Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, NCTA Members | No Comments
By Steve Goldstein, Editor
The 48th Annual ATA Conference
San Francisco
October 31 – November 3, 2007
“The convention seemed to capture the current wave of interest and enthusiasm that is rippling through the translator world, as most convention-goers seemed to sense that the tide is in the process of being turned—that it is perhaps not now unthinkable that our professional pride and prestige will soon take on greater and more justified proportions.”
Those words were written 29 years ago, by a young translator and writer; an emissary from the West Coast to the 19th Annual ATA Conference in New York, who had, just a few short months prior, been a part of the birth of his own local organization, the Northern California Translators Association, in San Francisco.
The President of NCTA at the time—a man who had taken that young translator under his wing in the nascent organization—had just been elected President of ATA as well, and was about to take office at the New York conference. This was an unheard-of and unprecedented occurrence—a West Coast president of what was at the time a largely East Coast organization. There was electricity in the air, and our young translator would get to write about it, in the unofficial conference coverage report. He would also bring back some of that momentum with him to San Francisco, where a small group of his colleagues was already at work building the foundation for what would in time become one of the national organization’s strongest local chapters.
Times have changed since 1978, of course. That NCTA and ATA President, Thomas Bauman, is sadly no longer with us to see some of the important changes that his work initiated and continued; changes at the national level, certainly, where our profession has indeed come a long way—although not without having continued obstacles to overcome. Today, ATA is of course no longer just a regional organization, but it’s not just a national one, either; today, it is a powerful international professional association of over 10,000 members around the world.
But changes have occurred at the local level, too. And nowhere, perhaps, has the example been more instructive than here in San Francisco. ATA has brought its annual conference back to the birthplace of its most active chapter several times in the past three decades, watching as NCTA continued its own robust growth, built as always on the infectious enthusiasm of dedicated and tireless local volunteers who believe in working together to strengthen their profession.
Today, that dedication continues, through NCTA’s active role as the host chapter of the just-concluded 48th Annual ATA Conference in our City by the Bay, and via this special Translorial supplement reporting on the event. In these pages, we look at the conference from a variety of perspectives that may not always be found in the standard, straight-ahead reporting of the conference, as that information is available elsewhere. It is, instead, a decidedly more human approach because, well … translators are people, too, and that always seems the more interesting viewpoint, doesn’t it?
All those who are reading these words owe a debt of gratitude to their NCTA colleagues who did double-duty at the conference: as regular attendees, trying to learn and network and grow their own careers and businesses, and as your reporters, to give you a taste of the conference that you might not have otherwise had the opportunity to savor. Without their dedication and sacrifice—including that of Oscar Arteta and the tireless Christopher Queen, who took our terrific photographs—this supplement wouldn’t have been possible, and so to them I say, Thank you!
Has the tide in fact turned for our profession, since twenty-nine years ago? Certainly. But there’s still more turning to do, and while our young translator from that bygone era is no longer so young, he’s still here—to keep learning, growing … and working, to help turn that tide.
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 | Conferences, Court Interpretation, Related organizations, Reports | No Comments
By Luba Chernov
The California Federation of Interpreters met this year in San Francisco to discuss vital issues in interpreting.
Court interpreters are a special breed. They live and work in real time, just like hardcore financial investors. And like those professionals, they have to keep their unique, essential skills honed at all times.
To help court interpreters do that, CFI has made it a San Francisco tradition to host a series of annual Continued Education Conferences. This year’s conference was held October 5th through 7th at the newly renovated Cathedral Hill Hotel.
The conference started on a somewhat heroic note, as it ran concurrently with the strike of our comrades-in-arms: the court interpreters in Region 1 (Los Angeles and Santa Barbara). Mary Lou Aranguren, chief spokesperson for the union, was our “embedded reporter,” sending her passionate email dispatches twice a day from the LA trenches to the Bay Area court interpreters’ community. Her general message was, “even the staunchest among us are no more driven than striking interpreters.”
I attended the conference on Friday, October 5. The soundtrack for it was provided by the roaring Blue Angels practicing their deft maneuvers in the blue expanse of the San Francisco skies. The conference started at 6:30 p.m. sharp. The agenda of that day included two hands-on expert-led presentations by a former public defender and a supervising attorney of the family violence law center.
Public defense
James McWilliams, former public defender of the Alameda County, was the first presenter. He kept the audience under a continuous spell reminiscing in a lively manner and drawing on his vast, eventful experience. Early in his presentation Mr. McWilliams pointed out that the role of a court interpreter has substantially evolved. When he started his career in the early 1970s, there was only one Spanish interpreter in Alameda County. Nowadays, of course, you cannot get by with one Spanish-language interpreter; you need many, and in many languages. Indeed, as Mr. McWilliams pointed out, the public defender’s office strives to secure competent and vigorous representation for its clients.
Further, technical innovation in the form of PDAs, Blackberries, laptops, cell phones, and listening devices has reached the realm of courtrooms and law offices, allowing interpreters, lawyers, judges, and support staff to have their business offices on the go, without missing a beat.
Mr. McWilliams also spoke about the evolution of the trial system, including jury trials. Unlike in the early 1970s, when a jury was likely to be composed of only white males, a jury in the courtroom of the 21st century is represented by speakers of Chinese, Singh, Russian—in a word, by every ethnic group of in diverse, present-day society.
Domestic violence
After a short break, Tara Flanigan, a veteran in domestic violence and civil litigation and a supervising attorney in the Family Violence Law Center in Berkeley, took the rostrum as the second presenter.
She shared her knowledge and expertise of such ubiquitous topics as civil domestic violence restraining orders, domestic violence court, child custody and visitation, and legal options for survivors. “Without you, stoical court interpreters,” she emphasized a number of times, “my job would be impossible!”
Ms. Flanagan gave a broad definition of domestic violence, which included physical, sexual, verbal, and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion used against intimate partners for the purpose of obtaining power and control.
Both presentations were followed by lively Q&A sessions. The three hours of the Friday evening seemed to fly like a nanosecond. Saturday and Sunday promised to be even more enticing. After the conference, walking to the BART station with my colleague, I thought to myself, “Like a prudent money manager, I invested wisely: I saw the CFI community at its finest, its best.”
