MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SUMMER VACATION!

Make the most of your summer vacation – or at least part of it – this year!

Summer will arrive on June 20th, less than two weeks from now. Many of you are probably already in vacation thinking and planning mode. As you decide where to go and what to do, why not combine relaxation and travel with some continuing professional education? This summer, there are two wonderful opportunities you might consider: the Université d'été de la traduction financière, to be held in Paris July 11-13, 2012 and Translate in the Townships/On traduit dans l’Estrie, which will take place in Orford, Quebec August 19–22, 2012. Both of these events are particularly designed with French-to-English and English-to-French translators in mind and provide excellent opportunities to learn and to network in terrific locations. I have asked Chris Durban and Grant Hamilton for a brief overview of each event – I hope you will take a look and, perhaps, make one – or both – part of your summer plans.

Université d'été de la traduction financière

July 11-13, 2012 in Paris, France

Chris Durban

How did the Université d'été de la traduction financière start?
It began in 1989 with a "Training day for Financial Translators" at the Paris Stock Exchange. Contacts there were aware that listed companies were having a hard time locating the translation talent they needed; even experienced financial translators often didn't understand exactly how listings or clearing and settlement worked. Many weren't really familiar with the asset management scene, financial reporting requirements or even basic accounting, and I'd discussed this off and on with officials at the Exchange.

At the same time, I was involved in a language association that needed to raise money for another project. So the first training day at the Exchange was designed to kill two birds with one stone: give motivated translators some direct exposure to expert analysis of stock market processes and strategies, and make some money for the association. It proved popular and over the next few years we continued with an annual training day in Paris until Jackie Reuss suggested moving it to La Rochelle, on France's Atlantic Coast, and making it an SFT event. That was in 2002.

From one day to three
For La Rochelle we adopted a three-day format: there's high-speed train service to the town from Paris, but it was still quite a ways to travel for a single day. Since logistics were complicated, we also made it biennial — and went on to meet in La Baule (2004), Paris (2006), Brussels (2008) and Luxembourg (2010). These days attendees come from France and French-speaking Europe, but also other European countries. The UK, of course, but there are 8 or 9 people from North America attending in 2012, and a growing German-language contingent, too.

The name looks self-explanatory and France has a long tradition of universités d’été for professional groups and political parties, but what are you actually trying to achieve?
In a nutshell? Help motivated translators get up to speed in various specialist areas of finance and banking—understand the big picture as well as the specifics, the nuts and bolts.

A word here about speakers: although we sometimes make exceptions for notable translators who are really top experts in specific areas, our presenters are generally heads of companies, strategic leaders in various areas of finance, government officials, and so on. They know their stuff. And once they've talked about their specialty and fielded very pertinent, probing questions from translator attendees, they go back to their companies with a new awareness of the skills that are out there—and how the experts in the room can help them communicate across borders.

Who organizes it?
These days the co-organizers are Dominique Jonkers and myself. The most challenging part is putting together the program, locking in the speakers. We brainstorm on who we'd like to hear speak and try to identify hot topics, which often reflects the translations we're doing or colleagues are doing. Members of Dominique’s Financial Translators list also suggest topics they think are interesting and, in some cases, speakers.

When markets are in turmoil (right now is a good example) it gets even more complicated, since senior bankers and financiers don’t really want to commit to a speaking engagement if a crisis—another one—is likely to materialize.

Have you made any major changes over the years?
Since Brussels, we've added a “writing workshop” component where translators separate into language groups and work with expert translators for two or three hours. We've continued that every year since; it's very popular.

And for the first time ever, this year NYSE Euronext is inviting forty of our attendees to its "Bellroom" to strike the bell in the ceremony that marks the end of trading. That will be on July 13—and is quite an honor!

Regardless of practical constraints, what would be the dream scenario for a UETF?
Perhaps to get more people involved in organizing it. The spring is the busiest time of year for more clients, so things do get very hectic. But lots of the registration and admin logistics are now handled by SFT-Services, the new SFT subsidiary set up to organize training, so that’s very positive.

Over the years we’ve had some very prominent speakers and very enthusiastic participants, and—immodestly, perhaps—I do think UETF is a great model for a specialist translator event.

From a translator’s perspective, what’s the bottom line? Why attend?
You learn a lot. You connect up the dots. You get tips for essential reading and add to your network of expert colleagues and potential clients. That last point is worth repeating: lots of business gets done both during and after the université d'été, so it is prime example of how to invest your training money to learn how to do your job better, identify hot topics and link up with people who are looking for good translators.

For more information — and to register —
http://www.sft.fr/formation-traduction-universite-dete-de-la-traduction-financiere-uetf.html

 

Translate in the Townships/On traduit dans l’Estrie
August 19–22, 2012 in Orford, Quebec

Grant Hamilton

Translate in the Townships

We owe Chris Durban a big vote of thanks—she was the inspiration behind Translate in the Townships. Chris noted the need for specialized training for French-English translators and organized “Translate in the Catskills” in 2009, a 2 ½ day retreat in a bucolic mountain setting. The first edition was so successful that she welcomed us all back to New York again in 2011.

Translate in the Townships, its successor event, is taking place this August 20-22 in Orford, a resort town in Quebec’s beautiful Eastern Townships. Almost all the instructors from the Catskills are returning, and some new ones are joining us.

The event has two tracks: one for translators who work into French, and one for translators who work into English. You can consult the English program at http://translateinthetownships.com/2012-program and the French program at http://ontraduitdanslestrie.com/programme A common thread to all the sessions is the importance of style in translation in these days of automatic this and machine that.

With Translate in the Townships, the formula is now in its third edition and second country. The hope is to create an ongoing training event that changes venue from year to year, to give French-English translators the opportunity to meet and network, to improve their writing skills, and to better serve the premium market—all in a relaxing country setting.

To register please go to http://translateinthetownships.com/registration-is-now-open  

On traduit dans l’Estrie

On traduit dans l’Estrie est la suite aux deux éditions très prisées de la rencontre de langagiers « Translate in the Catskills », tenues en 2009 et 2011 à Maplecrest, dans l’État de New York, à l’initiative de Chris Durban, traductrice autonome établie à Paris.

Ce nouveau séminaire vise les mêmes objectifs : offrir aux traducteurs anglais-français une formation de pointe dans un décor de rêve. En effet, l’activité se déroule dans la belle région d’Estrie, au Québec, et accueille à quelques noms près les mêmes formateurs.

On y propose deux volets, un pour traducteurs de langue française et un autre pour traducteurs de langue anglaise. Pour consulter le programme de langue française, cliquez sur http://ontraduitdanslestrie.com/programme et pour le programme de langue anglaise, cliquez sur http://translateinthetownships.com/2012-program  Les sessions, fort variées, ont un fil conducteur : l’importance en traduction d’une plume exercée en cette ère automatisée à outrance.

Voilà donc que la formule en est maintenant à sa troisième édition et son deuxième pays. L’objectif est de la pérenniser mais en changeant chaque année de région hôte, pour offrir aux traducteurs anglais-français l’occasion de se rencontrer et d’échanger, de peaufiner leur style et de mieux servir le marché haut de gamme, le tout dans un décor champêtre à souhait.

Pour s’inscrire, cliquez sur http://ontraduitdanslestrie.com/la-periode-dinscription-est-maintenant-commencee

 

Literary Translation

Translators – Is There a Pecking Order?

The Financial Times recently published an article in its ft.com/Life & Arts section on translators and translation entitled "New Word Order". Bearing the tag line: "Translation is an art beset with linguistic pitfalls", it was written by Sam Taylor, who recounts his journey towards becoming a translator, a profession that does not appear to have been on his original list of those "most likely to be pursued". Taylor wanted to be a writer, and had moved to France to do so (his wife is French), learning most of his French "through osmosis". Along the way he came to the realization "as many authors had before me, that novels alone are rarely a sufficient source of income." So, he began to consider translation "as an option." How he managed to make this option a reality, while interesting, is not particularly unusual – many of us, I am sure, know colleagues who arrived at the profession via alternate paths. Perhaps this article could even have been entitled "The Accidental Translator" or "Le Traducteur Malgré Lui" (apologies to Anne Tyler and Molière). However, I perked up when I came to the following:

"I am now a full-time translator. Not only literary translation but the more banal, short-deadline work given out by agencies: everything from technical manuals to corporate catalogues to art gallery audio guides. The work can be dull and stressful but it is rarely unpleasant: you can do it in bed, for a start, and it often has the same sort of compulsive fascination as a crossword puzzle. And, unlike writing novels, you get paid every month. Literary translation is, however, by far the most fascinating and prestigious form of translation" [emphasis mine].

As I read this I felt myself becoming both sad and angry for several reasons. First, the fact that author lumps all of the "banal" work that is not literary translation into a single one-translator-fits-all category and that he considers himself equal to the task of doing all of them. Second, by the stereotype that the translator has the option of doing his work in bed (no mention of deadlines or appropriate business attire here – pajamas?), work that can be done only because of its "compulsive fascination", similar to doing crosswords. Third, that, unlike the author of novels, the translator gets paid every month (marketing your skills from bed? – that might be a good workshop presentation). And finally, because it reinforces what I think is the worst prejudice of all about translation: that there is a pecking order of translation, with literary translation being its most prestigious form.

I hope you will all take the time to read this article and to let me know if your reactions are the same as mine. To access it, please
use the following link:
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/6d77169a-9f83-11e1-8b84-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1vLh6EPAo. 

Please be sure to post your comments – I hope we will get a good discussion going. And thanks to former A Propos editor Elisabeth Lyman for brining this article to my attention!

Update on the FLD Blog Translam:

I am delighted to report that I have received a submission for the English language text to be translated into French – two poems authored by FLD member Jenn Mercer. I have not received any French texts yet. I hope some of you will take the plunge and submit a text (or two) – either poetry or prose. The deadline for submissions is Friday, June 1, 2012.

Ellen Sowchek,

Editor

THE FLD BLOG TRANSLAM

 

 

ARE YOU GAME?

A recent article by Larry Rohter in the "Arts Beat" column of the New York Times caught my eye. It was entitled "Translators Get a Slam of Their Own at PEN Festival", and described the translation slam that was held as part of this year's Pen American Center World Voices Festival of International Literature, an annual event held in New York in April.

This was not the first “translam” to be held by PEN, which had originally borrowed the idea from Metropolis Bleu/Blue Metropolis. Met Bleu, as it is popularly known, is an international literary festival held every year in Montreal, usually in April. Its main focus is current Francophone and Anglophone literature, with the works of writers writing in several other languages also included (Arabic, Italian and Spanish this year). I have had the opportunity to attend Met Bleu for the last six years (disclaimer here – I was also on the program in 2011) and, for me, the translation slam is an absolute "must" event.

For those of you who have never attended one (there have been a few organized at ATA annual meetings) or who may not know how it works, the basic idea is as follows: a text is given to one or more translators – it can be poetry or prose – usually a few days prior to the event. Each prepares his/her translation and presents it to an audience that includes the author of the text. The author gives feedback, and then the floor is open for input from audience members (many of them translators). This year's Met Bleu version, held on April 22nd, had three authors who were also translators, writing in English, French and Spanish. Each of the three submitted a text – in this case a poem – written in his own language, which was then translated by the other two as follows: the author of the French poem had to translate the English and Spanish poems into French, the author of the Spanish poem had to translate the French and English poems into Spanish, and the author of the English poem had to translate the French and Spanish poems into English. Each poem was first read aloud by the author, then both translators read their versions. All of the texts and translations were projected on a large screen so everyone could follow. The author then gave his feedback, which was followed by a discussion, with audience participation, on some of the finer points of the translation(s). This year, the poems were also made available in advance for those interested in trying their hand at a translation. At the actual event, those wishing to present their version to the audience were invited to come up to the podium and do so - and four people did!

This year's PEN translation slam was slightly different from the Met Bleu version – for those of you who are interested please check out the article in the New York Times at

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/translators-get-a-slam-of-their-own-at-pen-festival/. While searching for additional information on the PEN American center website, http://www.pen.org/, I discovered that there had once been an attempt to organize an on-line slam. As blog editor, it was an "Aha!” moment for me: why not do an FLD blog translation slam? I am sure there must be some of you whose artistry with words extends beyond translation to writing your own poems or short stories. What I propose is this:

1) Authors – please submit a short poem or prose text to be translated, either from French into English or English into French. These should be sent to me directly at esowchek@pipeline.com. I will choose one French text and one English text for the slam and post them on this blog.

2) Translators – once the texts have been posted you will have up to two weeks in which to do the translation(s). Once completed, please submit them by e-mailing them to me directly at esowchek@pipeline.com. I will then post them on this blog.

3) Authors – you will then be asked to give feedback on the translations of your work, using the comment section at the bottom of the blog.

4) Reader Comments – readers will be able to enter their own comments on the translations in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.

In order for this to work, we must first have the two texts to be translated. If you would like submit a text, please e-mail it to me at esowchek@pipeline.com by June 1, 2012. The two texts selected will be posted by June 8, 2012. Once posted, the deadline for submission of translations will be Monday, June 24, 2012.

I see no reason why this should not be as much fun on-line as it is at a real live slam. Don't be shy - the more participants, the merrier, so please consider taking part.

Ellen Sowchek

Editor, A Propos blog

GOOD WRITING



Ellen Sowchek, Editor



Greetings and Bienvenue from your new editor!


First impressions are very important, so I have been trying to find just the right topic with which to begin my inaugural blog posting as editor.

While reviewing the many possibilities, I read Grant Hamilton's posting on the FLD list giving some preliminary information for On traduit dans l'Estrie/Translate in the Townships, to be held August 19-23, 2012 in Orford, Quebec. This event, a continuation of Translate in the Catskills, organized by Chris Durban in 2009 and 2011, is a "must attend" for me and as a Catskills double-alumna I am greatly looking forward to it. Although there are many excellent continuing education opportunities for translators, this event is special: great presenters in a collegial environment together with wonderful colleagues, all of whom understand that good writing is a crucial aspect of good translation and a professional skill that merits, and even requires on-going development.

Good writing – the perfect topic for a blog!

I would like to begin with a full disclosure: I do not consider myself a "natural" writer. I do not have my own blog, I have never kept a diary, I do not write in a journal, and I have no plans to ever write my memoirs. I am not someone who lives to write (or who must write to live) and I am impressed and even somewhat awed by those who do. That is not me. Writing is hard work and I work very hard to make mine seem "natural" - to give it flow - for this is a quality I feel is essential for any writing to be considered good.

What do I do? One method that has worked for me is to force myself to write – not in my native language, which is American English, but in French, my working language. This may seem counterintuitive, but here is my rationale: as a translator working from French into English, my French comprehension skills are constantly improving, but my French writing skills risk becoming dormant. If I write more – and better – in French, I believe it ultimately improves the quality of my English translations. How do I do this? For the last fifteen years I have participated in an atelier d'écriture – a creative writing workshop in French, conducted by a teacher who is a native French-speaker and a pioneer in using creative writing as a pedagogical tool for language-learning. Our writing is guided: we are asked to write on a given topic, or in a specific genre, or in a particular author's style. Our work is shared, corrected, critiqued and developed. For me, it has been invaluable because it has taught me how to read (and write) a text from the inside out. By creating a text that flows in French, I also improve the quality of my writing in English. Although it takes time, I consider it a well-spent investment in my continuing professional development.

As translators, we follow the cardinal rule of working only into our own native language. Perhaps that is why I am fascinated by the idea of  creative writing in a language that is not one's own and particularly by the number of writers who have chosen to do so in French. The first to come to mind is Samuel Beckett, who wrote plays in both English and French. There is Milan Kundera, who wrote his later works in French and then returned to his earlier works and translated them from Czech into French. In recent years, the Prix Goncourt, France's most important literary prize, has been awarded to several non-native speakers writing in French, among them Amin Maalouf (1993 for Le Rocher de Tanios, native language: Arabic), Andreï Makine (1995 for Le Testament français, native language: Russian), Jonathan Littell (2006 for Les Bienveillantes, native language: American English) and Atiq Rahimi (2008 for Syngué sabour: La Pierre de patience, native language: Persian).

Writing in French to improve one's writing in English – this is one approach I have tried. I am sure there are many others worth exploring. Do you have a specific method for improving writing skills that you would like to share? Examples of what is (and is not!) good writing in a translation? Please let me know. I would like this blog to serve as interactive meeting place for FLD members – it is your blog and I hope you will participate in providing its content. Consider it an opportunity to practice your writing skills!

A très bientôt!

Ellen Sowchek



How Paris Created America

Illustration: Misprinted Type; photos: Getty Images

Read Stacy Schiff's New York Times review of David McCullough's new book The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris (Simon & Schuster), which explores the intellectual legacy that France settled on its 19th-century visitors.

ATA plans its 52nd annual conference

The American Translators Association (ATA) will host its 52nd Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts (October 26-29). This conference showcases diverse panel discussions, expert presentations, training workshops, and scholarly papers. Both general and language-specific sessions will be offered. The conference also offers language professionals one of the best opportunities to network with colleagues. Additional conference activities include a Job Marketplace, a vendor exhibit hall, and ATA certification testing. For conference information see http://www.atanet.org/conf/2011/

For questions, contact Maggie Rowe, Membership Services Manager.
Phone: +1-703- 683-6100, extension 3001
Email: Maggie@atanet.org

Imagine you are a translation graduate

“You are about to enter a giant, complex and dynamic organism – the translation industry. But how much do you really know about its internal structure, its individual parts and the way they interact? How much do you really know about its evolution and current trends? How much do you know about translation as a business process?” Read Joanna Gough’s insightful article (originally published by TAUS on January 21, 2011) for an interesting perspective on whether translation courses are preparing students for the business of translation.