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The Voice of Interpreters and Translators
THE
ATA
May/June 2019
Volume XLVIII
Number 3
PROMOTING ATA
AT THE EUROPEAN
LANGUAGE INDUSTRY
ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
A Publication of the American Translators Association
American Translators Association
225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590
Alexandria, VA 22314 USA
Tel: +1.703.683.6100
Greater involvement of interpreters Fax: +1.703.683.6122
in ATA has motivated us to stretch Email: chronicle@atanet.org
Website: www.atanet.org
our boundaries—to the benefit of
FROM THE PRESIDENT Editorial Board
CORINNE MCKAY
the Association at large. Paula Arturo
president@atanet.org Lois Feuerle
Twitter handle: @corinnemckay Geoff Koby (chair)
point of view in many of our core programs Corinne McKay
Interpreters:
by appointing interpreters to key positions, Mary McKee
such as webinar chair (Director Elena Ted Wozniak
Langdon) and Chapters Committee chair
A Critical
Jost Zetzsche
(Directory Tony Guerra).
Additionally, interpreter advocacy has Publisher/Executive Director
Presence in ATA come to the forefront in recent months.
ATA members in Texas—including
Walter Bacak, CAE
walter@atanet.org
W
Austin Area Translators and Interpreters
ith over 3,000 individual Editor
Association President Marco Hanson and
members, ATA’s Interpreters Jeff Sanfacon
ATA Director Cristina Helmerichs—alerted
Division1 includes nearly jeff@atanet.org
us to a disturbing set of proposals in the
one third of our Association’s total
Texas legislature that would decrease the
membership. During my time in ATA— Advertising
passing score on the Texas state court
now about 17 years—interpreters have advertising@atanet.org
interpreter exam from 70% to 60%.
played an ever-growing role (literally, Tel: +1.703.683.6100, ext. 3007
With help from Bill Rivers, executive
and figuratively!) in ATA, to the greater Fax: +1.703.683.6122
director of the Joint National Committee
benefit of the Association as a whole. That
on Languages, the language lobbying
growing presence has also motivated us in Design & Production
organization to which ATA belongs, ATA
ATA’s leadership to take a closer look at Blue House DC
drafted a letter strongly opposing these bills
the benefits we offer interpreters and how www.bluehousedc.com
and sent it to key members of the Texas
to advocate for interpreters in the larger
legislature.3 Likewise, we’re becoming
world of language services. The ATA Chronicle (ISSN 1078-6457) is published
involved in court interpreter advocacy in six times per year by the American Translators
Critical to ATA’s increased inclusion of
interpreters is our Interpretation Policy South Carolina, where some interpreters Association, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590,
Advisory Committee (IPAC), headed by ATA are being paid only for “talking time” (i.e., Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. Periodicals postage
Board Member Melinda Gonzalez-Hibner. half the time that they are actually on duty) paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and additional
As chair of IPAC, Melinda advises ATA’s when interpreting in a team of two. mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address
leadership on all things interpreter-related. Dealing with issues such as these has changes to The ATA Chronicle, 225 Reinekers
She and her committee—experts in multiple been a new departure for ATA, especially Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA.
“flavors” of interpreting such as medical, for those of us who think of a translators The American Translators Association (ATA)
conference, court, and community—work association as consisting mainly of desk- was established in 1959 as a not-for-profit
on ATA’s own interpreter policies (more on bound “word nerds” who need some professional society to foster and support the
those below!), and also advise me on how prodding to get out from behind the professional development of translators and
ATA can or should speak up for interpreters computer screen. Greater involvement interpreters and to promote the translation and
when interfacing with our national and state of interpreters in ATA has motivated us interpreting professions. The subscription rate for
governments and other entities. to stretch our boundaries—to the great a member is $25 (included in the dues payment).
If you’re an interpreter, you should first benefit of the Association at large. We hope The U.S. subscription rate for a nonmember is $65.
make sure that you’re taking advantage that the presence of interpreters in ATA will Subscribers in Canada and Mexico add $25;
of all the interpreter-specific benefits continue to grow well into the future! all other non-U.S. subscribers add $45.
ATA offers. Most importantly, if you Single copies are available for $7 per issue.
hold a recognized interpreting credential NOTES Statements of fact or opinion are the responsibility
in conference, health care, or legal
1.
For more information on ATA’s Interpreters of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion
Division, visit www.ata-divisions.org/ID. on the part of the officers or the members of ATA.
interpreting, make sure to apply for our
Credentialed Interpreter designation (CI),2 2.
For more information on ATA’s
which appears in ATA directory searches Credentialed Interpreter designation, visit ©2019 American Translators Association
alongside the CT credential for ATA- http://bit.ly/ATA-CI-credential.
Reprint Permission
certified translators. ATA has also made a 3.
See “Follow ATA News,”
Requests for permission to reprint articles
concerted effort to include the interpreter https://atanet.org/pressroom/index.php.
should be sent to the editor of The ATA Chronicle
2 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 at jeff@atanet.org.
www.atanet.org
CONTENTS
FEATURES
May/June 2019
Volume XLVIII
Number 3
19
ATA Law Seminar:
10 Four Perspectives
Responding to Disaster: Best One of the biggest challenges you
Practices and Lessons Learned face as a translator or interpreter
from the 2017 North Bay Fires is finding the intermediate-to-
advanced continuing education
The disastrous 2017 North Bay
you need to move ahead in
fires in California presented
your career. ATA’s Law Seminar
enormous challenges for
provided just the kind of high-
disseminating timely and
level, hands-on training attendees
accurate information to the large,
were looking for.
predominantly Hispanic, non-
English-speaking population of
Cover: (From left): Clio Schils,
Sonoma and Napa Counties. My
president of the European
experiences made it clear how a
Language Industry Association,
lack of preparation, at both the
Annette Schiller, chair of FIT
personal and community level,
Europe, and ATA Spokesperson
can exacerbate the challenges of
Molly Yurick. (Photo by
a natural disaster.
Daniel Seabra.)
13
International Literature: ADVERTISING DIRECTORY
A Data-Driven Approach to
17 35 Alliant
https://ata.alliant.com
Prioritizing Diversity
Why do books from some
languages find their way into COLUMNS
English while other cultures
remain underrepresented? 2 From the President
AmazonCrossing’s editorial
4 From the President-elect
director discusses what it takes for
a book, author, and translator to 5 ATA Social Media
reach readers in a new language. 5 Letters to the Editor
6 From the Executive Director
17 7 Outreach Report:
10 Simple Ways to Boost Your
Advocacy Day
Translation or Interpreting
Website’s SEO 8 Outreach Report:
How many freelance translators
ELIA Conference
and interpreters really take 23 Entrepreneurial Linguist
the time to adjust a few things 24 Geekspeak
behind the scenes to boost their
website’s search engine ranking? 29 Resource Review
33 New Certified Members
34 Certification Forum
Looking for Member News and Humor
and Translation? These columns are
found in the Chronicle-Online edition:
www.atanet.org/chronicle-online! 19
Connect www.atanet.org http://bit.ly/ATA-LinkedIn
with ATA
www.twitter.com/atanet http://bit.ly/ChannelATA
http://bit.ly/ATA-Facebook http://bit.ly/ATA-Pinterest
http://bit.ly/ATA-Instagram
A few tables at the general continental
breakfast will be reserved for this
event. ATA Board members will also
be available for informal discussions
FROM THE PRESIDENT-ELECT throughout the conference. Take this
opportunity to introduce yourself, ask
TED R. WOZNIAK questions, or convey your ideas.
ted@tedwozniak.net
■■ Brainstorm Networking: Work in
small teams to tackle business-related
ATA60: Professional challenges while making friends and
creating partnerships. Don’t forget your
Development at Its Best ■■
business cards!
Buddies Welcome Newbies: First-time
T REGULAR SESSIONS
his year is a milestone for ATA attendees (Newbies) are paired up with
as it will hold its 60th Annual We received 435 proposals, of which seasoned attendees (Buddies) to get the
Conference in beautiful Palm just 40% (174) were able to be selected. most from their conference experience.
Springs, California. Palm Springs is Each session was reviewed by subject ■■ Dictionary Exchange: Donate
a lovely small town with some great matter experts, who also had a difficult dictionaries and other reference materials
dining and entertainment options. job recommending the cream of the you no longer need and find ones you
(More on the venue in future columns.) crop. While I relied heavily on their can put to good use. One linguist’s
For now, I would like to focus on one recommendations, the final decision was trash is another’s treasure. Tables will be
of the main reasons for attending: mine alone so any criticisms are mine available for you to drop off and/or pick
professional development sessions. to bear. Just as with the AST sessions, up used dictionaries (for free!).
ensuring that the regular sessions cover as
many fields of practice and areas of interest ■■ Exhibit Hall: Get a first-hand look at
AST DAY new products you will actually use.
Advanced Skills and Training (AST) Day as possible is very challenging. Proposals
were received for all 30 educational tracks, Visit school reps offering programs
takes place on Wednesday, October 23.
so there will certainly be something of designed for your development. Take the
This “conference-before-the-conference”
interest for every attendee. Due to the opportunity to meet with employers who
will provide specialized education and
proximity of this year’s conference to Los might be looking to recruit your services!
networking opportunities. AST Day offers a
Angeles and the large number of sessions Job Fair: Taking place over two nights,
selection of three-hour courses specifically ■■
submitted by members of the new and this event will help you obtain work
chosen to provide intensive, interactive
enthusiastic Audiovisual Division, the and meet new clients. Agency reps will
instruction from highly-acclaimed AV track was given special emphasis this
speakers. Course details and speaker bios host tables and post their current and
year. This is an exciting and growing field
will be provided when available. ongoing needs.
of practice about which I encourage all
The sessions for this year’s AST Day have attendees to learn. Again, I would like to ■■ Mindful Movement and Zumba: These
already been selected. There were 90 high- thank everyone who submitted a proposal. morning exercise sessions will get your
quality sessions proposed on a wide variety blood flowing before starting your
of topics. Unfortunately, the schedule busy day!
only allows for 14 slots. As conference NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
Of course, ATA60 will offer more than Also on tap again this year will be the
organizer, I had the very difficult task of
just educational sessions. There will be Welcome Celebration, Business Practices
trying to select the best of the best. If only
networking opportunities, where you Happy Hour, and After Hours Café, as
there was more time to include all the
can meet prospective clients and fellow well as many other social events.
excellent proposals we received. I want to
translators and interpreters. Here are just a
thank everyone who submitted proposals
few of the events scheduled for attendees:
for their enthusiasm and support of ATA’s MAKE ATA60 YOUR YEAR
professional development program. Please ■■ Book Fair: This event is returning after So, come celebrate ATA’s 60th anniversary
submit again next year. a long hiatus. Member-authors will have conference and help us make ATA60 the
The selected sessions cover a wide a table offering their books for sale. It’s a best conference ever! Visit the conference
range of our members’ fields of practice. great chance to get an autographed copy! website for more information
Topics will include legal translation, (Okay, they may not win any literary (www.atanet.org/conf/2019). The site
interpreting skills for Spanish interpreters, prizes, but we know they have great will be updated as planning progresses.
subtitling, machine translation and value to us!) If you haven’t decided to attend ATA60
post-editing, and tips for working on ■■ Breakfast with the Board: This is your yet, check out the video of attendees at
translation projects more efficiently. chance to get to know ATA’s leadership! ATA59 (www.atanet.org/conf/2018).
4 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org
ATA SOCIAL MEDIA FROM OUR MEMBERS
31,633 14,500 6,392 1,386
FACEBOOK FANS TWITTER FOLLOWERS LINKEDIN MEMBERS INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Educational Interpreting 101: It’s a Lot Harder than It Looks| Natalia Abarca and Katharine Allen FEATURED FACEBOOK POST
I found the article on educational interpreting by Natalia Abarca and Katharine Allen in
the March–April issue particularly interesting. I wanted to inform readers of a program in
Indiana that addresses some of the issues they discussed.
In 2016, the state board of education obtained a grant to train special education American Translators
Association
interpreters across the state. The training was free to all bilingual teachers, school
April 20
employees, and other interested interpreters. The program covers Indiana’s Special
Education Rules Title 511 Article 7, practice scenarios, code of ethics, and standards of Mental Health in Freelance
practice based on those developed by the National Council on Interpreting in Health Translation: Isolation
Care. Many of us who are certified medical interpreters took the training and are “Isolation can make the liberating
interpreting in the school district for special education. I don’t know if any other trainings world of freelance feel like a
are available nationwide and would be interested in finding out what other states are prison, but there is a way out of
doing to address the issue of school interpreting. that cell…. [T]here are numerous
Maria Schwieter | La Porte, Indiana articles on freelance isolation
Taking Charge of Your Rates | Simon Berrill
right under your googling
Excellent article! There’s a certain sense of satisfaction at increasing rates, knowing that fingertips, but I’d like to give
you should still be fine even if the client declines to accept. I’ve often used rate increases you a translator’s perspective on
to thin demand. I would only add that while you are indeed free to choose when to the matter, be it from my own
increase your prices, you may have more chance of success if you do so before the client experience or the experiences
has already set their budget—so perhaps a month or two before the end of the year. of translators from my personal
Oliver Lawrence orbit. For your consideration,
here are some tips on leaving
your little lair of translation.”
Read on—
https://bit.ly/2VpSWS1
TOP TWEETS
Facebook’s flood of
languages leave it struggling
to monitor content:
https://reut.rs/2Guk498
APRIL 23 / @ATANET
English translations of
Armenian memoirs share
diaspora stories with a new
generation | LA Times:
https://lat.ms/2ZuPzIC
APRIL 22 / @ATANET
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 5
CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED
ATA ELECTIONS | 2019 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ATA will hold its regularly scheduled
WALTER BACAK, CAE elections at the upcoming 2019 ATA Annual
walter@atanet.org Conference in Palm Springs, California, to
elect a president-elect, secretary, treasurer,
Board Meeting Highlights and three directors. Further nominations,
supported by acceptance statements in
and 25 Years! writing by each additional nominee and a
written petition signed by no fewer than 60
T
voting members, must be received by the
he American Translators Association’s Governance—Articles of Incorporation:
Nominating and Leadership Development
Board of Directors met April 13–14, The Board reviewed proposed changes
Committee by June 1. Acceptance statements
2019 in Alexandria, Virginia. The to ATA’s Articles of Incorporation. The
and petitions should be submitted to
Board met in conjunction with the proposed changes reflect current ATA
Nominating and Leadership Development
Certification Committee and Language practices. Any proposed revisions will need
Chairs meetings. (Each exam language Committee Chair David Rumsey (ata-hq@
to be approved by the membership. The
combination has a language chair Articles of Incorporation along with the atanet.org). Candidate statements and
administering the passage selection and bylaws are the foundational documents that photos of the candidates will appear in the
graders. ATA currently offers testing in 30 guide ATA’s governance. September/October issue of The ATA Chronicle
language combinations.) and on ATA’s website. The candidates
Governance—Mission Statement: proposed by the Nominating and Leadership
Here are some highlights from the
The Board approved revising ATA’s
Board meeting. Development Committee are:
Mission Statement. Here is the new
Working Budget: The Board approved Mission Statement: President-elect (two-year term):
the July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020 working Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo
“ATA’s mission is to promote the
budget and the 2020–22 draft budgets. The Secretary (two-year term):
recognition of professional translators and
approved working budget of $3.1 million Karen Tkaczyk
interpreters, to facilitate communication
is a slight decrease compared to the current
among its members, to establish Treasurer (two-year term):
budget. (The decrease is due to the projected
standards of competence and ethics, to
lower revenue for this year’s Annual John Milan
provide its members with professional
Conference in Palm Springs, California.) Director (three positions, three-year terms):
development opportunities, and to
The working budget provides an interim Alaina Brandt
advocate on behalf of the profession.”
financial framework. By using this interim Veronika Demichelis
budget, changes and revisions can be made The Board meeting summary is posted
Tony Guerra
based on the actual year-end figures. The online. The minutes will be posted once
they are approved at the next Board Aaron Hebenstreit
final budget will be approved at the next
meeting. Past meeting summaries and Cristina Helmerichs
Board meeting.
minutes are also posted online at www. Diego Mansilla
Annual Conference: The Board discussed
atanet.org/membership/minutes.php. The
plans for ATA’s 60th Annual Conference, Below: From left: Executive Director Walter
next Board meeting is set for August 3–4,
October 23–26, 2019. After reviewing the Bacak (holding plaque), Treasurer John Milan,
2019 in Denver, Colorado. As always,
proposed revenue and expenses, the Board President-Elect Ted Wozniak, President Corinne
the meeting is open to all members, and
consensus was to maintain the registration McKay, and Secretary Karen Tkaczyk.
members are encouraged to attend.
fees and not increase them for this year.
Mid-Year Seminars: The Board reviewed 25 YEARS WITH ATA!
the final report from Professional I recently celebrated my 25th anniversary
Development Committee Chair Anne with ATA. When starting out, few folks
Connor on the Law Seminar held earlier think they are going to work someplace
this year in Jersey City, New Jersey. With that long. It just happens. I’m fortunate
the success of this seminar and the interest that it happened with ATA. Thank you to all
in doing others, the Board agreed to move the members, volunteers, and staff along
forward on another specialized advanced the way. I look forward to serving you as
training seminar for next spring. We will
we continue on.
share more information as plans take shape.
6 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org
OUTREACH REPORT BY CAITLIN WALSH
ATA Adds Its Voice to Language Advocates
in Nation’s Capital
discussions and materials provided
to congressional staffers brought
translation and interpreting services
front and center. Delegates could relate
language proficiency to international
relations, social justice, economic
growth, and national security.
ATA’s expertise in the business and
government aspects of the language
industry are helping cement our place
with congressional offices looking to
support languages and the vital role
they play in the U.S.
I would encourage all ATA members
and supporters to sign up to receive
policy alerts from JNCL (https://
languagepolicy.org). These contain
specific actions and templates/scripts
you can use to make advocacy easy.
Follow #LanguageMatters and
@JNCLinfo on Twitter for opportunities
to amplify others’ messages. The
current political climate means we
have a stellar opportunity to make
meaningful changes happen for the
benefit of all.
The Washington State Delegation visiting Senator Maria Cantwell’s office (from left): Brenda Gaver
NOTE
(Pacific Northwest Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language), Caitilin Walsh (ATA), Kristin Quinlan 1.
“Stepping Out on Capitol Hill: ATA’s First
(Certified Languages), and Allison Ferch (Globalization and Localization Association) Advocacy Day in Washington, DC,” The
ATA Chronicle (January–February 2018),
http://bit.ly/ATA-advocacy.
O ver 160 world language advocates
gathered in Washington, DC on
February 14–15 to meet with
members of Congress for Language
and interpreter sister organizations
participate in the event.
As ATA’s representative, I was
honored to join world language
Caitilin Walsh is a past
president of ATA (2013–2015).
She currently serves as
Advocacy Day. This annual summit educators PreK–12, researchers, chair of ATA’s Education and
of administrators, business owners, analysts, translators, interpreters, Pedagogy Committee. She
educators, and language industry business owners, and other also serves on the executive
leaders is organized by the Joint representatives of leading language committee of the Joint National Committee for
associations from over 40 states to Languages. An ATA-certified French>English
National Committee for Languages
advocate for America’s language translator, she produces translations for the
(JNCL), the authority on language computer industry and food lovers alike. She
enterprise. A great addition this year
policy in Washington, DC. Every is a graduate of Willamette University (Oregon)
were two ATA members who “got the
year, ATA lends its voice as one of the and the Université de Strasbourg (France).
advocacy bug” in 2017, when ATA
advocates from the language professions She teaches ethics and business practices at
and JNCL sponsored a Translation and
to meet with Congress and request the Translation and Interpreting Institute at
Interpreting Advocacy Day prior to Bellevue College. She is a member of the
legislation and funding in support ATA’s 58th Annual Conference in Translation and Interpreting Advisory
of language education and industry Washington, DC.1 Committee for the Puget Sound Skills Center.
priorities. In addition to numerous While the focus of legislative requests Contact: cwalsh@nwlink.com or
language educators, several translator this year was on budget appropriations, @CaitilinWalsh on Twitter.
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 7
OUTREACH REPORT BY MOLLY YURICK
ATA at the ELIA Together Conference in Barcelona, Spain
lunch breaks, or in the hallway between
sessions, I didn’t hear much of the
usual MT bashing I often hear at other
translator and interpreter industry events.
I participated in numerous conversations
about MT that were quite refreshing.
People talked about its advantages just as
much as its disadvantages. I learned a lot,
especially since I’ve not personally worked
with MT before.
I had an incredibly enlightening
conversation with an agency owner turned
ELIA attendees gather outside the conference venue. (Photo by Daniel Seabra.)
MT tool owner. He explained his current
I n February 2019 I had the pleasure started by providing a brief history of business process to me, saying that he
of representing ATA at the European machine learning and artificial intelligence. trained specific MT tools for each of his
Language Industry Association (ELIA) He shared an illustrative anecdote about the clients. He said that once the machine was
Together conference in Barcelona, Spain. Dartmouth Summer Research Project on trained and put in place, he was back to
(ATA was a sponsor.) ELIA describes itself Artificial Intelligence from 1955. That year, square one—the same square one as any
on its website as the “European not-for- a group of researchers stated that they could translation company: finding specialized
profit trade association of language service discover and solve the problems of how translators that are good enough to work
companies with a mission to accelerate our machines use language in just two months if with the text at hand. He emphasized that
members’ business success.”1 they could get the proper funding and build the translation process really hadn’t changed
Throughout the year, ELIA hosts a the perfect team of 10 scientists. Zamora that much. He still needed specialized
number of events for language services got a good round of giggles and pats on the translators to post-edit specialized texts. He
companies, but the ELIA Together back from the translator-filled audience at was on a mission to tell as many translators
conference is a yearly event targeted to that story. as possible to rest assured. We aren’t being
both freelancers and language companies. Although Zamora emphasized that no replaced by machines, we’re just working
As defined on ELIA’s website, the Together one knows exactly where technology is faster because of them.
conference is a: “two-day event that brings heading—or if machines will ever reach
together professionals from across the singularity—he really drove home the FREELANCERS, LANGUAGE COMPANIES,
industry for an open dialogue on industry importance of embracing new technologies AND TOOL REPRESENTATIVES
trends, to learn mutually-relevant new instead of rejecting them. There is no
ELIA welcomed a total of 236 attendees:
approaches, to update technical skills and, denying that we, as humans and as
80 language services and computer-
ultimately, serve our end clients better. Most translators, have to realize and accept that
assisted translation tool companies and
importantly, it’s a friendly, collaborative machines can now perceive and learn,
119 freelancers. The remaining attendees
environment in which to develop lasting but they can’t yet abstract or reason. If we
were a mix of university professors,
relationships.”2 I couldn’t agree more. know the limits of artificial intelligence, we
language consultants, and others. What I
can figure out how to leverage its uses for
liked most about this conference was the
our own competitive advantage. Zamora
MASTERING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION encouraged us to be knowledgeable
great diversity of attendees interacting and
The theme for the 2019 conference was mingling the entire time.
and aware about the tools available to
“Mastering Digital Transformation,” which The two days of the conference
us. Whether we like it or not, machine
ELIA defined as: “Focusing on what your were divided into two session tracks
translation (MT) is a reality in our industry.
business needs to do to stand out from the (“specialization” and “trends and
Zamora also reminded us that advancements
crowd and how to provide solutions to the technology”), which took place in separate
in technology are affecting every sector on
changing needs of our end clients.”3 rooms. As at most conferences, the sessions
the planet, not just ours. He ended on a
The event kicked off with keynote were hit or miss. The specialization track
positive note, saying that technology will
speaker Javier Zamora, senior lecturer in sessions were full of great ideas on how
improve our sector if we’re willing and able
the Department of Information Systems and why to specialize. Unfortunately,
to use it appropriately and to our advantage.
at the Instituto de Estudios Superiores after two days of back-to-back sessions
de la Empresa Business School of the on specialization, they ended up being
University of Navarra in Barcelona. His TRENDING TOPIC: a bit repetitive. This was due to no
presentation, “The Digital Mindset: Beyond MACHINE TRANSLATION fault of the presenters, since it’s hard to
the Technological Fads,” was inspiring and Zamora’s keynote speech set the tone spin specialization in a million different
eye-opening for those in attendance. Zamora for the conference. During coffee and ways. The trends and technology track
8 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.org
was more varied, touching on items of
interest to both freelancers and language
companies. Some of the sessions that were
specific to language companies were quite
insightful for freelancers as well. I learned
why language companies ask freelancers
to do free tests, how project managers
select a freelancer for a job, and what
the onboarding process looks like from
the language company’s side. One of my
favorite sessions was about productivity,
such as using email templates to save on
typing time or the Pomodoro method to
stay on track during the work day.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD
FOR FREELANCERS?
The conference concluded with a panel
session called “What Does the Future
Hold for Freelancers?” I was honored to
participate on the panel alongside such
esteemed colleagues as:
■■ Jerzy Czopik, a freelance translator and
interpreter and the vice president of the
Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und
Übersetzer e.V., a professional association
of interpreters and translators in Germany. Top: (From left): Clio Schils, president of the European Language Industry Association, Annette Schiller,
chair of FIT Europe, and ATA Spokesperson Molly Yurick. (Photo by Daniel Seabra.)
■■ Clio Schils, president of ELIA and global
Bottom: ATA Spokesperson Molly Yurick (second from left) participates in panel session, “What Does the
director of life sciences at CQ Fluency. Future Hold for Freelancers?” at ELIA Together. (Photo by Daniel Seabra.)
■■ Annette Schiller, chair of the
International Federation of Translators
(FIT) Europe, the Regional Centre skills that freelancers need to develop to interesting colleagues and connected with
Europe of FIT. She is also a professor remain relevant in tomorrow’s market, potential clients while learning a lot along
of translation at Dublin City University and how language services companies and the way. Next year’s date and location are
and a freelance translator. freelancers can work together to better still to be determined, but I hope to see
tackle current and future challenges in you there!
The ELIA conference app made it possible our industry. I personally encouraged
to survey the audience live to kick off the NOTES
freelancers to keep an open mind regarding
panel. Responses came up on the screen as 1.
ELIA website, http://bit.ly/Elia-Together.
new technologies, to make the most of the
they were submitted.
technology our agency clients have to share 2.
About ELIA, http://bit.ly/Elia-about.
■■ “Do you think the future will change with us, and to stay informed. 3.
ELIA-Together Program,
your life?” The panel was well-received by http://bit.ly/Elia-Together-program.
“Yes, positively” received 96 votes attendees, who engaged with us in a lively
Q&A session at the end. For me, one of
“Yes, negatively” received 11 votes the highlights of the panel came from an Molly Yurick is a
“No, it will not change my life” ELIA member who stood up and said that Spanish>English translator
received 3 votes she was a big fan of ATA. She explained specializing in the tourism,
that she had attended an ATA conference hospitality, and airline
We were pleasantly surprised by the industries. She has worked as a
in the past, was extremely impressed with
positive results, which set a great tone for medical interpreter in Minnesota
the panel discussion. We answered tough how it went, and hoped that ELIA would
eventually grow to be as large as ATA. and as a cultural ambassador for the Ministry
questions from the moderator, Diego of Education in Spain. She has a BA in Spanish
Cresceri, founder and chief executive officer and global studies and a certificate in medical
of Creative Words, a localization company FINAL THOUGHTS interpreting from the University of Minnesota.
based in Italy. We spoke about our personal I would highly recommend attending She is currently living in northern Spain.
thoughts on the future, the most important the ELIA Together conference. I met Contact: molly@yuricktranslations.com.
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 9
FEATURE BY JULIE BURNS
and how to be of service during an
emergency can be a challenge.
This article was inspired by my
experiences during the 2017 wildfires
in Northern California that killed over
40 people, devastated over 200,000
acreas, and destroyed over 8,000
homes and businesses, including entire
neighborhoods, in my hometown of Santa
Rosa. My hope is that what I learned
during and after the fires will be helpful
to other translators and interpreters in the
unfortunate event that a natural disaster
occurs in their community.
As the severity and magnitude of this
tragedy became apparent, my first thought
was “How can I help?” I desperately wanted
to make a difference, but I had no idea
where to start. I vividly recall driving
around town in the smoke-filled air,
running into police roadblocks and detours
as I tried to make my way to the Red Cross
registration center and other sites where
emergency assistance was being provided.
As I stood in an hours-long line to register
as a volunteer, I learned my first big lesson
of disaster preparedness:
Lesson #1: Don’t wait until an
Responding to Disaster:
emergency strikes to register with the
Red Cross or other disaster-response
agencies. Volunteers can only be
Best Practices and Lessons Learned mobilized quickly in a community if
they are pre-registered and trained. The
from the 2017 North Bay Fires need is often the greatest during the first
hours and days of a natural disaster.1
After an afternoon bagging pears at
Here are some of the lessons learned from the 2017 Northern California a local food bank wishing that I could
wildfires in hopes that it will help translators and interpreters better serve be more useful, I had a moment of
clarity. I was listening to the radio on
their communities in the event of a natural disaster. my way home and realized that all of
“W
the emergency updates I was hearing
ake up, Santa Rosa is burning!” and death in these kinds of situations.”
In the late evening hours and seeing on the news were in English.
(Alegría De La Cruz, Sonoma County
of October 8, 2017, this I thought, “Who is communicating all of
Chief Deputy Counsel)
this vital information to the non-English-
frantic message was heard over and over
The effects of global climate change, speaking members of our community?”
again, echoed by police officers, firemen,
making headlines across the planet, It was then that I realized my Spanish
and neighbors. However, not everyone have resulted in an increase in severe translation and interpreting skills could
understood the message. For many of weather events. Access to timely and probably be put to good use. But I still
Santa Rosa’s extensive Latino community, accurate information during these had no idea where to plug in my skills or
this first night of horror was just the events can literally be a matter of life where I could be most useful.
beginning of a frightening and confusing and death. Translators and interpreters After a long and frustrating day of dead
time that was greatly exacerbated by a can play a critical role in bringing ends, I finally found my entry point to be
lack of timely information in Spanish. lifesaving information to non-English- of service when I saw a plea for translators
“I think Sonoma County is a great speaking communities. But even if and interpreters on a social media post
place to understand that language you’re ready and willing to use your from our local deputy public defender.
access is the difference between life linguistic skills to help, knowing where She had informally stepped into the role
10 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.orgof language coordinator when she realized Even if you’re ready and willing to follows are some additional suggestions
no such position existed in the county’s based on my experiences.
emergency response plan. By responding use your linguistic skills to help, Lesson # 6: First, make sure your own
to her request, I was able to connect
with the county’s public information
knowing where and how to be of home and loved ones are safe. With
that as your foundation, establish some
officers, who immediately put me to service during an emergency can boundaries to maintain your well-being.
work translating public safety and health In our eagerness to help, and fueled
announcements, CalFire updates, and be a challenge.
by the adrenaline of an emergency
other pressing communications. situation, it’s easy to burn out. Find the
Lesson #2: Connect with your county’s balance between helping and taking
public information officers prior to care of yourself and your family.
an emergency, provide your contact of professional translators and The old cliché “put your oxygen
information and skillset, and ask to be interpreters are also great places to mask on before assisting others” holds
contacted in the event of an emergency organize ahead of time. true in this situation. In the various
to provide language access services. presentations I’ve given on this topic,
“If no information is provided,
Although it felt gratifying to finally that gives the opportunity for only a handful of people raise their
put my language skills to work, I quickly misinformation.” (Bernice Espinoza, hands when asked if they have a family
realized that my work translating these emergency plan in place. When my
deputy public defender and criminal
materials was just the tip of the iceberg. daughter and her husband had to
immigration specialist)
Our county was not prepared to address evacuate their home in the middle of the
the enormous scope of language access The quote above refers to the spread night during the fires, they showed up
needs in those critical first days and of rumors that immigration agents on our front doorstep at 3:00 a.m. with
weeks of the fires. were present at evacuation shelters and their pets, a set of Harry Potter books,
Lesson #3: Research your town or relief centers. To add fuel to the fire, and a basket of bathing suits and winter
county’s emergency response plan the head of Immigration and Customs hats! In the panic of the moment, there’s
prior to an emergency to determine if Enforcement (ICE) falsely accused an no time to make critical decisions about
it includes a language access plan, and undocumented immigrant of starting what to grab.
if there are policies and procedures in the wildfires, creating an even more Lesson # 7: Pack a “go bag” with
place to implement it. If these aren’t in combustible atmosphere of fear and three days of supplies for each family
place, partner with local community- mistrust of authority figures. This member. Have animal carrier and
based organizations that support resulted in widespread reluctance among leashes easily accessible. Make a list of
immigrant rights to begin the process undocumented evacuees to seek help irreplaceable valuables and paperwork
of advocating for the inclusion of a and shelter due to fears about ICE. Many and ensure they’re stored in an
language access plan. of these evacuees fled the city to camp accessible manner. Taking these easy
Despite a large population of non- on beaches or sleep in their cars rather steps will give you peace of mind and
English-speaking community members than in the evacuation shelters, where ensure you have the basics covered if
of different ethnicities, our evacuation they feared government agents would you should have to evacuate. There are
centers and local assistance centers round them up. Because these concerns many great resources online for family
weren’t staffed with interpreters. The were not anticipated, proactive efforts preparedness plans.2
lack of qualified interpreters made it to combat the spread of misinformation Lesson # 8: Think ahead to the types of
difficult for these community members were not made. natural disasters to which your region
to access health care, information about might be susceptible and gather vital
Lesson #5: Partner with trusted
safely returning to homes in areas safety supplies ahead of time (e.g.,
community-based organizations to help
affected by the fires and cleanup efforts, respirator masks, inflatable rafts, water
further proactive efforts to ensure that
or to get the assistance they needed purification tablets, etc.).
to apply for disaster relief or find all community members feel safe and
welcome in local evaluation shelters. After having volunteered as an
temporary housing. interpreter in a number of different
These efforts need to be addressed
Lesson #4: Advocate for the creation ahead of a disaster, not during. situations after the fires, including
of a cohesive, centralized bank of working shifts at a Local Assistance
vetted, qualified interpreters and Up until this point, we’ve largely Center (LAC), a Red Cross shelter, and
translators who can be mobilized discussed the actions that your interpreting during community forums,
when needed. If this isn’t happening community can take as a whole to be I realized the need for flexibility, quick
at the county level, work with your better prepared in the event of a natural thinking, and creative use of portable
local interpreting association or local disaster. But what else can you do, as an simultaneous interpreting equipment.
ATA chapter. Social media groups individual, to prepare yourself? What At a Latino community forum, for
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 11RESPONDING TO DISASTER: BEST PRACTICES
ANNOUNCEMENT AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE 2017 NORTH BAY FIRES continued
Don’t wait until an emergency My experiences during the 2017
ALLIANT: ATA’S PROFESSIONAL wildfires in Sonoma County made it
strikes to register with the clear how a lack of preparation, at both
LIABILITY INSURANCE BROKER the personal and community level, can
Red Cross or other disaster-
Alliant is the broker for ATA-sponsored exacerbate the challenges of a natural
response agencies. disaster. In these times of climate
professional liability insurance. The
uncertainty, what we can count on is that
underwriter is Lloyd’s of London. these unfortunate events will occur with
example, instead of the speakers increasing frequency. There’s so much
Why choose the ATA-sponsored presenting in English and the audience we can’t predict or control about when
professional liability insurance? wearing portable headsets to hear the and where the next natural disaster will
interpretation in Spanish, bilingual occur. What we can control, however,
The policy is specific to the translation is our own level of preparedness and
representatives of local agencies such
and interpreting professions. This is not as the sheriff’s office, firemen, and the degree to which we’re ready to be of
a one-size-fits-all plan, but a plan that is elected city officials spoke in Spanish. service to our communities by putting
Interpreting was provided to the rest of our valuable language skills into action.
specific to the work you do.
the officials who only spoke English. Further, as a language access advocate,
When the speakers were monolingual you can play an important role in your
What does the ATA-sponsored
English, the interpreter had to step into community by working with others to
professional liability insurance cover? consecutive mode in the “speaker role” help your town or county ensure that
with the microphone and abandon the language access is included in their
■■ Broad definition of translation/ simultaneous transmitter. disaster response plan.
interpreting services: Covers nearly Lesson # 9: If you’re called to assist
NOTES
all activities relevant to a translator in an unfamiliar environment, it’s 1.
Information for volunteering with the Red
vital to be able to step out of your
or interpreter, including editing, Cross can be found here: www.redcross.
comfort zone and adapt to quickly org/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities.html.
publishing, and proofreading. changing circumstances. If you’re used
2.
Information on how to make an
to interpreting in a conference booth,
■■ Coverage for contingent bodily injury emergency plan can be found here:
for example, you might literally have
www.ready.gov/make-a-plan.
and/or property damage: Covers to step out of the box and be prepared
to adapt using a variety of different
3.
Doctors without Borders,
errors in providing translation/ www.doctorswithoutborders.org.
strategies. I found it invaluable to
interpreting services that result in own a set of portable simultaneous
bodily injury and/or property damage. interpreting equipment, as not all
Julie Burns is a veteran
These types of claims are typically settings have access to this equipment,
interpreter trainer with 20 years
which can be used in a variety of ways.
excluded by generic professional of experience in health care
One of the biggest challenges for interpreting and translation,
liability policies.
me, as a translator and interpreter who as well as extensive experience
works primarily in the health care in health education and
■■ Coverage for cyber liability, including training in Latin America and the U.S. She is
field, was dealing with very specific fire
HIPAA and HITECH breaches: Covers disaster terminology. Finding glossaries a certified medical interpreter (Certification
breaches related to the provision of and other resources in advance would Commission for Healthcare Interpreters) and a
have saved time and eased the stress certified worker’s compensation medical interpreter
professional services in violation or (State of California). She is also an ATA-certified
of the quick turnaround needed for
breach of the HIPAA and HITECH Acts. the CalFire reports, which came in at Spanish>English translator. She has an M.Ed. in
various times of the day and night due adult education. She is the former director of the
Visit ata.alliant.com for additional Bridging the Gap Interpreter Training Program and
to rapidly changing conditions.
has trained thousands of interpreters. She has
information.
Lesson #10: Locate and research served as a board member for the National Council
terminology related to the disasters on Interpreting in Health Care, International Medical
Questions? Contact Alliant at most likely to occur in your area ahead Interpreters Association, and California Healthcare
of time. Another valuable resource is Interpreting Association. She is the 2018 recipient
+1-703-547-5777 or
Doctors without Borders, who are ready of the National Council on Interpreting in Health
ata-questions@alliant.com and willing to jump in with translation Care Language Access Champion Award.
help during a crisis.3 Contact: julie@julieburns.net.
12 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.orgFEATURE BY GABRIELLA PAGE-FORT
International Literature: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad
Zahid Hamidi’s 2016 challenge to local
A Data-Driven Approach to
authors to win a Nobel Prize in Literature
by 2057.3) With global ambitions come
infrastructure investments. According to
Prioritizing Diversity the Three Percent Database,4 South Korean
literature has seen a marked increase in
English translations in the U.S. since Korean
Investment, infrastructure, and influence drive the global publishing industry. President Kim Song-Un’s 2012 statement5
Can we develop a data-driven approach to prioritizing the world’s languages that it was about time his country achieve
this glory, with four translations in 2008 and
to focus investment in new regions to diversify the books being translated? 11 in 2018. Resources such as translation
A
funding, translator workshops, English
mazon’s leadership principles have output but no representation in our magazines, international book fair visits,
taught me data-driven decision- submission pool. The top 25 countries by and international editor fellowships to visit
making. Across the company results number of new releases published each year Seoul are costly but effective in increasing
are measured and reviewed weekly, spans from 440,000 new releases in China translation output. (There were no titles
strategies are developed from the data up, to 19,900 in Canada to 14,984 in Romania. from Malaysia published in 2008 and 2018.
and we listen to customers to develop our (See Figure 1 below.) To date, Amazon The Three Percent Database includes only
path forward. Crossing has published books from 68% of one Malaysian entry, Ng Kim Chew’s Slow
It can be challenging to apply data these countries.2 The outliers are countries Boat to China and Other Stories, translated
analysis in publishing, but these tools beyond the reach of the Eurocentric book from Chinese by Carlos Rojas and published
felt uniquely helpful as I approached a fair circuit. Perhaps publishing output by Columbia University Press in 2016.)
difficult goal: prioritizing new languages signals opportunity for future discoveries Of course, we could engage with
for translation. Amazon Crossing from India, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Czech resources funded by the Malaysian
combines close reading, editorial vision, Republic, Malaysia, and Romania. Though government should they become
and strong relationships to nourish we haven’t announced acquisitions from available. We could also start reaching out
our publishing program. If we want a India, the Czech Republic, or Romania, we to publishers we can find, but how do we
balanced and diverse list, we need to be frequently receive submissions from these also ensure we’re finding the best books?
intentional with how we choose what to countries. But in Taiwan, Vietnam, and By using translators, naturally.
read and with whom to work. Malaysia, our Rolodex comes up short. Amazon Crossing encourages
As editorial director of Amazon Crossing, So, how would we start a new submissions at https://translation.
I have the challenge of leading acquisition relationship with, say, Malaysian publishers? amazon.com/submissions. We’ve
decisions for an imprint publishing fiction There are likely to be increased resources found many of our best books through
and nonfiction in translation, and with thanks to the United Nations Educational, translators, such as Malagasy author
it the responsibility of holding a broad Scientific and Cultural Organization Johary Ravaloson’s Return to the Enchanted
view of what’s happening in publishing (UNESCO) selecting Kuala Lumpur as Island (November 2019), brought to
globally. With a goal of diversifying our list, the 2020 World Book Capital. (This itself us by Allison Charette, and Spanish
I wondered what data might help identify was likely thanks to Malaysian Deputy bestseller Paul Pen, an author long
areas for investment in research and
relationship-building. The editorial team
has connections with a large network of
agents, publishers, and literary translators,
all of whom surface books and authors for
our consideration. Since we launched in
2010, we’ve published 400 books from 23
languages and 37 countries. To discover
new regions, languages, and literatures, we
must reach out in search of new experts,
but where to begin?
Various sources release publishing
statistics each year, and, helpfully, Wikipedia
editors pull data from many sources to
create this overview.1 Publishing output
alone doesn’t signal opportunity for English
translation, but it could shine a light on
blind spots: markets with robust publishing Figure 1: Books Published Annually Around the World
www.atanet.org American Translators Association 13INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH TO PRIORITIZING DIVERSITY continued
what languages are they reading in and what
are they hoping to find? These are primary
filters that block much of the world’s
publishing activity from notice.
Publishing is a business, and readers
influence the entire cycle with their buying/
borrowing/book club selecting—and with
their reading. The most talked about books
sell the most copies, triggering the chain
of events that brings popular books to the
world through translation. The bigger the
readership, the more investment publishers
and booksellers are willing to make to
drive further growth.
To illustrate the hero’s journey of
international success as an author, I
thought it might help to start with a
Figure 2: Sample from UNESCO’s Index Translationum data for the Top 50 Countries
best-case-scenario, if only to spotlight the
by Exported Translations
complexity of crossing publishing borders.
When we stumble onto leads outside our language abilities, we often For top names, like Robert Dugoni, a
New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal,
engage translators to read, assess, and create sample translations to and #1 Amazon internationally bestselling
author, the publishing cycle is virtuous
help us consider the broadest possible range of books. and exhilarating. Agent Meg Ruley at Jane
Rotrosen Agency7 gets a new book, reads
it, gets the chills, and when it’s ready,
championed by translator Simon Bruni Index Translationum data for the Top business wheels spin quickly. Gracie
(we’re now on our third thriller with the 50 Countries by Exported Translations6 Doyle, editorial director at Thomas &
pair, Under the Water, in October 2019). shows a strong correlation between the Mercer, makes an offer for World English
When we stumble onto leads outside world’s largest book exporters and the most rights as well as all the languages where
our language abilities, we often engage published source countries in the U.S. Amazon Crossing publishes translations:
translators to read, assess, and create (See Figure 2 above.) Clearly, those with Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and China.
sample translations to help us consider export muscles are succeeding at reaching Sabrina Prestia, foreign rights manager at
the broadest possible range of books. U.S. publication. Jane Rotrosen Agency, gets the word out
Any reader can lead us to great books: To open ourselves beyond this focused to a network of subagents worldwide,
our open website for submissions removes minority of well-funded literature focused all of whom know publishers in their
the barrier to entry for those outside on driving exports—which often means markets who are eager to read and
our existing community, and language English proficiencies and submission publish the latest in the Tracy Crosswhite
localization further expands accessibility materials, attending book fairs, and series. Most of these editors are fluent in
(users can submit in 14 languages). As materials out of reach for many— English. If the agent is timing the pitch
we reach in new directions, additional we’re investing in access and visibility. with international book fairs in Frankfurt
language support can help us expand and However, the goal is still connecting or London, this work happens in person,
target our engagement. So, how do we with individuals. People decide which at tiny tables on a crowded convention
prioritize languages for attention? books are published and, as with so many center floor.
Countries have wildly different statistics aspects of life, no matter how much data Dugoni’s books have been translated
about literary imports and exports, but into dozens of languages, including
you have at your fingertips, it often boils
there are only a few ways books reach French, German, Italian, Japanese,
down to who you know.
across borders—human networks create Norwegian, Slovakian, Spanish, and
a common infrastructure worldwide. But Vietnamese.8 Editors at each publishing
any individual’s network is only so big, and PATH TO GLOBAL PUBLICATION house acquire the book—some having
we each choose where to focus our energy. Authors are writing books all over the read the novel in English, others relying
These simple forces are the paths toward world. The lucky ones get a good agent on the author’s past success rate, and
translation for any author. We expand our with global contacts, and/or a good primary some trusting the word of scouts or
view by learning from different countries to publisher with a powerful network of readers. Each chooses a translator and
see how resources are invested to maximize foreign contacts to whom they pitch books works with their teams to create the
cultural diversity, and specifically literary for translation. Editors all over the world translated book that ultimately reaches the
translations. A quick look at UNESCO’s are reading to find the next bestseller, but reader. If the readers love it, the author
14 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2019 www.atanet.orgYou can also read
