Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1 ATA CHRONICLE - HOW TO GET YOUR WORK IN A MUSEUM - TRANSLATION AS AN - The ATA Chronicle

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Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1 ATA CHRONICLE - HOW TO GET YOUR WORK IN A MUSEUM - TRANSLATION AS AN - The ATA Chronicle
ATA CHRONICLE
Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1         A Publication of the American Translators Association

                 TRANSLATION
                 AS AN

                               HOW TO GET
                               YOUR WORK IN
                               A MUSEUM
Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1 ATA CHRONICLE - HOW TO GET YOUR WORK IN A MUSEUM - TRANSLATION AS AN - The ATA Chronicle
Contents                              January/February 2021 • Volume 50, Number 1

                                       22

                                  8                                                    30

                                        Features
                                        8                                             13
Connect with ATA                        Treasurer’s Report                            Call for Nominations:
                                        There tends to be a lag between               ATA Officers and Directors
    www.atanet.org
                                        when an economic shock takes place            Do you know someone who would
    www.twitter.com/atanet              and when its effects are generally            make a good potential candidate
                                        experienced. As such, while our               for ATA’s Board of Directors? If so,
    http://bit.ly/ATA-Facebook
                                        finances still look fairly solid in this      ATA’s Nominating and Leadership
    http://bit.ly/ATA-Instagram         report, it’s essential to bear in mind that   Development Committee would like
                                        rockier roads lie ahead.                      to hear from you. Any ATA member
    http://bit.ly/ATA-LinkedIn                                                        may make a nomination. Here’s your
                                                                                      chance to help shape the future of
    http://bit.ly/ChannelATA
                                                                                      the Association!
    http://bit.ly/ATA-Pinterest

See more from this issue at
www.ata-chronicle.online.
Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1 ATA CHRONICLE - HOW TO GET YOUR WORK IN A MUSEUM - TRANSLATION AS AN - The ATA Chronicle
14                                           Columns                          American Translators Association
                                                                              225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590
How Did Your Work
                                             4
                                                                              Alexandria, VA 22314 USA
Change in 2020?
                                                                              Tel: +1-703-683-6100
Given the many challenges 2020
                                             From the President               Fax: +1-703-683-6122
presented, members of The ATA                                                 chronicle@atanet.org • www.atanet.org
Chronicle Editorial Board reached out
to their colleagues (both interpreters and   6                                Editorial Board
translators) and invited them to answer      From the President-Elect         Jost Zetzsche (chair), Paula Arturo, Lois
the following question: How did your                                          Feuerle, Ben Karl, Barbara Inge Karsch,
                                                                              Ted Wozniak
work change in 2020?
                                             7
                                                                              Publisher/Executive Director
                                             From the Executive Director
19                                                                            Walter Bacak, CAE • walter@atanet.org
The Demands of
On-Demand Interpreting                       28                               Editor
                                                                              Jeff Sanfacon • jeff@atanet.org
In a time of increased professional          Business Practices
isolation with interpreters working                                           Advertising
from home, here's some light on the          30                               advertising@atanet.org
                                                                              Tel: +1-703-683-6100, ext. 3007
challenges and rewards of the                Resource Review                  Fax: +1-703-683-6122
essential work of on-demand over-
the-phone interpreting.
                                             36                               Design & Production
                                                                              Blue House DC • www.bluehousedc.com
22                                           Interpreters Forum
                                                                              The ATA Chronicle (ISSN 1078-6457) is
Translation as an Art: How to
Get Your Work in a Museum                    38                               published six times per year by the American
                                                                              Translators Association, 225 Reinekers Lane,
Museums have evolved from rather stuffy      Certification Forum              Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA.
places to lively multimedia experiences                                       Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria,
with exhibitions on anything from art                                         Virginia, and additional mailing offices.
and photography to fashion, film, and
                                                                              Postmaster: Send address changes to
music. Here are some examples of the                                          The ATA Chronicle, 225 Reinekers Lane,
types of projects you might encounter                                         Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA.
when working for museums, including                                           The American Translators Association (ATA)
some challenges you’re likely to face.                                        was established in 1959 as a not-for-profit
                                                                              professional society to foster and support the

25                                                                            professional development of translators and
                                                                              interpreters and to promote the translation
2020 ATA Honors and                                                           and interpreting professions. The subscription
Awards Recipients                                                             rate for a member is $25 (included in the
ATA and the American Foundation                                               dues payment). The U.S. subscription rate for
for Translation and Interpretation                                            a nonmember is $65. Subscribers in Canada
present annual and biennial awards                                            and Mexico add $25; all other non-U.S.
to encourage, reward, and publicize                                           subscribers add $45. Statements of fact or
                                                                              opinion are the responsibility of the authors
outstanding work done by both
                                                                              alone and do not imply an opinion on the part
seasoned professionals and students
                                                                              of the officers or the members of ATA.
of our craft.
                                                                              Reprint Permission
                                                                              Requests for permission to reprint articles
                                             Looking for Member News          should be sent to the editor of The ATA
                                                                              Chronicle at jeff@atanet.org.
                                             and Humor and Translation?
                                             These columns are found in the   ©2021 American Translators Association

                                             Chronicle-Online edition:
                                             www.ata-chronicle.online!
Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1 ATA CHRONICLE - HOW TO GET YOUR WORK IN A MUSEUM - TRANSLATION AS AN - The ATA Chronicle
FROM THE PRESIDENT

                                   A Problem with Membership Classes

                                   Associate member? How            A “Brief” History                 but who were interested in
                                   many Associate members                                             ATA’s objectives. Any non-
                                                                    of Membership
                                   do you know who are not                                            member deemed worthy
                                   professional practitioners?
                                                                    Requirements                      could be nominated to be an
                                   Probably very few. I don’t       When ATA was established,         Honorary member. (By 1981,
                                   know any. However, of            its membership requirements1      the non-member requirement
                                   the 8,831 total members          and procedures were very          had been eliminated so that
                                   as of June 20, 2020, less        “guild-like.” In the 1959 draft   existing members could
TED R. WOZNIAK                     than one-third, 30.4%            “constitution,” there were        become Honorary members.)
president@atanet.org               to be precise, are Active        only two membership classes:      New members had to be
                                   members. Associate members       Members and Associate             investigated and approved by
                                   comprise 52.7% of the            Members. Members had to           the Membership Committee
                                   total membership and             be professional translators,      (peer review by three to five
                                   Corresponding members            defined as “any person who        Active members). By 1965,
                                   another 6.9%. How many           had made their living, or a       the requirements for Active
                                   Associate members meet           major part of their living, by    membership were changed
                                   the “U.S. person” and            translation for at least one      slightly to include adherence
                                   professional engagement          year.” “Interested persons”       to the Code of Professional

O
                                   criteria? I would hazard to      could become Associate            Ethics, but still required
          ur membership
                                   guess almost all of them are     Members. Membership was           professional engagement,
          structure no
                                   professionally engaged and       granted by approval of a          endorsement by two Active
          longer serves our
                                   that most also meet the U.S.     three-person membership           members (or evidence of
Association as intended.
                                   requirement. Yet they are        committee elected by the          three years’ professional
There are too few Active
                                   not Active members. They         members, and subsequently         experience), while Associate
members and too many
Associate members.                 cannot vote, run for elected     ratified at the next regular      membership was still for
    In basic terms, Active         office, or serve on standing     membership meeting. As            ethical persons interested in
membership is intended             committees. There are far too    I do not have a full copy         ATA’s objectives.
for citizens or permanent          many individuals who could       of the original Bylaws, it’s        Peer review (or approval
residents of the U.S.              become Active members,           unknown if these provisions       by “Masters” to use guild
who are professionally             and thus be able to vote and     were in effect in 1960. But       language) notwithstanding,
engaged in translation             play a greater role in ATA,      it does show the intent           it’s clear that the intent
or interpreting. That              but who fail, for whatever       that membership would             from the beginning was for
describes the vast majority        reason, to become Active         be controlled much like a         professional practitioners
of our members. The                members. I, and several past     medieval guild.                   to be Active members, while
Corresponding membership           Board directors, think this is     The 1961 Bylaws show a          persons who were merely
class is for persons who           a problem.                       similar structure and process.    “interested” in T&I were
are professionally engaged           Or is it? I guess that         There were three membership       to be (non-voting, non-
but do not meet the U.S.           depends on how one views         classes: Active, Associate,       governing) Associates.
requirement (i.e., non-U.S.        ATA in terms of what kind        and Honorary. Any person            Professional engagement
professional translators and       of an association one thinks     of “good moral character”         remained the sine quo non
interpreters). In contrast,        it is (or should be). Is ATA a   who was actively engaged in       for Active membership,
Associate members are              “professional association”       translating or interpreting       and thus the ability to play
supposed to be individuals         designed to promote the T&I      was automatically eligible for    an “active” role in ATA
who are not professionally         professions as we state in       Active membership. Associate      and its governance, until
engaged in translation             our mission statement? Or        membership was for those not      the early 1980s. As early
or interpreting (T&I)              is it a “trade association”      eligible for Active membership    as 1971 the passing of an
but who wish to further            intended to promote the          (presumably solely because        examination was discussed
ATA’s objectives.                  T&I industry? Is it a “guild”    they were not actively            as a requirement for Active
    Are you professionally         formed to promote and            engaged in T&I and not            membership, even though
engaged in T&I but still an        protect its members?             because they were immoral)        no such examination existed

4     The ATA Chronicle | Januar y/February 2021                                                                       www.atanet.org
Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1 ATA CHRONICLE - HOW TO GET YOUR WORK IN A MUSEUM - TRANSLATION AS AN - The ATA Chronicle
at the time. Prior to 1982, a     matters of the Association,        as chairs or members of                solution that would not only
new member could join as          and we will present this           committees simply because              continue to meet the needs
an Active member based on         request to the Board on March      they don’t have a certification        of members who are more
professional engagement           18.” A proposed amendment          exam in their languages or             engaged, but would also
and the endorsement of two        to the Bylaws that year            haven’t yet passed a mid-              meet the lesser needs of
Active members. That began        would have extended voting         career examination? (On                “mailbox” members—and
to change by 1982, when           rights to Associate members.       a related note, since when             possibly attract additional
a “basic level certification      Although a majority favored        is competence, which is                practitioners who are
examination” was included         the amendment 262-232,             what our exam tests, prima             somewhat skeptical of the
in the Bylaws as an additional    it failed to meet the two-         facie evidence of being                benefits of membership?
third eligibility requirement     thirds requirement. A second       professionally engaged, which          What about newcomers to
for Active membership. The        attempt, offering two options      is the primary requirement             the profession who have
requirement for endorsement       to allow Associate members to      for Active membership?) I say          less financial resources
by two Active members had         vote, failed the following year.   no, and past ATA Boards have           and a much smaller client
also been dropped by 1982. In     Based on a desire to expand        agreed with me.                        base than established
1988, peer review in lieu of      the franchise, a proposal              In addition to the question        practitioners? Is there a place
passing the “accreditation”       to automatically classify          of “rights and privileges,”            for part-timers, or even
exam was added as a path          Associate members as Active        recent Boards have discussed           “hobbyists” in a “Supporter”
to Active membership.             member after three years of        whether the current                    class? Is there a structure
Somewhere down the line,          membership was proposed,           membership structure                   that allows us to put most
all new members joined as         and failed, in 2017. There has     meets our members' needs               or all of the “professional
Associate members, and only       obviously been resistance          and wants. A majority of               practitioners” in one place,
after passing the examination     from current Active members        individual members don’t               and all of the “interested
(or more rarely, peer review),    to expand the electorate over      attend the Annual Conference           parties” in another?
could they “advance” to           the years.                         and don’t require continuing              The Governance and
Active membership. But far                                           education credits since                Communications Committee
                                    One could also legitimately
too many never do even                                               they’re not credentialed.              began asking these questions
                                  ask if efforts to expand the
though they’re fully qualified.                                      Many members, especially               and looking for answers back
                                  franchise with an eye toward
  Thus began the slow                                                those without a certification          in 2018 when I became chair.
                                  increasing voter participation
but inexorable process of                                            exam, join and remain in               That work has continued, on
                                  are not exercises in frustration
creating a two-tier system                                           ATA for no other reason than           and off, for almost three years
                                  and doomed to fail—at least
of membership, with an                                               because their clients see it           now, and a report and
                                  in relative terms. Increasing
increasing disparity in the                                          as a sign of professionalism.          proposal will soon be shared
                                  the number of eligible voters
relative size of the Active                                          This last viewpoint has been           with the Board. If approved by
                                  would likely increase the
and Associate classes. This                                          documented in numerous                 the Board, the framework will
                                  number of ballots cast in
resulted in the situation                                            member surveys. For such               then be opened for member
                                  absolute but not relative
described above.                                                     members, just being a                  comment and debate. We
                                  terms. Many members
                                                                     member is all they want and            hope that there will be
                                  simply don’t care who
                                                                                                            sufficient discussion over the
So, What’s the Problem?           ATA’s officers and directors       need. Is it right to charge
                                                                                                            next 12 months or so that will
                                  are. Many don’t even care          members who use little or
It’s neither right nor proper
                                                                     none of ATA’s resources the            allow a final proposal,
for such a large number of        about contentious Bylaws
                                                                     same dues as members who               incorporating member
professionals engaged in T&I      amendments, as is evidenced
                                                                     avail themselves of most of            feedback, to be presented to
to not have a voice in ATA’s      by the still-relatively low
                                                                     the benefits of membership?            the Board in due time for a
governance. This was clear        turnout on the recent
                                                                     Is there a more equitable              member vote in 2022.
at least as far back as 1995,     decoupling amendment.
when Peter Krawutschke, then        Is it right to deny the vote
chair of the Bylaws Revision      to the majority of practicing      NOTE
Committee and president-          translators and interpreters
                                                                     1
                                                                          There is very limited availability of past Bylaws, especially
elect, wrote: “Over the past      in ATA simply because they              versions predating computers and the internet. The timeline and
year, it became clear to most     may choose not to exercise              dates used above are pieced together from the limited sample
members on the Bylaws             that right? Is it right to deny         of Bylaws, articles, and other material that could be scrapped
Review Committee that             ATA the ability to use the              together by ATA Headquarters on short notice. (If any “senior”
Associate members should          expertise and volunteerism              members have full and dated copies of past Bylaws, especially
have the right to vote on         of so many professionals                from the 1960s through the 1980s, please send me a copy!)

www.ata-chronicle.online                                                                               American Translators Association   5
Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1 ATA CHRONICLE - HOW TO GET YOUR WORK IN A MUSEUM - TRANSLATION AS AN - The ATA Chronicle
FROM THE PRESIDENT-ELECT

                                      A New Year, a New Start

                                      I
                                         t’s a new year, and with it comes a time       (both in-person and virtual). Yes, a hybrid
                                         of reflection, as well as fresh and exciting   conference is another first for ATA, but we
                                         opportunities. If 2020 taught us anything,     know we can pull off a new model with great
                                      it was the ability to accept new challenges       results, and I look forward to the challenge
                                      and adapt accordingly. Hopefully 2021 will        of planning this year’s event. The call for
                                      be, in many ways, different than last year,       proposals is now open, so please submit your
                                      but I think we can all agree that we learned      session proposals by March 1. At this time, the
                                      a lot about ourselves and our businesses. We      plan is to offer virtual attendees a selection
MADALENA                              also learned a lot about how our Association      of streamed, live sessions offered at the
SÁNCHEZ ZAMPAULO                      can step up to serve us even during the most      conference venue in Minneapolis.
madalena@accessibletranslations.com   challenging of times.                                While we’ve learned a lot about who we are
    @mszampaulo                       • When COVID-19 disrupted our plans to hold       as an Association over the course of 2020, we
                                        our Annual Conference in Boston, we pivoted     still have a lot more to understand about who
                                        to a fully virtual conference model that        our members are and what they want from a
                                        attracted over 1,500 attendees.1                professional association. As immediate past chair
                                                                                        of the Membership Committee, we’ve worked the
                                      • When we saw how swiftly and significantly
                                                                                        past few years on increasing member benefits
                                        the economic crisis affected so many of our
                                                                                        and creating greater value for our members.
                                        members, the Board quickly approved a
                                                                                        But we want to hear from you. We want to
                                        motion not to raise membership dues this
                                                                                        know how we can best serve you. So, we’ll be
                                        year and to offer members the ability to
                                                                                        asking you questions related to the member
If 2020 taught us                       renew in two installments.2
                                                                                        benefits you enjoy and what you would like

anything, it was the                  • When we witnessed what can only be
                                        described as a powerful time to reflect on
                                                                                        to see more of. We’ll also be asking you about
                                                                                        ATA’s advocacy efforts and how you would like
ability to accept new                   the racial divide in our country, ATA issued
                                        a statement3 on racism and inequality,
                                                                                        to be represented by ATA at various levels.
                                                                                           Please watch your inbox for the
challenges and                          reiterating that we stand by our members        Membership Survey and the new ATA
                                        and colleagues who are Black, Indigenous,       Compensation Survey and complete them
adapt accordingly.                      and People of Color.                            during the window when they are available. By
                                      • When our members in California were             providing more information and insights, you
                                        fighting for their right to remain              allow the Board to get a better picture of who
                                        independent contractors after the passing       we are as an Association, what’s going well,
                                        of California Assembly Bill 5, we stepped up    and what areas can be improved in the future.
                                        and supported4 efforts to provide protection       Here’s to a year of growth in 2021!
                                        for professional translators and interpreters
                                        in Assembly Bill 2257 (Worker Classification:   NOTES
                                        Employees and Independent Contractors).         1
                                                                                            ATA 61st Annual Conference Website,
                                      • When health care interpreters were not              https://ata61.org.
                                        treated as essential workers or provided        2
                                                                                            To help those members who find it difficult
                                        personal protective equipment, we signed            to pay membership dues in full at this time,
                                        on to support a best practices guide5 with          ATA is offering an installment plan in 2021.
                                        other national associations to promote safer        Renew online to choose this payment option.
                                        working environments.                               Visit: http://bit.ly/ATA-member-renewal.
                                         We’ve come together again and again to         3
                                                                                            ATA Statement on Racism and Inequality,
                                      step up and meet these challenges head on as          http://bit.ly/ATA-diversity.
                                      an Association and as colleagues. And while       4
                                                                                            Open Letter to the California
                                      it’s certain we’ll be called to do the same in
                                      2021, we’ll do so by looking forward to new
                                                                                            Assembly and Senate (August 2020),
                                      opportunities to adapt and grow.                      http://bit.ly/ATA-AB2257.
                                         As we look ahead this year, we’ll be           5
                                                                                            Providing Interpreting Services During
                                      planning ATA62 as a hybrid conference                 COVID-19, http://bit.ly/best-practices-COVID.

6   The ATA Chronicle | Januar y/February 2021                                                                            www.atanet.org
Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1 ATA CHRONICLE - HOW TO GET YOUR WORK IN A MUSEUM - TRANSLATION AS AN - The ATA Chronicle
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The New Year, New Look,
and Board Meeting Highlights
The new year brings hope and opportunity. For ATA, it also brings
a new look. The new ATA website will be online shortly. You’ll find it
visually appealing, the content completely reviewed, and with better
navigation. We have more to do with the directories. In addition to the
website, the new year brings a new look to The ATA Chronicle. This
year marks the 50th anniversary of ATA’s flagship publication. We look                                   WALTER BACAK, CAE
forward to recognizing this milestone throughout the year.                                               walter@atanet.org

T
     ypically, the Fall Board meeting             New Committee Chairs
     would have been held in conjunction          The Board approved the appointment of the                 ATA Petitions CDC to
     with the Annual Conference. Instead,
the Board met virtually a week after the
                                                  following Committee chairs:                               Include Interpreters
                                                  • Advocacy Committee: Lorena Ortiz Schneider              Following the release
conference, October 31–November 1. Here
                                                                                                            of the U.S. COVID-19
are some highlights.                              • Certification Committee: Michèle Hansen                 Vaccination Program
                                                  • Chapters Committee: Yolanda Secos                       recommendations, ATA
Opening the Certification Exam                    • Divisions Committee: Daniel Sebesta
                                                                                                            and 20 other language
to Nonmembers                                                                                               organizations and
                                                     Thank you to the outgoing chairs for                   associations petitioned the
The Board rescinded the previously approved
                                                  all their time and work for ATA: Ted                      Centers for Disease Control
motions to open the certification exam to                                                                   and Prevention to explicitly
                                                  Wozniak (Advocacy), David Stephenson
nonmembers. The decision followed the failure                                                               include on-site medical
                                                  (Certification), Tony Guerra (Chapters),
of the proposed Bylaws amendment clarifying                                                                 interpreters among the
                                                  and Percy Balemans (Divisions).
the rights and privileges of membership.                                                                    listed examples of health
                                                                                                            care personnel eligible
Reimagining Membership                            ATA Monograph Series                                      for Phase 1 vaccinations.
                                                  The Board approved Translation in Transition:             Twenty other organizations
The Board continued its discussion on changes                                                               co-signed the ATA letter.
                                                  Bridging Human and Machine Intelligence as the
to the membership structure, including                                                                      You can read the letter on
                                                  next volume in the ATA Monograph Series. The
looking at tiers of benefits and services. The                                                              ATA’s website:
                                                  Series, published by John Benjamins, is a peer-
Governance and Communications Committee,                                                                    http://bit.ly/CDC-petition.
                                                  reviewed scholarly publication. Recent volumes
led by President-Elect Madalena Sánchez
                                                  include The Evolving Curriculum in Interpreter
Zampaulo, is charged with rethinking/
                                                  and Translator Education and Innovation and
restructuring membership and strengthening
                                                  Expansion in Translation Process Research.
                                                                                                            Be Sure to Renew
the value proposition of ATA membership.                                                                    Don’t go it alone. ATA
                                                                                                            provides a community and
                                                  The Board meeting summary is posted                       a professional home. If you
Investigating a National Registry                 online. The minutes will be posted once                   haven’t already renewed
and a Basic Credential                            they are approved at the next Board                       your membership dues for
The Board approved establishing ad hoc             meeting. Past meeting summaries and                      2021, please do:
committees to investigate and make                minutes are also posted online at                         www.atanet.org/renew.
recommendations on the establishment of a         www.atanet.org/membership/minutes.php.
National Registry of Individual Translators
and Interpreters and a basic ATA credential for
translators and interpreters.

www.ata-chronicle.online                                                                            American Translators Association   7
Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1 ATA CHRONICLE - HOW TO GET YOUR WORK IN A MUSEUM - TRANSLATION AS AN - The ATA Chronicle
TREASURER’S REPORT

                                   Treasurer’s Annual Report
                                   for FY2019–2020

                                   T
                                        his annual report reviews    the Association was actually         clustered in the second half
                                        ATA’s performance            planning both an in-person           of the calendar year. As such,
                                        during its most recent       and a virtual event, thereby         while our finances still look
                                   fiscal year, from July 2019       requiring even more time and         fairly solid in this report, it’s
                                   to June 2020. These results       energy than normal.                  essential to bear in mind that
                                   are reviewed by independent         Yet, a fully virtual               rockier roads lie ahead.
                                   auditors, and any material        conference has been held,
JOHN M. MILAN                      adjustments will be addressed     and we dealt with a lot of           Revenue and Expenses
                                   in future reports. To get a       unknowns. For instance, we
john@milanlanguageservices.com                                                                            During our most recent fiscal
                                   sense of how the Association      didn’t have good data on how         year (July 2019 to June 2020),
                                   is doing over time, we begin      many people might attend,            ATA recorded $2.94 million
                                   with headline figures from the    what they would be willing           in Total Revenue, while
                                   past three fiscal years. (See     to pay, how much value               incurring $3.04 million in
                                   the table below.)                 members might place on a             Total Expenses. The result
                                     Like every organization,        virtual event, or even what          was a negative Change in Net
Like every                         ATA has been adapting to          types of challenges (technical       Assets (before investment
organization, ATA                  our new reality. Though           and otherwise) we would face         activities) of (-$99,796).1
has been adapting                  many financial impacts have       throughout. As such, from            (See Figure 1 on page 9.)
                                   yet to be fully felt, the most    a financial perspective, this           Even though the
to our new reality.
                                   significant one so far has        conference was a learning            Association’s bottom line was
However, many                      been the decision to host a       experience, and if, after            negative for the fiscal year, it
financial impacts have             virtual conference. This was      all the expenses have been           actually improved year-on-
yet to be fully felt.              a major leap, with financial      recorded, it breaks even, we         year because certain expenses
                                   implications, given that this     should consider it a success.        were kept in check by the
                                   event normally accounts             As mentioned in previous           pandemic and economic crisis.
                                   for about one-third of total      reports, there tends to be a lag        Our biggest source of
                                   revenue for the year.             between when an economic             revenue continues to be ATA
                                     ATA Headquarters staff          shock takes place and when           Membership dues ($1.80
                                   and volunteers plan and work      its effects are generally            million), though it fell
                                   on this event year-round, in      experienced. This tendency           -2.9% from a year before.
                                   a structure that cannot be        is significant because ATA’s         Next in importance is the
                                   turned off and on. In fact,       two most important sources           Annual Conference, which,
                                   given the uncertainty in the      of revenue (conference               in Palm Springs, brought in
                                   first few months of the crisis,   and membership dues) are             $868,391, up 5% from New
Year-on-Year Review
                                                                          2017–2018               2018–2019            2019–2020
Membership (The first number—e.g., 9,616—is membership
at the end of the fiscal year. The number in parentheses is peak
                                                                         9,616 (10,358)          9,210 (10,004)        8,831 (9,802)
membership during the fiscal year, which usually occurs in a
different month.)
Total Revenue                                                             $3.28 million           $3.08 million         $2.94 million
Total Expenses                                                            $2.99 million           $3.20 million         $3.04 million
Change in Net Assets (Before investment activities.)                        $286,797              (–$121,302)            (–$99,796)
Total Assets                                                              $3.07 million           $2.86 million         $2.73 million
Total Liabilities                                                         $1.59 million           $1.44 million         $1.29 million
Conference Attendance (Final registration from New Orleans,
                                                                              1,344                  1,377                  1,503
Palm Springs, and the 2020 virtual conference.)

8   The ATA Chronicle | Januar y/February 2021                                                                              www.atanet.org
Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1 ATA CHRONICLE - HOW TO GET YOUR WORK IN A MUSEUM - TRANSLATION AS AN - The ATA Chronicle
Orleans ($825,401). All other
sources lagged behind, with
                                                                                     Membership (1,800,545, 60%)                    Publications (3,117, 0%)
Certification ($197,916)
                                                Figure 1                             Certification (197,916, 7%)                    Other Revenue (23,257, 1%)
generating -30% less revenue
year-on-year as a result of                   Breakdown of                           Chronicle (9,048, 0%)                          Dividend/Interest (30,570, 1%)
fewer exam sittings in 2020.                  Total Revenue                          Conference (868,391, 29%)                       ain/(Loss) Investment
                                                                                                                                    G
  The good news is that Total               July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020               PD—Seminars (0, 0%)                            (14,264, 1%)
Expenses were also down                                                              P D—Webinar/Podcast
-5.3% year-on-year. (See                                                             (33,090, 1%)
Figure 2) Program Services
($2.07 million) accounted
for roughly two-thirds of all
expenditures, after overhead
allocations2, and were -7.9%                                                          Certification (305,531, 10%)                  PD—Seminars (25,456, 1%)
lower than the previous fiscal
                                                Figure 2                              Chronicle (241,226, 8%)                       Publications (94,110, 3%)
year. Certification expenses                  Breakdown of                            Conference (854,925, 28%)                     Salaries (415,254, 14%)
($305,531) were down -31%                     Total Expenses                          Divisions (117,782, 4%)                       Gen & Admin (406,261, 13%)
because fewer exams were                    July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020                Membership (372,863, 12%)                     P R/Officers/Governance
offered and graded.                                                                                                                 (145,531, 5%)
                                                                                      P D—Webinar/Podcast
  Supporting Services
                                                                                      (56,222, 2%)
accounted for the next biggest
outlay, at $967,046, which is
essentially unchanged from
a year before. These services
include salaries/benefits,       Figure 3 Financial Results for ATA Programs (Rounded to the Nearest Thousand)
general/administrative              Revenue          Expense    Surplus (Loss)
expenses, Board meetings,
etc. The only noteworthy         500,000
increase in spending was
                                                                                                                                                                  3 million
on PR/Marketing (up              400,000         197,916
                                                                                                                                                     1,800,545
26%). This increase was the
result of cooperation with       300,000
                                                                 9,048
the Coalition of Practicing                                                                                                                                       2 million
Translators and Interpreters     200,000
of California on legislation                     305,531                                                                                             372,863
                                                                                    —
related to California Assembly                                  241,226                                     33,090        3,117         868,391
                                 100,000                                                        —
Bill 5, as well as slightly                                                                                                                                       1 million
                                                                                 117,782       25,456                     94,110
                                                                                                            56,222                                   1,427,682
higher PR consultant fees              0
and new spending related to                                                                                                             854,925
                                                (107,615)                                     (25,456)      (23,132)     (90,993)
                                                                                 (117,782)
graphics for International       -100,000
                                                                (232,178)                                                                                         0
Translation Day.                                                                                                                         13,466

                                 -200,000
Major Program Results
As noted in my last report3,                    Certification   Chronicle        Divisions   PD–Seminars   PD–Webinars   Publications   Conference   Membership
ATA programs tend to run
at a loss for the fiscal year.   shows positive net funds                               Notice that certain
The most recent results are      available ($1.43 million) from                       programs such as the
presented in the bar chart in    membership dues, which are                           Chronicle and Divisions are
Figure 3. The figures at the     used to finance most of the                          almost entirely subsidized
bottom of each vertical bar      Association’s programs. While                        by dues. Other programs,
represent that program’s         the figure at the bottom of                          including the Conference
annual net gain or loss. For     the next bar over shows that                         and Certification, actually
instance, the bar on the         the Publications program is                          generate revenue that helps
far-right side (Membership)      running at a $90,993 loss.                           offset their costs.

www.ata-chronicle.online                                                                                                 American Translators Association             9
Jan/Feb 2021 | Vol. 50 No. 1 ATA CHRONICLE - HOW TO GET YOUR WORK IN A MUSEUM - TRANSLATION AS AN - The ATA Chronicle
During the 2019–2020 fiscal        Annual Conference
year, the Conference was the
                                      The 2019 Annual Conference in Palm Springs turned
only program whose revenues
                                      out better than expected. We knew it would be a
covered its total expenses.
                                      smaller affair since it was being held at a resort hotel
However, efforts have been
made to generate more
                                      a bit farther from the large population centers where             Figure 4
                                      ATA hosts most of its conferences. Fortunately, the
income from Professional
                                      Association’s planning and hard work paid off, as             Annual Conference
Development (seminars and
webinars), and the expectation
                                      we not only covered all direct and indirect costs, but            Revenue
                                      actually recorded a small surplus ($13,466) when all
is that these programs will
                                      was said and done. On the whole, it should be viewed
become more self-sustaining
                                      as a success.
in the years to come.
                                          The two pie charts in Figures 4 and 5 show where
                                      the conference generated its revenue and how that          Registration (680,660, 78%)
Assets, Liabilities,                  money got spent.4                                          Exhibit (93,095, 11%)
and Net Assets                            As noted under Figure 4, Registration is obviously     AST (42,450, 5%)
In terms of ATA’s longer-             the main source of revenue, but ATA also brings in         Advertising (12,330, 2%)
term status, it remains a             money from exhibitors, Advanced Skills and Training
                                                                                                 Corporate Sponsor (37,535, 4%)
mixed bag. For now, though,           (AST) courses, sponsorship, and even some advertising.
                                                                                                 Special Events (425, 0%)
we’re still on fairly solid               It’s clear from looking at Figure 5 that Overhead
financial ground overall.                                                                        Virtual Conference (1,896, 0%)
                                      at ATA Headquarters is clearly the largest slice of
   The headline figure from           this expense pie, but bear in mind that staff work
our Statement of Financial            on the conference year-round to make it happen.
Position (balance sheet) for          Other essential costs include everything from Wi-Fi to
FY2019–2020, which can be             insurance, speaker honoraria, conference software,
found on page 11, is a (-4.7%)        and other similar expenses. Food and beverage costs,
decline in Total Assets, from         which cover breakfast and the Welcome Celebration,
$2.86 million a year ago to           are typically built into the overall event price and go           Figure 5
$2.73 million this year. Total        toward paying for the physical conference space and
Liabilities also fell during this                                                                   Annual Conference
                                      breakout rooms.
same period (-10.4%), from
                                          In the end, the Palm Springs conference generated             Expenses
$1.44 million to $1.29 million,
                                      a total of $868,391 in revenue, versus a direct cost
mostly as a result of a gradual
                                      of $524,076, more than paying for itself. In fact,
decline in membership.
                                      the surplus from the event fully covered overhead
   The good news, though, is
                                      ($330,849), as noted in Figure 5.
that what ATA holds in cash,                                                                     Travel and Lodging (25,202, 3%)
                                          Turning our sights on the 2020 conference, the
investments, etc., is still worth                                                                Audio Visual (83,975, 10%)
                                      biggest financial concern all the way through the
much more than it owes. In
                                      summer had been the perceived burden of canceling          Welcome Reception (73,058, 9%)
fact, this difference, recorded
                                      the Boston in-person event outright and/or early            ontinental Breakfast (116,646, 14%)
                                                                                                 C
as Net Assets—Unrestricted,
                                      because of contractual penalties that had been             Breaks (27,403, 3%)
remained nearly unchanged—
                                      estimated at around $450,000. Fortunately, thanks to       Breaks—AST (3,649, 0%)
from $1.43 million a year ago
                                      the hard work of ATA Headquarters, that contract was
to $1.42 million this year. This                                                                 Exhibits (11,105, 1%)
                                      renegotiated, allowing the Association to reschedule
is still a healthy number for an                                                                 Temp Clerical (15,033, 2%)
                                      the event in Boston for 2025. In exchange, all penalties
association our size.
                                      were waived for the 2020 event.                            Division Activities (27,525, 3%)
                                          For years now, we’ve noted that when an Annual         Other Essential Costs (140,481, 16%)
                                      Conference does well, ATA does well financially as a       Overhead Expense (330,849, 39%)
                                      whole. The virtual event in 2020 was no different. Our
                                      reasonable expectation was that this conference would
                                      at least break even. As of this writing, that appears to
                                      be the case. In addition, it has served as an excellent
                                      learning experience and point of reference for future
                                      hybrid/virtual events.

10    The ATA Chronicle | Januar y/February 2021                                                                    www.atanet.org
Looking Ahead:                    Preliminary Consolidated Statement of Financial Position as of June 30, 2020
COVID-19, Economic
Crisis, and Budget
As mentioned at the outset,
economic crises normally
involve a certain lag time
until impacts are fully felt.
The figures reported here
are through June 2020. As
such, they don’t yet reflect
the total financial impact
on membership and the
conference. What these
numbers do demonstrate,
though, is where we stood
halfway through this
unprecedented calendar year.
   As of this writing (October
2020), ATA has savings and
investments in excess of
$2 million, with roughly
$750,000 of that in cash.
These figures imply that the
Association has a financial
cushion for the next few
months as this crisis impacts
our industry and ATA in
particular. However, we’ve
already started drawing down
on those cash reserves, in
large part because of cash-
flow issues related to the
virtual conference.
   Two trends that preceded
the current crisis may be
exacerbated by it: declining
membership and smaller or
even negative net income
from the conference.
We continue to monitor
membership numbers. For
now, we expect at least a
5% drop year-on-year. The
conference, for its part, is     meetings to discuss these       would come on the heels
more of a mystery since we       issues and consider their       of the $99,796 loss ATA
have no previous experience      impact on the budget for the    experienced during the fiscal
with virtual events of this      coming fiscal year (2020–21).   year ending in June 2020.
size. The prudent approach,      We expect the Association          Therefore, theoretical
then, is to assume that          to incur manageable losses.     conversations about
breaking even would be a         Our most likely scenario        streamlining the Association,
financial success.               forecasts a negative change     reducing overhead, and
   The Finance and Audit         in net assets on the order of   lowering expenses will need
Committee has met multiple       $225,000 for the upcoming       to become practical
times in between Board           fiscal year (2020–21). That     implementations in the

www.ata-chronicle.online                                                                     American Translators Association   11
Preliminary Consolidated Statement of Activities (with overhead distribution)                   coming months. The Board
                                                                                                and the membership, as a
July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020                                                                   whole, should be prepared for
                                                                                                some tough conversations,
                                                                                                which will be necessary to
                                                                                                ensure ATA’s continued
                                                                                                financial success.

                                                                                                NOTES
                                                                                                1
                                                                                                  As a nonprofit, ATA’s
                                                                                                  change in net assets
                                                                                                  indicates earnings or
                                                                                                  losses during the
                                                                                                  fiscal year.
                                                                                                2
                                                                                                    ATA allocates part of its
                                                                                                    overhead to programs,
                                                                                                    such as the conference,
                                                                                                    certification, divisions,
                                                                                                    etc., based on the
                                                                                                    number of hours that
                                                                                                    Headquarters staff spend
                                                                                                    working on them. This
                                                                                                    allocation provides a
                                                                                                    more accurate view of
                                                                                                    their actual cost.
                                                                                                3
                                                                                                    Milan, John. “Treasurer’s
                                                                                                    Report: July to December
                                                                                                    2019 + Budget,” The ATA
                                                                                                    Chronicle (July/August
                                                                                                    2020), 7, http://bit.ly/
                                                                                                    Treasurer-Report.
                                                                                                4
                                                                                                    This is a good place to
                                                                                                    point out that the charts,
                                                                                                    graphs, and statements
                                                                                                    included in this report
                                                                                                    were all prepared by
                                                                                                    ATA’s very competent
                                                                                                    and much-appreciated
                                                                                                    accounting and finance
                                                                                                    manager, Kirk Lawson.
                                                                                                    Please thank Kirk for all
                                                                                                    his hard work the next
                                                                                                    time you get a chance.

John Milan, CT is the treasurer of ATA and chair of ATA’s Finance and Audit Committee.
He is also an ATA-certified Portuguese>English translator. He is an economist, writer, and
lecturer on the business and economics of language services. He was an adjunct professor
of economics in São Paulo, Brazil, for 10 years. He has been involved in the Carolina
Association of Translators and Interpreters (an ATA chapter) since 2005, spending eight years
on its board of directors, serving as president from 2013–2016. He has an MS in applied
microeconomics from Ohio State University and degrees in international political economy and
Spanish from Indiana University. john@milanlanguageservices.com

12   The ATA Chronicle | Januar y/February 2021                                                                  www.atanet.org
Call for Nominations:
ATA Officers and Directors
The 2021 Nominating and Leadership Development Committee is
pleased to announce the call for nominations from ATA’s membership                                     BECOME AN ATA
to fill the positions of president-elect, secretary, and treasurer                                     VOTING MEMBER!
(each a two-year term), as well as three directors’ positions                                          Apply for Active
                                                                                                       Membership Review
(each a three-year term). Elections will be held at the Annual Meeting
of Voting Members on Thursday, October 28, 2021 during ATA’s                                           Who is eligible
                                                                                                       to become a
62nd Annual Conference in Minneapolis!
                                                                                                       Voting member?
                                                                                                       ATA Associate members

U
       nder ATA’s Bylaws,       2021 Nominating                  your intention and the fact           who can demonstrate that
       all Active members                                        that a nomination does                they are professionally
                                Form Online                                                            engaged in translation,
       of ATA are eligible                                       not guarantee a formal
                                Members may make a
to run for elected office.                                       invitation to run for office.         interpreting, or closely
                                nomination using the
Active members are those                                         If a nomination is not put            related fields may be eligible
                                relevant forms online (www.
who have passed an ATA                                           forward by the Nominating             for Voting membership.
                                atanet.org/elections.php).
certification exam or who                                        and Leadership Development            The qualification process,
                                Nominations should be
are established as having                                        Committee to ATA’s Board              called Active Membership
                                submitted as early as possible
achieved professional                                            of Directors, an individual           Review, is free and online!
                                so that the Nominating and
status through an Active                                         may still petition to be added
                                Leadership Development                                                 Why should I become
Membership Review (see                                           to the slate of candidates by
                                Committee can fully consider                                           a Voting member?
the sidebar for more                                             submitting the nomination
                                proposed candidates. The                                               Voting membership
information on this                                              in writing along with the
                                deadline is March 1, 2021.                                             opens doors to your
process), or through the                                         signatures of at least 60
                                Submit the form at the                                                 participation in the
Credentialed Interpreter                                         voting members endorsing
                                elections page referenced                                              Association—take
program (http://bit.ly/                                          the nomination. The petitions
                                above, or email, mail, or fax                                          part in ATA elections,
ATA-CI-designation).                                             must be received by the
                                the completed form to:                                                 volunteer for Division and
Active members must be                                           Nominating and Leadership
                                                                                                       Committee roles, and
citizens or permanent           David C. Rumsey                  Development Committee
                                Chair, ATA Nominating                                                  increase your professional
residents of the U.S. Other                                      no later than 30 calendar
                                  and Leadership                                                       networking possibilities.
member categories are not                                        days after first publication
                                  Development Committee                                                Check it out at
eligible to serve as officers                                    by the Board of Directors of
                                American Translators                                                   www.atanet.org/
or directors. However, any        Association                    the names of the candidates
                                                                                                       membership/memb_
member may submit a             225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590    proposed by the committee.
                                Alexandria, VA 22314 USA                                               review_online.php.
nomination. Members of the                                          All ATA officers and
Nominating and Leadership       Fax: +1-703-683-6122             directors serve on a volunteer
                                Email: Walter@atanet.org
Development Committee                                            basis: please do not nominate
are not eligible to run for                                      colleagues who express
                                  If you plan to put names
elected office.                                                  serious concerns about
                                forward for nomination,
                                                                 service, or who have
                                please contact the potential
                                                                 conflicting priorities.
                                nominees first, explaining

www.ata-chronicle.online                                                                     American Translators Association    13
Katharine

     How Did
                                                                                                                   Allen
                                                                                                                   Bishop,
                                                                                                                   California

     Your Work
                                                                                                                   In 2020,
                                                                                                   remote interpreting saved
                                                                                                   our livelihood while
                                                                                                   eroding a decade of gains in
                                                                                                   working conditions.

     Change
                                                                                                     Before the pandemic,
                                                                                                   most remote interpreting
                                                                                                   in the U.S. existed in health
                                                                                                   care, emergency services,

     in 2020?
                                                                                                   and the financial world and
                                                                                                   was dominated by over-
                                                                                                   the-phone (OPI) and video
                                                                                                   remote (VRI) consecutive
                                                                                                   interpreting. Remote
                                                                                                   simultaneous interpreting
                                                                                                   (RSI) was a budding area
                                                                                                   on the conference side of
                                                                                                   our profession. Start-up
                                                                                                   platforms were slowly
                                                                                                   gaining inroads, designed
                                                                                                   to preserve good sound and
                                                                                                   provide virtual booths for
                                                                                                   team interpreting.
                                                                                                     In two short weeks in
                                                                                                   March, onsite interpreting
                                                                                                   shut down all over the world.
                                                                                                   Multilingual communication
                                                                                                   moved online. The result?
                                                                                                   Existing OPI, VRI, and RSI
                                                                                                   platforms, after an initial
                                                                                                   dip, experienced huge
                                                                                                   surges in demand. Remote

                                I
One thing                           t was quite a year. Given      unprecedented global health     work offset some of the
                                    the many challenges 2020       and economic crisis. Despite    losses interpreters suffered,
2020 certainly
                                    presented, members of          the chaos 2020 brought, the     but the learning curve has
demonstrated is                  The ATA Chronicle Editorial                                       been steep. The surge has
                                                                   year provided opportunities
the resilience and               Board reached out to their        to connect, learn, adapt, and
                                                                                                   degraded working conditions,
                                 colleagues (both interpreters                                     especially for RSI where the
adaptability of                                                    grow as professionals. We
                                 and translators) and                                              explosion of meetings over
translators and                                                    hope the following will serve
                                 invited them to answer the                                        web conferencing platforms
                                                                   as a reminder of the strength
interpreters.                    following question: How did                                       not designed for interpreting
                                                                   to be found in the translator
                                 your work change in 2020?                                         has forced interpreters into
                                                                   and interpreter community.
                                    The stories they share here                                    endless patchwork hacks that
                                                                     Many thanks to The ATA        strain sound, cognition, and
                                 speak of professional and
                                 personal struggle—as well         Chronicle Editorial Board for   brain function. But like it or
                                 as some bright spots—while        coordinating this article:      not, remote interpreting is
                                 navigating the “new normal”       Jost Zetzsche (chair), Paula    here to stay.
                                 of a global pandemic. A           Arturo, Lois Feuerle, Ben         As we come out of the
                                 common theme throughout           Karl, Barbara Inge Karsch,      pandemic, now is the time to
                                 is resiliency in the face of an   and Ted Wozniak.                be loud, squeaky wheels to

14   The ATA Chronicle | Januar y/February 2021                                                                    www.atanet.org
prevent poor remote working        machine translation systems       Interpreting training is             from around the country—as
conditions from getting baked      for non-critical translations     booming. And although some           well as Brazil, Egypt, India,
in as the “new normal.”            that don’t have to be             translation direct clients           Mexico, Spain, and the
                                   linguistically “perfect” and      are learning about neural            U.K.—attended.
                Robin              edit the machine translation      machine translation, they               Though 2020 further
                                   output themselves.                still need our services.             isolated some translators,
                Bonthrone
                                                                                                          it also opened our world
                Austin, Texas
                As a German>
                                                   Waleska                            Allison             to global collaboration
                                                                                                          and solidarity on an
                English                            Bonthrone                          deFreese
                                                                                                          unprecedented scale. I hope
financial-legal translator                         Austin, Texas                      Portland, Oregon    our interactions will continue
and specialist boutique                            I’m the owner                      Many assume         in 2021—and beyond!
owner whose clients are all                        of a boutique                      little changed
in the German-speaking             agency providing health care      for literary translators
countries, my business cycle       interpreting, translation,        in 2020. But the entire
                                                                                                                          Michael
reflects fluctuations in those     and health care interpreting      publishing circuit—from                              Engley
countries’ economies.              training services, with a         printers to book fairs and                           Port Charlotte,
  In line with the hard            focus on Spanish.                 bookstore distribution—has                           Florida
lockdowns imposed in                 When the lockdown hit           been unrooted, and with it                           I began 2020
Germany—my primary                 Austin, half my local business    my translations.                     comfortably busy during
market—business fell off a         collapsed in one day. Onsite        While bestsellers are              the financial reporting
cliff in April and remained        interpreting was not an option    readily available online,            season, but it didn’t take
more or less stagnant until        anymore. I quickly realized       small independent presses            long for that to change.
late summer. The first half        that my local health care         have suffered. Four of my            The anticipated seasonal
(H1) 2020 financial reports,       clients and onsite interpreters   publishers shuttered or              projects that would normally
which generally arrive in July     were not prepared for the         delayed publications, some           keep me busy through the
each year for translation,         abrupt change. I created a        until 2021 or 2022. Furloughs        spring never materialized
were the exception, but most       video remote interpreting         included accountants, which          as the pandemic ramped up
of them were also shorter          (VRI) guideline for all of them   postponed payments for               earlier in Europe than in the
than usual.                        in two days and trained the       manuscripts I submitted. One         U.S. and many employees
  Business started picking up      onsite interpreters to become     of my editors was laid off,          of German and Austrian
again in September/October,        VRI interpreters in a week        leaving my projects in limbo.        companies retreated to the
but it’s currently too early       to ready them for the “new        Sadly, in November an editor         safety of their homes.
to say whether the renewed         normal” in interpreting.          I had worked with for years             I was finally called into
lockdown in Germany that             What the COVID-19               passed away. My translation          action again for some half-
was imposed in December will       pandemic taught me directly       of María Negroni’s Elegy for         yearly reports and was very
significantly impact translation   is to always be prepared for      Joseph Cornell, scheduled            busy for several weeks in the
demand in my markets.              change. I wasn’t expecting my     for spring, appeared in              early fall. However, it has
  I’ve identified several          online health care interpreting   October, but it hasn’t been          been “crickets” ever since.
trends I believe to be             training to start booming         reviewed due to lack of              Luckily, I was approved
directly attributable to the       during the pandemic, but          staffing at publishers, and          (after several frustrating
COVID-19 pandemic. First,          that’s exactly what happened.     all promotional events have          attempts) at the last minute
“discretionary” translations       Fortunately, I had updated my     been canceled.                       for a Paycheck Protection
(not required by law or            one-on-one online training          Still, the pandemic has            Program loan that helped
another legal obligation)          to focus on VRI, which meant      eliminated geographical              sustain my family through
are recovering slowly but          I was already prepared to         borders, allowing translators        the second half of the year.
may not return to BC (before       help my students nationwide       to attend global conferences.        Fortunately for us, my wife
COVID) levels for a few            during lockdown.                  In 2020, I coordinated a             is an “essential worker” at a
years, if ever. Second, the          My take on the business         virtual conference for the           local hospital and very much
pandemic has exacerbated           impact of the pandemic is that    Oregon Society of Translators        in demand.
the price pressures that were      local onsite interpreting is      and Interpreters (an ATA                I’ve taken advantage of
already building up BC. And        picking up slowly, with many      affiliate), an event usually         the unplanned sabbatical by
third, some direct clients are     health care providers still not   limited to Pacific Northwest         spending more time with
starting to understand that        comfortable with VRI because      and California attendees.            my three-year-old son and
they can use the latest neural     of their specializations.         Speakers and participants            honing new skills that I

www.ata-chronicle.online                                                                            American Translators Association     15
Instead of “going with           expect will soon enhance my
                                 translation business while
                                                                 projects related to COVID,
                                                                 including guidelines, press
                                                                                                  calling, which has been very
                                                                                                  powerful for me.
the flow,” I found               also providing a potential      releases, and medical staff         2020 was full of silver
                                 new pillar outside of the       training. I even gained          linings and I’m looking
myself being more                translation industry. Yet,      two clients, who initially       forward to an even

active and proactive,            despite the extra leisure
                                 time, 2020 was exceptionally
                                                                 contacted me for a COVID-
                                                                 related project and now
                                                                                                  brighter 2021.

researching new                  chaotic and I looked forward    send me projects regularly.                       Anwar
avenues, working
                                 to its close.                   Another positive impact of                        Martinez
                                                                 the pandemic for me: when
                                                                                                                   New York City,
hard but enjoying the                             Anne-          a major communication
                                                                                                                   New York
                                                  Charlotte      platform moved their annual
process, and feeling                              Giovangrandi   conference online, I got to
                                                                                                                   Times have
                                                                                                  changed considerably.
alive and grateful.                               Palo Alto,
                                                                 translate the subtitles of
                                                                 their keynote speeches.
                                                                                                  I know I’m stating the

New challenges are                                California     So, overall, I feel lucky
                                                                                                  obvious, but I would have
                                 As a California-based                                            never thought in a million
                                                                 and grateful!
invigorating—what’s              English>French translator                                        years what 2020 had in
                                 working exclusively with                                         store. As I had recently
there not to like?               agencies, when I first heard
                                                                                 Ben Karl         begun my career as a
                                 of California Assembly
                                                                                 Long Beach,      translator and interpreter,
                                 Bill 5 (AB 5) in 2019, I was                    California       my vision of the future
                                 terrified. By January 2020,                     Last spring,     didn’t include a global
                                 my fears had materialized:                      a friend of      pandemic that was going
                                 my two largest clients were     mine said that despite all       to shut down entire cities
                                 demanding I incorporate         the challenges 2020 lobbed       across the world.
                                 to keep our relationship.       at us, she found it very easy      I’m based in New
                                 I adamantly refused,            to count her blessings. I        York City and work for a
                                 choosing instead to             couldn’t agree more. I’m         Catholic religious order
                                 advocate for an exemption       very thankful for my health,     of men dedicated to
                                 alongside the Coalition of      my family, my home, and          educating young people,
                                 Practicing Translators and      my work.                         especially those who are
                                 Interpreters of California,        Last March, less than six     disadvantaged. Suddenly,
                                 a nonpartisan nonprofit         months after moving to a         I found myself wondering
                                 advocacy group.                 new city in a new state and      if I should count myself
                                   Surprisingly, the year        just when I was getting a        among the disadvantaged as
                                                                 feel for the lay of the land,    my work began to steadily
                                 started strong, thanks to
                                                                 we were ordered to shelter       decrease as the number of
                                 additional projects from
                                                                 in place. I didn’t have to       COVID-19 cases increased.
                                 regular clients who accepted
                                                                 transition to working from
                                 my sole proprietor status                                          Fortunately, my studies as
                                                                 home, but I did have to
                                 and supported my fight                                           a graduate student not only
                                                                 transition to an entirely
                                 against AB 5. And then the                                       kept me busy but provided
                                                                 home-based existence, my
                                 pandemic hit.                                                    me with a community of
                                                                 usual outlets outside having
                                   After an abysmal April,                                        like-minded individuals who
                                                                 suddenly closed their doors.
                                 I got a brief stint in                                           were going through similar
                                                                    With few places to go and
                                 videogame localization,                                          experiences. This renewed
                                                                 terrified that my clients
                                 a sector that definitely                                         sense of purpose became
                                                                 would disappear, I threw
                                 benefited from the              myself into my work and          one of the driving forces
                                 lockdown. Luxury products,      nearly burned out in the         that has helped me navigate
                                 on the other hand, did not,     process. Thankfully, my          the murky waters of the
                                 and my regular translations     clients are all doing well and   pandemic. Hopefully the
                                 of high-end jewelry catalogs    I’ve even managed to find        situation will improve, since
                                 vanished. However, as a         some new ones. I’ve found a      translation and interpreting
                                 medical translator, I also      new work balance where I’m       remain at the heart of what I
                                 started receiving many          no longer afraid they’ll stop    do and who I am.

16   The ATA Chronicle | Januar y/February 2021                                                                    www.atanet.org
Janis Palma      business seven years ago.           300 days per year on the                hours didn’t change and I
                                 My revenue reached an all-          road. Assignments included              had many new opportunities
                San Antonio,
                                 time high. I enjoyed every          trips to all continents and             and various assignments. I
                Texas
                                 project, from interpreting at       practically every state. I              was busier in 2020 than any
                I was on my
                                 conferences and courthouses         lived out of a suitcase, ate            year before. Several factors
                way back
                                 to translating legal                at restaurants, and slept               helped significantly to
home from a week of work
                                 documents with my team.             in hotel rooms. I loved my              achieve this outcome:
at the U.S. District Court in
                                   Then came the coronavirus.        lifestyle. All of this ended in         • Having a strong positive
Corpus Christi, Texas, when
                                 I was closely following             the spring as conferences                  long-term relationship with
I heard the news on public
                                 China’s situation in January,       were postponed, trips                      an interpreting agency.
radio: San Antonio was
                                 so I wasn’t surprised when          canceled, confinement
going into lockdown due to                                                                                   • Having optimal working
                                 a long-time client canceled         orders issued, and my work
the pandemic.                                                                                                   conditions (e.g., no school-
                                 their U.S. trip. However, soon      disappeared. I haven’t
  I had no idea what that                                                                                       age children at home).
                                 courthouses in Texas shut           left my place since March
meant other than having to
                                 down, businesses suspended          16. A lack of income and                • Keeping up to date with
do some grocery shopping as
                                 nonessential employee               uncertainty about the                      compliance requirements.
if a hurricane were about to
                                 benefits (e.g., Mandarin            future were exacerbated by
hit. It was March 20, 2020,                                                                                  • Having the necessary
                                 classes), and nonprofits cut        a constant stream of email
and there was no way for me                                                                                     technology already in
                                 budgets for recurring projects.     and social media postings                  place at home with
to know back then how long
                                 March through May, my               heralding the end of my                    reliable internet.
this stay-at-home order was
                                 revenue was down 80% year-          profession and the triumph
really going to last or how                                                                                  • Having the support and
                                 over-year compared to 2019.         of distance interpreting.
my life’s priorities would                                                                                      inspiration of colleagues,
                                   I took the opportunity to           I had interpreted remotely
never again be the same.                                                                                        who encouraged me to
                                 focus on business generation.       for about two years, which
  Finding isopropyl alcohol                                                                                     expand my field of work
became a quest. That             I made 60 cold calls to my          gave me the peace of mind
                                                                                                                and referred me to new
everyday item on drug store      ideal interpreting clients over     to set my priorities. I fired
                                                                                                                services. (That’s how I
shelves became as scarce as      the summer. I gained a new          bad clients, got closer to the
                                                                                                                added a third job as a
work in the courts and regular   student thanks to the referral      best ones, and discovered
                                                                                                                contact tracer to my 2020
income. Overnight I lost track   from a current one, both of         a never seen attitude of
                                                                                                                résumé and created a few
of my colleagues, my friends.    whom I enjoy working with. I        collaboration among my
                                                                                                                workshops for interpreters.)
Everyone was too busy            was more available to a client      colleagues worldwide.
finding disposable gloves and    from 2019 and became her            Interpreters have adapted to            • Following my business
face masks or figuring out       trusted partner for more than       the circumstances because                  plan to continue offering
how to use remote platforms      just language needs. I also         we’re problem solvers. I still             training courses even to
to start a whole new way of      started exercising six times a      miss in-person work but,                   smaller groups.
making a safe living away        week, organized four online         having learned new skills                  Instead of “going with the
from COVID-19.                   socials for ATA’s Chinese           and selected quality clients,           flow,” I found myself being
  I gave up waiting for          Language Division, and              I’m confident I’ll make it              more active and proactive,
the courts to call or the        created a marriage enrichment       during and after this crisis.           researching new avenues,
unemployment office to           study group with friends.                                                   working hard but enjoying
answer my calls. I finally                                                           Svetlana                the process, and feeling alive
decided to apply for my                          Tony Rosado                         Ruth                    and grateful. New challenges
Social Security benefits and                                                                                 are invigorating—what’s
                                                 Chicago, Illinois                   Portland, Oregon
just stay home. I still miss                                                                                 there not to like?
                                                 My life was                         A memorable
my friends!
                                                 affected in                         year, 2020
                                                 2020. The           presented many challenges,                              Carol Shaw
                Tianlu           loss of family members,             tested my strength, and                                 Garland, Texas
                Redmon           diminished income, stress,          taught me—a medical                                     On December
                Houston, Texas   and uncertainty were all            interpreter and trainer—how                             31, 2019, I
                I’m a Chinese    present. The biggest change,        to stay in business.                                    made my
                interpreter,     however, occurred in my               While many interpreters               first-ever business New Year’s
translator, and teacher.         professional life.                  saw a significant decrease              resolution: to make it a point
2019 was the best year             As an interpreter before          in hours, I had the opposite            to learn new skills in 2020.
since I started my freelance     the pandemic, I averaged            experience. My interpreting             Then COVID-19 happened.

www.ata-chronicle.online                                                                               American Translators Association      17
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