AATIA will observe World in Translation Month at the member meeting on Saturday, May 10, 1:00 p.m., at the Austin History Center, 9th & Guadalupe, according to Maurine McLean, Director of Professional Development.

Tony Beckwith will share insights on translating tangos, with musical examples. Marian Schwartz will point out some key Internet sites for literary translators.

In addition, Frank Dietz will demonstrate how to use RSS feeds from the new AATIA blog, walking us through the process of connecting to this valuable resource.

Refreshments and networking round out the meeting. Language-loving guests are welcome.

Ingrid Lansford has been busy, and here’s what she’s been up to, in her own words:

Three of my short story translations just came out, all in the spring 2008 issue of the journal Metamorphoses. This is almost weird, but for two years the editor ran special issues, so my contributions stacked up:

• “Down to the Lake with Flemming and his Pump Gun” from Jeg er stadig bange for Caspar Michael Petersen by Jan Sonnergaard (Gyldendal 2003)
• “Sidi el Barduk and Zuleima” from Kærlighedshistorier Fra Mange Lande (1867) by Meir Aron Goldschmidt
• “Pulling up Fishtraps” from Das Los unserer Stadt (Olten,1959) by Wolfdietrich Schnurre

In January I received a grant of $824 from the Danish government agency Kunststyrelsen for translating five short stories into English.

In other literary translation news, Michele McKay Aynesworth has edited the latest edition of Beacons, a publication of the Literary Division of the American Translators Association. Liliana Valenzuela and Tony Beckwith were also involved in this production: they collaborated on the translation into Spanish of some short fiction from the book Unlucky Lucky Days by Daniel Grandbois.

Localization is a crucial element in the process of translation because it involves the precise understanding of meaning. This is obviously a factor when communicating a message from one language to another. But it also comes into play within languages, for example from one region to another. As in this story about a chance encounter.

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A new cartoon by Tony Beckwith illustrates an article by Fabiano Cid, "The Best Breed of Project Managers: How to make the most of your feline or canine features when managing a project," in GALAxy, the newsletter of the Globalization and Localization Association.

Some may think of cats as smart and superior beings, while others consider them self-centered and unreliable. The same occurs with dogs: they may look stupid and subservient to cat lovers, but cynophiles consider them loyal, sociable and dependable. Project managers can also have either characteristic when performing their daily work. The trick is to balance your feline and canine qualities to make sure the most important goal is achieved: client satisfaction and retention.

A preview of Tony Beckwith’s latest wordplay:

They say if we bring the kit, they’ve got the kaboodle.

Much of the day-to-day work of interpreters is performed in courtrooms, at meetings, and in medical examining rooms. But occasionally they work in the public spotlight. At the next AATIA member meeting, Tony Beckwith will talk about interpreting the Democratic Presidential Candidate Debates for Univision Television Network.

In addition, Michele Aynesworth and Liliana Valenzuela will report highlights from the recent ALTA conference. According to Director for Membership Maurine McLean, the meeting will include updates on the AATIA website and previews of upcoming workshops, as well as door prizes, refreshments, and networking. Newcomers welcome!

Next AATIA member meeting: 1:00 p.m., January 5, 2008, Austin History Center (9th and Guadalupe) Note: due to scheduling conflicts the meeting will be held the first Saturday in January instead of the regular date.

At Saturday’s Board Meeting, the Web Team gained a new member, Patricia Gonzáles. For the record, she joins the following:

Tony Beckwith
Michael Blumenthal
Mike Conner
Frank Dietz
Laszlo Eosze
Gisela Greenlee

Welcome, Patricia!