Volume 29 NOTIS The Northwest Linguist No. 1 Biannual Summer Newsletter 2015 WHAT’S RIGHT IS RIGHT By Martin Cross “In the end, isn’t translation a matter of So where do non-translators (and even some personal opinion?” novice translators) get the notion that there is Inside this Issue: no such thing as a wrong answer? The question was thrown at me by an What’s Right is 1 attorney for the other side who hoped what Part of it comes from the general idea that Right she was saying was true. If it were, and transla- language itself is mysterious. It is, after all, tions could only be evaluated in the same way amazing that so many of us manage to generate NOTIS 2 we make decisions about fashion or flavors of complex and flawless grammatical structures ice-cream, then the one she had in her hand without even knowing the rules. (Be honest, New Members 3 would be just as valid as the one that my client gentle reader, if I were to ask you to give an Membership Info had submitted. example of the future subjunctive mood, would Message from 5 you be able to do so?) And then there is our NOTIS President Obviously, the answer is, “No.” But the awareness of the ambiguity that pervades our question the attorney put to me is an interest- communication. If you have ever spent time T & I for the 7 ing one, and deserves a longer answer. For with a teenager who has just learned how to Next Generation one thing, this wasn’t the first time I had heard tell “That’s what she said” jokes, you will know it. The notion that translation is a nebulous that there are very few short utterances that Good 8 art, ill-suited to clear rules or standards, is not cannot be taken in two ways. Communication uncommon, especially among those who have A Great 10 a little multilingual knowledge. That said, I have Another potential source of confusion is bilin- Question: What been working in technical and legal translation gual dictionaries. The entry for the French Attorneys... for more than a quarter of a century and, out- word “adhésif,” for example, is likely to include side of the very special context of a court such English translations as, not only Literal Translation 16 room, where some people can be particularly “adhesive” and “glue,” but also “sticker” and Equivalence in 19 disinclined to change their minds, I have never “seal.” If they are all listed in the dictionary, Translating seen two translators remain in disagreement who is to say which one is correct? over the proper translation of a phrase for Carthago Delenda 24 more than a few minutes. Invariably, a short Going further, even amateur translators will Fuit discussion is enough to satisfy one of the have come across situations in which the same Calendar 26 translators that the other is right, and an evi- idea can be expressed in two different ways. dence-based consensus is quickly achieved. There is not much difference between saying that, “the cargo is carried by the vehicle” and (Continued on page 6) The Northwest Linguist Page 2 Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society (NOTIS) A Chapter of the American Translators Association OFFICERS PROGRAMS President: International Translation Day: [email protected] Kathryn German [email protected] Saori Sampa Vice-President: [email protected] Nancy Leveson Translation/Technology Secretary: Workshops: [email protected] Julie Wilchins [email protected] Thei Zervaki Treasurer: [email protected] Elise Krudinier [email protected] Fumi Janssen Court Interpreting Workshops: COMMITTEES [email protected] Linda Noble Advocacy: Milena Calderari- [email protected] María Luisa [email protected] Waldron Gracia Camón ATA Liaison & Certification: Norma Candia, Social Events: [email protected] at large [email protected] Irine Kariuki Election Officer: TBA Webmistress: [email protected] Bee Lim Executive Committee: Kathryn German Social Media Editor Nancy Leveson Julie Wilchins [email protected] Saori Sampa Fumi Janssen DIVISIONS Finance: Medical Interpreter Division— [email protected] Naomi Uchida MedSIG: [email protected] Cindy Roat Membership: Huyen.martin@gmailcom Huyen Martin [email protected] Naomi Uchida Court Interpreter Division-WITS: Nominating: [email protected] Linda Noble [email protected] Linda Noble [email protected] María Luisa [email protected] Naomi Uchida Gracia Camón [email protected] Emma Garkavi Newsletter: OFFICE MANAGER [email protected] Naomi Uchida [email protected] Kathryn German [email protected] NOTIS Lindsay Bentsen 1037 NE 65th Street, #107 Outreach: Seattle WA 98115 [email protected] or call: NOTIS Voice Mail (206) 701-9183. Saori Sampa Email: [email protected] Website: www.notisnet.org Volume 29, Number 1, Summer 2015 Page 3 MEMBERSHIP NEW MEMBERS STUDENT MEMBERS Kamal Abou-Zaki Not listed Khaled Al Samaraee Taju Ahmed English>Oromo Taylor Allen Betty Ainsworth- Not listed May Ayach Grimm Sofía García Beyaert Tony Basler English<>Spanish Alice Bendinelli Kira Bohm Spanish>English Tracie Campbell Nada Conner English>Serbian August Chen Carla Dalla Nora Not listed Miriam C. Delgado Anne De Santis Not listed Vanolieska Jordan María Dopps Not listed Bethany Kline Steve Ehlert Not listed Virginie Leclerc Sabine Elble English>German Lucia Leung French>English Anja Mancano Cesar Garcia-Garcia Spanish<>English Ingrid Marques Patricia Glancy English>Spanish Diana Mivelli Myriam Grandchamp English>French Maria Moscoso Raquel GM Inchauste Spanish>English Veronica Muskheli Tatyana Johnson English>Russian Hannah Nkeulia Elena Kerrigan Spanish>English Alissa Oliver Anne Mieke Klok English>Dutch Monica Reyes Tatyana Krasnokutsky English>Russian Samira Shokati Irma Hesse English>Spanish Yun Tu Ming-Chih Lam Not listed Tuyet Lam Not listed Andrea Levin English<>Spanish NOTIS MEMBERSHIP FEES Bee Lim Not listed Agnes Marto English>Hungarian Individual: $45.00 Taisia Moga English>Russian Student (without directory listing): $15.00 Ismael Mohamed English>Somali Institutional: $50.00 Jamal Mohamed Not listed Corporate: $75.00 Stephanie Moore Not listed Deborah Ogushi Japanese>English For membership information send an email to: Trevor Osborn Spanish>English [email protected] or call NOTIS Voice Mail Elena Pirestani Spanish<>English (206) 701-9183. Anna Potalyak Not listed Address: Sana Sakr Arabic>English 1037 NE 65th Street, #107, Seattle WA 98115 Ro San English<>Burmese Yvonne Simpson Not listed Website: www.notisnet.org Gloria Sjol Not listed Santosh Wahi Not listed Visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ Lorane West Not listed NOTISnet Edward Wung English>Traditional Chinese Join our LinkedIn page Selina Zhang English>Simplified Chinese Tweet to @NOTISnet The Northwest Linguist Page 4 ABOUT US CALL FOR PAPERS AMERICAN TRANSLATORS ASSOCIATION The Northwest Linguist accepts and welcomes contributions of articles about all aspects of NOTIS is a Chapter of the American translation, interpretation, and issues related to these Translators Association. professions. These may include: For information on the American Translators Approaches to Translation Association (ATA), Contact: Interpretation Skills 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 Legal Issues for Translators and Interpreters Alexandria, VA 22314 The Business of Translation and Interpretation Tel.: (703) 683-6100 Fax: (703) 683-6122 Dictionary Reviews www.atanet.org Computer Assisted Translation Tools, etc. Each year when you renew your ATA Membership, Editors Needed: Would you like to help with make sure to check the box that indicates that you are proofreading and editing our articles? We are in need a NOTIS member since NOTIS receives support from of proofreaders and first readers. Contact: the ATA based on those individuals who are members [email protected] of both organizations. ABOUT THE NORTHWEST LINGUIST The Northwest Linguist is published twice a year, with a Spring/Summer issue and a Fall/Winter issue. We want to hear from you! Have you written an article, a review, a poem, or a letter that you would like to share with the Translation and Interpretation community of the Pacific Northwest? Letters to the Editor, short articles of interest, and information for the calendar and other sections are invited. Articles are limited to about 1,000 words. Please send submissions to Kathryn German, Editor, at: transla- [email protected] Please note that all submissions become the property of The Northwest Linguist and are subject to editing unless otherwise agreed in advance. Opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not neces- sarily represent the views of the Editor, the Societies, or their Boards. The Northwest Linguist also accepts advertising. Detailed advertising rates are available at: http://www.notisnet.org/editorial-information/ Deadline for next issue of The Northwest Linguist: November 1, 2015 Special thanks to my proofreaders: Brooke Cochran, Shelley Fairweather-Vega, and Lindsay Bentsen. Submissions to: Kathryn German, Editor, [email protected] Volume 29, Number 1, Summer 2015 Page 5 A MESSAGE FROM THE NOTIS PRESIDENT By Kathryn German I hope that all of you have had a wonderful Others have been working hard to create a spring and summer despite the heat. A few summary of all entities approving continuing times I felt like I was slowly melting over my education credits, and their contact infor- laptop! The NOTIS Board has been busy mation and their various requirements, to throughout the heat wave, especially in their ensure that the process for obtaining those planning activities for International Translation credits runs smoothly. Research is now Day headed by Saori Sampa. We are changing being done to see if it would be feasible to venue this year and will be at the lovely create a credit requirement summary page Mercer Island Community Center for a ca- on our website, to help our membership tered lunch and a variety of stimulating work- keep track of the continuing education shops. Since many of you have requested this, credits they must obtain and their due there will also be extra time for networking and for meeting dates.