Once a year, most court interpreters take a continuing ed. class to keep up to date with our profession and to earn the points we need to renew our license. Last year I took mine at Eta Trabing’s workshop in Austin and I did it again this year on August 21. I’m glad I did.

We spent the morning waist-deep in a review of the “Code of Professional Conduct in Court Interpreting.” This might sound like a weighty subject, but Eta is skilled in the art of entertaining and educating at the same time.

Alex Trabing led us through the afternoon’s presentation on “Illegal Drugs: Terminology and Other Useful Information,” and I must say that his style and his material were engaging and interesting enough to keep me awake after a most agreeable round-table lunch at PF Chang’s. (more…)

Amazon has announced AmazonCrossing, “which will introduce readers to emerging and established authors from around the world with translations of foreign language books, making award-winning and bestselling books accessible to many readers for the first time.”

The premiere title, The King of Kahel, is an award-winning novel by Tierno Monénembo. Originally published in France in 2008, The King of Kahel was the winner of the prix Renaudot, the French literary prize awarded to the author of an outstanding original novel. Loosely based on the life of French adventurer Olivier de Sanderval, the novel traces his experiences as an explorer in West Africa.

The translator is Nicholas Elliott, shown in photo.

Read all about it here.

The American Translators Association has notified members that in the wake of the Haiti earthquake Translators Without Borders, which works for Doctors Without Borders/Medecins sans frontieres and Medecins du monde, currently has urgent needs for professional-level French-to-English and English-to-French volunteer translators and interpreters. Those working to and from Haitian Kreyol would also be especially valuable. Contact TWB Coordinator Yuliana Hernandez-Anfray for details.

The UN Secretariat will hold the following competitive examinations for translators, interpreters, and editors in 2010:

March: exam for Russian-language translators

April: examinations for French-language translators and interpreters

May: exams for Chinese-language translators and editors

June: exam for English-language interpreters

Check the UN website for information on exam dates and application requirements and procedures.

The translation industry is growing during these tough economic times, and will continue to do so due to the nature of the globalized economy, predicts Margarita Griggs, a member of the American Translators Association (ATA). Griggs, who recently received an international award for her work with high school and college students, says organizations in the United States will need to rely more on the global economy because the domestic economy is struggling. And organizations will need accurate translation when conducting business around the world, she says. The translation and interpreting services industry has grown at a rate of 10 to 15 percent annually over the past decade and is now an $11 billion industry. Parade Magazine recently ranked translation as the second hottest job, noting that the need for translators will grow by 26 percent over the next ten years.

From "Interpreters in High Demand"
KOLOTV.com (NV) (10/09/09) Wightman, Karoline
Quoted in ATA Newsbriefs

For those who won’t be attending the ATA’s 50th Anniversary conference in New York, the AATIA’s November 14 meeting is the next-best thing! Four Austin members will provide a debriefing on their experiences at this milestone event in the Big Apple.

Pat Bobeck, who translates French and Spanish into English and specializes in (among other things) geology, petroleum engineering, and environmental sciences will talk about her visit to New York.

Esther Diaz, Administrator of ATA’s Medical Division, will also share her perspective on the conference.

And literary translators Liliana Valenzuela and Tony Beckwith will discuss their conference presentation, “Two Heads are Better than One: A Literary Translation Story,” and explain how they jointly translated a book of 73 stories riddled with jokes, puns, plays on words, cultural references, and onomatopoeia.

Join us and get a first-hand report of what’s going on at the heart of our industry. As always, there’ll be refreshments and lots of good networking on Saturday, November 14, from 1 to 4 pm at our downtown space at the ICA premises (check www.aatia.net for the address, directions, and parking instructions.)

Watch this blog for more details!

Free parking is available at the Convention Center parking garage, which is on the west side of the building that houses our offices. Enter from Brazos Street, inform the attendant that you are attending an AATIA event, and sign a garage parking record sheet. There is no charge. 
 

Once again, the Austin Classical Guitar Society has been kind enough to offer AATIA members a special rate for a very special event.

The legendary Kazuhito Yamashita , Japan ’s most celebrated classical guitarist, will be making a rare appearance in the United States, on Saturday, October 10th at the Northwest Hills United Methodist Church at 8:00pm.

Interested members can call the ACGS office (512-300-2247), mention AATIA, and receive their discount. Discounted tickets can also be purchased at the door. Members’ families are also eligible for the discounted ticket price.

Kazuhito Yamashita
Saturday, October 10th, at 8PM
Northwest Hills United Methodist Church
7050 Village Center Drive
Special Ticket Offer to members and affiliates of AATIA
Tickets $25 (normally $45!)
512-300-ACGS or AustinClassicalGuitar.org

Yamashita rose to international prominence when he performed phenomenal feats on the solo classical guitar including Dvorak’s New World Symphony and Musorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. He has recorded and toured extensively with flute giant James Galway. His debut in Austin is one of ACGS’ proudest moments and is the ideal beginning to our 20th anniversary season.
  

The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) will be meeting this year at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel in sunny Pasadena, California, November 11-14 (note the new dates!). Featured speakers will be John Nathan of UC Santa Barbara, Ilan Stavans of Amherst, and Michael Henry Heim of UCLA, whose work is associated with Japan, Latin America, and Europe, respectively. For information on panels, workshops, readings, special events, and registration, go to the ALTA website.