IAPTI Newsletter

Quarterly Newsletter July 2011, Issue No. 1

Letter from the editor

Hi colleagues, I hope you are as happy as I am to receive this e-newsletter in your inbox! Its an honor for me to have been assigned this task: the publication of this enewsletter. My name is Luciana Lovatto and I have been a proud member of IAPTI since its birth in 2009. More precisely, I belong to the group of colleagues who one day decided to join forces to give life to an international association. But before going further, I would like to continue introducing myself. I am an English-into-Spanish expert in communications on naturopathic medicine. I use my passion for communication, my will and my commitment to my work to lend support to people who do business in harmony with nature, helping them get their green ideas across in an effective and culturally sensitive way to Spanish-speaking communities everywhere. As you probably may have inferred, I love nature! But I am also a vegetarian/aspiring vegan, a foodie, and, of course, a lover of books and words. I live with my four dogs, my cat and my partner, colleague and friend Fernando D. Walker. I would like to thank all the members who have collaborated with this first e-newsletter, particularly to Yolanda Stern Broad who has proofread all the material. I am also including a very short survey to learn more about your expectations as regards IAPTI. Last but not least, if you have any comments or suggestions that you think may contribute to the enhancement of this newsletter, feel free to contact me at iapti.newsletter@aipti.org. Happy reading! Luciana E. Lovatto Newsletter Editor

Did you know that by joining IAPTI, you can get your own e-mail address (yourname@ aipti.org) and a professional online profile?

News from the Board

During the past 2 years there has been much discussion and lively debate surrounding some of the biggest problems affecting the T&I community: unreasonable discounts on CAT-tool translations, extremely low translation rates, unfair business practices, crowdsourcing, post-editing, and submission of personal translation memories, among others. But since its creation in 2009, IAPTI has also been ADDRESSING these issues.

How?

*Organizing professional seminars in London (UK), Buenos Aires and Rosario (Argentina). *Joining ASOCESP, the Association of Language Professionals (Spain) * Holding an interesting series of Webinars (Working for NGOs, Translating for the Publishing Industry, Working with Tags in CAT Tools, Managing Business Risks) * Speaking out against Unethical Professional Practices (IAPTI supports the campaign for the protection of the title and regulation of the legal interpreting profession in the UK and the fight against exploitation of the profession by agencies, among other actions). * Organizing a workshop on Ethics with Dr. Mona Baker * Publishing free and informative Articles and Reports for the community --and more in the pipeline! * Planning informal gatherings for T&I professionals and students: our Iaptings! * And MUCH more... We are here to make a difference. There are no wholesaler agencies in IAPTI, just translators and interpreters, like you, to make sure there are no conflicting interests. We represent and protect the interests of our members. We Cooperate, We Learn, We Share, We Educate. We Care about Translation and Interpreting. We Defend Our Careers. 2011 is full of exciting news! We have added lots of benefits for our members (special offers in books and reference material, software, and services); we have launched our first Literary Contest (A Forest of Words, organized by Writer & Translator Eva Moreda, Head of our UK Chapter); and now we are launching this newsletter to reach the entire Translation & Interpretation community. We would like to thank Luciana Lovatto (Newsletter Editor) for all her hard work and for the amazing job she has done. Congrats, Luciana! We hope you enjoy this new contact channel as much as we do. Stay tuned, because theres much more in the IAPTI pipeline! Skopos, our own magazine, a series of Business and Technical Webinars (The Business Side of T&I), more contests and new benefits for members. We hope you enjoy the Newsletter!

Thanks to everyone for participating in the selection of our newsletter name. And congratulations to Cristbal del Ro and Aurora Humarn for co-creating the winning option!

IAPTI Board of Directors

Meeting other IAPTI Members!

In this issue, we are featuring Cyril Flerov, a Russian interpreter living in the USA.

Cyril Flerov

Freelance Conference Interpreter English - Russian Russian - English San Francisco, CA, USA

How did you become an interpreter? In 1980s when I was still in high school I watched US-Soviet Space Bridge, which was a telecast between the Soviet Union and the United States. The first time I heard simultaneous interpretation being done, I was hooked. I started working around 1990 and had formal education too as a linguist, translator and interpreter (St. Petersburg University, Russia, Monterey Institute of International Studies, USA). Which is your specialization? One of the best things about our profession is that we cannot afford to specialize too much. It has been anything and everything from hairstyles to aerospace. I encourage student interpreters I teach to be open, curious and learn how to get ready for a new topic or conference. What was the most rewarding experience you had in your career? It is not about how big an event it is, nor is it about being known or famous. It is really small things. I would say for me it is that look of awareness and happiness my clients have when they can truly communicate and enjoy a conversation with someone from a different culture, when they realize that we are all one, only separated by our languages and ways of thinking, which are not more than artificial barriers compartmentalizing common human experience. Joy of getting to know someone similar to you, who you thought was different.

How long have you been an interpreter? Since 1990. What do you do when you are not interpreting? Foreign movies, traveling, yoga, meditation. Which is the best book you have read? Is there such a thing as the best book? It is like trying to choose the best star in the sky. Maybe the one I am reading now? Which countries would you like to visit? All. Seriously. And if I asked for a gift, it would be to be able to speak all languages, imagine how it would expand your consciousness. Which are your hobbies and interests? Language, psychology, cinema, yoga. Which are your future goals? Keep growing personally and professionally, become more aware, sensitive and accepting of yourself and life.

Cyrils IAPTI Profile: http://www.aipti.org/eng/cyril-flerov/

Time to laugh!
Welcome to the real world

Cartoon reprinted with the permission of the author, Alejandro Moreno-Ramos. Alejandro is an Electromechanical Engineer and English & French into Spanish Translator. Thank you, Alejandro, for making us laugh with your cartoons!

Let us know your thoughts!

(Only for IAPTI Members)
At IAPTI, your opinion is very valuable. Your insights will help us know how we are doing and what improvements we can make as a professional association. Feel free to express your opinions! (Please note that this survey is anonymous: the information you provide will not identify you personally).

Click here to start survey now.

Articles on T&I

Your professional e-thics might be at risk!

We translate thousands of words daily using CAT tools. There are tons of programs to aid us during translation that we can choose from. Some of them are open-source, for others we have to pay and there are some which are offered on a subscription basis. However, we are now faced with a new type of utility which has been presented to us as the answer to all our problems, for both customers and service providers alike: The Cloud. While it is true that every cloud has a silver lining, this particular cloud is complicated and we should all understand its benefits, how it works and how it can be harmful to us. Basically, the cloud implies using Internet-based systems to share resources, software, and information stored in our computers. They are applications we can run from our web browsers as if the programs were installed in our PCs. The physical infrastructure is out there and you access to it by means of a third-party provider, sometimes by a subscription or on a pay-per-use basis. There are also similar services known as Software as Service (SaaS). We can benefit by using the Cloud because we dont need a lot of space in our systems to keep the software running. Our working material and programs are readily available to us, no matter where we are, and it also implies a reduction of costs for some of us. We can share our material with other translators, the workflow is much simpler and offers the added benefit that it doesnt overload our systems or slow them down with heavy applications. We can all forget about computer crashes. However, there are a series of issues we should all bear in mind when using these services: Hacking is an inherent characteristic of any software application: Its in its nature, no matter what we do to prevent it. For simple, unsophisticated software like a web browser were advised to be extremely careful; just by landing on a website we can harm our system. We are advised to use anti-virus ware and anti-spyware and update them regularly, to protect and change our passwords frequently, and to make sure our firewalls are working. So, what

Articles on T&I

happens when the software or systems we use are more sophisticated? Even worse, what happens when the information that can be accessed in our system does not belong to us? In our work, it is common to be requested to sign confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary information, but how can we be sure that information protected by copyright laws is safe in the servers out there? When you use the cloud, you cant know for sure where your information is being stored and what measures are being taken to protect it. You leave it to third-parties to manage it. Here are some facts you should know about security breaches in cloud applications: Gmail, Salesforce, and even the Obama Administration have all been hacked. These examples tell us we need to be extremely careful. The fact is, security remains a great concern in cloud-based applications. Not only the systems must be secure, we have to rely on staff, such as administrators or simple employees, who are in charge of managing these online applications. To make matters worse, all End User License Agreements of these webbased applications basically explain that if you use the service, then youre responsible for whatever happens. Users are responsible for the security and integrity of their own data. Just browse through any of those agreements, and find out for yourself. If copyright information is accessed, youre responsible, and dont forget you have signed an agreement to protect it. So, its up to you to use the Cloud. And there are also other legal issues involved. What happens with the laws of different countries? You should know that Information that is not considered confidential in one country might actually be confidential in another one. Since you are not aware where your information is being stored, how can you make sure you comply with laws such as the US governments HIPAA or the European Unions Data Protection Directive? And there is yet another drawback: We have to pay to use these services. This point might be debatable because we also choose to buy CAT tools. However, when we use software in our systems, we do whatever possible to keep it safe. It is, of course, our responsibility. In cloud systems, it is not up to us to secure the information and were NOT offered any guarantee about it. I find the matter to be quite contradictory. We pay to use a service in order to keep our clients happy and improve our productivity, but no one will put themselves on the line for us. A series of questions remain unanswered and it is my belief that they raise serious concerns for the freelance translators who rely on applications to complete their daily tasks. Who is going to answer for us if the system is hacked or if there is a leakage of information? Who is going to answer for us if we breach any law? We work hard, gain experience, invest in education and software, and every day, we make sure the services we provide are perfect. We approach our job with professionalism and go the extra mile to protect information that doesnt belong to us. Still, we must be careful with the services we choose to aid us in our daily tasks, because all the effort we put into providing professional and perfect services might be at risk. History tells us that even the most infallible application has, in the long run, failed... Wasnt the Titanic an unsinkable ship? Mara Teresa Jones Aceval

Browsing the Web

Blogs
Dimitris Moutafiss Blog (IAPTI member) Find interesting information about the profession in Greek and in English. http://thelinguistspost.com Christine Schmits Blog (IAPTI member ) Visit Christines blog to find articles written by her,as well as resources for translators and interpreters. http://www.polyglot-blog.com/ Teresa Jones Blog (IAPTI member) This blog covers advice for clients and industry news; all posts are written by Teresa. http://www.teresajones.com.ar/en/?page_id=35 No Peanuts! For Translators This blog provides support and resources to professional translators and interpreters in demanding and receiving a living wage for their work. http://nopeanuts.wordpress.com/ The Translation and Interpretation Blog: Nick Arces blog features resources and tools for translators and interpreters. You will also find articles written by him with information about professional practices. http://www.translationandinterpretationblog.com/

Journals
The Translation Journal Get free access to great articles about translators and translation. http://translationjournal.net/journal/

Articles
How to Promote a Freelance Translation Business Find some guidelines on how to attract more clients. Source: http://bit.ly/mUvrmw 7 Common Mistakes You Should Avoid To Build a Profitable Small Business Although this article doesnt specifically refer to the translation industry, these recommendations can be applied to our industry. Source: http://bit.ly/mqrGFU Does Translation Matter? By Susan Welsh An analysis of the success of Edith Grossmans translated books. Source: http://bit.ly/jvhuXq 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business Here you will find a lot of information about using Twitter. It is a must if you are new to this social media. Source: http://bit.ly/lIoFTs

If you write a blog or have written an article, please send us the link to include it in our next newsletter.

Technology: Whats up?

Trados 2007 and SDL Trados 2009: Warts and all I have noticed that there are many doubts and questions among translators as regards Trados Studio 2009. Even though the aim of this presentation is not to explain how this version works, it helps to understand what problematic features of Trados 2007 have been improved in Trados 2009. This presentation was given by Riccardo Schiaffino and Margherita De Togni at the 2011 Colorado Translators Association Mid-year Conference. Source: http://bit.ly/kV1WEr

Upcoming seminars and conferences

Webinar: The Business Side of T&I Part I: Managing Business Risk in the Translation Business Saturday, July 16, 2011, 3:00 GMT Organizer: IAPTI www.aipti.org FIT XIX World Congress 1-4 August 2011 San Francisco, California, USA Organizers: American Translators Association (ATA) and FIT www.fit2011.org/ International Legal Translation Conference 07/08 October, 2011 Lisbon, Portugal Organizer: Tradulnguas www.tradulinguas.com American Translators Association 52nd Annual Conference 26-29 October, 2011 Boston, Massachusetts, USA Organizer: ATA www.atanet.org 7th International Postgraduate Conference in Translation and Interpreting 2830 October 2011 University of Edinburgh, Scotland Organizers: Dublin City University, Heriot-Watt University, University of Manchester, University of Edinburgh www.ipciti.org.uk/

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS AND INTERPRETERS Promoting Ethical Professional Practices

Contact: info.request@aipti.org www.iapti.org

Copyright IAPTI 2011

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