4. Applicants should have at least one and global business with cross-cultural year of study remaining in their pro- 2. Completed applications must be communications. JTG Inc. has under- gram; however, in certain circum- received by AFTI by June 1, 2008. written the AFTI scholarship since 2001. stances, one residual semester may Visit: www.jtg-inc.com. be accepted. 3. A completed application consists of: a) Application cover sheet; 5. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Harvie Jordan Scholarship

Purpose Selection Criteria Applications To promote, encourage, and sup- 1. Demonstrated leadership skills and Applications are available at port leadership and professional career goals; www.afti.org. Send your completed development of translators and inter- application via e-mail to the American preters within ATA’s Spanish 2. ATA Spanish Language Division Foundation for Translation and Language Division (SPD) and to involvement and commitment to Interpretation at: [email protected]. honor Harvie Jordan’s lifetime contri- service; Applications will be numbered, de- butions as a language professional. 3. Special contributions to translation identified, and distributed to the and interpreting. Scholarship Selection Committee. The Description of Award Selection Committee will consist of mem- Paid registration to ATA’s Annual Please limit your response to each bers of ATA’s Spanish Language Division. Conference or the SPD Mid-Year of the selection criteria above to 100 All selections are final. The Conference, as desired. words or less. number of scholarships available will depend on the funds available. Eligibility Scholarship winners will be asked to Limited to ATA Spanish Language Deadline: September 18, 2008 contribute an article to Intercambios, Division members in good standing the SPD newsletter, reporting on the with two or more years of membership. conference or a session they attended

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