in this issue · industries. contact: [email protected]. tuula kojohas been translating...

October 2006Volume XXXV

Number 10

A Publication of the

AmericanTranslators Association

In this issue:Escape from Project Manager IslandLegal Glossary MiningThe Quality Assurance Checklist

CHRONICLETheFebruary 2007

Volume XXXVI Number 2



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Contents February 2007

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February 2007Volume XXXVI

Number 2



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Interview with Marian S. Greenfield, ATA PresidentBy Margaret Powell-JossATA President Marian S. Greenfield talks about ATA with Margaret Powell-Joss, a member of the Swiss Association ofTranslators, Terminologists and Interpreters.

Survivor: Escape from Project Management IslandBy Tina Wuelfing CargileCultivating a project management culture throughout your organization is the key to increasing your personal bandwidth andunlocking the potential that exists in your company.

Translators Hired as CopywritersBy Nina Sattler-HovdarTranslators are increasingly asked to “translate” slogans, taglines, and other “marketing” material. More often than not,serious client education is in order.

I Must be Myself: Accompanying Orhan PamukBy Tuula Kojo, Translated by Jill G. TimbersA literary translator bears powerful witness to how one author changed her life.

Glossary Mining Part 4: Making It LegalBy Lee WrightRead on for a list of sites for legal terminology and related sources.

Quality Assurance for In-House Translation: Tips and TricksBy Dierk SeeburgUsing a systematic approach to translation can help achieve better results. Abiding by a few key principles will lead totranslators with better skills who can produce higher quality translations, which will lead to higher customer satisfaction andhigher rates of return.

Columns and Departments

American Translators Association225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590 • Alexandria VA 22314Tel: (703) 683-6100 • Fax: (703) 683-6122E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.atanet.org

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Our AuthorsFrom the PresidentFrom the President-ElectFrom the TreasurerFrom the Executive DirectorLetter to the EditorCertification ForumGeekSpeak

Business SmartsThe OnionskinSuccess by AssociationDictionary ReviewsThe Translation InquirerHumor and TranslationATA Certification Exam InformationNew ATA-Certified Members Directory of Language Services

424344454951525254

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The ATA Chronicle ■ February 20074

We Want You!The ATA Chronicle enthusiastically encourages members to submit articles ofinterest to the fields of translation and interpretation. For SubmissionGuidelines, log onto www.atanet.org/chronicle. The ATA Chronicle is pub-lished 11 times per year, with a combined November/December issue.Submission deadlines are two months prior to publication date.

AdvertisingDirectory

IDEM Translations, Inc.www.idemtranslations.com

Local Concept

Monterey Institute of International Studieswww.miis.edu

National Security Agencywww.nsa.gov/careers

SDL Internationalwww.translationzone.com

Star Group Americawww.star-group.net

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The ATA Chronicle (ISSN 1078-6457) is publishedmonthly, except bi-monthly in November/December,

by the American Translators Association, 225Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314.Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and

additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Sendaddress changes to The ATA Chronicle,

225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314.

The American Translators Association (ATA) wasestablished in 1959 as a not-for-profit professional

society to foster and support the professionaldevelopment of translators and interpreters and to

promote the translation and interpreting professions.The subscription rate for a member is $43 (includedin the dues payment). The U.S. subscription rate for

a non-member is $50. Subscribers in Canada andMexico add $25; all other non-U.S. subscribers add

$45. Single copies are available for $5 per issue.

Reprint Permission:Requests for permission to reprint articles should be sent

to the Chronicle editor at [email protected].

Send updates to:The ATA Chronicle

225 Reinekers Lane Suite 590

Alexandria, VA 22314Fax (703) 683-6122

[email protected]

Moving?Find an error with your address?

EditorJeff Sanfacon

[email protected]

ProofreaderSandra Burns Thomson

DesignEllen Banker

Amy Peloff

AdvertisingMatt Hicks

McNeill Group Inc.

[email protected]

(215) 321-9662 ext. 19

Fax: (215) 321-9636

Executive DirectorWalter Bacak

[email protected]

Membership and General Information

Maggie Rowe

[email protected]

website: www.atanet.org

across Systemswww.across.net

Beetext Productivity Systemswww.beetext.com

FITTS Serviceswww.fittservices.com

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Our Authors February 2007

Tina Wuelfing Cargile, a certifiedproject management professional, is asenior project/account manager at McElroyTranslation, where she has been employedsince 1988. She earned her ProjectManagement Professional credential fromthe Project Management Institute in 2003,and has recently been recertified through

2009. Her previous work experience was in the publishing and musicindustries. Contact: [email protected].

Tuula Kojo has been translating Turkish and Swedish literature intoFinnish since 1995. She also compiled and translated an anthology aboutIstanbul. In 2005, she received Finland’s State Prize for Literature for herFinnish translation of Orhan Pamuk’s works Snow and Istanbul. This year,Pamuk won the 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature, and Kojo was amongthe guests he invited to the celebrations in Stockholm. Contact:[email protected].

Margaret Powell-Joss hasoperated Powell-Joss Translations in Bern,Switzerland, since 1986. She is a memberof the Swiss Association of Translators,Terminologists and Interpreters, and a occasional contributor to the association’sjournal, Hieronymus. Contact: [email protected].

Nina Sattler-Hovdar is a freelanceinterpreter and translator specializing inmarketing, advertising, and investmentbanking. After graduating with a master’sdegree in translation and interpretation,she worked as a conference interpreter incentral Europe. She then moved on towork as a marketing research executive

and strategic planning consultant in the Americas for several years. Shenow lives and works in Austria. Contact: [email protected].

Dierk Seeburg is the senior web content administrator with ChoiceHotels International in Phoenix, Arizona, with responsibilities inprocess/standards oversight, translation, and analysis/scoping of mono-and multilingual content and quality assurance of English→German webcontent. Prior to joining Choice, he obtained a master’s degree in biologyand served as an adjunct faculty member, teaching undergraduates. Anative of Germany, he has been a freelance translator and interpreter for16 years. Contact: [email protected].

Jill Graham Timbers is an ATA-certified (Finnish→English,French→English) freelance translator specializing in forestry and litera-ture. Her literary translations have appeared in numerous journals andanthologies. Contact: [email protected].

It’s Time To Renew

If you have not renewed your membership, now is the time!

From membership in any or all of ATA’s 15 divisions—including the new Language Technology and Korean

Language Divisions—to discounted business services,ATA gives you the strategic edge that benefits

your bottom line.

Renew online at:www.atanet.org/membership/renew.php

Thank you for your past support and for renewing for 2007.


ATA’s Quality Crusade

[email protected]

From the President Marian S. Greenfield

Much is planned for 2007to continue ATA’s “quality crusade,”and I hope that you will not only findit exciting, but that you will also contribute.

We are continuing the “spread theword on quality campaign,” pro-moting Translation: Getting It Right,seeking out opportunities to speakabout the importance and how-to ofbuying quality translation, andworking with ATA’s Public RelationsCommittee to develop a template forpresentations on this promotion,including a DVD summarizing the PRCommittee’s successes and an audioversion of Translation: Getting ItRight. The debut presentation basedon the template is planned for theIsrael Translators Association Con-ference in February, and we hope toalso present it, along with the newDVD, to the Association of Trans-lation Companies in London and toour own Translation CompanyDivision this year. Work is also continuing on Interpreting: Getting It Right.

ATA will be exhibiting at theNational Association for BilingualEducation Annual Conference inFebruary, hoping to educate buyers ofschool system translation and inter-preting about ATA, our onlineDirectory of Translation and Inter-preting Services, and how to buyquality translation. Of course, weexpect to distribute lots of copies ofTranslation: Getting It Right at theevent, which generally attracts some8,000 attendees.

ATA will once again be a keysponsor of the Translation Summit inSalt Lake City, Utah, on March 12,2007. We will gather information at thesummit from direct clients as well aslanguage services companies, and “sell”them on the truism that you get whatyou pay for in translation and inter-

preting, and that it takes an educatedbuyer to procure good language services.

Now here is how you can contribute...

Reach out to the community bysigning up for ATA’s Red Cross vol-unteer interpreter corps (www.atanet.org/red_cross). Take a look at the

School Outreach website (www.atanet.org/careers/school_outreach.php) andoffer to do a presentation at a localschool or university. DistributeTranslation: Getting It Right or theonline link to it (www.atanet.org/docs/getting_it_right.pdf) to clientsand potential clients. The more visiblewe are, the better for the industry ingeneral.

Support our quality drive by signingup for professional development activi-ties, including the following:

The Business of Translating andInterpreting Seminar (February 24, Atlanta, Georgia)

While you are at it, engage in alittle enlightened self-interest and signup for the Mentoring Training offeredon Sunday, February 25. This is anopportunity for you to give back whileparticipating in a very rewardingactivity (I can vouch for this...I havehad several ATA mentees and count-less unofficial mentees, and the rela-tionships are almost always mutuallybeneficial and have resulted in severalcherished friendships and fruitfulbusiness relationships).

Energy Conference (May 4-6, Houston, Texas)

Watch your e-mail and ATA’s web-site for details, particularly for opportu-nities for related activities, including apossible discount on fees for the 2007Offshore Technology Conference, to beheld April 30 – May 3 at the Reliant

Center in Houston.We are also tentatively planning

the following:

• Legal Seminar (March,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

• Translation Tools Seminar(June, Denver, Colorado)

• Medical Seminar (August,Boston, Massachusetts)

And, of course, the ultimate pro-fessional development opportunity,ATA’s 48th Annual Conference,October 31 – November 3, in SanFrancisco, California.

Pursue other opportunities todevelop your professional skills andbusiness acumen. Please let us knowof any opportunities to spread theword (send an e-mail to [email protected]).

Looking forward to a great yearand to seeing you at many of theabove events.

The more visible we are, the better for the industry in general.



Conference Site Selection

[email protected]

From the President-Elect Jiri Stejskal

Among the duties of thepresident-elect is to supervise the organ-ization of two annual conferences. Ideliberately use the word “supervise”rather than “organize,” as the organiza-tion of an event of such magnituderequires an extensive team effort. Withthe New Orleans conference behind usand the 2007 San Francisco conferenceahead, I would like to share some infor-mation on how the conference cities andhotels are selected.

Over the past few years ATA confer-ences have drawn anywhere from 1,200to 1,600 attendees, depending on avariety of factors, such as the number ofATA members in the area, the city’s pop-ularity as a tourist destination, flightconnections, and the economy. This sizegroup is too small for a conferencecenter, but too big for most hotels, whichlimits us to a select group of Hiltons,Hyatts, Marriotts, and Sheratons that canaccommodate our needs. As an example,at the 2006 conference we used 16breakout rooms for 16 concurrent ses-sions, an 11,000-square foot exhibit hallthat was able to accommodate 61exhibitors (plus the space needed for theBodyWorks massage station and theCyber Café), and a ballroom big enoughfor the opening reception, which is typi-cally attended by all.

When selecting a particular city andhotel, ATA’s Board relies on the recom-mendations of a company calledExperient (formerly Conferon), whichassists businesses and associations withconference site selection, hotel contractanalysis and negotiation, meeting plan-ning, on-site expertise, attendee man-agement, supplier negotiations, and ahost of other services. With a given setof parameters, such as those describedabove, the company provides us with alist of potential cities and hotels withineach of the cities.

The Board typically decides first onthe geographical location, trying to

alternate between east and west, southand north, and all the places in between.This decision is typically made fiveyears in advance, with the notableexception being the 2009 conference, tobe held in New York City to celebratethe Association’s 50th anniversary inthe city of its inception. In order tosecure the hotel space and lock in rea-sonable rates for this conference, theBoard started the negotiation process in2002, seven years in advance.

Once a city is selected, the Boardgenerally schedules its quarterly

meeting in one of the city’s hotels rec-ommended by Experient, and toursanother hotel or two to get as muchinformation as possible before making adecision. The room rate is a very impor-tant consideration, but a number of otherquestions need to be answered,including: Is the meeting space adequatefor our needs? Are the walls between thebreakout rooms soundproof? Is theexhibit hall large enough? Are thereother events scheduled concurrentlywith ours? Is the neighborhood safe?Are there enough restaurants, shops, andfacilities, such as fitness rooms and busi-ness centers? Is the hotel easy to get to?Does the hotel offer good opportunitiesfor socializing and networking? This isjust a sampling of the many variables theBoard has to consider when selecting avenue that brings the best value to ourmembers.

Many of you voiced complaints about

the fees for Internet access charged bythe hotels. The Board is listening.Internet connectivity and fees are high onthe list of negotiated items because weknow that a translator without e-mail islike a bird without wings. The tricky partis that the planning and negotiating of thecontract takes place four to five years inadvance. I will leave it up to you toimagine the kind of cyberspace that willbe available in five years and at whatcost. Or think back to what Internet serv-ices were available five years ago andcompare that to today’s online connec-

tivity in conference hotels. Notwith-standing, the Board is making a greateffort to alleviate this problem.

I hope the above sheds some light onwhat needs to be taken into considerationwhen planning for the annual confer-ence, and why we use a particular hoteltier rather than inexpensive hotels or uni-versity campuses. The Board works hardto learn and implement the best practicesin conference planning. And as I said atthe beginning, putting on an annual con-ference requires the close cooperation ofmany people. I would like to take thisopportunity to thank the entire ATA staffand our contacts at Experient. Mostimportantly, I would like to thank all thevolunteers. Without their dedicatedwork, there would be no conference. Ilook forward to working with many ofyou to make the 2007 San Francisco con-ference a great success!

I deliberately use the word “supervise” rather than“organize,” as the organization of an event of such

magnitude requires an extensive team effort.

9The ATA Chronicle ■ February 2007


Treasurer’s Report from ATA’s 47th Annual Conference

[email protected]

From the Treasurer Peter Krawutschke

The following report from ATATreasurer Peter Krawutschke was givenat the Meeting of All Members in NewOrleans, Louisiana, November 3, 2007.

It has been a pleasure toserve our Association as its treasurerduring the past year, and I am able toreport to you that our finances are ingood shape.

We finished the 2005-2006 fiscalyear (July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006)with a slight surplus of $35,792. Thetable shows the distribution of our2005/2006 income and expenses ofmajor accounting categories. (Theactual income/expense statement con-tains 340 line items.)

All the information I am furnishingyou with is subject to audit by an inde-pendent auditing firm. This firm has justconducted its audit, and I will report toyou again in The ATA Chronicle as soon

as we have received the results.As of June 30, 2006, ATA’s invest-

ments (mutual funds and securities)amounted to $606,385 (comparedwith $552,946 as of June 30, 2005).We invest the Association’s reservefunds conservatively. Based on ourauditor’s recommendations and withthe Board’s support, we areattempting to reach reserves coveringsix months of operating expenses.

On August 11, 2006, the Boardapproved the 2006-2007 budget in theamount of $2,338,402. The tablebelow shows the distribution of ourbudgeted income and expenses. Asyou can see, it is a zero-surplusbudget that will demand considerableefforts by the Board, staff, and thetreasurer in order to stay within theauthorized expenditures. I, for one,am looking forward to meeting thischallenge.

This year, for the first time, we

present to the membership cost analysesof three ATA programs: The ATAChronicle, the Certification Program,and ATA’s Annual Conference. I amvery pleased that the Board supportedme in this effort to show the member-ship how its dues are used.

The ATA Chronicle: As you cansee from the table, The ATA Chroniclecost the association $525,352 in 2006.The Board believes that the quality ofATA’s flagship publication gives ourprofession the kind of visibility in themarketplace that makes this costacceptable. I agree with this assess-ment. However, this does not meanthat we should not make considerableefforts to improve the revenue side ofThe ATA Chronicle.

ATA’s Annual Conference: ATA’sAnnual Conference performed as itshould, yielding a surplus of ➡

Total Revenue

Program expenses—w/o overhead cost

Overhead expenses

Total Expenses

Net Income/Loss—w/o overhead cost

Total Income/Loss

Chronicle

106,442

398,428126,924

525,352

(291,986

(418,910

Conference

571,326

389,757110,354

500,111

181,569

71,215

Revenue and ExpensesChronicle/Conference/Certification

Certification

168,620

143,620156,80

300,151

25,149

(131,531

$ $ $

)

) )



$71,215 for the 2005 conference. Thissurplus gave us the financial assurancethat we could carry the New Orleansconference this year. It is the Board’sand my position that ATA’s AnnualConference should be budgeted to yielda surplus, or at least be self-supporting.

ATA’s Certification Program:ATA’s Certification Program incurreda loss of $131,531 in 2005-2006, i.e.,$14 of every ATA member’s dueswent to support this program. Thequestions that ATA’s Board and themembership will need to discuss are

the following: Do we want ATA’sCertification Program to be self-sup-porting, or do we wish to distributethe program losses across the mem-bership? Your participation in this dis-cussion is encouraged, and will bevalued by the Board and by yourtreasurer.

The excellent quality of our finan-cial operation is essentially theproduct of the fine work of ouraccounting manager, Kirk Lawson,and the solid leadership of ATA’sexecutive director, Walter Bacak.

On August 11, 2006, the Board approved the 2006-2007 budget in the amount of $2,338,402.


The Brigham Young University Center for Language Studies announces the second annual national Translation Summit, Monday, March 12, 2007, in Salt Lake City, Utah.Sponsors include ATA and other national and international organizations concerned withtranslation, localization, interpreting, or more generally with language. The Summitcovers both translation and interpreting. ATA members who attend will earn sixpoints toward certification maintenance.

The Translation Summit brings together leading players from every major sector: aca-demia, government, and industry. Cooperation among these entities is crucial toimproving the translation process, building efficiencies, reducing costs, raising the visi-bility of the translation and interpreting professions, and establishing standards that arekey to the future.

The focus of this event will be on cooperation, rather than sales presentations by vendors.By working together, stakeholders can both influence the future and provide service to soci-ety through such means as scholarships and internships. The structure of the conference isintended to encourage cross-sector interaction, with each organization improving its globalreach through multilingual communication that is appropriate for the intended audience.Such appropriate global communication includes translations produced in the most efficientmanner and at the best value, without sacrificing effectiveness.

Featured presenters include: ATA President Marian S. Greenfield (topic: translation sup-ply); Everette Jordan, founding director of the National Virtual Translation Center (topic:government demand); Joseph Mazza, Translation Division chief for the U.S. Department ofState; and Stephen Sekel, head of Translation Services for the United Nations.

Registration (nonmembers): $175ATA members: $150

For more information: www.translationsummit.org.

Translation SummitImproving Your Global Reach

March 12, 2007Marriott City CenterSalt Lake City, Utah


New Internet Scam Targets Translators

[email protected]

From the Executive Director Walter Bacak, CAE

Most of the Internet scamsto date affecting ATA members havebeen directed toward interpreters.Now, it appears translators need to bemore vigilant.

ATA member Lisa Siegel-Cruz ofOrlando, Florida, shared the new scamand her experience with me. This veterantranslator (and former U.S. Food andDrug Administration spokesperson spe-cializing in fraud) inadvertently let herguard down. The following is a sum-mary of the incident as reported to theFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“I received an inquiry from Dr.Jane Spencer stating that she hadsome translation work. She providedit to me and insisted that she wouldneed basic information from me,which is customary in this line ofbusiness.”

“Due to the amount, I provided herwith the information, which, again, wasvery basic and included my completename, full address, and e-mail address.Once the work was complete, I invoicedher appropriately. She then told me thatthe check was in the mail. I gave upwaiting for the check to arrive and, dueto the slightly insignificant amountinvolved, proceeded to disregard theinvoice and the whole situation. Severalweeks later, however, Dr. Spencerpopped up again and excused herselfprofusely, stating that the payment hadbeen sent via DHL. She told me that Icould deposit it and then take out anyfees I deemed necessary, as the checkwas coming directly from the client.She then provided me with her addressin London so that I could send her thedifference.”

“A couple weeks later, I still hadnot received a check. Again, I justdropped the matter and figured Iwould learn from the experience.Finally, on December 6, I received ane-mail from Dr. Spencer stating thatthe check had been sent via DHL, and

she even provided a tracking number.The next day I received a cashier’scheck (from Bank of America), whichbounced and caused me numerousbank fees. I contacted Bank ofAmerica a couple of weeks later, andthey confirmed that the check wasfraudulent.”

Lisa was relatively lucky to be outless than $200. Regardless, keep yourguard up—if it is too good to be true,it probably is—particularly if youreceive unsolicited business onlinefrom an unknown organization orindividual. Do not accept payment foran amount higher than what wasagreed upon. This may be counter towhat you want to do, but this is thecrux of this particular scam. Thescammers are relying on potential vic-tims to do the “right thing” by havingthe victims send a check for the dif-ference between what was paid andwhat was owed. If you are unsure

about whether a check received forpayment is good, your bank can usu-ally let you know in three to five days.

Finally, I would like to thank Lisafor stepping forward. She did a greatservice to her colleagues by sharingwhat happened so it does not happento others, and by filing a claim withthe FBI’s online Internet crimereporting site.

Online Fraudwww.ic3.govThe FBI’s online Internet crime reporting site.

www.OnGuardOnline.govThe Federal Trade Commission’s educational site about cross-borderonline fraud, offering information on common scams and tips onhow to avoid them.

www.tuesdayswithmantu.comContains information on Rich Siegel’s book, Tuesdays With Mantu:My Adventures With a Nigerian Con Artist.

You might also want to read Jill Sommer’s article, “A Little ParanoiaCan Go a Long Way,” on page 13 of the May 2005 issue of The ATA Chronicle.

If you have not renewed your member-ship, please do. You may renew onlineat www.atanet.org/memership/renew.php. Thank you for your pastsupport and for renewing for 2007.

Final Reminder for ATA Membership Renewal:



The language market isrife with books and dictionaries thatare published in a hurry to meet theurgent need for easy-to-use Arabicreferences, and to fill the gap“between English-speaking andArabic-speaking business partners.”The (ROM) Arabic BusinessDictionary (Schreiber Publishing,2006) is an obvious example of thedictionaries that fall into this category.

The new 172-page dictionary,which contains “Business terms forbanking, accounting, insurance, realestate, …and more,” has many Arabicterms that are difficult for users tointerpret (even Arabic nativespeakers). On page 20, for example,the dictionary gives the meaning ofthe English word “bill” as ,which is an old term that has beenreplaced by other modern, easy equiv-alents. The dictionary also containsinaccurate Arabic words, such as

as a translation of the Englishword “uncollectible.” The dictionaryalso lists “bill of landing,” but readerswill be more familiar with the well-known English term “bill of lading.”

In his review of the Arabic BusinessDictionary in the November/Decemberissue, Jeff Hayes mentioned some ofthe errors contained in this dictionary.He argues that the term “clause” istranslated throughout the dictionary as

(condition) rather than or .In this respect, I would like to state thatthe term “clause” is usually used ininsurance policies as . Theseclauses ( ) are embedded in insur-ance policies or attached to them asaddendums ( ).

One would also expect to find akey term used in banking, “letter ofcredit” ( ), to be trans-lated into Arabic. Readers would alsoexpect to see an explanation of thedistinct differences between certain

insurance and shipping terms, such asrisk, peril, and hazard.

One positive point about theArabic Business Dictionary is that,unlike the Al-Mawrid, which has itsown shortfalls, it contains key legalArabic words. For example, theEnglish word “adhesion” is translatedas in the term “adhesion con-tract,” which is translated as .

Finally, as a native speaker of thelanguage with a related background, Isincerely request that the editors ofthis dictionary try to rectify many ofthe terms in their dictionary, espe-cially since it is a recent publication.They should also consider working ona references page, because their publi-cation has many English and Arabicterms that are identical to other termsin similar dictionaries.

Nayef TarawnehBirmingham, Alabama

Quick Notes on the Arabic Business Dictionary

Address your letters to Jeff Sanfacon [email protected] or American TranslatorsAssociation, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590,Alexandria, VA 22314.

Letter to the Editor

DynCorp International and McNeil Technologies Awarded $4.6 Billion Army Linguistic Services Contract

The U.S. Army has awarded a contract for management of translation and interpretation services in Iraq toGlobal Linguistic Solutions LLC (GLS), a joint venture formed by DynCorp International and McNeilTechnologies. The five-year contract, with a maximum value of $4.65 billion, was awarded by theIntelligence and Security Command.

Under the contract, GLS will provide translating and interpreting services to the U.S. Army and other U.S.government agencies, including embedded Iraqi translators and interpreters who will operate with U.S.forces. GLS will employ up to 6,000 locally hired translators and interpreters and up to 1,000 U.S. citizenswith security clearances who are native speakers of languages spoken in Iraq.

At press time, L-3 Communications, a contender for the same contract, had filed a protest with theGovernment Accountability Office over the loss of the contract.

Contracts to provide linguists in Afghanistan and at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,were also awarded to Thomas Computer Solutions and Calnet. Thomas’s contract in Afghanistan is worthup to $703 million. Calnet’s contract is worth up to $66 million.



In late September 2006,ATA President Marian S. Greenfieldrepresented ATA at the 40th anniver-sary conference of the Swiss Assoc-iation of Translators, Terminologistsand Interpreters (ASTTI, www.astti.ch)in Bern, Switzerland. Marian wasamong several association presidentsinterviewed for the December issue ofASTTI’s journal, Hieronymus. The fol-lowing is reprinted with the permis-sion of ASTTI.

ASTTI: Welcome to Bern, MarianGreenfield, and thank you for answer-ing some questions.

MG: Thank you.

ASTTI: May I jump in straight away?How many members does ATA have?

MG: We have nearly 10,000 in morethan 70 countries.

ASTTI: When was ATA established?

MG: Nearly 50 years ago. We willcelebrate our 50th anniversary at our2009 Annual Conference in New YorkCity at the Marriott Marquis Hotel,October 28-31, 2009.

ASTTI: Great! We look forward to

celebrating that event with you. Whatkinds of activities does ATA pursue?

MG: We have 15 divisions, which arespecial interest groups designatedeither by language or subject specialty(i.e., literary, medical, interpreters,etc.). Our two most recent divisions arethe Korean Language Division and theLanguage Technology Division.

I am the chair of ATA’s ProfessionalDevelopment Committee and organizeseminars all around the country. Prettymuch every two years we have beenorganizing three-day, subject-specificmini-conferences. We have done twofinancial translation conferences andone legal translation conference. We alsodo one-day seminars around the countryon subjects like court interpreting, legaltranslation, technical translation, andvery specific subjects in advanced-levelseminars where we bring in specialists.

We have 18 committees that also

have special interests. For example,our Certification Committee adminis-ters our translator certification pro-gram and the Translation andComputers Committee disseminatesinformation about technology. We areinvolved in translation standards withthe American Society for Testing andMaterials, and we have observer

We have done two financial conferences and one legaltranslation conference. We also do one-day seminarsaround the country on subjects like court interpreting,

legal translation, technical translation, and very specific subjects in advanced-level seminars

where we bring in specialists.

By Margret Powell-JossInterview with Marian S. Greenfield, ATA President

Marian S. Greenfield

Margaret Powell-Joss



status with the European Committeefor Standardization. We have anannual conference with around 1,200to 1,600 participants.

ASTTI: This is on a slightly differentscale from the activities conducted byASTTI.

MG: A bit, yes, but as I said, we havenearly 10,000 members.

ASTTI: What about your admissionprocedures? What does it take tobecome a member of ATA?

MG: You pay your money and you getyour membership.

ASTTI: It cannot be that easy!

MG: It is, actually. We are very muchan umbrella organization. We do notturn away members. If you have anykind of interest in translation and/orinterpreting and you pay your dues,you become a member.

We accept all members, but onlypeople who are certified or provideproof that they are active members canvote. To get voting rights you have topass our translation certification test—we do not certify interpreters at thispoint, but this is something that isbeing examined. If you choose not totake the exam—because your lan-guage pair is not offered, or becauseyou interpret rather than translate, oryou have been in the business a longtime and do not feel the need to be cer-tified—you can get voting rights by analternate route through our activemembership review process. Theactive membership review processinvolves proving that you are reallyactively involved in the industry. Moredetailed information on this processcan be found on our website atwww.atanet.org//membership/member

shipreviewprocess_overview.php.

ASTTI: A little while ago you saidATA has nearly 10,000 members inover 70 countries. However, you arethe American Translators Association.How do you explain this?

MG: It is an ongoing debate aboutwho we are and what we want tofocus on. Our activities—with theexception of our 2004 Annual

Conference, which we held inToronto, Canada—are based in theU.S. However, we have membersfrom all over, which is actually verymuch a boon for those of us who livein our target-language country.Members also come from abroad tospeak at our conferences. Havingmembers all over really stimulatesintellectual exchange, which, ofcourse, we cannot do our job without.

ASTTI: You also mentioned yourstandards committee. Let’s talk abouttranslation standards and ATA’s codeof conduct.

MG: We do have a code of businesspractices, which is currently underrevision. That really is something sep-arate from translation standards. Weare involved with ASTM International,a standards development organization

that serves as an open forum for thedevelopment of international standards(www.astm.org).

ASTTI: I would like to focus on theway in which your members addressthe diversity of languages.

MG: Diversity of target languages ismore of an issue as I see it. If somebodyasks me to do a translation into BritishEnglish, I tell them I do not do that. At

most, I can do a British spell check forthem. I also tell them they need someonelocal to go over the text for them.

One of the things ATA sells is spe-cialists. In order to be successful, youneed to specialize. For example, I’m aSpanish/Portuguese/French to Englishfinancial/legal translator. Because Iwork in the very limited field of finan-cial English, the difference betweenAmerican and British English is notas much of a problem. If you get intoother subjects, it is different, espe-cially in literary translation. But mostof our clients will want AmericanEnglish because their end users aregoing to be in the U.S.

Our translators going into Spanish,Portuguese also, have much more of aproblem because there is a big debateabout whether there is a neutralSpanish. But in financial terminology,for instance, you can find some- ➡

We have actually become the go-to group for the U.Sgovernment on language and interpreting issues. This

is a really good place for us to be because thegovernment recognizes that we know how to do it

right and that we can help them.



thing that is very bland but that peoplewill understand. It doesn’t sound nat-ural but it is understandable. Thereally knowledgeable clients who arein marketing or who need reallysnappy text will be smart enough tohave their translations localized foreach country that they are going to.This is very important, and it is a hugeissue for our members.

ASTTI: Do you have any idea,roughly, of the ratio of language pairsamong your membership?

MG: By far the largest language pairis Spanish↔English. French is fairlybig, so is German. I think those areprobably the biggest.

ASTTI: How about Chinese,Japanese, or Arabic?

MG: There is a pretty good contin-gent of Chinese and Japanese transla-tors, but they are not the biggest at all.We have a much smaller group ofArabic translators, not very small, butmuch smaller than in the other lan-guages. Certainly the U.S. has a greatneed for Arabic translators—actually,I think the world has a great need forthem. We’ve been advising the gov-ernment in this area.

We actually have become the go-togroup for the U.S. government on lan-guage and interpreting issues. This isa really good place for us to bebecause the government recognizesthat we know how to do it right andthat we can help them learn how to doit right, or do it better than they arealready doing it. We can be a resourcefor finding people.

We have, for instance, been con-sulted by the National VirtualTranslation Center, through whichvarious government agencies out-source their work over the Internet.

This is a major breakthrough because,for security reasons, these agencieswere not allowed to outsource before.We have had such agencies come to uswhen they go to recruit. As they dis-covered, we are nearly 10,000 transla-tors, and we are a pretty self-selectedgroup, so we are a good place forthem to source translators.

ASTTI: How do you view the peren-nial issue of competition versus colle-giality? Is that an issue?

MG: From what I hear, I think it isless of an issue in the U.S. than else-where. I have been told at our confer-ences that people in the U.S. are morecollegial and much more willing toshare their experience with oneanother. For instance, my friends inthe business and I are constantly intouch with each other with termi-nology questions, and we constantlyrefer jobs to each other.

ASTTI: What about Internet competi-tion? I have found people offering onlinetranslation virtually free of charge.

MG: That is a huge issue, and is partof our client education initiative. Weare extremely active in client educa-tion, getting the message out therethat buying cheap is going to buy yougarbage and it is going to cost youmoney in the end, that you need tohire qualified translators and inter-preters, and that, if you do not, youare going to get burned.

It is very much a part of ATA’s mis-sion to educate our clients. We have avery active public relations committeethat is in charge of educating clients,and the public in general, about theprofession—what we do, how we doit—and trying to sell the idea ofbuying good translation. Under mypresidency, ATA has also been tasked

with communicating with our ownmembers to spread our message inorder to professionalize the profes-sion. We have a client educationbrochure entitled Translation: GettingIt Right, that is directed toward thetranslation buyer. Members can get upto 100 copies of this brochure free ofcharge to send to their clients.

ATA is also involved in theTranslation Summit, which bringstogether industry, academia, and thetranslation and interpreting commu-nity, so that we can all talk to oneanother and make sure our clients getit right, and so that we can providewhat our clients need and can educatetranslators and interpreters to meetthose needs. That is a huge part ofwhat we do. We spend a lot of moneyon public relations, and a lot of thateffort is going into client education.And that’s the only way.

I give a lot of keynote addresses, andI also teach translation at the universitylevel. My message is always: to be suc-cessful in this business, you need to bethe best at what you do, and you need tospecialize. I also talk to clients aboutwhat to look for in translators. I tellthem to look for somebody who does alimited number of languages, in a verylimited scope of topics, and sticks towhat they know.

ASTTI: Marian Greenfield, thankyou very much!

Interview with Marian S. Greenfield, ATA President Continued


Visitwww.atanet.org

twenty-four/seven


It seems a trivial concept—Survivor—a reality TV program thatcelebrates self-absorption and socialmaladaptation, and which has noplace in my living room (although Idid spend 30 minutes with thedenizens on one occasion, just to see

what the conversation was about).However, the core theme, whichincludes overcoming inertia, aban-doning the status quo, and rethinking“how we do things around here,”seems compelling.While project management is a rela-tively new profession, the activitiesassociated with it have been practicedfor centuries. An endeavor requiringplanning, execution, oversight, andcompletion is not an uncommon partof life, and, the management of suchactivities has been undertaken as afact of life, with variable success.

Project management is oftenregarded as a profession that anyonewith some common sense canmaster—and that may be true, if cost,quality, and time are not a factor.While there may well be some “natu-rals” among us, getting somethingdone is not necessarily the same asmastering a task in a timely, cost-effective fashion. And it bears men-tioning that “managing” and “doing”are not necessarily the same thing.

All too often, particularly in ourindustry, project managers have beentasked with everything from administra-tive work to accounting, and have fewtools or techniques at their disposal toforestall the inevitable burnout—the pre-vailing wisdom states that the answer is

to hire additional project managers. Thispattern is not surprising, given that manyagencies grow from a “Mom and Pop”shop into a larger concern—the leadperson has always handled everythingand the status quo prevails.

There is a path up and out, however,and it involves three simple concepts:education, empowerment, andanalysis. While it seems to be such acommon-sense construct and so self-evident, it is our nature to overlook theobvious and soldier on as we havealways done. But let’s take a new lookat our work and our profession.

What is a Project?According to the Project Manage-

ment Institute (PMI), a project is char-acterized as an activity that is uniqueand temporary. It is distinguished inthat regard from a program, whichinvolves repetition of processes that areperformed on a routine basis.

➡

“Managing” and “doing” are not necessarily the same thing.

17

Survivor:By Tina Wuelfing Cargile

Escape from ProjectManagement Island


What is Project Management?Project management is the applica-

tion of specific tools and techniques(e.g., work breakdown structure, crit-ical path planning, earned value man-agement, etc.) for application withindefined process areas:

• Communications management • Cost management • Human resources management • Integration management • Procurement management • Quality management • Risk management • Scope management • Time management

…and integrated into the followingactivities:

• Initiation • Planning • Executing• Controlling• Closing.

Traditional Project ManagementProject managers served as tech-

nical experts first and as project man-agers second (e.g., aerospaceengineers, software developers).Since they provided most of the tech-nical direction, project managers heldmaximum authority (power) andaccountability, competed forresources, and held and controlledinformation (project data, correspon-dence, budgets, scheduling tools).

Modern Project ManagementMost technical direction is sup-

plied by managers/vendors (e.g.,production expertise, web/softwareexpertise, technical editing expertise),and accountability and authority isshared with managers/vendors.Project managers now negotiate fordeliverables rather than personnel.

Access to information is shared, as isresponsibility for reporting, sched-uling, and tracking. Most importantly,the principles and practices of projectmanagement are now incorporatedinto all areas of the workplace.

It is clear that the activities identi-fied as part and parcel of project man-

agement impact many aspects of yourorganization, and that the cultivationof such activities and the principles ofproject management, appliedthroughout your organization, wouldbenefit every department and defusemuch of the pressure and responsi-bility on individual project managers.Let us take a look at the steps you cantake to get everyone at your organiza-tion thinking like a project manager.

First Step: EducationProviding your project managers

with the world-class tools and tech-niques to do their jobs most efficientlyis of primary importance. While thereare numerous educational vehicles,the PMI’s Project ManagementProfessional certification program istruly without parallel, both in terms ofcontent and practicality from a timeand cost perspective.

PMI’s Project ManagementProfessional (PMP) certification is thepreeminent professional credential forindividuals in project management. PMIis dedicated to developing and main-taining a rigorous, examination-basedprofessional certification program to

advance the project management profes-sion. Currently, there are over 200,000PMPs practicing worldwide.

PMI’s Project Management Bodyof Knowledge (PMBOK) comprises,in my opinion, the most comprehen-sive, globally accepted, and tech-nique-focused definition and

application of project managementprinciples and knowledge.

Holding a PMP certificationassures clients that you have a solidexperiential and educational grasp ofproject management principles andpractices. While the tools and tech-niques are not employed the sameway in all organizations, they providea common language and a startingpoint for project managers workingtogether across all industries.

PMP training and study will pro-vide you with both the criticalthinking techniques and the hands-ontools that will allow you to provide aleadership role, not just within yourorganization, but also for your clientsand your vendors.

Requirements• If you hold a baccalaureate degree

(or equivalent), you are required tohave 4,500 hours leading anddirecting specific tasks, in additionto 36 months of project manage-ment experience.

• If you do not hold a baccalaureatedegree, you are required to have

While project management is a relatively newprofession, the activities associated with it have

been practiced for centuries.

Survivor: Escape from Project Management Island Continued



7,500 hours in a position of respon-sibility leading and directing specifictasks, in addition to 60 months ofproject management experience.

• You must have earned 35 contin-uing education units/professionaldevelopment units related to projectmanagement education beforeapplying to sit for the examination.

Examination Application• You must document, either online

or in paper format, the hours ofproject management experienceyou are claiming, including theprocess areas involved in each.

• Applications are subject to audit—be sure your documentationincludes accurate contact informa-tion to confirm your experience ifyour application is audited.

• Once your application has beenprocessed, if eligible, you willreceive an eligibility letter (via e-mail) containing detailed sched-uling instructions.

The Examination• Test candidates have one year from

the date their application isapproved and processed to take theexamination.

• Candidates have a maximum ofthree attempts to receive a passingscore on the PMP examinationwithin the one-year eligibilityperiod. After the third unsuccessfulattempt, candidates will have towait one year before reapplying forthe credential and attempting totest again.

• Questions are multiple choice andare designed to test your knowledge

of project management principlesas well as your experience. Thequestions are situational and theremay be more than one correctanswer. You are required to selectthe answer that most accuratelytakes into account the principlespresented in the PMBOK.

Sharing the Knowledge: Cultivatinga Project Management Culture• Share the content of your classes

with others in your organization asyou progress through the training(most courses last five to eightweeks). This will help reinforcethe training in your own mind andprovide the opportunity for othersto understand and begin to absorbproject management principlesand techniques.

• Consider making your readingmaterial available to all in a com-pany library; publish/distributeeducational “leads” (onlineresources, articles of interest injournals, etc.).

• Ask staff members to share theirown training experiences with youand the rest of the staff.

• Use the language of project man-agement and demonstrate the useof and effectiveness of projectmanagement techniques in day today work settings.

• Make sure training in specificprocess areas is available (e.g.,procurement, risk management).

Second Step: EmpowermentEmpowering your project managers

with appropriate tools and techniquesis a powerful first step, and part of thatprocess should be providing informa-tion about those tools to all staff mem-bers. However, knowledge withoutaccess to meaningful information anddata will do little to balance the load onyour internal resources.

DataIs your tracking and scheduling

information available to everyone onstaff, preferably via intranet orInternet? Is the project managerresponsible for the recording/updatingof this information, or are employeesempowered to update the master data?

• Universal access to pipeline/fore-casting information, and access toscheduling and planning for liveprojects, is essential if you are todepend upon your managers/ven-dors to provide deliverables ratherthan just resources.

• Sharing the task of updating sched-ules and entering data results in moreaccurate data and increased band-width for your project managers.

• The price of designing oracquiring such an electronicsystem is well worth the cost! Theoutlay may be far less than thestaffing additions required if youmaintain the status quo.

Translation Requests• Consider providing the actual

translation request with the ➡


First Step: Education

Second Step: Empowerment

Third Step: Analysis

Get People Thinking


project materials on your network.

• If you are concerned about confi-dentiality and you do not yet havesigned confidentiality and/or non-competition agreements with yourstaff, do it now!

• If you are still concerned, you havemore work to do.

• Providing this information allowsyour staff to answer many ques-tions or get clarification withouthaving to ask the project manager.

• Filtering upfront informationthrough just one person is risky—specialized departmental perspec-tives can make a critical difference.

• Understanding the business needbehind a request enables employeesto approach work from a “fitness foruse” perspective.

Estimate/Quote Information• Allow your staff to answer many

questions or get clarification withouthaving to ask the project manager.

• Staff members can conduct areality check if they are unsure ofthe level of service requested.

• Staff members can proactivelyadvise if the scope of work exceedswhat was quoted.

• Bring staff members into theprocess—if they have access to thisinformation, you are building trust.

Correspondence• Allow your staff to answer many

questions or get clarification withouthaving to ask the project manager.

• Staff members can better prepare

for changes in scope and deadlines.

• Staff members can solve post-delivery problems down the road—two months later, do youremember what the client said?Can you prove it?

• Giving access to the “how” and“why” brings staff members into theprocess, further empowers them,and may bring you a wealth ofinsight from the staff on the ground.

Permission to Act• Give your staff permission to act

instead of always having to askpermission.

• Remember that giving permissionto act also must include permissionto fail, and you must offer supportwhen that happens.

• Involve the staff in face-to-facediscussions regarding upcomingwork, and encourage questions,dialogue, and clearing the air.

Third Step: AnalysisThis step includes activities that

are well outside the scope of this dis-cussion, but that bear mentioning. Ascomplex as business and personalanalysis can be, this is an area wheremuch immediate action can be takenwith little effort.

Business Model Analysis• Where have you been? Did you start

as a small agency translating Englishwebsites into foreign languages?

• Where are you now? Has yourbusiness subsequently gone in anew direction? Perhaps, as a resultof your localization business, youhave acquired a great deal of for-eign-into-English litigation work.

Are you staffing your business inthe same way?

• Where do you want to go? Haveyou examined your pipeline, yoursales plan, your organization, andthought about the future? Are youplanning your staff and technologyacquisitions to make your planspossible?

Task Analysis• Examine the daily tasks being per-

formed in your organization—think about each one and answerthe question: Why are we doingthis? You may be surprised howoften you do not know the answer,and nobody else does, either!

• Examine the daily tasks being per-formed in your organization—thinkabout each one in light of technolog-ical innovations. Do you still have afile room? Are you still sending outhardcopy translations? Is the rightdata being saved electronically (andproperly backed up)?

• Have you provided remote accessto key staff members?

• Are you providing appropriate andadequate training to staff membersto encourage self-reliance (use offtp, effective electronic calen-daring, e-mail filing, common pro-grams, utilities, and elementarytroubleshooting)?

• Have you examined your work-load and determined whether asegment of it might be better exe-cuted as a program/process ratherthan as a project?

Escape From the IslandWith all the knowledge gained and

waste eliminated, you can go out and

Survivor: Escape from Project Management Island Continued




hire two more project managers, right?Not so fast! Before you clone yourselfyet again, analyze the tasks you areperforming, and remember that man-aging and doing are not always thesame thing! Instead, consider:

• Hiring a person who specializes incomputer-aided translation tools torun analyses, maintain translationmemories, process extraction tasks,and keep your company up-to-dateon this rapidly changing technology.

• Instituting a project managementoffice charged with maintainingtemplates, project information, les-sons learned, as well as interfacingwith clients post-deliveryregarding problems, in-countryreviews, and revisions. This officecould also be charged withreceiving and shipping orders, aswell as initiating work on straight-forward projects (programs).

• Adding contract, part-time, or full-time production personnel, con-sultants, or editors if your in-housestaffing (other than translators) islight, and if the nature of yourwork demands that you spend sig-nificant time on such tasks (or onoutsourcing them).

Bottom LineAdopting any of these suggestions

can prove valuable to your company,your career, and probably will enhanceyour personal life (if only by givingyou one). Nearly as important, in myestimation, is that adopting world-classbusiness principles in our organiza-tions elevates us as companies and alsoelevates us as an industry.

Info

rmati

onEng

ineering Knowledge Management

TerminologyAutomation Publication

Transl

ation

WhyThe information analysts and engineers at STAR specialize indeveloping information models that represent the company'sintellectual assets, similar to the way a product is developed.Thus, technical writing becomes straightforward.

Coming at the technical publications market from a translationperspective, STAR has solved the most vexing problems thatultimately arise in classical document management and pub-lishing systems.

Take advantage of STAR's experience and software solutions todevelop an information model specific to your company.Enable company-wide creation, management and updating oftechnical information from a single-source. Ensure fully-auto-matic user and application-specific publication in all lan-guages for any media.

not change the approach to the benefit of all?

Established in 1984, the STARGroup is globally recognized as aleader in information manage-ment, globalization, internation-alization, and localization solu-tions as well as a premier devel-oper of language technologies.With 22 years of experience anda staff of 1000+ language andtechnology experts located at 39offices in 29 countries, the STARGroup is the world's largest pri-vately held translation technologyand services company. In fact,

STAR is the only language servic-es company to have created all ofthe technologies necessary toeffectively manage all phases oftechnical publication.

STAR Group America LLC 5001 Mayfield Road, Suite 220Lyndhurst, OH 44124Phone: 216-691-7827Fax: 216-691-8910E-mail: [email protected]



1. Visit ATA’s School Outreach Welcome Page atwww.atanet.org/careers/school_outreach.php, andclick on Presentation Resource Materials.

2. Pick the age level you like the best and click on it.

3. Download a presentation and deliver it at your local school or university.

4. Get someone to take a picture of you in the classroom.

5. Send it to ATA’s Public Relations Committee [email protected] (subject line: School Outreach Contest)or to 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA22314. Please include your name and contact infor-mation, the date, the school’s name and location, anda brief description of the class.

Submission deadline: July 23, 2007

The best photograph wins free registration to ATA’s48th Annual Conference in San Francisco, California(October 31 – November 3, 2007)! The winner will becontacted no later than August 20, 2007. You maysubmit multiple entries, and any member of ATA or ofany ATA-affiliated organization is eligible to enter.

Any questions? Contact: Lillian Clementi,[email protected].

Second Annual School Outreach Contest

Join ATA’s School Outreach movement and start educating clients one classroom at a time.

It’s easy • It’s fun • It’s free • and ...it could win you free registration to ATA’s 48th Annual Conference in

San Francisco, California (October 31 – November 3, 2007).

March 10, 2007

Midwest Association of Translators and Interpreters

Seminar and General MeetingMadison, Wisconsin

• How to Break into the Voice-Over Industry

• National Standards of Practice forInterpreters in Healthcare: Raising the Quality of Interpreting in Healthcare

• What did the agency promise the client?

Information: www.matiata.org


With globalization continu-ously on the rise, companies nowrealize the need for reaching a globalaudience in their respective lan-guages. As a result, translators areincreasingly being asked to “trans-late” slogans, taglines, and all sorts ofwhat is generally labeled as “mar-keting” material. This is certainly avery interesting job, and definitelyone that is very challenging.

Clients, however, rarely ask foractual “copywriting.” Most requestsare disguised as “translation,” “proof-reading,” or “editing” jobs. Here aresome typical examples of requests forthese types of jobs that I have receivedand that you may recognize from yourown experience:

• You are asked to proofread a textthat turns out to require full-blowncopyediting.

• A client asks you to make a transla-tion read “more idiomatic.”

• You are asked to “translate” ahigh-gloss magazine advertise-ment (at a minimum rate, since it isonly 200 words).

• The client is a bit short on ideas andneeds you to “come up with a cre-ative tagline,” for which they offerto pay you $20.

• You get a phone call and a des-perate person at the other end asksyou to translate a company sloganover the phone.

How to Handle RequestsI am often asked by fellow transla-

tors how to handle requests for suchjobs. More often than not, seriousclient education is in order, sincemany clients (and even translators)tend to underestimate the work and

skills needed to deliver a good copy-writing job.

Before getting into some of themain arguments that you may want to

use in your negotiations with clients(see Summary Table #1), there aresome widespread myths that ought tobe clarified:

Myth #1: “Every translator candeliver an adequate rendering ofmarketing copy.”This is not true. Creative copywritingrequires special skills and talent thathave been refined through training andexperience.

Myth #2: A translator specializingin copywriting can produce copyjust like any other translation.Again, this is not true. Reproducing

copy in another language cannot beequated with translation, because itrequires several refining steps on topof the translation itself.

Myth #3: If you list “marketing” asyour specialty, you are automaticallyable to produce top-selling copy. This is not necessarily the case.Someone specializing in marketingwill know the marketing terminology,and is supposed to understand the ins

Translators Hired as Copywriters

Many clients (and even translators) tend tounderestimate the work and skills needed to

deliver a good copywriting job.

➡


■ Copywriting requires special talent, training, and experience in addition toforeign-language and translating skills.

■ To come up with good copy, you need to have a very clear idea of what the message is.

■ To get “the big picture,” you need as much input as possible (explanation ofintended message, target group, purpose, where the document will be used,visuals, etc.).

■ Any professional copywriter would refuse to work without such input on the grounds of unprofessionalism.

Client Education Arguments

Summary Table #1

By Nina Sattler-Hovdar


and outs of product management,market dynamics, market research,positioning statements, the meaning ofa SWOT analysis (evaluation ofStrengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,and Threats), consumer behavior, etc.,but may not be, or want to be, a cre-ative copywriter. Marketing is a tech-nical field just like accounting,corporate law, or any other fieldrequiring special knowledge and termi-nology. Copywriting should be han-dled as an additional skill of its own.1

Once both you and the client areaware that copywriting is not the sameas marketing expertise and that top-selling copy is a time-consumingprocess over and above the translationprocess itself, it should become clearthat we are no longer talking aboutmere translation and mere translationfees, but of translation (fees) pluscopywriting (fees).

Know What is InvolvedAnother paramount aspect is that

good copy cannot be provided at thetouch of a button. Even the most giftedand experienced copywriters need anadequate briefing before they even sitdown to start thinking. The “creatives”within advertising agencies get what iscalled a creative briefing. It is impor-tant to ask for such a briefing if youare planning to accept an assignmentinvolving copywriting.

If a creative briefing is not avail-able, ask for the intended message, thetarget group, the purpose, where thetext will be used, as well as for anyvisuals that are going to be printedwith the text. I strongly recommendnot accepting copywriting jobswithout a proper briefing.

A briefing is also important when itcomes to evaluating the quality of yourwork. Because at the end of the day,how is your work going to be judged?At the mercy of the client’s subjective

taste and preferences, or against some-thing neutral like the assignment param-eters discussed during an initialbriefing? A briefing gives you and theclient an objective basis for judging agiven choice of words. Just keep inmind that as long as the difference ofopinion over a particular choice of wordor phrasing does not affect the overallmessage, you will probably still want toaccommodate the client’s wishesregarding the use of certain terms.

If everything else fails, try usingthe formula shown in Summary Table#2 above.

Before You StartIt is my hope that you will be able

to come to an agreement with theclient regarding the particulars of ajob, and be provided with all thebriefing and input you need to com-plete the job to everyone’s satisfaction.Before you set out with the job, youmay find it helpful to read through the10-step procedure that I apply in mywork (see Summary Table #3, page25). It is a procedure I have developedover time, and it seems to work wellfor both me and my clients.

AddendumThe following is a summary of

some of the most common questions Ihave encountered from colleagues. Iprovide the answers below for yourconvenience.

When does a job qualify as “copy-writing” as opposed to a standardtranslation? When are copywritingfees justified?A: The line is blurry, but I recommendthat anything that is going to be pub-lished and is meant to promote, per-suade, or elicit a response in any wayrequires copywriting and should behandled as such.

How can I convince a translationcompany to give me all the inputand reference material I need? Theyoften say they cannot get it.A: If the agency is really interested indelivering a good job and keeping theirclients happy, they will make sure youget what you need. Use the same argu-ments you would use with a directclient. Sadly, many project managersare unaware of what it takes to comeup with good copy, so do make surethey realize what is at stake. Wheneverything else fails, you may point outthat a botched brochure translationcould lead to costly legal claims.

Does the use of computer-assistedtranslation (CAT) tools hamper cre-ative writing?A: Indeed it does. Since the copywritingprocess focuses on the target text only(see Summary Table #3), segmentationsand tags definitely keep the creativejuices from flowing freely. You shouldbe able to read a text without any tech-nical distractions.

Summary Table #2

Translators Hired as Copywriters Continued


The more input, the better the copy.The faster the turnaround, the lower the cost.

Meaning: The more visuals, reference materi-al, and briefing you get (more input), the bet-ter you will be able to understand and renderthe message (better copy). The less time youneed to spend guessing and searching around(faster turnaround) for information, the more time you save for copy development (lower cost).

Tell the Client


Are you sometimes asked to provideback-translations, and how do youhandle that?A: I do have clients who need me toprovide a back-translation of the finalcreative copy. The reason is usuallythat the local client’s parent companydoes not understand a word of Germanand would like to get a rough idea ofwhat the German says and how much itstrays from the original English text. I

think we all know about the shortcom-ings of back-translations, but the clientmay not necessarily have our experi-ence. So it is important to stress thatthe back-translation is meant for orien-tation only. What I usually do in suchcases is to provide a rather literal trans-lation, explaining plays of words and,if applicable, the reason for choosing adifferent approach than what appearsin the original text. This is the solution

I would recommend to anyone who isasked to deliver a back-translation.

What is the ideal background forworking as a copywriter?A: There probably is no such thing asan ideal background, since there aremany ways to acquire the skills, pro-vided you have a certain talent andinterest to start with. Marketingexpertise is certainly an advantage, butnot a must. You should, however, beable to tell good copy from one thatsounds flat or dowdy. This is usually askill acquired over time, preferably byworking with advertising and/orpublic relation professionals. Apartfrom that, you should keep yourselfup-to-date by constantly reading goodjournalistic texts, press releases, andsales and advertising material.

Notes1. I hope that ATA will consider cre-

ating a new category labeled“Copywriting” in its online data-base, to be listed in addition totranslation, interpreting, desktoppublishing, and whatever otherskills we are increasingly expectedto offer. I would consider this anadded value for both potentialclients and translators. It wouldenhance the user-friendliness foranyone searching the database.

For example, someone listingcopywriting and medicine in theircredentials would be an excellentchoice for translating and adaptinga medical company’s high-glossbrochure on a new product. Theclient would not have to go througha whole list of medical translatorswho are unable or do not want tooffer copywriting, and these trans-lators would then be sparedrequests that they would not wantto deal with anyway.

Recommended Copywriting Procedure1 State clearly in advance what sort of fee you intend to charge for your work. The industry

standard is either time-based (hourly, daily, or even weekly flat fees) or project-based (perdirect mail letter, per article page, per brochure).

2 Review and absorb all briefings and visuals. Review them until they really sink in and youhave captured the spirit and intended message. Make sure you have fully understood whatthe client wants to express (if you have not, ask!).

3 Come up with a translation that is as close to the original as possible, even if it may not soundperfect at first.

4 Proofread to make sure you have not missed anything.

5 Put the material aside and check out relevant target-language sites on the Internet or otherreference material (brochures, catalogs, etc.) to collect ideas.

6 Read only the translation and start editing.

7 Make sure you speak the reader’s language. Step back and try to visualize yourself talkingto someone else. How would you express a particular thought in your own language? Whatwould sound natural? Be to the point, do not waffle.

8 Keep track of the time spent.

9 Deliver the job and expect some back and forth negotiations between you and the client. Donot worry if the client asks you to make changes, since this is completely normal procedure.(It does not necessarily mean your version is poor.)

10 Write the bill, but do not write it before the end client has given his or her final approval!

Summary Table #3



The following is a translation of anessay by Tuula Kojo, the Finnish trans-lator of Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk,who won the 2006 Nobel Prize forLiterature. The essay first appeared in a2005 collection of writings by Finnishliterary translators about the challengesand rewards of transferring literaturebetween worlds, Suom. huom.: kir-joituksia kääntämisestä [TranslatorNote: Essays about Translation].1 It hasbeen translated here with permission.

I feel confused every timeI first hold in my hands a brand newbook, hot off the press, that I havetranslated into Finnish. I recognizethe author’s name and my own, too, ofcourse, and yes, I guess that is how Irevised that phrase when the finalproofs were in front of me and thehurry was great. True, that is no doubtthe text I produced, but why does itnevertheless seem so curiously unfa-miliar, as if it had been done bysomeone other than me?

My confusion can be traced in partto the fact that the Finnish book is sovery fine and clean and fresh. TheTurkish original, which is closer tome, is anything but. Turkish books arealmost without exception paperbacks,often a bit shabby looking. Theirpaper is porous and yellowish, and thewords crowd the pages till there isbarely room to breathe. And thebook’s characteristic smell crowns itall: a blend of cigarette smoke, airpollution, and damp dust. That is thekind of book I have thumbed throughas I worked. It has been dear andfamiliar through and through to me. Ithas been like a home, but it waswritten by someone other than me.

My work as a literary translatorand I remain in some no-man’s-landbetween these books. There I havetraveled all about, groping my way

through the text, which bit by bitreshaped itself from Turkish intoFinnish. Every book I translate is ajourney for me.

The Book Where It All Began I read a book one day and mywhole life was changed. Even onthe first page I was so affected bythe book’s intensity I felt my bodysever itself and pull away from thechair where I sat reading the bookthat lay before me on the table.2

So begins my first translation, TheNew Life. The book that turned mylife upside down, however, was anearlier novel by Orhan Pamuk, TheWhite Castle, which I read in 1992.

But first I think we ought to sweepback through time to the early 1980s.I was not supposed to become a lit-erary translator. I was studying allsorts of fun things at the University ofTurku in Finland: culture, literature,cinema, art. During the summers Iroamed about Europe by Interrail.Through travel and studies I came toknow the Western countries, but itwasn’t enough. The world was muchmore. I was curious and longed toexplore distant places, but as a studenton a tight budget I did not get fartherthan Turkey.

I made my first trip to Turkey in thesummer of 1984, when I participatedin an international work camp in thevillage of Sögütçük in centralAnatolia. I spoke no Turkish and knewvirtually nothing about Turkey. Along

with 20 other committed Europeans, Idug ditches for water pipes.Conditions were primitive, the sunscorched, the village men cheered uson from the shade, cigarettes dangling.At the camp I started out my journalthis way: “I can’t tell whether I likethis or not.” A month later in Istanbul Iwrote: “I can’t bear this sick countryany more, it’s making me sick, too. IfI can only last till Finland.” I decided Iwould either figure out this sickcountry that tried me so, or I wouldnever ever come back.

That hot summer marked the begin-ning of my multifaceted relationshipwith Turkey and the Turkish language.For the next 10 years, in and aroundmy studies and work, Turkey was, for

me, often both a horror and a fun andilluminating fascination: misery,minarets, splendor, language classes,bus trips all over the place, culture,history, tea, all sorts of people, revolu-tions, kindness, love, sultans, hate,cats. I learned how to greet the elderlywith respect, I saw where Asia begins,and I thought about why Turkey as acountry defies comprehension. Iwanted to understand.

I also read some Turkish literature,which for a long time seemedsomehow distant, foreign, strange. Itdid not really reach me. I neverthelessdid some sketchy translations andstuffed them in a drawer. They laterformed the basis for an anthology onIstanbul that I pulled together, and forwhich Orhan Pamuk wrote his veryfirst short story.

I Must be Myself:Accompanying Orhan Pamuk

Every book I translate is a journey to me.

By Tuula Kojo, Translated by Jill G. Timbers



It was Pamuk’s novel The WhiteCastle that first stopped me short. Iwas blown away. It felt as if thebook’s tale of twin identities had beenwritten just for me. That’s exactlyhow my mind works, too; I also amnot always sure whether I am I or you.It was hard to believe that the authorwas really Turkish. I had to meet him.

I tracked down his phone number,called him, interviewed him, andwrote in my journal: “Really smartguy. Terrific sense of humor.” Shortlyafter this, we met in Istanbul. I wasthere to do literary research, but bythe end of our long conversation weboth agreed that I should begin totranslate his books into Finnish. At thetime, I had no idea what I was gettingmyself into.

The Translator’s PlungeI stepped into the great unknown

when, having signed my first transla-tion contract with the publishinghouse Tammi, I leapt confidently intoThe New Life and forgot all about therest of the world. My translation wascompleted in a state of bewitchment Icannot even explain. I did not touchmy journal, because The New Life wasmy journal. That is how it felt. Iwanted nothing more.

When I translated the part wherethe protagonist sits watching besidethe bed of his feverish beloved, sud-denly I, too, ran a high fever. Nor didI even find this strange. Instead, Icould not imagine how people couldchoose to busy themselves at theirsummer cottages when, for me, theworld’s greatest happiness was trans-lating Orhan Pamuk’s novel. When Ihad no choice but to go outside to buycoffee and cigarettes, the bustle of thestreets seemed unreal to me. My onlyreality was the book.

The more I turned the pages, themore a world that I could havenever imagined, or perceived, per-vaded my being and took hold ofmy soul.… I knew I was slowlymaking progress on a road that hadno return.3

Not till the final meters of theundertaking did I begin to feel fright-ened: just what was I doing? My

journal from that period has this note:“I wish I had never read the book thatchanged my life totally.” The wishwas soon forgotten. My translationinto Finnish reached completion withthe support of the world’s best editor,Vappu Orlov. My Finnish translationof Pamuk’s novel The New Life waspublished in 1995, and I was left withan emptiness as I held the unfamiliar-seeming book in my hand: my first-born. I thirsted for a new bewitchmentright away.

Genuine WorkDear reader, I in no way wish to sug-

gest that translating is sheer rapture forme. It is genuine work as well. But thatonly became clear to me gradually.

In the fall of 1996, I took part in a“master class” intended for beginningliterary translators that was organiz-ed by the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters. There,

many essentials involved in translatingliterature became clear to me, and Idiscovered I was not alone, eventhough I was the only translator inFinland translating Turkish literature.My tutor Oili Suominen4 warmlyencouraged me to continue.

After the course, I wrote in myjournal: “I really feel like moving toHelsinki and pouring myself 100%into translating.” But the future

seemed uncertain. One cannot live onPamuk alone.

I was residing in Stockholm andtranslating The Black Book fromTurkish into Finnish. But I was livingin Istanbul and seeking the city’s mys-tique. Pamuk’s narrative effusions,metaphysical machinations, tor-mentor’s tears, buildings’ darkchasms, princes sprawled on divans,sad souls in search of their identity,and columnists who had lost theirmemory left me wonderfully dizzywith it all.

This was when I first heard therefrain...in counterpoint to theringing in my ears. It promised tosave me from the madding crowd, toshow me the road back to my innervoice, my own peace, my own hap-piness, even my own smell. Youmust be yourself, you must be your-self, you must be yourself!5

To make my Finnish translation sound like Pamuk, Iread both the Turkish and the Finnish out loud time and

time again. And secretly I cursed my author, whoseemed to have gotten me completely in his power.

➡



I moved to Helsinki and wonderedwhether translating literature couldbecome more than a moment’s flingfor me. What if I were to take the fas-cination with Turkey that had begun at

the work camp and turn it into a mealticket, a career. But it still took a longtime before I was able to hold my headup and call myself a literary translatorby profession.

With this came much more as well.I have given presentations and writtenarticles about Turkey. I have workedin a Turkish bookstore, interpreted forTurkish immigrants, toured refugeecamps in southeastern Turkey, andwritten columns for Turkish newspa-pers. I have subtitled Turkish televi-sion programs and translated lovers’legal certificates. I have shouted todoubters at the top of my lungs thatTurkey is definitely no boondocks!

I have found myself serving as acultural intermediary and as an experton Turkey of whom all sorts of ques-tions are asked: What language isspoken in Turkey? Are Turks Arabs?Why are the Kurds being repressed?Will Turkey join the European Union?Does it snow in Istanbul?

With their questions, people havetaught me, in turn. I have shaped amental image of the readers of mytranslations. Aha, I need to translatethis sentence this way so my readerswill picture it correctly. Indeed, cus-

toms, smells, and figures of speechthat are perfectly obvious to me and toTurks may be like Greek to myFinnish readers. Where we would say“I take part” and an American might

offer condolences, the Turk wouldsay, “May your head remain healthy.”

At every opportunity I haveencouraged people to pick upPamuk’s books. Discover a differentTurkey! Whenever anyone asks mewhich of Pamuk’s novels I think is hisbest, I answer with the one I am trans-lating at the time.

PainEvery night a sorrow overwhelmsme, a misery descends upon me.Oh, my brothers, my dear brothers,we’re being poisoned, we’re rot-ting, dying, we’re exhausting our-selves as we live, we’ve sunk up toour necks in misery...6

My back had started to ache evenbefore I began translating Pamuk’s MyName is Red, which, along with muchelse, depicts Enishte Effendi’s greattorment: “Withstanding this boundlesssuffering was so difficult that a portionof my mind reacted—as if this were itsonly option—by forgetting the agonyand seeking a gentle sleep.”7

I had just recovered from theinsomnia and paramnesia I had caughtfrom the columnist of The Black Book.

I clung to rituals more tightly thanever, as I believed them to be a vitalpart of my work: that coffee cup hasto be placed precisely like that,exactly there, or I will make a mis-take. To make my Finnish translationsound like Pamuk, I read both theTurkish and the Finnish out loud timeand time again. And secretly I cursedmy author, who seemed to have gottenme completely in his power. I hadbecome a slave. If his novel’s herosuffered, I, too, had to suffer.

My journals make for grim reading:“I am desperate.… Can I keep this up?Will my health withstand it? Will thisnever end?.… Terrible shooting painsin my chest and shoulders.… I amtired, I am frightened.…”

I will not continue moaning, dearreader, I will not disclose the depthsin which I have wallowed, for what Ibear guilt, of what I am ashamed, orwhom I have betrayed. But I do wantto tell you that after a certain point, Ifirmly resolved to kill off my author.

I suppose in a way I did kill him,too. But when once again we met andtalked things through, my murderresolve was forgotten, and I had avague recollection of happiness. For itis happiness that the heroes ofPamuk’s novels seek, and some evenfind it, momentarily.

I, too, sought happiness as I trans-lated the novel Snow from Turkishinto Finnish. I, too, like the book’shero, visited Kars on the threshold ofthe November 2002 elections. As Iwrite, the winner of those elections istrying to pilot Turkey into theEuropean Union. The beauty, poverty,and sadness of Turkey’s northeastcorner moved me, too, to tears. And I,too, had to answer the question: Whatdo Europeans think of the Turks?

If the Europeans are right and ouronly future and only hope is to be

My Finnish translation of Pamuk’s novel The New Lifewas published in 1995, and I was left with an

emptiness as I held the unfamiliar-seeming book in my hand: my firstborn.

I Must be Myself: Accompanying Orhan Pamuk Continued



more like them, it’s foolish towaste time talking about whatmakes us who we are.8

Memories and the CityLiterary translation demands

much: precision, humility, patience,general knowledge, empathy, and whoknows what all. Insufficiency is afamiliar feeling. I would like to say a

word of warning to those consideringa career as a literary translator, but Icannot decide what to say.

Except, perhaps, that translatingliterature also gives you a great deal.As I sit at my desk now and pagethrough my translations and my jour-nals and try to take inventory of myyears with the Turkish language, Inearly burst with the memories. OTurkey, what brew have you steepedme in? O Istanbul, city where I haveenjoyed innumerable glasses of tea inthe company of gentlemen. OIstanbul. Memories and the City! It isyou I have translated in the grip ofgreat happiness and guilt.

I would like very much to open aclean page of my journal and write: “Iwould not trade any of it for anything!I am grateful that I was able to get toknow Orhan Pamuk and Istanbul,thankful that I have been allowed toexperience the intoxicating whirlwhich Turkey has presented to me.”

But I must be myself and confessthat at this moment I really do not

know what I think about it all. I swingback and forth. And why do I evenneed to know, since I have had thegood fortune to translate an authorwhose thoughts are often built on justas shaky a foundation as mine?

[When they told me that the pictureon the wall was of me,]

Each time I’d feel my mind unrav-eling: my ideas about myself andthe boy who looked like me, mypicture and the picture I resembled,my home and the other house—allwould slide about in a confusionthat made me long all the more tobe at home again, surrounded bymy family.9

Notes1. Suom. huom.: kirjoituksia kään-

tämisestä [Translator Note: Essaysabout Translation]. Edited byKristiina Rikman (Helsinki, Finland:WSOY, 2005). www.wsoy.fi.

2. Pamuk, Orhan. The New Life.Translated by Güneli Gün (NewYork: Vintage International, 1998), 3.

3. Ibid, 5.

4. Another famous Finnish literarytranslator, Suominen is particu-larly known as the translator ofGünter Grass.

5. Pamuk, Orhan. The Black Book.Translated by Maureen Freely(New York: Vintage International,2006), 180.

6. Pamuk, Orhan. My Name is Red.Translated by Erdag M. Göknar(New York: Knopf, 2001), 280.

7. Ibid, 173.

8. Pamuk, Orhan. Snow. Translatedby Maureen Freely (New York:Knopf, 2004), 279.

9. Pamuk, Orhan. Istanbul: Memoriesand the City. Translated byMaureen Freely (New York:Vintage International, 2006), 4.

Literary translation demands much: precision, humility,patience, general knowledge, empathy, and

who knows what all.


May 5, 2007

New England TranslatorsAssociation

Eleventh Annual Conference

Marlborough, Massachusetts

Information:www.netaweb.org


The first three installmentsin this series emphasized websites ofa technical nature, with an occasionaloddity thrown in for good measure.This time the focus is entirely on web-sites for legal terminology and relatedresources. Although my own lan-guages are Spanish and English, Ihave also found a number of sites forFrench, German, and Portuguese.However, I will start with a survey ofmonolingual English sites.

English ResourcesBallantine’s Legal Dictionary andThesauruswww.citizenlaw.com/pdf/a.pdfThis is the PDF version of the com-plete unabridged edition ofBallantine’s. The URL takes you tothe entries for the first letter of thealphabet, so if you want to see entriesfor other letters, just change the “a” inthe URL to that particular letter.Unless you have a lot of time andpaper to spare, do not plan on printinga copy, since the entire PDF versionoccupies nearly 2,800 pages.

FindLawhttp://dictionary.lp.findlaw.com/index.htmlProvides a comprehensive set of legalresources for legal professionals, cor-porate counsel, law students, busi-nesses, and consumers.

Jurisdictionarywww.jurisdictionary.com/dictionary/A.aspProvides very detailed definitions ofmost terms.

MyLawyer.comwww.mylawyer.com/glossary.htm

Nolo Legal Glossarywww.nolo.com/definition.cfm/alpha/AThis site was created by NOLO, aprovider of do-it-yourself legal solu-tions for consumers and small busi-nesses.

Parliamentary Jargon Explainedwww.parliament.uk/glossary/glossary.cfmProvides definitions of the uniqueterms, expressions, and customs of theBritish Parliament. Among otherthings, the site contains informationabout the various institutions of theBritish government, including guidesto the House of Commons and theHouse of Lords in nine languages(English, Welsh, Chinese, French,German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish,and Russian).

The Cybrary Glossaryhttp://talkjustice.com/files/glossary.htmThis site is not limited to legal terminology.

The Law.Com Dictionary http://dictionary.law.com Provides both short and long definitions for most terms.

The ’Lectric Law Librarywww.lectlaw.com/def.htmContains excellent definitions. Un-doubtedly the best all-around resourcefor legal terminology.

Wikipedia Encyclopedia of Legal Termshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/category:legal_termsProvides access to a wide range ofEnglish legal terminology and otherresources.

Law Firm GlossariesMorrow Law Offices, LLC.www.morrowlaw.com/glossary_of_legal_terms.htmThe firm that created this glossary isnow defunct, but the information isstill good.

Tredway, Lumsdaine & Doyle, LLC.www.tldlaw.com/glossary.htmlA California law firm.

Court TermsCenter for Individual Freedomwww.cfif.org/htdocs/legal_issues/legal_links/index.htmThis is a good site if you need to con-sult court decisions. The Center forIndividual Freedom is a nonpartisan,nonprofit organization with a mission“to protect and defend individual free-doms and individual rights guaranteedby the U.S. Constitution.”

Cornell University Law Schoolwww.law.cornell.edu/uscodeContains a nice collection of U.S.codes.

CourtTV Law Center Glossarywww.courttv.com/archive/ legalterms/glossary.htmlThis is a somewhat surprisingly goodresource with excellent English definitions.

Emory University School of Lawwww.law.emory.edu/FEDCTSProvides access to all kinds of U.S.federal court information and docu-ments (e.g., rulings).

Federal Court Terminology www.id.uscourts.gov/glossary.htm

www.uscourts.gov/understanding_courts/gloss.htm

Glossary Mining Part Four: Making It Legal


By Lee Wright


Gavel2Gavel.comwww.re-quest.net/g2g/index.htmThis is where you can find codes,statutes, court opinions, etc.

National Association for CourtManagementwww.nacmnet.org/glossary.htmlA good glossary of court-related terms.

State CourtsA sizeable number of sites have alsobeen created by state courts and evenlarge county court systems. Here is asmall sampling of what is out there inno particular order of usefulness:

StateIowa State Judicial Branchwww.judicial.state.ia.us/Self_Help/common_legal_terms

Michigan State Courtwww.courts.michigan.gov/mji/resources/holt/holt.htm

New York State Court Systemwww.courts.state.ny.us/lawlibraries/glossary.shtml

New York State Court System(Spanish version)www.courts.state.ny.us/courthelp/spanish/spTermsGlossary.htm

Pennsylvania State Courtwww.courts.state.pa.us/Index/Aopc/glossary/glossary.htm

Tennessee State Courtwww.tsc.state.tn.us/geninfo/education/Glossary.htm

Virginia State Court www.courts.state.va.us/glossary_of_court_terms.html

CountyIngham County Courthouse,Michiganwww.ingham.org/CC/newpages/court%20Definitions.htm

Montgomery County Circuit Court,Marylandwww.montgomerycountymd.gov/mc/judicial/circuit/glossary/glossary.html

Shelby County Court, Tennesseehttp://co4.shelbycountytn.gov/court_clerks/criminal_court/glossary.html

Specialty SitesDuhaime’s Canadian Legal Dictionary www.uriaenpdc.org/uriae/juridiq/textes/default.htm

EmployeeIssues.comhttp://employeeissues.com/legal_glossary.htmContains general information aboutemployee rights in the U.S., includinga glossary specializing in employmentlaw issues.

Europa Glossaryhttp://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/index_A_es.htmA multilingual site (Danish, Dutch,Finnish, French, German, Italian,Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, andSwedish) offering a wide range of ter-minology that includes the legal field.

Instant Text Glossary Exchangewww.fitaly.com/legal/legalglo.htmA very unusual site providing short-hand ways of reproducing over 1,000standard legal phrases (e.g., iiamor =it is a matter of record).

JISC Legal Information Servicewww.jisclegal.ac.uk/glossary.htm A free information service in the U.K.offering legal information relating tothe use of information and communi-cations technologies.

Kieron Wood’s Pageshttp://indigo.ie/~kwood/legalterms.htm (Ireland)Contains information on Irish legalmatters.

Legal Dictionarywww.legal-dictionary.org/a-legal-terms.aspIn addition to complete terms, this siteprovides a separate glossary of legalabbreviations.

Legal Document Preparation Servicewww.legalhelpmate.com/legal-dictionary.aspxHere is a very unique and interestingconcept in glossaries. This site allowsyou to display terms in a specifiedsubject area, such as torts, criminallaw, and constitutional law.

Legal Sites on the Webwww.ih2000.net/ira/legal.htm

Navigador Jurídico Internacional www.juridicas.unam.mx/navjus/gobProvides access to legal materialsfrom all over the globe. It is especiallygood for foreign legislative texts.

Northern Illinois University of Lawhttp://law.niu.edu/go.cfm?do=Page.view&id=238

Rutgers Law Libraryhttp://law-library.rutgers.edu/ilg/topical.phpProvides access to a variety of dif-ferent legal sites.

➡



Senior Mag Legal Glossarywww.seniormag.com/legal/glossary/index.htmA Canadian publication specializingin legal and other concerns pertinent tosenior citizens.

Women Are Getting Evenwww.wageproject.org/content/statelaw/glossary.php Contains terminology related to theemployment of women (e.g., sex dis-crimination, etc.).

Documents, Forms, and PeriodicalsBiblioteca Legal Latino Americanawww.latinlaws.comAnother good site for Latin Americanlegislative documents.

Hoover Web Designwww.hooverwebdesign.com/ business/menu_legal.phpContains an assortment of download-able sample legal documents and forms.

The World Law Guide www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/legis.htmProvides information on LatinAmerican legislative documents (laws,decrees, codes, etc.).

University of California/BerkeleySchool of Law’s Index to ForeignLegal Periodicalswww.law.berkeley.edu/library/iflp/periodicals.html

Vital Records Guidewww.vitalrecordsguide.comContains records from all over the U.S.

Criminal and Civil LawBitLawwww.bitlaw.com/patentProvides excellent coverage of U.S.patent law.

Civil Lawwww.constitution.org/sps/sps.htmThis 17-chapter treatise on the subjectwritten by Samuel P. Scott is a majorEnglish-language resource on civillaw. It was written in 1932, but is stillmostly valid today.

Criminal Justice Brief www.prenhall.com/cjcentral/cjbrief6e/glossary/a.htmlAn excellent English-language glossary.

Criminal Law Lawyer Sourcewww.criminal-law-lawyer-source.com/terms.htmlContains information on criminal lawterminology.

Freepatentsonlinehttp://freepatentsonline.com Offers an excellent patent search site.

Glossary of Criminal Termswww.michiganprosecutor.org/define.htm Another excellent English-languageglossary.

McGraw-Hill Online Learning Centerhttp://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072564938/student_view0/glossary.htmlIf criminal investigation happens to bean area of interest, check out this site.

Midwest Paralegal Studieswww.cyberparalegal.com/criminal_glossary.htmIn addition to criminal law, this siteprovides access to glossaries in 15other legal fields.

New York School of Law www.law.nyu.edu/Library/foreign_intl/civilproc.htmlThis site covers international civil procedure.

Primer on the Civil Law Systemwww.fjc.gov/library/fjc_catalog.nsf/autoframepage!openform&url=/library/fjc_catalog.nsf/DPublication!openform&parentunid=A18D33FC1E8F0EB085256CA30067C10BYes, this is the actual URL!! This sitecontains the PDF version of a 67-pagedocument that was published by theFederal Judicial Center. It is anothermajor English-language resource oncivil law.

The Legal Pad’s Criminal Law Pagehttp://members.tripod.com/legalpad/criminal.htmContains more information aboutcriminal law, but not a glossary per se.

The U.S. Patent and TrademarkOffice (general)www.uspto.gov/go/pac/doc/general

The U.S. Patent and TrademarkOffice Glossary www.uspto.gov/main/glossary/index.html

Spanish ResourcesApuntes—Derecho Civilwww.todoelderecho.com/Apuntes/civil/apuntescivil.htm

Argentine Law Terminology http://tododeiure.host.sk/diccionario_juridico.htm

Boletín Oficial del Estado (España) www.todalaley.com

California Judicial Branchwww.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/espanol/glosario.htmThe California court system glossaryoffers simple but accurate Spanishterms and definitions.

Glossary Mining Part 4: Making It Legal Continued



Chilean English-Spanish Glossaryof Legal Termswww.geocities.com/susanacr_99/legal.htm

Colombian Spanishhttp://asesoriajuridica.ucauca.edu.co/categoria.php?cat=80

Contract Lawwww.derecho.com/contratos/?gclid=CImhitqvgoYCFUyXJAodQANFigThis site also covers other fields.

Diccionario de TérminosLegislativoswww.five.es:8000/diclegis/diccionario.phtml?Clientes_Session=6fecbac2cc96cc08fd6d17a88075920fContains “generic” Spanish legislativeterminology.

Guatemalan Ministry of Laborwww.mintrabajo.gob.gt/tgloss

Lexur Editorialwww.lexureditorial.comProvides news on recent court rulingsand other legal topics.

Leyes Federales de Méxicowww.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/index.htm Mexico’s official site for federal legislative documents.

LLRX.comwww.llrx.com/features/mexcc.htm Contains an excellent article on theMexican Civil Code by ProfessorJorge Vargas.

Mexican Legal Terminology http://mx.geocities.com/licjesustavera/diccionario.htm

Noticias Jurídicashttp://noticias.juridicas.comOffers access to current legal news andpeninsular Spanish legislation, as wellas a variety of scholarly articles onlegal subjects.

Peninsular Spanish www.conpapeles.com/glosario_juridico.php

Poder Judicial República del Perúwww.pj.gob.pe/djuridico/diccionario.htmlThe official Peruvian government site.

Referencia Jurídicawww.cem.itesm.mx/derecho/referencia/diccionario/index.html Contains a glossary prepared by the LawSchool of the Tecnológico de Monterrey.It cites the sources of definitions.

Southern District Court of New York www.sdnyinterpreters.org/glossary.phpContains a bilingual Spanish↔English glossary for court interpreters.

Spanish-Language Patent Lawwww.iturnet.es/guia_patentes_marcas

Spanish-Language Wikipedia (Civil Codes) http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor%C3%ADa:C%C3%B3digos_civiles

Spanish-Language Wikipedia (Civil Law)http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor%C3%ADa:Derecho_civil

Spanish-Language Wikipedia(General Legal)http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor%C3%ADa:Derecho

Spanish-Language Wikipedia (Trial Procedures)http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor%C3%ADa:Derecho_procesal

Other Spanish Legal Resourceswww.lexjuridica.com/diccionario/aa.htm

www.uned-derecho.com/diccionario.php

www.lexjuridica.com/diccionario.phpThis last site provides a link to theLaw.com English glossary of legalterms previously cited.

Other Languages

FrenchThere are significantly more Frenchlegal resources than any other language.Most of them, however, are monolin-gual. These include the following:

www.net-iris.fr/guide-juridique/lex-ique-juridique

www.portail-juridique.com/pages/glossaire.html

http://perso.orange.fr/jacobus.razob/cico.jurid.htm

www.avocat-online.net/lexique.asp

www.juripartners.com/juri_glossaire.php

www.droit.pratique.fr/dictionnaire.php

BBP Avocatswww.bbp-avocats.com/glossaire-juridique.asp The glossary of a French law firm.

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ATA February07-ver5-REV.qxd 2/2/07 10:12 AM

Dictionnaire du droit privé françaiswww.dictionnaire-juridique.comThis site is of a more specializednature. The terminology cites titles oftexts where a term is found andincludes a bibliography of references.Many definitions are very detailed. Thedictionary also contains a list of abbre-viations used in legal documents.

Dictionnaire Juridiquewww.lexinter.net/JF/dictionnaire_juridique.htmThis is not really a glossary, but ratherprovides access to French legalresources that are organized by subjectarea (e.g., civil/tax/criminal).

Dictionnaire Juridique etContractuel des Affaires et Projetswww.lawperationnel.com/dictionnaire_juridique/A.htm

Glossaire Assurancewww.lerepairedesmotards.com/assurance/glossaire.htmContains information on French insurance law.

Immolegal.comwww.immolegal.com/glossaire

Le Conseil d’Étatwww.conseil-etat.fr/ce/outils/index_ou02_a.shtmlThe Canadian counterpart of theMinistère de la justice site below.

Le Dictionnaire Juridiquewww.uriaenpdc.org/uriae/juridiq/textes/default.htmThis is not a dictionary/glossary perse, but a website providing access toFrench legal documents of all kinds.

Ministère de la justicewww.justice.gouv.fr/motscles/alphabet.htm

The official French government site.

Petit Lexique de la Justicewww.divorce-famille.net/pages/lexique.htmThis site covers family law (specifically divorce).

Real Estate Law www.explorimmo.com/guidprat/gpdroi/pg_09_3.shtml

Vos Droits.bewww.vosdroits.be/fr/glossaireA site for Belgian French.

GermanAs far as I have been able to ascertain,German-language resources are rathersparse. Here is what I have found sofar, but there might be others lurkingout there.

www.123recht.net/dictionary.asp?chrLetter=a

www.online-recht.de/vorgl. html?intro

www.lexexakt.de/iraa.php4

www.rechtslexikon-online.de

www.rolfbecker.de/wettbewerbsrecht/werberechtslexikon_99a.htm This last site contains advertising/public relations legal terms.

Brazilian PortugueseGlossário de Direito Comercialwww.unibero.edu.br/download/glossarios/glossario_direitocomercial.doc A commercial law glossary in Wordformat that is not 100% accurate. Itappears to have been a student project.

INFOJUSwww.infojus.gov.br/portal/glossarioListar.asp

Just for LaughsLawyers and the law are often thetarget of humor. For a good chuckle,check out:

The Dumb Networkwww.dumblaws.comProvides a great collection of dumblaws from all of the U.S. states and acouple of dozen foreign countries.

Power of Attorneyswww.power-of-attorneys.com/legal_definitions.htmA totally non-serious glossary of legalterms. Below are just a couple of thelawyer jokes contained on thisamusing site:

1. A defendant was asked if hewanted a bench trial or a jury trial. “Jury trial,” the defendant replied.“Do you understand the difference?” asked the judge. “Sure,” replied the defendant, “That’swhere 12 ignorant people decide myfate instead of one.”

2. Your attorney and your mother-in-law are trapped in a burningbuilding. You only have time tosave one of them. Do you: (1) havelunch? or (2) go to a movie?

Stay Tuned!More glossaries in other subject

fields are headed your way in thecoming months.

Glossary Mining Part 4: Making It Legal Continued



With a background inscience, it is no surprise that when Iended up in the translation business Istrove to apply a systematic approachto the complexity of the translationprocess. This tactic was born out ofthe need for quality standards thatcould be used across all in-house lan-guage teams. This article stems frommy experience over the past five yearsas an in-house translator at lodgingfranchisor Choice Hotels Inter-national. It was inspired by H.Randall Morgan Jr. and his many pre-sentations at ATA conferences onevaluating quality in the translationindustry. It also draws from the adviceof colleagues too numerous to men-tion. The following outlines the stepsinvolved in the quality assuranceprocess, providing tips for improvedproject flow that will lead to more sat-isfied customers who are bound toreturn when they need another profes-sional translation. Topics coveredinclude preparation, translation, local-ization, responsive project manage-ment, and quality assurance checks.Even though the information pre-sented here deals primarily with themanagement and translation practicesemployed by in-house translationteams, every translator will benefitfrom knowing what it takes to main-tain consistent high quality.

Choose the Right Tools In order to improve the quality of

the translation, we have to look first atthe purpose of translation. The goalof translation is to convey thoughts,ideas, and emotions by way of decon-struction, analysis, and re-creation inthe target language; in effect, tran-screation.1 There are many tools, both

print and electronic, at our disposalthat can help us achieve this goal. Thechallenge is choosing the right toolsfor the job at hand.

When looking at the various tasksinvolved in the translation process, thetranslator might find it worthwhile toinvest in some computer-assistedtranslation (CAT) tools.2 Such toolscan help streamline certain aspects ofthe translator’s workflow. The bene-fits of these tools include increasingconsistency by reusing partially oreven entirely previously translatedcontent (words, phrases, sentences, oreven paragraphs), thereby eliminatingthe need of having to translate thesame phrases over again. In addition,adding newly translated content to anexisting body of previously translatedcontent archived through a CAT toolincreases its overall reusable transla-tion memory and improves the qualityof the translation. CAT tools are espe-cially useful when working on a largetranslation project.

The translator should proceed withcaution when selecting the tools forthe job. CAT tools are a means ofsaving time in the translation process,

but will never replace the careful eyefor detail that a translator brings to thetask. Nor can they adequately judgesubtlety of expression and meaning.Nothing can replace human expertise,but CAT tools do make it easier tokeep the job organized. Translatorsalso need to be aware that one toolcannot be relied upon to fit the needsof every type of translation. Forexample, software localization toolsare ill suited for FrameMaker files justas executable files are ill suited forprocessing in CAT tools designed fordesktop publishing documents.Translation quality will suffer if youdo not have a proper understanding ofthe tools you use.

Assess the Source Text Once the proper tools have been

designated for the project, the nextstep is to analyze the source text. Thequestions the translator should askhim/herself at this point include:

• Do I understand the source text?

• More specifically, do I understandthe topic at hand, including

Quality Assurancefor In-House Translation:

Tips and Tricks

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By Dierk Seeburg

• Do I understand the source text?

• More specifically, do I understand the topic athand, including the context, imagery, metaphors,similes, puns, etc.?

• Does the source text make sense to me?

Ask yourself


the context, imagery, metaphors,similes, puns, etc.?

• Does the source text make sense to me?

Other tips for an accurate assessmentof a text include:

Render a back-translation: One wayfor translators to make sure they havea proper understanding of the text is toperform a back-translation (i.e., aftertranslating a passage from the sourcetext into the target language, translateit back into the source language andcompare it to the original).

Pay attention to the intended audi-ence: Translators should make surethey are using a writing style that isappropriate for the intended audience.For instance, a patent translationshould not be translated like a personalletter, or vice versa.

Pay attention to the writing style: If,for example, literary devices like allit-eration, assonance, rhyme, meter, andparallelism are used in the source text,then efforts should be made to trans-create and use equivalents of thesedevices in the target language.

Check the source text for errors:While reading the source text, transla-tors need to check for such errors asinconsistencies and ambiguities.

Ask questions early in the process:Contacting the client or the contentadministrator in charge of source con-tent (when translating as part of an in-house translation team) as soon as aquestion arises will avoid extra worklater if the source text needs to beamended or corrected. If the source istranslated into multiple languages,having to go back and perform updatesafter the translation is complete caneat up valuable time not allocated atthe beginning of the project. An errorlog should also be maintained andcommunicated to the content adminis-trator or the client for the purpose oferror resolution.

Decide on localization or interna-tionalization: Internationalization isthe adaptation of products for poten-tial use virtually anywhere.Localization is the addition of specialfeatures for use in a specific locale(e.g., organization, layout). There are anumber of items to check for whenadapting a text or product for a foreignmarket, including:

• Dates and times and their intersti-tial punctuation, spacing, and order(day, month, and year).

• Currency and whether or not itneeds to be translated (e.g., SwissFrancs, Euro).

• Units of measurement (e.g., yards

versus meters). Particular stan-dards may dictate whether toabandon the source unit, if it isunknown in the locale, or to add itin parentheses for clarification.

• Alphabetical order.

• Geographic terminology such ascity names that may or may notrequire translation in some lan-guages (e.g., “Munich,” as a trans-lation of the German city of“München,” versus Mainz, whichremains untranslated).

• Registered trademarks (whichshould not be translated).

• Idioms and colloquialisms (e.g.,“fast like a dog/horse/the wind,”“nuts and bolts”) that may havedifferent meanings depending onthe locale or even the context of thedocument.

• Personal pronouns that may needto be changed to gender-neutralones or vice versa (e.g., policeofficer instead of policewoman orpoliceman).

Conduct Primary Quality Assurance Checks

One of the basic rules of transla-tion is, of course, “to check and checkagain.” Scheduling multiple qualitychecks throughout the translationprocess often pays dividends whenerrors are discovered, thus providingthe opportunity to improve on the textat hand. Items to look out for include:

• False cognates (e.g., “complicity”versus “complicité”);

• False friends (e.g., English “bald”versus German “bald”);

• Discriminatory/offensive terminology;

Quality Assurance for In-House Translation: Tips and Tricks Continued


A well-prepared mind enables the translator to focus on the task at hand.


• Topical context (e.g., “hospitality”versus “finance”); and

• Linguistic patterns, including repe-tition, redundancy, and alliteration.

A thorough quality assurancereview process should involve evalu-ating the document at various levels,detailed below.

File Check It is important to check all aspects

of the files containing the content.Things to look for include:

File type: Is it a .doc file? Should itbe?

File format: If it is an HTML file,does it include the document formatdeclaration at the top of the file? Canit be opened by applications that canread this file format?

File extension: Is there a file nameextension? Should there be? In otherwords, does the file name follow stan-dard naming conventions for this par-ticular project, including languageextensions for the target language?

File placement: Does the file reside inthe correct place for a proper contex-tual quality assurance check, or does itneed to be moved to a different serverand directory so that it can be accessedtogether with the other files that arepart of the project?

META Data: META data is definedas data about data, including how,when, and by whom a particular set ofdata was collected, and how the datawas formatted. It is very important thatall files contain the proper data. Forexample, is the META descriptionpresent and translated according to the

client’s instructions? Is the languagetag present that identifies the languagewithin the file?

Content CheckA helpful method for performing

this review is to provide for a stereo-scopic view of the material (i.e., side-by-side placement of the source andtarget texts to allow for better compar-ison). Looking at the original and thetranslated text side-by-side may makeit easier to catch certain items, such aswhether the target text is complete.Other items to check for include:

Contextual consistency: Did thetranslator correctly understand thesource and put the translation into thecorrect context?

Mistranslations: Does the target text

express the same concept as the sourcetext? This can be revealed by per-forming a back-translation.

Additions/omissions: Is everythingthere? Are all the syntactical piecespresent and in the proper place?

Terminology: Are all terms in theoriginal reflected by their correctequivalents in the target text?

Rendering: Does everything displayproperly? Are all graphics correctlyplaced, and does the text flow aroundthem as it should? Is all source for-

matting included in the target text?

Trade names: Can you see any tradenames (e.g., Comfort Inn), either inthe text or within the graphics? Tradenames should never be translated,since they are protected marks thatrefer to a product, service, or brandname.

Graphics: Are all the graphics inplace? Other elements to take intoconsideration when dealing withgraphics include checking sizerequirements, style, and color. Ifworking as part of the team, be sure tocoordinate with the person handlingeither the creation or modification ofthe graphics. Use accented characters(e.g., “ü”) in graphics, Word files, e-mails, as opposed to HTML, XMLcodes, which often require Unicode

representation for special charactersand accents (e.g., “ü”).Remember, do not translate any tradenames appearing within a graphic.Other text within graphics, however,should be translated. Translating non-trademarked text appearing within agraphic makes for a much more inte-grated and more consistent customerexperience.

Flow CheckAt this level, items to check for

include (note, some of these might besubjective):Register: Has the audience been

Whatever we translate must be able to withstand thescrutiny of publication and the watchful

eye of the reader.

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taken into account? Should it beaddressed formally or informally, andwhat are the grammatical and syntac-tical implications?

Freedom of translation: Is the textunder-translated? For example, does itsound awkward because it has beentranslated too literally? Is it over-translated to the point where the trans-lation loses the intent of the original?

Cultural: Have the cultural norms andcustoms of the locale been observed?Do particular words or terms have thepotential to be insulting in locales out-side the one for which the target texthas been created? Certain graphics,and even colors, can be consideredoffensive in some cultures.

Cohesion: Are the concepts under-lying the source text expressed so thatthey fit together well within the con-structs of clauses and sub-clauses?

References: Can contextual, implicit,and explicit references present in thesource text be conveyed similarly inthe target text, or does the translatorneed to search for equivalents?

Consistency: Is the same terminologyused throughout the target text as it isthroughout the source text? If not, arethere reasons, such as cultural norms,that prohibit the repetitive use of thesame term?Ambiguity: Does the target text

clearly express the concepts of thesource text, or are some of the termsused open to interpretation and pos-sibly ambiguity?

Style: Is the source text part of apoem, but the target text reads like apatent?

Grammar Check Special care should be taken in

cases involving non-phonetic lan-guages, where words sound the same,but are completely different grammat-ically. Syntactical nuances requirespecial care as concepts may bechanged as a consequence (forexample, “the hotel is beautifully dec-orated” versus “the beautiful hotel isdecorated”). Other items requiringattention include:

Punctuation: There is a reason bookslike Eats, Shoots & Leaves appear onbestseller lists. Punctuation is impor-tant since it can entirely change themeaning of a sentence.

Spelling (!): If the target text is notspelled correctly, the reader will notplace his trust in any of its content,either.

Diacritics: Äçcèñts can sometimeschange the meaning of a word (andthus an entire sentence), which is whygreat care is required.

Upper/lowercase: This may be the

only distinction between the genericand a brand name (e.g., “Hotel” versus“hotel”).

Word form: Is the meaning of thesentence altered when a different wordform is used (e.g., “touristic” versus“tourist”)?

Usage: Does the context require a par-ticular word or term that may appeartogether only with another word orterm (e.g., “to perform a qualitycheck” versus “to do a qualitycheck”).

If translators are uncertain aboutany of the items above, they shouldnot hesitate to consult another source,be that a dictionary, thesaurus, glos-sary, standards document, or a col-league or other authority. “To err ishuman,” and it is only by realizing ourmistakes that we can learn from them.Whatever we translate must be able towithstand the scrutiny of publicationand the watchful eye of the reader.

Before handing the translation offfor secondary quality assurancereview, checklists or other tools canbe used to make sure all required tasksare complete, such as translation,localization, and primary qualityassurance checks. Once all files havebeen checked, the person or team per-forming the secondary quality assur-ance check should be notified.

Checking It Twice: The Secondary Review

All translated materials must bereviewed by another person, includinginformal translation requests by e-mail. The secondary review coversthe same details as the primaryreview. In-house translation teams usea checklist where appropriate or necessary to note the files tested(when projects involve software appli-

Quality Assurance for In-House Translation: Tips and Tricks Continued


In order to improve the quality of the translation, wehave to look first at the aim of translation.


cations), the reviewer’s name, dateand time of the review, and otherdetails. The person performing thesecondary review needs to beinformed of any nonstandard items,such as the location of the test notes,if available, the URL(s) and port(s),and the deadline. At the end of theprocess, the reviewer should notifythe original translator of the results ofthe review so that specific commentsand suggestions can be incorporated.These include:

• What? The passage in question.• Why? The reason for the

suggestion.• How? The way the translation can

be improved.• Good! Pointing out an especially

well translated phrase or sentence.

Perform the Final EditAfter comments and suggestions

have been communicated to the trans-lator, it is incumbent upon him/her toincorporate them during final editing.Items under dispute must be resolvedduring this phase. For software appli-cations, files can be uploaded to thetest server, checked, and tagged for aparticular date or release. The final

review ensures that all edits are com-plete and the final translation soundsnative, not translated. Remember, thebest translation is one that does notread like one.

Quality Assurance in DeliveryProper communication at the end

of the project is just as important as atthe beginning, so care should be takento notify all parties involved of anyissues requiring possible follow-upaction. For those working as part of atranslation team, make sure the sec-ondary quality assurance reviewer isnotified when all final edits are com-plete. If possible, separate notifica-tions according to individualtranslators or by language teams con-solidated by project management.This includes notifications to devel-opers, the quality assurance depart-ment, and anyone else involved. Ifdeadlines cannot be met, notifyeveryone so that they can makearrangements for any delays in furtherprocessing. Remember, missing adeadline is at best an inconveniencefor the recipient, and at worst delaysthe release of the entire project to production!

Notes1. Mangiron, C., and M. O’Hagan.

“Game Localisation: UnleashingImagination with ‘Restricted’Translation.” The Journal ofSpecialised Translation (June2006), 10-21.

2. Open Directorydmoz.org/Computers/Software/Globalization/Computer_ Aided_Transla t ion /Trans la t ion_Memory /Software


Want More Tips?

If you are interested in reading more aboutthis topic, try the following resources:

Morgan, Randall H., Jr. “Quality-FirstManagement in Translation andLocalization,” presentation at the 46th AnnualATA Conference.www.atanet.org/conf/conf2005/abstracts.htm#ABC-13.

Truss, Lynne. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: TheZero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation(New York: Gotham Books, 2004).

wikipedia.org/wiki/InternationalizationContains an explanation and more informationon internationalization and localization.

atanet.org/certification/aboutexams_error.phpContains tips and information on errormarking.


Lilian Novas Van Vrankenwas unintentionally tricked intobecoming ATA’s Certification Com-mittee chair back in 2001. At the time,she was balancing her family obligationsraising two small children, running abusy freelance translation business, andsometimes dealing with an over-whelming volume of work in her role asboth a language chair and a grader forthe English→Spanish workgroup.

Shuckran Kamal was stepping downfrom her leadership role as committeechair. She and deputy chair CeliaBohannon had ushered in an era ofenhanced communications, accounta-bility, and professional training forgraders in ATA’s Certification Program.The Hamm Report evaluating the pro-gram was completed during their term,and the plan to implement the recom-mended changes was well underway.Shuckran’s reputation and the respectshe commanded made her a formidableact to follow. I remember assuring Lili,as she accepted her new role, that Celiawould stay on as deputy chair, and thatthe bulk of the changes to the programwere already underway. I also assuredLili that her term would be smoothsailing, a simple continuation of thework already begun. That really was myhonest, but naïve, evaluation.

Instead, Lili’s five-year term wasmarked by relentless change,including: changing the program’sname from accreditation to certifica-tion; implementing a totally newgrading system; increasing gradercommunication and consultationduring the grading process; increasinggrader visibility at the AnnualConference; rotating leadership inlanguage combination workgroups;creating a grading flowchart;changing the exam format from fivepassages to three; establishing lan-guage-specific and passage-specificguidelines in each language combina-

tion; implementing The HammReport’s recommendations for an eli-gibility requirement for candidatesand a continuing education require-ment to maintain the credential; estab-lishing three additional languagecombinations for testing; and takingformative steps toward developing amethod to offer our certification examon computers. Many of these initia-tives have been controversial, and allhave created additional work foreveryone inside the program. Therewere many times when I hoped Liliwould not remember my earlier assur-ances of smooth sailing.

Change is never easy, and ATA’sCertification Program has gonethrough nearly constant change foralmost 10 years. Certainly no oneperson is responsible for all of thesechanges. All were the products of col-laborative efforts by our talented poolof graders, each of them volunteeringtime and expertise that we could notbegin to compensate. But Lili was atthe helm for all of these changes, andshe participated in the decision-making process and served as thechief cheerleader for each of them.The great thing about working withLili is that she tackles each and everychallenge with intelligence, enthu-siasm, and a sense of humor. All com-mittee chairs and deputy chairs areunfunded volunteer positions, whichoften require untold unpaid hours ofwork and expectations as a leader andprogram spokesperson.

Lili laughingly told me about thetime someone congratulated her on herluck at being the Certification Com-mittee chair because the position paidso well. Obviously, according to thisperson’s perception, Lili did not needoutside translation work. (This time-consuming position is definitely notcompensated!) Well, after five years,Lili can finally go back to work and

earn a living again! Lili will also be ahard act to follow, but she has worthyand extremely capable successors.

Jutta Diel-Dominique took over aschair of ATA’s Certification Com-mittee at the conference in NewOrleans. Jutta is a native of Bonn,Germany. In 1993, she obtained adegree (M.A. equivalent) in technicaltranslation from the University of theSaarland at Saarbrücken, Germany.She currently lives near Denver,Colorado, and has been a full-timefreelance translator primarily in theareas of medical instrumentation,electronics, telecommunications,automotive, and cosmetics for 14years. As a translator by educationand passion, Jutta served two terms asassistant administrator of ATA’sGerman Language Division, becamea grader in 2001, and was appointedto the Certification Committee in2003. She has served as theCertification Committee deputy chairfor the past year.

Diane Howard now takes on the roleof deputy chair. Diane has been a pro-fessional Chinese and Japanese→

English translator since 1992, special-izing in medical and pharmaceuticaltexts. She also teaches an introductorytranslation course at the University ofChicago Graham School, and tutorsChinese→English translators. Diane hasa Certificate in Technical Japanese forProfessionals from the University ofWisconsin, Madison, and is currently aPh.D. student in translation and inter-cultural studies at Rovira i ViligiUniversity.

Together, they are working to seethat ATA’s Certification Programupholds the highest standards and con-tinues to gain respect and acknowledge-ment on a national and internationalbasis. They consider our credential anessential element in every professionaltranslator’s portfolio.

Certification Forum Terry Hanlen, Certification Program Manager

Big Shoes to Fill:Lilian Novas Van Vranken Steps Down as Certification Chair



A couple of weeks ago Ivisited the Monterey Institute ofInternational Studies and talked to oneof the teachers of computer-aided trans-lation. We discussed the challenges ofteaching complex software tools suchas translation environment tools to stu-dents who do not know how to properlyhandle their operating system or basicword processing. It is sort of like tryingto teach someone to appreciate or evenanalyze the poetry of T.S. Eliot beforethey have read a first grade primer.

Now, do not get me wrong: oper-ating systems like Windows,Macintosh, or Linux, or word pro-cessing applications like MicrosoftWord or OpenOffice.org, are not likefirst grade reading primers. They arehighly complex and sophisticatedcomputer programs. But as with mosteverything else, it is not an either-orsituation. These programs allow forproficiency on various levels. Still, itis crucial to understand the basics ofmanaging your operating system,such as maintaining it properly so it

stays at the top of its processing capa-bilities. It is even more important inour case to know how to language-enable it, and to understand basicprinciples of converting file formatsand dealing with Unicode or specialcharacters in your word processor. Ifthese basics are not in your repertoire,you will neither appreciate nor beeffective in your use of complex sys-tems that aid you as a translator.

My friend and I agreed that everyone of her students should have totake a course in basic computer skillsbefore even starting to tackle themuch more complex tasks of trans-lating with the aid of a computer. ButI would not write this here if it werenot true for more than just graduatestudents of translation studies. It istrue for all of us.

Yes, the linguistic skills necessaryfor our profession form the very coreof our competency. But to survive as aprofessional, we all need a businesssense as well. One aspect of being abusiness professional is investing in

the various necessities of our busi-ness, including a working knowledgeof the tools that we use. If we do notinvest in learning the basic softwaretools on which or alongside which themore sophisticated programs run, oneof two things will happen. We willeither dread working with our maintool—the computer—so much that welose passion for a task that we are oth-erwise highly qualified for—transla-tion. Or we will become so ineffectivewith an unsophisticated technologicalsetup that we will struggle to survive.

The GeekSpeak column has two goals:to inform the community about techno-logical advances and at the same timeencourage the use and appreciation oftechnology among translation profes-sionals. Jost also publishes a free tech-nical newsletter for translators(www.internationalwriters.com/toolkit).

Learning the Tools of the Trade

GeekSpeak Jost [email protected]


48th Annual Conference of the American Translators AssociationSan Francisco, California • October 31-November 3, 2007 Proposals are invited on topics in all areas of translation and interpreting, including the following: Agencies, Bureaus, and Companies;Financial Translation and Interpreting; Independent Contractors; Interpreting; Language-Specific Sessions; Legal Translation and Interpreting;Literary; Medical Translation and Interpreting; Scientific and Technology; Social Sciences; Terminology; Training and Pedagogy; Translatorsand Computers. Suggestions for additional topics are welcome.

Proposals for sessions must be submitted on the Conference Presentation Proposal Form to: Conference Organizer, ATA Headquarters, 225Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314; Fax: (703) 683-6122. All proposals for sessions must be in English.

Submission deadline: March 9, 2007

There’s no time like the present! Download a Conference Presentation Proposal Form atwww.atanet.org/conf/2007/abstract.htm.

Call for Speakers


Business Smarts Collecting from International Clients


This month’s columnaddresses the topic of collecting pay-ments from international clients. Withthe increasing globalization of thetranslating/interpreting industry, thor-ough background checks from varioussources as well as feedback fromother colleagues are the safest ways ofprotecting against nonpayment.

Dear Business Smarts: Last August I accepted an assign-

ment from a company in anothercountry. The project manager hadfound my profile online and contactedme with an offer. The assignment wasquite large and took two weeks tocomplete. I sent my invoice for sev-eral thousand dollars with the transla-tion, but to date, I have not been paid,even though the purchase order showsa term of 45 days for payment. WhenI looked up the company’s name invarious sources, I realized to myhorror that other translators have hadbad experiences with the same com-pany. My contact for the assignmentno longer responds to my messages.What can I do to collect the overduepayment?

A.L.

Dear A.L.:Collecting from international

clients can be even trickier than get-ting overdue payments from clients inthe U.S., but that is no reason not totry. As always, begin by assuming thatthe company’s failure to pay yourinvoice on time is merely an oversightand that the issue can be resolved ami-cably.

First, check the relevant onlineresources to make sure you aredealing with a bona fide company. Ifyou are getting no response from yourproject manager, move up: contact thecompany by telephone and discuss the

situation with the accounting depart-ment. Provide the exact date and pur-chase order number, offer to resendthe invoice, and insist on a solution. Ifthe matter is not immediatelyresolved, politely but firmly ask tospeak with a supervisor. Document allconversations you have with the com-pany’s staff, including dates, times,and the name of the person you spokewith. You can underscore your intentto document your collection efforts byasking the employee to spell his or hername and verifying internal telephonenumbers. Ask for a direct contact inthe accounting department “in casethere are questions.” If you are notconfident about your conversationalfluency in the relevant language, youmay want to ask a native speaker tomake the call for you. It is importantto remember that collection efforts inthis first phase must be polite but firm,with no implication that you suspectbad intent.

If none of these actions produceany results and you suspect the com-pany is intentionally trying to with-hold payment, it is time for Plan B.Resend the invoice by certified mail,along with a collection letter thatrestates all the facts in the most con-cise terms. Clearly label the envelope“First Collection Notice.” Include acopy of the purchase order, copies ofe-mails, and logs of conversationswith project staff. Your collectionletter should state specific steps youintend to take if the payment is notauthorized by a specific deadline: youwill inform your colleagues on rele-vant websites and discussion lists,notify the national/regional/localbusiness association and the localequivalent of the “Better BusinessBureau,” and lodge a complaint withthe translators association of the perti-nent country. If other translators havealready had problems with the com-

pany, contact them privately to deter-mine whether a specific pattern ofnonpayment exists. Get in touch withother translators living in the countrywhere the company is located, and askfor their advice. Is there a chance toget a group of translators together tohire a lawyer?

If payment is still not forthcomingafter the deadline you established inyour collection letter, be sure to keepyour promises: post messages on pay-ment lists, being careful only to state

Useful links:Translator Client Review List

www.tcrlist.comPrivate list owned by Laura Hastings Fee: $12 per year

Payment Practices Distribution List http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pp_distOwned and moderated by Ted WozniakFee: Free

ProZ BlueBoard www.proz.com/blueboardFee: Full access to the data requiresProZ membership (currently $120 per year).

Better Business Bureauwww.bbb.org

Ted Wozniak’s “Ensuring Payment” (The ATA Chronicle,

April 2005)

Continued on p.48


In the fight against crime,poor translation is a problem for thegood guys and the crooks, complainsanother reader.

And she’s got photographic proof—signs bearing the logos of both theLondon Metropolitan Police andCrimeStoppers, an independent charitydedicated to making the streets safer.Sandwiched between is a sobering mes-sage for criminal minds: “Pickpocketsbeware! Undercover police working inthis area! In July three pickpocketsreceived sentences of over four years!”

In a well-intentioned client out-reach effort targeting light-fingeredforeigners, the same warning appearsin Spanish on a placard a few lamp-posts away. Alas, it was translated by

a software program, not by a profes-sional linguist.

The result rendered back intoEnglish reads, roughly: “The pick-pockets are kept. Police of the innerdeck that works in the area. In Julythree the pickpockets received prayersof the prison over of four years.”

Despite intensive sleuthing, theOnionskin failed to locate the guiltyparty, with a CrimeStoppers represen-tative volunteering that the group’srole is limited to manning an 800number and providing a logo withguidelines to regional volunteers.

Luke Knight, marketing managerat New Scotland Yard, appreciated ourtip-off, but confirmed that the MetPolice was not responsible. “Our

translation work is done by theCentral Office of Information, a gov-ernment body using approved transla-tors who produce very good work,” hesaid, adding, “We make sure transla-tors work into their native language,with revision to ensure accuracy.” Forhis team, best practice starts byensuring that source texts target theright group. The unit works withadvertising agencies for copy andevaluates the end result throughmarket research calls and similar.

Mr. Knight nonetheless apologizedfor the glitch and confirmed that thepolice department is doing everything inits powers to communicate properly.

Which still leaves some Spanish-speaking tourists and pickpockets inOxford Street none the wiser.

With thanks to Bob Blake and MarcelaSariegol.

Text Offenders in Oxford Street

The Onionskin Chris [email protected]

The Onionskin is a client educationcolumn launched by the ITI Bulletin (apublication of the U.K.’s Institute ofTranslation and Interpreting) in 1996.Comments and leads for futurecolumns are very welcome; pleaseinclude full contact details. Contact:[email protected] or fax +33 1 43 87 70 45.

Tourist warning: the English original pulls no punches, while garbled Spanish is good for a laugh.


May 31-June 3, 2007Cleveland, OhioMedical Division

First Mid-Year Conference

ATA

www.ata-divisions.org/MD


The New York Circle ofTranslators (NYCT), which began in1979 as a small group of dinner com-panions, has become a New York Statenonprofit corporation with several hun-dred members. It is governed by a set ofbylaws that regulate the internal affairsof the association. Our members areindependent translators and interpretersas well as companies and organiza-tions. NYCT is an ATA chapter.

Goals• To provide a forum where mem-

bers can exchange ideas and offermutual support.

• To help members educate the generalpublic about the professional natureof interpreting and translating.

• To promote the professionalservice of its members to the busi-ness community.

Benefits• Monthly meetings featuring

speakers on all aspects of the trans-lation profession.

• Networking opportunities at month-ly dinners and at the annual holidayparty.

• Professional development work-shops and seminars.

• Subscription to The Gotham Trans-lator, published six times a year.

• Listings in NYCT’s online member-ship directory and the annual NYCTprinted membership directory.

• Referrals (if you indicate that youaccept them, members may directwork requests to you or clientsmay contact you directly).

ActivitiesOur monthly meetings feature

experts in all aspects of the translationand interpretation professions. Past pre-sentations have covered subjects asvaried as court interpretation, technicaltranslation, subtitling, machine transla-tion, and literary translation. NYCTalso organizes continuing educationworkshops and seminars. Social eventssuch as restaurant dinners and an annualholiday party offer opportunities tomeet people and to network.

Online Membership DirectoryNYCT promotes its members’ pro-

fessional services to the businesscommunity by means of a new onlinemembership directory, which can besearched by language, individualname, or corporate/institutional name.NYCT also publishes a print versionof the online directory every year. Thedirectory is free to NYCT membersand may be purchased by non-mem-bers for $10.

Telephone HotlineNYCT also has a telephone hotline

and a listing in the Yellow Pages.

Potential purchasers of translation orinterpretation services are directed tothe online directory or are otherwiseput in contact with members who ful-fill their requirements.

Membership CategoriesStudent: $40Individual: $50Corporate: $75Patron: $100 or moreCorporate Patron: $150 or moreHonorary Lifetime: Conferred by

NCYT’s Board of Directors

All memberships, except honorarylifetime, run for one calendar year(January 1-December 31), and arerenewable on January 1 of every year.Special conditions apply to first-timestudent, individual, and corporatemembers who join after July 1 (seewww.nyctranslators.org/membership.html).

Website The association’s site: www.nyctranslators.org, contains:

ATA chapters, affiliates, and local groups serve translators and interpreters in spe-cific geographic areas. They provide industry information, networking opportuni-ties, and support services to members at the local level and act as liaisons with thenational association. This column is designed to serve as a quick resource high-lighting the valuable contributions these organizations are making to the associa-tion and the profession as a whole.

• Acronym: NYCT

• Established: 1979

• Area Served: New York and

surrounding states

• Website: www.nyctranslators.org

• Mailing Address:

New York Circle of Translators

PO Box 4051 Grand Central Station

New York, NY 10163-4051

(212) 334-3060

New York Circle of Translators Success by Association

QuickFacts

Continued on p.46



Illustrated Building Dictionary (Danish↔English)

Authors:Ulrik A. Hovmand and Nancy M. Andersen

Publisher:Huset Hovmand and Kurir Sprogservice

Publication date:2006

ISBN:87-987034-2-0

Price:DKK 476 (about $84)

Number of pages:363

Available from:Huset Hovmandwww.huset-hovmand.dk

Kurir Sprogservice www.kurir.dk

Byggecentrumhttp://kortlink.dk/bygnet/2wxe

Reviewed by:Tim Davies

When it comes to creden-tials, these two authors are ideallyplaced in many ways to compile awork of this nature. Ulrik A.Hovmand is a structural engineer,energy consultant, and consultingengineer with his own company.Nancy M. Andersen is a government-certified translator and interpreterworking principally between Danishand English. For many years now,Andersen has specialized in construc-tion-related translations, often largeprojects, including tenders for clientslike the Great Belt Link, CopenhagenMetro, the New Opera, and DR Byen.She runs her own translation agencyoutside Copenhagen.

Between them, they command allthe skills and knowledge we are usedto seeing in that one-man-band ofGerman (et al.) lexicography, Dr.Richard Ernst, who, apart from being ahands-on, and, word has it, excellentlinguist, worked for many years in theconstruction and engineering trades—a fact that shines through clearly in hisredoubtable and still indispensabletechnical dictionaries. And there is nodoubt that the practicing linguist’sanalytical, thorough mind superblycomplements the encyclopaedicknowledge base of the practicing engi-neer. (How often I find myself wishingI had found time to squeeze in an extradegree in some form of engineering!)

ContentThis is a very welcome 363-page

illustrated glossary of more than 4,300Danish terms and 6,200+ Englishterms from the worlds of architectureand structural and civil engineering.With the aid of clear drawings andample cross-referencing, terms areeasily identified and conceptsexplained. Such definitions are oftenhard to find elsewhere in either lan-guage. The drawings themselves

remind me of the Duden-style visualdictionaries (not a bad thing!).

Of course, any dictionary in a spe-cialist field of this size has to limit itsown scope, given the number of sub-disciplines covered by the term“building.” It is only fair to say thatmany aspects of building and con-struction are not covered. The dic-tionary is divided into 29 sections(e.g., plumbing, heating, ventilation,flooring, kitchens, roofs, stairs, etc.),its forte being the range of buildingstyles included, both historical andcontemporary. But you will findnothing here about that Danish trinityof bridge-building, road-laying, andmarine installations, or even heavyplant and site machinery. Other dic-tionaries help fill those gaps (e.g., theL&H Publishing Co. technical bilin-guals, www.lhpublishing.dk/order_cd-eng.html), despite frequent complaintsabout their not being updated fre-quently enough and giving too shallowa level of explanation.

This particular dictionary has beencompiled with a view to facilitatingwork on translating quotes and tendersfor construction work—a worthy aimgiven the increasing internationaliza-tion of major building projects and theneed to translate tender documenta-tion, though I suspect this will benefitthe English→Danish translator morethan those who, like myself, work onlyin the opposite direction.

Ease of UseIn the short time I have had this on

my desk to work with, I have found ituseful and informative, easy to use,and often surprisingly detailed—likethe sections on solar screening andkitchens, which are all subjects I hadpreviously scoured the Internet to find.Useful areas include flooring andtiling, as well as an elaborate range oftypical Scandinavian heating

Dictionary Reviews Boris [email protected]

Compiled by

➡



• Online membership directory.

• Events calendar.

• A link to NYCT’s bylaws.

• A “Frequently Asked Questions”page with basic facts about transla-tors and interpreters.

• Links to websites of interest totranslators and interpreters.

• Links to articles of interest to theprofession via The GothamTranslator archives.

• Membership information.

• Members Only section, wheremembers can update their directoryprofile.

appliances (i.e., iron stoves and wood-burning stoves). That particular sec-tion, in fact, is reminiscent of a strollthrough TV’s Antiques Roadshow.

That being said, I still wonderwhether “tiled floor” is sufficient forklinkegulv and why English terms like“inglenook” get no mention—presum-ably because the core wordlist wasworked out in Danish rather thansourcing any original English input.And why include kraftvarmeværk(combined heat and power plant) inthis particular work?

So while it was useful to know thatmestergris = bid rigging/collusive ten-dering, I was disappointed to see thatafrunding, an old favorite of mine, wasnowhere to be found (= rounding,radiussing, bell mouthing, chamfering).On the other hand, it was pleasing to begiven relevant abbreviations (PVL forplastviklet ledning and PVIKJ for plas-tviklet installationskabel med jord), butwhy add these in next to the Englishversion (e.g., “Plastic coated wiring[PVL]”)? Beats me.

Usage-wise, the dictionary providesample synonyms and alternatives (e.g.,“plastic insulated wire” and “servicewiring” for “plastic-coated wiring”), atleast in the Danish→English section,whereas the English→Danish sectionjust has one-on-one terms. Americanusage is noted (e.g., wc-kumme =

pan/WC pan; bowl [U.S.], tank[U.S.]), although not in as manyinstances as I would have expected(especially in the toilet/restroomarea). There are also some inconsis-tencies, as in the entry “affaldskværn= garbage disposal unit, refuse dis-posal unit, waste grinder,” wherenone of the terms is marked U.S.“(Food) waste grinder” was new tome, but having googled it, it seemskosher enough. Nonetheless, I wouldhave marked “garbage disposal unit”as U.S. and possibly included “kitchenwaste disposer” and “waste disposalunit” as U.K. versions. But then, as theDanes are so fond of saying, kært barnhar mange navne (“a dearly lovedchild has many names”).

Overall EvaluationAll in all, I have very few gripes

about this dictionary. A lot of seriouswork has obviously gone into it,including the excellent reference sec-tion, with many references to Danishstandards with dates and a wealth ofEnglish-language reference works.Personally, I would like to see it even-tually expanded to include similardrawings and lexica for civil engi-neering, especially topics like bridgeand road-building, given their impor-tance for Danish→English translatorsand the abundance of tender material

out there, whether from Denmark orthe European Union.

Visually, the book is pleasant andrestful on the eye and easy to take in,no matter what section is being refer-enced. Although there are invariablyomissions, the dictionary will make auseful addition to any technical trans-lator’s bookshelf, filling a gap thatcannot be spackled with offeringsfrom the net.

For further information, pleasecontact:

Ulrik A. Hovmand [email protected]

Nancy M. [email protected]

Tim Davies is a full-time freelance translatorwith 25 years of experience working mainlybetween the Scandinavian languages andEnglish, specializing in Danish→English. Hetranslates a wide variety of technical andgeneral texts, and has had lexicographicalexperience in a number of languages,including Danish. He currently lives in London,England, but lived and worked in Copenhagenfor 14 years before returning to the U.K. in1999. Contact:[email protected].

Dictionary Reviews Continued

Success by Association Continued from page 44



French Business Dictionary:The Business Terms of Franceand Canada

Editors:Morry Sofer (editor-in-chief)Agnes Bousteau (editor, France) Simon Boisvert (editor, Canada)

Publisher:Schreiber Publishingwww.schreiberlanguage.com

Publication date: 2005

ISBN:0-88400-311-6

Price:$24.95

Number of pages: 416

Available from: www.schreiberlanguage.com

Reviewed by: Corinne McKay

The French BusinessDictionary, edited by well-known trans-lation industry writer and lexicographerMorry Sofer (Arabic BusinessDictionary, Italian Business Dictionary,The Translator’s Handbook, and manymore), takes a new approach toFrench↔English lexicography in that itis “the first [dictionary] of its kind toprovide the business terms of the UnitedStates, France, and Canada.” Unlikeother French↔English business dic-tionaries, the French BusinessDictionary is separated into three, ratherthan two, main sections: English→French, French (France)→English, andFrench (Canada)→English, with Cana-dian terms marked (C) in theEnglish→French section. As is the casewith many innovations to a time-hon-ored system, this approach succeeds insome ways and falls short in others,with its overall value depending on theparticular translator’s situation. Overall,this reviewer found the quality of theFrench Business Dictionary somewhatdisappointing, but translators with astrong need for Canadian French termsmight find it more useful.

ContentWith its distinctive “tricolor” cover

and 416 pages of entries, the FrenchBusiness Dictionary presents a wealthof terms applicable to the 21st-centurybusiness translator. The dictionary’sstated fields of coverage are “banking,accounting, insurance, real estate,import-export, taxes, business law,computers, and more,” which is cer-tainly a comprehensive objective for areference volume of this type. The dic-tionary does an excellent job, however,of spanning all of these diverse areasof the business world, including up-to-date terms such as interest-only loan,recruitment bonus, reboot, trackball,flash memory, and big board. Missingare terms such as instant messaging,

point of sale, wholesale price, andaccounting irregularity.

The designation of Canadian termsis both a help and a hindrance in theEnglish→French section. In numerouscases, it is extremely helpful to haveCanadian terms singled out from theirEuropean counterparts, especiallywhere the dictionary identifies verydifferent terms for use in the two envi-ronments. For example, theEnglish→French entry for “productionworker” identifies the term “agent defabrication,” and then the Canada-spe-cific terms “travailleur de production”and “main-d’oeuvre directe.”

In other cases, however, the desig-nation of Canadian terms causes con-fusion. For example, the term“organizational behavior” is trans-lated as “(C) comportement organi-sationnel,” with only a Canadianterm listed, which leads the user towonder if the editors mean to indi-cate that France does not use thisterm at all, uses another termentirely, or if they simply did notinclude a translation of this term forFrance. In addition, the editors areinconsistent in their use of the (C)designation. For example, theEnglish term “collateral assignment”is translated as “attribution col-latérale,” “affectation collatérale,”with no Canadian-specific designa-tion. Nevertheless, a quick flip to theFrench→English sections reveals thatboth of these terms appear in theCanadian French→English section.Again, the editors do not provide anyexplanation of what this means; arethe terms used equally in France andCanada, or something else entirely?

A helpful feature of the FrenchBusiness Dictionary is that, in certaincases, the dictionary defines ratherthan translates a certain term or con-cept. This is quite helpful in a situationwhere a translator might be ➡



tempted to simply include the trans-lated term and perhaps use it incor-rectly due to a lack of understandingof the underlying concept. Forexample, the “How to Use thisDictionary” page demonstrates thisfeature with the entry “FederalDeposit Insurance Corporation(FDIC): organisme garantissant lasécurité des dépôts dans les banquesqui en sont membres.” This is certainlymore helpful than providing a literaltranslation into French. In addition,the dictionary provides useful abbrevi-ations and acronyms in situationswhere they are in common use. TheFrench term “dernier entré premiersorti” is translated as “last in, first out(LIFO)”—definitely a help to transla-tors, whether native speakers ofEnglish or French, who may not befamiliar with the expression.

Unfortunately, the dictionary con-tains several typographical errors,many of which border on the inexcus-able in this type of reference. Forexample, the term “gestion desressources humaines” is translated as“human resources accouting [sic],”and the term “fonds commun de place-

ment” (mutual fund) is misspelled“fonds communt [sic] de placement.”

Overall EvaluationThe French Business Dictionary is

an ambitious and much-needed projectthat particularly addresses the issuesfacing translators who translate intoand from Canadian French. Althoughthis first effort could benefit from moreattention to detail, Morry Sofer admitsin his introduction that, “...there is cer-tainly room for improvement andchange in both the existing text and thenew terms that keep emerging, and it isour hope that the dictionary will berevised and updated periodically.”

I would offer a few suggestions tothe editors for their next edition. First,because of the dictionary’s three sec-tions, it would be helpful to have thesection title listed in the header infor-mation on each page. Without thisinformation, especially during the firstfew uses of the dictionary, it is difficultto know whether you are in the French(France) or French (Canada) sectionwithout flipping back to where thesection starts. Also, the dictionaryincludes no grammatical information

about the entries, and includes mul-tiple parts of speech in some of itsentries. For example, the English term“discount” is translated as both a nounand a verb, without clarifying whichof these terms is which. The term“credit” is translated only as “crédit,”a noun, without giving a verb equiva-lent. If the editors of the FrenchBusiness Dictionary give more atten-tion to details such as these for theirnext edition, their book will deserve amore prominent place on the book-shelf of business-oriented French↔English translators.

Corinne L. McKay is an ATA-certified(French→English) translator. In addition totranslating legal, financial, and marketingdocuments for clients in the U.S. and Europe,she developed and teaches the online course“Getting Started as a Freelance Translator.”She also edits the e-newsletter Open SourceUpdate, a publication for languageprofessionals interested in free and opensource software. Contact:[email protected].

Dictionary Reviews Continued


the facts; send the company a copy ofall your messages and letters,restating the reason for your actions;and follow up with a second or eventhird collection notice. With somepersistence, you should finally get themoney that is rightfully yours.

Of course, this experience hasalready taught you that the rapid glob-alization of our industry has created an increasing need for properclient research. There are nownumerous websites and listserves onwhich translators can exchange infor-

mation on the payment practices oftheir clients (see box, page 42). Usethem: they are vital tools to help pro-tect freelancers against the “blacksheep” of the business and discourageunethical business practices.

The information in this column wascompiled by members of ATA’s BusinessPractices Education Committee for thebenefit of ATA members. This column isnot intended to constitute legal, finan-cial, or other business advice. Each indi-

vidual or company should make its ownindependent business decisions and con-sult its own legal, financial, or otheradvisors as appropriate. The viewsexpressed here are not necessarily thoseof ATA or its Board of Directors. Sendyour questions about the business oftranslation and interpretation to TheATA Chronicle—BPEC Q&A; 225Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria,VA 22314; Fax: (703) 683-6122; E-mail: [email protected] must be accompanied by a complete name and address, but will bepublished anonymously or pseudony-mously upon request.

Business Smarts Continued from page 42


Pano, shake hands withAramaic! Or at least that appears to bea major premise of The CelestineProphesy (1993) by James Redfield, anovel that is as passé as The DaVinciCode probably will be a decade fromnow. The plot—which my wife sharedwith me during a re-reading that hadher laughing at the clichés and seedydatedness of it all—seems to focus onsome pagan Mayan who learnedsomewhere how to speak Aramaic(pp. 234-235), which allowed him toproduce, circa 600 B.C., somethingcalled The Manuscript. This docu-

ment apparently contains nineinsights relevant to the late 20th-cen-tury western world, in a language thatRedfield, coyly, never identifies (it iscertainly not Pano, which one wouldassume). But any minor-league lin-guist can see how enormous the sus-pension of disbelief has to be toaccept that two cultures, one in whatwe now call the Middle East, the otherin South America, could ever havemade contact 2,600 years ago. Andthat is merely where the suspension ofdisbelief starts….

The Translation Inquirer John [email protected]

Da-Danish

E-English

F-French

Fi-Finnish

G-German

I-Italian

N-Norwegian

Pt-Portuguese

R-Russian

Ro-Romanian

Sp-Spanish

Sw-Swedish

Abbreviationsused with this column

New Queries(Da-E 2-07/1) The terms “centralsøjleansvarlig, søjlestøtter, lokalsøjleansvarlig,” which appeared in adocument that puzzled a ProZ denizen,were used in Danish public health doc-uments describing hospital staff struc-tures. What are these in English?

(E-N 2-07/2) The English sociologicalterm categorically needy, in reference topoor children, evoked a ProZ query. Theproblem touched on was the extent towhich these children would receive med-ical benefits during a certain period oftime. What about the Norwegian for this?

(E-Ro 2-07/3) Surely the Englishword hard ought not to be hard to dealwith, but the devil is always in the con-textual details. The trick is to producegood Romanian for hard, as found inthis sentence: In some unique PC net-works, the IP phone may require hardcoding and setting to “auto and lock”mode. This may have to do withoptions to debug phones.

(F-Ro 2-07/4) This query, for whichwe will gladly take English as a steppingstone to Romanian, is about

“taux global de prélèvements obliga-toires,” and it comes with enough con-text, it seems, to do the job: “Lavalidité du taux global de prélèvementsobligatoires est tributaire de l’approxi-mation des évaluations statistiques,tant en ce qui concerne le produitintérieur brut que les prélèvements.”Lend a hand, if you can!

(G-I 2-07/5) In an automotive setting, aProZer wanted to know about“Hubendschaltergewicht” in the fol-lowing context sentence: “Berührt dieHakenflasche bei der Aufwärtsbe-wegung das Hubendschaltergewicht,spricht der Hubendschalter an.” Try toprovide the Italian or the English.

(G-I 2-07/6) What might be goodItalian for “Operationen- und Proze-durenschlüssel,” a term that is at oncelegal and medical?

(G-Sp 2-07/7) The TranslationInquirer normally tends not to usehomework queries from ProZ, but thisone was interesting. It is a request forgood Spanish for “myotendiotischesSyndrom.” The context made it clearthat the text had to do with the cervical

area of the neck.

((R-G 2-07/8) In a post-mortemanalysis of a cancer patient, a ProZ userfound VNC epks and wondered what hiscolleagues thought it meant, though hehad one suggestion already. What is it?

(R-I 2-07/9) In an obviously tax-related query, this ProZ member askedabout good Italian for Dbls j,tcgtx-tybz j,zpfntkmcnd d pfkjujdjvghfdt. Well, we will take English as areluctant concession.

(Sp-E 2-07/10) This engineeringquery from ProZ is about “Campanacon interceptor de contratiraje,” andhere is what was added for context:“Es una parte de un calefón. El tér-mino en el que estoy más interesada escontratiraje.”

Replies to Old Queries(E-Pt 11-06/3) (power line noise):Denzel Dyer cannot supply thePortuguese for this, but says that it ishigh-frequency electronic “noise” gen-erated by loose connections or arcing(among other things) on power lines.The signals ride the power lines, ➡



but can also be radiated and picked upby, for instance, electrocardiographleads. That gets us closer.

(E-Sp 8-06/3) (entitlement holder): AsRodolfo Theis sees it, here the entitle-ment holder is a person who retainsrights. He suggests “El Deudor, identifi-cado en el expediente del Titular de laCuenta como la persona para quien lacuenta se mantiene, retiene los dere-chos relacionados con los activosfinancieros que ocasionalmente seacreditan en la Cuenta del Contrato deConstrucción. Sujeto a los términos delpresente contrato, el Titular de laCuenta deberá considerar que el Deudorpodrá ejercer dichos derechos....”

(F-E 10-06/5) (procédure d’enquête deflagrance) Georges Coulon says thatthe French Code of Criminal Procedurewas amended in 1958 to allow for an“enquête de flagrance.” This is aninvestigative enquiry conducted when aflagrant offense is committed in casesof delicts punishable by imprisonment.This means that the police department’sauthority to search is actually greaterthan might be presumed under a cur-sory review of the French system. See:Arizona Journal of International andComparative Law, Vol. 19, No. 3(2002), page 1047.

(F-E 11-06/4) (donneurs d’ouvrage):To Alan Berson, who labored long andwell on the equivalent of this columnin the ITI Bulletin (the publication ofthe U.K.’s Institute of Translation andInterpreting), this seems very close tothe work providers who can be foundin their separate section of languageexhibitions and shows in Britain.These providers are companies thathire people with language skills.

Jean Lachaud’s opinion about this:It does not belong to a “(category of)profession.” A “donneur d’ouvrage” is

an entity (rarely a person, but it couldbe) who provides work (or orders),usually to an at-home artisan, but theterm also covers all sizes of subcon-tractors. In our “profession,” a transla-tion agency is the perfect example of a“donneur d’ouvrage.” I assume that theterm itself originates from early indus-trialization, when crafted workers hadnot yet moved “en masse” to largecities, and work (wool spinning, clockhardware manufacturing, and so on)was farmed out to them. Translationcan be tricky, since it may depend onthe point of view of the person usingthe term. To me, a “donneur d’ou-vrage” is a client. For example, to anewspaper reporting about a majorconstruction contract, the (main) con-tractor is a “donneur d’ouvrage.”

(F-E 11-06/5) (appartement à unechambre): Jean Lachaud assumes anerror in the listing of this question,which appears as if it should havebeen listed under the English-Frenchcategory. It does not have a hotelflavor, but “suite à une chambre” does.A “suite” is the perfect term for a hotelsuite, as attested by the 2006 edition ofthe Petit Larousse “...pièces contiguesdans un hôtel de luxe.”

(G-I 11-06/8) (VVRVG): SusannaBunzel-Harris reports that this abbrevi-ation has not so much to do with thepatent itself as with the fees the patentattorney collects. VVRVG stands for“Vergütungsverzeichnis zum Rechtsan-waltsvergütungsgesetz.” This mouthfulof German legalese would translate intoEnglish roughly as CompensationSchedule Pertaining to the AttorneyCompensation Act, and could be ren-dered as “Elenco di compensi dellalegge rimunerazione avvocati” in Italian.

(Fi-Sw 11-06/6a) (hilipatapartio):Tapani Ronni says that “hilipatapartio”

is not a normal word, but a made-uphumorous construct. It would be fly-by-night team in English. The entire sen-tence: The best way to prevent these isto use a clearly visible guard when thestore is open, not some fly-by-nightteam that comes when you push thebutton or give a call. As for (6.b), in apoorly constructed sentence, if “kuta-moale” is meant to be one word, it isalso a humorous construct. It is slangand generally means a small scale theft.

(I-E 8-06/5) (immobile sociale):Lorraine Alexson says that given thecorporate context, this seems to be alegal term indicating a building(“immobile”) belonging to a company(“società”). More context is needed.

(Sp-E 8-06/8) (zapateo): MiriamSigler looked this word up in severalglossaries and also ran it by a friendwho is Chilean. They both agreed thateither tapping or thumping wereacceptable translations. GracielaDaichman reports that, according tothe Larousse bilingual dictionary, thisis the stamping or tapping with the feet(in dancing). Also, tap dance (withjazz music) and pawing of a horse. Asa verb, “zapatear” is to tap with one’sfeet. Fig: To tread on. To paw theground. To thump (rabbit). Of all ofthe above, the closest to the possiblemeaning of the text in Sp-E 8-06/8would be thumping.

Renato Calderón presents thistranslation of the entire context sen-tence on page 50 of the August 2006issue: a majority of the equipment thusprotected did not have failure, with theexception of some cases of successiveknocks (repetitive or continuouspounding/knocking) which causedrepairable damage on the wheels andon the carriages.

(Sp-E 11-06/11) (vino por en tubo):

The Translation Inquirer Continued



Bilingual puns have probably existedsince someone realized that the people in the next cave usedwords and phrases that sounded similar to his/her own, buthad totally different meanings.

Shakespeare used bilingual sexual puns from Latin intoEnglish in The Merry Wives of Windsor: hic and haec,among others, misconstrued as “hick and hack” (see theOctober 2006 column); and from English into French inHenry V: “foot” and “gown” misconstrued as foutre andconne. In Ruddigore, Gilbert and Sullivan turned valet dechambre into valley-de-sham, and, in Sellar and Yeatman’s1066 and All That, Julius Caesar’s famous words, miscon-strued as “Weeny, Weedy, and Weaky,” so disheartened theBritons that they surrendered to the invading Romans.

Here are some bilingual puns, old and new, with appro-priate misspellings:

Bella Naughty: Italian lady of the nightcar per diem: daily chariot rental feefooey gras: I hate Carnival!Frank 'n' Stein: German fast foodGloria Dei: sister of Dorishaute cuisine: horse foodJohnny Screechy: Puccini opera favored by b-list singersmal de merde: Robespierre’s revengeMan On! and Man On, Let’s Go!: baseball operasnom de plume: advertising via skywritingnon compost mentis: mindset of the throw-away societySalami Aleikum: a delicatessen that deliverssave-our-fare: insider knowledge allowing free rides on

the Metro

Seoul food: Korean cuisinesick transit, Gloria, Monday: find a new way to commute,

Gloria, by the beginning of the weeksuccès d’esteam: Électricité de France’s new cogenera-

tion plantUnter den Lyndon: HubertVaya con DOS: old Spanish ad for MicrosoftVeldtschmerz: overgrown Capetown lawns

Probably the most elaborate examples of bilingual punsare homophonic translations, discussed in the June 2005column. The idea is to mimic the sounds of the originalwords, rather than their meanings. Indeed, some homo-phonic translations have little or no meaning at all.

Here is the first verse of Schiller’s “Ode to Joy,” set tomusic by Beethoven in the Ninth Symphony:

Freude, schöner Götterfunken,Tochter aus Elysium,wir betreten feuertrunken,himmlische, dein Heiligtum.

And here is a homphonic translation into English:

Freud and Shane begot a funkydaughter named Eliza whomwe betrayed and for a trinkethemlocked; she’d a hellish doom.

Bilingual Puns

Humor and Translation Mark [email protected]

Graciela Daichman says that althoughclearly the paragraph quoted refers towines, there is a semi-colloquial phraseused in Argentina (“como por un tubo”)that indicates that something came outexactly as planned or imagined. Forexample: “Todo el proyecto salió comopor un tubo.” (“Salir” refers here toresults and is unrelated to the verb “goout.”) Could the heading “Vino por untubo” mean Wine that pours out easily?

I am grateful to all the voluntary andinvoluntary contributors, and hope allof you do splendidly well in 2007! Atthe time this column is being com-piled, the year is still just a squallinginfant, being less than five days old.

This column is solely intended as a means of facili-tating a general discussion regarding terminology choices.For feedback regarding pressing terminology questions

please try one of these online forums: Lantra-L(www.geocities.com/athens/7110/lantra.htm),ProZ.com (www.proz.com), or Translators Café(http://translatorscafe.com).

Address your queries and responses to The TranslationInquirer, 112 Ardmoor Avenue, Danville, Pennsylvania17821, or fax them to (570) 275-1477. E-mail address:[email protected]. Please make your submissions bythe first of each month to be included in the next issue.Generous assistance from Per Dohler, proofreader, is grate-fully acknowledged.

The Translation Inquirer Continued from page 50


Herman is a librettist and translator. Submit items for future columns via e-mail to [email protected] or via snail mail to Mark Herman, 1409 E Gaylord Street,Mount Pleasant, MI 48858-3626. Discussions of the translation of humor and examplesthereof are preferred, but humorous anecdotes about translators, translations, and mis-translations are also welcome. Include copyright information and permission if relevant.



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

English into ItalianAlessandra FioravantiGeneva, Switzerland

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ATA Certification Exam InformationUpcoming Exams

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Hotel InformationThe Renaissance Hotel Downtown,located at 590 W Peachtree Street NW,Atlanta, GA 30308, located on the edgeof Midtown near Atlanta's top attractions.

A block of rooms has been reservedat $109 single/double a night, plus tax.To take advantage of this special rate,make your reservations by February2. Call (404) 881-6000 and be sure toask for the ATA group rate.

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of Translating& Interpreting


To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change many times.

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