Intérpretes: Preparación

Thanks to Bootheando for pointing out this very interesting video on how two Spanish interpreters prepare before a conference job. The conference is on emotional intelligence.

It is all in Spanish, sorry all of the Korean, Vietnamese, Mandarin and Cantonese students!

Toponyms Topónimos

Is it London o Londres, Cracovia o Kraków, Viena, o Wien?

We were talking about translation of geographical names and how there is a tendency to start using the names in their original language.

Spanish students can read this post in el blog de la lengua española, Nombres de ciudades extranjeras.

How to name places presents some problems in English too. Check out Wikipedia's own rules on the topic, Wikipedia's Naming Conventions.

Interpreting: 60 second lectures:

There is a new trend in online education: 60 second lectures or microlectures. They contain the essential message and go straight to the point without any excess of words, details or added concepts. Of course there is no room for a lot of depth and the lectures tend to be compact and dense.

I think they are ideal for you, interpreting students, to practise your note-taking skills.
Below is one I subscribed to via iTunes U. This microlecture is delivered by a professor of criminology and psychiatry, Adrian Raine Richard Perry. If you were given an interpreting job for such a professor, you would be advised to do research in those fields of knowledge. However, once you listen to this lecture, you will realise that interpreters must have a wide range of general knowledge (cultura general in Spanish) to better interpret it. The Merchant of Venice and some of its main characters are quoted to illustrate the main thesis of the lecture.

Listen to it once to get the gist of it. Listen a second and third time taking notes. If you find it very difficult, check this worksheet.

CAT Tools for Translating

CAT (Computer Aided Translation Tools) also know as TentT tools (translation environment tools) are tools that help translators create a memory of their translations.

If you are thinking of getting one, check this great site, Translation Training. There are short videos that compare 20 of the most popular tools. Watch them to find out more about the CAT tools available and what they do.

You can also check to see if any of them is free (with limitations, of course), for instance WordFast and download it at home to start learning how to use it.

A good book on it is A Translator's Toolbox by Jost Zetsche. You may be interested in subscribing to his free newsletter Tool Kit.
There are lots of translator forums, blogs and sites discussing these tools.

Other useful Software tools for translators:

Open source (free software applications):

• Okapi Framework

• tuxtrans:Linux for Translators
• CrowdSight &GlobalSight,
• Tradubi
• Software libre para traductores: tables compiled by a Spanish translator

Localization tools:

• Catalyst
• Passolo (part of Trados Studio)
Project Management and invoicing:

• Translation office 3000
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool :

• Abbyy Fine Reader
Machine Translation:

• Translate client for Google translate (free)
Searching tools:

• Xbench for Microsoft glossaries (free)
• Text Align
Training websites:

• Translatorstraining.com
• Proz.com
• Chartered Institute of linguists, UK

English Down Under

On the way to Chowder's Bay by Zhao Xiao













I have just discovered a great radio program about words, A Way with Words. I think you may be be interested in listening to their program on Australian English, English Down Under. Read the post first, it will help you with the listening. Read the comments too and feel free to post your own comment there or here !

Korean Interpreting Student

Today we will practise interpreting by watching this video of an interpreting student at Monterey Institute. At home, use the pause button and start interpreting!

How to Access free lectures, speeches, etc via iTunes U

Subtitles

Last week's sky from our classrooms

Have you ever wondered about subtitles? Who does this type of job? Is it a translator, interpreter. a linguist or just someone who speaks two languages fluently?

Listen to this interview with Peter Templeton, chief editor of Subtitling at SBS.

Health/Beauty: non-comedogenic skin products

We came across this term today: non-comedogenic. Do you know what it means?

Watch this video and you'll learn everything about it!
Take the opportunity of using it to practise your interpreting skills (using the pause button) and/or translating skills.

You can also just concentrate on the medical/cosmetic terminology, like hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, water-based, clogging, break out, acne prone skin, etc.

A Translator

UN translator talks about her job and the skills required to do it.

• Check this very interesting discussion about translators as business people vs freelancers.

• Remember your dictionary project is due this week.
• Check the assignment page in our wiki bridginggap, week 10. You will be asked to translate some birth certificates. Good practice for your future jobs as translators.
  

Interpreters & Translators

Bootheando has published a very interesting post with the video below.

Those of you who can read Spanish* can check the post here. For the rest, a summary follows.

It's hard for many students to decide whether to become interpreters or translators. Toby Screech, a conference interpreter (AIIC accredited in English, Dutch, French and German) explains the main differences between interpreting and translating.
Watch the video and use it to practise your interpreting skills.

*Spanish speakers can also listen to this great radio program where three Spanish interpreters talk about their job. We are even taken to a school of interpreting in Spain.