Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Reports | 1 Comment
By Marilyn Luong, with Karen Tkaczyk and Andrea Bindereif
Which session to attend? How can I be in three places at once? I don’t have time for that lunch! … Sound familiar? Here’s a way to take the stress out of a conference.
Into the chaos of the multi-story complex I darted, ready to tackle the 48th annual ATA conference. Then I stopped; stopped to look at the map, stopped to decide which session to attend, stopped to breathe, and stopped to relax. The ATA conference has a lot to offer, but to take advantage of those offerings, I realized that I needed to focus, and, more importantly, that I needed to be calm and relaxed, alert and awake. So, instead of rushing to another session, I rushed back to my room. To take a nap!
When we are refreshed, we can absorb more from the sessions, we can sound more coherent when networking with our colleagues, we can be more convincing when discussing a business strategy with a potential partner we meet at the conference. But, in the hustle and bustle of all the meeting rooms and exhibit booths, where is there a reprieve? The answer is hidden in the corner of the exhibit hall, where you’ll find the massage corner, offering free massages. It is okay to take a few minutes from the activity filled day to forget about finding more translation business. The business will always be there; better to address it when you are relaxed from a massage!
On the move
Another way to ease the burden of a busy schedule is through exercise. The morning yoga class at this year’s conference has now become a regular, annual feature. As the instructor in previous years was not able to be present this year, a freelance French-English financial translator, Stephanie Tramdack Cash, took over the program, called it “Stretch, Move, & Breathe,” and offered a very pleasant morning wake-up call. Rather than being a pure yoga class, it was more diverse, taking the best of Ms. Cash’s experience with yoga, Martha Graham modern dance technique, ballet, and Qi Gong: sore feet were surprisingly well taken care of! The classes were well attended, with the available space pleasantly full, which made the attendees full of energy for the day ahead.
Still another exercise activity that relaxes you is taking a walk. To get through three long days of workshops, training sessions, panel discussions, and networking—three days of being exposed to artificial light and air-conditioned rooms—a walk does wonders!
So it was no surprise that about 15 people were eagerly awaiting the second walking tour on Saturday evening, right after the conference officially ended and before everybody got ready for dinner or other entertainment. And the tour was well chosen: Marilyn Straka, a knowledgeable guide who showed a true passion for the lesser-known beauties of San Francisco’s business district, gave the group a well-rounded view of the area. After a brief introduction to the history of the City, she took the walkers to the parrots of Telegraph Hill and showed them some of the spectacular fountains and little squares, always sprinkling historical facts with interesting anecdotes, and sharing quirky stories and little oddities. The group then went on to the art deco murals of Rincon Center, the market shops of the Ferry Building, and finally a walk on the pier at the Embarcadero. Fortunately, the weather was rather warm and the group enjoyed a beautiful view of the Skyline at sunset. Our visitors from out of town were clearly impressed and seemed to have fallen in love with our City. A huge thank you to Naomi Baer for organizing and coordinating this popular activity!
Finally, to relax at the conference, when we meet someone new we don’t need to talk only about translation; we can unwind by talking just as friends. This is a good way to remember what is truly important in life. So next time you face a hard translation project, or a tough interpretation assignment, or even the daunting schedule of an ATA conference, remember the techniques of unwinding that are available from meetings such as this one. Relax, gather, and compose yourself. Stretch. Take a walk. And a nap. And loosen up with colleagues.
Only then will you be ready for the chaos.
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Reports | No Comments
By Karen Tkaczyk
What’s it like to stand up in front of scores of people you don’t know and make a presentation? Even more interesting, what’s it like to prepare for it?
October 31st—there I was heading off for San Francisco with my slides prepared. It had all begun at the closing reception of the ATA conference in New Orleans last year. I was chatting with friends and they started talking about what they would like to see the following year. I impulsively said “Maybe I could do something?” and that was that. They encouraged me and I came home wondering about aspects of my work that would lend themselves to an educational session. It had been a number of years since I had given any sort of professional talk, so it felt like a new experience.
I submitted a proposal to ATA in March of this year to present on the topic of “Terminology for French>English Technical Cosmetic Translation.” In June I heard that it had been accepted. I had 90 minutes worth of content and handouts to plan and, optionally, a paper to write for the conference proceedings. ATA regularly sent out “speaker checklist” emails to keep me informed and on track in my preparations. I received emails in the ensuing months from people who had seen my name on the schedule and wanted to talk to me about the content or to wish me all the best. There was a huge amount of support and encouragement from my colleagues.
I submitted a paper on the topic during the summer and sent in my handouts, and then finished my slides in the days leading up to the conference. As my talk included both technical and language-specific material, I had asked both a cosmetic chemist and French-to-English translators to take a look and to give me their impressions. I received feedback that my talk was very interesting, sufficiently in-depth to be challenging, and well-structured, but possibly too long for a 90-minute slot. I, on the other hand, couldn’t imagine how I was going to make it last the full 90 minutes!
Now it was time to be there, and to be a speaker. The specialness starts when you register and you receive a “Speaker” tag to stick to your conference badge. Nothing like the badge of NCTA President Tuomas Kostiainen’s rainbow collection of tabs, of course, but still, it was a great ice breaker. As people walk around looking at your tummies trying to pick up the information contained on the badge, my “Speaker” identification was a natural way to get conversations started. Many people asked me about the topic of my presentation, and whether I was nervous.
Ah, that subject of nerves. My presentation was not until Saturday afternoon. That left a lot of time to become nervous. I was fine as I arrived, excited about attending the conference and meeting up with trusted colleagues whom I had never met in person or had not seen for a year, and I wasn’t bothered about the fact that I was speaking. I handed in my electronic file for the DVD upon arrival so that I would not be tempted to spend time tweaking it further.
Countdown to success
It would have been wonderful to have had an early slot and get the presentation out of the way, but that was not the case. My first nerves appeared on Friday. I asked the ever-helpful ATA staff if there was a speaker-ready room that I could use to practice my setup; “No, not this year,” came the reply. Nerves gripped me. ATA staffer Teresa Kelly took me aside and answered all my questions reassuringly, particularly regarding the technical help that would be available as I set up my laptop and microphone.
As Friday evening approached I was becoming nervous. My roommate helped with wardrobe indecision on Saturday morning. Eating lunch on Saturday was a challenge, but I was with friendly, reassuring people who kept things light-hearted. When I arrived at the room the technical help was indeed present and efficient, and they handled the minor details, such as screen settings, that I assumed I would have to do myself. The room was soon pleasantly full, and included plenty of faces who were known to me.
During the presentation, the time flashed by. I was really enjoying telling people about the subject, to the extent that I lost track of time about halfway through and did not get through all of my slides. Next time, I’ll take a stopwatch to keep myself on track!
Next time, you say? Yes, it was a great experience. My audience asked for Part Two next year since I hadn’t finished my material. Whether or not that happens, I will look forward to sharing what I know with other groups at other times. All in all, being a presenter was a very satisfying, and rewarding, experience.
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Reports | No Comments
By Luis Salvago-Toledo
Sure, you could learn how to deconstruct a Brazilian legal document. Or combine Windows and Linux on your computer. But what if you just had to play a game of Scrabble?
It isn’t easy to think of any place on earth that can, acre for acre, offer as much human variety, and its accompanying linguistic flair, as San Francisco. Still, at times The City finds a way to outdo itself—even if just for a few days. One such rare occasion was the ATA conference.
Educational and informational sessions and seminars, plus the opportunities of the job marketplace, were the main magnets pulling most attendees. A variety of other incentives, however, were also available. Some of them became the blinking lights directing my footsteps.
Although I didn’t participate, I made a point of watching part of the tennis tournament held at the San Francisco Tennis Club. I was glad to be present, and see our own Sharlee Merner Bradley, who—while waiting with scouting eyes and alert mind and limbs for her opponent’s serve—typified those who delight in the nectar of life and, when drinking it, never leave in the glass a single drop to waste.
Bob Croese, the tournament organizer from Michigan, was a fine representative of those without whom associations like ATA and ours couldn’t exist—the volunteer. How many hours did he devote to making the event possible? Suspecting his disinclination to track such figures, I didn’t ask. To make his involvement more poignant, at the last minute some unexpected player appeared. With sportive gallantry, Bob yielded his own slot to the newcomer. Way to go, Bob … maybe you’ll get to play next year.
When I stopped by to watch the Scrabble players in the evening, I noticed the similarities in the mental attitudes of these players and their tennis counterparts. There they were, the word warriors, misleadingly making us think that, by being seated, they were at rest. Hardly so. Scrabble may lack a physical component, but, like in tennis, the body assumes the effect of the mind’s continuous engagement. A winning move uplifts both mind and body; its lack is also felt in both realms. To be engaged is the common denominator joining both groups.
Of course, in addition to Scrabble and tennis, there were a multitude of other extracurricular activities, including separate dinners organized by the various language divisions of ATA (Japanese: spicy!; French: long!), an After Hours Café for literary readings, stretching sessions, and informal networking all over the place.
In addition, opportunities for engagement were always present within the confines of the conference. I had breakfast with members of the board on two occasions, including the first meeting of the new Board of Directors, where I, and other conference attendees, were warmly welcomed. My main motivation was to get a feeling of the “character” of the board at work, mainly the interaction of its members and how convincingly decisions were made.
Such curiosity stemmed from some previous negative experiences. Over the years, I have witnessed enough board decisions being made in an atmosphere that did nothing to dignify the process. One or two members were allowed to decide the direction of the event, while the rest felt comfortable with their expected rubberstamping. As far as the new board goes, Jiri Stejskal, our new ATA president, seemed to be aware of the difference between “presiding” and “directing.” The overall impression the meeting left on me was very positive. Issues were discussed back and forth until everyone felt ready to vote on the item in question. Willingness and readiness to get things done, in my opinion, were their guiding stars. Their unhurried adherence to time I saw as an additional plus.
As for obtaining feedback from the general membership, the gathering following the Closing Session was ideal. The event practically over, this was the time to listen. Comparisons between the San Francisco and New Orleans conferences popped up right away. Some felt that last year’s sessions offered more; others weren’t so sure. To many, the noise level in the vicinity of the lecture areas was a problem before, and still is. I fear that this issue can only be ameliorated, but never eliminated. On the other hand, some of us felt that one of the most striking improvements over last year’s conference was the registration area. Unlike at the prior event, at no time did I feel there was congestion. The larger space helped.
In closing, while the sessions were on the whole informative and interesting, it is fair to ask: How was everything else? Considering the demanding preparation for the event, its many-faceted implementation, and the huge numbers of attendees to accommodate, I feel ATA’s performance in delivering its extra-curricular events may be summed up in an eternal adage: Veni, vidi, vici.
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Reports, Russian, Translation | No Comments
By Nina Bogdan
How are changes in a language over the years noted and measured? One little-considered way is to identify the presentations made on it at successive ATA conferences.
One role of ATA in our modern world is to follow certain trends in the evolution of language use. These trends are linked to the commercial need for translators and interpreters in certain language pairs. The evolution of language in general is a fascinating topic, but love of language alone is not enough to ensure a language professional’s economic survival. The varied selection of Russian language workshops at the ATA conference this year covered many of its “flavors,” from “1001 Ways of Translating Children’s Poetry from Russian into English” to “Chemistry 1: Basic Nomenclature of Organic and Inorganic Compounds.” The latter workshop was, unfortunately, cancelled, but deserves mention as it represented the far end of the specialty spectrum.
The last twenty years have been significant for the Russian language. The breakup of the Soviet Union has actually caused a decrease in the use of Russian, as many former republics have moved to revive use of their own native, and neglected, languages and to discourage the use of Russian as the primary means of communication. In fact, according to Nicholas Ostler, in his book Empires of the Word, A Language History of the World, Russian is the only current top ten language which is “…set to lose speakers in the twenty-first century.”
The rejection of Russian is not difficult to understand if one is at all cognizant of the role of the Soviet Union on the stage of world politics in the 20th century. Nevertheless, it was during Soviet rule that literacy rose to unprecedented levels in Russia and its republics, and the success of this policy was due to the standardization of Russian in the schoolroom and beyond.
The ironclad control of the Soviet government over every facet of its citizens’ lives is no more, and the evolution of Russian continues as Russian society itself and its institutions continue to evolve. One of the workshops offered at the conference, “Translation and Corporate Governance in Russia,” would not have been offered twenty years ago, simply because there were no corporations in Russia—as the Western world knows them—until relatively recently. With the vocabulary of the commercial and financial worlds having become an integral part of the Russian language, terms such as “Joint-Stock Company” and “Limited Liability Company” are now commonly used and known. Nevertheless, the word “business,” which is directly transliterated into Russian, still does not have positive connotations for most Russians.
A workshop that delved into the vocabulary of the world of law was titled “Translating Court Forms: Lessons Learned.” Legal terminology in general is another evolving branch of the Russian language. The main idea of this particular workshop was that, to better serve the Russian émigré community in the U.S., the Russian language must be manipulated and massaged to encompass American legal terms and concepts—no easy task, to be sure.
Workshops on grammar are, by necessity, ubiquitous, and this year was no exception, with the offering of “Aid for the Imperfectly Articulate: Tips on English Article Usage.” The Russian language does not have articles such as “the” and “an”, which can make translations into English rather challenging. This is unlikely to change no matter how much Russian evolves.
Finally, a workshop at the conference titled “The Susanne Greiss Lecture: Lost in Translation—the Verbal Content of Visual Art,” discussed the concept that works of art are deeply rooted in verbal culture. This particular topic had a specific interest for language professionals but the topics of Russian art and literature in general are of endless and timeless interest. Interestingly, even during the Soviet era, when the Russian language was undergoing what might be termed forced or unnatural change (the language of political repression or the penchant for acronyms to disguise real meaning, for example), there was never any real attempt to negate the contributions to language by Russia’s greatest 18th and 19th century writers and artists, specifically, of course, Alexander Pushkin, who is generally acknowledged to be the creator of modern Russian.
Of course, “modern” Russian is a relative concept like anything else, since the Russian of Eugene Onegin, one of Pushkin’s most famous works, is not the Russian of today’s high-tech, computer-driven world. The opening of Russia to the West by Peter the Great gave impetus to the introduction of many “foreign” (that is, Western European) words which unquestionably changed the language but also made it richer. And today, few, if any, people will say “электронно-вычислительная машина” (electronic calculating machine) rather than the English import “компьютер” (computer). Some may argue that this is a pollution of “real” Russian by imported words, but what is Russian, if not the culmination of centuries of linguistic imports and infusions, adopted and adapted, that have served to create the multi-faceted, complex and uniquely beautiful language that we speak today?
As we move forward in the 21st century, we wonder with interest what new presentations will be offered on the language at upcoming ATA conferences.
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Reports | No Comments
By Sarah Llewellyn
For most NCTA members, getting to the conference meant a bus or BART ride, or a car or ferry in from the burbs. One attendee, however, had a slightly longer commute.
More than a million miles were traveled by delegates to attend this year’s ATA conference in San Francisco. A record-setting 1,850 translation professionals journeyed to California from at least five continents.
But who traveled the farthest?
Certainly one of the contenders would be Danish translator Charlotte Brasler, who came all the way from Sydney, Australia. A keen and active member of ATA who recently moved to Australia from Philadelphia, Charlotte was not going to let a mere 7,500 mile plane trip get in the way of attending the conference.
“There is nothing else like it in the industry,” she explained. “There are a lot of good lectures and knowledge to be had in just a few days, and it is the best way to network in this business. Plus, I love meeting up with my ‘cyber colleagues’ and supporting my small-language group.”
Charlotte’s small-language group would be Danish, although she takes a strong interest in all the Nordic languages, as well as anything to do with software.
“Translation is a great job,” she said, “but I was surprised at how important it is to know technology. You get nowhere if you are afraid of learning software and embracing new technology.”
After graduating from Copenhagen Business School with a Masters’ degree in Translation and Interpreting, Charlotte settled in Philadelphia, where she initially worked for a software company, taking on interpretation assignments on a part-time basis. After five years in a “corporate job,” she moved full time into what she calls her “true passion”—translation—and now specializes in medical and software texts. After a further five years in Philadelphia, in January 2007 Charlotte moved permanently to Sydney.
With projects coming to her from all over the world, being based in Australia has not diluted Charlotte’s business in any way. On the contrary, she has added a few Australian agencies to her client base. “The business is all global anyway, so it is less and less important where you are actually located.”
So how was Charlotte’s week at the conference? Did it live up to expectations? The answer to the latter was a resounding “yes.”
“Every day I went to a session that was eye-opening. I got something out of the conference that I can and will use every day.”
As for next year’s conference in Orlando (9,371 miles from Sydney), will Charlotte be attending? “Probably not,” she said. But it won’t be because of the extra flight. “I’m saving my money for the big 50th birthday bash in New York in 2009.”
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Reports | No Comments
By Sylvia Korwek
Ten years ago in San Francisco, during ATA’s 38th Annual Conference, the Spanish Language Division was born. A Happy Birthday is in order.
This year’s reunion and reception was marked by the usual exuberance, music, dancing, foodstuffs, and raffle prizes brought by members from lands near and far. There were flag labels to wear on our name badges and warm embraces for virtual friends—those unseen colleagues who keep in touch through the listserv and who are always ready to solve a translation dilemma and offer congrats or condolences. The listserv, Espalista, has proved an incredible translators’ home companion: a virtual community where you find friendship, support, and information—and woe befall you if you commit a mistranslation! You’ll be the object of funny but well-aimed criticism in the form of a virtual tomato. (One woman once received so many tomatoes she made virtual gazpacho.)
But it wasn’t always so. In the mid-nineties, and for several years in a row, the Board of Directors of ATA kept turning down the request for a Spanish Language Division. The reason they offered was that ATA already had too many divisions, and that they did not want to see the Association “fragmented.” It was a very hard excuse to accept, especially when your language group is the most numerous in ATA, and languages of much more limited diffusion, particularly those spoken in far fewer countries, had their own divisions to promote their interests and influence the quality of the offerings at ATA conferences.
At the conferences, the Spanish contingent—despite being the largest present, and the one that most heavily contributed to the financial well-being of the Association—saw its presentations suffer from a lack of appropriately sized rooms. Chairs were insufficient and we often spilled out into the hallways. Without an elected governing body and a mechanism, it was impossible to make the needs of the group heard and met. We refused to give up, however, feeling we were being consigned to second-class status. The solution, of course, was to vote new blood into the ATA Board.
The winds of change really blew in fresh, fast, and innovative when Anne MacFarlane became president. Attitudes turned 180 degrees, and all at once multiple divisions-in-the-making were started, nurtured for a year, and launched. Today every member is urged to “find his or her home within the association” by joining a special-interest division—or to join many or even all divisions. Furthermore, the $15 fee has been waived. And no mass defections or fragmentation have taken place.
Today, with ATA membership having reached the ten-thousand mark, room assignments for large contingents at the conferences have improved noticeably!
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, NCTA Members, Reports | No Comments
By Ayano Hattori
It’s easy to sit back and let the national organization do everything when its annual conference comes to your city. But then, that’s not NCTA’s style.
Since the ATA national conference last came to San Francisco in 1997, the city has held the record for the largest number of attendees at the annual event. And naturally so—with our fine attractions, diverse culture, and, of course, our committed local translator community that makes the Bay Area language environment so special.
NCTA as a group proved this true as an enthusiastic host chapter to another record-breaking number of attendees—1,850 in all—by more than simply offering directions to nearby eateries. The goals as a host chapter were twofold. One was to play host to the attendees: to provide simple maps to the sights, tastes, and fun in and around town. The second goal was to promote the visibility of the chapter. NCTA is one of the largest and most active groups of ATA, so it was an opportunity to showcase the strengths of the organization and present the advantages of being a member.
These daunting tasks were tackled head on collaboratively by a volunteer team. Preparations began early in the year using the latest technology to communicate needs and ideas. NCTA veteran Sylvia Korwek said that the “contrast (to 10 years ago) is mainly technical.” Instead of calling each and every member, as was the case years ago, much of the communications was done electronically—a wiki, as well as a sign-up sheet for staffing the table, were set up online. Although recruiting volunteers proved a bit difficult in the beginning—perhaps because of the impersonal nature of the ubiquitous technology?—the NCTA table turned out to be well-staffed during the course of the conference.
Those who did volunteer did so with a terrific spirit. A couple of our colleagues even went so far as to personally show visitors around: neighborhood walking tours were coordinated by Naomi Baer, as was chantey singing on a boat, arranged by Maria Luisa Boden. Though hired per diem ATA staff could possibly fill the void, nothing beats the atmosphere created by both newbies with fresh feedback and seasoned veterans actively engaging with fellow industry members and offering knowhow and advice.
While the camaraderie was confirmed by the hubbub at the table, further, indirect PR efforts came from our many NCTA colleagues who were speakers at the event. Information on their sessions were on display at the table, not only reinforcing the strength of content that our chapter offers through periodic workshops throughout the year, but also demonstrating that the organization’s membership itself includes a fine set of experts on many topics. NCTA vice president Yves Avérous, speaking on the latest on wikis and blogs, even had mentions in his session of the latest online NCTA presence stemming from our host role. Truly, hosting the conference was a display of professional credibility and welcoming pride that comes with being an NCTA member.
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Outreach, Related organizations, Reports | No Comments
By Ines Swaney
Put a bunch of fifth-graders into a bilingual immersion school, introduce them to poetry, and then teach them to translate it, and what do you get? The sky’s the limit.
Shortly before the start of the ATA Conference in San Francisco, I was asked by Kirk Anderson of ATA to be part of a unique presentation sponsored in part by the San Francisco-based Center for the Art of Translation (CAT). I was to be part of a two-person team scheduled to speak about languages and the translation profession in general to a fifth-grade class at Monroe Elementary School in San Francisco, which has a K-5 Spanish/English immersion program. My partner in the presentation was Tony Beckwith, an ATA colleague from Austin whom I had never met.
Our presentation would take place during a special class period known as “PIO”—Poetry Inside Out, the innovative program developed by NCTA member and CAT President Olivia Sears. In PIO, kids of various backgrounds—many Hispanic, but also Asian, African-American, and Caucasian—are taught poetry, which they learn to translate before beginning to write poems of their own.
Originally the plan was for Tony and me to speak for about five minutes each, followed by questions and answers. Then, if time remained, we would have the opportunity to listen to and enjoy some of the poetry the students had been translating. To begin, Tony pointed to various geographical regions on a world map. Although Tony was born in Argentina, at a young age he moved with his parents to Uruguay. When my turn came, I also used the map to explain that I had been born in Venezuela to parents who had arrived from Hungary.
By a show of hands, we learned that many of the children in this class came from families where a language other than English is spoken at home. Tony and I each commented that our respective home situations while growing up had been similar to theirs, because English was the language predominantly spoken at home by Tony’s family in Argentina and Uruguay, and Hungarian was the language spoken at my home in Venezuela.
Throughout our presentation the children often raised their hands and asked questions, sometimes thoughtful and intelligent, sometimes funny. Tony and I explained the differences between translating and interpreting, the subtleties involved in accurately conveying meaning in another language, how much we enjoy working between English and Spanish and the variety of situations we find ourselves in professionally. For a few minutes we also demonstrated to the students the skill of simultaneous interpreting.
Simultaneous excitement
As Tony proceeded to explain some details about the profession, I interpreted his comments simultaneously into Spanish while noticing the kids’ undivided attention. Most, of course, understood the two languages that could be heard at virtually the same time. We pointed out that speaking more than one language is a definite asset that will undoubtedly enrich any field, occupation or career these kids were to pursue in the future. “Baseball player,” said one kid; “veterinarian” said another, when asked what they’d like to be when they grew up. I then went on to explain how being bilingual would make them more valuable as individuals and employees, and how knowing a second language would enrich their professional prospects in the specific careers they had mentioned.
An audible “Ooooh!,” conveying admiration, could be heard in the classroom when Tony mentioned that he had recently served as Spanish interpreter in Miami for the Democratic presidential candidates’ debate hosted by Univisión. Likewise, the children appeared to be impressed when I confessed to being the Spanish-language recorded voice of the California Lottery. Just by calling the toll-free number 1-800-LOTTERY from any phone from within California they would be able to hear me.
Perhaps that explains why we were made to feel like celebrities at the end of the presentation. Inspired by one student, most of them asked both of us for our autographs. At least one of the boys said to Tony, “when I grow up, I want to do what you do!” From looking at the faces of the rest of the students, we could see that new horizons had been opened to them.
The presentation that we had planned for just five minutes each lasted over an hour, thanks to the enthusiasm and interest on the part of the students. For both Tony and me, being part of this year’s pro-bono activity on behalf of the American Translators Association was one of the highlights of the Conference.
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, NCTA Meetings, Reports | No Comments
By Sarah Llewellyn
With the 2007 ATA Conference taking place in San Francisco for the first time in 10 years, the event was an obvious choice for the theme of the September 15th General Meeting. Take a panel of past convention-goers sharing experiences and advice, throw in a free conference pass as a door prize, and you’ve got all the makings of a lively and informative get-together.
Before Yves Avérous called the meeting to order at 1:45 PM, board director Naomi Baer sat down with a small group of new NCTA members to conduct a half-hour orientation session. When it came time for association business, the focus, needless to say, was on the conference. Yves Avérous requested resources for print material, Paula Dieli asked for contributions to NCTA’s conference “wiki site,” and Naomi Baer solicited volunteers to sign up for shifts at NCTA’s conference table.
The General Meeting began at 2 PM. Yves welcomed the panel—Renate Chestnut, Robert Killingsworth, Paula Dieli and Karen Tkaczyk—and introduced each member with a summary of their respective biographies.
The veterans’ perspective
First to share her conference experiences was Renate Chestnut, the panel’s self-confessed “conference veteran.” Renate is a German freelance translator who attended her first ATA conference in 1988 and has been attending alternate years ever since.
A specialist in medical/pharmaceutical translations, Renate now enjoys most of all the social aspect. However, she was keen to stress the opportunity for making industry contacts. And she should know: one of the first contacts she made outside her freelance business was at an early ATA conference, and ultimately led to a position at the esteemed Monterey Institute of International Studies. Renate recommended attending as many sessions as possible and also praised the Job Exchange, which she said was a good way to see other people’s resumés and pick up tips.
Next to offer conference advice was Robert Kllingsworth, a freelance French-to-English translator who specializes in financial and business texts, and who will be presenting a session on “Getting the Terminology Right in Financial Translations” at this year’s conference. Another regular conference attendee, Bob attended his first ATA conference in 1996 and has missed only two since.
While little direct business has come Bob’s way from the conferences, he has found them enormously beneficial in terms of getting to know fellow translators. Of the contacts he has made over the years, many have been translators he had interacted with only in online forums. Bob also reminded audience members who are ATA certified that the conference is a valuable way of accumulating continuing education points.
For Paula Dieli, this year’s conference will be her fourth. Paula’s background is in IT, and at the time of her first ATA conference she was considering leaving her job as a software engineer to become a full-time translator. She therefore viewed the conference as a chance to explore the field of translation before deciding whether to go into it permanently.
By her third conference, Paula was working full-time in translation. Her advice to first-time delegates: be prepared for some serious networking, have plenty of business cards and resumés, practice a 30-second self-introduction in front of the mirror, and introduce yourself to as many people as possible. She also recommended sitting in on sessions that are “different.”
Thoughts of a newbie
Last to share her thoughts on attending the conference was Karen Tkaczyk, who translates from French into English in the highly specialized field of chemistry and its industrial applications, and whose experi¬ence comes from last year’s event in New Orleans.
The New Orleans conference met some of Karen’s expectations, failed to meet others, and exceeded some she didn’t know she had! The orientation and general business advice sessions were particularly helpful, she found, and the opportunity to network with colleagues was an excellent way to build relationships. Like the other panel members, Karen enthused about some of the sessions she had attended that were outside her area of interest.
Q&A—and a winner!
Before beginning the Q&A session, a ticket was drawn for the door prize of a free conference pass. The lucky winner was Norma Kaminsky.
The Q&A session turned out to be an opportunity for audience members to share their own tips, such as checking to make sure publicized sessions are still going ahead (cancellations and substitutions are not uncommon) and not being afraid to walk out of a session if it does not live up to expectations.
Before the meeting wrapped up and Naomi reminded everyone of the events NCTA would be organizing during the conference, each panel member was presented with a fancy box of Joseph Schmidt chocolates. The ATA conference: how sweet it can be.
Sep 1st, 2007 | ATA, Interviews | No Comments
By Alison Dent
At our General Meeting back in February, NCTA was privileged to have as a guest Marian Greenfield, president of ATA. Marian has led the national organization for the past two years, and her tenure comes to an end at the ATA Conference in San Francisco in November. Marian kindly agreed to share with us some of her experiences, and the rewards that can be reaped by serving our community.
TRANSLORIAL: Describe your background as a translator. Did you grow up bilingually or biculturally? What was your interest in languages?
MARIAN GREENFIELD: I grew up in a house where we spoke English at home, but my mother and my grandmother would speak Yiddish together, so I learned to understand a little bit of Yiddish although never really to speak it. Although I grew up in a monolingual household, my grandmother—without having ever attended school—spoke five languages fluently, and so I think I inherited a talent for languages from her, as well as a curiosity about languages.
How and when did you initially become involved with ATA? What was your path to becoming president?
I joined ATA in 1980 when I got my first job in translation at the in-house translation department of a bank, and I sat for what was then called ATA’s accreditation exam. Later, when I was running the translation department at JP Morgan in 1988, I got involved with both ATA and my local chapter, the New York Circle of Translators (NYCT). First I became treasurer, then president-elect, and finally president of my local chapter, and I also ran for the Board of ATA. I spent six years on the ATA Board, after which I became president-elect and now president.
Describe the typical duties of an ATA president.
The typical duties of an ATA president revolve around balancing the day-to-day “nuts and bolts” of overseeing a 10,000-member organization with looking at the big picture. The day-to-day activities include answering a lot of email! That’s really what takes up the bulk of my time: responding to all the issues that come up, responding to emails from members, and basically being an arbiter of policy. As for the big picture, the president works with the Board of Directors to set policy and establish programs and services. Finally, another really important and time-consuming duty of an ATA president is to represent ATA in the press and at various functions.
Has it been difficult juggling a busy translation career with your responsibilities as ATA president?
Juggling responsibilities has definitely cut into my sleep and leisure time! It is difficult to be a fully booked translator, a Professor of Translation, and an industry consultant, as well as ATA president. Sometimes there can be months when I am travelling every single week, either for teaching duties, giving seminars, or representing ATA at conferences.
What does ATA do well, and what are areas in which it can be improved? Which of your achievements as ATA president are you most proud of? What were your most difficult challenges?
I think there are many things that ATA does really well, such as member benefits, and professional development in all senses of the word, including seminars, our magazine, our website, and our annual conference. We also do client education and public relations very well.
We are constantly looking at new ways of delivering opportunities for professional development, improving member benefits, and enhancing the certification program. I think these things will continue to be our focus probably forever.
The things that I’m most proud of are the success of the annual conferences and professional development events during my tenure. Also, the ATA Chronicle and the website redesign have given our face to the outside world a new look that I’m extremely proud of. I think we’ve really improved our communications with members … that’s something that we’re constantly working on, especially as the organization grows. I think we’ve done really well with public relations and with outreach to clients, to schools, and to the market in general.
When it comes to the challenges, I think that transparency and communications with members need constant attention. It’s always a challenge to make sure that everything we do is transparent and that we keep members up to date with everything that’s going on. ATA has nearly 10,000 members, making it a very diverse and interesting organization, but it also makes it impossible to please everyone. You have to constantly focus on what’s best for our members overall and that’s a real challenge.
What are the most notable changes you’ve seen in ATA over your years with the association?
I think the biggest change has been the phenomenal growth. We’ve more than doubled our membership over the last ten years, and that necessarily affects everything about the organization. An organization of four or five thousand members is entirely different to one of ten thousand members; you have to become more structured, more businesslike. There has also been more interest in professional development. Not only have we provided more professional development opportunities, but the market in general has shown a greater interest in it, from both the client and the provider side. Along with the exponential growth in the market, the visibility of translators and interpreters has also grown, and I would like to think that we had a good hand in that.
What did you think of the NCTA meeting you attended back in February, and what is your impression of NCTA as an ATA chapter? What is the state of health of ATA chapters around the country?
I very much enjoyed attending the NCTA meeting, because I was able to meet up with people whom I’ve known for a long time, and also because it’s a real pleasure to see a chapter being successful and to hear about all the things that are happening. NCTA is a phenomenal chapter. It’s very active and has wonderful programs, so it has attracted members to our association. ATA seems to have always had board members and/or very active volunteers from NCTA, so it has been a great asset to us.
The state of ATA chapters around the country is an interesting question. There are several chapters like NCTA that are very active and successful, yet at the same time I was extremely sad when FLATA (Florida Chapter of ATA) folded this year because it couldn’t find enough people willing to serve as officers. This was very sad because just a couple of years ago it was a very active chapter. A lot of the ATA chapters have a problem with finding leadership, people willing to serve, and that’s unfortunate.
In my president’s columns I often write about enlightened self-interest. I think that serving as a local chapter officer is a great example of enlightened self-interest, because you’re doing good by serving your chapter and its members, and you do well by doing good because it has a lot of benefits in the way of exposure, name recognition, and also networking opportunities. We need to get the word out that it’s important to give back, and actually it’s also really good for your business in the end. Take me, for instance: we talked about me juggling my ATA responsibilities with my business responsibilities; well, I’ve always said that I’ve built my career on my service to the New York Circle and ATA. A good part of the reason for my thriving freelance business is because of the contacts I’ve made through NYCT and ATA. Being a chapter official really does boost your business, so it’s worth making the time, both because of what you give and what you get back.
Your term as ATA president will come to an end at the ATA conference in San Francisco in November. What are your expectations for the event? Personally, will you still stay active within ATA? What will you be doing with your newfound free time?
I am really looking forward to San Francisco, not because my term sadly comes to an end, but because I think it’s going to be a fabulous event. I certainly expect it to be our biggest conference ever and there’ll be some exciting changes; we have done several format changes this year, which I think will be big improvements and hopefully our members will like them. We have some wonderful speakers lined up. As always we will be expecting great support from NCTA because they’ve always done a really good job of on-the-ground support and I’m sure that will continue. Overall it will be a really great conference and a great venue in the backyard of a great chapter.
I will certainly stay active with ATA. The president-elect Jiri Stejskal has indicated that he intends to have me continue as chair of Professional Development, which involves several events a year, and I will probably keep my hand in a few other things. ATA has been very much a part of my life for more than ten years now, and I intend to keep it that way.
As for my newfound free time, my goal is to take more leisure time, to take more time off when I travel and also perhaps to get more involved on an international front, but we’ll see about that.
Do you have any advice for me, just starting out as an NCTA Board member?
My advice to you is to be a good listener and to always respond to any member communications, even if it’s just a short, quick response. I think it’s important that members be responded to promptly, even if you don’t always have an answer. Listening is probably the biggest asset for a Board member, because even if you can’t resolve an issue, members feel happy to have at least been heard. Finally, you need to remember that no matter how difficult issues may be, we are all working to better “our” organization.
