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!

Court Interpreting

Last week I attended the launch of professor Sandra Hale's report “Interpreter Policies, Practices and Protocols in Australian Courts and Tribunals– A National Survey,” by the Hon. Justice Ian Harrison, NSW Supreme Court.

Today, while looking at my regular dose of translating and interpreting blogs, I came across this very relevant post by Juan Jimenez Salcedo, Intérpretes de cartón piedra. It looks as if the situation is not much better in Spain where a judge can use as an interpreter any person who can speak the language other than Spanish. No questions asked about qualifications or even knowledge of the Spanish language. It looks as even the interpreting agencies send unqualified people as interpreters for court interpreting.

Read the post, watch the TV news within it and listen to this Radio National about Courtroom interpreters.You can use it at consecutive practice and later on as transalting practice (the script is provided).

Interpreters & Translators: Same or different? Two in one?

Bootheando has published a great post on being an interpreter and a translator at the same time. Spanish students will be able to read the post here.

The rest of you can watch this video by Lourdes AIB. Translating students, why don't you write a transcript in your LOTE?

For a very good description of  the differences between both occupations, read the US Department of Labor entry on Interpreters and Translators. It has not only descriptions of the jobs and the skills needed to do them, but also additional points on how to get trained,etc. the pity is that it is information about the USA. For Australian information, you'll have to visit AUSIT and NAATI.

Mental Health

October 2011 is Mental Health Month.

Theis picture has 10 tips to stress less. It was sent to me by a multicultural health worker, who suggested we all slow down a bit this month and take time out to enjoy the things we do not pay attention to becasue we are usually too busy. 

Visit the Mental Health Association website for information, facts sheets, etc. The Multicultural Mental Health Australia website has section called Resources and Translations, where you can find many translated texts that you can browse by language. Use them to practise your sight translation and transating skills.

Finally, watch the TED talk video below and practise your note taking interpreting skills. You can check the interactive transcript in English and many other languages on the right-hand side of the video screen. Remember that you can join TED Open Translation Project to volunteer to translate TED videos! Check this for their next TEDxSydney dates.The next post tells you more about TED translating, with an example which has transcripts in many languages, including Spanish, Chinese traditional & simplified, Korean, etc. None in Vietnamese or Indonesian, though, so you have the opportunity to contribute to the spreading of  great ideas by joining the Open Translation Project now!

Interpreting & Subtitltles: 60-second lectures

Visit the previous post on interpreting and 60-second lectures, Is It Wrong To Punish Prisoners? and do the worksheet on in:
Now you can listen to the lecture on the video below. This time:

• Take notes as a consecutive note-taking excercise
• Pause after each sentence for interpreting practice
• Try to write subtitles (caption) in your Target Language. There is a caption option, but nobody has done it yet. Be the first!

Health and Chinese Seniors

These Ten Health Videos for Chinese Seniors can help you practise this week's topic: Health
Here is one of them (cover the bottom of the screen for real practice!)

Telephone Interpreting

An example of telephone interpreting.

Telephone interpreting at work from Voltaire on Vimeo.

The video below will give you an idea of the type of test candidates to European Institutions must undertake.


Finally a video on video interpreting.