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TIPS FOR NETWORKING WHEN YOU WORK FROM HOME - THE ATA The Voice of Interpreters and Translators - The ATA ...
The Voice of Interpreters and Translators
    THE
    ATA
Sept/Oct 2018
 Volume XLVII
    Number 5

TIPS FOR NETWORKING
WHEN YOU WORK
FROM HOME

                 A Publication of the American Translators Association
TIPS FOR NETWORKING WHEN YOU WORK FROM HOME - THE ATA The Voice of Interpreters and Translators - The ATA ...
If you’re already a Voting member of                 American Translators Association
                                                  ATA, please vote either by electronic                     225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590
                                                  proxy (every voting member will receive                     Alexandria, VA 22314 USA
                                                  this information in late September),                          Tel: +1.703.683.6100
                                                  or—better yet—vote in person in New                           Fax: +1.703.683.6122
                                                  Orleans at the conference. If you’re not                  E-mail: chronicle@atanet.org
                                                                                                              Website: www.atanet.org
                                                  yet a Voting member of ATA and you
    FROM THE PRESIDENT
                                                  meet the requirements, we encourage                               Editorial Board
    CORINNE MCKAY
                                                  you to fill out the free, fast (less than five                      Paula Arturo
    president@atanet.org
                                                  minutes, I promise!) online application                             Lois Feuerle
    Twitter handle: @corinnemckay
                                                  for voting membership status                                     Geoff Koby (chair)
                                                  (http://bit.ly/Active-Member-Review)                              Corinne McKay
                                                  before September 24 if you would like to                            Mary McKee
                                                  vote in this year’s election.                                       Ted Wozniak
                                                                                                                     Jost Zetzsche

                                                  ATA needs your voice in many ways.                        Publisher/Executive Director

Elections,                                                                                                        Walter Bacak, CAE
                                                                                                                  walter@atanet.org

Position Papers,                                     ATA needs your voice in many
                                                                                                                         Editor
                                                                                                                      Jeff Sanfacon

and More:                                         ways. One is by voting; another is by
                                                  giving your input on ATA’s position
                                                                                                                    jeff@atanet.org

ATA Counts on                                     papers. Position papers represent a                                 Advertising
                                                                                                                 advertising@atanet.org
                                                  new direction for ATA. They give us
                                                                                                            Tel: +1.703.683.6100, ext. 3007

Your Voice                                        an opportunity to use our association-
                                                  sized voice to advance the interests
                                                                                                                  Fax: +1.703.683.6122

                                                  of professional translators and                               Design & Production

A
                                                  interpreters in a rapidly changing                                   BHDC
        s I write this in mid-August, ATA’s                                                                     www.bluehousedc.com
                                                  work environment. The Board and
        2017–2018 Board has met for the
        last time (in beautiful Portland,         the Governance and Communications
                                                                                                    The ATA Chronicle (ISSN 1078-6457) is published
Oregon!), and we’re speeding toward               Committee have been working on this                 six times per year by the American Translators
ATA’s 59th Annual Conference in New               initiative for some time—first, creating             Association, 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590,
Orleans at the end of October, where              a position paper policy to steer the               Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. Periodicals postage
we’ll elect new directors to ATA’s Board.         process. Then, identifying timely topics              paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and additional
Six candidates—Eve Bodeux, Melinda                in our professions and recruiting teams              mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address
Gonzalez-Hibner, Diego Mansilla,                  of authors with subject-area knowledge               changes to The ATA Chronicle, 225 Reinekers
Meghan McCallum, Tianlu Redmon,                   to write on these topics.                             Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA.
and Kyle Vraa—are running for three                                                                     The American Translators Association (ATA)
                                                     I’m excited to report that our
director positions with three-year terms,                                                               was established in 1959 as a not-for-profit
                                                  first position paper—on machine
and current Director Tony Guerra is                                                                   professional society to foster and support the
                                                  translation—was approved by the
running unopposed for a one-year term                                                                  professional development of translators and
                                                  Board to be released to the membership             interpreters and to promote the translation and
to fill the remaining year in the director
                                                  for comment. You may have seen this              interpreting professions. The subscription rate for
position opened by Karen Tkaczyk’s
                                                  announced in the August 15 issue of              a member is $28 (included in the dues payment).
election to secretary in 2017.
                                                  ATA Newsbriefs. (The member comment              The U.S. subscription rate for a nonmember is $65.
   Most importantly, thank you to every
                                                  period ran from August 15–September 5.)              Subscribers in Canada and Mexico add $25;
one of these candidates for putting
                                                  If you didn’t get a chance to comment,                  all other non-U.S. subscribers add $45.
themselves forward! ATA could not
                                                  we hope that you’ll give us your thoughts            Single copies are available for $7 per issue.
continue to function without the
dedication of our volunteer Board, and            on our next position paper—on remote                 ©2018 American Translators Association
we’re thrilled to have such a robust slate        interpreting—to be released in 2019.
of candidates. We also need you to vote              We’re grateful that every one of you                        Reprint Permission
in the upcoming election so that your             has chosen to be an ATA member, and we              Requests for permission to reprint articles
                                                                                                   should be sent to the editor of The ATA Chronicle
voice can be heard in our Association.            hope to see you soon in New Orleans.
                                                                                                                 at jeff@atanet.org.

2    The ATA Chronicle | September/October 2018                                                                                   www.atanet.org
TIPS FOR NETWORKING WHEN YOU WORK FROM HOME - THE ATA The Voice of Interpreters and Translators - The ATA ...
CONTENTS                                                                        Sept/Oct 2018
                                                                                Volume XLVII
                                                                                Number 5

                                                                                                     21
    FEATURES                                                                                         Recovering from Setbacks:
                                                                                                     It’s the Narrative That Counts
7                                                                                                    Based on what I’ve learned from
ATA 2018 Elections:                                                                                  coaching, here are some strategies
Candidate Statements                                                                                 you can use to improve your work
Calling all Voting members!                                                                          experience and help you bounce
Participating in ATA’s annual                                                                        back from challenging situations.
elections is your opportunity to help
shape the future of the Association.
Learn what this year’s candidates                                                                    24
for ATA’s Board of Directors have to                                                                 Modality Matters: Including
say, and remember to vote!                                                                           Remote Interpreting in
                                                                                                     Interpreter Training Programs
12                                                                                                   As the demand and opportunity
                                                                                                     for remote interpreting grows,
Top Economics, Finance, and
                                                                                                     interpreters need to develop their
Translation Experts Convene in                                                                       ability to perform effectively in this
Brussels for UETF 2018                                                                               area. Let’s examine a framework to
UETF 2018 featured 18 sessions                                                                       categorize key areas of professional
over three days, delivering invaluable                                                               development for remote interpreters
content and helping attendees                                                                        and discuss perceptions and trends
expand their subject matter                                                                          and how they impact training.
expertise, keep abreast of the latest
trends in the fast-paced world of
finance and economics, and—last,                                                                     27
but definitely not least—improve                 18                                                  Advanced Tips and Tricks in
their translation skills through                                                                     Microsoft Word
downright granular translation slams
                                                                                                     Microsoft Word contains more
and hands-on workshops.
                                                                                                     handy features than most people
                                                                                                     realize. Here are some tips and
15                                                                                                   tricks to improve productivity and
The Benefits of a Translator                                                                         format documents with ease.
Collective: Staying Sane as a
                                                                                                     ADVERTISING DIRECTORY
Freelance Translator
A translation collective is a great                                                                  17 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
                                                                                                        www.utrgv.edu/en-us
way to collaborate on projects while
                                                                                                     20 Across Systems GmbH
remaining your own boss.
                                                                                                        www.across.net

18                                                                                                      COLUMNS
Tips for Networking When You
Work from Home                                                                                       2     From the President
Let’s be honest. The traditional
                                                                                                     4     From the President-elect
methods of networking are not
effective for everyone all the time. If                                                              5     Letter to the Editor
I’ve learned anything over the years
                                                                                                     5     ATA Social Media
about networking effectively, it’s
that you don’t have to know how to                                                                   6     From the Executive Director
work a room to be good (or great!)
                                                                                                     31    Geekspeak
at networking.
                                                                                                     33    The Entrepreneurial Linguist
Looking for Member News
and Humor and Translation?                                                                           35    Resource Review
These columns are found in the
Chronicle-Online edition:                                                                       24   37    New Certified Members
www.atanet.org/chronicle-online!                                                                     38    Certification Forum

Connect              www.atanet.org                   www.facebook.com/
                                                      AmericanTranslatorsAssociation
with ATA
                     www.twitter.com/atanet           www.linkedin.com

                     http://bit.ly/ATA-youtube        http://bit.ly/GooglePlusATA
TIPS FOR NETWORKING WHEN YOU WORK FROM HOME - THE ATA The Voice of Interpreters and Translators - The ATA ...
24 hours in advance using the link at         Pitre is offering on-site headshot
                                                  the conference website.                       services. Get three headshots for $30.
                                                  Job Fair: One of the primary reasons          This is a great opportunity for you to
                                                  professional translators and interpreters     update your photo for your website or
                                                  attend ATA’s Annual Conference is to          business card at a very affordable price.
                                                  expand their client base and obtain more      To make an appointment and provide
                                                  work. To help you meet that goal, this        payment, contact Sandra directly at
    FROM THE PRESIDENT-ELECT                      year’s Job Fair has been extended to two      ataphotos2018@gmail.com.
    TED R. WOZNIAK                                nights instead of just one. This will give
    ted@tedwozniak.net                                                                          Dictionary Exchange: New this year
                                                  you a little flexibility in your evening
                                                                                                is the Dictionary Exchange. If you have
                                                  schedule in case you want to attend a
                                                                                                paper dictionaries and reference books
                                                  division off-site event or enjoy a relaxing
                                                                                                you no longer need, bring them to the
                                                  conversation with the new friends you
                                                                                                conference. There will be a table set up
                                                  made the first day of the conference.
                                                                                                for you to drop off your books where
                                                                                                newcomers to the profession can pick

ATA59 Is
                                                                                                them up for free. Please note that this
                                                  This year’s Job Fair has been
                                                                                                table will not be supervised, but strictly
                                                  extended to two nights instead                “first-come first-served.” Any items left
Just Around                                       of just one.                                  on the table Saturday afternoon when
                                                                                                the Exhibit Hall closes will be donated
the Corner!                                                                                     to a nonprofit organization if possible.
                                                                                                   So, make sure your travel plans

B
       y the time you read this ATA59                                                           are in order to attend ATA59 in New
       will be just weeks away. If you                                                          Orleans. You can use the preliminary
       haven’t registered yet, head over          Buddies Welcome Newbies: Speaking
                                                                                                program on the conference website
to the conference website and sign                of making new friends, I strongly
                                                                                                to start scheduling your sessions and
up today! Here’s a rundown of some                encourage all attendees to participate
                                                                                                networking events. Come together with
important information you’ll need to              in the very popular “Buddies Welcome
                                                                                                more than 1,500 of your colleagues to
assist you while making travel plans.             Newbies” program. The program pairs
                                                                                                improve your professional skills, expand
I’ve also highlighted just a few of the           first-time attendees (“Newbies”) with
                                                  more experienced attendees (“Buddies”).       your client base, make new friends, dine
many reasons why you’ll be glad you
                                                  As a buddy, you help make your                at some of the world’s best restaurants,
made the investment to attend ATA59!
                                                  newbie’s first conference more enjoyable      and let the good times roll.
Hotel Reservations: Please make your              and rewarding by sharing tips from your
hotel reservations as soon as possible.           experiences. In addition to the rewards
Check ATA’s conference website for the            you get from helping your Newbie,
                                                                                                  IMPORTANT CONFERENCE LINKS
latest information on accommodations              don’t be surprised if their enthusiasm          Buddies Welcome Newbies
(www.atanet.org/conf/2018/hotel).                 is infectious and they help make your           www.atanet.org/conf/2018/newbies
If you make your reservation before               conference experience more enjoyable
October 22, you’ll automatically be                                                               Hotel Reservations
                                                  as well. If you’re a first-time attendee,
entered to win a free night for your                                                              www.atanet.org/conf/2018/hotel
                                                  your Buddy can provide a little extra
existing hotel reservation! Winners will          support as you navigate all the sessions
be announced at the Closing Session on                                                            Job Fair
                                                  and events so you get the most out              www.atanet.org/conf/2018/jobfair
Saturday afternoon.                               of your first ATA Annual Conference.
Discounted Airport Shuttle: If                    There will be a debriefing on Saturday          Preliminary Program
you’re flying to New Orleans, ATA has             afternoon to help participants process          http://bit.ly/ATA59-preliminary
negotiated discounted prices for the              everything they have taken in and learn
                                                  what to do next.                                Special Events
airport shuttle. A one-way trip is just
                                                                                                  www.atanet.org/conf/2018/special
$20 dollars and a round-trip is just $40,         Update Your Headshot: Another new
a savings of about $15 per leg compared           benefit this year will be the presence          Registration
to a taxi or Uber. To get the discount,           of a headshot photographer in the               www.atanet.org/conf/2018/registration
you must make your reservation at least           Exhibit Hall. Photographer Sandra

4    The ATA Chronicle | September/October 2018                                                                                     www.atanet.org
TIPS FOR NETWORKING WHEN YOU WORK FROM HOME - THE ATA The Voice of Interpreters and Translators - The ATA ...
ATA SOCIAL MEDIA          FROM OUR MEMBERS

             28,300                                        13,300                                      3,900
                 FACEBOOK FANS                            TWITTER FOLLOWERS                          LINKEDIN MEMBERS

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Translation Scams Reloaded | Carola F. Berger
Thank you for the excellent article in the July-August issue about the various scams being
                                                                                               FEATURED FACEBOOK POST
practiced on translators. I also appreciated the links for reporting such scams.
  As suggested in the article, I attach a copy of the report I made to the bank in whose
name two forged checks were sent to me. I’ve also filed a complaint with the FBI using                American Translators
the link in the article. Keep these useful articles coming!                                            Association
                                                                                                       August 25
___________________________________________________________
                                                                                                 Mother tongue versus father
   I do not bank with you but received two identical checks (one yesterday, one
                                                                                                 tongue—a new study reconciles
today), apparently drawn on your bank in New Orleans, which appear to be
forgeries. These were sent to me via UPS: the first from Las Vegas, Nevada and the
                                                                                                 the two hypotheses
second from Miami, Florida. I attach copies of both checks and shipping labels to                “Does the mother or father
help you track the originators.                                                                  have a stronger influence on
   The following background information may help. I’m a certified translator in Atlanta,         their children’s language? The
Georgia, listed in the Directory of Translators and Interpreters of the American Translators     mother tongue hypothesis
Association. Potential clients find me through that directory and generally contact me           suggests that language usage
via e-mail and attach documents they wish me to translate. In this case, I was asked             follows matrilineal inheritance.
to translate a lengthy German document that appeared to be genuine and agreed to
                                                                                                 The father tongue hypothesis
provide a quote for it.
   The two checks were sent as advance payment for the translation that the client had           holds that paternal lines
said was urgently needed. I became suspicious when the first check arrived because:              dominate the local language
a) full payment in advance is not the normal practice in my business, b) the check               in an already populated
covers double the amount I had quoted for the job, and c) the name of the issuer, Basics         region, which was proposed
Underneath LLC, is misspelled Basics UnderMeath. Arrival of the second identical check           based on other genetic and
today confirmed that suspicion beyond all doubt!                                                 anthropological research.”
   I also attach a copy of the e-mail from the client explaining why the check was being
sent. However, in view of the apparent forgery, I intend to have no further contact with         Read on—
whoever that person may be. I trust that you can use this information to track down the          https://bit.ly/2MD8KNy
people behind this scam and will do my best to answer any questions you may have.
Andrew Sherwood | Atlanta, GA

                                                                                               TOP TWEETS
                                                                                                     Ubang: The Nigerian village
                                                                                                     where men and women speak
                                                                                               different languages |
                                                                                               https://bbc.in/2NlHRdC
                                                                                               AUGUST 27 / @ATANET
                                                                                                      U.S. Senate Committee
                                                                                                      Holds Hearing on Native
                                                                                               American Language Revitalization |
                                                                                               JNCL-NCLIS:
                                                                                               http://ow.ly/reum30lxMd3
                                                                                               AUGUST 24 / @ATANET

www.atanet.org                                                                                           American Translators Association   5
TIPS FOR NETWORKING WHEN YOU WORK FROM HOME - THE ATA The Voice of Interpreters and Translators - The ATA ...
Proposed Bylaws Amendment. The
                                                                                                     Board approved presenting a proposed
                                                                                                     bylaws amendment to the membership
                                                                                                     for their approval. The proposed change
    FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR                                                                      is to increase the number of signatories
    WALTER BACAK, CAE                                                                                required to establish a division to 150.
    walter@atanet.org                                                                                The current number required (20)
                                                                                                     has been in place for decades and was
                                                                                                     established when ATA was much smaller.

Board Meeting Highlights                                                                             This proposed bylaws amendment will
                                                                                                     be on the ballot this fall. The elections
                                                                                                     will be held October 25 at the Annual
                                                                                                     Meeting of Voting Members—also known
                                                                                                     as the Presentation of Candidates and
                                                                                                     Election—in conjunction with the Annual
                                                                                                     Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.
                                                                                                     (Please see page 7 of this issue for more
                                                                                                     information on the proposed bylaws
                                                                                                     revisions and the candidate statements.)
                                                                                                     Date of Record: The Board set September
                                                                                                     24, 2018, as the date of record for the
                                                                                                     2018 elections. This means that if you
                                                                                                     want to participate in this year’s elections
                                                                                                     you need to be a voting member by
                                                                                                     September 24. There are two ways to
                                                                                                     become a voting member: pass the
                                                                                                     certification exam or apply through the
Standing from left: Directors Faiza Sultan, Frieda Ruppaner-Lind, Geoff Koby, Madalena Sánchez       online Active Membership Review process
Zampaulo, Melinda Gonzalez-Hibner, Tony Guerra, Evelyn Yang Garland, and Cristina Helmerichs.        (http://bit.ly/Active-Member).
Seated from left: Secretary Karen Tkaczyk, President Corinne McKay, Past President Ann Macfarlane,
                                                                                                       The Board meeting summary and
President-Elect Ted Wozniak, and Treasurer John Milan. (Not pictured: Director Elena Langdon)
                                                                                                     minutes will be posted online once they
                                                                                                     are approved. Past meeting summaries

T
                                                                                                     and minutes are always posted online at
    he American Translators Association’s             $3.31 million. The difference is due to a
                                                                                                     www.atanet.org/membership/minutes.php.
    Board of Directors met August 4–5,                projected smaller Annual Conference than
                                                                                                     The next Board meeting is set for October
    2018, in Portland, Oregon. Here are               last year’s in Washington, DC.
                                                                                                     27–28, 2018, in conjunction with ATA’s
some highlights from the Board meeting.               Audiovisual Division: The Board                Annual Conference in New Orleans,
Final Budget: The Board approved the                  approved the establishment of the              Louisiana. As always, the meeting is
July 1, 2018–June 30, 2019 final budget               Audiovisual Division (AVD). AVD will           open to all members, and members are
and the 2019–2021 draft budgets.                      work to create a community to support          encouraged to attend.
The approved budget is $3.24 million.                 and mentor audiovisual linguists and
This compares to last year’s budget of                to build bridges between translators
                                                      and interpreters and media content               NEW FALL WEBINARS SET
                                                      creators. The Board also approved the            Get top-level learning delivered right to
    CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL                           appointments of Deborah Wexler as                you through ATA’s webinar series. Two new
                                                      acting administrator and Ana Salotti
    TRANSLATION DAY                                                                                    webinars have been scheduled:
                                                      as acting assistant administrator until          ■■   Find and Keep Your Best Clients Using
    Join ATA in celebrating International             the AVD election in October 2019.
                                                                                                            the 80/20 Principle (October 2)
    Translation Day with a social media blitz         You can join AVD and any of the other
    on September 28! You’ll find posts, tweets,       21 divisions anytime by going to your            ■■   Building Entrepreneurial Skills for
    and downloadable infographics to share.           membership account. (And, just a                      Interpreters and Translators (October 10)
    Look for #InternationalTranslationDay             reminder that division memberships are              ATA members get a 25% discount. Sign
    and #ataitd2018!                                  included in your ATA dues, so there is no        up today at www.atanet.org/webinars!
                                                      extra charge for joining.)

6    The ATA Chronicle | September/October 2018                                                                                          www.atanet.org
TIPS FOR NETWORKING WHEN YOU WORK FROM HOME - THE ATA The Voice of Interpreters and Translators - The ATA ...
ATA 2018 Elections: Candidate Statements
ATA will hold its regularly scheduled elections at the upcoming 2018 ATA Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana,
to elect three directors for a three-year term. There will also be an election for a director for a one-year term. (The
vacancy occurred with the election of Director Karen Tkaczyk to secretary.) In addition, members will vote on two
proposed revisions to ATA’s bylaws.

DIRECTOR                                      the rebirth of the FLD newsletter. I        been a lively forum for the language
                                              have successfully increased volunteer
(THREE-YEAR TERM)                             participation from members and fostered
                                                                                          professions since 2008.
                                                                                             This information should give you
EVE LINDEMUTH BODEUX                          a strong sense of community within          some context as to who I am and what
eve@bodeuxinternational.com                   the division. I am currently serving        is important to me. Since my earliest
                 An ATA member for            my second term on ATA’s Divisions           days in the language industry, I have
                 nearly 20 years, I have      Committee, and have served on several       been committed to bringing translators
                 witnessed the many           division nominating committees.             and interpreters together, sharing my
                 changes that have affected       In addition to my involvement           knowledge, and helping translation
                 the language professions     in ATA, I have filled multiple roles        and interpreting clients understand the
                 over the past two decades.   in my local chapter, the Colorado           importance of our work.
It would be a privilege to help guide         Translators Association: two terms as          As a Board member, I would like to
ATA into the future as a member of the        vice president, e-mail list manager,        focus on:
Board of Directors. I am honored to be a      Elections Committee member, and             ■■ Strengthening all divisions and local
candidate and thank the Nominating and        mentor. Other ATA chapters (Carolina
                                                                                             chapters—they are key to promoting
Leadership Development Committee for          Association of Translators and
                                                                                             member satisfaction and involvement.
their confidence.                             Interpreters, National Capital Area
   Alongside my work as a freelance           Translators Association, Northeast Ohio     ■■   Supporting ATA’s Government
French>English translator specializing        Translators Association, and Northwest           Relations Committee in monitoring
in international development, corporate       Translators and Interpreters Society),           laws, regulations, and policies that
communications, and tech marketing,           ­in addition to the Société française des        affect translators and interpreters in
I am a passionate proponent of                 traducteurs and European Language               the U.S. and abroad.
professional associations and of the idea      Industry Association, have called on       ■■   Expanding ATA’s lobbying role. It
that we are stronger together. Starting        me to present on various topics. I have
                                                                                               is important to make our voices
out as editor of the newsletter for ATA’s      also been privileged to present at ATA’s
                                                                                               heard, not only at the very successful
French Language Division (FLD) when            Annual Conference.
                                                                                               Advocacy Day during the 2017
it was still produced in hard copy, I am          I recently combined my expertise
                                                                                               conference, but every day, at the
now, quite a few years later, finishing my     into a book for language professionals,
                                                                                               international, national, state, and
second term as FLD administrator. In           Maintaining Your Second Language. And
                                                                                               local levels.
this role, I have overseen the founding        anyone who knows me knows I love
of the division’s social media presence,       to talk! I am co-host of the podcast         It would be my honor to serve you,
its continuing education podcast, and          Speaking of Translation, which has         and I thank you for your support.

www.atanet.org                                                                                           American Translators Association   7
TIPS FOR NETWORKING WHEN YOU WORK FROM HOME - THE ATA The Voice of Interpreters and Translators - The ATA ...
ATA 2018 ELECTIONS: CANDIDATE STATEMENTS continued

DIRECTOR                                         by the U.S. Department of State. I am
                                                 also an ATA-certified Spanish>English
                                                                                             many workshops for ATA certification
                                                                                             candidates, including three-hour
(THREE-YEAR TERM)                                translator. I train court interpreters      exam preparation workshops during
MELINDA GONZALEZ-HIBNER                          across the country and participate in       the Advanced Skills and Training Day
                                                 certification testing and standards-        at ATA’s Annual Conference. I was
melindagonzalezhibner@gmail.com
                                                 setting programs for interpreters.          also one of four graders who offered
                  It has been my honor
                                                    My service to the profession is          the first ATA Certification Exam
                  and great pleasure to
                                                 long-standing at both the local and         Preparation Workshop this past January
                  serve on ATA’s Board
                                                 national levels. During my time on          at the University of Massachusetts
                  of Directors during the
                                                 the Board, I have served as chair of        Boston. My expertise as an online
                  past three years, and I
                                                 ATA’s Interpretation Policy Advisory        professor of translation and my work
                  am excited to have the
                                                 Committee, on the Government                as a proctor for the certification exam
opportunity to do it again! I welcome
                                                 Relations Committee, on the                 help me understand the challenges
the chance to continue serving
                                                 Governance and Communications               ATA’s Certification Program is facing
interpreters and translators on such a
                                                 Committee, and as a spokesperson for        and the type of support exam-
large stage. If elected, I will continue
                                                 the Public Relations Committee.             takers need.
my work as chair of ATA’s Interpretation
                                                    As our fields continue to experience        ATA certification is a highly treasured
Policy Advisory Committee (IPAC) and
                                                 fast transformation and growth, ATA         achievement for most professional
as a member of the Governance and
                                                 must remain at the forefront of issues      translators. I would like to ensure
Communications Committee.
                                                 of importance to practitioners, the         that we offer candidates plenty of
   For those of you who do not know
                                                 industry, and the profession. As a          opportunities to improve their skills
me, I bring a unique set of experiences
                                                 Board member, I promise to work on          and be better translators so that they
to the table. My personal focus and
                                                 behalf of practitioner members, actively    can eventually obtain certification.
interest is to strengthen ATA’s role as a                                                    For instance, I am part of the group
                                                 promoting professional standards and
voice for individual practitioners and                                                       that is developing “study packets”
                                                 public awareness of our fields
to advocate for the highest standards                                                        for candidate preparation, which is a
                                                 of practice.
of professional practice. That focus                                                         new initiative from the Certification
                                                    I hope you will consider voting for
drove IPAC’s successful initiative to                                                        Committee. If these offerings are well
                                                 me. It would be my honor and great
identify credentialed interpreters                                                           organized and executed, candidates
                                                 privilege to continue to serve.
more prominently in ATA’s Directory                                                          will gain expertise, the Certification
of Translators and Interpreters, which                                                       Program will enhance its visibility and
is a great program for interpreter               DIRECTOR                                    reputation, and ATA will have many
members of ATA. It also propelled my
participation in the upcoming ATA
                                                 (THREE-YEAR TERM)                           more certified members. I would love
                                                                                             every member of ATA to be certified
position paper on remote interpreting.           DIEGO MANSILLA                              even as the same high certification
   One of my goals is to continue                umbtranslation@gmail.com                    standards are maintained.
working to improve the definition                                It is an honor to be           One major accomplishment we
of our professions in the General                                nominated for the           achieved during my tenure as a
Services Administration Schedule,                                prestigious position of     board member of the New England
which is used for the procurement of                             director on ATA’s Board     Translators Association (NETA) was a
translation and interpreting services                            of Directors.               close collaboration with the University
by the U.S. government. I will also                                 I have been a grader     of Massachusetts Boston for NETA’s
continue to support a variety of                 of English>Spanish certification exams      annual conference. I wrote an article,
continuing education options and                 for several years, so ATA’s Certification   which was published in The ATA
the many projects of ATA’s Public                Program is one of my main areas of          Chronicle, after the first conference
Relations Committee.                             focus. I participated in the process        under this arrangement. NETA’s
   I have worn many hats during my               of putting the new computerized             annual conferences have been held in
career, and I think this has allowed me          exam in place. This undertaking,            collaboration with UMass Boston ever
to serve the members of ATA well. My             implemented by ATA Certification            since, with increasing success: more
experience includes heading the Court            Committee Chair David Stephenson            attendees, new members attracted, a
Interpreter Program for the Colorado             and the rest of the Certification           wider variety of sessions offered, and
State Courts, being an individual                Committee, was undoubtedly one of           more sponsors. I was also directly
practitioner for over 15 years, and              the most significant steps forward for      responsible for the creation of NETA’s
currently serving as a staff interpreter         ATA, and one that will require constant     new Academic Division, which offers
for a U.S. district court. I am a state and      attention and adjustments given the         a unique opportunity for students,
federally certified court interpreter and        rapid changes in technology. Together       faculty, and professional translators
qualified as a seminar level interpreter         with fellow graders, I have offered         and interpreters to share knowledge,

8   The ATA Chronicle | September/October 2018                                                                            www.atanet.org
TIPS FOR NETWORKING WHEN YOU WORK FROM HOME - THE ATA The Voice of Interpreters and Translators - The ATA ...
experience, mentoring, and work
opportunities. There are multiple
                                             and interpreters and their future clients    DIRECTOR
collaboration opportunities such
                                             every year.
                                                I served on MATI’s Board of Directors
                                                                                          (THREE-YEAR TERM)
as these for ATA. I think we should          for two consecutive two-year terms           TIANLU REDMON
identify and promote these types of          from 2013 to 2017, both as director and      tianlu@tianluchinese.com
initiatives in which everybody wins.         acting vice president. In these positions,                    I attended my first
  Finally, as a certified translator,        I participated in and led a wide variety                      gathering of translators and
grader, professor of translation,            of initiatives, including planning                            interpreters on a winter
and former member of ATA’s Ethics            four annual chapter conferences,                              night in Chapel Hill, North
Committee, I recognize the importance        serving as the host chapter for ATA’s                         Carolina. The parking lot
of following our code of ethics to guide     55th Annual Conference in Chicago,                            was dark and wet, but the
our professional lives. I would be           moderating webinars, maintaining the         coffee shop was filled with warm lights and
honored to receive your vote so that I       organization’s website, blog, and social     welcoming faces. I left with a bundle of
can act in a leadership role for ATA and
                                             media pages, writing articles for and        business cards, thrilled by the possibilities
contribute my years of experience to
                                             serving as co-editor and editor of the       that lay before me. That evening marked
serving you, our Association, and
                                             quarterly newsletter, and participating      the beginning of my career as a freelance
our profession.
                                             in MATI’s video podcast. The leadership,     translator and interpreter.
                                             organizational, and technology skills I         I frequented events hosted by the
DIRECTOR                                     developed serving on MATI’s Board will       Carolina Association of Translators and
(THREE-YEAR TERM)                            serve me well as an ATA director should      Interpreters (CATI), an ATA chapter.
                                                                                          CATI members guided and inspired me,
                                             I be elected.
MEGHAN MCCALLUM                                 I am passionate about fostering a         and I wanted to give back. In 2015, I
meghan@fr-en.com                             sense of community among translators         was elected to CATI’s board of directors.
                I am honored to be           and interpreters and advocating for          During my two years on the board, I ran
                nominated for a position     our profession to the general public. I      the association’s mentorship program,
                on ATA’s Board of            often speak to others about translation      initiated a school outreach presentation at
                Directors. Having served     and interpreting, whether it is in a         Duke University, co-organized a workshop
                in various capacities over   classroom, over Skype, at a trade fair,      for local attorneys, and helped organize
                the years for ATA and        or in one-on-one meetups with people         CATI’s conferences.
the Midwest Association of Translators       new to the field. When someone asks             I attended my first ATA Annual
and Interpreters (MATI), my local                                                         Conference in 2014. The community
                                             me how to start a career in translation,
ATA chapter, I look forward to the                                                        immediately welcomed me, so when
                                             one of the first resources I point to is
opportunity to take my volunteer efforts                                                  called upon, I volunteered for both
                                             ATA. I encourage people to not only
a step further by serving on ATA’s Board.                                                 the Interpreters Division (ID) and the
                                             take advantage of the Association’s many
   I have been actively involved in                                                       Chinese Language Division (CLD).
                                             resources, but also to get involved. If
ATA’s School Outreach Program,                                                               I joined ID’s Leadership Council in
                                             elected to serve as an ATA director, I
under the umbrella of the Public                                                          2015, where I quickly learned how to
                                             will extend my enthusiasm for outreach
Relations Committee, since 2010.                                                          harness the power of social media. From
                                             and education to my new role with a
I was appointed to the position of                                                        July 2015 to June 2018, ID’s Twitter
                                             focus on membership relations and            followers grew from 17 to 688, and
School Outreach Program coordinator
                                             recruitment for our Association.             Facebook likes from 877 to 2,468.
in 2011, and continue to serve in this
                                                Serving within ATA and MATI has              I have served as CLD’s newsletter
capacity. In this role, I lead a team of
                                             been one of the most valuable and            layout editor since 2015. Additionally,
fellow volunteers in promoting school
visits to speak about the professions        enjoyable parts of my career thus far. I     I set up a group chat for CLD members
of translation and interpreting in           am eager to work together with ATA’s         and other Chinese translators and
classrooms around the world. Over            Board to not only attract and build          interpreters. Since 2015, the chat
the years our team has expanded and          relationships with new members, but          group has had daily activity, including
updated various aspects of the School        also to encourage active participation       job and training opportunities, ethics
Outreach Program, using our webpage          from current members to ensure long-         discussions, and plenty of translation
to provide tips on videoconferencing         term retention. I look forward to the        questions and language jokes. The
and up-to-date resources to spark            opportunity to help carry ATA into           group has also helped members connect
interest within today’s classrooms.          the future to provide the best possible      regionally and network offline.
Through the School Outreach                  support, resources, and professional            Because so many of you have helped
Program, we spread our passion               development for our current and              me, I want to help others succeed. I have
for translation and interpreting to          future members. Thank you for                spoken at two chamber of commerce
thousands of tomorrow’s translators          your consideration.                          meetings on why and how to work with

www.atanet.org                                                                                         American Translators Association   9
TIPS FOR NETWORKING WHEN YOU WORK FROM HOME - THE ATA The Voice of Interpreters and Translators - The ATA ...
ATA 2018 ELECTIONS: CANDIDATE STATEMENTS continued

language professionals, volunteered as a               There are three areas of interest for        opportunity to travel to new places and
buddy for the Buddies Welcome Newbies               which I could bring a good perspective          network with translators who do not have
event at ATA’s Annual Conference since              to ATA’s Board: 1) languages of limited         the opportunity to attend ATA’s Annual
2015, attended leadership training                  diffusion, 2) mentoring, and 3)                 Conference. Attendance of our members
since 2016 to learn how to better                   expansion of ATA’s co-sponsorship of            at conferences abroad also raises ATA’s
serve members, and, in preparing this               seminars and conferences abroad.                global profile and adds to the credibility
statement, asked some of you what you                  My experience working in a major             of American translators and interpreters.
cared about most.                                   language (German), alongside languages
   If elected, I will focus on three areas:         of limited diffusion, the Scandinavian
■■ Raising public awareness of our                  languages, and Dutch, has taught me that        DIRECTOR
   profession. We should continue                   the practices of those working in languages     (ONE-YEAR TERM)
   educating current and potential                  of limited diffusion differ somewhat
   clients and promoting the value                  from those who work in major language           TONY GUERRA
   of both ATA certification and                    pairs. For example, pricing, breadth of         aeguerra@aol.com
   interpreters’ credentials.                       specialization, the profitability of working                      During the past year it
                                                    with direct clients versus agencies, the                          has been my honor and
■■   Helping our members adapt to
                                                    usefulness of computer-assisted translation                       privilege to be a part of
     market and technological changes.
                                                    tools, and many other aspects require                             the team of the brilliant
     We are experts in our profession. We
                                                    a different approach for those working                            and dedicated members
     must collaborate with the industries
                                                    in languages of limited diffusion. My                             of ATA’s Board. Having
     that support and use our services to
                                                    perspective working on both sides of this       learned so much, I am delighted to have
     engineer change together.
                                                    equation would be a valuable resource to        the opportunity to run for another year
■■   Engaging participation in ATA. I               ATA’s Board as it strives to represent the      and to continue fulfilling promises made
     will work to assist ATA divisions and          interests of all members of the Association,    during last year’s election, in addition to
     chapters in developing programs and            no matter how common or obscure their           tackling new challenges and committees.
     presentations to draw both members and         language pairs.                                    I am currently a full-time freelance
     nonmembers to the ATA community.                  Being a mentor in ATA’s Mentoring            SpanishEnglish interpreter specializing
   I am a Mandarin interpreter certified            Program for the past six years has              in the legal, government, and health
by two state courts and a Chinese                   reinforced my commitment to helping             care sectors. I previously worked on
translator and teacher. I am also an ATA            recent graduates and career changers make       the corporate side, purchasing language
member like you. Please join me in                  the transition into our profession. When        services for many years.
shaping the changing landscape of our               I started my career 17 years ago, I did            Throughout my freelance and agency
profession. Together, we are stronger.              so without the benefit of a mentor. As a        phases, I became increasingly involved as a
   Please email me to share more of your            dedicated and independent individual, I         volunteer with ATA and the Delaware Valley
thoughts on our profession. Thank you               learned about the profession and built my       Translators Association (DVTA), my local
for supporting the ATA community.                   translation career through trial and error,     ATA chapter. Within DVTA, I served first as
                                                    not really certain that people could actually   a director and recently completed two terms
                                                    make a living doing only translation.           as its president (2012–2017). I continue to
DIRECTOR                                            After nearly two decades as a successful        serve on the board as chair of DVTA’s Public
(THREE-YEAR TERM)                                   freelancer, it is a pleasure to reassure        Relations and Certification Committees.
                                                    nervous newcomers to the profession that           My current ATA activities include:
KYLE VRAA                                           succeeding in translation is not a pipe
                                                                                                    ATA Public Relations Committee,
kylevraa@hotmail.com                                dream, but a very realistic professional goal
                                                                                                    Speakers Bureau (2015–2018)
                 I am an ATA-certified              with the correct approach. I would like to
                                                                                                    ■■ Last year, I presented “Navigating
                 Danish>English and                 continue to advocate for mentoring as a
                                                                                                       Language Access in Legal Proceedings”
                 German>English translator          member of ATA’s Board.
                                                                                                       to the Philadelphia Bar Association
                 who has been freelancing              Finally, I have had the pleasure of
                                                                                                       as a representative of ATA’s Speakers
                 full-time since the summer         attending conferences abroad that were
                                                                                                       Bureau. In 2018, I was asked to present
                 of 2000. I also translate          co-sponsored by ATA (one of the most
                                                                                                       on this topic again to the Philadelphia
from the Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish,             recent was in Freiburg, Germany), as well
                                                                                                       Office of Language Access.
and Dutch languages. I became a mentor              as other non-ATA-affiliated conferences,
in ATA’s Mentoring Program in 2013, and             such as the Translation and Localization        ■■   I was selected to take a lead role on
have taken on individual mentees each               Conference in Warsaw, Poland. As                     ATA’s PR Committee, generating
year since that time. I became a member             a regular attendee of ATA’s Annual                   speaking opportunities for members
of ATA’s Mentoring Committee in 2016,               Conference, I have found earning ATA                 of the Speakers Bureau. By targeting
and have served as its chair since the              continuing education points at smaller               organizations and associations interested
summer of 2017.                                     conferences abroad to be an excellent                in professional language services, we aim

10     The ATA Chronicle | September/October 2018                                                                                    www.atanet.org
to leverage the talent pool of speakers in
     our bureau nationwide.
ATA Interpretation Policy Advisory
                                                  Proposed Changes to the Bylaws to
Committee (2015–2018)
■■ I have been a member of IPAC since
                                                  be Presented to the Membership for
   it was established, contributing to
   policy, strategy, and goals.                   Voting in October 2018
■■   IPAC continues to promote greater            In addition to electing four directors, voting members will also vote on proposed
     equity for interpreters with the             bylaws amendments. The Board approved putting forward two proposed bylaws
     ongoing implementation of the                amendments for approval by the membership. The proposed revisions appear below
     Credentialed Interpreter (CI)                and are posted online at www.atanet.org/bylaws_change.php. Please note that
     designation in ATA’s Directory of            material proposed to be deleted is struck through; material proposed to be added is
     Translators and Interpreters.                underlined. ATA’s bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed by a two-thirds vote
ATA Chapters Committee Chair                      of the voting members.
(2016–2018)
■■ As chair of ATA’s Chapters Committee,          PROPOSED BYLAWS AMENDMENTS
   I serve as the national liaison between        Proposed: That Article III, Section 2a. of      membership was about 2,175 and there was
   ATA Headquarters and all ATA chapters          the Bylaws be amended as follows:               only one division (Sci-Tech), compared to
   and affiliate groups, helping to solve                                                         the current approximately 10,000 members
                                                  “1) Any person who (a) is professionally
   any issues and answer questions. I have                                                        and 22 divisions.
                                                  engaged in translating, interpreting, or
   also collaborated with the chair of ATA’s                                                         The proposed amendment has
                                                  closely related work, (b) is a citizen or
   Divisions Committee to organize the                                                            two purposes:
                                                  permanent resident of the United States,
   leadership training at the past three ATA                                                         First, to extend the right to support the
                                                  and (c) meets one of the following
   Annual Conferences.                                                                            establishment of a division to all individual
                                                  criteria: (i) has passed a certification
     Launched ATA’s Chapters Best Practices                                                       members. The majority of individual
■■                                                examination administered by the
     Initiative, which is a compilation of                                                        members are not active or corresponding
                                                  Association, or (ii) has been granted
     national resources, links, forms, and                                                        (voting) members. Yet associate members
                                                  Credentialed Interpreter status by
     processes available to all ATA chapters                                                      comprise the majority of division members.
                                                  the Association, or (iii) has achieved
     to facilitate expedited, efficient, and                                                      As only the division officers must be voting
                                                  demonstrable professional status as
     consistent systems of operation.                                                             members, associate members may comprise
                                                  determined by peer evaluation, is
                                                                                                  the majority of volunteers in division
■■   Formulated and led a study group at          eligible for Active membership.”
                                                                                                  activities. It is thus appropriate and just to
     the August 2018 ATA Board meeting            Commentary: The intent of this amendment        allow associate members to demonstrate
     to examine, evaluate, and consider           is to provide equal treatment to interpreters   support for a new division.
     the current state, structure, and future     who are certified or accredited by an ATA-         Second, the number of signatures
     of ATA chapters and affiliates for           recognized body and given “Credentialed         required is increased to ensure that a new
     continuous improvement.                      Interpreter” status by ATA by automatically     division has sufficient core support to
ATA’s Mentoring Program                           granting voting rights to such members.         provide the required services. Divisions
(2014–2018)                                                                                       must have an administrator and assistant
■■ I have been inspired to give back to           Proposed: That Article XIII, Section 2a. of     administrator. They usually also need a
   our remarkable community by offering           the Bylaws be amended as follows:               webmaster, newsletter or blog editor, listserv
   guidance and sharing experiences.              “A petition for the establishment of            administrators, and other volunteers. The
                                                  a Division must be signed by twenty             establishment of Leadership Councils for
   I previously served on ATA’s                                                                   each division has also increased the number
Nominating and Leadership Development             or more voting 150 or more active,
                                                  corresponding, or associate members             of division volunteers needed. Leadership
Committee (2012–2016). I remain on                                                                Councils often have 10–15 members. Many
the Leadership Council for the Medical            of the Association, at least 50 of whom
                                                  must be active or corresponding                 divisions also have additional committees
Division, following my two terms as                                                               such as conference or networking
assistant administrator (2012–2016). I            members, who shall signify their
                                                  desire to participate in the activities of      committees that also require volunteers.
have also contributed several articles to                                                            The increase in the number of
The ATA Chronicle and presented at ATA            the Division.”
                                                                                                  signatures required helps ensure that a
conferences in Chicago and Miami.                 Commentary: The requirements regarding          new division has the minimum level of
   I consider it a great privilege to             the number of signatures necessary to           support from individual members who
represent your interests on the Board.            petition for the establishment of a division    will comprise the core volunteers who will
I thank you for your vote and your                have not changed since 1983, when total         make the division viable.
deliberation of my candidacy.

www.atanet.org                                                                                                American Translators Association   11
FEATURE           BY AMANDA N. WILLIAMS

                                                                                                           Executives of this caliber don’t often
                                                                                                           take time out of their busy schedules to
                                                                                                           address language professionals.
                                                                                                              On the agenda: compelling topics
                                                                                                           that ranged from the latest news on
                                                                                                           Brexit negotiations to current global
                                                                                                           macroeconomic trends, the business
                                                                                                           environment in the European Union,
                                                                                                           trade credit insurance, Basel III Pillar 3
                                                                                                           regulations, VAT tax policy and fraud,
                                                                                                           renewable energy, and the oil and gas
                                                                                                           industry. The program also included
                                                                                                           challenging financial translation-specific
                                                                                                           sessions and workshops.
                                                                                                              UETF 2018 featured 18 sessions over
                                                                                                           three days, delivering invaluable content
                                                                                                           and helping attendees expand their
                                                                                                           subject matter expertise, keep abreast of
                                                                                                           the latest trends in the fast-paced world
                                                                                                           of finance and economics, and—last,
                                                                                                           but definitely not least—improve their
                                                                                                           translation skills through downright
                                                                                                           granular translation slams and hands-on
                                                                                                           workshops. Here are some highlights and
                                                                                                           insights from the event.

                                                                                                           BREAKING DOWN BREXIT
Attendees at UETF 2018 participate in a complex and interactive workshop on translating Basel III Pillar   Conference attendees had an
3 financial disclosures. Photo credit: Bernhard Lorenz.
                                                                                                           extraordinary opportunity to hear Brexit
                                                                                                           commentary and analysis from two
                                                                                                           renowned speakers—Joris Luyendijk,
Top Economics, Finance, and                                                                                an author and journalist from the
                                                                                                           Netherlands, previously based in London,

Translation Experts Convene in                                                                             and Charles Grant, co-founder and
                                                                                                           director of the U.K.’s Centre for European

Brussels for UETF 2018                                                                                     Reform. Grant decided to make his
                                                                                                           session off-the-record, so, unfortunately, I
                                                                                                           cannot recap or remark on his speech (but
Highly specialized translation conferences may be few and far between, but                                 I’m delighted to finally have the chance to
                                                                                                           say I can’t talk about something because it
they’re worth their weight in gold.                                                                        was off-the-record).

O
                                                                                                              Luckily, Joris Luyendijk spoke on-
      n July 4, 2018, 120 expert financial            recommended for novice translators or for            the-record in his session (“Brexit: Why
      translators from 12 countries and               the faint of heart.                                  It Happened, How It Happened, What
      representatives from national and                  Why would some attendees travel                   Happens Now?”), and what a rousing
multinational institutions descended                  nearly 4,500 miles to attend? Quite                  and frank speech it was. For an hour,
upon Brussels to attend the Université                frankly, it would be tough to pass                   Luyendijk led attendees on a colorful
d’été de la traduction financière (UETF),             up a speaker lineup featuring Jean                   and sometimes jarring journey through
the biennial Summer School for Financial              Paul Servais, chairman of the Belgian                “leaver” and European mentalities as they
Translators. Organized by the Société                 Financial Services and Markets                       navigate tempestuous Brexit negotiations.
française des traducteurs (SFT)—this                  Authority (FSMA)—roughly the                            So why did Brexit happen? For this
year with support from host institution               equivalent of the U.S. Securities and                Dutch observer, Britain has a powerful
BNP Paribas Fortis—UETF is an intense                 Exchange Commission—and Vincent                      misinformation machine with a host of
three-day conference packed with                      Van Dessel, chairman and chief                       media outlets, notably tabloids that he
sessions, workshops, and networking                   executive officer of Euronext Brussels,              says skew the truth. Together, these have
opportunities. This event is generally not            along with 16 top industry experts.                  stirred negative sentiment within certain

12   The ATA Chronicle | September/October 2018                                                                                           www.atanet.org
demographics in the country for decades.         exchanges in six cities across Europe                  of an effort to maintain market stability
Now that U.K. citizens have voted to             (Paris, Brussels, Lisbon, Amsterdam,                   than their U.S. counterparts.
leave the EU, the same misinformation            London, and Dublin). Companies listed
machine is downplaying the economic              on Euronext markets include AB Inbev,
consequences of this decision, both on
                                                                                                        THE GUARDIANS OF BELGIAN FINANCE
                                                 L’Oreal, Airbus, and Danone. Each
                                                                                                        Jean Paul Servais, chairman of the
a national and international scale. By           Euronext member exchange has its own
contrast, Europe doesn’t have a unified                                                                 Belgian FSMA, shared a meticulous
                                                 regulator. Representatives from all six
media presence at an international level,                                                               account of FSMA and how it oversees
                                                 exchanges form a College of Regulators to
which, Luyendijk says, means very                                                                       the entire Belgian financial sector in
                                                 discuss current market events and
little accurate information on the real                                                                 his presentation “Rôles, réalisations et
                                                 new developments.
consequences of Brexit is being published.                                                              défis d’une autorité de contrôle telle que la
                                                    Van Dessel provided his perspective
   How did Brexit happen? Luyendijk              on the role of markets and exchanges in                FSMA” (“FSMA: Roles, Achievements,
says the referendum was “presented               the economy. He urged us to let go of                  and Challenges”). FSMA was established
as just another stunt.” In addition, a           the notion that the markets themselves                 by Belgian law on April 1, 2011 as an
peculiar phenomenon occurred. David              influence the economy. Buyers and sellers              independent public institution and
Cameron and Boris Johnson both—                                                                         fulfills tasks assigned to it by the Belgian
                                                 really do the influencing—the stock
uncharacteristically—underestimated their                                                               Parliament. Both the National Bank of
                                                 exchange merely offers them the space
respective popularity, while Theresa May                                                                Belgium and FSMA oversee the Belgian
                                                 to make it happen. He then walked us
believed herself more popular than she                                                                  financial sector, but FSMA is responsible
                                                 through the multitude of players and
really was. The end result: the “leavers”
                                                 financial instruments involved in the                  for overseeing the following areas:
won the Brexit referendum although no                                                                   ■■ Financial markets and corporate
                                                 stock market and their various roles
official sincerely wanted it to happen.
                                                 in the investor universe. Finally, he                     financial reporting
   What happens now? According to
Luyendijk, Britain needs to wake up,             explained how prices are formed from                   ■■   Compliance with corporate
realize it’s no longer in a position of power,   Euronext being an order-driven market—                      conduct rules
and come to the negotiation table with           like the New York Stock Exchange and
                                                 Toronto Stock Exchange—and how they                    ■■   Financial products
realistic expectations and awareness that
the EU will not go easy on them under            use a fixing (price setting) schedule to               ■■   Financial service providers and brokers
any circumstances. Because the EU simply         minimize market volatility. I enjoyed
                                                 reflecting on how Belgium (and other
                                                                                                        ■■   Supplementary pensions
can’t. Any leniency would make every
member of the EU wonder if they should           markets in Europe) seem to make more                   ■■   Consumer financial education
leave the EU next, so it’s paramount that
they make an example of Britain to show
all other EU member states that leaving is
a terrible idea. Luyendijk says the future of
the EU depends on it.
   What about Luyendijk’s personal take?
He’s glad Britain voted to leave, as he
believes the rest of the EU will be better
off without them.

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO EURONEXT
Vincent Van Dessel, chief executive
officer of Euronext Brussels, took us
on a virtual tour of the Euronext stock
exchange in his presentation “Euronext,
le plus grand marché européen, construit
selon un modèle fédéral” (“Euronext, The
Largest European Stock Exchange, Based
on a Federal Model”). He began with
an overview of Euronext. If you’re not
familiar with it, Euronext, as the title
of the session suggests, is the largest
European stock exchange, describing itself
as “pan-European.” Founded in 2000 and           Larry Cohen and Rosie Wells discuss their respective translations of a financial article with the audience
listed since 2014, it operates member            during a translation slam at UETF 2018. Photo credit: Bernhard Lorenz.

www.atanet.org                                                                                                        American Translators Association   13
TOP ECONOMICS, FINANCE, AND TRANSLATION EXPERTS CONVENE IN BRUSSELS FOR UETF 2018 continued

   Servais stressed how FSMA protects             UETF is an intense three-day                 of our current political climate, was both
consumers by ensuring that investment                                                          powerful and educational. It’s a talk I will
products offered on the market are easy           conference packed with                       not soon forget.
to understand, with as little fine print as
possible. It also wants consumers to know
                                                  sessions, workshops, and
                                                                                               AND THAT’S A WRAP
exactly what fees each product entails.           networking opportunities.                    While this was my first time attending
To that end, they verify that all financial                                                    UETF, it will not be my last. Of all the
product advertising is honest, clear, and                                                      annual translation conferences I’ve
user-friendly, and ensure that the financial                                                   attended over the past eight years, none
products themselves comply with all                                                            have catered so specifically to enhancing
applicable laws and regulations.                  future instability are already visible—
                                                                                               my skills and subject-matter expertise.
   FSMA also monitors the stock market            labor underutilization rates are still
                                                                                               I especially appreciated hearing directly
in several ways. First, they make sure            quite high in Europe, the Eurozone is
                                                                                               from industry experts in addition to
companies meet financial reporting                still grappling with tensions between
                                                                                               translation experts.
requirements, publishing complete                 high-production countries in the north
                                                                                                  I left the conference with a greater
information in a timely manner that               that want to make the euro as strong
                                                                                               appreciation of the interplay between
accurately and faithfully depicts the             as possible, versus lower-production
                                                                                               politics, government regulations, and
company. Second, they verify that listed          countries in the south that can’t keep
                                                                                               finance. I also brought home additional
companies treat all shareholders equally.         up. The Phillips curve has flattened
                                                                                               translation tricks and tips to help
They also supervise how the markets               in the U.S., and wealth inequality and
                                                                                               transform the most complex French
themselves operate (including Euronext)           ageing populations are on the rise.
                                                  (The Phillips curve is a single-equation     texts into eye-catching English prose. It
and step in if needed. One thing I found                                                       wasn’t easy picking a handful of sessions
fascinating was that Belgium suspends             econometric model representing the
                                                  relationship between the rate of inflation   to highlight, as they were all thought-
trading fairly regularly to maintain                                                           provoking and relevant to the field. For
market stability. They also halt trading          and the unemployment rate.)
                                                     In addition to these current              a full list of the conference program, see
prior to press release publications (at the                                                    http://bit.ly/UETF2018-program.
company’s request), which curbs insider           phenomena, there are any number of
trading. In addition, they supervise and          potential incidents that could trigger
                                                  another crisis, such as a major central
regulate all types of brokers (banking,
                                                  bank ending its monetary policy, higher
                                                                                                 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
insurance, stock market, etc.). Overall,
                                                  inflation, geopolitical risks, rising          Société française des traducteurs
FSMA takes a prudent and responsible
approach to financial oversight, and              isolationism around the world, and an          www.sft.fr
it was fun to learn the ins-and-outs of           economic downturn in China. Many
                                                  of these potential incidents could be          Université d’été de la traduction financière
this institution compared to France’s
                                                  sparked by the unpredictable decisions         https://uetf.fr/en/home.html
stock market regulator, the Autorité des
                                                  made by the current U.S. president—
marchés financiers, the institution I know
                                                  launching trade wars, starting Twitter
most about.
                                                  fights, ostracizing allies, exhibiting
                                                  authoritarian tendencies, and threatening
A FITFUL GLOBAL ECONOMY                           to leave international organizations and                         Amanda N. Williams is the
As an attendee from the U.S., I found             agreements such as the North Atlantic                            assistant administrator of ATA’s
the session by Belgian economist Bruno                                                                             Literary Division. An ATA-
                                                  Treaty Organization, G7, World Trade
Colmant, “Une économie incertaine”                                                                                 certified French>English
                                                  Organization, and North American
(“An Uncertain Economy”), the most                                                                                 translator, she specializes in
                                                  Free Trade Agreement. Any of these
                                                                                                                   business, international trade,
gripping of them all, as he spoke at great        actions could have fast and far-reaching
                                                                                               and financial translation. She worked for one of the
length about the U.S. role in our global          consequences from an economic                top 100 largest ocean importers in the U.S. She
economy’s uncertainty.                            standpoint. Brexit in the U.K. adds          held various roles, including sales, operations, and
   He began by explaining the latest              additional potential stress on the global    trade compliance manager, where she was
recessions for the U.S. and Europe                economy, and Colmant warned that a           responsible for managing a U.S. customs audit and
and their respective recovery times               hard Brexit would be tough for everyone.     creating, implementing, and maintaining the
(Europe’s recovery being slower than in              As a U.S. citizen, I found Colmant’s      company’s import compliance program. She served
the U.S. due to a third financial crisis          talk poignant. Whatever your politics,       six years on the board of directors of the Atlanta
in 2011). Colmant believes the global             you likely read local media and news         Association of Interpreters and Translators, an ATA
economy will continue improving                   that resonates with your own worldview.      chapter. You can find her on Twitter as the
throughout 2018, but warned that we               Hearing Dr. Colmant, who is not              Adorkable Translator (@Adorkable_Trans) or on her
are approaching the end of a growth               emotionally invested in American politics    website at www.mirrorimagetranslations.com.
cycle. Some warning signs of potential            the way I am, talk about the global impact   Contact: amanda@mirrorimagetranslations.com.

14   The ATA Chronicle | September/October 2018                                                                                    www.atanet.org
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