In honor of International Translation Day 2008, the Houston Interpreters and Translators Association (HITA) will host a conference for interpreters and translators on September 27 in Houston. The theme of the conference, chosen by the International Federation of Translators (FIT) for the this year’s International Translation Day, will be "Terminology: Words Matter."

Professionals from various fields – including law, education, and health care – will present on topics related to the use of specialized terminology in their given fields. Participants will receive glossaries of specialized terminology from each session.

The event will kick off with a reception/networking session on the evening of September 26. Find more information and register for the conference on the HITA website. Questions?  Contact HITA Director of Professional Development Jorge Ungo.

Well, not exactly, but I wanted to mention Electropedia, the "world’s most comprehensive online electrical and electronic terminology database containing more than 20 000 terms and definitions in English and French organized by subject area, with equivalent terms in various other languages: Arabic, Chinese, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Swedish".

Here is a sample entry (note that not all entries are available in every language):

EN
    printed circuit     
    this term is in common use with at least three meanings:
a) a generic term to describe a certain technique
b) circuit obtained by printing and comprising printed components, printed wiring, or a combination thereof, all formed in a predetermined design in, or attached to, a surface or surfaces of a common base
c) circuit obtained by printing and comprising printed wiring and conventional components, all arranged in a predetermined design in, or attached to, a surface or surfaces of a common base     
FR
    circuit imprimé     
    terme généralement utilisé avec trois significations possibles au moins:
a) terme générique pour décrire une certaine technique
b) circuit réalisé par impression, comprenant des composants imprimés, un câblage imprimé, ou une combinaison des deux, le tout formé selon un dessin préétabli ou rapporté sur la ou les surface(s) d’un support commun
c) circuit réalisé par impression, comprenant un câblage imprimé et des composants conventionnels, le tout disposé selon un dessin préétabli ou rapporté sur la ou les surface(s) d’un support commun     
DE
    gedruckte Schaltung    
ES
    circuito impreso     
IT
    Circuito stampato     
SV
    tryckta kretsar

Electropedia is published by the International Electrotechnical Commission.

Today’s Wall Street Journal gives a glowing review of Marian Schwartz’s translation of White Guard, the first novel by Mikhail Bulgakov (1891–1940), famed Soviet-era author best known for Master and Margarita.

Written in the 1920s, White Guard focuses on the household of Dr. Alexei Tuchin, his sister and brother, and assorted military officers and friends.

The unnamed urban locality at the novel’s center is clearly Kiev a year after the Bolsheviks seized power.

The remains of the Russian Empire are in turmoil, none more so than Ukraine, where the civil war is raging with particular ferocity. No fewer than 18 different regimes — led by Germans, Poles, Ukrainian nationalists, monarchists known as the Whites and the Bolsheviks themselves — will eventually claim control of Kiev, lifting their banners over the ancient city.

With this edition of White Guard, translator Marian Schwartz has done a handsome job of matching Bulgakov’s rich Russian vocabulary and attention to meticulous detail.

Most people have probably received an email in which a humorous anecdote ends with "LOL", and we’ve learned that it means "laugh out loud". But this is just the tip of the iceberg — the phenomenon of text messaging is everywhere these days!

Read the rest of this entry »

But the registration deadline is fast approaching: Saturday, July 19th.

Download a flyer for more information and sign up today! Questions?  Contact AATIA Director of Professional Development Maurine McLean.

On your mark! Get set…AATIA is gearing up for the September election of the 2009 Board of Directors. The six positions include: President, Director of Communications, Director of Finance, Director of Membership, Director of Professional Development, and Secretary.

Carlota Grimes will chair the Nominating Committee, which also includes Marco Hansen and Carolina Modesto. If you are interested in volunteering to serve on the Board next year or would like to nominate someone else, please contact a member of the  Nominating Committee by August 2, 2008.

Elke Wehr — one of Germany’s best known Spanish translators — died last Friday in Berlin, at age 62, according to Suhrkamp Publishers of Frankfurt. Wehr gained notoriety with her translations of key works by Javier Marías of Spain, Mario Vargas Llosa of Peru, Julio Cortázar of Argentina, and Octavio Paz of Mexico, among others. In 2006, she was awarded the Paul Celan Prize by the German Literary Fund in recognition of her works, particularly her translation of Paraguayan author Augusto Roa Bastos’ masterpiece Yo, el Supremo which was considered the most difficult adaption.

She was not only an extraordinary translator, but also took it upon herself to discover new authors, according to Jürgen Dormagen of Suhrkamp. Wehr’s last translation was the novel Los días azules by Colombian author Fernando Vallejo, whose German edition will be published this August.

The final issue of The AATIA Letter is now online. This (July 2008) issue provides advance details about September’s Translation Tools workshop, led by Jost Zetzsche, and AATIA’s July 12 member meeting, which will spotlight Austin’s Sister Cities.

It also contains farewells from regular columnist and cartoonist Tony Beckwith and editor Michael Conner, plus a recap of entries posted on the blog in the period since the previous issue of the newsletter.