Tag: languages

The history of conference interpretation

Erika Trabattoni

Nowadays, conference interpretation encompasses two different techniques: consecutive and simultaneous interpretation. However, the need for interpretation was present throughout history and is linked to the first conquests. Interpreters are already mentioned in Egyptian, Greek and Latin sources: the conquerors did not bother to learn the language of the peoples they defeated and often used slaves as interpreters to communicate with them, even though they could not be fully trusted, which is why information was often inaccurate and misunderstood.

With the advent of the XX century, a new professional figure was born: the conference interpreter.

Consecutive interpretation was the first to develop, which is quite logical if one thinks that simultaneous interpretation requires complex technological equipment. During the Paris Peace Conference after World War I, consecutive interpreters were employed to make it possibile for people speaking different languages to get the same information. As a result of this multilateral conference, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the League of Nations (LN) were established, which meant an even greater need for interpreters. Conference interpreters took notes and delivered the speech in another language, but this technique caused the meetings to be excessively long, making it difficult for both participants and interpreters to stay focused; furthermore, cultural nuances often got lost.

Colonel Léon Dostert, a French-born American who acted as interpreter for General Eisenhower, was entrusted with the task to develop a technique for simultaneous interpretation and was responsible for the progress achieved in this field. During the Nuremberg Trials in 1945, which were held to prosecute Nazi leaders, an interpretation service in four languages (English, French, Russian and German) was provided: for each language, a team of six interpreters, twelve translators and nine stenographers was employed, while the whole service was coordinated by Colonel Dostert and Commander Alfred Steer. The interpreters sat right next to the accused, in order to be able to translate everything they said: the first team interpreted for 45 minutes, while the other sat in an adjacent room listening to and keeping up with the proceedings. Unfortunately, simultaneous interpretation was still a new technique and few professionals were actually trained to perform it, especially in such a specific setting like a court: nevertheless, it was a success.

As for the equipment required for simultaneous interpretation, in 1926 IBM received a patent for the technology it designed thanks to the involvement of its founder, Thomas Watson Sr., who managed to further develop Edward Filene and Alan Gordon Finlay’s revolutionary idea to use telephone equipment.

Simultaneous interpretation has obviously evolved, becoming what we know today: the interpreter sits in a soundproof boot (which needs to comply with specific International Standards) and sometimes employs portable transmitters. Aside from the progress achieved through technology, simultaneous interpretation is still based on the original concept, since it is aimed at providing the accurate and timely translation of a certain speech.

CAT tools

Erika Trabattoni

Computer Assisted Translation or Computer Aided Translation (CAT) is a form of translation where the translator uses specific softwares (CAT tools) to simplify the translation process itself. It must not be confused with Machine Translation, which indicates softwares automatically translating from a language into another.

CAT tools offer a lot of advantages to translators, especially if they work with repetitive texts or with texts pertaining to the same field. First of all, CAT tools are based on Translation Memories (TM) that store Translation Units (TU): each source text is divided into segments and the translator provides his or her translation in the target segment. A Translation Unit is made of a source segment and a target segment, which are stored in the Translation Memory and can be accessed when working on a new translation with similar contents or whenever necessary. When the CAT tool finds a suitable match in the Translation Memory, the translator needs to confirm or modify it: this is particularly useful for recurring expressions and sentences and can save a considerable amount of time, which is of paramount importance in a business where time is of essence.

CAT tools also make different possibilities available to translators for spell and grammar checking, terminology management, text and concordance search, text alignment and project management.

Translators can choose between a lot of CAT tools available on the market: they all exploit the same concepts, declining them in different ways. However, they all aim at creating a translation environment capable of meeting the requirements of the industry, making different tools available to both freelance translators and translation agencies.

Personally, I chose SDL Trados Studio, not only because it is – according to what I have read – the most used CAT tool in the world, but also because I think it is really functional and efficient. I honestly believe that such a CAT tool can make my workflow faster and consistent, also solving issues like terminology consistency: after all, I don’t need to go looking for previously translated files to see how I translated a certain term or sentence for a certain client, my CAT tool does it for me!

 

Post-graduate degree in Legal Translation

Erika Trabattoni

Last week, I wrote about the two post-graduate degrees I have recently started attending, but I focused on the one in Medical and Pharmacological Translation. Today, instead, I am going to talk about the one in Legal Translation.

First of all, the course is held jointly by a lawyer and a translator who have been working together for some time in the translation industry. This way, attendees can profit both from theoretical knowledge in the law field and from a more practical and linguistic approach to texts that need to be translated. The course focuses on English to Italian translation, but what one learns can be applied – mutatis mutandis – to other language pairs, as well.

When translating a text dealing with legal matters, it is of paramount importance to be aware of the great difference existing between distinct legal systems: the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia follow common law (as well as some former English colonies and countries influenced by the Anglo-Saxon tradition), whereas continental Europe follows civil law. These two legal traditions mainly differ because of the source of law they favour (case law and legislative decisions respectively). In addition, some mixed legal systems developed across the world. Different legal systems imply different legal institutions, which lack an equivalent in other countries and, consequently, in other languages.

Legal translators need to possess at least basic knowledge of comparative law, which is why I decided to attend this Post-graduate Degree in Legal Translation: this course is also going to provide basic principles of many branches of law (civil law, criminal law, corporate law…).

As you probably know if you have visited my website, I attained a Master’s Degree in Conference Interpreting: I graduated with a glossary thesis about the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). While examining different documents to build my glossary, I soon realised the frequent lack of an exact Italian equivalent for English terms referring to particular institutions and procedures. In addition, law is an abstract subject: across the whole world, the human body is the same and a heart is always a heart, even though different languages use different words to indicate it. On the contrary, legal terminology is based on institutions, offices, laws and statutes which are not the same in every country and which cannot be “physically seen”: criminal conducts, for instance, are identified through several elements which make them unlawful, but these elements and law principles are created by men and are, therefore, abstract.

All this must be added to the common issues faced by translators and interpreters. They are part of the reason why I chose this post-graduate course. Another reason is that I am deeply interested in the subject of law and I like translating documents pertaining to it. Last but not least, having basic knowledge of legal matters can only make one’s life easier!

Post-graduate degree in Medical and Pharmocological Translation

Erika Trabattoni

Working in today’s translation industry often requires specialising in at least one field. Generally speaking, it is possible to distinguish between literary and technical translation, which deals with scientific and technical subjects: these two categories present significative differences and require different approaches and skills.

In order to translate a highly technical text, it is necessary to possess at least basic notions of the topic it deals with: this is why translators and interpreters accurately prepare for every new assignment, gathering general and more specific information in addition to the correct terminology. This preparation becomes less time-consuming when the professional is used to working in a certain field, since he or she just needs to update his or her knowledge to keep up with the latest developments.

Experience plays an important role, but one can also choose to specialise in a certain field before starting to translate texts pertaining to it. That’s what I chose to do: I have recently enrolled in two Post-graduate degrees, one in Medical and Pharmacological Translation, the other in Legal Translation. These two courses – organised by CTI – Communication Trend Italia (an Italian language service provider) – are being held once a week in Milan: lessons will take place from February to July and at the end of the courses, attendants are required to deliver a thesis (their translation of a highly technical text provided by CTI) and to pass an oral exam to test their knowledge and discuss their translation.

In today’s post, I am going to focus on the Post-graduate course of Medical and Pharmacological Translation: after attending the first two lessons, I can already say I am very happy with my choice. Students receive both theoretical and practical preparation: this way, they can gain medical knowledge and apply it to the translation of real texts, also learning the particular characteristics of medical texts and terminology.

I have always been very interested in medicine, which is the reason I have decided to grab this chance to expand my knowledge in this field: I will be studying biology, genetics, anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology and much more. Thanks to this specialisation, I will be able to deliver high-quality translations and interpretation services: knowledge of the topic, familiarity with medical terminology and with the style of medical texts, the ability to peruse the web and distinguish reliable sources from unreliable ones are only some of the skills I will be able to offer my clients in this specific field.

This course is useful and really interesting and I am looking forward to attending more lessons and to hone my skills, thus adding another small brick in my education and in my experience as an interpreter and translator. Wish me luck!

BIT 2018

Erika Trabattoni

If you follow my Facebook page, you already know that yesterday I took part in BIT 2018.

BIT is the International Travel Exhibition organised every year in Milan. This year it could be accessed both by the general public (on the first day) and by industry professionals, tour operators and buyers (for the entirety of its duration). Reading the description of this exhibition, it is clear that its purpose is to promote “the meeting of decision makers, industry experts and carefully selected and profiled buyers from geographic areas with the highest rate of economic growth and from all sectors of the chain”. Furthermore, the event also featured conferences and seminars aimed at keeping the audience up to date with the latest industry trends.

I love travelling and I am really interested in the tourism industry, so I decided to grab the chance to visit this exhibition. In a professional capacity, I could gather information about new destinations, offers and packages: after all, an interpreter and translator needs to constantly update his or her knowledge, especially if he or she wants to work in a specific field. In addition, I could find new ideas for my next travels and journeys, which is certainly a plus.

In my opinion, exhibitions are also a good way to make new contacts and do a little bit of networking. BIT 2018 was no exception: talking with industry professionals was really inspiring and it gave me food for thought.

The exhibition was divided in two pavillions: the ground floor was dedicated to Italian regions, whereas the upper floor hosted international destinations. Food tourism was also featured, with the possibility to taste different products and recipes, both from Italy and foreign countries. A lot of stands also displayed the “I love wedding” sign to show their participation in a free promotional programme aiming at finding the perfect place to organise one’s wedding and honeymoon. Moreover, BIT 2018 featured an area dedicated to recuiting in the tourism industry, thus providing a chance to find competent staff and, at the same time, promote business: the possibility to forward online applications and to schedule interviews was a great way to make this exhibition even more appealing.

All in all, I must say I am very happy with my decision to visit the exhibition: I could gather new material, meet new people and − let’s be honest − start dreaming about my next holidays! The only downside? Now I can’t wait to take off and go somewhere I have never been before!

3-bit-milano-11-13-febbraio-2018-image_05.pngIMG_20180213_112410

The information about BIT 2018 was taken from http://bit.fieramilano.it/the-exhibition/?lang=en.

The benefits of learning languages

Erika Trabattoni

Everybody can benefit greatly from his or her knowledge of at least one foreign language: benefits concern both your working and personal life and can also extend to your health.

First of all, knowing one or more foreign languages is always a great asset when applying for a job and carries considerable weight with employers. Companies often need to establish and maintain relationships with foreign clients and stakeholders: employees are needed who can understand, speak and write the language used for communication between the company itself and these other parties. Even though English is most frequently required, the knowledge of other foreign languages is held in high regard as well, since being able to communicate with its stakeholders in their own language is very important for a company and shows great consideration on its part.

Knowing one or more foreign languages can represent a great asset to your personal life as well. Travelling becomes considerably easier if you know the local language or at least a language which allows you to communicate with local people; moreover, meeting new people and keeping in touch becomes quite simple. Knowing a foreign language also means having access to the culture expressed by that language and to the possibility of fully understanding it.

Learning to think and express yourself in different language systems improves your problem-solving attitude as well: getting in touch with different cultures means realising that others may think and act differently, hold different opinions and cherish different values. Nothing is set in stone and understanding different ways of thinking may help you find new approaches. Being able to switch between different linguistic and cultural systems can also improve your multitasking skills.

However, learning foreign languages may also have a positive impact on your health. According to several studies conducted in this field, speaking more than one language can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia: tests were conducted both on monolingual and bilingual individuals and – even though both categories showed the same level of cognitive impairment – the latter seemed to be diagnosed with the disease about four years later. Furthermore, bilingual people’s brain seems to work better and longer after the first signs of Alzheimer’s occur. This seems to be due to the fact that bilingual people exercise the executive control system more, since they need to keep two language systems separate: their brain, in fact, provides them with multiple choices for every word, establishing the need for them to constantly switch between two different languages. This exercise is thought responsible for bilingual individuals’ ability to cope better with Alzheimer’s. Even though this research was tailored specifically on bilingual individuals, the same benefits seem to be enjoyed by those who start learning a second language later in life as well. (*)

Finally, there’s another reason to learn one or more foreign languages: it is a lot of fun! It is an eye-opening experience and even though it requires hard work and constant exercise, it is extremely rewarding. What are you waiting for?

(*) Further information can be find in the article used to write this entry (https://www.livescience.com/12917-learning-language-bilingual-protects-alzheimers.html)