The LetterThe Letter

September 2000September 2000

of the Austin Area Translators and Interpreters Association

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St. Jerome’s DaySt. Jerome’s Dayshines spotlight onshines spotlight onliterary translatorsliterary translatorsON INTERNATIONAL TRANSLATORS DAY,September 30, AATIA’s literarytranslators will present bilingualreadings of their own and favoritetranslations to kick off an eveningof celebration for AATIA’s 15thanniversary.

The featured reader will beAustin’s very own Leslie Willson,former American Translators Associa-tion President. Willson will read fromhis latest translation, Gerhard Koepf’sPiranesi’s Dream, which is beingpublished by George Braziller inSeptember. This is a fictional autobi-ography of Giambattista Piranesi, theseventeenth-century Italian architectand engraver, best known for hisseries of prison dungeons fantasies,the Carceri.

Other program highlights includeLiliana Valenzuela, reading from hertranslation into Spanish of SandraCisneros’s Woman Hollering Creek;Michele Aynsworth, reading fromThe Mad Toy by Roberto Arlt, to bepublished next year by Duke Univer-sity Press; and Ingrid Lansford,reading from Aus den Geleisen byAustrian novelist Inge Merkel, whois known for her irony—including ather own expense.

To round out the readings,AATIA’s Literary Special InterestGroup will exhibit and sell notableand recently published literarytranslations, as well as literary maga-zines that feature translation, so bringyour checkbooks as well as yourcovered dish! H

AATIA celebrates 15AATIA celebrates 15thth Anniversary Anniversaryand International Translators Dayand International Translators DaySATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH BRINGS TWO REASONS TO CELEBRATE: InternationalTranslators Day and AATIA’s 15th Anniversary. An international theme party atthe Main Building of St. Edward’s University will mark this occasion. Theprogram will begin with bilingual readings of translated literature [see relatedarticle] and a book exhibit and will continue with food, music, and merriment.

AATIA members and their guests are invited to attend this special event andbring an international dish to share as part of an international potluck dinner.Guests are also invited to bring international music on tape or CD to playduring this event.

Date: Saturday, September 30, 2000Time: 6:00 to 10:00 PMPlace: St. Edward’s University, Main Building, Maloney RoomAdmission fee: Covered dish

In addition to your taped music, AATIA member Pati McLean and theCombo Internacional will provide live music for your dancing pleasure. H

Page 2 The AATIA Letter September 2000

Austin Area Translators &Interpreters Associationhttp://www.aatia.orghttp://www.aatia.org

Board of DirectorsBoard of DirectorsPRESIDENT Asele Surina v 832-5950 f 832-5945 asele@texas.netSECRETARY Stacey Booth v 452-9123 f call first srbooth@flash.netDIRECTORS:COMMUNICATIONS Monica Mitre v & f 328-7618 anderm@aol.comFINANCE Leon McMorrow v 707-8928 f 707-0089leon@medtranslator.comMEMBERSHIP Katarzyna Grzegorczyk v 479-7658 kasia@texas.netPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Albert Bork v 837-6448 f 836-944073622.650@compuserve.com

Coordinators:Coordinators:ACCREDITATION Albert Bork v 837-6448 f 836-944073622.650@compuserve.comADVERTISING Tony Beckwith v 479-8865 f 469-9664104607.2510@compuserve.comCOMPUTERS Frank Dietz v 491-6069 f 491-6086 fdietz@jump.netDATABASE Crysol Villareal v 438-5742 f 343-2188 & Joan Tuttle Vargas v441-9502 f 438-5586 jtuttlev@aol.comHOSPITALITY Aura Guevara v 301-4531 eguevara@mail.utexas.edu &Patricia King-Sigg v & f 266-6612 pkingsigg@aol.comINTERPRETATION Cristina Helmerichs D. v 452-5895721743256@compuserve.com & Albert Bork v 837-6448 f 836-944073622.650@compuserve.comLITERARY Marian Schwartz v & f 442-5100 mbs@texas.netMEMBERSHIP INFO Katarzyna Grzegorczyk v 479-7658 kasia@texas.netNEW MEMBERS Esther Díaz v & f 312-1599 ediaz@flash.netREFERRALS Jane Chamberlain v 453-1486 candide@io.comRUSSIAN Jane Chamberlain v 453-1486 candide@io.comSOCIAL Maria Fierro v 323-2881 f 323-9427 fierrtrans@cwix.comSPANISH Harvie Jordan v 444-8537 f 441-3983HarvieJordan@compuserve.comWEBSITE Eric Brooks v 659-3927 f 472-4591 eric@mcelroytranslation.comWORKSHOPS Michael Blumenthal v 437-8540 f 512/295-3141MBlumen935@aol.com

The AATIA LetterThe AATIA LetterEDITOR R. Michael Conner v 474-7012 f 474-2895 editor@aatia.orgPRODUCTION Howard Simms v 452-4700 102036.3370@compuserve.com& Merry Wheaton v 451-4772 f 451-1935 75512.2650@compuserve.comDISTRIBUTION Efrat Schwartz v 342-9836 f 342-9891 efrats@usa.com

Take care withconfidentialityagreements

by J. Henry PhillipsONE OF THE TRAPS I’VE NOTICED is thatsome agencies cobble together a laundry-list of terms and conditions—everythingfrom putting up your fistborn as suretyto accepting assignments while extendingthem unlimited credit plus powers ofunilaterally paying nothing—and callingthat a “confidentiality agreement.” This isclearly dishonest use of the Englishlanguage, but if you turn it down,rumors can then circulate that yourefused to sign the “confidentialityagreement,” not the assignment in suretyof your firstborn, etc.

Attached is an adaptation of a realconfidentiality agreement [next page]that one of the largest energy companiesin America asked me to sign whileinterpreting one of their meetings. Notethat it only covers confidentiality; it is nota vehicle for other contractual termscamouflaged as confidentiality-related. Italso has an expiration date. This is what Iuse when an otherwise virtuous clientmistakenly presents me with a complexvendor agreement masquerading as somesort of confidentiality agreement.

For agencies the picture is morecomplex, and I edit it to reflect Client,Contractor, and Subcontractor ascontracting entities, but the principleremains the same.

I hon-estly suspectmany of ourcolleagueshave neverseen a realconfidential-ity agreementbefore, andthis one mayprovide areality check.H

September 2000 The AATIA Letter Page 3

THIS CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

(the “Agreement”) is effective [date], byand between CLIENT and [your nameor company], (“Contractor”).

WITNESSETH:

A. WHEREAS, Contractor had beenretained by CLIENT to performcertain translation and/or interpre-tation services;

B. WHEREAS, in performing theseservices Contractor will be providedwith certain confidential informa-tion, data and communicationregarding CLIENT and its businessinterests (“The ConfidentialInformation”); and,

C. WHEREAS. Contractor has agreedto treat as confidential all Confiden-tial Information;

NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSID-ERATION of the promises and mutualcovenants contained herein, and forother good and valuable consideration,the receipt and sufficiency of which ishereby acknowledged, CLIENT andContractor hereby agree as follows:

1. Contractor shall treat as confidentialall Confidential Information whichmay be disclosed or made availableto it, directly or indirectly, byCLIENT.

2. Contractor shall not use anyConfidential Information except asand to the extent necessary to renderthe services to CLIENT.

3. Contractor shall maintain theconfidentiality of and shall notdisclose any Confidential Informa-tion to any third party withoutCLIENT’s prior written consent.

4. Nothing contained herein shall in

any way restrict or impairContractor’s right to use, disclose, orotherwise deal with any informationof data which:

a) At the time of disclosure isgenerally available to the public orthereafter becomes generallyavailable to the public, by publica-tion or otherwise, through no act ofContractor;

b) Contractor can show was in itspossession prior to the time of thedisclosure to it and was not acquireddirectly or indirectly, from CLIENTof any other source bound by aconfidentiality agreement withCLIENT; or,

c) Contractor can show wasreceived by it as a matter of lawfulright after the time of disclosurefrom a third party who did notacquire it from CLIENT or any ofits parent, affiliate or subsidiarycompanies under an obligation ofconfidence and that without breachof any obligation Contractor is freeto disclose it to others.

5. All notices required to be givenhereunder shall be sent by facsimiletransmission or by certified mail,return receipt requested, postagepre-paid, and addressed to:

Contractor: [name & address]

CLIENT:______________________________________________________

With concurrent copy to:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________or to such other person or address assuch party may have specified in a no-tice duly given as provided herein.

Such notice shall be deemed to havebeen given as of the date of transmis-sion of delivery, as the case may be.

6. Contractor acknowledges that thebreach of this Agreement wouldcause CLIENT to suffer irreparableharm, and agrees that legal damageswould not be a sufficient remedy forany breach of this agreement byContractor, it’s agents, representa-tives or employees. Accordingly,Contractor consents to injunctive orother appropriate equitable relief,including specific performance,upon the institution of legalproceedings by CLIENT. Suchremedy shall not be deemed to bethe exclusive remedy for any suchbreach of this Agreement, but shallbe in addition to all other remediesavailable in law or in equity toCLIENT.

7. Contractor’s obligations under thisAgreement shall terminate one (1)year from the date the services arerendered.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the partieshereto have executed this Confidential-ity Agreement through their authorizedrepresentatives this ________ day of_______, 2000.

ContractorCLIENT

By: ________________________By: ________________________

Title: _____________________Title: _____________________

Model Confidentiality Agreement

Page 4 The AATIA Letter September 2000

VIETNAMESE Translations/ConsultingVIETNAMESE Translations/Consulting

Mimi A. Tran, MSHPMimi A. Tran, MSHPLegal, medical, educational, & social servicesLegal, medical, educational, & social services(over 25 years of experience)(over 25 years of experience)

8610 N. Lamar (Suite 117)8610 N. Lamar (Suite 117)Austin, TX 78753Austin, TX 78753

512-837-3322512-837-3322mi2tran@yahoo.commi2tran@yahoo.com

THE AUSTIN CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

will hold its annual InternationalChildren's Festival on Thursday andFriday, November 2 and 3. These twodays are only for Austin area schools.Some 3000 children will participate,AATIA volunteers will help keepthings running smoothly.

Performers lined up for SchoolDays include Chaski (Latin Americanfolk music), Austin Taiko (TraditionalJapanese Drums), McCallum HighSchool Band (Caribbean SteelDrums), Tamasha Africana, SahaweIndian Dancers (Indian Dancers ofAmerica and Mexico), and Realidad(Traditional Tejano Music), AlliAweusi (African Music and Folktales),Seminole Indian Scout (NativeAmerican Storytelling and Dance),Anu Naimpally (Traditional SouthIndian Classical Dance), AntonioDionisio (Brazilian Percussion),Emily Dedear (Chinese RibbonDance and Kung Fu movements),Alkebu-Lan Dance Co. (AfricanDancing, Song and Folklore), C.J.Menge (Caribbean Steel Drums,Oasis for Children (MulticulturalStorytelling), Oliver Rajamani(Indian Percussion), UT FilipinoStudents Association, and ScottishCountry Dancers.

Contact AATIACommunicationsDirector MonicaMitre atanderm@aol.comor 328-3641 tojoin our volunteersor obtain moreinformation aboutthis fun andeducationalfestival. H

LitSIG resumes aftersummer vacationDear LitSIG members,

Summer’s almost over, and it’stime for us to get together again. Wehave a very full meeting planned forWednesday, September 6th, at 7 pm.

First, we have a change of loca-tion. Michele Aynesworth hasgraciously agreed to host us at 4191Travis Country Circle (899-9653).

Next, several of us have news onpublishing efforts. This can be such amysterious business; we all find ithelpful to hear about specific projects.

Then we will take up preparationsfor the bilingual readings on Interna-tional Translators Day. I will bring asuggested program, in search of youropinions as to how to improve it.Several of you have already offered totake part, but there’s still time for therest. Just call 442-5100 or email meat mbs@texas.net with suggestions.

For our hands-on work, I’d like toreturn to a suggestion made last yearthat we never had time for: humor.Bring an example (say, 10 copies) of ahumor translation—one that workedor one that didn’t—and be preparedto talk about it with the group.Humor is incredibly difficult totranslate, so we will all try to becharitable toward the failures andsuitably impressed with the successes.

Marian SchwartzLitSIG Coordinator H

Volunteers neededfor InternationalChildren’s Festival

September 2000 The AATIA Letter Page 5

DR. ASLAN ASLANIAN

Armenian, Farsi, Dari, Pashtu, ArabicTranslations and Interpretations since 1976

Fax/Phone: 818-353-5862 Pager: 1-888-953-40059673 Crystal View Dr. Tujunga, CA 91042

ASLANIAN@PACBELL.NET

Member: NAJIT, ATA, SFL, CCIA, SOMI, CHIA, CATI, NCATAA Translator for All Seasons. An Interpreter for All Reasons

Advertise inAdvertise inTT HEHE AA AATIA LTIA L ETTERETTER

&&AAAATIA TTIA T RANSLARANSLA TORTOR ANDAND I INTERPRETERNTERPRETER

SSERVICESERVICES D DIRECTORYIRECTORY, E, E DITIONDITION 2001 2001

Contact Monica MitreContact Monica Mitreanderm@aol.comanderm@aol.com

Even a saint canmake mistakesTRANSLATORS AND INTERPRETERS theworld over mark September 30th as their day, since it is the Feast Day of the patron saint of librarians, scripturescholars, students, and of course,translators and interpreters. Althoughcanonized by the Catholic church(date unknown), St. Jerome’s work was not perfect.

Jerome once observed, “I am notso stupid as to think that any of theLord’s words either need correcting orare not divinely inspired, but theLatin manuscripts of the Scripturesare proved faulty by the variationswhich are found in all of them.”

Indeed, Jerome acknowledged hisown fallibility and made a few errorshimself.

Perhaps his most famousmistranslation put horns onMoses’s head. The originalHebrew scripture (Exodus 34)stated that when Mosesdescended from Mt. Sinai, hehad “rays of light” comingfrom his head. The Hebrewword can also mean “horns,”and Jerome chose the lattermeaning. This error has beenperpetuated in many ways tothe present. WhenMichelangelo sculpted Moses,he relied on the Latin Vulgatetranslation of Jerome. The

Janet Peirce

Janet’s Translating ServiceEnglish to Spanish Spanish to EnglishSpecializations: Education, Public Information

H: (512)930-5006211 Pin Oak W: (512)943-5050Georgetown, TX 78628 jpeirce@io.com

DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING • TYPESETTING

FINE ART & ILLUSTRATION • ACADEMIC

TEXTS • EUROPEAN LANGUAGES

3904 BECKER AVENUE, AUSTIN TX 78751

Jane H. Chamberlain

candide@io.com

Pangloss Publishing

Visit AATIA online: www.aatia.org

resulting horned statue can be seen inRome today. H

Page 6 The AATIA Letter September 2000

FOR SECRETARY

LAURA VLASMAN

I have not been very involved inAATIA up to now, but I have decidedthat the time has come to becomemore active in the local T&I commu-nity and do my modest bit for theadvancement of our profession. I haveworked as a staff and/or freelancetranslator and/or interpreter foralmost 20 years now and so am well

FOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

TRACI ANDRIGHETTI

Ciao AATIA! I completed a B.A.(Sociology/Italian) and an M.A.(History) at the University of Texas.Currently, I teach Italian at UT andLatin at St. Stephen’s. I'm alsotranslating a play by Dacia Maraini.

I passionately support translationand interpretation because they havehelped ground me in my heritage, andbecause they have brought so muchadventure into my life. My enthusi-

Introducing candidatesIntroducing candidatesfor 2001 Board of Directorsfor 2001 Board of DirectorsBoard candidates announcedBoard candidates announced

Nominating Committee Chair Harvie Jordan announced the candidates for the 2001 Board of Directors at theAugust board meeting. Candidates will make a brief presentation at the general membership meeting September 30,2000. Additional nominations will be accepted until the third Saturday in September. The election will be conductedby mail in October 2000, and results will be announced at the November membership meeting.

Jordan expressed thanks to Esther Diaz and Leon McMorrow for their service on this year’s Nominating committee. H

FOR PRESIDENT

PATRICIA THICKSTUN

I have been a freelance translatorfor 23 years and interpreter for 10years. Most of this work has comethrough the invaluable networkingrelationships developed in AATIA.The dedication and hard work of ourmembers have nurtured and encour-aged me.

In my full-time job, I direct theOffice of Language Services for theTexas Department of Health, where Iwork with other state agencies toshare resources and develop aninterpreter training program leadingto certification.

A member of AATIA since 1985, Iserved two terms as Vice President forCommunications (1991-1993) andparticipated in two conferenceplanning committees and severalpanel discussions at membershipmeetings.

AATIA needs to come a consensuson our future and develop a plan tomake it happen. We need to continueto encourage new translators andinterpreters and provide continuingeducation opportunities for estab-lished language professionals. We alsoneed to strengthen our collaborationwith the business community andexpand community service activities.H

acquainted with the range of chal-lenges that we language professionalsface. I believe that I could serve theAssociation ably as Secretary, since asignificant percentage of my workconsists of précis-writing and produc-tion of records for various interna-tional bodies. H

September 2000 The AATIA Letter Page 7

FOR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

EDGAR H. GUEVARA

Adequate financial practices areessential for professional associationsto successfully conduct the activitiesnecessary to fulfill their mission. Iwould like to contribute to AATIA’sefforts to maintain and further thegood financial conditions it currentlyenjoys by working with the other

FOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

DEBORAH TURNER

My name is Deborah Turner and Iwould like to be your next Director ofCommunications. I am a graduate ofArizona State University and have adegree in Intercultural and Interper-sonal Communications. Two of mycollege years were spent at LaUniversidad Autónoma deGuadalajara where I studied topicssuch as communications andsociolinguistics.

I have been a member of theAATIA since moving to Austin twoyears ago, and I am constantlyimpressed by its members’ enthusiasmregarding the work they do and theiropenness to share their knowledge. Iwelcome the opportunity to work foryou and with you. I am passionateabout what we do, but also frustratedby how little the general publicunderstands and respects our work. Ifelected I will work zealously topromote our organization and spreadunderstanding of the translation andinterpretation fields. H

FOR DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP

KATARZYNA PRIEBE (INCUMBENT)

Since I became a member ofAATIA a few years back, I’ve gottenso much out of the organization, Ifeel it my duty and honor to giveback through volunteering. I havebeen a membership director forAATIA for the last two years and eachyear I learn more about how toimprove the office and its services. Ifeel that my past experience in thisposition will help to keep continuityof the office and will allow further

FOR DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

EZEQUIEL M. QUIJANO

I will do my best to elevate theprofessional competency of themembers of AATIA.

My efforts will be towards thefacilitation of continuous opportuni-ties of enhancing our skills throughseminars and workshops.

The primary concerns will be thetheory of translation and interpreta-tion, as well as keeping our membersup-to-date on technological develop-ments. Guest speakers will be invitedto share their expertise with themembership of AATIA.

On the development end, I offerto maintain close contact with ATAand act as a liaison with candidateswishing to obtain their certification.H

development of the membershipprograms that we have started overthe last couple of years. I have set agoal last year to increase membershipby 15%. Although, we didn’t reachthat, through a mailing campaign toATA members in other Texas cities,we did bring in quite a few memberswho felt their local organizationsweren’t as active and supportive totheir members. This year I’d like toorganize a campaign to reach out tocolleges and university languagedepartments. There are many studentsout there looking to start a languagecareer who simply don’t have theresources to turn to for help. H

asm for both professions, as well asmy experience in bookkeeping,recruiting, and project management,make me a natural fit for Director ofCommunications. I look forward tospreading the word about the AATIAthroughout Austin! H

members of the Board of Directorsand AATIA members to define thefinancial needs of normal operationsand special activities and identifyadditional sources of funds. I willfollow the budget resulting from thisassessment and, if necessary and inconsultation with the Board, willadapt it to changing circumstances orneeds, all for AATIA’s good financialstatus. H

Page 8 The AATIA Letter September 2000

I HAVE BEEN ASKED REPEATEDLY bynovice translators and interpretershow they can “break into the market”and get agencies to take notice ofthem. One possible answer would beto market your services online.

These days, almost any translationagency will have an email address,and many have their own web sites.This allows translators/interpreters toconduct a marketing campaign that isessentially cost-free (unless you countthe amount of time spent—but thatpresumably would be something youhave plenty of in this phase of yourcareer).

How do you find these agencies?One great (and now free) source ofinformation on US agencies is Glenn’sGuide to Translation Agencies (and itsinternational counterpart Glenn’sGuide International), which can beopened as PDF files atwww.etranslate.net/en/career/glennsguide.html. You need the freeprogram Adobe Acrobat Reader(available at www.adobe.com) toopen these files and print them.

This list contains detailed contactinformation, as well as each agency’sspecialization and the languages mostneeded. Other sources of agencylistings are www.rahul.net/lai/tragsvc.html and http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Translation_Services/.

Many of these agency web siteswill have online forms that prospec-tive freelancers can fill out. Other-wise, you can send your résumé byemail. Please give it an informativetitle (“Freelance Translator E>F” isbetter than “Hello”) and do not send

your résumé as a file attachment.Agencies might not want to botherwith converting various file formats,and recent virus and worm outbreakshave made many people wary ofattachments sent by strangers. Instead,include your résumé in the body ofthe e-mail (which means giving upany fancy fonts and formatting).

Lastly, keep track of your contactsin a list or spreadsheet, so you don’tduplicate your effort. All this won’tguarantee you work, but at least youwill have improved your chances. Asthere are hundreds of agencies in theUS, you might want to spread yourefforts over several days.

Good luck! H

Market your translation andinterpreting services online

by Frank Dietz © 2000

Suggestion BoxSOME HARD DRIVES don't like beingslaved to smaller, slower brethren.When adding a drive to a system, if itcrashes for no reason, the master-slaverelationship may have to be invertedwith the newer drive in charge.

Tip contributed by Hank Phillips H

Register t/i serviceson the WWWSMARTERWORK IS CURRENTLY LOOKING

to expand its database of high-qualityexperts who can provide services intranslation, interpreting, voiceover,subtitling, proofing, and languageconsulting in a wide range of lan-guages and subjects.

If you qualify, after registering atwww.smarterwork.com you’ll beconnected with clients for a 10%commission deducted from the clientpayments. H

September 2000 The AATIA Letter Page 9

Joe picked up a yo-yo from amongthe prizes on the table beside us. Hechecked the string, slipped the noosearound his middle finger, and spunthe yo-yo in a graceful downward arc.It had a see-through cover on eachside, and when it reached the end ofits string and bounced back up, a redlight flashed, like a fire engine on theway to a fire. I suddenly realized thatit had been nearly half a century sinceI’d played with one of those wonder-ful toys.

I took one from the table andslipped the string around my finger. Igripped it in my right hand, rolling itwith my thumb till the string felt tautand springy. I bounced my hand acouple of times to loosen up my wrist.Then I popped the yo-yo. It spundown the string—the shimmering,silvery discs just a blur—and then thered light started flashing and before Iknew it the yo-yo thwacked snugly

Me and my yo-yoby Tony Beckwith © 2000

back into the palm of my hand.Grinning all over my face, I

looked up and saw that the rest of mycolleagues had also helped themselvesfrom the table. We were now allstanding around very much as mylittle friends and I used to standaround in the school playground,playing with our yo-yos, all thoseyears ago. I suddenly understood thatI used to love the yo-yo because youdidn’t have to play with anybody oragainst anybody. Having a few like-minded companions to stand aroundwith was certainly a plus, but eventhen you were on your own. Just youand your yo-yo.

There was a corner of the play-ground where a large, thick treeprovided refuge from the mayhem ofa couple of hundred little boys onbreak. A handful of us would gatherthere and, in relative tranquility, takeour yo-yos from the pockets of our

WE WERE STANDING AROUND THE OTHER NIGHT, waiting for theChildren’s Carnival to begin. Roy and I were running the CoinDrop. The other volunteers were all paired off and assigned tothe Cakewalk, the Hula-Hoop contest, and the Bean Bag Toss.The face painters and caricaturists were settling into theirbooths at the other end of the Club ballroom.

gray flannel uniforms and spin them.There was a seriousness, a concentra-tion on our artistry, and a restrainedexuberance that made recess go by fartoo quickly. For some reason I neverlearned any of the flashier tricks,which is surprising since showing offwas always my strong suit. But someof my peers were talented and imagi-native; they could “walk the dog” andgo “around the world” and do a lot ofother impressive work as well.

It occurred to me the other nightat the Carnival that I had stepped intoone of those time warps that you readabout. To my left, Amado was makinghis yo-yo hum and sing. Paul was“walking the dog” and laughing outloud. I could almost smell the dust ofthe playground. We were all standingaround in a semi-hypnotic state, re-living a memory, transported far awayand long ago by a tiny time machinespinning at the end of astring. H

Spanish-to-English & English-to-SpanishTranslating, Interpreting, Composing, Proofreading.

Legal and business in general. Spontaneous and pausedinterpreting. Freelance court interpreter/translator.

Mexico City Spanish. University graduate.

PATRICIA CARRASCO-O’BRIENPh/Fax: 972.771.2149

E-mail: pcobrien@webtv.net910 West Ave.Austin, Texas 78701TC@mcelroytranslation.com

Ralph mcElroyTranslation Company

technical translations to and from all languages

patricia propst, translator coordinator

(512) 472-6753 ext. 1361-800-531-9977FAX (512) 476-0710

Page 10 The AATIA Letter September 2000

Let’s confess it. For some reason,medical translation is not as excitingas the popular image suggests.Medicine in the U.S. has worn anaura of wisdom and mystery for atleast a century now. Most people nolonger avoiddoctors like theplague, as they didup to 1900. Itattracts them,much to thedismay of theinsurance compa-nies. One straight-forward reason isthat today medicaltreatment healsmore people thanit kills. Another,more subtlereason is thatscientific medi-cine has quietly invaded the domainof secret knowledge, once the fiefdomof priests, shamans and “medicinemen.” In matters of life and deathtoday, healers are more likely to havean M.D. after their name than a Rev.before it.

Some of that glow has diffused tothe fringe people in the field, likemedical translators and interpreters.It impresses people: “You mustknow what the doctors know, or youwouldn’t be translating or interpretingtheir words.” True, there is somemerit to the argument, as the lawyers

Midnight Confessions of a Medical Translatorby Leon McMorrow

I LIKE THE WAY PRESIDENT CLINTON PICKED A RELIGIOUS VENUE

to make “comments” on his behavior. One might even callthem confessions. Then they become something quite differ-ent from a statement made to a reporter, a convention, ora court. They take on a nice soft, therapeutic feel, perhapseven a tinge of courage. Baring the soul has always strucka higher chord than exposing the body. Strange!

say. But, as an insider, you know“it ain’t so.” You struggle to echo themedical words in the other language,and echoes can distort. The worrytakes the pleasure out of the effortmany times, like the tense look on

a doctor’s facebefore the diagno-sis is provedcorrect by anX-ray.

If you are thestandard nosytype, and lovethe afternoontalk shows or Dr.Laura, you willlike the senseof mystery andintrigue thatoccasionallycomes yourway in medical

translation. You will wonder whatMrs. Loretta Smith was really doingin Italy on June 21, 1998, andSwitzerland onJune 25, 1998. HerAmerican insur-ance companywants every scrapof medical report,drug store bill, andtaxi receipt trans-lated. But do youreally want theinsurance companyto know what the

multiple clinics that treated her werebilling for in their imposing eruditeway? You have been to the country.What does therapy for the “promo-tion of total well-being” boil down toin medical English? “Health clinics”?Should you give any hints to thereader? In my case, the answerdepends on what day of the week Iam translating the material. Rushinginto the weekend, I like to think ofthe Monday-morning-effect of apuzzling $73,000 bill on the insur-ance people. They have a whole weekto figure it all out. But they mightalso be dumb enough to think I don’tknow how to translate! Who laughslast in this game of medical intrigue?

The fact is, however, that mostmedical translation into Englishinvolves discoveries made 30 yearsago overseas that never made it tothe prestigious journals, and are nowbeing mined by later researchers. Ifyou translate from English to otherlanguages, most of your work will bein helping to sell the latest Americanresearch in the form of new drugs andgizmos for your heart, kidneys, knees,teeth, and hair (or its absence). Eitherway, it is hard work, but for thetranslator, it can be a nightmare, sincethe terminology either does not yetexist in the target language, or is notbeing propagated by the specialists.But there is one small reward: youget to know about the latest medicaladvances before your neighbors and

“You must knowwhat the doctorsknow, or youwouldn’t be trans-lating or interpret-ing their words.”

Tereza d’Avila BragaMember of the American Translators Association

ATA Accredited English-PortugueseContract Interpreter with the U.S. Dept. of State

12516 Audelia Rd. #1202 Dallas, TX 75243Tel (972)690-7730 Fax (972) 690-5088

Email tbragaling@cs.com

September 2000 The AATIA Letter Page 11

Say it in Spanish!Say it in Spanish!

Mauricio A. López L.

College graduated Spanish translator (Chile)English-German-Italian-Portuguese-Catalan-Dutch

TRADOS user

heidimeudt@mail.utexas.edu

Medical, CommunityMedical, CommunityInterpreters SIGInterpreters SIGAATIA IS SOLICITING INPUT on theformation of a new special interestgroup (SIG) to establish a venue forinformation, professional develop-ment, and dialogue about medicaland community interpreter issues.

Medical and community inter-preting is an emerging discipline.

Most interpretation in health care andcommunity settings is still providedby untrained, ad-hoc interpreters. Thelack of training results in inaccuracyand misunderstandings which couldhave serious consequences.

An increasing number of institu-tions are seeking to professionalizetheir language services by beginningto screen and train their interpreters.Several states now require certificationof medical and community interpret-ers. AATIA is in a unique position toprepare Texas interpreters to take fulladvantage of opportunities that lieahead. The first step in this process isto share information about upcomingchanges and requirements, then toprovide educational opportunitiesfor interpreters. This can be accom-plished through a special interestgroup within AATIA.

For more information, contactEsther Diaz at ediaz@flash.net. H

friends back home—the medical glowappears.

The curse placed upon medicaltranslators is the unlimited opportu-nity for becoming a hypochondriac.Over the years you analyze word-by-word a lot of the world’s illnesses.Dosed with indications, contra-indications, side effects, and specialprecautions, you cannot help butwonder if you too don’t have theexotic disease you are now translating.You can remember having had mostof the symptoms described, maybenot at the same time or in the exactsame spot on your body; such minorbackground details get fuzzy in theheat of translation. But you hear avoice up there suggesting that allthose mysterious aches and painsfrom different periods in your life,when summed up and totaled, nowmake sense as the newly discoveredsyndrome you must deliver by Friday

morning. Forget that last week it wasa different disease. Pain is the subjectof your translation life. Wouldn’t it bebetter, you think, if it had been bankrates in Thailand or a patent for anauto lifter in the car wash. Youwonder. Especially at night.

It’s midnight. I’ll leave the restuntil morning; it will still make theWest Coast before they get out oftraffic. Wish me a good night’s sleep.Please! H

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Court, conference, and medical interpretingCommercial, medical, and legal translating

11203 Salt Cedar Trail Ph 512-219-1496Austin, TX 78750 consult_ht@hotmail.com

Huisuk TynerHuisuk TynerKorean Translating & Interpreting

AATIA welcomes visitors to the Austin History Center(AHC) at 9th & Guadalupe on the 2nd Saturday of odd-numbered months for general meetings and even-numberedmonths for board meetings.

EVENTS IN AUSTINSep 6 7 p.m. LitSIG, 4191 Travis County Circle. Info

Marian Schwartz 442-5100 or mbs@texas.netSep 9 10 a.m. SpanSIG meeting, AHC. Info Harvie

Jordan 444-8537

NOTE: regular meeting moved to Sep 30. çSep 30 International Translators Day & AATIA 15th Anniversary celebration

6-10 p.m. Info 707-3900Oct 14 1-4 p.m. AATIA board meeting, AHCNov 11 AATIA regular meeting and SIG meetings

Austin Area Translators & Interpreters Association

http://www.aatia.org

PO Box 13331 HH Austin, TX 78711-3331 HH 512-707-3900

HH

Page 8 The AATIA Letter September 2000

AATIA reprisesKLRU pledge driveAATIA MEMBERS VOLUNTEERED for thesecond year on Sunday, August 27 tohelp Austin’s public television stationKLRU meet its $150,000 goal in its10-day fall pledge drive.

We answered phones, ate greatfood, and hung out with Ray Bensonof Asleep at the Wheel. The event wasgreat publicity, since our time slotattracted approximately 10,000viewers.

Members had so much fun thatAATIA plans to make this an annualtradition for our association. Thisyear’s participants found it a great wayto help the community, raise AATIA’sprofile, and spend an enjoyableevening with colleagues.

Monica MitreDirector of Communications H

“Translating or interpreting?”