Marjorie Zuniga: Diploma of Interpreting

It's finally ready! This is the video that Marjorie did earlier on this year. You can be very proud of her!

Please share it  and promote it on your networks.

Prepare to Translate and Interpret: Glossaries & Research

The video below shows different maneuvers used by Patrulla Aguila (Eagle Patrol), of the Spanish Air Force. I challenge you to compile a glossary of all the different types of maneuvers shown. You should include a thorough description of each term, precedents found of previous translations, and their English equivalent.

The planes are CASA C-101 "Mirlo" (blackbird). See below for more details sent by my uncle Jose Mari, a general of the Spanish Air Force himself.  You can translate it into English as supplementary practice.


Patrulla Aguila largo from Jorge Molina Lamothe on Vimeo.

Further information in Spanish

Con sede en la Academia General del Aire en San Javier (Murcia), la patrulla “Águila” ha cosechado numerosos premios de acrobacia aérea internacionalmente. Es reconocida a nivel mundial como una de las mejores, pues hace exhibiciones por toda Europa, África y Oriente Medio. Es la única patrulla de acrobacia militar del Mundo, que tiene la particularidad de despegar y aterrizar todos sus aviones a la vez.

La formación consiste en 7 aviones C-101 “Mirlo” -(“Culo Pollo” en el argot aeronáutico)- con sus respectivos pilotos, más otro “líder” que es el que dirige y manda los movimientos acrobáticos, además de efectuar los “solos”.

Parece mentira la excepcional maniobrabilidad de ésta pequeña máquina, que con solo 1. 587 Kg. de empuje, es capaz de someterse en Gs negativas…

El reactor C-101 ha sido fabricado en construcciones aeronáuticas S.A. (C.A.S.A. Factoría de Getafe, Madrid), siendo pintado en la propia academia de San Javier con los colores rojos seccionados en punta de flecha a modo de dragón. Los pilotos son elegidos entre los profesores con un altísimo nivel u horas de vuelo realizadas.

Las acrobacias, aunque dentro del peligro que suponen, están totalmente controladas y calculadas al milímetro, como así lo demuestran, por ejemplo, el llamado “cruce de la muerte” entre dos aviones o “el espejo”, que consiste en pilotar un avión pro encima y paralelo a otro en vuelo invertido. Además, todos los pilotos componentes de la Patrulla Águila, pertenecen a la AGA (Academia General del Aire), son Instructores y realizan sus entrenamientos después de las clases, y no como otras Patrullas que se dedican única y exclusivamente a la Patrulla, caso de los "Angels Blues" de la USAF, la "Patroille de Francia", "Red Arrows" de la RAF, etc.

T&I input from Spain

View from our building at Petersham TAFE

I just came across two very interesting pages related to translating and interpreting:

• Don de Lenguas, a podcasting blog from the Language, Translating and Interpreting section of the Universidad de Salamanca. These podcasts are of interest to all of you, translating and interpreting students. Interpreting students can use them to practise note-taking and interpreting skills, translating students can use part of the interviews to write teh script and translate it. 

• Translation, interpreting and other linguistic matters, a student blog by Olatz Rodriguez, who is studying Translating and Interpreting at Universidad del País Vasco. Her last post on Traducción Jurada will be very useful for our Diploma of Translating students.

I have added a permanent link to these two pages on the right sidebar for future access.

Congratulations, Olatz, a fantastic example to follow!

Interpreting Practice

Two videos for Spanish <> English interpreting practice. Both of them are on topical issues:

• NSW TAFE cuts, by the ABC journalist Quentin Dempster
• Medios de (des)información, interview with Spanish journalist Rosa Maria  Calaf

Translating students can use them too. Write the script and translate it.

Medios de Desinformación - Rosa María Calaf from ATTAC.TV on Vimeo.

Literary Translation

 'Brooke Westcott window' by Shaggy check info on him!
The last teaching week of our course has been dedicated to a brief look at literary translation. We explored a few ideas on how to approach this type of translation, amongst them was the idea of keeping an eye on web pages like:

• PEN American Center
• Check PEN's very interesting slam section for 2 different versions of the same text
• Check ALTA's guides, in particular Breaking into Print (PDF)
• Check web book pages to find books written on literary translation
• Practice your translation skills and then compare your work to that of other translations of the same text. You can find many in websites like Words Without Borders. They often publish the source texts as well as the translation.
• Check for university/college courses on literary translation, creative writing and theories of translation in general

Translating Official Documents

For the next two weeks we will be dealing with the translation of official documents. You can supplement the knowledge from our notes, discussions and practice with this relevant blog post from Corinne McKay, an ATA certified French-English translator.

Do not forget to check her webpage for an example of fee setting and client-translator communication and payment/delivery process.

Please read all the comments. There is a very interesting debate on whether it is a good idea to replicate stamps, logos form the original. It can be seen as an attempt to forge a document!

Don't forget to check the permanent links on the right, especially this one with models of Traduccion Jurada.

It's not a disgrace...

This video was produced for the Spanish speaking community of NSW. It is in Spanish with English subtitles. It will be very good practice for the topics of health and welfare. It's not a disgrace...it's dementia - Spanish

Translator at work...

Check this very funny video created by a group of Spanish translators (which makes it a very reliable source!).

Enjoy it!

Translation Competition 2

Check this Spanish blog post by Olli in La Paradoja de Chosmky (the picture above is linked to the blog) about how to keep (financial) track of your jobs. It is very clear and practical. He uses an Excel 2010 template which he has adapted to his needs.

I am opening a competition aimed mainly at the Spanish Translating Diploma students, but students from the Interpreting Diploma are welcome to participate too. You have to translate Olli's post into English.  The best translation will be published in this blog so that all Interpreting and Translating students can read it and incorporate its information into the work done as part of the Small Business Financial Management unit of competency.

Ánimo y al toro!


PS One of the subscribers to La paradoja de Chomsky is one of our 2011 Translating students!

Fair Trading

Image: 'My illustration called fair trade'

Next week's topic is Consumer Law & Fair Trading. Fair Trading NSW has a fantastic website with written information, audio and videos in several languages. Unfortunately they do not have anything in Spanish, but you can still use the real life case studies which are in English for practice.

Here are a few:

• Automotive case studies in English
• Automotive case studies in Mandarin
• Building case studies in English
• Building case studies in Vietnamese
• Travel case study in English (Broadband)
• Changes to tenancy laws - what you need to know in Korean - introduction 

For Spanish videos, a simple google search with Defensa del Consumidor will bring up many.

The video below offers lots of relevant vocabulary and role play possibilities.

Prepare to Translate or Interpret

Today we were talking about one of our units of competency, Prepare to translate and interpret and some of its elements referred to research, glossaries, innovative ways of dealing with possible language difficulties, etc.

Here you have a great example of research triggered by casual conversation amongst colleagues while having tapas: Marchando una de calamares by Clara Guelbenzu in Bootheando. Notice how she says that she was trying to dilucidar el asunto: clarify and illustrate the point in question.

Alpacas in Ecuador by Philippe Lavoie

Why don't you try doing the same for your last assignments*?  La Posada Oveja Negra had us discussing the differences between llamas (Lama glama), alpacas (Vicugna pacos), vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) and guanacos (from the Quechua huanaco), which are all South American camelids.  Do a bit of  research to clarify and illustrate the main differences amongst these camelids.

We also worked very hard to find the exact meaning of this passage: Mantienen los residuos no reciclables por uso en la propiedad por debajo de  una onza diaria por persona. If you read La Posada's website, you'll find this sentence which confirms your understanding of it:
"We produce less than one ounce of non-recyclable trash daily per person!"

*I'll be curious to see what you find out about the music policy in Nazi Europe and DWIs. 

Interpreting Jokes

Thanks again to Bootheando I came across this really interesting video by Lourdes de Rioja about Interpreting Jokes.Remember that you can subscribe to Lourdes de Rioja's video channel, A Word in your Ear where you will find interviews with professional interpreters talking about many different aspects of the profession.

Enjoy it on your last days of the Autumn break!

Sexism in the Spanish language?

Should we accept the generic use of the grammatical masculine gender in Spanish words to include both males & females OR should we start using alternatives that ensure women's visiblility?

El trabajador debe exigir sus derechos OR El trabajador y la trabajadora....


Todos tenemos sentimientos, OR Las personas tenemos sentimientos   
Todos los ciudadanos OR Toda la ciudadanía
Los niños vendrán a clase con ropa comoda OR L@s niñ@s vendrán a clase con ropa cómoda

These and many more questions are the subject of a great article by Ignacio Bosque (miembro de la RAE y catedrático de la Universidad Complutense) that I found by chance yesterday, International Women's Day.  Bosque writes about linguistic sexism, perceived and real, in the Spanish language and what different organisations are doing about it. The article has been supported by many academics of the RAE. All translators should read it, not only to be aware of the issues, but also to avoid over-correcting linguistic sexist practice.