The Voice of Interpreters and Translators THE ATA Sept/Oct 2017 Volume XLVI Number 5 BRIDGING THE LANGUAGE GAP AT TEDx A Publication of the American Translators Association to realize that a monolingual approach to American Translators Association business is a competitive disadvantage. 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 Fourteen percent of U.S. and Global Alexandria, VA 22314 USA Fortune 2000 companies—companies like Tel: +1.703.683.6100 Google, Cisco, eBay, Twitter, Microsoft, and Marriott—report a loss of business Fax: +1.703.683.6122 opportunities due to lack of world E-mail: [email protected] FROM THE PRESIDENT language skills.3 Website: www.atanet.org What’s more, counterintuitively, the Editorial Board DAVID RUMSEY public discussion about free online Geoff Koby (chair) [email protected] translation tools has actually increased Twitter handle: @davidcrumsey the market for professional translation Jeff Alfonso and interpreting. Lured by visions of Lois Feuerle technology straight out of Star Trek, Corinne McKay users often discover just how important Michael Wahlster Demand for Translation and challenging translation is—and Publisher/Executive Director realize that they have sophisticated and Interpreting language needs that only human Walter Bacak, CAE Stronger than Ever professionals can meet. [email protected] The global volume of content to be Editor ne of the great things about serving translated is growing exponentially Jeff Sanfacon as ATA President is the ability to each year, and with it comes pressure to [email protected] Omeet, listen to, and learn from produce results faster, cheaper, and more translators and interpreters from around efficiently. But this has been the case Proofreader the U.S. and abroad. Most recently, I for several decades, and translators and Cathy Lada traveled to Brazil—home to the second- interpreters have been able to rise to these largest number of ATA members outside challenges by tackling technology, building Advertising the U.S.—to attend and present at the better business models, and expanding Lauren Mendell Associação Brasileira de Tradutores their expertise. Far from being phased out, [email protected] conference, where keynote speaker and skilled human translators and interpreters Tel: +1.703.683.6100, ext. 3001 are more in demand now than ever before. Brazilian historian, Leandro Karnal, Fax: +1.703.683.6122 commented on the current uncertain The public is getting the message, political climate in Brazil and in the world thanks in part to the efforts of ATA’s Design & Production at large. He said, “Pessimists go nowhere. Public Relations Committee. Through the Blue House Design Optimists move ahead.” committee’s business outreach program www.bluehouse.us It’s easy to be pessimistic as our and articles published in trade magazines industry experiences some uncertainty by the PR Committee’s Writers’ Group, The ATA Chronicle (ISSN 1078-6457) is published in the face of technological changes U.S. businesses are learning not only six times per year by the American Translators and a globalized economy. Especially what translation and interpreting are, Association, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, for those of us who have worked in but when and how to use these services Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. Periodicals postage the translation and interpreting (T&I) effectively. Recently, we were fortunate paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and additional 4 industry for several decades, things are to get significant exposure on CNBC as mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address well as PBS5 to highlight the complexity changing fast. Yet, numerous statistics and changes to The ATA Chronicle, 225 Reinekers forecasts point to a bright future for our of our profession and the sustained skills Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. industry, especially in terms of the rising and adaptive approaches needed by The American Translators Association (ATA) demand for our services in an increasingly practitioners of our craft. was established in 1959 as a not-for-profit globalized world. Until the elusive “universal translator” professional society to foster and support the Data that was released recently from the exists, the need for human-to-human U.S. Census indicates that the number of communication across cultures will professional development of translators and people employed in the T&I industry nearly continue. That’s why translation interpreters and to promote the translation and doubled between 2008 and 2015, and the and interpreting is one of the oldest interpreting professions. The subscription rate for U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ employment professions in history. As communication a member is $25 (included in the dues payment). projections predict that the number of becomes increasingly complex, the need The U.S. subscription rate for a nonmember is $65. translator and interpreter jobs will grow for sophisticated language consultants will Subscribers in Canada and Mexico add $25; 29% (to 78,500) by 2024.1 Job growth only grow. Taking a pessimistic approach all other non-U.S. subscribers add $45. for translators and interpreters is actually to the future only leaves us feeling Single copies are available for $7 per issue. outpacing that of other occupations.2 overwhelmed by the much larger societal The reasons for this are interesting. and economic forces that are at play. But ©2017 American Translators Association Survey after survey has shown that people an optimistic approach of opening and Reprint Permission prefer products and services in their own adapting to these changes provides us Requests for permission to reprint articles language, and U.S. companies are starting Continued on page 6 should be sent to the editor of The ATA Chronicle at [email protected]. 2 The ATA Chronicle | September/October 2017 www.atanet.org Sept/Oct 2017 Volume XLVI CONTENTS Number 5 FEATURES 28 Legal Aspects of Marketing Content: 11 Things to Consider ATA 2017 Elections: when Translating Candidate Statements While the translation of marketing Calling all Voting members! copy does require some creativity, Participating in ATA’s annual just as writing the original copy elections is your opportunity did, it may also require some to help shape the future of the knowledge of law. Association. Learn what this year’s candidates for ATA’s Board of Directors have to say, and ADVERTISING DIRECTORY remember to vote in October! 25 Central Intelligence Agency cia.gov/careers 31 Landmark Audio Technologies LLC 17 www.landmarkfm.com Translation: An Intellectual Pursuit 40 National Security Agency www.NSA.gov/Careers True translation is an art that involves the translator understanding and appreciating the culture behind and reflected COLUMNS in the language. It’s the art of exercising an intellect. 9 2 From the President 4 From the President-Elect 20 5 ATA Social Media Who Is Really Visiting Your 5 Letters to the Editor Website? (It’s Not Who You Think!) 6 New Certified Members Unfiltered Google Analytics 7 From the Executive Director reports have been contaminated by automated computer 9 Outreach Report programs known as bots, spiders, 30 Business Practices or crawlers. These contaminated 32 Our World of Words reports can lead to potentially bad marketing decisions. Learn 36 Resource Review how to recognize the sources of 38 Certification Forum this contamination along with two solutions that freelance translators and smaller translation companies can implement. 26 Emotional Self-Discipline: A Key Ingredient for Success as a Freelance Translator Looking for Member News Emotional self-discipline is a and Humor and Translation? key ingredient for success as a These columns and more can now be freelancer—and one that people 20 found in the Chronicle-Online edition: are much less aware. www.atanet.org/chronicle-online! Connect www.facebook.com/ www.atanet.org with ATA AmericanTranslatorsAssociation www.twitter.com/atanet www.linkedin.com http://bit.ly/ATA-youtube http://bit.ly/GooglePlusATA FROM THE PRESIDENT-ELECT CORINNE MCKAY [email protected] Twitter handle: @corinnemckay tried to do this in Toronto, and many of Onward to DC and ATA58! those tips still stick with me today. “Have two specializations: one that pays well TA’s Annual Conference goes by and one that you love.” “The best time to many nicknames: “The language Attending an ATA conference— raise your rates is when you’re too busy.” A industry family reunion,” and whether for the first time or “Always treat clients a little better than “The experience you can’t download,” they’re expecting to be treated.” among others. However you look at it, the 30th—is an energizing, ■■ attending an ATA conference—whether Connect with the people you want to for the first time or the 30th—is an educational, and, some might become. If you attend an incredible energizing, educational, and, some might say, transformative experience. presentation, e-mail the speaker and say, transformative experience. We’re let them know. Even veteran presenters looking forward to welcoming over don’t get sick of hearing this kind of 1,800 language industry professionals to praise! And they’ll remember you as the eager newbie who went out of your way Washington, DC, at the end of October to give a compliment. for another iteration of the one-of-a-kind management were all new to me, as was experience that is ATA. the concept of achieving a similar level If you’re attending your fifth, 15th, or I attended my first ATA conference in of financial security to someone with 35th conference, I challenge you to: a traditional job. But slowly, over the Toronto, Canada, in 2004. At the time, ■■ Reach out to a first-time attendee. Don’t I had been freelancing very part-time course of the conference, I started to find my groove—connecting with other wait for that person to emerge from a for about two years and was still in the corner and talk to you.