The

hronicleA Publication of the American Translators Association C VOLUME XXIX • NUMBER 9 SEPTEMBER 2000

Focus on Agencies, Bureaus, and Corporations Featured Language: Japanese

The Features ATA’s 41st Annual Conference Exhibitors ...... 18 ChronicleA Publication of the American Translators Association Companies Try to Define “Best Practices” Volume XXIX, Number 9 By Suzanne Robinson ...... 27 September 2000 All interested ATA members are invited to influence the development of the Translation Company Division’s Code of Best Practices during a special session at the Orlando ATA conference. In Pursuit of the Cheapest Translation Cost: Is translation still a service or has it become a commodity? By Johannes Tan ...... 28 In the annals of management science, it is well understood that making the best choice at each stage of a process may not yield the best global solution. By applying this principle in the translation business, it is clear that assigning a translation project to the cheapest translator or translation company does not necessarily translate into the cheapest translation cost. As a matter of fact, there are usually many hidden costs—both tangible and intangible. Top 10 Traits of Good Agencies By Amy Russell ...... 31 Ten suggestions for agencies to make working with translators easier Focus on Agencies, and more mutually enjoyable. Bureaus, and Corporations Focus on: How Not to Get Hired Featured Language:Literary Translation By Riccardo Schiaffino ...... 32 Featured Language: Japanese Whether you are looking for a job as a staff translator or offering Spanish your services as a freelancer, it is very important to make a good first impression. That means knowing which mistakes to avoid in your Photo: Tanabata Matsuri Star Festival. communications with your prospective employer or customer. This article indicates some of the pitfalls to avoid, and offers suggestions Monthly Columns on the best way to present yourself. From the Executive Director ...... 7 Professional Expectations: Perspectives from Both Translation Companies From the President ...... 8 and Independent Translators From the President-Elect ...... 11 By Jeffrey Hoffmann ...... 35 From the Past-Secretary ...... 16 The 2000 ATA Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida will include Upcoming Conferences and a session entitled “Dialogue with a Panel of Translation Company Educational Programs ...... 15 Managers,” for which I will be one of the panelists. One segment of ATA Activities ...... 24 this dialogue will address professional expectations before a project Of Literary Note ...... 70 begins, from both the translation company’s perspective and from the Dictionary Reviews ...... 72 viewpoint of the independent translator. This article provides an out- Bieber’s Dictionary of Legal Citations line of the key expectations to be discussed at the session, and Reviewed by Tom West World Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations explains why this is an important and relevant topic for discussion. Reviewed by Tom West Doing the Translation Can Be Easier than Collecting the Money Accreditation Forum ...... 73 By Karin Adamczyk and Steven M. Geller ...... 37 The Translation Inquirer ...... 74 Procedures that anyone can follow to score a prospective client's Compiled by John Decker credit worthiness, and some suggestions on what to do when a pay- Display Advertising Index ...... 76 ment is late. These are simple methods the authors use to identify Humor and Translation ...... 77 potentially troublesome accounts that can help freelancers anywhere By Mark Herman gather information and avoid collection problems. ATA Chapters and Regional Groups . . . . 78 The Conscientious Translator/Editor—Are you doing your job? Classified Ads ...... 81 By Eva Berry-Gruby, Mary Majkowski, and Lucien Morin ...... 43 Accreditation Exam Sites ...... 82 A three-way discussion between a client, a translator/editor, and a New Active and Corresponding Members . . 82 manager of a translation compa