Don't Shoot the Messenger!

Today, September 30th (St. Jerome's Day), is International Translation Day!

While not typically honored on the calendar of the general public, this is an extremely important day for recognition of interpreters and translators around the world.

This press release from the International Federation of Translators highlights the essential role played by translators and interpreters in society, with their 2007 theme of "Don't Shoot the Messenger!":

"From the embedded translator in the battle zone to the interpreter whispering in the ear of a visiting dignitary to the specialist translating the owner’s manual for your next car or subtitling a news report, the work of the language professions is present in every part of the globe, in every walk of life. Everyone, everywhere, is increasingly dependent on the services of those who
make language their business."

It is the mission of the From Our Lips to Your Ears project to bring some of these stories to life and celebrate these professionals.

Universidad de Alicante

Special thanks to the folks at the Department of Interpreting and Translation at the Universidad de Alicante for posting the call for submissions for the From Our Lips to Your Ears project. As the deadline for submissions draws nearer, the stories keep coming in from around the world. Looking forward to some great submissions from España.

Interpreters who are interested in learning more about the programs at this wonderful university can check out its web site, here.

How Interpreters Are Changing the Universe

I was recently delighted to be contacted by Irina Yashkova, a Russian<>English interpreter who has worked for the International Space Station Program for more than 9 years. She was interviewed by the Moscow Times regarding her fascinating work, and she noticed a similarity between the goal of the From Our Lips to Your Ears project, to highlight the important work of interpreters, and the objective of the Moscow Times interview, titled, "NASA Interpreter's Job Has Her Seeing Stars".

To quote from the article:

"As the ears and voices of these space dwellers, the interpreter's job requires perfect attention to detail and allows no room for error."

"'Irina was our top student in Russian interpretation,' said Dr. Peter Grothe, professor and director of the International Student Programs at the Monterey Institute."

"'She is one of only two persons who is certified to interpret in Russian-English on spacewalks, and if she makes a mistake, it could cost millions of dollars to the space program,' Grothe said."

Irina's story is truly a fascinating one, and a unique perspective from within our field. I am very happy to know that this type of interpreting exists, and am very excited about the possibility of bringing more of this insight to readers, so that the public at large can develop a greater awareness and respect for the essential work of interpreters.

CCIO Fall Professional Development Event

The Community and Court Interpreters of the Ohio Valley is hosting a special professional development event on October 26, 2007, from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. The event will be held at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, in London, Ohio, and at the Supreme Court of Ohio. Courtesy of Natasha Curtis, fliers regarding the From Our Lips to Your Ears project will be on hand for participants. Participants will meet at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI&I) at 10:00 a.m. where participants will have a chance to tour the facility and talk with people who work in the various sections of the BCI&I. This will include the DNA unit and various other units of the Forensic Laboratory, the Identification Section (responsible for maintaining criminal records, conducting record checks etc.), and Investigation Section.

The afternoon will then kick off at 1:45 p.m. at the Supreme Court of Ohio building where participants will be introduced to the fascinating world of Forensic Linguistics with a presentation by Dr. Susan Berk-Seligson, a nationally recognized expert in the field. The day will conclude with a brief open discussion with Mr. Bruno Romero, Interpreter Services Program Manager at the Supreme Court of Ohio, about certification efforts currently underway in Ohio.

Registration Deadline: October 18. [All registrations must be received by this date. NO EXCEPTIONS]

Admission: CCIO Members: $40 Non-CCIO Members: $50 Students: $25.00

More Information: www.ccio.org, call 330-634-9195 or e-mail secretary@ccio.org

For more upcoming events, visit the project calendar.

Spanish Translation - Revision Workshop

An opportunity shared by Alicia Marshall that I wanted to pass along to readers:

TIP-Lab is offering its seventeenth Spanish Translation - Revision Workshop specially designed and tailored for professionals working in any country of the world who translate from English into Spanish. It will run from January through June 2008.

Leandro Wolfson, a nationally known translator from Argentina who specializes in human and social sciences, will conduct this TIP-Lab workshop.

US$250 per participant (US$30 non-refundable administrative fee included in this amount). Payment must be made by check or money order in dollars and payable to TIP-Lab. Registration deadline is Monday, December 10, 2007.

Additionally, this workshop has been approved by the ATA for its continued education credit program.

For further information, call or fax Alicia Marshall at (847) 8694889. Or, contact her via email: aliciamarshal1@comcast.net

Translation Studies Forum

Thanks to Konstantin Tovstiadi at the University of Oklahoma for sharing information about the project on the forum for Translation Studies, a wonderful site with all sorts of current information for interpreters and translators.

The site is a joint web location for the European Society of Translation Studies, the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association (ATISA) and the Canadian Association of Translation Studies.

Medical Interpreters Network of Georgia

Congratulations to our friends at the Medical Interpreters Network of Georgia, who held their fall forum today in Atlanta! Flyers for the From Our Lips to Your Ears program will be distributed at this event, special thanks to Cindy Roat.

Chamando todos os intérpretes

Special thanks to Paula Góes for spreading the word to Portuguese interpreters through the Liga da Tradução website (ponto de encontro para tradutores de língua portuguesa - meeting spot for Portuguese language translators).

I also very much appreciate the Portuguese translation provided by Paula. To read the notice in Portuguese, click here.

TAPIT Annual Conference 2007

Tomorrow the Tennessee Association of Professional Interpreters and Translators (TAPIT) holds their annual conference in Nashville, and flyers for the program will be on hand, courtesy of Cindy Roat. It is wonderful to see so much activity and so many events taking place to advance our profession!

The Connection Newsletter

Fantastic news! The Utah Department of Health featured the From Our Lips to Your Ears project in the August 2007 (#14) issue of the Connection Newsletter. Special thanks for helping us spread the word throughout Utah and beyond!

Traduction technique, interprétariat et coaching en anglais

I was very pleased to see a kind blog post from an interpreter in Brittany regarding the From Our Lips to Your Ears project. This blog, called Traduction technique, interprétariat et coaching en anglais, looked like it might be of great interest to many French interpreters and translators who visit this site, so I am sharing it here.

Mail Call!

What a fun and inspiring week this has been, with mail coming in from around the world, and a box filled to the brim with hard copy submissions, and even audio submissions, not to mention all of the submissions that keep coming in from the project website, and via email!

I am very excited and wish I could share many of them with readers here, but I will keep them under wraps for now. The amount of wonderful stories never ceases to amaze me. Now that it's September, the submission deadline is just a few months around the corner!

There are many kind comments that have arrived, in addition to, and sometimes along with, the story submissions. I will paste a few here to share:

"I always wanted a book like this, that I could give someone to explain what I do. Now even my friends and family will have a better understanding of how hard and important this job is."

"You hit the nail right on the head! This is a book our field has needed for a long time! I can't wait!"

"Where has this book been, and why didn't anyone think of it sooner? I am telling every interpreter I know to send you their stories."

"The college where I teach has a program by which students have interpreting internships, and they always come back with excellent anecdotes. I wish I had thought to compile them years ago, but now I will be sending them to you."

Keep up the wonderful work, and thanks very much for your interest!

Irish Translators and Interpreters Association

Special thanks to the Irish Translators and Interpreters Association (ITIA) for featuring the From Our Lips to Your Ears project in the August issue of the ITIA Bulletin!

For those who do not subscribe, this newsletter is an excellent source of information regarding interpreting issues in Ireland, as well as elsewhere in the world.

Ever since this issue came out, there have been a large number of web site hits from Ireland for both the main project site as well as the blog. With such a wonderful history of writers in Ireland, I anticipate receiving some great submissions for the book from the Emerald Isle.

Sincerest thanks to ITIA Bulletin editor Elizabeth Hayes and all of our colleagues in Ireland who work to bring interpreting issues to a more prominent place in the public's eye.