Today I want to write about translation, the language we use to speak about translation and the brotherhood I feel like we should become.
I have just finished reading Is That a Fish in Your Ear? The Amazing Adventure of Translation by David Bellos. The book is a compendium of interesting information and food for thought. And I’m always hungry, you know? Really. All the time.
I didn’t want to let the Rio Olympics come to an end without a short post about sexism and the way language is being used to, once again, convey underlying, deeply entrenched ideologies involving the role of women in society. And, let me tell you, as a bilingual individual, I have to read sexist headlines in both English and Spanish.
The New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters (NZSTI) is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a huge project that I was lucky to participate in: The Treaty Times Thirty, which involves the translation into 30 different languages of two versions of the Treaty of Waitangi, namely, the English original and the official modern English translation of the Māori version.
I know, it sounds a little convoluted, but a little background on the project will surely help clarify the situation.
If there is something I like, that is sociolinguistics. If there is something I like more, that is smart, young women speaking about interesting things. So no wonder I was immediately hooked by this episode of Things of Interest, a podcast hosted by Serena Chen and Sophia Frentz.
Look at this badge I got in the mail today! The agency I work for, who works together with the New Zealand Ministry of Justice, finally sent me the new badge I have to wear when I go to court.
Deborah Smith just won the Man Booker International prize along with Han Kang, the Korean author of The Vegetarian, and oh dear! What a success it is for our profession as a whole! The prize is being split evenly with the translator of the book for the first time ever, but the excitement goes well beyond those £50,000. It is about recognition.
I was lucky to “attend” this webinar, organised by the International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters, entitled: ¿Qué? ¿Quieres que interprete en la televisión? (What? You want me to interpret on television?).
Esther M. Hermida was in charge of narrating her experience as a simultaneous interpreter in California, where she made several appearances on television, at the Annual Latin Grammy Awards, the Daytime Emmy Awards and the Dr. Phil Show, among others. She is also a court interpreter with years of experience in the field.
I have a list of many interesting and complicated topics I want to write about on this blog, but I haven’t found the time to do so yet. In the meantime, you can have a rather superficial comment on a fleeting perception of mine.
I met a whole bunch of interesting translators at the conference that took place in Christchurch last weekend. It started early in the morning and you could see how many of us there were feeling out of place and put off by the early hours. You could tell we were all part of the same kin.
The New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters is holding its annual conference in Christchurch this year. And it’s been a while! There are three branches in the country: Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. It’s been some time since the last conference took place in the latter, the city being severely affected by the earthquakes. This conference is, then, a new beginning.
I spent my (sunny) Saturday morning inside Victoria University’s Language Lab surrounded by other interpreters, going through the AUSIT Code of Ethics and studying for the Paraprofessional and Professional Interpreting examinations offered by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd (NAATI), the national standards and accreditation body for translators and interpreters in Australia.
