september 2013volume xlii thechronicle translators … · 2015-10-06 · translators association...

CHRONICLETheSeptember 2013

Volume XLII

Number 9

A Publication

of the

American

Translators

Association

ATA 2013 Elections: Candidate Statements

Tips for Newcomers

Basics of Clinical Trials

In this issue:

The Voice of Interpreters and Translators

And the BEST Feature: This app will be available in September for you to use BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER the conference.

Sessions: Browse abstracts and bios i Create yourown personal schedule i Submit evaluations instantlyi View handouts and slides i Contact speakers withfollow-up questions

Networking: Upload your own résumé to share withall attendees i See the full list of attendees beforeyou arrive i Click to call or email instantly i Check in with Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn

Exhibitors |Sponsors: Create a list of booths to visiti Use interactive floor plans i View company descriptions, website, and contact information

More Features: Receive updates as they happen i Create meetings and add them to your calendar i Locate places to eat and visit on city map and readreviews i Use keywords to search the entire app

What devices can I use? You can use any computer, laptop, iPhone, iPad,Blackberry, Android phone or tablet, or any smart-phone with web-enabled browser capability.

Who has access to this app? Only registered attendees will have access. When theapp is ready for downloading, registered attendeeswill receive the required username and password.

Get Noticed!Advertise on the app.

Contact Caron Mason [email protected].

American Translators Association

54th Annual Conference

San Antonio i Texas

Marriott Rivercenter

November 6-9, 2013

Jane DoeManager, Language Company, Inc.

Call Email Website Résumé

ATTENDEE DETAILS

NotesBio

Click here to take your notes.


Marriott RivercenterNovember 6-9, 2013

54th Annual ConferenceSan Antonio i Texas

The Conference App: New & Improved!This FREE app puts the entire conference at your fingertips and lets you connect with attendees like never before.

Pre-order the ATA eConference and get all this:i Over 150 sessions available to watch, listen, and learn!

i Sync-to-slide technology for a multimedia experience

i Unlimited access to session content

i Convenient and flexible learning, available on demand

i Audio for your MP3 player to listen to sessions anywhere

i Up to 10 CEPs for ATA-Certified Members

The special price of $99 is offered only to attendees who pre-order.

Learn more at www.atanet.org/conf/2013/eCon.htm

ATA eConference

September 2013

ATA 2013 Elections: Candidate StatementsATA will hold its regularly scheduled elections to select a president-elect, secretary,treasurer, and three directors.

Tips for Newcomers to the Translationand Interpreting Professions By Corinne McKayYou’re a freelancer! Now what?

The Compassionate InterpreterBy Ewandro MagalhãesChallenging your underlying motives can take your craft to the next level.

An Overview of Clinical Trials and theDrug Discovery Process By Carmen CrossAn introduction to how drugs are developed and tested for safety and efficacy.


225 Reinekers LaneSuite 590

Alexandria, VA 22314 USATel: +1-703-683-6100Fax: +1-703-683-6122

E-mail: [email protected]: www.atanet.org

September 2013

Volume XLII

Number 9

A Publication

of the

American

Translators

Association

20

The ATA Chronicle (ISSN 1078-6457) ispublished monthly, except bi-monthly inNovember/December, by the AmericanTranslators Association, 225 Reinekers

Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314USA. Periodicals postage paid at

Alexandria, Virginia, and additionalmailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send

address changes to The ATA Chronicle, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590,

Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. The American Translators Association

(ATA) was established in 1959 as a not-for-profit professional society to foster andsupport the professional development of

translators and interpreters and topromote the translation and interpretingprofessions. The subscription rate for amember is $43 (included in the dues

payment). The U.S. subscription rate for anonmember is $65. Subscribers in

Canada and Mexico add $25; all othernon-U.S. subscribers add $45. Singlecopies are available for $7 per issue.

©2013 American Translators Association

Reprint Permission:Requests for permission to reprint articlesshould be sent to the editor of The ATA

Chronicle at [email protected].

EditorJeff Sanfacon

[email protected]

ProofreaderSandra Burns Thomson

Art DirectorsEllen Banker

Amy Peloff

AdvertisingCaron Mason, CAE

[email protected]

+1-703-683-6100, ext. 3003

Fax: +1-703-683-6122

Executive DirectorWalter Bacak, CAE

[email protected]

Membership and General Information

Lauren Mendell

[email protected]

Website: www.atanet.org

ContentsFEATURES

COLUMNS

DEPARTMENTSNew Certified MembersPlease DiscussThe Entrepreneurial LinguistInterpreters Forum Blog TrekkerGeekSpeak

262830313233

10

Humor and TranslationMember NewsDictionary ReviewThe Translation InquirerExam Sittings

3435363839

56

From the PresidentFrom the President-Elect

78

From the TreasurerFrom the Executive Director

American Translators AssociationThe Voice of Interpreters and Translators

16

23

23 20

16

The ATA Chronicle n September 20134

Our Authors September 2013

Carmen Cross has over nine years of experience translating medical and legal documents from Arabic and German intoU.S./U.K. English. She specializes in translatingall types of legal and clinical trial documenta-tion, including patents, contracts, medicalreports, clinical trial protocols, research articles,and start-up documentation. She is a member of

ATA’s Medical Division. Contact: [email protected].

Ewandro Magalhães is an experiencedconference interpreter and trainer of inter-preters. He has a master’s degree in confer-ence interpreting from the Monterey Instituteof International Studies. He is the chief inter-preter at the International TelecommunicationUnion in Geneva, Switzerland. He is theauthor of Sua Majestade, o Intérprete - o

fascinante mundo da tradução simultânea. You can find his blog, Field Notes,at www.ewandro.com. Contact: [email protected].

Corinne McKay is an ATA director and anATA-certified French>English translator inBoulder, Colorado. She translates in the areasof international development, corporate com-munications, and law, and is the author of twobooks for freelance translators: How toSucceed as a Freelance Translator (over6,000 copies in print) and Thoughts on

Translation. Contact: [email protected].

Landmark Audio Technologieswww.LandmarkFm.com

MadCap Softwarewww.madcapsoftware.com

National Security Agencywww.nsa.gov

The University of Texas at Brownsvilleutb.edu/translation

Universe Technical Translationwww.universe.us

29

40

81% of subscribers read the advertisementsin The ATA Chronicle and 36% of the readersBUY the products that are advertised.

+1-703-683-6100 EXT. 3003

Caron Mason, [email protected]

To place your ad, contact:

Did you know?

AdvertisingDirectory

939

27

Marriott Rivercenter | November 6-9, 2013www.atanet.org/conf/2013

San Antonio Texas

54th Annual Conference

i

Don’t Miss ATA’s

Program Schedulewww.atanet.org/conf/2013/sessionschedule.php

Registrationwww.atanet.org/conf/2013/register.htm

5The ATA Chronicle n September 2013

My husband and I volunteeroccasionally at a small community-owned nature preserve, doing trailwork and other chores. After a dam-aging windstorm, a group of us werepicking up debris when a few hikerscame through. Dissatisfied with theamount of blow-down on the trails,one woman remarked to no one inparticular, “they should really cleanthis up.” The quote became a favoritejoke in our household for chores noone was eager to do. “They shouldreally do the laundry,” we would say,or “they should cook dinner earlierhere.” While it is easy to make sug-gestions from a perspective of non-involvement, the real adventurebegins with the decision to play anactive role.

Many volunteers in ATA have takenthe important step from the sidelines toaction, turning “they should” into “let’ssee what we can do.”

At its meeting in July, the Board dis-cussed two new volunteer initiativesthat exemplify this leap. In light of thegrowing number of training programs,the founders of the new EducatorsDivision saw the need for greater com-munication and better networkingamong teachers and instructors of trans-lation and interpreting at all levels,regardless of academic rank. The peti-tion to form the new division drewinstant responses, and the necessary sig-natures were collected in less than twodays. For further information on this exciting new initiative, seewww.atanet.org/divisions/EdD_announcement.php.

In a related effort, a group of dedi-cated volunteers has looked into thequestion of how to serve newcomersbetter, those new to both theAssociation and the profession. WhileATA has a wealth of resources avail-able for those starting out in the pro-fession, these materials may not be

immediately obvious to anyone justcasually visiting our website.Realizing the importance of the con-ference for professional contacts andfor jump-starting one’s career, thegroup came up with the creative“Buddies Welcome Newbies” pro-gram that pairs first-time attendeeswith veteran conference-goers. Sincenot everyone can make it to the con-ference, the same group has beenworking on a blog to discuss ques-tions about starting out in the profes-sion. It can be found athttp://atasavvynewcomer.org and will

hopefully become a favorite forum oftranslators and interpreters in theearly phases of their career.

Initiatives such as the newEducators Division and The SavvyNewcomer blog keep the offerings ofour Association fresh and in line withthe needs of members. My sincereappreciation goes to everyone whobecomes involved as a volunteer inour organization. They should reallyhighlight those people more often.

[email protected]

From the President Dorothee Racette

Volunteers Turn “They Should” into “We Can”

While it is easy to make suggestions from a perspectiveof non-involvement, the real adventure begins

with the decision to play an active role.

Win a Free Night in the Conference HotelAmerican Translators Association

54th Annual ConferenceNovember 6-9, 2013 | San Antonio, TX

Five lucky winners will receive one free night at the MarriottRivercenter, the venue for ATA’s 54th Annual Conference, November 6-9, 2013. Roomreservations made before November 4th will automatically be entered to win. The winners will be announced at the Closing Session.

It is not unusual for ATA’s room block to be sold out before the Conference. Don’twait! Book your room online now. You will find more details on the conference website at http://atanet.org/conf/2013.


The free conference appfor ATA’s 54th Annual Conference(November 6-9, San Antonio, Texas) isa tool available to all registered atten-dees this month, and is accessible fromall mobile devices or from a laptop ordesktop. Feedback from the app’s debutat last year’s conference in San Diegowas overwhelmingly positive, and wehave improved it based on your sugges-tions. Just as we spend the time to learnour professional tools, it makes sense tospend some time with the app now,before arriving at the conference, inorder to maximize its utility.

Most people dive immediately intothe app to check out the sessions andevents and to familiarize themselveswith the schedule planner feature. (Notethat the app will reflect the latestchanges and cancellations to the pro-gram.) In addition to conference ses-sions, you can also use the app toinclude your own personal events intothe schedule you create (e.g., a divisiondinner or lunch with a favorite projectmanager). Here is what else the app willallow you to do:

Contact People: The app can be used asa powerful networking tool. To start off,all attendees’ names will be includedautomatically in the app. Attendees canadd to this basic profile by logging inand including their contact information,photo, languages, and specializations.You will be able to see the list of atten-dees before you arrive. The Matchmakerutility filters the list by a number of cri-teria, letting you create your own contactlist. Whether you access the app fromyour phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop,you are just a few clicks away fromreaching any attendee via phone, e-mail,or social media. (Remember, eventhough your name will be included inthe app automatically, you will still needto log in and add your contact informa-tion to your profile.) Take advantage ofthis powerful feature and complete your

schedule now, and make sure to schedulea block of time for evening tapas on theRiverwalk or takeout lunches on thegreen of Hemisphere Park.

Polish Your Appearance: As I men-tioned before, the app will alreadyinclude your first and last name, but youcan beef your profile up: add a pictureso others know for whom they arelooking (more practical than carrying abook of poems or a red rose), enter yourlanguages, and upload your freshly pol-ished résumé. Those simple actionsmean that potential clients can researchyou in advance of the conference andmeet you there.

Research Exhibitors: Take the time tolook through the exhibitor informationin the app in advance, and use it to plana strategy. Instead of an aimless wanderthrough the Exhibit Hall avoiding eyecontact, you can plan whom you want tosee, get an answer from a softwarevendor, ask degree program representa-tives probing questions, and come pre-pared with your best smile for recruiters.

Increase Your Visibility: Use thesocial media features to post to Twitter(#ata54) and LinkedIn. Let clients knowyou are sharpening your saw with cut-ting-edge educational sessions andstand out from the crowd.

Plan Your Free Time: The appincludes information about our hostcity, from opening hours for the Alamoto the closest restaurant and a weatherforecast. The conference website alsolinks to other San Antonio tourism sitesand apps to help you plan time for restand relaxation (www.atanet.org/conf/2013/city.htm).

Make the Conference Even Better:

You can submit your session and con-ference reviews from the app (just a fewthumb taps on your way to the next ses-sion). You will also be automaticallyentered in the daily drawing, as well asthe big drawing for a free registrationfor next year’s conference in Chicago.

Streamline Follow-Up: Rather thanhaving a pile of business cards,

ATA’s Conference App: Back and Better!

[email protected]

From the President-Elect Caitilin Walsh

September Checklist• Register for the conference by October 1 and save 20% (www.atanet.org/conf/2013/register.htm).

• Book your room at the conference hotel to enter in the drawing for a free night. Room reservationsmade before November 4th will automatically be entered to win. The winners will be announced at theClosing Session.

• Worried about cost? Check out the roommate matcher on the conference website (http://ataroommate-sanantonio.blogspot.com).

• Make your travel arrangements: follow your preferred airline on social media to hear about sale fares.

• Install the conference app and spend some time getting familiar with it.

Marriott Rivercenter | November 6-9, 2013

www.atanet.org/conf/2013

San Antonio Texas54th Annual Conference

i

·


ATA’s Board of Directorsapproved the July 1, 2013-June 30,2014 budget and the draft budgets for2014-2015 and 2015-2016 at itssummer meeting. The budgets project asurplus of $36K, 115K, and $44K,respectively, for the three years in ques-tion. This accumulated surplus of$195K, together with the expected sur-plus of $16K for 2012-2013, keeps uson track to totally eliminate our deficitof $219K accumulated in previousperiods. A summary of these budgets isposted in the Members Only section ofATA’s website under “From theTreasurer” (https://atanet.org/TR_August13.php).

Thanks to the prudent managementof our funds and cost-cutting meas-ures of the past years, our Associationis in sound financial shape. Some keyfigures and developments reflected inthe budget are outlined below.

• We expect the total operating

budget of $2,782K for 2013-2014 to exceed slightly theexpected actual figure for lastyear, $2,720K. The budgetincludes a dues increase of $30 for active, corresponding, and associate members—studentmembership dues remain un-changed—and a proportionallysimilar increase for life, corpo-rate, and institutional members.

• We expect the expenses for TheATA Chronicle to increaseslightly from $360K to $365K,while advertising and other rev-enues should increase $25Kfrom $76K to $101K.

• Both revenues and expenses forCertification are expected todrop slightly, as are expensesand revenues for this year’sConference. However, for nextyear’s ATA Annual Conferencein Chicago, we expect anincrease in attendance, whichmeans higher revenues andexpenses.

• Professional Development isforecast to maintain its healthymargin of $36K in revenuesversus $15K in expenses against$31K versus $9K for this year.The 2012 webinar program—the Association’s largest todate—featured 16 webinars.

Summary Financial Report 2007-2012

Since this is my last report to you asyour treasurer, it includes a summary ofour finances during the period of my twoterms from 2009 through the end of July2013, which can also be viewed in a tableon ATA’s website in the Members OnlySection (https://atanet.org/TR_August13_09.php ). Please note that, unlike the

budget, this report contains auditedfigures with a portion of Headquarters’expenses allocated to the individual pro-grams in proportion to Headquartersresources used by each program.

The report shows a slow but steadyincrease in Membership Dues rev-enues. Our Conferences have yieldedmixed results, the total for the fiveyears in question being close to break-even. The ATA Chronicle has hadsteadily declining expenses due to thecontinued efforts of the Board andHeadquarters.

Our investments had a positivereturn in the past three years. Thoughthese gains were not able to offsetfully the losses incurred during the2007-2009 financial crisis, our con-servative investment strategy helpedus avoid the catastrophic losses suf-fered by some other organizations.

All in all, the state of ATA’sfinances has remained stable duringthe past five years. Thanks to theBoard’s measures to increase rev-enues and cut expenses withoutaffecting the programs our membersconsider necessary and desirable, theAssociation has seen healthy growthand has implemented a number ofprograms to enhance the membershipexperience. We hope to continue onthis path by making maximum use ofevolving technologies.

Budgets 2013-2016 and Final Report

[email protected] the Treasurer Gabe Bokor

brochures, and scraps of paper (cocktailnapkins?), the app puts the importantinformation all in one place and makesit easy to integrate into your task soft-ware—no data entry! Speakers canshare their slides and handouts, which

means there will be much less paper tolug home.

Of course, you will still find a printedconference program in your registrationbag, and nothing will ever replace the

ATA conference badge with all its lan-guage dots. However, spending a fewminutes familiarizing yourself with all ofthe features to be found in this year’s appin advance of the conference may be oneof the best investments ever.

From the President-Elect Continued


Annual Conference: ATA’sAnnual Conference is one of thelargest, if not the largest, annual gath-ering of translators, interpreters, com-pany owners, and other languageservices professionals. So what doesthis mean for you? It means you havea valuable opportunity to network,market your services, and learn, all ofwhich translates into saving time andputting more money in your pocket.With over 175 education sessions,ATA’s Annual Conferences offer anunmatched breadth and depth of prac-tical information and tips to help youwork smarter. If you have not regis-tered yet for ATA’s 54th AnnualConference, November 6-9 in San Antonio, Texas, please do:www.atanet.org/conf/2013/register.htm. Register before October 1 andsave 20%.

Newcomers: One of the special char-acteristics of ATA’s Annual Confer-

ence is the efforts by your peers tomake first-time attendees really feelwelcome. This year, ATA volunteers,headed by Helen Eby, are taking thisoutreach to a new level with “BuddiesWelcome Newbies” on Wednesdayafternoon, November 6. This meetingwill welcome first-time attendees andtry to pair them up with more experi-enced members in an effort to maketheir conference experience morerewarding and enjoyable. For moreinformation on this effort, pleasecheck out: www.atanet.org/conf/2013/newbies.htm.

Outside of the Conference, thesesame volunteers have created a blogto reach out to students and others justentering the professions. The blogwill share tips and offer advice on get-ting started. To access the blog, pleasego to: http://atasavvynewcomer.org/.

The ATA Compass: Speaking ofblogs, The ATA Compass continues to

feature insightful client educationmaterial. Recent posts, which are allquick reads, have addressed “What isa Certified Translation?” and “TenSteps to Make Your TechnicalTranslation Projects a Success.” Besure to share this blog with yourclients: http://theatacompass.org.

Elections: ATA’s elections will takeplace November 7, 2013, at theAnnual Meeting of Voting Members(“Presentation of Candidates andElection”) held at ATA’s AnnualConference in San Antonio. The can-didate statements appear in this issue.(Please see page 10.) More informa-tion will be sent to all voting membersin late September. Thank you to all thecandidates who are willing to serve theAssociation.

Annual Conference, Elections, and More

[email protected] the Executive Director Walter Bacak, CAE

2013 Slate of Candidates ATA Elections | 2013 Annual Conference | San Antonio, Texas

Evelyn Yang GarlandRudy HellerJonathan T. Hine, Jr.

Jane MaierEmily TellRosalie Pasquel Wells

Director (three positions, three-year terms):President-elect (two-year term):

Secretary (two-year term):

Treasurer (two-year term):

David Rumsey

Boris Silversteyn

Ted Wozniak

CAREERS AT THE N ATIONAL S ECURITY A GENCY

W H E R E I N T E L L I G E N C E G O E S T O W O R K ®

The technology we build can collect signals

from foreign adversaries, but protecting

the nation requires a human understanding

of nuance, context, cultural overtones and

dialect that only you, a language specialist,

can provide. The product of this combination

of technology and your expertise will

provide the most complete and accurate

intelligence to U.S. policy makers, military

commanders and other members of the

Intelligence Community to help the nation

stay a step ahead of foreign threats. Explore

career opportunities at NSA and see how

your language proficiency can have a direct

impact on national security.

KNOWINGMATTERS

6,900 Languages Millions of Signals

One Mission

T T AAREERSC

CESTIONAL ANTHE

YGENCACURITY


ATA 2013 Elections: Candidate StatementsATA will hold its regularly scheduled elections at the upcoming 2013 ATA Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, to select a president-elect,secretary, treasurer, and three directors.

President-elect (two-year term)

David [email protected]

I am honored to be nominated forpresident-elect of ATA. Over the pastdecade, I have held several positionsin ATA, including two terms as theadministrator of the Nordic Division,serving as the language lead for thecreation of the new Swedish>Englishcertification exam, and serving fouryears on the Board of Directors. Ihave also worked on all sides of thelanguage industry as a freelance trans-lator, former agency project manager,and localization engineer for a largesoftware firm.

The years ahead pose some inter-esting challenges for ATA and the lan-guage industry as a whole. Thevisibility of translation and inter-preting is expanding rapidly throughtechnology. ATA must present animage that reflects professionalism,innovation, and education as we move

forward. It is important for ATA toremain visible as the key organizationrepresenting those of us involved inthe language services industry as free-lancers, educators, agency owners,translation buyers, or all of the above.

When I ran for the Board ofDirectors initially, I was eager toexpand ATA’s website. Our currenteffort to revise and improve the web-site is designed to help improve accessto our membership by translationbuyers and to the organization’s serv-ices by existing ATA members. It willbe an attractive and intriguing locationwhere translators—and interpreters—can highlight their skills and services,and where buyers can find them.

I am also encouraged by the successof ATA’s webinar program in bringingbetter training and educational oppor-tunities to the membership. I wouldlike to see the access and variety ofeducational opportunities expanded.As technology-assisted translationbecomes more widespread, it is goingto be increasingly important for lan-guage professionals to master thesetechnologies, but also to highlight theirown unique talents, expertise, andknowledge. We need to educate the

public about the role of human transla-tors and how to approach the myriad ofnew language technologies.

The use of technology-assistedtranslation and interpreting is alsohighlighting the importance of stan-dards in the industry. As I havewritten in my column “StandardIssue” in The ATA Chronicle, stan-dards apply to more than creatinginteroperability between translationmemory formats. Standards are cur-rently being created that may ulti-mately provide a template for howlanguage services providers shouldoperate, and potentially how qualitywill be assessed in terms of transla-tion and interpreting. It may alsodetermine how buyers and regulatorswill view our industry. It is importantfor ATA to continue to be at the fore-front of these efforts and to ensurethat the views and interests of ourmembership are represented properly.

Ultimately, the job of president-elect involves listening to the manyvoices in the Association and, at thesame time, speaking in a language thatis balanced, intelligent, and focused aswe approach a new era in our industry.I look forward to the opportunity.

Secretary (two-year term)

Boris [email protected]

I have been privileged to serve onATA’s Board—first as a director andthen as secretary—and am honored tobe nominated to serve a second termas secretary.

ATA’s secretary has an importantrole with serious responsibilities, andI have been trying to execute theseresponsibilities properly.

While on the Board, I have beenguided by four principles: be active,be a team player, make a difference,and promote the interests of individualmembers, especially freelancers. Thisis what I have been doing.

My first initiative on the Board,working together with then-DirectorsDorothee Racette and Nick Hartmann,was to update the continuing educa-

tion (CE) requirements for translatorcertification, expanding the range ofactivities awarded CE points andaligning the number of points assignedto each activity with their educationalvalues. This improved the quality ofCE and helped certified translatorsmaintain their certification.

To facilitate division leaders’ com-munications with their members andwith ATA’s Board and Headquarters,and to avoid micromanaging divisionsfrom above, I worked closely withthen-President-elect Dorothee Racette


Treasurer (two-year term)

Ted [email protected]

I am a German>English financialtranslator specializing in accountingand taxation translation. I have beena freelancer for more than 15 years,and previously worked as an accoun -tant, interrogator in the U.S. Army,and stockbroker.

I have been privileged to serve asone of your representatives on ATA’sBoard of Directors for the past threeyears, and as a member of the Finance

and Audit Committee for the past twoyears. In addition to the regular dutiesincumbent on a director in providingstewardship to ATA, I also worked onthe model contract project and the revi-sion of the procedures for the EthicsCommittee for handling ethics com-plaints, which was recently approvedby ATA’s Board of Directors.

I have also worked closely withGabe Bokor, our outgoing treasurer,who has done a superb job in over-seeing ATA’s finances, especially fol-lowing the market turmoil of recentyears and the unexpected loss on theFIT Congress.

My experience as an accountantand financial translator gives me astrong background in finance and the

knowledge required to interact easilyand successfully with our internal andexternal accountants and financialadvisors. I will continue to follow ourcurrent policy of a prudent and conser-vative investment approach withrespect to ATA’s financial assets, whileensuring that the costs for providingmember services are fair and reason-able, and will seek to enhance ATA’srevenue streams where possible. I willcarry out these duties with a constanteye on the cost/benefit ratio to you, themembers of ATA whom the Boardmembers are tasked with representing.

I respectfully ask for your supportin my bid for treasurer of our greatorganization.

on developing the current DivisionGoverning Policy.

To give ATA members timelyinformation concerning the Board’sactivities, as ATA secretary I intro-duced the practice of posting Boardmeeting summaries on ATA’s websiteimmediately after each meeting. Nowmembers do not have to wait severalmonths to learn about the Board’sdeliberations and decisions.

When the Board embarked onupgrading ATA’s website, I noted thatit now takes at least six clicks to finda translator’s/interpreter’s contactinformation and stressed the need tomake it easy for prospective cus-tomers of our services to get thatinformation. The website redesign

team has made sure it will only takeone click.

When the Board did not agree withmy proposal to add “and Interpreters”to ATA’s name, I worked withDirector Alan Melby and other Boardmembers to develop the current tagline “The Voice of Interpreters andTranslators,” which now alwaysaccompanies ATA’s logo.

My most recent proposal to theBoard is to open ATA’s CertificationProgram to non-members.

Here are a few words about mybackground. I am a freelance Russianand Ukrainian interpreter and translator(ATA-certified, English<>Russian). Ihave been an ATA member since1986. I am also a charter member of

the National Language Service Corps.Having been fortunate profession-

ally, I have always tried to give backto ATA and our profession. In additionto working on the Board, I chairedATA’s Dictionary Review Committeeand the Divisions Committee, pre-sented at ATA conferences, con-tributed to ATA publications, andcurrently participate in ATA’sCertification Program as the languagechair for the English>Russian examand a grader for the English>Russianand English>Ukrainian exams.

A freelancer myself, I know free-lancers’ needs and interests. I havealways defended those interests onand outside the Board, and will keepdoing so.

·

Facebook http://tinyurl.com/38xqgsm

Follow UsLinkedIn

www.atanet.org/linkedin.phpTwitter

http:// twitter.com/atanet


Candidate Statements Continued

Director (three-year term)

Evelyn YangGarland [email protected]

On a freezing day in January, Iflew to Minnesota from my home inMaryland to take ATA’s certificationexam. I was never as cold in my life,but I never regretted the trip. Passingthat exam helped me start a successfulcareer in translating and interpreting.As time went by, I met many col-leagues through ATA who generouslyguided, encouraged, and inspired me.I came to realize how important ATA’scollegial community was to me bothprofessionally and personally.

I wanted to give back. In the pastfew years, I have been increasinglyinvolved with ATA as a volunteer. Ibegan doing layout editing for theChinese Language Division. Then Iorganized monthly meet-ups for theNational Capital Area TranslatorsAssociation (NCATA), the local ATAchapter in Washington, DC. Most

recently, I led the Translation CompanyDivision’s latest conference, wheretranslation companies shared best prac-tices and freelancers learned about theirclients’ perspective. I am also a multi-time contributor to The ATA Chronicle,as well as a contributor to several initia-tives led by ATA Board members, suchas ATA’s model contracts for translatorsand interpreters.

There is no greater way to give backto this group of supportive colleaguesthan by serving on ATA’s Board ofDirectors. This is why I am bothexcited and humbled to ask you for theopportunity to serve as a director.

If elected, I would like to focus myefforts on achieving two goals:

1. Increasing ATA’s visibility andinfluence outside of our professionthrough low-cost initiatives. Thereare several options to explore, suchas establishing a speakers bureauand pursuing social media activi-ties that target select non-translatoraudiences. I would like to see anATA known and respected by morepeople outside of our profession,and an ATA that is the “go-to”

place for expert advice on transla-tion and interpreting.

2. Cultivating professionalism amongthe next generation of translators andinterpreters by building on theexisting Mentoring Program and thenew Buddies and Newbies Pro gramat ATA’s Annual Con ference. I willpilot additional ways of mentoringthat would be more flexible andenable a larger number of mentorsand mentees to participate.

My actions speak more convinc-ingly than my words. I have beenbringing positive energy and deliv-ering on my promises for various ATAdivisions and chapters. For example,at NCATA, I initiated social mediacampaigns to increase the reach of ourprograms significantly. One confer-ence I co-chaired brought in 40 newmembers for NCATA, and some of themonthly meet-ups I organized wereamong the most popular ones.

I look forward to bringing the samekind of fresh enthusiasm and commit-ment to the entire ATA community.


Rudy [email protected]

I am honored to be a candidate forATA’s Board of Directors. As both atranslator and interpreter, as well as alifelong freelancer who at one timealso ran a small language bureau, Iknow I can bring a very well-roundedperspective to the Board.

Over the past 30-plus years, I haveparticipated in a number of differentareas within ATA. As a grader in the

Spanish>English Certification Work -group, I have worked with colleagues increating the prep-to-become-certifiedworkshops given at many ATA AnnualConferences. As a past administrator ofATA’s Spanish Language Division(SPD), I helped organize our first con-ference and worked to establish SPD’soperating guidelines. Participating inATA’s pro-bono program, its MentoringProgram, and the School OutreachProgram, I have learned communicationand leadership skills. Therefore, encour-aging others to become more active inATA is an important goal for me.

Having recently completed sixyears as a public official in my home-town, I am very cognizant of the

responsibilities of representing thepeople who elect me. Based on thisexperience, I feel it would be helpfulto look at new ways that ATA mem-bers can easily provide feedback andsuggestions to the organization’sBoard and Headquarters staff. Ifelected, I pledge to be available and tolisten to all members and to work oncreating new ways for us to communi-cate with one another.

I also bring my experience as anactive member of the New EnglandTranslators Association (NETA), mylocal group. Some of you mayremember the video I produced withNETA members inviting people toattend ATA’s Annual Conference in



Jonathan T. Hine, [email protected]

Background: I was born inVirginia, raised in Italy, spent 24 yearsas a U.S. Navy officer, 10 as a univer-sity administrator, and 51 as a trans-lator and interpreter. I have degreesfrom the U.S. Naval Academy (BS),University of Oklahoma (MPA), andUniversity of Virginia (PhD). I am theowner of Scriptor Services LLC. AnATA-certified Italian>English trans-lator, I am a member of ATA’s Italian,French, Interpreters, Literary, andScience and Technology Divisions, aswell as the National Capital AreaTranslators Association and theAmerican Translation and Interpre-ting Studies Association. I am also amentor in ATA’s Mentoring Program

and an exam grader for the Certifi-cation Program. In addition, I am aworkshop presenter specializing infreelancer and small business issues,revision, and career decision-making.I am the author of I Am Worth It! Howto Set Your Price and Other Tips forFreelancers and Are You Bilingual?Enjoy Making It Pay! My most recentbook-length translation is Beyond theAge of Oil, by Leonardo Maugeri(Praeger, 2010).

By long association with the dif-ferent members of the profession andthe industry, I am prepared to repre-sent and synthesize the points of viewof freelancers, business owners,project managers and their employers,educators, and those interested indeveloping the next generation of col-leagues. My special strengths includean ability to integrate a wide varietyof positions and to find win-win solu-tions for seemingly intractable prob-lems (not a campaign promise, justsomething I have been lucky at sofar). This is supported operationally

by my management training andexperience on the boards of non-profits, in the U.S. Navy, and at theUniversity of Virginia, and by myeducation as a program evaluator andtranslation scholar. Being a certifica-tion exam grader and a mentor haskept me keenly aware of the changingneeds of those getting started or justgaining traction in this profession thatI love.

I have been involved with certifica-tion for 20 years. I have also lookedinto medical insurance for free-lancers, and was one of the first tosubscribe to an ATA errors and omis-sions insurance policy. I watchedthree iterations of the MentoringProgram and had four mentees (twoofficial, two unofficial, all throughATA). Yet I promise no particulardirection and take no special stand onany of these issues or programs.Instead, I plan to see where I amneeded and to go there.

Thank you for your confidence andthe honor to serve you.

Boston in 2011. Local professionalorganizations can provide testinggrounds for ideas that can then perco-late up to the national organization.ATA chapters are a valuable and per-haps underutilized asset. We shouldensure that things that work in onelocal group are communciated to otherlocal groups for the benefit of new andveteran translators and interpretersalike. I will work to make that happen.

The language industry is an excitingand challenging business, particularlyas an independent contractor. ATA is animportant resource for us, in honing ourskills, keeping up with ever-changingtechnology, and helping us navigate thebusiness world successfully. I want toencourage more members to takeadvantage of everything ATA has tooffer. In addition, ATA strives to be avoice for language professionals to the

world at large. Having been a memberof ATA’s Public Relations Committee, Iknow how hard it is to make our viewsheard. I will explore ways to strengthenthis aspect of the organization. Weinterpreters and translators need to berecognized for the important profes-sionals we are.

Thank you for considering me as acandidate for the Board.

·

Looking for continuingeducation events in

your area?Check out ATA’s online event calendar at

www.atanet.org/calendar.


Candidate Statements Continued


Jane Maier [email protected]

What a surprise and honor to havebeen once again nominated to run forATA’s Board of Directors! I was onthe Board for two consecutive terms,from 1988 to 1994, and am excitedabout the possibility of serving ourorganization again.

I have worked in the translationindustry for over 30 years, since grad-uating from the Monterey Institute ofInternational Studies with a master’sdegree in translation and interpretation(Spanish<>English). I am ATA-cer-tified in three language com bin ations(Spanish<>English and French>English). I have worked on “all sidesof the fence,” first as the general officemanager of a translation company inmy hometown of Boulder, Colorado,then as the founder and owner of myown translation service, and finally,after the business was sold in 1993, asa freelance translator, which I havebeen doing ever since.

When I was on ATA’s Board before,my main accomplishments includedthe drafting of the first model contract,which is available on ATA’s website,albeit in an updated, improved version.I also formulated the guidelines formeeting IRS requirements on fulfillingindependent contractor status, pre-sented a session at an ATA AnnualConference on this subject, and wrotean article that was published in ATA’sScholarly Monograph Series. I alsoassisted several translation agencies inthe U.S. who faced IRS audits relatedto this issue.

I have served in various positionsfor the Colorado TranslatorsAssociation, including president andvice-president. For the past 18 years, Ihave been involved primarily withATA’s Certification Program, workingas a grader for the Spanish>Englishexam and serving as the languagechair for eight years. The program hasmade huge strides since I startedgrading, becoming much more trans-parent, professional, objective, andinternationally respected. But we arenow at a critical, necessary turningpoint (i.e., offering the computerizedversion of the exam to be more in linewith the way translators work). If

elected to the Board, I would work toensure the smoothest transition pos-sible that is fair to all candidates. Iwould also like to address logisticalaspects of the program in order tohelp streamline the entire process andeliminate delays in receiving examresults, among other things.

Looking to the future, according toU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics thereis expected to be a 42% increase in theneed for professional translators andinterpreters by the year 2020, but anexpected shortage of people to fill thisneed due to various factors such asbudget cuts to foreign-language pro-grams. I envision a number of waysATA could respond to this situationthrough public relation efforts,working with high school and collegeprograms, increased mentoring oppor-tunities, and back-to-basics work-shops offered at the AnnualConference and through webinarsaimed at beginning translators, toname a few.

It would be a true honor and pleasureto be elected to the Board in order tohave the opportunity to put my manyyears of experience in the industry intoservice once more for the betterment ofour dynamic organization.


Emily [email protected]

I learned of ATA after returningfrom Chile in 2003, and have been amember ever since. Being part of ATAhas provided me with many opportuni-ties to meet professionals who spe-cialize in different fields and languages.It has inspired me to attend the AnnualConference, which always results in

new projects, contacts, and friendships.Since I have been a freelancer andagency owner for most of my career,being an ATA member has been impor-tant for my personal and professionalgrowth. I always learn something newby reading The ATA Chronicle,attending a webinar, and participatingin division events. From 2009 to 2011,I served as assistant administrator ofATA’s Language Technology Division(LTD). This experience enabled me towork as part of a team toward thecommon goal of developing LTD fur-ther in light of fascinating technolog-ical changes in our field.

The first thing I tell people who areinterested in becoming freelancetranslators and/or interpreters is tojoin ATA. It is here where most, if notall, answers to questions related to ourfield can be answered. I am constantlyinspired and awed by the commitmentand devotion of members who serveATA in diverse capacities. I have alsoparticipated in the New York Circle ofTranslators and plan on becoming amember of the Association ofTranslators and Interpreters in the SanDiego Area.

If elected to ATA’s Board, in addi-tion to bringing enthusiasm and passion



Rosalie [email protected]

My nest is now empty. Thanks tothe incredible field of translation andinterpreting, I was able to raise threechildren and lead a fulfilling profes-sional career at the same time, allfrom the comfort of my home. I havebeen working as a freelance Spanishtranslator and interpreter for almostthree decades. Years ago, I said thatwhen our children left home to pursuetheir adult lives, I would be ready togive back to our Association in a moremeaningful way.

I am now able, willing, and hon-ored to assume an active volunteerrole in ATA if the membership choosesme to serve as a director on ATA’sBoard. I humbly accept the candidacywith the full knowledge that it is agreat responsibility. I am aware thatthis is a three-year commitment andthat it requires me to attend multi-day

meetings several times per year. I amready. There will be e-mails, phonecalls, and teleconferences. I am ready.I know that I must learn and fullyunderstand all codes, procedures, andpolicies of the Association andencourage others to do the same. I amready. I acknowledge that I am alsoexpected to take on a specific area ofresponsibility. I am ready.

The U.S. Bureau of LaborStatistics predicts that for the period2010-20, there will be a 42% increasein the number of jobs for interpretersand translators! There are not enoughof us now for this huge growth. Ifchosen to serve as a director, one ofmy main areas of interest would be tolaunch a campaign to get middle andhigh school students excited aboutbecoming translators and interpreters.In our primary schools, we have manychildren who come from bilingualhomes who would make excellenttranslators and interpreters, but haveno idea that the special gift they pos-sess—bilingualism—can be chan-neled into a professional career.

Because of my interest in sharingwith my colleagues the skills I have

learned as a translator, I have offeredmany courses (both paid and free) intranslation tool technologies, produc-tivity, cultural communications, andresources for translators. I havealways felt that because volunteersplay an important role in society, it ismy personal duty to contribute to thewhole. For many years, I was the web-master of ATA’s Spanish Lan guageDivision website and served the divi-sion in other capacities. I have alsobeen involved in ATA’s ProfessionalDevelopment and Stan dards Com -mittees. I was the organizer of theNetworking Session at ATA’s AnnualConference for a number of years.Outside of ATA, I have been a volun-teer interpreter, translator, and missiondirector for a national organizationthat provides free surgical treatmentworldwide to children with cleftanomalies. I am a committed Rotarianand work hard to use my vocationaltalents where they are needed.

Now I would like to offer themany useful skills I have learned inmy years as a translator to ATA’sBoard of Directors.

to the position, I would also bring myknowledge and experience. I haveworked in the translation and inter-preting professions for over 10 years,both in the U.S. and Latin America. Inthis connection, I have worked as aproject manager and translator inChile, overseeing the translationdepartment at an international corpo-rate law firm based in Santiago. Sincereturning to the U.S., I have worked asa project manager, agency owner,interpreter, translator, and editor/proof-reader for both agencies and directclients. This broad-based experiencehas guided my professional growth.

All of this enables me to inform andeducate both ATA members and thecommunity at large regarding the cur-rent and future state of the translationand interpreting professions.

Each day technology plays a moreimportant role in our professions. Dueto continuing technological changes,it is not enough simply to be bilingualor even a skilled translator or inter-preter. As a director on the Board, Iwould convey the need to participatein continuing education activities,study groups, and networking to keeppace with the evolving nature of lan-guage. I also believe in community

outreach, because the development ofour professions is directly correlatedto the public’s understanding of whatwe do and who we are.

If elected, I would draw upon myexperience to inspire ATA membersto participate in divisions and com-mittees. I would also work with theother directors to guide theAssociation toward common goalsand unite the different “players” inthe industry. This would effectivelyproduce the best possible product forthe end-user while maintaining theintegrity of the professions and aboveall the language.


If you asked 100 translators orinterpreters to describe their first daysin the industry, you would probably get100 different answers—or at leastsome very entertaining stories. If youwant to become an accountant or anattorney, there is a clear path ahead ofyou. But if you want to become a trans-lator or interpreter in the U.S., you willneed to do some of your own path-finding, hopefully with some help fromthose who have gone before you.

On the first day that I thought ofmyself as a translator, I sat at mykitchen table with my baby daughterand the phone book (rememberthose?) and started cold-calling trans-lation companies. I had a master’sdegree in French and I loved to write,so I felt confident that I could do thejob, but I had no idea how to launch orrun a successful freelance business.Did I need some kind of certification?What kinds of clients would take achance on a newcomer? How muchshould I charge? Were there reallypeople who “made it” as freelancersand did not have to depend on abackup income? After more than adecade in the business, I am very, veryglad that I persevered through thosedifficult first years, but I also realizethat I made a lot of mistakes. If youare a newcomer to the profession,here are some tips, cautionary tales,and (hopefully) some sources ofinspiration for you.

Starting up will take more time and

effort than you think. I receiveinquiries from frustrated beginners ona regular basis, and they often readlike this: “Dear Corinne: I am reallystruggling to establish my freelancebusiness. I’ve sent out 25 résumés inthe past two months and have receivedonly one response. I am extremely dis-couraged and wonder if this job is for

Tipsfor Newcomers

to the Translation

andInterpretingProfessions By Corinne McKay


me.” Everyone’s mileage varies, and ifyou translate a high-demand languageor specialization, clients may be clam-oring for your services right away. Butin general, your startup phase will lastat least a year, and that is if you areworking full-time or close to it. Counton at least six months during whichyou are primarily or exclusively mar-keting and networking, then at leastanother six months of very irregularincome before you depend on yourfreelance income to support you. Inmy case, I applied to over 500 poten-tial clients during my first year in busi-ness, and it still took me over a yearand a half to replace the income frommy previous full-time job.

Forget about the phone book, but do

not overvalue the Internet. It turns outthat on my first day as a translator, I hada tiny shred of the right idea. While Iwould not recommend cold-callingpotential clients (and I no longer own aphone book), I think that person-to-person contacts are the most valuableresource in a freelancer’s marketingarsenal. Look at it this way: if you donot have much work, you have a lot oftime. So, ask every potential client inyour local area if you can take one oftheir employees out for coffee or lunch,“to learn a little more about their busi-ness.” Treat the meeting as just that, away to find out what this agency ordirect client does, and how you might fitin. Even if you apply to clients online,you can set yourself apart from the herdthrough personal touches. Wheneveryou get a positive response from aprospective client, follow up with ahandwritten thank-you note and busi-ness card. When you meet a really suc-cessful translator—the person you wantto be when you grow up—offer to inter-view her or him for a translationindustry publication, and then ask all ofthe questions that you want answered!

You do not know what you are doing

(yet), so surround yourself with

people who do. One of the wisestthings I did during my startup phasewas to join the Colorado TranslatorsAssociation. In that group, I found alot of real, live, successful freelancetranslators who assured me that therewas plenty of work out there if Iactively looked for it. They gave megreat ideas on how to get an “in” withpotential clients, and when I estab-lished myself as trustworthy and com-petent, some of them referred theiroverflow work to me. During mysecond year of freelancing, I savedenough money to attend ATA’s AnnualConference, at which I met even moretranslators and my first big clients.Remember this: most people love tobe seen as experts, and experiencedtranslators love to feel that they arepassing on their years of wisdom andexperience to the next generation oflanguage professionals. So takeadvantage and get involved in ATAand your local translators or inter-preters association, and put on yourlistening ears.

But … do not believe everything you

hear, especially if it is negative. It isalways hard to know whose advice totrust, and not all of the advice you willreceive is reliable. Here are two exam-ples. A high school classmate whospeaks French and English recently

told me that she had always wanted tobe a translator, but a college professortold her that she had to know morethan one foreign language in order tofind work. When I was starting out asa translator, a friend of a friend whohad worked for a translation companytold me that she was not surprised thatI was having trouble finding workbecause, “there wasn’t much of a needfor into-English translators in theU.S.” My current students often men-tion receiving this type of well-meaning but misinformed advice (e.g.,the market for a certain language is“completely saturated”; it is next toimpossible to find clients who will payreal money for your services; etc.). So,if a piece of advice sounds fishy toyou, or if you have a sense that youhave landed on someone who isunnecessarily negative about ourindustry, make sure to verify theiradvice before you follow it.

Entry-level clients come in many

different forms. Nearly every begin-ning translator or interpreter wondershow to find those first few elusiveclients, especially those who will takea chance on a new person. Many agen-cies require several years of experi-ence, some type of certification, orboth. So, I think that the two mainoptions are at nearly opposite ends ofthe market: large agencies with hugevolumes of work, and high-end ·

If you want to become a translator or interpreter in theU.S., you will need to do some of your own path-finding, hopefully with some help from

those who have gone before you.


direct clients whose main concern isquality. The middle of the market is atough place to carve out a nichebecause it is very crowded. Lots oftranslators with similar qualifications,availability, specializations, and ratesare fighting to win business frommany of the same clients. So, go in adifferent direction. Large agencies arealways looking for new translatorsbecause they are in a high-volume,fast-turnaround business. If you canmanage this kind of fast-paced, dead-line-driven work, it can be a good wayto get some experience and decidewhat specializations you want to targetwhen you move on to other types ofclients. Another good option, espe-cially if you already have experiencein an in-demand specialization, ishigh-end direct clients whose onlyconcern is the quality of the transla-tion. Before you target them, you haveto be very, very confident that yourtranslations are excellent. Realis -tically, many beginning translators andinterpreters are not at the level ofquality that direct clients want andneed. But if you are sure that you cando the job, direct clients may (interest-ingly enough) be less concerned aboutyears of experience, certifications,translation memory software, highvolume, and other issues that maycome up in the agency market.

Before accepting an assignment, ask

the right questions. When clientsfinally start responding to yourinquiries, it is tempting to say yes fran-tically without even knowing what thejob involves. First, slow down. If thepotential client is an agency, check itsrating (every single time!) with serv-ices such as the Better BusinessBureau (www.bbb.org) or PaymentPractices (www.paymentpractices.net).Keep a checklist of questions to askbefore the project starts.

For translators: • How many words or pages is the

document? • In what format is it? What is the

subject matter? • In what format is the translation

needed? • What is the deadline (always

specify the time zone)? • Does the client have any reference

material or existing translations?

Always specify the rate in writing.If the rate is per word, always confirmwhether the source or target wordcount will be used. Never accept atranslation without seeing (preferably)the entire document you will be trans-lating, or at least a sample of the text.

For interpreters: • What is the subject matter of the

assignment? • How many hours or days will the

assignment last? • Will the interpreting be simulta-

neous, consecutive, or both? • Will equipment be provided, and if

so, what type? • Does the client pay for travel and

waiting time, and if so, at the samerate as for interpreting time or at adifferent rate?

• What is the client’s cancellationand no-show policy?

• Will the client provide a partnerinterpreter if you need one?

For everyone: • How and when will the client pay

you?

The key is to ask the right kinds ofquestions. You do not want to waste aclient’s time or look uninformed byasking questions that are obvious,pedantic, or paranoid, but you dowant to make sure that the project iswithin your capabilities before yousay yes.

When in doubt, just work harder.

Experienced translators have a lot ofadvantages you do not. But I will letyou in on a secret: experienced trans-lators also get picky, complacent, andmaybe even a little lazy when it comesto landing new clients. When a clientneeds a big assignment completed onSaturday night, or has a nasty, hand-written document that will take hoursto decipher, or needs someone toproofread a 10-page list of numbers,many experienced translators will runthe other way. If they have developedtheir businesses effectively, experi-enced translators do not need to sayyes to these types of projects, espe-cially if they are not from regularclients. So you, the scrappy new-

Tips for Newcomers to the Translation and Interpreting Professions Continued

In my opinion, many beginners focus so much onworking smarter (expensive software, advertising,

paying someone to apply to clients for them) that theyignore the most time-honored way of launching a

successful business: working their tails off.


comer, get to come in and save the dayso that the client can leave the officewith the confidence that the project isall set. And then, because you savedthe client’s hide on that project, theyare likely to call you again. In myopinion, many beginners focus somuch on working smarter (expensivesoftware, advertising, paying someoneto apply to clients for them) that theyignore the most time-honored way oflaunching a successful business:working their tails off.

Set your sights higher than just

“getting by.” It always surprises mewhen people comment that “It must beso hard to make ends meet as a free-lancer.” In reality, I think that it wouldbe impossible for me to find a full-time job in my local area that wouldoffer the same level of income andflexibility that I have as a freelancer.Working for yourself is an opportunityto create your ideal life, so seize it!Consider this: what if you applied fora full-time job and the human resourceperson told you that the company didnot offer paid vacation, sick time,health insurance, a retirement plan,

performance incentives, continuingeducation or training, overtime pay orcomp time, not even a holiday party orsummer picnic, and that you would beexpected to use an ill-fitting, uncom-fortable desk and chair and work amiddusty piles of books and papers. Itmay seem laughable, but these are theconditions under which many free-lancers work for years on end.

Right at the start of your freelancetrajectory, say no to this mindset andask yourself what the “free” in free-lance means to you. Maybe it is a highincome so that you are free from wor-rying about money; maybe it is thefreedom to leave the office at 2:00 p.m.and pick your kids up at school; maybeit is intellectually stimulating work sothat you are free from the boredom ofa monotonous job; or maybe it is acompletely mobile office so that you

are free to work from any place thathas an Internet connection. Give your-self the resources you need to do agreat job by setting aside a percentageof your income for training and profes-sional development. Whatever yourideal life is, keep a clear vision of itduring your startup phase and do notsettle for “just enough.”

A wise entrepreneur once said

that self-employment means working60 hours a week for yourself so thatyou do not have to work 40 hours aweek for someone else. At the end ofyour first year as a freelancer, if youfeel wrung out, as if you have givenevery ounce of your energy, creativity,brain power, and tenacity to thisendeavor, you have done it right.

Ask yourself what the “free” in freelance means to you.

THE ATA COMPASSYour guide to translation in the global market

An Outreach Publication of the American Translators AssociationThe ATA Compass is a client outreach blog designed to educate current and potential clients by providing usefuland practical information about the language services industry. Posts have included "What is a CertifiedTranslation?" and "Ten Steps to Make Your Technical Translation Projects a Success." It is a quick read. Take a look and be sure to add your comments.

Provide a value-added service and stand out with your clients. Send them a link to The ATA Compass now!Please visit http://theatacompass.org.

You most likely do not knowhim, although you probably should ifyou are a jazz fan. He is a virtuosoinstrumentalist who has been playingsince age six. He has visited over 60countries and performed at nearlyevery major jazz festival on theplanet. He has recorded with virtuallyevery Brazilian pop singer plus someheavyweights on the internationaljazz scene. Blowing into his saxo-phone is the only thing WidorSantiago has ever done for a living.He completely masters his instrumentand is at ease performing live beforehundreds of thousands of spectators inlarge arenas or at Copacabana Beachduring the now-traditional NewYear’s festivities in Rio.

Yet, despite his unquestionable expe-rience and immaculate precision,Widor, now in his mid-fifties, still fol-lows a rather strict ritual before steppingon stage. It includes introspection, con-centration drills, and, quite surprisingly,prayers.

A Comparable CraftMusic is as complex a language as

any other. It uses its own ancient nota-tion method of dots, bars, and sym-bols, a part of which got transliteratedand simplified in modern times usingthe first seven letters of the Romanalphabet to refer to the seven basicmusical notes. As with any spokenlanguage, music is susceptible toinfinite variations in tone, pitch, inten-sity, and tempo. In their urge to com-municate, skillful musicians andinterpreters will deftly combine thoseelements just so to disclose or con-ceal, enrapture or aggravate, grieve orcelebrate, reveal or withdraw.

Musicians can be compared to con-ference interpreters on many counts.The former deal in musical notes andmelodic phrases, the latter in wordsand units of meaning. For everything


By Ewandro Magalhães

The CompassionateInterpreter

else, there are probably more similar-ities than there are differences. Amusician, like an interpreter, will relyheavily on a sense of hearing whilekeeping all other sensory channelsopen to any ancillary elements ofmeaning that could be blended into aharmonious whole: the conductor’sgestures, the symbols on the score, thevibration given off by one’s instru-ments, the audience’s reaction.Interpreters and musicians must beendowed with a fine notion of timing,intensive focus, and agility. Theymust be nimble and able to improviseat a moment’s notice. They performlive in front of massive audiences,making endless instantaneous deci-sions as they give voice to otherpeople’s songs or tales. The risksinherent in such high-visibility, live-streaming performances can makestress a lifelong companion to musi-cians as well as interpreters.

Playing to TransformAt first glance, Widor’s pre-show

routine does not quite add up. After somany years on the road, you wouldexpect an artist of his caliber to haveovercome any performing anxiety orstage fright. Could he really have but-terflies in his stomach at every newgig? I was determined to find out,driven by something other than merecuriosity. I sought an analogy thatcould produce actionable advice onecould put to good use on stage as wellas in the booth. Taking advantage ofmy proximity to him—I married hissister some 20 years ago—I decidedto ask him straight. An enlighteningconversation ensued.

“I like to take a minute to remindmyself of the reasons I am there,”Widor explained, pausing brieflybefore continuing. “Different peopleplay for different reasons. Some ofmy colleagues play from a place of

anger. They resent being discrimi-nated against, socially, racially, orotherwise. They feel they have beendealt a bad hand and it makes themangry. They take that anger with themon stage and work extra hard to shine,if only to take it out on the world.”

He went on to explain that other per-formers play for the reassurance thatcomes with applause. They enjoy theboost to their self-esteem and capitalizeon their insecurity to play like neverbefore and attract the recognition theycrave. There are also those whose art isa form of avoidance. Their heart is nolonger in it, but playing keeps thembusy while providing a perfect excuseto procrastinate and stay away fromsomething else they ought to be doing(but at which they secretly fear failing).

Widor’s words totally and immedi-ately resonated with the interpreter inme. In a profession as ego-driven asours, it is easy to get misled. Breakinginto the craft may at times involve afair amount of elbowing, and theresulting anger can accompany a new-comer long after the initial friction.Also, simultaneous interpreting is stillregarded as a superior skill, borderingon the magical, and the reassurancethat comes from knowing one can doit and do it well may be uplifting andkeep an interpreter elated for years onend. And there are many among uswhose enthusiasm has faded, forwhom playing has lost its luster. Theyfeel jaded and yet unable to turn thetable. Anxiety mounts.

“Anger can be as valid a driver asany other, provided the end result is

good music,” Widor continued. “Still,in such circumstances, there willalways be an underlying anxiety thatis hard to push away,” he warned.

Now, if the jitters are no longer aproblem for Widor, then why all theintrospection and praying before eachof his performances? He settled theissue quite surprisingly. “I know thaton any given day, in any crowd, thereis at least one individual ready to betouched by a single note I play. I praythat she or he is there and leaveschanged.” He concluded the conver-sation with a powerful statement: “Iplay to transform.”

In Search of CompassionRegardless of what we do, we are

all moving along a continuum span-ning the full spectrum of human feel-ings. And while any emotion cantechnically carry us forward and helpus shine, some will definitely leave alingering, better aftertaste. The higherwe move up the emotional scale, thecloser we are to excellence and bliss.Learning to progress from mediocreto awesome and from miserable togreat involves discovering loftieremotions from which to operate.

At the end of the day, anythingworth doing is worth doing right.Interpreting should be no exception. Itis a beautiful craft, ultimatelyanchored in the notion of service. It isalso a stressful, taxing activity thatcan leave us mentally and physicallydrained, so we might as well do it forthe right reasons. Why desecrate itwith emotions unworthy of the

The ATA Chronicle n September 2013 21

As with any spoken language, music is susceptible toinfinite variations in tone, pitch, intensity, and tempo.

·

22 The ATA Chronicle n September 2013

effort? Why tie its expression to ourneed for reassurance or, worse yet,retribution? Why not make it mean-ingful by making it about someoneelse? Could we possibly transit fromanger to vanity to detachment and,like Widor, eventually play from aplace of compassion? It will likely bea gradual process, and the first step, ofcourse, is determining where we findourselves now. Looking for ourunderlying motives takes full prece-dence.

So, trying to translate into action-able advice some of what I learnedfrom my friend that day, here aresome suggestions and questions tohelp interpreters keep the reasons fortheir actions in check and evolving:

• Make it a habit to reflect on why itis that you do the things you do.

• More specifically, try to drill downon what makes you tick as an inter-preter. Be honest!

• Challenge your motives by askingwhat is next on the scale.

• What could make you want to per-form better? What emotion couldkeep you going forever?

• For whom are you playing? Whomare you hoping to touch?

• What could take you to a morecompassionate mode?

• How would that affect your anxiety?

These are hard questions, and theanswers will likely elude you for awhile. Yet asking them and acting onthe ensuing hunches is the only way for-ward. In the meantime, you would dowell to emulate part of Widor’s concen-tration routine. Taking a minute to

remind yourself of the true reasons you are there will make you a more consci-entious interpreter. You do not need topray, if you are not spiritually inclined,but a little introspection before openingthe mike is easy enough to do and wellworth your time.

Beyond the booth or across thestage are discoveries waiting to bemade, insights dying to materialize,myths one push away from collapse.And in any crowd, on any given day,there is at least one life longing to betransformed. All it takes is one noteplayed right, one word uttered com-passionately, by someone no longerinterested in proving a point.

The Compassionate Interpreter Continued

While any emotion can technically carry us forward and help us shine, some will definitely leave a

lingering, better aftertaste.

For non-linguists, buying interpreting services is often frustrating. This is where Interpreting: Getting it Right comes in. Thisstraightforward brochure explains why hiring a professional interpreter is a good business decision. It is a quick read that offerspractical, hands-on information for language services consumers, which makes it perfect for client education.

The brochure can be downloaded from ATA’s website in PDF format at www.atanet.org/getting_it_right_int.php.ATA members can also receive free copies by request. E-mail ATA's Member Relations and Office Manager Lauren Mendell at [email protected] for details.

Get Your Copy of ATA’s Interpreting: Getting it Right Today!


(The following was originally publishedin the Summer 2013 issue of Caduceus,the newsletter of ATA’s Medical Divi-sion, www.ata-divisions.org/MD.)

The drug discovery process is thecornerstone of the pharmaceuticalindustry. Its purpose is to ensure that adrug or medicinal product is as safe andeffective as possible for its indicated usein humans before being authorized formarketing. Even though this process isnot perfect, it is still critical to drugapproval because regulatory authorities,including the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration and the Federal Instituteof Drugs and Medical Devices inGermany, require successful humanclinical trials before a drug, procedure,or medicinal product can receive mar-keting authority. It is essential for trans-lators and interpreters working in themedical field to have an understandingof this process. Even those working out-side the medical field might stillencounter situations were terminologyrelated to the pharmaceutical industry is

used, so familiarizing yourself with theprocesses involved in drug discovery isworthwhile. The following is intendedas an introduction to how drugs are developed and tested for safety and efficacy.

What’s InvolvedClinical trials involving drugs are the

most common; however, clinical trialscan involve new medicinal productssuch as blood glucose monitoringdevices, new diagnostic procedures, and

even the discovery of new uses for tra-ditional medicines. Perhaps the bestexample of new uses for traditionalmedicines is aspirin. It was originallyused as an analgesic, but, as a result ofclinical trials, aspirin is also approved totreat and prevent cardiovascular dis-ease, strokes, and heart attacks.

The majority of current clinicaltrials involves a drug used to treat aspecific illness, and are thus known astreatment studies. Other types of clin-ical studies include:

Clinical trials involving drugs are the most common;however, clinical trials can involve new medicinal

products such as blood glucose monitoring devices, newdiagnostic procedures, and even the discovery of new

uses for traditional medicines.

·

An Overview of Clinical Trialsand the Drug Discovery Process

By Carmen Cross


• Genetic studies, which investigatethe relationship between genes andillnesses, with the goal of devel-oping individual treatments basedon an individual’s genetic makeup.

• Epidemiological studies, whichattempt to identify the patternsand causes of illnesses in groupsof people.

• Observational studies, whichinvolve the comparison of subjectsagainst a control group.

There are three other types ofstudies that are often conducted aspart of a larger trial, but that can alsobe conducted on their own: pharma-cokinetic, pharmacodynamic, andpharmacogenomic studies.

• Pharmacokinetic studies investi-gate how the body affects aspecific drug after administration(i.e., how it is taken into, movesaround, and is eliminated from thebody). This involves four compo-nents that can be summarizedusing the acronym ADME (absorp-tion, distribution, metabolism, andexcretion).

• Pharmacodynamic studies investi-gate how drugs affect the body(e.g., biochemical and physiolog-ical effects). Common drug actionsstudied include stimulating and/ordepressing action through directreceptor agonism and downstreameffects (i.e., how a drug affectschemical signals to cells).

• Pharmacogenomic studies investi-gate the influence of genetic varia-tion in patients. The aim of suchstudies is to develop optimizeddrug treatments taking into account

patients’ genotypes, which maxi-mize efficacy and minimizeadverse effects.

While any type of drug can theo-retically be tested during a clinicaltrial, the following four types are themost common:

• Small molecule drugs (e.g.,aspirin). These usually have amolecular weight between 500 and600. Thus, the molecules can passthrough the walls of the stomachand duodenum easily and enter thebloodstream. These drugs are usu-ally taken orally, but other routesof administration are also possible.

• Proteins (e.g., insulin). Thesedrugs are too large to pass throughthe stomach and duodenum, sothey must be administered byinjections or other suitable means.

• Vaccines (e.g., human papillomavirus vaccine).

• Nucleic acids (e.g., DNA and smallinterfering ribonucleic acids). Thesedrugs seek to selectively stop theexpression of a certain gene whoseexpression causes a specific disease.

Cost and AttritionA new chemical entity, that is, a

drug that has just been synthesized inthe laboratory, can cost over $800million and take as long as 15 years to

develop, sometimes even longer.1 Thisamount includes the cost of develop-ment programs that failed and/or wereterminated. Not surprisingly, giventhe major importance of clinical trialsto the marketing approval of a drug,the majority of a drug’s developmentbudget is spent on clinical testing.

Millions of dollars are investedinto a clinical trial with no guaranteethat the drug will ultimately receivemarketing authorization. Many drugsbegin the drug development process,but many of them fail—a processknown as attrition. Approximately62% of Phase II drugs undergo attri-tion. In addition, approximately 23%of drugs that enter the registrationphase will not receive marketingapproval. This leaves a very lowoverall success rate of about 11%.2

Stages of Drug DiscoveryThe drug discovery process is very

involved, and the familiar clinicaltrial phase is only one component ofthis process. The stepwise nature ofthis approach is significant becausethe number of test subjects increasesat each phase, as does the probabilityfor more subjects to be harmed or tonot experience any benefit from thedrug being investigated. A drug’sdevelopment can be terminated (e.g.,by the pharmaceutical company or theauthorities) at any point in thisprocess if it has been shown that thedrug is neither safe nor effective forits proposed indication in humans.

The majority of current clinical trials involves a drugused to treat a specific illness, and are thus known as

treatment studies.

An Overview of Clinical Trials and the Drug Discovery Process Continued


Prediscovery: In the prediscoveryphase, scientists gather as much basicinformation about the illness as pos-sible in an attempt to understand itsunderlying cause(s) and potential treat-ment(s). Then, a drug target, which is akey molecule for a particular signalingor metabolic pathway specific to a particular disease, is selected and validated.

Drug Discovery: The next phase isdrug discovery, and it can last up to sixyears. Scientists use high-throughputscreening to identify quickly the anti-bodies, genes, or active compoundsthat alter a certain biomolecularpathway. Anywhere from 5,000 to10,000 compounds may be testedduring this phase. These results arethen used as starting points in thedevelopment of the drug. Due to theextremely expensive and long processbefore a drug can be marketed, usuallyno more than five molecules from thethousands of compounds tested will bethe “candidate drugs” studied in clin-ical trials.

Preclinical Testing: The preclinicaltesting phase begins once the candi-date drug has been identified. Duringthis phase, researchers try to under-stand how the drug works and deter-mine its safety profile for possibletesting in humans. The U.S. Food andDrug Administration, as well as mostinternational authorities, requiresthorough testing before the candidatedrug(s) can be studied in humans.Currently, the only viable ways thiscan be done is by animal, in vitro, andin vivo studies. If these tests demon-strate the safety and efficacy of thedrug, then the drug can move into thefamiliar clinical research phase. Thepreclinical testing phase bringstogether many scientific disciplines,including physiology, chemistry,

biology, biotechnology, and statistics.

Phase I: The next phase in the drugdiscovery process is the clinicalresearch phase. Due to the fact that thenumber of subjects increases at eachstage, this phase can last anywherefrom six to seven years. The primarypurposes of Phase I trials are to deter-mine the effects of the drug on thehuman body, assess the dose andsafety of the drug, and obtain a safeand optimal dose that is likely to beeffective for the proposed indication.These trials typically include between20 and 100 healthy volunteers and aredesigned to test how well the drug istolerated in small numbers of people.Phase I trials typically last anywherefrom several days to several weeks.

Phase II: The next step in the drugdiscovery pipeline is Phase II, andthese trials are designed to observe theefficacy of a drug. These trials alsorefer to the actual testing of the proofof concept (PoC); in other words, doesthe drug actually work against the dis-ease it was designed to treat? The fre-quency of adverse events is alsomeasured during this phase. Phase IItrials answer the question, “What is anappropriate dose for the drug to beeffective?” Since different treatmentregimens were likely studied during a

particular drug’s Phase I trial, thePhase II trial often involves at leastone treatment regimen for the drug.Phase II trials usually include between100 and 250 subjects.

Phase III: If a drug has succeeded inthe first two phases, Phase III is the nextstage, which typically includes any-where from 1,000 to 5,000 participants.These trials are designed to determinewhether a drug is both safe and effec-tive. In addition, adverse reactionsresulting from long-term use of the drugare monitored during this phase. If adrug has advanced to Phase III, its studypopulation should be defined inadvance by inclusion and exclusion cri-teria, which is a set of medical criteriadetermining who can (and cannot) par-ticipate in a clinical trial. Phase III trialsusually take years to complete. Themarketing application is submitted tothe national supervising authorityduring this phase. In the U.S., this formis called a New Drug Application(NDA) and is submitted to the U.S.Food and Drug Administration. InEurope, it is known as a MarketingAuthorization Application (MAA).

Phase IV: These trials, commonlycalled post-marketing studies becausethey usually take place after a partic-ular drug has received marketing

Not surprisingly, given the major importance of clinical trials to the marketing approval of a drug, the majority of a drug’s development

budget is spent on clinical testing.

·


authorization, represent the last step inthe drug discovery process. Phase IVtrials can take years to complete andcan have patients numbering in thehundreds to thousands. They aredesigned to provide more data about adrug in real-life situations. In addition,special and at-risk populations, suchas pregnant women, may be studiedduring this phase.

Continuous Learning CurveThe area of drug development can

be an intriguing one for translatorsseeking to be part of the exciting med-ical advancements taking place. To besuccessful, however, translators musthave a firm grasp of the processes andprotocols involved that are essentialto the industry. They must also befamiliar with how to search for thelatest information about clinical trialsin clinical trial registries, such as theEU Clinical Trials Register and theU.S. National Institutes of Health.3

These registries typically contain spe-cialized information about a particularstudy, including inclusion and exclu-sion criteria, detailed informationabout a study population, and primaryand secondary outcome measures.

Understanding the clinical trialsprocess and the procedures requiredto obtain marketing authorization forthe drug approval process will serve

translators wishing to specialize inpharmaceutical translation well.

Notes1. Adams, Christopher P., and Van V.

Brantner. “Estimating the Cost ofDrug Development: Is It Really$802 Million?” Health Affairs(Millwood, March-April 2006),420-428, http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/25/2/420.full.Also see: Speid, Lorna. ClinicalTrials: What Patients and HealthyVolunteers Need to Know (Oxford:Oxford University Press, 2010).

2. Kola, Ismail, and John Landis. “Canthe Pharmaceutical Industry ReduceAttrition Rates?” Nature ReviewsDrug Discovery (Nature Pub lishingGroup, August 2004), 711-715,www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v3/n8/full/nrd1470.html. Also see: Speid,2010.

3. EU Clinical Trials Register (www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu) and U.S.National Institutes of Health (www.clinicaltrials.gov).

An Overview of Clinical Trials and the DrugDiscovery Process Continued

Rho, Jay P., and Stan G. Louie. Handbook of PharmaceuticalBiotechnology (New York: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 2003).

Schacter, Bernice. Biotechnology and Your Health: PharmaceuticalApplications (Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2006).

Zanders, Edward D. The Science and Business of Drugs Discovery:Demystifying the Jargon (New York: Springer, 2011).

Additional Reading

New Certified MembersCongratulations! The following people have successfully passed ATA’s certification exam:

English into ChineseRenee WangSilver Spring, MD

English into GermanLea RennertBloomington, IN

English into SpanishPatricia S. PeacockHouston, TX

Portuguese into EnglishJill Clark-GollubSilver Spring, MD

Rafa M. Lombardino Santee, CA


Live and On-Demand Training forProfessional Translators and Interpreters

ATA Webinarswww.atanet.org/webinars

An Introduction to Note-Taking for Interpreters

Presenter: Kirsty Heimerl-Moggan | Duration: 60 minutes | CE Point(s): 1

October 18, 2013 | 12 Noon U.S. Eastern Daylight Time

For consecutive interpreters, memorizing information is an essential part ofthe job. Relying on memory alone, however, is difficult even in the best ofcircumstances. Note-taking provides a quick, reliable, and easy way forconsecutive interpreters to record relevant parts of the information theyhear to ensure correct processing and rendition into another language. This webinar will be relevant to interpreters looking to develop a structured approach to note-taking. Attendees will learn:

• How to analyze information• How to identify relevant content• How to use different techniques for recording information

that are faster than writing

Register today — ATA Member $35 | Non-Member $50

Can’t attend?Register now and a link to the on-demand version will be sent to you following the live event. For more information, visit www.atanet.org/webinars.

UpcomingATA Webinar

• 60% of readers turn to The ATAChronicle as their primary source ofinformation about the translationand interpreting professions.

• 81% of subscribers read the adver-tisements in The ATA Chronicle.

• 36% of readers BUY products in TheATA Chronicle advertisements.

SpotReserve your

+1-703-683-6100 EXT. 3003

Caron Mason, [email protected]

Did you know?

Contact:

today!


What are translation agencieslooking for in a translator? Many newtranslators struggle to find their firsttranslation agency clients. With agen-cies inundated by unsolicited applica-tions, how can a beginner stand outfrom the crowd and make a positiveimpression? Our experts offer advice.

Steve Lank: Vice-president ofinformation research andtranslation services at Landon IP

What are agencies looking for? In anutshell, we are looking for long-termrelationships with qualified, profes-sional translators who are open totechnology and easy to work with,because this helps to ensure consistentquality, continuity, happy clients, andmore business.

How do you make an impressionon an agency? Here is what I can tellyou in 325 words.

Put together a great résumé. This isoften your first point of contact with anagency and one to which we will referback, so it needs to be compelling.Résumé writing is a worthy topic untoitself, but let’s just say that your résumémust clearly and succinctly indicate thatyou have the skills and experience weneed.

Provide a cover letter/e-mail; some-thing more than “Please see attached.”You need to give us a reason to openyour résumé and this is your chance toget our attention. Show that you havedone your homework about who youare applying to. Let us know not onlywhy you are a good translator, but whyyou would be a good translator for usin particular. A generic approach getsyou nowhere.

Proofread! I cannot stress thisenough. A typo can be a big deal in a client deliverable, so having one inyour résumé can knock you out of consideration.

Be persistent. After you have sub-mitted your résumé, follow up period-ically. I appreciate this, as it shows meyou are truly interested and it keepsyou top of mind.

Be open to taking on non-standardprojects to get your foot in the door.Attitude and flexibility are nevermore important than when you arestarting out. From there you makeyourself an indispensable go-toresource by:

• Always doing your best work• Not over-committing• Meeting deadlines• Communicating effectively• Accepting constructive criticism• Going the extra mile

This will build trust and confidenceand set you up for a mutually benefi-cial relationship with your agencyclients.

Hannah Berthelot: Translation project manager at In Every Language

At our company, we have a systemset up on our website through whichindependent contractors can apply forwork. Résumés sent to e-mail addres -ses listed elsewhere on the site aredeleted. If you do not have the dili-gence to click through two links andfill out our very brief information form,then what does that potentially sayabout what it is like to work with you?While I understand that sending arésumé to a different e-mail addressmay be a strategic move by these indi-viduals to “stand out from the rest,” tous it says “I do not know how to followdirections.” Let your talent speak foritself! If you have the credentials weare looking for, we will happily workwith you. Here are three of the maintraits we look for in an applicant:

1. Industry experience: This is clearlydifficult for someone just starting out,and we require at least two years ofprofessional experience. If you are justfinishing up your degree or your certifi-cate in translation, linguistics, oranother language-centric area of study,I would recommend that you explorethe institution’s career developmentresources and connect with a companythat can provide you with an internship.It also helps to attend industry eventslike conferences. You never knowwhom you will meet or what you willlearn!

2. Knowledge of computer-assistedtranslation tools: While I certainlyrespect those who have the skills andlinguistic prowess to ace ATA’s certifi-cation exam, translation memories areabsolutely necessary for maintainingbranding, ensuring that precise termi-nology is used (and re-used) in crucialtechnical and medical texts, and run-ning quality assurance processes. Wealso use leverage to offer discounts, soit helps if you do as well.

3. Your desire to learn and grow, andyour ability to be a great team member!

Maureen Garelick: Vendor relationsmanager for the translation andlocalization division of LanguageServices Associates

What an agency looks for in atranslator can vary based on themarket served, so knowing your target“audience” is very important. Anagency will look to determine if yourbackground, education, professionalexperience, and areas of specializa-tion match its needs.

Vendor managers gather and analyzethis information during the sourcingprocess, and there are certain things youcan do to stand out from the crowd. Forstarters, include your language pair at

Please Discuss Corinne [email protected]

What Are Translation Agencies Looking for in a Translator?

Corinne McKay, an ATA-certified French>English translatorspecializing in international development and legal trans-lation, currently serves on ATA’s Board of Directors. She isthe author of How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator.To propose a topic for a future edition of “PleaseDiscuss,” e-mail [email protected].

the top of your résumé and do notembed text in footers or graphics (it ishard for our tools to process). We alsolook for a clean, polished layout of bothyour e-mail and résumé, which helps useasily find key information (this demon-strates attention to detail, too). Finally,be sure to send your résumé in PDFformat, not Word. In terms of specifics,we are interested in knowing whetheryou have postgraduate translation orother relevant degrees and certificationsand how long you have worked in trans-lation (and in what fields).

Please also take the time to checkthe spelling and grammar of yourrésumé and your e-mail; too many

people miss this crucial step. This isespecially important if you are not anative English speaker. Finally, pleasebe sure always to reply in a timelymanner. This indicates to the agencythat you are conscientious aboutmeeting deadlines and keeping thelines of communication open.

Vendor managers also look forother attributes, such as profession-alism, flexibility, responsiveness, reli-ability, and initiative. While moreintangible, these traits can help makea translator a go-to resource forproject managers.


If it is too goodto be true, it is probably a scam. A number of e-mail and online scams havespecifically targeted translators and inter-preters. Stay vigilant!

Reminder: Beware

of Scams

Federal Bureau of InvestigationThe Internet Crime Complaint Center http://bit.ly/FBI-Fraud

National White Collar Crime Centerwww.nw3c.org

ATA Member-to-Member Discounts

• The Tool Kit• Payment Practices• Translate Write• Intralingo• The Translator’s Tool Box• Getting Started as a

Freelance Translator• Translation Office 3000

Are you an ATA member who wants to save money? See what discounts your fellow members can offer through

ATA’s Member-to-Member Discount Program!

Visit www.atanet.org/providers.php to start saving!

To participate in the program or to learn about the benefits, contact ATA MemberBenefits and Project Development Manager Mary David at [email protected].

This column is designed to promote discussion of pertinent issues in our industry.Moderator Corinne McKay proposes a topic and asks industry experts to respond. Thedialogue will then continue on ATA’s LinkedIn group (www.atanet.org/linkedin.php).


Judy Jenner is a court-certified Spanish interpreterand a Spanish and German translator in Las Vegas,Nevada, where she runs Twin Translations with hertwin sister. She is a past president of the NevadaInterpreters and Translators Association. She hoststhe translation blog, Translation Times(www.translationtimes.blogspot.com). You canalso find her at www.entrepreneuriallinguist.com.Contact: [email protected].

The Entrepreneurial Linguist Judy [email protected]

Photo

by U

lf Buc

hholz

Earlier this year, my dear friendand colleague Corinne McKay told meabout her experience at her new co-working space, and a few days afterthat conversation, I heard about abrand new co-working space in down-town Las Vegas that opened inFebruary. I took that as a sign, went tosee the new co-working office, fell inlove with Work in Progress (www.workinprogress.lv) as soon as Iwalked through the door, and immedi-ately became a member.

Co-working means that entrepre-neurs can rent a desk, a full office, orjust access to a shared office withwireless Internet and many other greatamenities at a usually quite affordableprice. More than an office, I havelearned that it is a community.

In general, I love working fromhome. It is nice and quiet, I have alovely four-legged officemate (mydog, Luna), I have all my dictionaries,staplers, highlighters, satellite radio, ahuge computer screen, and otherrandom stuff that I might need, and itis a very short commute. From thenoisy cubicle of my in-house transla-tion days, I occasionally yearned forpeace and quiet. Now I have it, andwhile I do miss some of my awesomeco-workers, I have plenty of in-personcontact with others during the day.

Work in Progress (WIP) is a lovelytwo-story former law office—thinkbig open spaces with a minimalistdesign with lots of light, nice ameni-ties, and cool people. The space isoccupied mostly by techies, and afterworking in e-commerce for years, Ineeded a big dose of tech in my life. Ireally “get” programmers and otherhigh-tech folks and enjoy workingand hanging out with them. I waspretty sure I was going to be the onlytranslator and the only person withouta Mac in the place, and that has verycertainly turned out to be true.

In general, I am a huge supporterof the revitalization of downtownVegas, which needs a lot of help but isgetting there thanks to the financialprowess of a small, but very powerfuland dedicated group of people led byTony Hsieh, the chief executiveofficer of Zappos. I used to hang outin downtown Vegas years before anyof the Downtown Project folks evenregistered Vegas on their mental map,and trust me, in the 1990s, the citywas not cool or safe. I had heard aboutanother co-working space in the sub-urbs, where I live, but I feel very con-nected to downtown, so it was not ahard choice.

Technically, I do not need anoffice. Our translation clients live allover the world and all work is doneelectronically. If we meet, it is forlunches and dinners or for meetings attheir offices. For my interpretingwork, I also go to clients’ offices.However, I was just so drawn to beingpart of a downtown community andreally wanted to support WIP, so Ibecame one of its earliest members.

In addition, I have to admit that Ihad become somewhat complacent onmy networking, and in January of thisyear I made a promise to make moreof an effort to meet people outside ofmy circle who do not yet know trans-lators and interpreters exist and wouldnot ordinarily think of us for a project.I am happy to report that WIP hasbeen a great networking opportunity,and I have met plenty of lovely peopleI would not have met otherwise. Andthe setup—having to walk up topeople and say hello—really forcesme out of my comfort zone, which isa great thing. My laptop sticker withmy company name has also come inquite handy, as several folks havepointed it out and we have started aconversation that way. WIP has a veryactive listserv, coffee aficionados whoperfect their brew every morning andshare it freely, an office dog (Zoe), anever-changing lineup of food trucksthat park outside the building, a newbike-share program, and a new yogaclass (free) on Friday afternoons.

Even though it is much easier towork from my home office, I havemade a commitment to drive down-town every Friday and work fromthere, and I have had a ton of fun. Injust a few months, I have met fantasticpeople full of great entrepreneurialideas from all walks of life. WIP hasdone a fine job of organizing all kindsof cool events, including a speakerseries, mentor hours, happy hours,etc. Even though I do not speak anyprogramming languages, I feel that Ibelong.

This column is not intended to constitute legal, financial, or other business advice. Eachindividual or company should make its own independent business decisions and consultits own legal, financial, or other advisors as appropriate. The views expressed here arenot necessarily those of ATA or its Board of Directors. Ideas and questions should bedirected to [email protected].

Co-Working: The First Six Months

Yahoo! BusinessDiscussion Group

ATA members can discuss business

issues online at the following

Yahoo! group:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/

group/ata_business_practices.


Interpreters Forum

“I don’t know anyone.”“What do they expect of me?” “How amI supposed to behave?” “What is a 4-HClub?” “How do you play kickball?”“Why do they do math problems sostrangely?” “Is school really over at 3:30every day?” These were some of theexistentialist concerns that fed my inse-curity at the age of 10 when I moved tothe U.S. from Cuba and started school inManchester, Connecticut.

Clearly, I could have remained inthe dark for some time, given the factthat I did not know anyone wellenough to ask and was embarrassedthat I was the only kid in school whoapparently did not know these things.

Enter a wonderful, generous, andvery genuine American family, Mr.and Mrs. Bill Taylor, who took mybrothers and me under their wing andtaught us all about life in NewEngland in a very fun way by sharingit with us. That was my first experi-ence with mentoring outside of myfamily, and the positive experiencehas stayed with me for a lifetime. Tothis day, I keep in touch with theirchildren, Debbie and Bill.

In our profession, when we start outor if we move to another location, thefirst three concerns above mightremain the same while the others mightbe replaced by analogous ones, such as“Should I join the local interpretingassociation?” “How much should Icharge?” “Is the terminology used heredifferent from what I am used to?”

I remember after joining theNational Association of JudiciaryInterpreters and Translators (NAJIT),I was contemplating running foroffice in the organization. I cold-called Isabel Framer, NAJIT’s presi-dent at the time, to ask her advice. Shekindly offered to take me with herwhen she made the rounds at anupcoming NAJIT conference to intro-

duce me to the key players so I couldlearn first-hand what the organizationwas doing. She did not know me fromAdam, but she selflessly took the timefrom her schedule to help me becauseshe knew I was earnest about volun-teering and she wanted to be a mentor(even though her term was ending atthe conference in question).

Many of us have so much knowl-edge and experience that we should besharing it to make life much easier forour colleagues. As such, consideroffering your services at the local ornational level to some of our manyfine organizations. I am sure theyreceive calls from members asking forguidance on a regular basis. You mightpropose to let interpreters shadow you,as long as this is feasible for the set-ting in which you work. By justwatching, we learn. Our brains have“mirror neurons” that enable us tocopy what we see automatically, andthe modeling that you do will allow alearner to internalize behavior muchmore than any job description everwill. You might also share pertinentglossaries. You could also attend net-working meetings or social occasionssponsored by an association and helpout in a “meet and greet” capacity,

making new or prospective membersfeel at ease. If you have the know-how, you could also offer to give aseminar in your areas of expertise. Ifyou like to write, you could pen arti-cles for the newsletters and blogs ofthe organizations to which you belong.The possibilities for sharing your pro-fessional knowledge are endless.

There are many ways to meet men-toring needs, and contrary to what youmight think, the givers learn andbenefit as much or more than thetakers in these scenarios. This is a win-win situation. In terms of self-esteem,there is nothing that beats the endor-phin-high and fulfillment you get byhelping others in a meaningful way.Those you help directly, as well as theorganizations you work through tooffer this help, will certainly bolsteryour reputation. Furthermore, do notdiscount the possibility that you willmeet interesting people, learn some-thing new, have fun, and be more inti-mately connected to others who haveinterests akin to yours. Do not leavethe opportunity for the future. There isnever a perfect time, so volunteernow!

María Cristina de la [email protected]

When Books and the Internet Won’t Cut It

María Cristina de la Vega is certified as aSpanish<>English interpreter by the Admin-istrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the Stateof Florida, and the National Association ofJudiciary Interpreters and Translators. She isthe president of ProTranslating, Inc., a lan-guage services provider in Florida. She blogsat http://mariacristinadelavegamusings.wordpress.com.

Send a Complimentary Copy CHRONICLEThe

September 2013Volume XLII

Number 9A Publication

of the American

Translators Association

ATA 2013 Elections: Candidate Statements Tips for Newcomers Basics of Clinical Trials

In this issue:

The Voice of Interpreters and Translators

If you enjoyed reading this issue of The ATAChronicle and think a colleague or organizationwould enjoy it too, we will send a free copy.

Simply e-mail the recipient’s name and addressto ATA Headquarters—[email protected]—and we will send the magazine with a note indicating that the copy is being sent with your compliments. Help spread the word about ATA!


(Posted by Barry Slaughter Olsen onthe InterpretAmerica blog, www.interpretamerica.com/index.php/blogs/barry-s-blog.)

When I began training inter-preters more than a decade ago, I startedcollecting teaching materials and dif-ferent training exercises like a pack rat.I relished every chance I had to “talkshop” with other trainers in order topick their brains and share my experi-ences, and still do. Why? Because Isoon learned that there was preciouslittle available in the form of formallypublished training manuals withspecific exercises—let alone actual lan-guage-specific material—to reinforcemy efforts to teach key concepts andskills.

Sure, back then I had the classicworks by Jean-François Rozan, DanicaSeleskovitch, Marianne Lederer, andDaniel Gile, my personal copies ofwhich are duly marked up, highlighted,and dog eared. Then, in the mid-2000s,there was an uptick in the number ofscholarly books and manuals publishedon interpreting—some of them excel-lent. But it was up to the interpretertrainers to build courses based on per-sonal experiences (good and bad) and tocull through available resources tofashion what they thought best for agiven cohort of students. That is how itshould be.

My office is now replete with bookspublished in English, Spanish, Russian,and Portuguese on everything fromconsecutive note-taking techniques,beginning simultaneous interpretingexercises, and language enhancement,to interpreting theory and practice,teaching models, and the history ofinterpreting, not to mention all of myfile folders with handouts from training-of-trainer seminars and journal articles.

Today, there is no dearth of literature

about interpreter training. However,what has been missing from my libraryis a book that would bring together thecollective wisdom and numerous exer-cises spread out across a broad swath ofpublications on interpreter training in aformat that is easy to consult based onthe skill that needs to be taught orimproved.

Well, not any more. ConferenceInterpreting: A Student’s Practice Book(Routledge, 2013), by Andrew Gillies,now fills that once gaping void. It is thekind of book any interpreter trainerwould do well to have close at hand.

Why do I say that? In short, becausethe book puts many options at atrainer’s fingertips when planningclasses or when helping students facedwith specific challenges in their ownprogression through an interpretertraining program. Gillies has written apractical reference work for trainers andstudents alike that is divided into fourbroad parts: practice, language, consec-utive interpreting, and simultaneousinterpreting. Each part is divided intowell organized subsections, each withan introduction to the specific topic(e.g., feedback, active listening, splitattention, etc.) that explains why each isan important part of interpreting. Forexample, Part A offers the best collec-tion of general guidelines on how to

practice effectively that I have comeacross in interpreter training literature.It is going to be required reading for myintroduction to interpreting students.

Parts B, C, and D are comprised ofmainly specific exercises. For example,“Part D: Simultaneous Interpreting”includes subsections on delivery, splitattention, time lag/décalage, anticipa-tion, reformulation, self-monitoring,and stress management, each with theaforementioned explanatory introduc-tion followed by a treasure trove ofexercises for working on the specificskill. (The section on reformulation has40 separate exercises!)

As Gillies himself notes, this is not acourse book, nor should the goal be todo all of the exercises in it. It is bestused by an experienced interpretertrainer to complement and enrich aninterpreting course and to help studentswork on specific skills as they progressthrough a training program.

I have a plethora of great titles oninterpreter training in my library. But ifsomeone were to ask me what book Iwould want with me if stranded on adesert island, and if I had to traininterpreters, the answer would beeasy: Conference Interpreting: AStudent’s Practice Book by AndrewGillies.

Internet blogs are rich sources of information fortranslators and interpreters. They allow users topost questions, exchange ideas, network, and readnews and commentary on a specific subject. Thetopics featured in this column are actual blog post-ings concerning issues pertinent to your colleaguesin the field today. For more blog listings, visitwww.atanet.org/careers/blog_trekker.php.

Blog Trekker One InterpretingPractice Book to Train Them All

Conference Interpreting: A Student’s Practice Book

Author: Andrew GilliesPublisher: Routledge, 2013www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415532365/


GeekSpeak Jost [email protected]

The wooden ship pitchedand heaved in the storm, and Joãoautomatically lifted his cooking pot toprotect it from the resulting slosh ofstinking excrement around his feet.Here below deck, surrounded by thegroans and smells of sick and dyingmen, even the daily water ration stankso badly he had to plug his nose todrink it. Bands of rats prowled theship during the night, gnawing on thefeet and faces of the sleeping men andboys. As a Jesuit novice and one ofthe youngest on board, João cookedfor the sick and warded off rodentswhen he could, but he wondered howmany of the one thousand men whohad started the voyage in Portugalwould still be alive at the end. He hadheard tales of ships landing with only200 sick souls still alive. And Indiacould still be months away.

The year was 1574, and conditionslike these would have been commonfor João Rodrigues, a 14-year-oldorphan, on his long and arduous way toJapan to become a Jesuit missionary.

In the 16th century, the PortugueseJesuits had worked out a system tolocate and recruit the most promisingyoung boys from Portugal’s well-stocked orphanages. These boys, likeJoão, were educated in Jesuit institutionsand then sent on to one of their manymission outposts around the world.

Of all the mission societies, it wasthe Jesuits who most eagerly lookedfor ways to achieve inculturation, orculturally appropriate communicationof the Christian message. A centralcomponent of this goal was the studyof language. Once João had landed inJapan and regained his land legs, hechanneled that same determinationthat had kept him alive on his gruelingthree-year odyssey to Japan intolearning the Japanese language.

As the Jesuits turned their focusonto Japanese culture in the late 16th

century, it quickly became apparentthat there was no one in the missionwho could match João’s linguisticabilities. His chief task soon becamethat of interpreter, working in partic-ular as an intermediary between theJapanese court and Western mer-chants, sailors, and religious and gov-ernmental officials.

In fact, his skill set was so extraor-dinary that before long he had assumedthe position of imperial confidant andinterpreter to the rulers of Japan, inter-preting language as well as all thingscultural. Fifteen years after arriving inJapan, João attended at the deathbed ofthe ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi, whomhe had served as interpreter andadviser. He then remarkably main-tained his highly influential status withHideyoshi’s successor and greatestrival, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder ofthe last great Japanese shogunate.

Despite João’s influence, life formissionaries in Japan was perilousduring these years. João’s Jesuitbrothers were alternately persecuted,forced into hiding, and killed in massexecutions, and João himself walked atightrope back and forth between thehalls of power and the cells of the per-secuted. Though he was not able to pre-vent the infamous crucifixion of 26European missionaries and Japanesefollowers in Nagasaki, he did receivepermission to stay with them and makesure they were killed quickly. Mostremarkably, he himself remaineduntouched, having become so indispen-sable to the Japanese leadership that hewas able to maintain his influentialposition throughout all the upheavaland bloodshed. Eventually he evenbecame the personal commercial agent

of the Shogun, serving as the gate-keeper for all commercial activitiesbetween Japan and European countries.

However, when the relationshipbetween the Japanese and Portuguesegovernments finally deteriorated in1610 to a point where the Jesuit mis-sion was given the choice of expellingRodrigues or all its missionaries,Rodrigues left Japan, never to return.The remaining 23 years of his life hespent in a kind of exile in China.Though he tried to resume his posi-tion of authority in matters of lan-guage and culture, he could notrecapture the excellence he had dis-played in Japan.

What a rich life story—multi-faceted, mysterious, and melancholyall at the same time. This is somethingthat novelist James Clavell recog-nized when he used João Rodrigues’biography to craft the characterMartin Alvito in Shōgun.

An obvious and relevant aspect forus is the unusual role Rodrigues playedas an interpreter—an orphan fromhalfway across the world who became aconfidante to kings and a policymakerfor potentates. Unlike the impulsebehind this year’s Face of Interpretersand Translators Photo Contest (www.atanet.org/careers/photo_contest.php),there is no known portrait of Rodrigues.He did not need one because, unlikemany of us, he was certainly not invis-ible during his time.

But the part of the story that touchesme the most is the last part, beautifullyand painfully described in MichaelCooper’s biography Rodrigues theInterpreter (Weatherhill, 1974). After

Reaching Excellence and Staying Real

Jost is the co-author of Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives andTransforms the World, a perfect source for replenishing your arsenal of information onhow translation affects every aspect of your life.

The GeekSpeak column has two goals: to inform the community about technological advances and at the sametime encourage the use and appreciation of technologyamong translation professionals.

Continued on page 34


his forced exit from Japan, Rodriguesassumed that he could replicate histremendous success as a master of lan-guage and culture in China—andfailed pitifully.

I wonder whether it is fear of this

same failure that is somehow ingrainedin us when we look at changes in ourworkplaces and feel inadequate tograsp the new technologies andprocesses. It is essential to remember,though, that unlike Rodrigues, we are

not being forced to give up our excel-lence in the field of our first calling,nor do we have to become masters oftechnology. We just have to be able toemploy it adequately.

GeekSpeak Continued from page 33

Carp on Geezer

[email protected]

Humor and Translation Mark Herman

The following is copyrighted © 2012by Zuzana Kulhánková and is usedhere by permission. She is an Englishand Czech translator accredited bythe Canadian Translators, Termino-logists and Interpreters Council(CTTIC), and received the CanadaCouncil for the Arts InternationalTranslation Award for her translationof Robertson Davies’ The FifthBusiness into Czech. She may be con-tacted at [email protected].

I am a Bohemian. Whereasother people go to incredible lengthsto be acknowledged as such, I becameone quite painlessly by being born inthe western part of the CzechRepublic.

I am also a translator. One of myprofessional deformations is themorbid delight I take in multilingualrestaurant menus. It makes waiting forfood more palatable. Carp on Geezer,a gem that startled me at first and thensent me into hysterics, I discovered ina quaint South Bohemian town.

To solve this semantic riddle, weneed to backtrack to the idyllic timesof some 150 years ago when Praguewas a sleepy provincial town of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The

insomniac Emperor required his min-isters to report to his office by 6 a.m.As silly ideas will, this one trickleddown and every humble official had tostart work at the same ungodly hour.

Their stomachs, having brokentheir fast around five, demanded moresustenance long before noon. Thisgave birth to a nice tradition of restau-rants sending over a mid-morningsnack, usually a small portion of vealfricassee with paprika, washed downwith beer.

Old habits die hard. Every morningaround 10 o’clock, the narrow streetsand winding alleys of the Old Townteemed with pensioned public ser-vants, retired lawyers, and other well-heeled mature gentlemen, lookingforward to meeting their former col-leagues in various pubs and cafés.

These wealthy senior citizens wereoften approached by ladies whowould offer, for a modest fee, to

reignite their amorous bonfires. Alas,the old trouts mostly preferred to keeptheir assignations with beer andpaprika. The women thus scornedwould jeer at them, calling them,among other names, “Old Paprika”(starej paprika in Czech). So coinedby the soiled doves, the expression isused to this day for a prudent, judi-cious man past his first youth, reason-ably frugal, who shuns excitingpastimes no longer suited to his age.

My restaurateur had obviouslydecided: “I’m not going to pay tohave the menu translated. Our Frankietakes English at school and we have adictionary.” Frankie found “geezer”as one possible meaning for“paprika.”

The carp with paprika sauce wasdelicious, by the way, and thecharming spa town of Trebon is wortha visit even if you don’t like carp.

Submit items for future columns via e-mail to [email protected] (that is 18, not el-8).Discussions of the translation of humor and examples thereof are preferred, but humorous anec-dotes about translators, translations, and mistranslations are also welcome. Include copyrightinformation and permission if relevant.

#ata54Conference Tweets It is the Twitter world at ATA’s 54th Annual Conference! Join the conversation or just tell

colleagues “wish you were here.” Search #ata54 at www.twitter.com or follow ATA atwww.twitter.com/atanet.


• Afaf Translations, LLC, of SanLeandro, California, has beenaccepted into the U.S. GeneralServices Administration ScheduleProgram.

• Wayles Browne’s translation ofBosnian-American poet SashaSkenderija’s latest work has beenpublished, together with the original,as Rt Dobre Nade / Cape of GoodHope (Tešanj, Bosnia: Centar za kul-turu i obrazovanje). In addition,Browne’s and Theresa Alt’s transla-tion of Srbi i Arbanasi: njihova sim-bioza u srednjem vjeku, by Croatianhistorian Milan von Šufflay, has beenpublished as Serbs and Albanians:

Their Symbiosis in the Middle Ages(Alerion, 2012). Both books areavailable from Amazon.

• Glenn H. Nordin, a ForeignLanguage and Area advisor at theU.S. Department of Defense since1998, is the 2013 recipient of theNational Museum of Language’sOutstanding Advocate for LanguagesAward. Nordin served in a variety ofpositions in the military languagecommunity, including as a translatoron the Washington-Moscow Hotline.On entering civil service, he held lan-guage-related positions within theDepartment of Defense beforebecoming executive secretary of the

Director of Central IntelligenceForeign Language Committee in1993. In 2006, he was selected for theDefense Language Institute’s Hall ofFame. He received ATA’s GodeMedal in 2010.

• Nina Sattler-Hovdar’s first nonfic-tion book translation from Englishinto German in the field of eco-nomics, How China BecameCapitalist, by Ronald Coase andNing Wang, has been published bySchaeffer-Poeschel (April 2013).

Member NewsDo you have news to share? Send it to Jeff Sanfacon at [email protected].

In Memoriam

Long-time ATA member Anja IJda Lodge (nee Vogel) died on

July 22, 2013, at her home in St. Louis, Missouri.

Anja was born February 19, 1948, in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, the daughter of Eduard and

Ida Vogel. She and her husband, ATA member Richard W. Lodge, had been married for over 40

years. They raised three children.

Anja was an ATA-certified English>Dutch translator for over 20 years. She was a past president

of the Mid-America Chapter of ATA. She received a Certificate of Proficiency in Translation

(English>Dutch) from the University of Cambridge, England.

In addition to her translation activities, she was a founder and past president of the Netherlands

Society of St. Louis, an honorary life member of the Scottish St. Andrew Society of Greater St. Louis,

and active in the St. Louis Scottish Games, the Model T Ford Club of Greater St. Louis, and the

Thinking Women’s Book Group, among others. In everything she did, she was the epitome of “if you

need something done, ask a busy person to do it.”

Donations can be made to Mercy Hospice (www.caringbridge.org/visit/anjalodge).

Anja IJda Lodge | February 19, 1948 - July 22, 2013

Diccionario de TerminologíaContable y FinancieraEspecializada:Spanish<>English

Reviewed by:Thomas L. West III

Author: Richard J. Cadena

Publisher: ECOE Ediciones and Instituto Mexicano deContadores Públicos

Publication Date:2012

Price:$45

Available from:Intrans Book Service www.intransbooks.com

Mexico is undoubtedly one ofthe primary sources of documentstranslated from Spanish into Englishin the U.S., and translators who workwith financial statements and otheraccounting documents from Mexicowill welcome this new dictionary byRichard Cadena, which is writtenfrom a Mexican perspective. It isbased on Cadena’s 23 years of experi-ence, many of them as an in-housetranslator at a Mexican accountingfirm. According to the introduction,the dictionary contains over 6,000terms in Spanish and English. In thebibliography, Cadena lists the publi-cations by the American Institute ofCertified Public Accountants and theInstituto Mexicano de ContadoresPúblicos that he consulted as sourcesof terminology.

CoverageTo prepare this review, I downloaded

a balance sheet, an income statement,and a cash flow statement from aMexican company and looked up theline items in Cadena’s dictionary.

The terms that I found (sometimeswith a slight variation for singular orplural) included:

• cuentas y documentos por cobrar• porción circulante de la deuda a

largo plazo• insuficiencia en la actualización

del capital• prima en venta de acciones• interés minoritario• valuación de títulos disponibles

para la venta

The terms that I did not find in thedictionary included:

• inversiones temporales restringidas• créditos diferidos

Some of the difficult terms that Ifound in Cadena’s dictionary but notelsewhere included:

• fedación (notarial attestation clause)• número de pedimento (customs

declar ation number)• vida laboral (years of service)• crédito emproblemados (impaired

loans)• partidas virtuales (noncash items)

Overall, the dictionary makes afavorable impression and will be par-ticularly useful for financial translatorsworking with Mexican docu ments ortranslating U.S. financial documentsfor the Mexican market. There are twoaspects of the book that take some get-ting used to. For one, phrases arealphabetized under the first letter of thephrase rather than under the main nounor verb in the phrase. Thus, forexample, se integra conforme a lo si-guiente appears under S, quien ha deusar la firma social is under Q, hetenido a la vista is alphabetized underH, and el ciudadano juez is under E.The other thing is that often the sameentry appears twice, with the first entryproviding one way of phrasing thetranslation and the second line pro-viding another. The second entry mayeven be on the next page. For example,impuesto al activo is at the bottom ofpage 91 (translated as “asset tax”) andat the top of page 92 (translated as “taxon assets”). Presumably, however,once translators are aware of these twoquirks, they will know that they needto consult the line after an entry for apossible alternate translation and lookup phrases under the first word.

Recommendations for Future Editions

I have a few suggestions for arevised edition of the dictionary.

[email protected]

Dictionary Review Peter A. GergayCompiled by

36 The ATA Chronicle n September 2013

The ATA Chronicle n September 2013 37

1. There are several typos, such asoperaciones entre partes relacic-nadas” (p. 174), cancelación dedifderencias temporales (p. 36), andcarga administrative y financiera deuna defense de auditoria de precios detransferencia (p. 36). (Undoubtedlythe autocorrect feature in Word wasthe culprit in the final example).

2. The author might also considerremoving some of the entries for cur-rency names that have long sincebecome obsolete (such as sucre ecua-toriano, colón salvadoreño, lira ital-iana, marco alemán, and pesetaespañola, all of which were replacedby another currency more than adecade ago).

3. There are several entries that mightbe corrected. One example is RegistroFederal de Causantes, translated as“taxpayer’s federal registry,” whichwould more accurately be called

“Federal Taxpayer Registry” or“Federal Registry of Taxpayers.”Another is en aras de economía judi-cial, which the dictionary gives as “inexercising judicial economy,” butmore likely means “in pursuit of judi-cial economy” or “with a view towardjudicial economy.”

4. Certain other entries might bereworded (such as partidas sin impactoen el efectivo, translated as “items thathave no cash outlay,” which I believeis actually called “noncash items” inEnglish). There is at least one entrythat ended up backward: “over-the-counter sales” is found in the list ofSpanish terms beginning with O, in theSpanish>English part of the dictionary,while its translation (ventas al mostra -dor) is in the English>Spanish section.

These are minor quibbles, however,and I am certain that financial translatorswho work with Spanish and English in

the U.S. or Mexican markets will findthis book most helpful.

Thomas L. West III founded IntermarkLanguage Services in 1995 after practicinglaw for five years with a large Atlanta lawfirm. He received his BA in French andEnglish from the University of Mississippiand his MA in German from VanderbiltUniversity. He received his JD from theUniversity of Virginia School of Law and wasadmitted to the State Bar of Georgia in1990. He served as ATA’s president from2001 to 2003. He is an ATA-certifiedFrench>, Spanish>, German>, andDutch>English translator. The second editionof his Spanish-English Dictionary of Law andBusiness was published in 2012. Contact:[email protected].

Now Available in Dutch and Catalan!

Translation: Getting it Right VertalenEen kwestie van kwaliteit!

Vertaalwijzer voor opdrachtgevers

estie vwen kkwEtalenerVVe

aliwwaan kkwtie vvatalen

eit!alitestie vwen kkwE aliwwaan kkwtie vva eit!alit

ooer vvowijztaalertV ersvgeoor opdracht

Since its launch in the U.K. in 2001, more than 175,000 copies ofTranslation: Getting it Right have been distributed in print format. Thisprize-winning mini-guide is for translation buyers interested in spend-ing their budget wisely—it is the perfect client education tool. Nowyou can download the guide in two more languages:

Dutch www.atanet.org/publications/getting_it_right_trans_dutch.pdf

Catalanwww.atanet.org/publications/getting_it_right_trans_catalan.pdf

Translation: Getting it Right is available in seven other languages:Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.Translation into Chinese and Greek is underway.


Take a pen and a page ofEnglish that is of low value to you andthat you do not plan to keep. Draw acircumflex above every other conso-nant and place an underscore beneathevery other vowel. Once you are done,step back and take a look at theappearance of the page. You havemade something magical happen tothe English, right? It has becomeexotic, alien. It is still English, butthere is a difference that is anythingbut subtle and has the ability to remindyou of—well, you must put in the lan-guage it reminds you of. We are allprobably different in that respect.

New Queries(Dutch>French [English] 9-13.1)

Achterstand is puzzling in this engi-neering (conveyor belt) context:Alleen in de achterstand heeft de vul-band de mogelijkheid om de bunder inte dalen. English is acceptable as ananswer, although the original querydid not involve English.

(English>French 9-13.2) “Pocketholes” are pockets on the fillingmachine of a robotic device wherecups are placed and then moved for-ward by the belt to the filling spot andthen sealed. What would be goodFrench for them?

(English>German 9-13.3) “Mainstructural frame of beams andcolumns” posed a problem for one ofus. She wanted to know if a specificterm existed for this. The contextreads: “Pre-cast concrete elements ofthe structure will include the main

structural frame of beams and

columns, pre-cast concrete walls andpre-cast concrete floor plates.”

(English>Swedish 9-13.4) The con-cept of “exercising employee stockoptions” posed a problem for a col-

league. The entire sentence reads:“Please complete or certify formbefore exercising employee stock

options or selling shares.”

(German>English 9-13.5) Notsatisfied with what first occurred to herfor this, a colleague asks for suggestionswith English for Nach Vorliegen der 3ausstehenden Sputumbefunde in aphysician’s report. The rest of the sen-tence reads ergibt sich derzeit keinHinweis auf eine ansteckungsfähigeLungentuberkulose.

(Italian>English 9-13.6) In the contextof a Ricorso per ingiunzione di paga-mento, what is to be made of in capo alsoggetto? There is plenty of good con-text for this one. The section where thisis found is entitled Sulla competenzaterritoriale del Tribunale adito, and thespecific paragraph states: In quantol’art. 29 c.p.c. inequivocabilmenteesclude che la deroga alla competenzaterritoriale convenzionalmente pat-tuita, attribuisca al giudice designatouna competenza esclusiva ove, comenel caso di specie, ciò non sia espressa-mente stabilito dalle parti. Resta ferma,dunque, la facoltà in capo al soggettoche introduce il relative giudizio diindividuare il foro competente secondoi criteri ordinari.

(Italian>English 9-13.7) How do theterms Specifica Tecnica (technicalspecification) and Capitolato Tecnicodiffer? Both are found in a Ministry ofDefense glossary. There must be avery considerable similarity becausethe context speaks of le prestazionedefiniti in apposito Capitolato Tecnicoo Specifica Tecnica.

(Russian>Dutch [English] 9-13.8)

This sentence starts out okay, buttoward the end there is a section of it(here in bold) that posed problems for

a colleague. It reads: Продукция,отгруженная с территории стран-членов ЕС до 1 июля 2013 года,подлежат ввозу на территориюРоссийской Федерации по рез -ультатам карантинного фитосан -итарного контроля при условииего соответствия российским имеж дународным фитосанитарнымтре б ованиям. The tentative Dutch forthis last part was volgens de resultatenvan de fytosanitaire quarantainecon-trole op voorwaarde dat deze aan deRussische en internationale fytosani-taire vereisten voldoet. English isacceptable as an answer, although theoriginal query did not involve English.

(Russian>German [English] 9-13.9)

One of the available courses listed at atechnical institute was Проблемыосвоения высоких температур. Ifyou can, provide a German or Englishequivalent to the last three words.

(Spanish>English 9-13.10) From adivorce decree issued by a SpanishJugado de Primera Instancia, and in asection with the heading Antecedentesde Hecho, the bold-print words causedproblems: admitiéndose a trámite lademanda y ratificándose ambosconyuges en su demanda y en elConvenio Regulador presentado, porseparado y a presencia judicial, pasanlos autos a informe de MinisterioFiscal. Just what is this about?

Replies to Old Queries(Estonian>English 6-13.6) (Häirekor -raldus): In this context, says Tiina Ets, itcould be translated as “emergencyresponse.” It refers to the operations ofany given agency when it responds toan emergency situation involving thechain of command, available equip-ment, and determining which respon-ders go directly to the site and which goto the command center.

[email protected]

The Translation Inquirer John Decker


(Polish>Spanish [English] 6-13.8)

(wyrok wykonano zgodnie z miej-scowym prawem): Lota Rygiel sug-gests that in English this would be“The verdict was executed [or carriedout] according to the local law.” Lotaprovided the extra service (which Irarely see) of supplying the Spanish:La sentencia se ejecutó conforme a lalegislación local.

(Russian>English 6-13.9) (я нетакая, я жду трамвая): Mark Hermansays this might mean something like“eternal seductress,” despite the sim-plicity of the rhymed signature phrase,which means “I’m not that kind of girl[i.e., a streetwalker], I’m [only]waiting for a trolley car.”

(Spanish>Italian [English] 6-13.11)

(causarle indefensión): Tony Palomochecked this out in Tom West’s dic-tionary and learned that the latterword means “denial of due process.”The Cabanellas Diccionario Enci -clopédio agrees. One other dictionary,which we will not name, flops by pro-viding simply an equivalent like“being defenseless.” It matters whomyou consult!

I did not receive many responsesthis month, but it will all balance out inthe end. Thanks for your participation!

E-mail queries and responses by the first of each month to [email protected] (subject line: The Translation Inquirer). Generousassistance from Per Dohler, proofreader, is gratefully acknowledged.

GET AN EDGE.GET A DEGREE.100% ONLINE.

Hone your practical and theoretical translation skills, cultural-mediation competence and professional interpreting capabilities at UTB.

European faculty

UPCOMING CLASSES

SPRING SEMESTER

SUMMER SESSION

FALL SEMESTER

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXASAT BROWNSVILLE

DGT AN EEGT A DEGREG

100% ONLINE

.EDG.EE.100% ONLINE

ATA Certification Exam InformationUpcoming Exams

All candidates applying for ATA certification must provide proof that they meet the certificationprogram eligibility requirements. Please direct all inquiries regarding general certification infor-mation to ATA Headquarters at +1-703-683-6100. Registration for all certification examsshould be made through ATA Headquarters. All sittings have a maximum capacity and admissionis based on the order in which registrations are received. Forms are available from ATA’s web-site or from Headquarters.

MinnesotaWhite Bear Lake October 12, 2013Registration Deadline:September 27, 2013

TexasSan Antonio2 Sittings (AM - Paper; PM - Keyboard)November 9, 2013Registration Deadline:October 25, 2013

UtahProvoOctober 12, 2013Registration Deadline:September 27, 2013

september 2013volume xlii thechronicle translators … · 2015-10-06 · translators association...

Documents