The Voice of Interpreters and Translators THE ATA May/June 2019 Volume XLVIII Number 3

PROMOTING ATA AT THE EUROPEAN LANGUAGE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

A Publication of the American Translators Association American Translators Association 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 Alexandria, VA 22314 USA Tel: +1.703.683.6100 Greater involvement of interpreters Fax: +1.703.683.6122 in ATA has motivated us to stretch Email: [email protected] Website: www.atanet.org our boundaries—to the benefit of FROM THE PRESIDENT Editorial Board CORINNE MCKAY the Association at large. Paula Arturo [email protected] Lois Feuerle Twitter handle: @corinnemckay Geoff Koby (chair) point of view in many of our core programs Corinne McKay by appointing interpreters to key positions, Mary McKee Interpreters: such as webinar chair (Director Elena Ted Wozniak Langdon) and Chapters Committee chair Jost Zetzsche (Directory Tony Guerra). A Critical Additionally, interpreter advocacy has Publisher/Executive Director come to the forefront in recent months. Walter Bacak, CAE Presence in ATA ATA members in Texas—including [email protected] Austin Area Translators and Interpreters ith over 3,000 individual Association President Marco Hanson and Editor members, ATA’s Interpreters ATA Director Cristina Helmerichs—alerted Jeff Sanfacon Division1 includes nearly W us to a disturbing set of proposals in the [email protected] one third of our Association’s total Texas legislature that would decrease the membership. During my time in ATA— passing score on the Texas state court Advertising now about 17 years—interpreters have interpreter exam from 70% to 60%. [email protected] played an ever-growing role (literally, With help from Bill Rivers, executive Tel: +1.703.683.6100, ext. 3007 and figuratively!) in ATA, to the greater director of the Joint National Committee Fax: +1.703.683.6122 benefit of the Association as a whole. That on Languages, the language lobbying growing presence has also motivated us in organization to which ATA belongs, ATA Design & Production ATA’s leadership to take a closer look at drafted a letter strongly opposing these bills Blue House DC the benefits we offer interpreters and how and sent it to key members of the Texas www.bluehousedc.com to advocate for interpreters in the larger legislature.3 Likewise, we’re becoming world of language services. The ATA Chronicle (ISSN 1078-6457) is published involved in court interpreter advocacy in Critical to ATA’s increased inclusion of six times per year by the American Translators South Carolina, where some interpreters interpreters is our Interpretation Policy Association, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Advisory Committee (IPAC), headed by ATA are being paid only for “talking time” (i.e., Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. Periodicals postage Board Member Melinda Gonzalez-Hibner. half the time that they are actually on duty) paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and additional As chair of IPAC, Melinda advises ATA’s when interpreting in a team of two. mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address leadership on all things interpreter-related. Dealing with issues such as these has changes to The ATA Chronicle, 225 Reinekers She and her committee—experts in multiple been a new departure for ATA, especially Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. “flavors” of interpreting such as medical, for those of us who think of a translators The American Translators Association (ATA) conference, court, and community—work association as consisting mainly of desk- was established in 1959 as a not-for-profit on ATA’s own interpreter policies (more on bound “word nerds” who need some professional society to foster and support the those below!), and also advise me on how prodding to get out from behind the professional development of translators and ATA can or should speak up for interpreters computer screen. Greater involvement interpreters and to promote the translation and when interfacing with our national and state of interpreters in ATA has motivated us interpreting professions. The subscription rate for governments and other entities. to stretch our boundaries—to the great a member is $25 (included in the dues payment). If you’re an interpreter, you should first benefit of the Association at large. We hope The U.S. subscription rate for a nonmember is $65. make sure that you’re taking advantage that the presence of interpreters in ATA will Subscribers in Canada and Mexico add $25; of all the interpreter-specific benefits continue to grow well into the future! all other non-U.S. subscribers add $45. ATA offers. Most importantly, if you Single copies are available for $7 per issue. hold a recognized interpreting credential NOTES Statements of fact or opinion are the responsibility 1. in conference, health care, or legal For more information on ATA’s Interpreters of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion interpreting, make sure to apply for our Division, visit www.ata-divisions.org/ID. on the part of the officers or the members of ATA. Credentialed Interpreter designation (CI),2 2. For more information on ATA’s which appears in ATA directory searches Credentialed Interpreter designation, visit ©2019 American Translators Association alongside the CT credential for ATA- http://bit.ly/ATA-CI-credential. Reprint Permission certified translators. ATA has also made a 3. See “Follow ATA News,” Requests for permission to reprint articles concerted effort to include the interpreter https://atanet.org/pressroom/index.php. should be sent to the editor of The ATA Chronicle

2 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 at [email protected]. May/June 2019 Volume XLVIII CONTENTS Number 3 FEATURES 19 ATA Law Seminar: 10 Four Perspectives Responding to Disaster: Best One of the biggest challenges you Practices and Lessons Learned face as a translator or interpreter from the 2017 North Bay Fires is finding the intermediate-to- advanced continuing education The disastrous 2017 North Bay you need to move ahead in fires in California presented your career. ATA’s Law Seminar enormous challenges for provided just the kind of high- disseminating timely and level, hands-on training attendees accurate information to the large, were looking for. predominantly Hispanic, non- English-speaking population of Cover: (From left): Clio Schils, Sonoma and Napa Counties. My president of the European experiences made it clear how a Language Industry Association, lack of preparation, at both the Annette Schiller, chair of FIT personal and community level, Europe, and ATA Spokesperson can exacerbate the challenges of Molly Yurick. (Photo by a natural disaster. Daniel Seabra.) 13 ADVERTISING DIRECTORY International Literature: 17 A Data-Driven Approach to 35 Alliant Prioritizing Diversity https://ata.alliant.com Why do books from some languages find their way into COLUMNS English while other cultures remain underrepresented? 2 From the President AmazonCrossing’s editorial 4 From the President-elect director discusses what it takes for a book, author, and translator to 5 ATA Social Media reach readers in a new language. 5 Letters to the Editor 17 6 From the Executive Director 7 Outreach Report: 10 Simple Ways to Boost Your Advocacy Day Translation or Interpreting Website’s SEO 8 Outreach Report: How many freelance translators ELIA Conference and interpreters really take 23 Entrepreneurial Linguist the time to adjust a few things 24 Geekspeak behind the scenes to boost their website’s search engine ranking? 29 Resource Review 33 New Certified Members 34 Certification Forum Looking for Member News and Humor and Translation? These columns are found in the Chronicle-Online edition: www.atanet.org/chronicle-online! 19

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http://bit.ly/ATA-Instagram A few tables at the general continental breakfast will be reserved for this event. ATA Board members will also be available for informal discussions FROM THE PRESIDENT-ELECT throughout the conference. Take this opportunity to introduce yourself, ask TED R. WOZNIAK questions, or convey your ideas. [email protected] ■■ Brainstorm Networking: Work in small teams to tackle business-related challenges while making friends and ATA60: Professional creating partnerships. Don’t forget your Development at Its Best business cards! ■■ Buddies Welcome Newbies: First-time his year is a milestone for ATA REGULAR SESSIONS attendees (Newbies) are paired up with th as it will hold its 60 Annual We received 435 proposals, of which seasoned attendees (Buddies) to get the T Conference in beautiful Palm just 40% (174) were able to be selected. most from their conference experience. Springs, California. Palm Springs is Each session was reviewed by subject ■■ Dictionary Exchange: Donate a lovely small town with some great matter experts, who also had a difficult dictionaries and other reference materials dining and entertainment options. job recommending the cream of the you no longer need and find ones you (More on the venue in future columns.) crop. While I relied heavily on their can put to good use. One linguist’s For now, I would like to focus on one recommendations, the final decision was trash is another’s treasure. Tables will be of the main reasons for attending: mine alone so any criticisms are mine available for you to drop off and/or pick professional development sessions. to bear. Just as with the AST sessions, up used dictionaries (for free!). ensuring that the regular sessions cover as many fields of practice and areas of interest ■■ Exhibit Hall: Get a first-hand look at AST DAY new products you will actually use. Advanced Skills and Training (AST) Day as possible is very challenging. Proposals were received for all 30 educational tracks, Visit school reps offering programs takes place on Wednesday, October 23. so there will certainly be something of designed for your development. Take the This “conference-before-the-conference” interest for every attendee. Due to the opportunity to meet with employers who will provide specialized education and proximity of this year’s conference to Los might be looking to recruit your services! networking opportunities. AST Day offers a Angeles and the large number of sessions selection of three-hour courses specifically ■■ Job Fair: Taking place over two nights, submitted by members of the new and chosen to provide intensive, interactive this event will help you obtain work enthusiastic Audiovisual Division, the and meet new clients. Agency reps will instruction from highly-acclaimed AV track was given special emphasis this host tables and post their current and speakers. Course details and speaker bios year. This is an exciting and growing field ongoing needs. will be provided when available. of practice about which I encourage all The sessions for this year’s AST Day have attendees to learn. Again, I would like to ■■ Mindful Movement and Zumba: These already been selected. There were 90 high- thank everyone who submitted a proposal. morning exercise sessions will get your quality sessions proposed on a wide variety blood flowing before starting your of topics. Unfortunately, the schedule busy day! only allows for 14 slots. As conference NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES Of course, ATA60 will offer more than Also on tap again this year will be the organizer, I had the very difficult task of just educational sessions. There will be Welcome Celebration, Business Practices trying to select the best of the best. If only networking opportunities, where you Happy Hour, and After Hours Café, as there was more time to include all the can meet prospective clients and fellow well as many other social events. excellent proposals we received. I want to translators and interpreters. Here are just a thank everyone who submitted proposals few of the events scheduled for attendees: for their enthusiasm and support of ATA’s MAKE ATA60 YOUR YEAR professional development program. Please ■■ Book Fair: This event is returning after So, come celebrate ATA’s 60th anniversary submit again next year. a long hiatus. Member-authors will have conference and help us make ATA60 the The selected sessions cover a wide a table offering their books for sale. It’s a best conference ever! Visit the conference range of our members’ fields of practice. great chance to get an autographed copy! website for more information Topics will include legal translation, (Okay, they may not win any literary (www.atanet.org/conf/2019). The site interpreting skills for Spanish interpreters, prizes, but we know they have great will be updated as planning progresses. subtitling, machine translation and value to us!) If you haven’t decided to attend ATA60 post-editing, and tips for working on ■■ Breakfast with the Board: This is your yet, check out the video of attendees at translation projects more efficiently. chance to get to know ATA’s leadership! ATA59 (www.atanet.org/conf/2018).

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Educational Interpreting 101: It’s a Lot Harder than It Looks| Natalia Abarca and Katharine Allen FEATURED FACEBOOK POST I found the article on educational interpreting by Natalia Abarca and Katharine Allen in the March–April issue particularly interesting. I wanted to inform readers of a program in Indiana that addresses some of the issues they discussed. In 2016, the state board of education obtained a grant to train special education American Translators interpreters across the state. The training was free to all bilingual teachers, school Association April 20 employees, and other interested interpreters. The program covers Indiana’s Special Education Rules Title 511 Article 7, practice scenarios, code of ethics, and standards of Mental Health in Freelance practice based on those developed by the National Council on Interpreting in Health Translation: Isolation Care. Many of us who are certified medical interpreters took the training and are “Isolation can make the liberating interpreting in the school district for special education. I don’t know if any other trainings world of freelance feel like a are available nationwide and would be interested in finding out what other states are prison, but there is a way out of doing to address the issue of school interpreting. that cell…. [T]here are numerous Maria Schwieter | La Porte, Indiana articles on freelance isolation right under your googling Taking Charge of Your Rates | Simon Berrill Excellent article! There’s a certain sense of satisfaction at increasing rates, knowing that fingertips, but I’d like to give you should still be fine even if the client declines to accept. I’ve often used rate increases you a translator’s perspective on to thin demand. I would only add that while you are indeed free to choose when to the matter, be it from my own increase your prices, you may have more chance of success if you do so before the client experience or the experiences has already set their budget—so perhaps a month or two before the end of the year. of translators from my personal Oliver Lawrence orbit. For your consideration, here are some tips on leaving your little lair of translation.”

Read on— https://bit.ly/2VpSWS1

TOP TWEETS

Facebook’s flood of languages leave it struggling to monitor content: https://reut.rs/2Guk498 APRIL 23 / @ATANET English translations of Armenian memoirs share diaspora stories with a new generation | LA Times: https://lat.ms/2ZuPzIC APRIL 22 / @ATANET www.atanet.org American Translators Association 5 CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED ATA ELECTIONS | 2019 ANNUAL CONFERENCE PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ATA will hold its regularly scheduled WALTER BACAK, CAE elections at the upcoming 2019 ATA Annual [email protected] Conference in Palm Springs, California, to elect a president-elect, secretary, treasurer, and three directors. Further nominations, Board Meeting Highlights supported by acceptance statements in writing by each additional nominee and a and 25 Years! written petition signed by no fewer than 60 voting members, must be received by the he American Translators Association’s Governance—Articles of Incorporation: Nominating and Leadership Development Board of Directors met April 13–14, The Board reviewed proposed changes Committee by June 1. Acceptance statements 2019 in Alexandria, Virginia. The to ATA’s Articles of Incorporation. The T and petitions should be submitted to Board met in conjunction with the proposed changes reflect current ATA Nominating and Leadership Development Certification Committee and Language practices. Any proposed revisions will need Chairs meetings. (Each exam language to be approved by the membership. The Committee Chair David Rumsey (ata-hq@ combination has a language chair Articles of Incorporation along with the atanet.org). Candidate statements and administering the passage selection and bylaws are the foundational documents that photos of the candidates will appear in the graders. ATA currently offers testing in 30 guide ATA’s governance. September/October issue of The ATA Chronicle language combinations.) and on ATA’s website. The candidates Governance—Mission Statement: Here are some highlights from the proposed by the Nominating and Leadership The Board approved revising ATA’s Board meeting. Development Committee are: Mission Statement. Here is the new Working Budget: The Board approved Mission Statement: President-elect (two-year term): the July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020 working Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo “ATA’s mission is to promote the budget and the 2020–22 draft budgets. The recognition of professional translators and Secretary (two-year term): approved working budget of $3.1 million interpreters, to facilitate communication Karen Tkaczyk is a slight decrease compared to the current among its members, to establish budget. (The decrease is due to the projected Treasurer (two-year term): standards of competence and ethics, to lower revenue for this year’s Annual John Milan provide its members with professional Conference in Palm Springs, California.) development opportunities, and to Director (three positions, three-year terms): The working budget provides an interim advocate on behalf of the profession.” Alaina Brandt financial framework. By using this interim Veronika Demichelis The Board meeting summary is posted budget, changes and revisions can be made Tony Guerra based on the actual year-end figures. The online. The minutes will be posted once Aaron Hebenstreit final budget will be approved at the next they are approved at the next Board Cristina Helmerichs Board meeting. meeting. Past meeting summaries and minutes are also posted online at www. Diego Mansilla Annual Conference: The Board discussed atanet.org/membership/minutes.php. The plans for ATA’s 60th Annual Conference, next Board meeting is set for August 3–4, Below: From left: Executive Director Walter October 23–26, 2019. After reviewing the 2019 in Denver, Colorado. As always, Bacak (holding plaque), Treasurer John Milan, proposed revenue and expenses, the Board the meeting is open to all members, and President-Elect Ted Wozniak, President Corinne consensus was to maintain the registration members are encouraged to attend. McKay, and Secretary Karen Tkaczyk. fees and not increase them for this year. Mid-Year Seminars: The Board reviewed 25 YEARS WITH ATA! the final report from Professional I recently celebrated my 25th anniversary Development Committee Chair Anne with ATA. When starting out, few folks Connor on the Law Seminar held earlier think they are going to work someplace this year in Jersey City, New Jersey. With that long. It just happens. I’m fortunate the success of this seminar and the interest that it happened with ATA. Thank you to all in doing others, the Board agreed to move the members, volunteers, and staff along forward on another specialized advanced the way. I look forward to serving you as training seminar for next spring. We will we continue on. share more information as plans take shape.

6 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org OUTREACH REPORT BY CAITLIN WALSH ATA Adds Its Voice to Language Advocates in Nation’s Capital discussions and materials provided to congressional staffers brought translation and interpreting services front and center. Delegates could relate language proficiency to international relations, social justice, economic growth, and national security. ATA’s expertise in the business and government aspects of the language industry are helping cement our place with congressional offices looking to support languages and the vital role they play in the U.S. I would encourage all ATA members and supporters to sign up to receive policy alerts from JNCL (https:// languagepolicy.org). These contain specific actions and templates/scripts you can use to make advocacy easy. Follow #LanguageMatters and @JNCLinfo on Twitter for opportunities to amplify others’ messages. The current political climate means we have a stellar opportunity to make meaningful changes happen for the benefit of all. The Washington State Delegation visiting Senator Maria Cantwell’s office (from left): Brenda Gaver NOTE (Pacific Northwest Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language), Caitilin Walsh (ATA), Kristin Quinlan 1. “Stepping Out on Capitol Hill: ATA’s First (Certified Languages), and Allison Ferch (Globalization and Localization Association) Advocacy Day in Washington, DC,” The ATA Chronicle (January–February 2018), http://bit.ly/ATA-advocacy. ver 160 world language advocates and interpreter sister organizations gathered in Washington, DC on participate in the event. Caitilin Walsh is a past February 14–15 to meet with As ATA’s representative, I was O president of ATA (2013–2015). members of Congress for Language honored to join world language She currently serves as Advocacy Day. This annual summit educators PreK–12, researchers, chair of ATA’s Education and of administrators, business owners, analysts, translators, interpreters, Pedagogy Committee. She educators, and language industry business owners, and other also serves on the executive leaders is organized by the Joint representatives of leading language committee of the Joint National Committee for Languages. An ATA-certified French>English National Committee for Languages associations from over 40 states to advocate for America’s language translator, she produces translations for the (JNCL), the authority on language enterprise. A great addition this year computer industry and food lovers alike. She policy in Washington, DC. Every were two ATA members who “got the is a graduate of Willamette University (Oregon) year, ATA lends its voice as one of the and the Université de Strasbourg (France). advocacy bug” in 2017, when ATA She teaches ethics and business practices at advocates from the language professions and JNCL sponsored a Translation and to meet with Congress and request the Translation and Interpreting Institute at Interpreting Advocacy Day prior to Bellevue College. She is a member of the legislation and funding in support th ATA’s 58 Annual Conference in Translation and Interpreting Advisory of language education and industry Washington, DC.1 Committee for the Puget Sound Skills Center. priorities. In addition to numerous While the focus of legislative requests Contact: [email protected] or language educators, several translator this year was on budget appropriations, @CaitilinWalsh on Twitter.

www.atanet.org American Translators Association 7 OUTREACH REPORT BY MOLLY YURICK ATA at the ELIA Together Conference in Barcelona, Spain

lunch breaks, or in the hallway between sessions, I didn’t hear much of the usual MT bashing I often hear at other translator and interpreter industry events. I participated in numerous conversations about MT that were quite refreshing. People talked about its advantages just as much as its disadvantages. I learned a lot, especially since I’ve not personally worked with MT before. I had an incredibly enlightening conversation with an agency owner turned ELIA attendees gather outside the conference venue. (Photo by Daniel Seabra.) MT tool owner. He explained his current n February 2019 I had the pleasure started by providing a brief history of business process to me, saying that he of representing ATA at the European machine learning and artificial intelligence. trained specific MT tools for each of his Language Industry Association (ELIA) He shared an illustrative anecdote about the clients. He said that once the machine was I trained and put in place, he was back to Together conference in Barcelona, Spain. Dartmouth Summer Research Project on (ATA was a sponsor.) ELIA describes itself Artificial Intelligence from 1955. That year, square one—the same square one as any on its website as the “European not-for- a group of researchers stated that they could translation company: finding specialized profit trade association of language service discover and solve the problems of how translators that are good enough to work companies with a mission to accelerate our machines use language in just two months if with the text at hand. He emphasized that members’ business success.”1 they could get the proper funding and build the translation process really hadn’t changed Throughout the year, ELIA hosts a the perfect team of 10 scientists. Zamora that much. He still needed specialized number of events for language services got a good round of giggles and pats on the translators to post-edit specialized texts. He companies, but the ELIA Together back from the translator-filled audience at was on a mission to tell as many translators conference is a yearly event targeted to that story. as possible to rest assured. We aren’t being both freelancers and language companies. Although Zamora emphasized that no replaced by machines, we’re just working As defined on ELIA’s website, the Together one knows exactly where technology is faster because of them. conference is a: “two-day event that brings heading—or if machines will ever reach together professionals from across the singularity—he really drove home the FREELANCERS, LANGUAGE COMPANIES, industry for an open dialogue on industry importance of embracing new technologies AND TOOL REPRESENTATIVES instead of rejecting them. There is no trends, to learn mutually-relevant new ELIA welcomed a total of 236 attendees: denying that we, as humans and as approaches, to update technical skills and, 80 language services and computer- translators, have to realize and accept that ultimately, serve our end clients better. Most assisted translation tool companies and machines can now perceive and learn, importantly, it’s a friendly, collaborative 119 freelancers. The remaining attendees but they can’t yet abstract or reason. If we environment in which to develop lasting were a mix of university professors, 2 know the limits of artificial intelligence, we relationships.” I couldn’t agree more. language consultants, and others. What I can figure out how to leverage its uses for liked most about this conference was the our own competitive advantage. Zamora MASTERING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION great diversity of attendees interacting and encouraged us to be knowledgeable The theme for the 2019 conference was mingling the entire time. and aware about the tools available to “Mastering Digital Transformation,” which The two days of the conference us. Whether we like it or not, machine ELIA defined as: “Focusing on what your were divided into two session tracks translation (MT) is a reality in our industry. business needs to do to stand out from the (“specialization” and “trends and Zamora also reminded us that advancements crowd and how to provide solutions to the technology”), which took place in separate in technology are affecting every sector on changing needs of our end clients.”3 rooms. As at most conferences, the sessions the planet, not just ours. He ended on a The event kicked off with keynote were hit or miss. The specialization track positive note, saying that technology will speaker Javier Zamora, senior lecturer in sessions were full of great ideas on how improve our sector if we’re willing and able the Department of Information Systems and why to specialize. Unfortunately, to use it appropriately and to our advantage. at the Instituto de Estudios Superiores after two days of back-to-back sessions de la Empresa Business School of the on specialization, they ended up being University of Navarra in Barcelona. His TRENDING TOPIC: a bit repetitive. This was due to no presentation, “The Digital Mindset: Beyond MACHINE TRANSLATION fault of the presenters, since it’s hard to the Technological Fads,” was inspiring and Zamora’s keynote speech set the tone spin specialization in a million different eye-opening for those in attendance. Zamora for the conference. During coffee and ways. The trends and technology track

8 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org was more varied, touching on items of interest to both freelancers and language companies. Some of the sessions that were specific to language companies were quite insightful for freelancers as well. I learned why language companies ask freelancers to do free tests, how project managers select a freelancer for a job, and what the onboarding process looks like from the language company’s side. One of my favorite sessions was about productivity, such as using email templates to save on typing time or the Pomodoro method to stay on track during the work day.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR FREELANCERS? The conference concluded with a panel session called “What Does the Future Hold for Freelancers?” I was honored to participate on the panel alongside such esteemed colleagues as: ■■ Jerzy Czopik, a freelance translator and interpreter and the vice president of the Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und Übersetzer e.V., a professional association of interpreters and translators in Germany. Top: (From left): Clio Schils, president of the European Language Industry Association, Annette Schiller, chair of FIT Europe, and ATA Spokesperson Molly Yurick. (Photo by Daniel Seabra.) ■■ Clio Schils, president of ELIA and global Bottom: ATA Spokesperson Molly Yurick (second from left) participates in panel session, “What Does the director of life sciences at CQ Fluency. Future Hold for Freelancers?” at ELIA Together. (Photo by Daniel Seabra.) ■■ Annette Schiller, chair of the International Federation of Translators (FIT) Europe, the Regional Centre skills that freelancers need to develop to interesting colleagues and connected with Europe of FIT. She is also a professor remain relevant in tomorrow’s market, potential clients while learning a lot along of translation at Dublin City University and how language services companies and the way. Next year’s date and location are and a freelance translator. freelancers can work together to better still to be determined, but I hope to see tackle current and future challenges in you there! The ELIA conference app made it possible our industry. I personally encouraged to survey the audience live to kick off the freelancers to keep an open mind regarding NOTES panel. Responses came up on the screen as 1. new technologies, to make the most of the ELIA website, http://bit.ly/Elia-Together. they were submitted. technology our agency clients have to share 2. About ELIA, http://bit.ly/Elia-about. ■■ “Do you think the future will change with us, and to stay informed. 3. ELIA-Together Program, your life?” The panel was well-received by http://bit.ly/Elia-Together-program. ƒƒ “Yes, positively” received 96 votes attendees, who engaged with us in a lively Q&A session at the end. For me, one of ƒƒ “Yes, negatively” received 11 votes the highlights of the panel came from an Molly Yurick is a ƒƒ “No, it will not change my life” ELIA member who stood up and said that Spanish>English translator received 3 votes she was a big fan of ATA. She explained specializing in the tourism, that she had attended an ATA conference hospitality, and airline We were pleasantly surprised by the in the past, was extremely impressed with industries. She has worked as a positive results, which set a great tone for medical interpreter in Minnesota the panel discussion. We answered tough how it went, and hoped that ELIA would eventually grow to be as large as ATA. and as a cultural ambassador for the Ministry questions from the moderator, Diego of Education in Spain. She has a BA in Spanish Cresceri, founder and chief executive officer and global studies and a certificate in medical of Creative Words, a localization company FINAL THOUGHTS interpreting from the University of Minnesota. based in Italy. We spoke about our personal I would highly recommend attending She is currently living in northern Spain. thoughts on the future, the most important the ELIA Together conference. I met Contact: [email protected]. www.atanet.org American Translators Association 9 FEATURE BY JULIE BURNS

and how to be of service during an emergency can be a challenge. This article was inspired by my experiences during the 2017 wildfires in Northern California that killed over 40 people, devastated over 200,000 acreas, and destroyed over 8,000 homes and businesses, including entire neighborhoods, in my hometown of Santa Rosa. My hope is that what I learned during and after the fires will be helpful to other translators and interpreters in the unfortunate event that a natural disaster occurs in their community. As the severity and magnitude of this tragedy became apparent, my first thought was “How can I help?” I desperately wanted to make a difference, but I had no idea where to start. I vividly recall driving around town in the smoke-filled air, running into police roadblocks and detours as I tried to make my way to the Red Cross registration center and other sites where emergency assistance was being provided. As I stood in an hours-long line to register as a volunteer, I learned my first big lesson of disaster preparedness: Lesson #1: Don’t wait until an emergency strikes to register with the Responding to Disaster: Red Cross or other disaster-response agencies. Volunteers can only be mobilized quickly in a community if Best Practices and Lessons Learned they are pre-registered and trained. The need is often the greatest during the first from the 2017 North Bay Fires hours and days of a natural disaster.1 After an afternoon bagging pears at Here are some of the lessons learned from the 2017 Northern California a local food bank wishing that I could wildfires in hopes that it will help translators and interpreters better serve be more useful, I had a moment of clarity. I was listening to the radio on their communities in the event of a natural disaster. my way home and realized that all of the emergency updates I was hearing ake up, Santa Rosa is burning!” and death in these kinds of situations.” and seeing on the news were in English. In the late evening hours (Alegría De La Cruz, Sonoma County I thought, “Who is communicating all of of October 8, 2017, this Chief Deputy Counsel) “W this vital information to the non-English- frantic message was heard over and over The effects of global climate change, speaking members of our community?” again, echoed by police officers, firemen, making headlines across the planet, It was then that I realized my Spanish and neighbors. However, not everyone have resulted in an increase in severe translation and interpreting skills could understood the message. For many of weather events. Access to timely and probably be put to good use. But I still Santa Rosa’s extensive Latino community, accurate information during these had no idea where to plug in my skills or this first night of horror was just the events can literally be a matter of life where I could be most useful. beginning of a frightening and confusing and death. Translators and interpreters After a long and frustrating day of dead time that was greatly exacerbated by a can play a critical role in bringing ends, I finally found my entry point to be lack of timely information in Spanish. lifesaving information to non-English- of service when I saw a plea for translators “I think Sonoma County is a great speaking communities. But even if and interpreters on a social media post place to understand that language you’re ready and willing to use your from our local deputy public defender. access is the difference between life linguistic skills to help, knowing where She had informally stepped into the role

10 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org of language coordinator when she realized Even if you’re ready and willing to follows are some additional suggestions no such position existed in the county’s based on my experiences. emergency response plan. By responding use your linguistic skills to help, Lesson # 6: First, make sure your own to her request, I was able to connect knowing where and how to be of home and loved ones are safe. With with the county’s public information that as your foundation, establish some officers, who immediately put me to service during an emergency can boundaries to maintain your well-being. work translating public safety and health be a challenge. In our eagerness to help, and fueled announcements, CalFire updates, and by the adrenaline of an emergency other pressing communications. situation, it’s easy to burn out. Find the Lesson #2: Connect with your county’s balance between helping and taking public information officers prior to care of yourself and your family. an emergency, provide your contact of professional translators and The old cliché “put your oxygen information and skillset, and ask to be interpreters are also great places to mask on before assisting others” holds contacted in the event of an emergency organize ahead of time. true in this situation. In the various to provide language access services. “If no information is provided, presentations I’ve given on this topic, Although it felt gratifying to finally that gives the opportunity for only a handful of people raise their put my language skills to work, I quickly misinformation.” (Bernice Espinoza, hands when asked if they have a family realized that my work translating these emergency plan in place. When my deputy public defender and criminal materials was just the tip of the iceberg. daughter and her husband had to immigration specialist) Our county was not prepared to address evacuate their home in the middle of the the enormous scope of language access The quote above refers to the spread night during the fires, they showed up needs in those critical first days and of rumors that immigration agents on our front doorstep at 3:00 a.m. with weeks of the fires. were present at evacuation shelters and their pets, a set of Harry Potter books, Lesson #3: Research your town or relief centers. To add fuel to the fire, and a basket of bathing suits and winter county’s emergency response plan the head of Immigration and Customs hats! In the panic of the moment, there’s prior to an emergency to determine if Enforcement (ICE) falsely accused an no time to make critical decisions about it includes a language access plan, and undocumented immigrant of starting what to grab. if there are policies and procedures in the wildfires, creating an even more Lesson # 7: Pack a “go bag” with place to implement it. If these aren’t in combustible atmosphere of fear and three days of supplies for each family place, partner with local community- mistrust of authority figures. This member. Have animal carrier and based organizations that support resulted in widespread reluctance among leashes easily accessible. Make a list of immigrant rights to begin the process undocumented evacuees to seek help irreplaceable valuables and paperwork of advocating for the inclusion of a and shelter due to fears about ICE. Many and ensure they’re stored in an language access plan. of these evacuees fled the city to camp accessible manner. Taking these easy Despite a large population of non- on beaches or sleep in their cars rather steps will give you peace of mind and English-speaking community members than in the evacuation shelters, where ensure you have the basics covered if of different ethnicities, our evacuation they feared government agents would you should have to evacuate. There are centers and local assistance centers round them up. Because these concerns many great resources online for family 2 weren’t staffed with interpreters. The were not anticipated, proactive efforts preparedness plans. lack of qualified interpreters made it to combat the spread of misinformation Lesson # 8: Think ahead to the types of difficult for these community members were not made. natural disasters to which your region to access health care, information about might be susceptible and gather vital Lesson #5: Partner with trusted safely returning to homes in areas safety supplies ahead of time (e.g., community-based organizations to help affected by the fires and cleanup efforts, respirator masks, inflatable rafts, water further proactive efforts to ensure that or to get the assistance they needed purification tablets, etc.). all community members feel safe and to apply for disaster relief or find After having volunteered as an temporary housing. welcome in local evaluation shelters. These efforts need to be addressed interpreter in a number of different Lesson #4: Advocate for the creation ahead of a disaster, not during. situations after the fires, including of a cohesive, centralized bank of working shifts at a Local Assistance vetted, qualified interpreters and Up until this point, we’ve largely Center (LAC), a Red Cross shelter, and translators who can be mobilized discussed the actions that your interpreting during community forums, when needed. If this isn’t happening community can take as a whole to be I realized the need for flexibility, quick at the county level, work with your better prepared in the event of a natural thinking, and creative use of portable local interpreting association or local disaster. But what else can you do, as an simultaneous interpreting equipment. ATA chapter. Social media groups individual, to prepare yourself? What At a Latino community forum, for www.atanet.org American Translators Association 11 RESPONDING TO DISASTER: BEST PRACTICES ANNOUNCEMENT AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE 2017 NORTH BAY FIRES continued Don’t wait until an emergency My experiences during the 2017 ALLIANT: ATA’S PROFESSIONAL wildfires in Sonoma County made it strikes to register with the clear how a lack of preparation, at both LIABILITY INSURANCE BROKER Red Cross or other disaster- the personal and community level, can Alliant is the broker for ATA-sponsored exacerbate the challenges of a natural response agencies. disaster. In these times of climate professional liability insurance. The uncertainty, what we can count on is that underwriter is Lloyd’s of London. these unfortunate events will occur with example, instead of the speakers increasing frequency. There’s so much Why choose the ATA-sponsored presenting in English and the audience we can’t predict or control about when professional liability insurance? wearing portable headsets to hear the and where the next natural disaster will interpretation in Spanish, bilingual occur. What we can control, however, The policy is specific to the translation representatives of local agencies such is our own level of preparedness and and interpreting professions. This is not as the sheriff’s office, firemen, and the degree to which we’re ready to be of a one-size-fits-all plan, but a plan that is elected city officials spoke in Spanish. service to our communities by putting our valuable language skills into action. specific to the work you do. Interpreting was provided to the rest of the officials who only spoke English. Further, as a language access advocate, When the speakers were monolingual you can play an important role in your What does the ATA-sponsored English, the interpreter had to step into community by working with others to professional liability insurance cover? consecutive mode in the “speaker role” help your town or county ensure that with the microphone and abandon the language access is included in their ■■ Broad definition of translation/ simultaneous transmitter. disaster response plan. interpreting services: Covers nearly Lesson # 9: If you’re called to assist NOTES in an unfamiliar environment, it’s all activities relevant to a translator 1. Information for volunteering with the Red vital to be able to step out of your or interpreter, including editing, Cross can be found here: www.redcross. comfort zone and adapt to quickly org/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities.html. publishing, and proofreading. changing circumstances. If you’re used 2. to interpreting in a conference booth, Information on how to make an emergency plan can be found here: ■■ Coverage for contingent bodily injury for example, you might literally have www.ready.gov/make-a-plan. and/or property damage: Covers to step out of the box and be prepared 3. Doctors without Borders, errors in providing translation/ to adapt using a variety of different strategies. I found it invaluable to www.doctorswithoutborders.org. interpreting services that result in own a set of portable simultaneous bodily injury and/or property damage. interpreting equipment, as not all Julie Burns is a veteran settings have access to this equipment, These types of claims are typically interpreter trainer with 20 years which can be used in a variety of ways. excluded by generic professional of experience in health care One of the biggest challenges for interpreting and translation, liability policies. me, as a translator and interpreter who as well as extensive experience works primarily in the health care in health education and ■■ Coverage for cyber liability, including field, was dealing with very specific fire training in Latin America and the U.S. She is HIPAA and HITECH breaches: Covers disaster terminology. Finding glossaries a certified medical interpreter (Certification breaches related to the provision of and other resources in advance would Commission for Healthcare Interpreters) and a certified worker’s compensation medical interpreter professional services in violation or have saved time and eased the stress of the quick turnaround needed for (State of California). She is also an ATA-certified breach of the HIPAA and HITECH Acts. the CalFire reports, which came in at Spanish>English translator. She has an M.Ed. in various times of the day and night due adult education. She is the former director of the Bridging the Gap Interpreter Training Program and Visit ata.alliant.com for additional to rapidly changing conditions. has trained thousands of interpreters. She has information. Lesson #10: Locate and research served as a board member for the National Council terminology related to the disasters on Interpreting in Health Care, International Medical Questions? Contact Alliant at most likely to occur in your area ahead Interpreters Association, and California Healthcare of time. Another valuable resource is Interpreting Association. She is the 2018 recipient +1-703-547-5777 or Doctors without Borders, who are ready of the National Council on Interpreting in Health [email protected] and willing to jump in with translation Care Language Access Champion Award. help during a crisis.3 Contact: [email protected].

12 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org FEATURE BY GABRIELLA PAGE-FORT

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad International Literature: Zahid Hamidi’s 2016 challenge to local authors to win a Nobel Prize in Literature by 2057.3) With global ambitions come A Data-Driven Approach to infrastructure investments. According to the Three Percent Database,4 South Korean Prioritizing Diversity literature has seen a marked increase in English translations in the U.S. since Korean Investment, infrastructure, and influence drive the global publishing industry. President Kim Song-Un’s 2012 statement5 Can we develop a data-driven approach to prioritizing the world’s languages that it was about time his country achieve this glory, with four translations in 2008 and to focus investment in new regions to diversify the books being translated? 11 in 2018. Resources such as translation funding, translator workshops, English mazon’s leadership principles have output but no representation in our magazines, international book fair visits, taught me data-driven decision- submission pool. The top 25 countries by and international editor fellowships to visit A making. Across the company results number of new releases published each year Seoul are costly but effective in increasing are measured and reviewed weekly, spans from 440,000 new releases in China translation output. (There were no titles strategies are developed from the data up, to 19,900 in Canada to 14,984 in Romania. from Malaysia published in 2008 and 2018. and we listen to customers to develop our (See Figure 1 below.) To date, Amazon The Three Percent Database includes only path forward. Crossing has published books from 68% of one Malaysian entry, Ng Kim Chew’s Slow 2 It can be challenging to apply data these countries. The outliers are countries Boat to China and Other Stories, translated analysis in publishing, but these tools beyond the reach of the Eurocentric book from Chinese by Carlos Rojas and published felt uniquely helpful as I approached a fair circuit. Perhaps publishing output by Columbia University Press in 2016.) difficult goal: prioritizing new languages signals opportunity for future discoveries Of course, we could engage with for translation. Amazon Crossing from India, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Czech resources funded by the Malaysian combines close reading, editorial vision, Republic, Malaysia, and Romania. Though government should they become and strong relationships to nourish we haven’t announced acquisitions from available. We could also start reaching out our publishing program. If we want a India, the Czech Republic, or Romania, we to publishers we can find, but how do we balanced and diverse list, we need to be frequently receive submissions from these also ensure we’re finding the best books? intentional with how we choose what to countries. But in Taiwan, Vietnam, and By using translators, naturally. read and with whom to work. Malaysia, our Rolodex comes up short. Amazon Crossing encourages As editorial director of Amazon Crossing, So, how would we start a new submissions at https://translation. I have the challenge of leading acquisition relationship with, say, Malaysian publishers? amazon.com/submissions. We’ve decisions for an imprint publishing fiction There are likely to be increased resources found many of our best books through and nonfiction in translation, and with thanks to the United Nations Educational, translators, such as Malagasy author it the responsibility of holding a broad Scientific and Cultural Organization Johary Ravaloson’s Return to the Enchanted view of what’s happening in publishing (UNESCO) selecting Kuala Lumpur as Island (November 2019), brought to globally. With a goal of diversifying our list, the 2020 World Book Capital. (This itself us by Allison Charette, and Spanish I wondered what data might help identify was likely thanks to Malaysian Deputy bestseller Paul Pen, an author long areas for investment in research and relationship-building. The editorial team has connections with a large network of agents, publishers, and literary translators, all of whom surface books and authors for our consideration. Since we launched in 2010, we’ve published 400 books from 23 languages and 37 countries. To discover new regions, languages, and literatures, we must reach out in search of new experts, but where to begin? Various sources release publishing statistics each year, and, helpfully, Wikipedia editors pull data from many sources to create this overview.1 Publishing output alone doesn’t signal opportunity for English translation, but it could shine a light on blind spots: markets with robust publishing Figure 1: Books Published Annually Around the World www.atanet.org American Translators Association 13 INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH TO PRIORITIZING DIVERSITY continued

what languages are they reading in and what are they hoping to find? These are primary filters that block much of the world’s publishing activity from notice. Publishing is a business, and readers influence the entire cycle with their buying/ borrowing/book club selecting—and with their reading. The most talked about books sell the most copies, triggering the chain of events that brings popular books to the world through translation. The bigger the readership, the more investment publishers and booksellers are willing to make to drive further growth. To illustrate the hero’s journey of international success as an author, I thought it might help to start with a Figure 2: Sample from UNESCO’s Index Translationum data for the Top 50 Countries best-case-scenario, if only to spotlight the by Exported Translations complexity of crossing publishing borders. When we stumble onto leads outside our language abilities, we often For top names, like Robert Dugoni, a New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, engage translators to read, assess, and create sample translations to and #1 Amazon internationally bestselling author, the publishing cycle is virtuous help us consider the broadest possible range of books. and exhilarating. Agent Meg Ruley at Jane Rotrosen Agency7 gets a new book, reads it, gets the chills, and when it’s ready, championed by translator Simon Bruni Index Translationum data for the Top business wheels spin quickly. Gracie 6 (we’re now on our third thriller with the 50 Countries by Exported Translations Doyle, editorial director at Thomas & pair, Under the Water, in October 2019). shows a strong correlation between the Mercer, makes an offer for World English When we stumble onto leads outside world’s largest book exporters and the most rights as well as all the languages where our language abilities, we often engage published source countries in the U.S. Amazon Crossing publishes translations: translators to read, assess, and create (See Figure 2 above.) Clearly, those with Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and China. sample translations to help us consider export muscles are succeeding at reaching Sabrina Prestia, foreign rights manager at the broadest possible range of books. U.S. publication. Jane Rotrosen Agency, gets the word out Any reader can lead us to great books: To open ourselves beyond this focused to a network of subagents worldwide, our open website for submissions removes minority of well-funded literature focused all of whom know publishers in their the barrier to entry for those outside on driving exports—which often means markets who are eager to read and our existing community, and language English proficiencies and submission publish the latest in the Tracy Crosswhite localization further expands accessibility materials, attending book fairs, and series. Most of these editors are fluent in (users can submit in 14 languages). As materials out of reach for many— English. If the agent is timing the pitch we reach in new directions, additional we’re investing in access and visibility. with international book fairs in Frankfurt language support can help us expand and However, the goal is still connecting or London, this work happens in person, target our engagement. So, how do we with individuals. People decide which at tiny tables on a crowded convention prioritize languages for attention? books are published and, as with so many center floor. Countries have wildly different statistics aspects of life, no matter how much data Dugoni’s books have been translated about literary imports and exports, but you have at your fingertips, it often boils into dozens of languages, including there are only a few ways books reach down to who you know. French, German, Italian, Japanese, across borders—human networks create Norwegian, Slovakian, Spanish, and a common infrastructure worldwide. But Vietnamese.8 Editors at each publishing any individual’s network is only so big, and PATH TO GLOBAL PUBLICATION house acquire the book—some having we each choose where to focus our energy. Authors are writing books all over the read the novel in English, others relying These simple forces are the paths toward world. The lucky ones get a good agent on the author’s past success rate, and translation for any author. We expand our with global contacts, and/or a good primary some trusting the word of scouts or view by learning from different countries to publisher with a powerful network of readers. Each chooses a translator and see how resources are invested to maximize foreign contacts to whom they pitch books works with their teams to create the cultural diversity, and specifically literary for translation. Editors all over the world translated book that ultimately reaches the translations. A quick look at UNESCO’s are reading to find the next bestseller, but reader. If the readers love it, the author

14 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org can count on this cycle moving smoothly FILLING THE GAPS for a glorious career. It’s my hope that many such threads This path is winding at best even for will leap out for the Amazon Crossing an author who is already a global brand team as we develop more sophisticated name. Amazon Crossing is making views on global publishing. We have a explicit efforts to reach further upstream range of language skills in-house: from to find interesting books. What can we Scandinavian languages expert Elizabeth do to find books that are not yet proven DeNoma, French and Spanish with Liza bestsellers, in languages beyond the best- Darnton and myself, and a wonderfully funded literatures, and authors who might diverse array of interested colleagues be marginalized? around the globe. Thanks to the internet and translation tools, we can more easily FORGING NEW PATHS search across languages than my younger I would like to walk through an example self could ever have imagined, albeit in of a book I acquired from beyond a coarse and restrained way. Resources my network, adding Bangladesh to like the Publishing Trends International our list of 37 countries published to Bestseller list feature (which rounds up a date and the Bengali language to our monthly top 10 from various countries), list of 23 languages translated. The online magazines like Asymptote Journal numbers can feel like a distraction when Humayun Azad (1947–2004) is regarded as and Words Without Borders spotlighting discussing diversity, but in a data-driven one of the most influential writers in modern a vast array of literature and a wealth of environment like Amazon, it pays to Bengali literature. translation and editorial insight, and Book count. And if you’re reaching beyond the Twitter offer prismatic perspectives with world you know, it also pays to be explicit plenty of opportunity to go deep. So, how about where you would like to explore. do we focus our energies? Abbu (father), we learn the history of With this thought in mind, I Beyond assessing the world’s publishing Bangladesh’s fight for independence—a secured approval to attend the Sharjah activity to find gaps, we also assess the war fought by people determined to International Book Fair in November world’s popular literature to seek trends. 2017. Nearly all my meetings were with protect language and culture—through the In addition to global lists, Amazon Charts agents and publishers I had never met. I experience of one family. Humayun Azad tracks the most-read books in fiction and made good use of the online registry of (1947–2004) is regarded as one of the nonfiction, and we monitor the bestseller attendees as I set up my schedule, and most influential writers in modern Bengali lists in the U.S. and U.K. marketplaces. I also asked a few trusted colleagues to literature. An esteemed poet, academic For example, the recent Nielsen report9 make some introductions. I met Mitia scholar, critic, and linguist with more than focusing on growth in translation sales Osman, publisher of Agamee Prakashani, 70 titles to his credit, he was awarded the offers both cause for optimism and a top press in Bangladesh, and after a Bangla Academy Award in 1986 for his directional data to guide our predictions. presentation of her catalog I decided contributions to Bengali linguistics. In Business decisions are often made to ask: “If I’ve never read a book from 2012, the Bangladesh government honored Bangladesh, where would you have me based on patterns of exclusion or him posthumously with the Ekushey overemphasis. We’ll ask ourselves if start?” I was struggling to interpret titles Padak Award. Throughout his career, he listed on the catalog pages as possibilities this fills a gap, or does it land in an was praised for his outspoken critique and needed some deeper insight. Mitia overcrowded marketplace that is difficult of fundamentalism and his unflinching wasn’t sure where to lead me, but she to distinguish from its peers. As we’re support of the Bengali language and the immediately mentioned a book that designing a metric, we’re not only trying culture it represents. holds special meaning in her own to identify trends visible in the data, personal canon. The author photo Mitia sent me was we’re also looking to spot things such as Published on World Book Day, April captioned “rebel against bigotry.” How outliers and omissions. Who saw Marie 23, 2019, I Remember Abbu by Humayun could I possibly resist amplifying his call Kondo coming, or predicted a shift from Azad was translated by award-winner for freedom? the darkness of Scandi crime to the life- Arunava Sinha. It contains a moving So now, we put this gem out into the affirmingMan Called Ove franchise? I foreword by the author’s son, Ananya Azad, wilds of publication, taking a great leap of remember when everyone insisted humor explaining his father’s tragic death and his faith launched thanks to two readers’ deep doesn’t translate! The data itself offers a devotion to his work, and illustrations by connections to it, striving to spark curiosity point of reference, but we’re still dealing Bangladeshi artist Sabyasachi Mistry. In so many can discover this book’s capacity with human hearts and minds, and many chapters alternating between the voice of a to heal the wounds that divide us. It’s one breakout successes surprise even those child and the diary entries of her beloved delicate thread in the web of humanity. who chose them. www.atanet.org American Translators Association 15 INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH TO PRIORITIZING DIVERSITY continued

Editors all over the world are reading to find the next bestseller, but what languages are they reading in and what are they hoping to find?

authors writing in Spanish (Giannina Braschi and Lorea Canales), one Canada-based author writing in German (Bernadette Calonego), and one Australian who identifies as an Indonesian writer writing in English (Tiffany Tsao). 3. Abrams, Dennis. “Malaysia Wants A Nobel Prize for Literature,” Publishing Perspectives (January 11, 2016), http://bit.ly/Malaysia-Nobel. 4. Translation Database, Figure 3: The Three Percent Database http://bit.ly/PW-translation-database. The Three Percent Database, created by even more importantly, see through all the 5. Rao, Mythili G. “Can a Big Government Chad Post at the University of Rochester layers of potential bias and filter systems Push Bring the Nobel Prize in Literature to and hosted by Publishers Weekly, is the to reach underrepresented voices? South Korea?” The New Yorker (January 28, most helpful reference for seeing what Comparing top countries for translation 2016), http://bit.ly/South-Korea-publishing. other U.S. publishers are choosing to exports with U.S. translations released 6. www.unesco.org/xtrans/bsstatexp. translate, and to spot both gaps and areas is a crude way to spot opportunities to aspx?crit1L=1&nTyp=min&topN=50. of most investment. engage with languages or countries with 7. I’m using publicly available data here, The chart in Figure 3 above shows 2017 few or no translations being released in including Publishers Marketplace deal titles in English translation in the U.S., English. There is no reason to assume announcements and international Amazon limited to “original translations of fiction books from these countries will sell, bestseller lists. My apologies if elements of and poetry published or distributed here but if our goal is to build infrastructure, this exercise prove out of date. in the U.S.,” to quote the Three Percent this is a fertile place to start. We know 8. From the author’s website: blog. It’s incomplete because there is no there are publishers investing in local www.robertdugonibooks.com/resources. absolute way of spotting translations authors, someone we can email and start in the marketplace (there would be if a conversation, industry magazines where 9. Anderson, Porter. “Nielsen Reports all publishers included the translator’s we can feature a call for submissions, and Translated Literature in the U.K. name in title metadata), but imperfect translator talent we might tap to help us Grew 5.5% in 2018,” Publishing (March 6, 2019), data at least gives us a starting point. The expand our scope immeasurably. And if Perspectives http://bit.ly/UK-publishing. database has a Creative Commons license nothing comes of this outreach, if we’re and all are encouraged to slice and dice wasting time investigating what people are the data, and to contribute missing titles. reading in Malay or Hindi, what is lost? Gabriella Page-Fort is the I find it a useful reference for keeping up It’s an opportunity cost, but to me these editorial director of Amazon with what other presses are discovering. connections prove fruitful whether sales Crossing, where she has worked The top countries shown in Figure follow or not, and the infrastructure we since 2010. She has helped 3 are perhaps unsurprising, and the build could support a future generation’s publish award-winning authors bottom of the list may be unsurprising diverse reading. of international bestsellers as well. It’s harder to spot those missing from around the world, such as Rodrigo Rey entirely: 86 countries saw one or more NOTES Rosa, Laura Restrepo, Johary Ravaloson, Martin new translations last year, just 44% of the 1. Here is the Wikipedia page listing the Michael Driessen, Dolores Redondo, Oliver 195 countries in the world. It’s difficult number of books published per country Pötzsch, Zygmunt Miłoszewski, and Ayşe Kulin. to focus on invisible literature within per year, http://bit.ly/Wiki-books-worldwide. She was named Publishers Weekly Star Watch the established international publishing 2. To date, Amazon Crossing has not “Superstar” in 2017. In her spare time, she is a network. So, how do we facilitate the published a French Canadian author, literary translator from French and Spanish and a growth of up-and-coming markets, and though we have published U.S.-based musician. Contact: [email protected].

16 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org FEATURE BY MADALENA SÁNCHEZ ZAMPAULO

benefits as long as people continue to use those search terms, which you can update as needed. Make sure your site is mobile- 2 friendly. It’s also important to pay specific attention to mobile-first content, since more people these days are pretty savvy users of mobile devices. Your site should be mobile-friendly (i.e., navigable and formatted to fit well on the screen of a mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone). If you’ve ever visited a site that was not mobile- friendly, you probably remember how annoying it was to try to read the content or find what you were looking for. This is another update you can make to your site that will improve users’ experience. Pay attention to your site’s 3 speed. It needs to be fast and void of those error message pages (think 404) announcing your site is missing stuff. These types of pages can slow your site down and will surely also put a damper on users’ experience. Things like videos or images that aren’t adjusted properly for your site can also slow down the speed at which your website loads. Remember, you only have mere seconds 10 Simple Ways to Boost Your to catch someone’s attention when they visit your site, so it’s important to get Translation or Interpreting these things right.

Website’s SEO Things like videos or images that When you take the time to put your website to work for you, you’ll see the are not adjusted properly for your benefits when clients call on you more often because your site came up in a site can also slow down the speed Google search. at which your website loads.

veryone knows that it’s important Ready to get started? Okay, here are 10 to think about search engine simple ways to boost your translation or optimization (SEO) for their interpreting website’s SEO: E Have high-quality backlinks to business website, but how many Think about consumer 4 your site. These backlinks could freelance translators and interpreters 1 behavior. Are the folks who be things like a link to your website really take the time to adjust a few would be looking for your services from a professional directory—like the things behind the scenes to boost online using specific terms? What are ATA directories—from an article you their website’s search engine ranking? they searching for? What are their pain wrote for a respectable publication, or Before we dive in here, let me make a points? It’s essential to include key even from a guest blog post you penned. full disclaimer that I’m no SEO expert. search terms in your website’s Think outside the box a bit and make However, I’ve learned a few things over keywords (you know, on the back end good use of backlinks! If you find that the years that have been very effective of the website) so that these people can any links leading to your site are in my own career when it comes to my find you more easily. This is a simple broken, take the time to kindly request professional services website. fix that will allow you to reap the that they be fixed by providing the

www.atanet.org American Translators Association 17 10 SIMPLE WAYS TO BOOST YOUR TRANSLATION OR INTERPRETING WEBSITE’S SEO continued person or publication with the proper You only have mere seconds the LSIs “health and wellness translator” link. Sites that have high-quality or “life sciences translator.” Check out backlinks are also considered to contain to catch someone’s attention this free tool to find semantic keywords higher quality content by search to complement your primary keywords: engines, so don’t overlook having a when they visit your site, so https://lsigraph.com. small collection of good backlinks. it’s important to get these 10 Optimize the images on your Be smart about the “title tags” things right. site! What am I talking about? It’s 5 you use for your website. What easy—name them! When you upload an are title tags? This is a fancy name for image to your website, be careful not to another one of those behind-the-scenes leave the file names that read something easy fixes you can make. Title tags are Choose your “H2” tags wisely! like “IMG4781.jpg.” Instead, give them a the names you give to the various pages 7 H2 tags are different from your real name that includes a keyword or on your website (e.g., services). These title tags, but are still relevant and two. Something like “Medical_translator_ tags will show up in online searches as something your target market might Cincinnati.jpg” is a smart choice for clickable headlines in search results. use in a search. (For Squarespace site someone looking for more medical They tell search engines and visitors users like myself, these are called translation clients local to the Cincinnati what any given page on your site is “Heading 2 tags”). H2 tags allow you to or southern Ohio/northern Kentucky about, so it’s important that the titles break up the content you’re sharing to area. By naming your site’s images with you choose are concise and accurate. make it scannable and easy to read, keywords, there’s a much higher It’s key to get these title tags right which gives you the ability to rank even probability of your site ranking higher in so that search engines know how to higher in search results. Think of H2 search engines than someone else’s site categorize your website in a search tags as the title of a page section or blog that isn’t taking advantage of this simple and so those doing the searching can post. For example, if I were posting this strategy. Try it! find you easily. You can adjust the title article on a blog, I would use the H2 tag When you take the time to put your tags on most pages of your website, “10 Simple Ways to Boost Your website to work for you, you’ll see but I would argue that the most vital Translation or Interpreting Website’s the benefits when clients call on you ones are the home page, your bio or SEO” as the title of the post. It’s more often because your site came up “about” page, and blog posts (if you designated as an H2 tag, which means in a Google search. The tips above are write them). For example, you don’t it’s highly searchable by anyone who is easy to implement and take just a few want to use your name as the title tag looking for this type of content. H2 tags minutes, but you have to carefully (and of your home page. If I put “Madalena provide readers with a clearer picture of strategically) plan to make your site Zampaulo” as a title tag, I would have what your content covers and allows appealing to your ideal clients. Remember, no idea if my ideal clients would be them to quickly find the specific put your energy into making your site able to find me since they may not even information they want. rank well in searches so you can be found know my name yet! Instead, it’s better to by those you want to work with. This may use something like “Madalena Zampaulo Mention your keyword within 8 not necessarily be the same as the clients | Medical Translator + Freelancer.” Use the first 100 words of a site for whom you’re currently working. terms in your title tags that describe page or blog post. Believe it or not, by Consider who your ideal client is and go what you do and that would make good using keywords toward the start of a from there. Good luck! search terms! page, your site will rank better in search engine results. Brownie points if you use Keep your URLs short and a keyword in the first sentence! 6 include some keywords in them. Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo I’ll admit this is something I need to Keep your thesaurus handy for is an ATA director and chair of 9 the Membership Committee. work on myself as I’m a wordy person. those Latent Semantic Indexing She is the owner of Accessible But keeping URLs to five or six words (LSI) keywords. The what? This is just Translation Solutions and a fancy way of saying the synonyms after the last “/” in a URL is a good goal a Spanish>English and related to your main keywords. (Yes, to set. On the other hand, don’t be too Portuguese>English translator. She served as chair short or generic with your URLs either. you can use synonyms!) Make sure you of ATA’s Public Relations Committee (2014–2018) A URL like www.thisisanexample. include them on your site’s home page and administrator of ATA’s Medical Division (2011– com/?p=abc will not take you very far or in your blog post. This allows Google 2015). She has a BA in Spanish from the University when it comes to search rankings, but to determine how relevant your page is of Southern Mississippi and an MA in Spanish from one like www.thisisanexample.com/ to search inquiries and will help direct the University of Louisville. She is also a consultant medical-translator-technical-devices- people who might be searching for the for the University of Louisville Graduate Certificate expert is way more effective and same thing using different words. For in Translation. You can read more of her articles should boost your site’s rankings in example, let’s say your keyword is on her blog at www.madalenazampaulo.com/blog. search engines. “medical translator.” You could include Contact: [email protected].

18 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org FEATURE BY EVELYN YANG GARLAND, BRIDGET HYLAK, PAUL MERRIAM, AND CHRIS VERDUIN

Keynote—Lessons Learned the Hard Way: Takeaways from 26 Years Managing a State Judiciary’s Translation and Interpreting Program Robert Joe Lee’s keynote was a revelation of what it takes to get a certification program underway. Lee worked for the New Jersey Judiciary from 1978 until his retirement in 2008. After a few years working as a research associate in the probation division and staffing the Supreme Court Task Force on Interpreter and Translation Services, he managed New Jersey’s translation All photos by Hilda Shymanik. and interpreting program to ensure equal access to the courts for linguistic minorities. He has coordinated the ATA Law Seminar: Four Perspectives development of court interpreter tests in numerous languages, as well Attendees from this year’s ATA Law Seminar discuss what they learned from as numerous policies in the field. In high-level speakers. collaboration with the staff of the National Center for State Courts and three other state judiciaries, he helped n February, 80 legal interpreters and CHRIS VERDUIN establish the Consortium for State translators gathered in Jersey City, New As a certified court interpreter of a Court Interpreter Certification and led IJersey, for ATA’s Law Seminar. It offered language other than Spanish, there have New Jersey to be a charter member. a full-day of intermediate-to-advanced been times where I’ve had difficulty workshops featuring presentations finding the appropriate, acceptable by Melinda Gonzalez-Hibner, Elena continuing education training that’s All in all, it was a productive Langdon, Holly Mikkelson, and Sandro required to maintain my certification. Tomasi. Robert Joe Lee was the event’s I’ve even considered paying a hefty price day of learning, discussion, keynote speaker. Lee, a 30-year veteran for beginner material for which I had of the New Jersey Judiciary, is well known little use simply to get the continuing and networking. for implementing quality control and education units. It seems that those performance standards for language involved in court administration are professionals working in New Jersey becoming more aware of this dilemma, courts. If this seminar is an example of and some states I work in are now Lee explained how the New Jersey the direction in which training is going for taking steps to resolve the situation Judiciary was transformed from an judicial interpreters and legal translators, by providing reasonably-priced, more organization that had virtually no policy then we’re certainly on the right track. focused seminars that qualify for regarding translation and interpreting Here’s what some of the attendees had continuing education units. ATA’s Law to one where appropriate standards to say. Seminar fit the bill perfectly. of quality control and professional

www.atanet.org American Translators Association 19 ATA LAW SEMINAR: FOUR PERSPECTIVES continued

interpreters was developed. However, even after testing was implemented, it still proved incredibly difficult to find interpreters who could achieve a passing score. Even now, the pass rate for state tests in general is incredibly low and courts still struggle to find competent interpreters in many languages of lesser diffusion. One of the lingering questions in my mind regarding New Jersey interpreters is why the state doesn’t require continuing education for its court-approved (as they are called in New Jersey) interpreters. In other states, continuing education is something that’s expected and required for court interpreters. Lee explained that due to the lack of adequate funding and the scarcity of competent interpreters to fill existing needs, the immediate focus has been on the provision of qualified interpreters in all languages. Allocating already scarce resources to the area of continuing education would require additional funding and personnel for oversight. Lee’s practical outlook made perfect sense.

Melinda Gonzalez-Hibner—Performing from the Stand: Advanced Sight, Simultaneous, and Consecutive Skills Melinda Gonzalez-Hibner gave attendees many things to consider in her engaging presentation. She pointed out that all the skills we use in the various modes of interpreting are interconnected. She emphasized engaging in ongoing practice, since From left: Hilda Shymanik, Leda Melara Gonzalez, and Sonia Barria take a break from the seminar to no one outgrows the need for focused, enjoy the New York City skyline. intentional skill building that includes ways to specifically measure progress. The following points stood out: performance by language professionals leadership, the events related were all Pay attention as you practice. are an unquestioned, normal part of its the more interesting and relevant 1 Be aware not only of what is said, operational culture. to me. but of the emotions, tone, gestures, and I expected a dry historical Lee embarked on a long and arduous facial cues and how to transmit presentation of the steps taken to journey to replace the practice of them appropriately establish New Jersey’s translation and allowing pretty much anyone who In a court situation, try to avoid interpreting program, but I actually speaks another language to interpret 2 eye contact with either party, found myself riveted to the chain of in court. After years of perseverance, since our role requires us to foster events as Lee described how he felt setbacks, resistance to change, patience, the direct relationship between the compelled to relentlessly pursue an and what Lee calls “serendipity” (i.e., parties involved. Options for making avenue for providing linguistic equality. taking advantage of unexpected doors this happen were addressed, such as Since my career began under Lee’s of opportunity), testing for judiciary where to look, where to sit, and what to

20 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org do if the witness starts speaking English. As a certified court interpreter be, combined with a unique overview of (The answer to the latter is to repeat ethical theories, was a refreshing take on the English.) of a language other than the subject—something beyond Ethics 101 with a bit of a liberating feel. Never stop shadowing, in both Spanish, there have been times 3 languages, or more, if you work Drawing from her years of practice in more languages. Shadowing means where I’ve had difficulty finding and research as a “linguist purist,” listening to and repeating any spoken Langdon crafted a workshop that material in the same language in which the appropriate, acceptable provided irresistible bite-sized “tidbits for thought” that sparked the attention it’s presented. Shadowing in our continuing education training working languages helps us maintain of attendees and stirred debate. active vocabulary, challenges brain that’s required to maintain Langdon served up a flavorful yet function, and helps maintain speed of curious dish of actual interpreting retrieval (immediate language access), my certification. dilemmas as encountered by working which tends to lessen as we age. Any linguists in various venues (e.g., court, type of practice material will work, from deposition, or even the Department of Ted Talks to the news or even watching Motor Vehicles). She seasoned those soap opera in your languages. importantly, what not to do, in that staples with several heaping teaspoons area of legal interpreting. It focused from the National Association of Mix up practicing all the modes on the specifics of interpreting at legal Judiciary Interpreters and Translators’ 4 of interpreting. Identify your and non-court hearings in the U.S.: Code of Ethics and a liberal dash of biggest need and focus on it first. sworn depositions with attorneys, Federal Courts Standards. She then 5 Record your practice sessions. hearings for government agencies, and combined all this with an interesting Make a recording when you other similar situations. Elena covered exercise. The resulting flavor—for an practice your interpreting, play it back, videoconferencing, how to make fast ethics workshop—offered a unique find out what’s lacking, and try again. friends with the court reporter, how perspective that did indeed move And again. And again. to deal with “immigrant speak,” and “beyond” the ordinary. We were sent practice materials logistics. Preparation (and survival) Langdon challenged attendees to before the session to download on our strategies, vocabulary, and dos and analyze the interpreter’s role and devices for use. I always struggle with don’ts were also addressed. purpose in various situations and even the simple technology on my The second session provided theories according to varying ethical theories. cell phone (e.g., where is that stupid and models of ethics that are important She essentially provoked some healthy recording button, which thing do I for informing and guiding the canons introspection and asked attendees press and how do I stop it, how do I of ethics by which judicial interpreters to consider the following questions: play it back, etc.). However, I soon make ethical decisions. These basic “How do you feel about what happened realized that the more I was forced to ethical theories are: 1) virtue ethics, 2) here?” “What would you have done?” do these maneuvers in the group, the deontology, 3) utilitarianism, 4) cultural and “What could or should you more comfortable and adept I became relativism (laws), 5) social group have done?” at performing the logistics involved. relativism, and 6) egoism. The end goal Her passion was evident, her manners This means that I will be much more is to be able to make a decision that impeccable, and her professional likely to tackle such exercises at agrees with as many of these principles maturity was on full display as she home alone! as possible. occasionally fielded junior questions that other veterans of her caliber may Elena Langdon—Anatomy of a BRIDGET HYLAK have scoffed at. Deposition and How to Master Elena Langdon—Ethics in Action: Of particular note was a this Niche Moving Beyond Should and Shouldn’t thoughtfully-prepared section Elena Langdon’s session was divided Elena Langdon’s workshop was an eclectic regarding professional authenticity and into two sessions: deposition and ethics. mix of fact, theory, and introspection. self-care, a topic which seems to be (Fellow attendee Bridget Hylak provides Langdon took us inside and outside the “trending” in many professions. Those more details on the latter below). box of our profession. She began by of us who sit for hours a day behind a For those experienced court providing a general overview of what computer, or stand for trials that seem interpreters who have not yet branched ethics are and aren’t, and then ever-so- to go on and on, can never be over- out into depositions, Langdon’s gently dared to suggest that we could (and reminded of the importance of taking presentation provided the basic should) give closer thought to what they care of ourselves. structure and procedures involved, “should or shouldn’t” be. Delving into the Overall, this was an ethics workshop such as what to do, and perhaps more area of what ethics “should and shouldn’t” for beginners and experts alike, which

www.atanet.org American Translators Association 21 ATA LAW SEMINAR: FOUR PERSPECTIVES continued led many of us to realize we have a lot Since legal translation and president as “she” in a later sentence more to consider. when the gender is clear in Spanish—la interpreting are comprised of Presidenta—but ambiguous in English— EVELYN YANG GARLAND not only translating from one the president). Holly Mikkelson—Translating Legal Documents: Expert to Expert language to another but also BIG THANKS This language-neutral workshop translating from one legal system So, thanks and bravo to ATA, addressed the issues encountered by legal Headquarters staff, and key volunteers translators of all languages who must to another, it’s vital for court who took part in putting on this event. deal with the sometimes impenetrable We look forward to more opportunities and arcane language of the law. As interpreters or legal translators of this kind in the future. Holly Mikkelson observed, law is a very conservative institution that resists to go beyond the linguistic change. Judges and attorneys still use Bridget Hylak is an ATA- aspects of the source- and certified Spanish>English legalese heavily despite the plain English translator and a certified movement. Because of this, Mikkelson target-language terms and be Spanish>English court says she intentionally incorporates mindful of the legal concepts interpreter (Administrative Office legalese into her translation so that it of Pennsylvania Courts). She is will look familiar to its target audience. behind them. an approved oral exam candidate for the Federal Additionally, she’s convinced that the use Court Interpreting Certification Examination. She of certain legalese helps make the text is also a master editor (English, Spanish, Italian, more succinct. and Portuguese). She has directed Come Alive Her workshop covered the history of Communications, Inc. since 1990. legal language and the use of commonly techniques that can be applied to written Contact: [email protected]. used legal expressions. A lively and oral communication. Translation interactive practice session followed, examples based on functional equivalency Evelyn Yang Garland is an where participants “translated” back were also included. ATA director. She is the owner and forth between legalese and plain Tomasi provided some historical and manager of Acta Chinese English. Mikkelson emphasized the material on the theory of legal Language Services, a firm that has translated presidential importance of research, which is an translation. These included the 1907 writings and specializes in indispensable step in her approach Rossel translation of the Swiss Civil Chinese>English translation. She is an ATA- to translation despite her extensive Code from German into French, where certified English<>Chinese translator, court- experience working as a court the French-speaking population of certified interpreter, and contract conference interpreter and legal translator for Switzerland was given the right to insist over 40 years. She provided a list of interpreter for the U.S. Department of State. that they be provided with material in She served on the Leadership Council of ATA’s recommended readings for translators the spirit of the French language, who wish to learn more about Chinese Language Division and as co-chair for rather than Gallicized German or programs for the National Capital Area legal translation. All in all, it was a Germanized French. productive day of learning, discussion, Translators Association (an ATA chapter). Tomasi’s primary emphasis was Contact: [email protected]. and networking. on the concept of legal transfer as opposed to linguistic transfer. A specific Paul Merriam is an ATA- PAUL MERRIAM example given was the term “lineup,” certified Russian>English Sandro Tomasi—Translating Legal Terms for which some American case law translator. After spending 20 Based on Functional Equivalency was provided to clarify the concept in years in the U.S. Army, he spent 10 years as a project manager Since legal translation and interpreting English. Six possibilities for translation in an agency with a Department are comprised of not only translating were provided with discussions of of Justice contract. He now works as a freelance from one language to another but also how they might be affected by case translator from Russian, German, Polish, and translating from one legal system to law. Tomasi also discussed how to deal Spanish into English. Contact: [email protected]. another, it’s vital for court interpreters with situations where the words don’t or legal translators to go beyond the exactly match. Some techniques for Chris Verduin is a Pennsylvania linguistic aspects of the source- and handling such situations include using court-certified Portuguese target-language terms and be mindful of explicitation (e.g., “Bye. Good luck” as interpreter working in eastern the legal concepts behind them. Sandro opposed to the literal “Bye. Luck”) and Pennsylvania, southern New Tomasi’s workshop provided essential compensation (adding information in Jersey, and Delaware. Contact: legal translation theory along with a later utterance: e.g., referring to the [email protected].

22 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org THE ENTREPRENEURIAL LINGUIST BY JUDY JENNER Dealing with Sexual Harassment

hanks to the #MeToo movement, the harassed party fears for her (or women and men around the world his) job. Most of us are independent T finally feel more comfortable contractors, but still, would you report discussing the issue of sexual one of your best law firm clients to the bar harassment in and out of the workplace. association and risk never getting retained However, I’ve noticed that this is a by them again? What about if the senior subject that rarely comes up in the judge at the courthouse you work at the interpreting profession. most is harassing you? Now we’re back to Does that mean it doesn’t exist? Of power and control, aren’t we? I wish there course not, but perhaps especially were better answers. in court interpreting, oftentimes The Flip Side: While being a woman in interpreters feel like a small cog in the the oftentimes male-dominated world of wheels of justice (even though they’re law can be challenging, it can also have one of the most essential elements). It’s a well-documented fact its advantages, whether we like it or not. Interpreters have been taught to be I’ve been retained for several assignments invisible (which, in my opinion, we that sexual harassment goes specifically because I’m a woman, which shouldn’t be). This may be compounded seemed unfair to my male colleagues, by the fact that interpreting, and in underreported because the but that was the client’s request. I don’t particular court interpreting, is a harassed party fears for her think that gender should be a factor in female-dominated profession. interpreting (unless you are going to an This is a complicated and complex issue (or his) job. oil platform or to a women-only hospital with no easy answers and lots of room or something similar), but it can be. for improvement, and one that might be best suited for either a conference session Afterwards, I felt terrible that my rhetoric Sexual harassment is an issue in or in-depth personal discussions, but I and usually quick reactions let me down, all professions and every walk of life, wanted to share some of my thoughts and that I was essentially propagating the including ours. I look forward to here in the hopes of perhaps jumpstarting problem by not having said anything. I discussing this issue more widely with the conversation. hope it doesn’t happen again, but I will be colleagues and clients alike. What do you think? Has this happened to you? How Yes, It Has Happened to Me: The prepared to react if it does. have you dealt with it? situation occurred only once, but it How Should You React? This is a tricky had a lasting effect. It was in a room issue, and I’m no expert in dealing with full of male lawyers where I was the this, but whatever you say isn’t good Judy Jenner is a Spanish and only woman. It was uncomfortable and enough/strong enough or too strong. German business and legal felt humiliating, especially because the Oftentimes, regardless of what you say, translator and a federally and unwelcome comment was made by a the harasser might remark, “But it’s only state-certified (California, Nevada) Spanish court senior lawyer in front of everyone, which a compliment!” to which you could say interpreter. She has an MBA luckily resulted in some outrage from “I welcome compliments on my work, in marketing and runs her boutique translation other attorneys. It was very clear to me but not on my appearance” or something and interpreting business, Twin Translations, that sexual harassment is about power similar. I think you should make it with her twin sister Dagmar. She was born in and control. It’s a way to objectify women clear to whoever made the unwelcome Austria and grew up in Mexico City. A former (and men). The harasser feels he (or she) comment or advance that you think it’s in-house translation department manager, she can do it, and probably has done it for inappropriate and that you want them to is a past president of the Nevada Interpreters years and gotten away with it. I hate to stop. Depending on the setting, you may and Translators Association. She writes the admit it, but I wish I would have had a also bring this up with the appropriate blog Translation Times and is a frequent brilliant reaction, but I didn’t. I was just governing body and/or authority. But conference speaker. She is the co-author of The too stunned to say anything, especially here we run into yet more complexity. Entrepreneurial Linguist: The Business-School since the comment came out of left field It’s a well-documented fact that sexual Approach to Freelance Translation. and I was ill-prepared to deal with it. harassment goes underreported because Contact: [email protected].

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. Ideas and questions should be directed to [email protected]. www.atanet.org American Translators Association 23 GEEKSPEAK BY JOST ZETZSCHE Using Neural Machine Translation Beyond Post-Editing

n the past, I’ve conducted a number of To be in the driver’s seat, the different systems. In statistical back-and-forth email conversations with machine translation (SMT), the decoder I experts on topics that are interesting translators will need to have a that “translates” is essentially a search and useful to me and, hopefully, to algorithm. For each word and group of the community at large. The following clear right to manage the data words in the new source sentence, the conversation turned out to be very useful they produce. search algorithm consults the phrase as well, but it was not conducted as table, which contains aligned words straightforwardly as some of the others. and groups of words from the training Why? Well, it’s because my discussion data, and extracts the best equivalent. partner, Félix do Carmo, and I made certain So, the approach is paradigmatic: each assumptions as we communicated that the 1998. In 2010, I took the opportunity source word creates a slot, which may other either didn’t understand right away or to work on a PhD, which allowed me be filled in by any word in the phrase that were muddied by our own preconceived to learn and collaborate with computer table. The search algorithm looks for the ideas. As a result, we went back and forth scientists and get to know the insides of best fit, as if it was looking for LEGO a number of times to amend our questions MT. My project, which I finished in 2017, pieces, slotted into position in a vertical, and answers. We soon realized that relying focused on studying how to describe and top-down movement. This means that on assumptions about post-editing must support post-editing. I then received a the resulting sentences are sometimes also be a “problem” for others trying to fellowship to the ADAPT Centre, which awkward, with syntactical errors and have similar conversations. Indeed, it has allowed me to work as a researcher elements that don’t go well together. might be a symptom of many discussions, with people like Joss Moorkens, Dorothy The decoders in NMT work whether between the machine translation Kenny, and Andy Way and to try to differently. The decoder doesn’t search development community and translators, influence MT researchers to develop tools for LEGO pieces from tables of aligned or even between translators with different for translators, rather than autonomous phrases. Instead, it first uses neural specializations and language combinations, devices. So, although I’m not producing networks to learn and then identify where the needs, tools, and language translated and revised words, I see myself the best sequences to translate full requirements demand different solutions. as a translator, playing different roles sentences. This is done from the in the world of translation. I also take mathematical representations of the Today I’m starting a conversation with advantage of every opportunity to learn as sentences it learns from large amounts Félix do Carmo, a translator and now much as possible about my profession. of parallel data. This mathematical data also machine translation researcher, is only converted into words in the about better usability practices for Like you, I’ve also been interested last stage of composing the translation. the professional use of machine in working with MT, not so much NMT tries to construct a sequence translation (MT). Félix, do you want from the angle of traditional post- horizontally (linearly), not from the to introduce yourself? editing, but more in terms of using top down, but beginning to end, with I’m the managing director of TIPS, Lda., MT suggestions as one of a number each sequence of previous words a translation company specialized of data sources to help translators determining the next word. So, it’s as if in Portuguese that I established with in the translation process. I’ve been the system works syntagmatically. First, colleagues in 1994. I’m also a postdoctoral particularly eager to find good ways it learns the design of the puzzle and researcher at the ADAPT Centre at the to use translation environment tools then it learns which pieces form that Dublin City University, currently working to semi-automatically use partial data design. That focus on the sequence, as an EDGE Fellow in KAITER, a project from MT segments. That certainly the syntagmatic view of language, is which aims at studying and developing seems to be a good method when what makes NMT more fluent than a tool that interactively learns and working with statistical MT. I wonder SMT, since the connection between the supports translators’ editing work. My what difference it makes that we elements that compose a target sentence main interests are in the application of now (typically) use neural machine are more tightly knit together. machine translation processes as supports translation (NMT). Are the results of So, when you and I think of MT to translators, covering areas like post- NMT usable in the same way as the output being disassembled into pieces editing, human factors, machine learning, results of statistical MT? that may be fed separately to a translator, and translation tools. That’s an interesting question. To we’re thinking in terms of the SMT I started teaching translation technology answer it, we probably need to start models, but this doesn’t describe what to university students and teachers in with some technical information about happens in typical NMT models. NMT is

This column has two goals: to inform the community about technological advances and encourage the use and appreciation of technology among translation professionals.

24 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org not conceived to output partial data, but whole sequences.

But SMT was not conceived to be used that way either, but just happened to be generated that way. Wouldn’t it make sense to say that a translation suggestion that comes from a neural engine also has valuable parts, regardless of whether the entire sentence sounds more fluent as a whole? And also independent of whether the suggestion was put in there as parts (as in SMT) or in the sequential manner you’re describing for NMT? If that’s so, then I don’t completely understand why an automated fragment search doesn’t make sense when working with NMT. But I’m very interested in what we can do with the MT suggestions once the (noninteractive) MT engine has “done its job” and The main thing about tools that are adapted to specialized translators presented the suggestion within is that they should work in the background to feed the best the translation environment tool. Technologically speaking, now it’s the suggestions possible to the translator, but the decision making needs task of the translation environment tool to present the usable parts of the to be done by the translator. suggestion. Speaking from a workflow perspective, this typically means that it’s the translator’s have several synonyms in two or three other developments or perhaps under- keystrokes that enable the tool to different suggestions, but not the one researched areas are you looking at present suitable fragments. you’re looking for. So, it’s probably not that would make NMT useful beyond You’re right. If we start from the point enough for the algorithm to do a simple “just” post-editing it? of already having full suggestions search in these suggestions. Instead, Let’s think about the current scenario and want to know how to extract it will need to look in other sources in the translator’s desktop, in which, as information from them, then we (perhaps monolingual data) for the you say, MT suggestions can be used “as shouldn’t be discussing NMT and word you’re typing. But under which one of a number of data sources to help whether it fundamentally affects this conditions or rules should this search be translators in the translation process.” process of choosing the best solutions. done for it to be effective and efficient? Although new sources of data bring new Like you say, it’s no longer the task solutions, they also bring new problems. of the MT engine but that of the I agree that the current search We could say that the impact of NMT in translation environment tool to present mechanisms that are based on the translator’s desktop is still globally the words you want to use from the full keystrokes are not advanced. There under-researched. Let me discuss a few suggestions it receives. are no fuzzy features, or there is examples of issues that are not currently Again, this is a search problem, and certainly no linguistically-driven being researched enough. there are many approaches for these search for synonyms or the like, NMT still requires very large amounts complex problems. The sheer nature but maybe that’s not even what’s of training data, resorting to more data of linguistic data, which is so variable, needed. After all, the translator may than translation memories usually hold. makes searching linguistic items an not want to see a fuzzy match or a This means that NMT will always present even harder problem than usual. You synonym if they’ve already decided hypotheses that will create new conflicts suggested that typed keystrokes should to go with a certain term. What I with a translator’s local resources. bring up the correct suggestions from take from this, though, is that there Although research says that NMT the different sources you have, but can is no real difference in “harvesting” produces “better output,” this definition you be sure the full suggestions from fragments from previously generated of quality is usually measured in isolated MT engines contain the words you MT suggestions, regardless of whether and simulated scenarios. We need want to write? For example, you may they come from SMT or NMT. What different evaluation factors and metrics www.atanet.org American Translators Association 25 USING NEURAL MACHINE TRANSLATION BEYOND POST-EDITING continued to understand how useful “better output” That’s really interesting, but really actually is in real scenarios. theoretical. What’s being done For us to discuss how we can in academia with NMT in a more move “beyond post-editing” and practical manner to move beyond help translators develop new ways of “post-editing,” as vague as that term working, we need to talk about the might be? translation process itself. I believe I would say that current research is there’s still too much fog created by the still very much focused on using and introduction of the term “post-editing” applying NMT to produce better output in the industry, and we need to take a to feed to traditional translation tools. step back and try to get a clear view of Here we should mention four areas what we call translation and what we of current research that will affect the call post-editing. Let me try to briefly way NMT output will be presented to express my view on this. translators: INMT, AMT, APE, and QE. If your system feeds fragments of As our industry matures, we 1. Interactive Neural Machine suggestions to translators so they Translation (INMT) is dedicated can write the translation, then they should identify the value of to developing ways to incrementally are actually translating, not post- each node in the supply chain feed output to translators from neural editing. Translators have to generate networks trained on parallel corpora. the translation in their mind before and adapt technology and These systems model the translation choosing to accept or change each management of resources to each work as described above. The translator word or phrase that is being presented generates the translation, starts writing, dynamically to them. That’s why we of those nodes. and the NMT system suggests the talk about a high cognitive load in next fragment. If all goes well, the this process, because the translator’s translation is created faster than if thoughts are constantly being the translator didn’t have this “voice interrupted by the support system. over the shoulder.” For these systems Most of these systems are known as task that’s easier to learn and automate. to be accepted and become regular “interactive machine translation,” but If we go back to the paradigmatic tools translators use, they need to feed I would call the process “interactive and syntagmatic approaches (one suggestions that are adjusted to each human translation,” because the approach identifying slots and filling context. Since INMT outputs words that resulting translation comes from that them in, and the other approach more are constrained on the words already mental process. There isn’t enough concerned with the relations in a written, there’s the expectation that the research on these cognitive loads and sequence), we find that even editing suggestions presented by these systems the effects of such things as increased involves those two dimensions in a will be better than those possible with productivity in a regular work life. decision process that’s very difficult SMT engines. However, this is still Post-editing, on the other hand, to predict. Editing may be broken an area that raises more questions essentially involves editing. This is down into four actions: deleting, than answers. For example, can you only possible when translators are inserting, replacing, and moving constrain the output not just on the presented with a full suggestion by the words. Only replacing is “simply” previous target words, but also on a list MT system that’s good enough for them paradigmatic: you identify a slot of validated terminology, and control to read. Instead of thinking about a full that’s occupied by the wrong word how accurate the whole process is? translation alternative, translators are and replace it. Moving a word is a able to identify parts of the suggestion 2. Adaptive Machine Translation that require editing. In a post-editing good example of a syntagmatic action (AMT) has been proposed as a term to project, translators edit some sentences, because you mess with the structure describe systems that learn the specific but they may also need to translate quite your MT suggestion constructed. But traits of each translator’s work and adapt a few. So, post-editing involves both estimating these actions isn’t easy. It’s suggestions to those traits. It’s not yet editing and translating. The threshold been demonstrated that estimating all clear how this will be done, which traits from which a translator is no longer options of new positions of an element these are (some refer to this as “style,” editing but is actually translating is in a sequence is one of the hardest which is one of the vaguest terms one another under-researched area in which mathematical problems you can ask a can use), and how effective this I’m interested. computer to do. Again, more research actually is. But let’s not fool ourselves into is needed into the patterns of editing 3. Automatic Post-Editing (APE) is thinking that when we talk about and how to create assistants that another complementary area that’s being editing, we’re talking about a simpler support these processes. researched. The name may sound like

26 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org another way to replace translators, not intelligence (AI). But all these new terms supply chain and adapt technology and only in the translation stage but also in simply express the challenge to combine management of resources to each of the editing and revision stages. Actually, not just the plethora of sources we those nodes. Corporations will go on I would say that APE is just another mentioned earlier, but also the plethora managing big data, but they will suffer way to improve the output. It has been of technological approaches into the from the anonymity and genericity of shown that applying NMT technology to same tools. that data. Language services companies APE improves the output of MT systems. will need to manage their client’s data However, again, despite the improvement judiciously, and freelancers will need in the output, this doesn’t change the There’s still too much fog created tools that help them manage their own nature of the translating/editing work by the introduction of the term data locally. that’s required or the fact that this work So, to be in the driver’s seat, translators still requires professional translators. “post-editing” in the industry, will need to have a clear right to manage 4. Quality Estimation (QE) tries to the data they produce. They will also provide some indication of the segments and we need to take a step back need to be allowed to keep personal that may not require much editing, as and try to get a clear view of translation memories of all translations well as those that may require extensive they do, as well as have more access translation work. QE may also serve what we call translation and to other translators’ and companies’ to highlight words that are probably resources and to an increasing number wrong in a translation suggestion. This what we call post-editing. of tools and technology. Translators will is complementary information that may need to know their work better. They help in the translation decision process. will need tools that record and give them The use of NMT methods for QE has also better insight into what they’ve done enhanced the capacities of QE methods. in previous projects, whether these are I really like the suggestion about individual projects or collaborative ones. So, INMT, AMT, APE, and QE talking about AI instead of NMT. The translation tool will receive input complement each other in helping the It’s also interesting to see that some from MT engines, translation memories translator. They provide translators with of these areas of research have not from personal, client, or collaborative better suggestions (either interactive/ only found their way into the tools projects, terminology databases, dynamic segments for them to use to you mention, but also tools such previous answers to queries, online build a translation, or else better full SDL, Intento, and ModernMT. As discussions on translation suggestions, sentences for them to edit). They also a final question, I would like to and many other resources. As such, help filter out bad suggestions and guide ask you something practical. The the translator’s attention to those areas typical translator doesn’t have translators will need various tools that may require more work. access to customized MT engines (see below). To describe how to leverage this (with the possible exceptions of the The main thing about tools that are technology to provide translators with adaptive engines mentioned above, adapted to specialized translators is that more than just better output for them to or if the client provides access to they should work in the background edit, discussions have focused around a customized MT). If translators to feed the best suggestions possible terms like “augmented translation” or choose to use an MT engine, they will for the text. Ultimately, though, the “knowledge-assisted translation.” Such end up using engines like Google, decision making will still need to be discussions actually began a few years Microsoft, or DeepL. How can one done by the translator. ago when we started talking about the of these engines—or indeed several As for the details of how to use next generation of translation tools. at the same time—be used more these technologies productively and Apart from the integration of some of the productively or creatively than just creatively, instead of just responding to concepts above, like INMT in Lilt or QE having translators essentially respond suggestions, let’s think about a futuristic in Memsource, most of these ideas still to the suggestions these engines scenario in which translators work haven’t become a reality in the daily lives make? How can translators be in in a mode simply called “interactive of most translators. the “driver’s seat” when using translation.” This scenario would Academia and the industry tend to these resources? integrate MT and translation memory, spend more time discussing the names For me, the next technological step will different text resources and online for technology than on making the be personalization. Actually, it’s not such features, and support both translating revolution happen. One of the most a ground-breaking proposal, since this is and editing work. It would also support recent signs of that is the suggestion to another buzzword that has been hanging both “interactive” and “pre-translation” stop talking about NMT (because it’s around for a while. translators: those who prefer to type over said that it’s now officially the same as As our industry matures, we should some text, and those who prefer to write MT), and to talk instead about artificial identify the value of each node in the from scratch.

www.atanet.org American Translators Association 27 USING NEURAL MACHINE TRANSLATION BEYOND POST-EDITING continued

In interactive translation, everything Although research says that the decisions made to guide translators would come down to the challenges when revising the project. For example, of building a good interaction with neural machine translation the tool might help translators prepare translators, and this means having an a report for the reviser that includes the interface that adapts dynamically to their produces “better output,” this most troublesome passages or a needs. Let me describe some features I definition of quality is usually list of the sources that were used for envisage for this future adaptive tool. new terminology. The interface should be very clean measured in isolated and The main thing about tools that are and uncluttered at the beginning of the adapted to specialized translators is that translation process, helping translators simulated scenarios. they should work in the background read the text that needs translating, to feed the best suggestions possible perhaps even presenting them with for the text. Ultimately, though, the an automatic summary. This interface decision making will still need to be might also show translators other forms of support that I’ll describe in a done by the translator. projects in their pool of resources that bit more detail below. We could go on dreaming of the may be associated with that text, as well The suggestions from the tool details of such tools, but our dreams as as the main terms and segments that will always be presented in full, but translators are not the same for everyone. might prove problematic throughout translators will be able to manipulate For example, you and I realized during the translation. At this initial stage, them (e.g., by moving things around, our conversation that you dream of tools the tool will provide very detailed deleting words, or inserting new ones). that are not so focused on editing as statistics that estimate the amount of When they select a word to apply any the tools I think about. The tools you effort necessary and the quality of the of these actions, the tool will adapt envision do not play such an intervening MT output. It could also provide other and show different supports. For role, but rely on the translator generating details that might be useful for more example, when translators decide to the translation. advanced users, such as the capability to replace words without moving them, But the main idea I take from our extract rules from style guides and client the system should be ready to present conversation is how we moved from instructions to help automate the alternatives for that position (e.g., the impact of existing technology to review process. perhaps simply a change in the form a discussion on how we use it. For Translators will be able to approach of that word). When translators move me, this is the right way to discuss the translation in many different ways words around, the system should be technology. Conversations should not (e.g., working from the first segment able to suggest changes that depend be dominated by a fear of how MT or to the last, or starting with those that on the new position of those words. any other technology determines our are problematic). In the background, The suggestions provided will not be work methods or even the definition the tool will select the best resources the same for each translator or for each for each segment—either a translation of our tasks. Instead, we should be project. So, it will be fundamental that talking about the type of research that memory, a solution provided by an MT the tool learns from the translator’s focuses on the technology we need. engine, or a composition from fuzzy behavior (e.g., to predict regular edits There’s still a lot of research to be done matches, terminology, and any and to save and reuse them in similar on individual working methods and other resources. contexts in other projects). how these change according to the When translators start work on a There are other activities translators project, motivation, or even mood. text, they will see the best suggestion do that may be supported by these new It was great to see how you and I the tool provides for each segment. tools, such as web searching or making If a suggestion is a perfect fit, they annotations and queries. The knowledge share the excitement to think in terms will be able to validate it. If they want behind decisions supported by these of the future, and to try to imagine to know more about a suggestion, resources is not currently integrated into how current and new generations of translators will have a simple way to translation tools, and it would be great translators will use smart tools that dig deeper and find where it comes to have this closer at hand. adapt to them. from, how reliable it is, or if there are When translators stop work, the tool other alternatives from more preferable would be able to provide them with Jost Zetzsche is chair of ATA’s sources. Translators will also have the statistics on how far they are in terms of Translation and Interpreting option to act on these suggestions the whole project, or other assignments Resources Committee. He is one by one or to aggregate them (e.g., they are currently working on, and how the author of Translation dealing with all full matches from a the project is going in terms of final Matters, a collection of 81 reliable translation memory at once). checks. Before submitting the finished essays about translators But if the suggestions provided need translation to clients, the tool would and translation technology. Contact: editing, translators will have several do a QA check and reuse the records of [email protected].

28 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org RESOURCE REVIEW BY FERNANDA BRANDAO-GALEA Audiovisual Translation: Preparing for This Market

e live in an era of easy access Video has become vital to Information must be prioritized to convey to video production and the right message and avoid dissonance. consumption. An example of this marketing strategies, and W Shot Changes: The subtitles should is the incredible metrics for YouTube. (300 currently, translating movies follow the audio but also respect what’s hours of video are uploaded to YouTube happening visually. For example, when every minute, and almost five billion is not the only market for there’s a shot change and the camera shifts videos are watched on YouTube every away from the speaker, you risk your 1 audiovisual translators. day.) To this number, add data from a subtitles being left hanging. Any such recent Nielsen Company Audience report glitch will affect the viewer and break saying that U.S. adults spend an estimated their immersion in the visual experience. 10 hours and 39 minutes per day staring at their phones, computers, and other subtitles comfortably while making sure Tech-Savvy: With this type of translation, media devices.2 As media consumption that they understand the information there’s a constant need to deal with technical continues to increase, other stats are conveyed. Appropriate subtitle speed and aspects. It’s common to have audio or equally mind-blowing: the average user segmentation allow viewers to follow the video format problems, and audiovisual spends 88% more time on a website with text in the subtitles with ease and have translators need to know how to convert video,3 and by 2019 video will account enough time to take in the on-screen files and adhere to technical specifications for 80% of global internet traffic (85% in action. If subtitle speed is too fast and presented by the client or that are inherent the U.S.).4 segmentation doesn’t adhere to linguistic in the product you need to deliver. Does All of this is to say that video has rules, viewers may find it difficult to the client want you to provide the subtitles become vital to marketing strategies, and follow and understand the information in .srt, .sub, .ttml, .xml . . . ? Do they want nowadays, translating movies is not the contained in the subtitles. Even a you to embed the subtitles to the video? Is only market for audiovisual translators. translation deemed grammatically perfect, the subtitle time-coded to the correct frame With the increased demand for video with the most accurate terminology, could rate? Many such questions can arise. localization, there is also increased interest be considered useless if your viewer can’t Finally, it’s imperative to keep in mind from everyone, from translators to language read it. Having this in mind, below are the that in this type of translation, the public services providers and language technology main challenges an audiovisual translator will be exposed to the source language providers, to enter this market. faces daily. throughout the viewing experience. The Focusing on video subtitling, there are greater their knowledge of the source Time and Space Constraints (Reading numerous software solutions available language, the more likely they are to Speed): The subtitle must be displayed for all tastes and budgets. With a bit compare the original words spoken with on the screen during the appropriate time. of poking around, you might find one your translation. You have to be prepared that fits your needs. Before discussing The audience should have enough time to educate your client on the constraints the specific application that I’ve been to read the text, and the text should not described above and how you will need to testing this past month, I’ll provide some cover more space than necessary on the adapt your translation to navigate them. introductory comments on the pitfalls screen. Reading speed varies according to the audience (e.g., children, adults, inherent in this type of translation. This TRYING A SUBTITLING TOOL: should help you grasp how the right tool level of education, to name a few). So, can help mitigate the challenges. the decision about how many characters SUBTITLENEXT to display per second is relative to your Currently, we have access to countless viewing public. tools with subtitling functionality. CHALLENGES OF TRANSLATION I decided to try out SubtitleNext, a FOR SUBTITLING Inter-Semiotic Translation: Audiovisual full-featured professional subtitling Audiovisual Translation (AVT) scholars translators are not only translating text application. Other translation tools have have conducted subtitling studies focused from one language to another. They are recently bolted on audiovisual capabilities on audience attention or engagement. By converting spoken words into written as an afterthought. SubtitleNext, on the using methods like eye tracking they can form. As such, they must consider other hand, has a 25-year legacy focused make recommendations on such factors congruence with all the other visual signs, on addressing media challenges. as the optimal length of time to display including gestures, expressions, and Although I’ve been in the audiovisual the subtitle on screen, text segmentation images hitting the audience at the same field for some time, I only recently (line breaking), subtitle shape, reading time. That’s why the ability to render discovered SubtitleNext at the 2018 speed, etc. The goal of these studies is full meaning with concise text, while “Languages and the Media” conference to allow viewers to follow the text in the respecting its context, is so important. in Berlin, Germany. After testing it, www.atanet.org American Translators Association 29 AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION: PREPARING FOR THIS MARKET continued

Figure 1: SubtitleNext Control Toolbar I decided to share my observations Here you’ll find everything related to Main Subtitle Area because many colleagues are now just managing the subtitle file (open, close, Columns Header: Provides getting started in the audiovisual world. edit, save, perform spell check, etc.). 8 information about the meaning of This tool is dedicated to the multimedia From here you can customize the view of each column—e.g., the number of the industry and facilitates the localization of the tool, access the audio and the video title, the actual title, and the timecodes videos for users ranging from creators to commands, the timecodes—everything. In (in and out). distributors, including translators, editors, my view, it’s used in addition to toolbars The title currently being worked on. audiovisual artists, and project managers. because menu commands only display 9 I started by downloading a free demo when you click the mouse. I keep the at https://shop.profuzdigital.com. (Note: toolbars for convenience to access the Collapses video preview and you’ll need to provide your first name, last most frequently used commands directly. 10 timecode (TC) details. name, and an e-mail to download). Time Display: Displays the current Number of the current title. At first glance, it’s easy to be overwhelmed 2 timecode (hour:minute:second:frame). 11 by all the elements of the user interface. Orient yourself by thinking of the controls 3 Font Attributes toolbar. 12 Safe Area: A visual notification of the as three main areas: the control toolbar maximum working area. on the top, the control state panel on the Subtitle Control toolbar (used to split, Vertical Position: You can drag to bottom, and the main subtitle area in 4 merge, insert, or delete subtitles). 13 adjust the vertical position of the title. between. Later, you can rearrange the view Characters per second (cps): This is according to your preferences and customize Control State Panel 14 the subtitling speed, or reading speed. the shortcuts as you wish. I describe the Contains the media manipulation This number will give you a hint as to main elements of the toolbar below. (The 5 command buttons (play, pause, whether or not the viewer will be able to number beside each item corresponds to its jump back, jump forward, open video). location shown in Figure 1 above.) read the subtitle. (To have a practical 6 The Media position slider bar. parameter, Netflix establishes in their Control Toolbar English template Timed Text Style Guide a Main Menu: This menu contains a Presets of color for quick access maximum of 17 cps for children’s program 1 comprehensive list of commands. 7 font change. and 20 cps for adult programs.)5

30 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org Horizontal position: You can drag 15 to adjust the horizontal position of the title. Audio Timeline: This shows audio 16 spectrums, waveform, shot changes, subtitle number, and duration. You can use this timeline to adjust timing perfectly while you listen to the sound by dragging the subtitle rectangle. The text you see in Figure 1 represents 17 a current subtitle. You can also see how it looks on the video preview.

HOW TO CREATE A SUBTITLE FILE When starting SubtitleNext, a Properties window will pop up. (See Figure 2 to the right.) You will need to choose the source and target languages in the dropdown menus. You will also need to complete the name of the file, and there are some specs about frame rate and screen aspect. For films, the frame rate is usually 24, but check the frame rate of your video asset because it has to match the frame rate of the subtitle file to avoid sync problems. The default setting is 25. Click Next to accept all other default settings until you can click OK. Now you’re ready to start. On the main menu (see #1 in Figure 1), under Video, or under the down arrow icon in the Toolbar (#5), you can load the video to be subtitled. It can be a video file or a URL. Then, you can drag the slider to find the audio position on the waveform (#10). Tap ALT+F9 to set the “time in” and ALT+F10 to set “time out.” If you don’t like these shortcuts, you can go to Options in the Toolbar and select Customize Keyboard. (See Figure 3 to the right.) You should also customize the number of characters you want to have per line, the number of lines, and so on. To do so, go back to Options in the Toolbar, select Preferences and then Titles in the dropdown Top: Figure 2: Properties Window menu. (See Figure 4 on page 32.) Bottom: Figure 3: Customize Keyboard You can now write the text of the subtitle on the video preview, and you’ll be able With this type of work, I save the file from awful surprises. Unfortunately, the to see it on the right, in the mini titles upfront and keep saving periodically free demo version doesn’t let you save area (#17). You can position the subtitle to avoid wasting time and effort. files. From the Explorer version on, vertically or horizontally by using the arrows SubtitleNext lets you set a regular time though, it allows saving and exporting (#13) and (#15). Now press CTRL + ENTER interval to save your file automatically. to all professional formats. After creating or hit ENTER twice to create the subtitle. You can set the time interval for saving the file, you could be asked to embed the Repeat the process as many times as needed. files easily in the Preferences window subtitles to video, which is also possible Congratulations, you created your first file! show in Figure 4, and it can spare you to do with this tool. www.atanet.org American Translators Association 31 AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION: PREPARING FOR THIS MARKET continued

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES ON AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION Alfaro, Carolina. “Multimedia and Audiovisual Translation,” The Translator’s Tool Box: A Computer Primer for Translators (November 2015). Austin, Christine. “19 Intriguing Video Marketing Stats,” (July 12, 2017), http://xl8.link/1q9. Díaz Cintas, Jorge, and Aline Remael. Audiovisual Translation: Subtitling (Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing, 2007), http://bit.ly/Cintas-Remael. Frasco, Stephanie. “Instagram Video and What It Means for Your Business,” http://xl8.link/1qc. O’Neill Dennison, Liz. “11 Video Stats that Will Blow Your Content Marketing Mind,” (September 11,2014), http://xl8.link/1qb. SubtitleNext User’s Manual, https://help.subtitlenext.com. Szarkowska, Agnieszka. “Report on the Results of the SURE Project Study on Subtitle Speeds and Segmentation” (2018), http://bit.ly/Agnieszka-SURE. Figure 4: Preferences

HOW I FOUND THE TOOL HELPFUL TO As you can see, the learning curve incorporate a terminology database and MEET THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED in audiovisual translation can’t be would need to investigate this further. The underestimated. The same holds true in same goes for the integration of machine 1. The tool helps you visually spot if learning how to use a complex tool. The translation. Historically, subtitlers have you exceeded the limit of characters good thing is that SubtitleNext provides resisted using the latter, but this is a topic per line (usually from 37 to 42). This online video tutorials on the SubtitleNext for another day! measurement alone is not enough YouTube channel. Beyond promotional There are different bundles with to ensure your subtitles can be read. videos, you can find more instructional different prices, and although not cheap, SubtitleNext tracks characters in content focused on performing specific they are less expensive than comparable relation to time on-screen by gauging tasks. In my opinion, the best resource is subtitling tools. The Novice bundle the characters per second, or “cps” the user’s manual, which I had to access supports .srt but not .xml, and Explorer ratio (#14). If this number is too high after downloading the demo version. (You handles all professional formats. There’s (meaning over 20 + 25% tolerance), can find it at https://help.subtitlenext. a jump in price from Novice to Explorer, the viewer will have trouble fully com.) The company has also invested in a so this would be a big investment for the understanding the message. “Club” and on an “Academy” for aspiring translator who only receives subtitling subtitlers and academic institutions. As a jobs sporadically. 2. The video preview reveals the context member of either group, you qualify for your subtitles will land in. Remember a discount of up to 30% if you decide to that it’s not about translating only ATA AUDIOVISUAL DIVISION (AVD) purchase a license. text, since all the visual aspects render ATA’s Audiovisual Division was meaning. Tools that can read .srt files but established in August 2018 with don’t let you preview the video are like SOME NEGATIVES the mission to support and mentor flying blind. It took a while to get used to the interface. audiovisual linguists. After our first A drawback of the free demo version is annual meeting during ATA’s 59th Annual 3. For a better user experience, you can that it doesn’t allow saving files. Under Conference in New Orleans, we found spot the shot changes (SC) on the audio Preferences > Spelling, I learned that that most of our members were new to timeline (#16). This will allow you to you are able to add local and online the field. This article was written with make informed decisions while working dictionaries, but I haven’t tried it yet. Also, this audience in mind. I invite readers to on the synchronization. I couldn’t determine whether the tool can meet the AVD team and join us in taking

32 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org NEW CERTIFIED MEMBERS With the increased demand for video Congratulations! localization, there is also increased The following members have successfully passed ATA’s certification exam: interest from everyone, from translators to language services Chinese into English French into English providers and language technology Laura Brown (Luo Dai) Eve Bodeux Broomfield, CO Lafayette, CO providers, to enter this market. Jingyi Wang Staten Island, NY German into English Melody Winkle Bingxia Yu Seattle, WA Chicago, IL on the opportunities and challenges of Portuguese into English this booming area of specialization. Learn English into Chinese more at www.ata-divisions.org/AVD. Annie Sapucaia Yunteng Zhang Montreal, Quebec, Canada Davis, CA Remember, if you have any ideas Russian into English English into Russian and/or suggestions regarding helpful Valeriya Yermishova Anna Livermore resources or tools you would like to Brooklyn, NY New York, NY see featured, please email Jost Zetzsche at Spanish into English [email protected]. English into Spanish Rachael Koev Rocio Viegas Barros Virginia Beach, VA NOTES Indian Land, SC Thomas McNeeley 1. “37 Mind-Blowing YouTube Facts, Figures, Myriam Caicedo Philadelphia, PA and Statistics—2019,” MerchDope Houston, TX (January 2019), http://xl8.link/1q6. Jennifer Mosby Julio A. Jimenez Noel, MO 2. “The Nielsen Total Audience Report: Q2 Euless, TX 2018,” http://xl8.link/1q3. Veronica Sardon Carol Legnazzi Buenos Aires, Argentina 3. McCue, T. J. “Video Marketing in 2018 Continues to Explode as a Way to Reach Buenos Aires, Argentina Shawn Thane Customers,” Forbes (June 22, 2018), Maria Mateos-Caldwell Lund, Sweden http://xl8.link/1q7. San Angelo, TX Rafael Trevino 4. Cisco Visual Networking Index: Forecast Victoria Mendez Washington, DC and Trends, 2017–2022 White Paper Montevideo, Uruguay Daniel Valcarcel (February 2019), http://xl8.link/1q5. Virginia Rech Decatur, AL 5. Netflix English Template Timed Text Style Rosario, Argentina Guide, http://xl8.link/FBG1.

Fernanda Brandao-Galea has worked as a Brazilian Portuguese linguist since 2011 after diverse careers: chemical engineer, law student, and project manager in LATAM IT go- to-market strategies. She completed a translation certificate program, an audiovisual translation post-graduate course, and is currently enrolled in a localization certificate program at the University of Washington. She is the professional development coordinator for ATA’s Audiovisual Division and the event director for the Northern California Translators Association (an ATA chapter). Contact: [email protected]. www.atanet.org American Translators Association 33 CERTIFICATION FORUM BY DAVID STEPHENSON Opening Up the Exam to Nonmembers

s of January 1, 2020, ATA membership will no longer be A required to earn and retain ATA translator certification. Why is this happening and what does it mean for those who are already ATA-certified— and for the Association? Linking certification to membership has always been a mixed bag. On the one hand, certification has been perceived as a valuable membership perk, a way of standing out from the crowd that creates a strong incentive for joining and remaining a member of ATA. On the other hand, experts recognize that professional credentials linked to membership in a specific organization enjoy less prestige among key stakeholders and the general public. Enhancing the standing of Enhancing the standing of ATA certification is the main reason ATA certification is the main reason behind the Board’s decision to make it available to nonmembers as behind the Board’s decision to make it available to nonmembers as of of January 2020. January 2020. For people who currently have the ATA-certified translator (CT) designation, little will change. They for nonmembers will be significantly Coming on the heels of recent will still be required to earn and higher than for members. improvements to the Certification periodically submit continuing Eliminating the membership Program—such as exam computerization, education (CE) points. They will still requirement could result in a net loss passage realignment, and the filling of be prominently identified as certified of members, as some newly certified key gaps in language offerings—this in ATA’s online Directory of Translators individuals remain nonmembers next phase in ATA’s certification journey and Interpreters. And they will still have and some current members decide promises to take the Association’s access to the official seal confirming not to renew. The ultimate impact flagship credential to new heights for their credential. One thing that will of this is impossible to predict, but the benefit of its members and ATA as change is that they will not have to actions are being taken to minimize a whole. remain a member to retain the the financial impact. For example, CT designation. ATA’s Membership Committee will be Nonmembers who gain certification redoubling its membership retention David Stephenson is the chair of ATA’s Certification beginning in 2020 will also be able efforts, and plans are in place to target Committee. An ATA- to use the CT designation and seal, newly certified nonmembers with an certified German>English, and they will also have to earn CE information campaign designed to Dutch>English, and points. However, they will not be listed bring them into the fold. Bold action Croatian>English translator, in ATA’s Directory of Translators and entails risks, but the Board and the he has been an independent translator for Interpreters, nor will they enjoy the Certification Committee believe that over 30 years, specializing in civil litigation many other benefits of membership. the advantages of this change outweigh and creative nonfiction. Contact: david@ In addition, the exam registration fee the potential drawbacks. stephensontranslations.com.

34 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org