Finding translated citations in academic translation

This post is based on a talk I gave at an informal translators' meeting last week. I gave examples from a book I translated from Hebrew to English last year, but here I will be more general, and refer to the source language and the target language.

When an academic book or article contains source language citations from sources, there are three options: 1. If the work is in the source language and there is no version of it in the target language, then the citation should be translated. 2. If the work was originally in the target language and has been translated into the source language, then the citation should be found in the target language original. 3. If the work was originally in the source language and has also been translated into the target language, then the translation into the target language should be found.

Should finding the citations be the translator's job? This depends on the relationship between the translator and the author. I am fortunate to be able to work directly with the authors of the books and articles I translate. In some cases I ask them to find the citations themselves, but in other cases this service is part of the added value I offer. Finding the citations yourself enables you to use the vocabulary of the sources consistently within your translation, and gives you greater control over the end product. The disadvantage is that it takes time and effort, and of course this should be calculated in your pricing.

The first stage is to look at the book's Bibliography (or footnotes/endnotes) and find which works have a version in the target language.

The second stage is to locate these works, either online or in a library. In some cases, particularly older sources, you can find PDF versions online. Some more popular books have been scanned and appear on Google Books. While not all the pages are visible (at least for free), you can search for specific words and the results will show you enough of the context to identify your citation. It is much easier to search in a digital text, but translators can become proficient at scan-reading even in printed texts. Of course, the page numbers are different in the different language versions. When there are several citations from a particular work, you can eventually start estimating where citations will be located by comparing the page numbers of previously found citations in the source and target versions.

The third stage is to insert the target language citations into the translation, according to the author guidelines of the translation's publisher or periodical. The original spelling and punctuation of the citation must be maintained, even if it differs from these guidelines. Citations over a certain length (sometimes 25 words or three lines) tend to appear as block citations rather than being cited within quotation marks within the text. The length of the citation will vary in different languages. The shorter the citation, the more difficult it is to find because there are fewer key words that can be identified in the target language.

In cases where the versions in the different languages are not exactly equivalent - for example, if the translation added or omitted certain passages - it may not be possible to find all the citations. In such cases, the citation should be translated in the same way as a citation from a work that does not appear in the target language. Then the source language work should be included in the bibliography and referenced as a footnote, endnote, or author-title or author-year in parentheses after the citation, according to the guidelines.

The final stage is adding the target language works to the Bibliography (or footnotes/endnotes), and omitting any source language works that were not used in the translation. Where versions in both source and target language were used, both should be included.

I hope this explanation will help translators decide whether to offer this service, and if they do, how to do it and what to expect from the process.

The culture of not hearing "no"

Yesterday I had a phone call from an insurance sales rep, trying to persuade me to upgrade my insurance policy. I explained that we can't afford to pay any more for insurance, and that we have policies in other companies too. Nothing seemed to be getting through, and he just kept up the sales pitch until I hung up. Then he called back and said, "The call seems to have been disconnected". I told him that I was trying to say "no" to his offer, and he said, "You didn't have to hang up, you could just say that you're not interested!". So I said, "I'm not interested, thank you", and he finally accepted this and ended the call.

This got me thinking about how difficult it is for people nowadays to hear "no". We are often taught to stand up for ourselves and learn how to say "no" to things we don't want, but at the same time we are not being trained to hear and accept when other people say "no".

It starts in childhood. Parents nowadays seem to think that children will be permanently damaged by hearing any rejection. Children learn that they can always get their own way eventually. I remember when I was growing up a request had two possible answers, "yes" and "no", and it if was "no", that was final. Sometimes I got an explanation for the "no", such as "we can't afford it" or "we don't have time", but even without any explanation, I had to accept the "no". This was a good preparation for reality, in which people can't always have everything they want. I grew up knowing that I was not the centre of the universe and that other people had needs and wishes, too.

Another major culprit in the culture of not hearing "no" is sales training. Sales people are taught to "overcome resistance" and have answers for any "objections", and they often become persistent to the point of harassment. This approach has leaked into general life, where people are encouraged not to take "no" for an answer and to keep on trying until they get what they want. Sometimes this stems from a sense of entitlement, and sometimes this sort of persistence is seen as the sort of "hard work" that deserves to be rewarded.

Ultimately, the inability to hear another person's "no" reflects a very self-centered culture in which the self is considered much more important than the other. Selfishness has become not only accepted but cherished, while empathy and consideration are often considered signs of weakness. People who think only of themselves and cannot hear another person's "no" may end up accused of sexual assault without understanding what they did. In the same way the sales rep yesterday couldn't understand that I was refusing his offer, I think it is possible that some men don't understand a woman's "no" in more intimate situations. I know that I often feel "raped" (metaphorically) by aggressive sales reps and selfish people in general.

One of the most important things we can teach and learn in life is the importance of listening, of really hearing and seeing each other, and having empathy and understanding for others even when this is inconvenient for our own desires. I hope some way can be found to get this message across before society becomes even more selfish and aggressive.

ITA Conference 2014

This week I attended the ITA's 2014 Annual Conference, held at the Sharon Beach Resort Hotel in Herzlia. After many years of the conference being held in Jerusalem, it was refreshing to be in a hotel by the beach. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the full conference this year and had to leave on the afternoon of the second day. I will try to link to other blogs describing the conference and especially the lectures I missed.

On Monday night after dinner we heard Ioram Melcer talk about translating invented words in the classic novel "Hopscotch" by Julio Cortazar. Interestingly, the linguistic distance between Spanish and Hebrew, and the deep structure of Hebrew word morphology, made it relatively easy (for him!) to invent new words that could somehow match the invented words and be completely new words but also comprehensible.

Tuesday morning's plenary session started with historian Prof. Anita Shapira talking about the meanings conveyed by silence in the public discourse in the early years of Israeli society. When people were silent about their past lives before immigrating to Israel, this expressed the focus on their new lives and hopes for the future. The silence about the Holocaust and about the fallen soldiers of the War of Independence is understood as reflecting a pain too great to express in words. The subject was interesting, though only very tangentially related to translating and language issues.

Next we heard Polish-British translator Marta Stelmaszak discuss translating as a collaboration rather than a competition. As she noted, each translator offers a slightly different set of skills and expertise, and it is possible to create a unique service that does not compete directly with other translators, even in the same language pair. She also recommended collaborating with other professionals, such as editors and designers.

The session ended with translator Betsy Benjaminson explaining how she chose to become a whistle-blower and expose her client Toyota's cover-up of a fatal problem in its cars. Her story was recently reported in the local media, and showed that translators sometimes have to put ethical considerations above loyalty to their clients. I hope most translators never have to face this sort of dilemma, and would like to believe many in such circumstances would show the sort of wisdom and courage Betsy displayed.

After a break, there were four parallel sessions of lectures. I first attended the Professional track, and heard Eve Hecht talk about the translation of correspondence, with an emphasis on various cultural differences and social norms. Then Inga Michaeli discussed translating guidebooks into Hebrew, again noting the cases where it was necessary to adapt the contents to the readers' culture and preferences.

In the afternoon I went to the track devoted to improving your business. The first lecture was a shared presentation by Yael Sela-Shapiro and Inga Michaeli about diversification. Yael spoke about the importance of expanding your areas of expertise in order to increase your work volume. After spending a long time working towards becoming a specialist in my ideal translation niche, I somewhat disagreed with this idea. I can see that it works for some people, but I am finding that I can have a sufficient amount of work even after narrowing my area and don't feel the need to expand and diversify. Then Inga told her personal story of diversifying her business. She added content writing in her area of expertise to her translating business when she found that she was getting less work, and also proactively contacted potential customers. These strategies can be useful for translators seeking more work.

Finally, Dalit Ben Tovim discussed ergonomics, an important subject for translators who lead a sedentary life in front of a computer. I have heard her lecture at a conference a few years ago, and found it interesting to be reminded of this issue. I think I already implement many of her suggestions.

I enjoyed what I saw of the conference, and it was good to have an annual ITA conference again after there wasn't one last year. I hope some of the lectures I missed will be given again in the ITA's monthly lecture evenings.

Other blogs reporting on the conference:
Stephen Rifkind (English)

The importance of translation specialization

Here is a phone call I received today:

Caller: Hello, I'm ___ from ___ agency. We contacted you by email last month about translating some automative material.

Translator: That isn't my area of expertise.

Caller: What is your specialization, then?

Translator: I specialize in academic translation, especially in philosophy.

Caller: OK, if we have something in that area we'll get in touch. We won't bother you with automative material again.

This is why it's important for both sides, the translator and the customer/agency, to be aware of specializations.

As a translator, you must choose not only your languages but a type of material to specialize in. I always feel my heart sink when a translator, usually a young one, tells me he or she translates "everything" in a particular language pair. Nobody is an expert in "everything", and even highly educated and fluent speakers of more than one language are not equally skilled at all the possible types of material written in their languages.

Other professions have very clear sub-specializations. You wouldn't ask a plastic surgeon to deliver a baby or a tax lawyer to handle a divorce. I would like to see translators choosing a similarly narrow definition of their expertise. Less is more! Saying you specialize in translating a particular type of texts makes you an expert in that specific area.

Translators should have a clear "introduction" to use when they meet someone. It could be something like: "I translate from [source] to [target], and I specialize in ____". It is also important to list specializations on your own website and anywhere you have a professional profile.

Customers and agencies should also be aware that translators have specializations, and should find out what a translator specializes in before (online) or during the first conversation, and then offer only appropriate work.

Being an introvert

I have always known that I'm an introvert. I probably first learned this concept as a teenager, and it explained a lot about my feelings and preferences. I have been thinking about this again recently, and one aspect of being an introvert makes sense of a lot of my experiences: the idea that introverts have their energy drained in social situations and replenished when they are alone.

Throughout my life I have found social gatherings exhausting. At school and university, I sought solitude during the breaks, when other people sought social interactions. To get through the day I needed to spend time alone. This is now true when I'm at conferences.

This preference made my three experiences of working in an office difficult (each job lasted less than a year), and had a strong influence on my decision to work from home. I feel very fortunate that I have a profession where working from home is the norm.

My preferred form of socializing is in groups of up to 4-5 people, preferably somewhere quiet where we can talk. I have largely avoided going to parties since about 7th grade. My discomfort in crowds has meant that I have been to very few rock concerts or demonstrations. The desire to see my favourite bands play live or to support good causes is usually outweighed by my knowledge of how the crowd would make me feel.

Looking back, I now realize that much of what I found difficult when I moved to Israel at the age of 9 was not acclimatization problems or a culture clash, but just another expression of the introversion. I tried to fit in with my peers, but often social gatherings or parties ended with me in tears, for reasons that I couldn't explain. I was something of an outcast and a loner throughout school and university, but I now realize that this was just as true before I came to Israel. I used to think I didn't fit in because I was different, being half-English and half-Israeli, so I couldn't belong fully to either culture. In fact, it was something more primal in my nature, and would probably have been expressed no matter what circumstances I encountered.

Being introverted is not the same as being shy. I have worked hard over the past years to overcome my shyness, so that I no longer expect to be rejected or ignored by other people, and also so I don't care so much what others think of me. This has been a very important step for me. However, I don't know if or how the introversion can be changed. When I try to go outside my comfort zone, I inevitably end up feeling uncomfortable! Perhaps introversion is an innate tendency, while shyness was something I learned and had to unlearn.

I think extreme introversion like mine is a problem, because I believe human beings are social animals, and we find meaning in life through our interactions with other humans. Everything that people do that makes their lives meaningful has some relation to other people. This includes family interactions like raising children, caring for ageing parents, and of course intimacy with a partner. Our work is done to be of some benefit to other people, and our creative lives are intended to have some influence on an audience. Our ideals and values reflect what we consider to be the best way for human beings to live.

In this respect, I am fortunate to have a close relationship with my husband and family, and my work and my creative writing give meaning to my life and benefit other people without forcing me to spend hours in the company of others each day.

Western society seems to be biased towards extroversion. There is an expectation that people "should" be social, and loners are often treated with suspicion and/or pity. I imagine that many people are introverts without being aware of this, not understanding why social situations are so difficult for them, perhaps accepting the judgment of others or even feeling guilty for not wanting to socialize. I hope this can change. Awareness of the differences between introverts and extraverts should be raised, and society needs to find ways to value and nurture both types of people and allow them to live fulfilling lives.

ITA Lecture Evening October 2013

Yesterday I attended the ITA's lecture event, held at the Leonardo Basel Hotel in Tel Aviv. This time a new format was introduced: Instead of two long lectures, there were ten lectures of ten minutes each. I think this was a good idea. Expressing yourself concisely is an important skill, and the lectures probably benefited from the time restriction. Having many short lectures also ensures that there will be something of interest to more people.

Doron Greenspan discussed the form of address in Hebrew, as used in instruction manuals and cookbooks. Because the Hebrew verb distinguishes gender and number, translators into Hebrew have to decide which form of the imperative to use, or whether to use an impersonal present tense verb.

Michal Schuster presented the world of interpreting in mental health, when the therapist does not speak the patient's language. The interpreter has to contend with an extremely emotional experience, in addition to the usual linguistic and cross-cultural issues. This seems to me a particularly difficult branch of the translating profession.

Ofra Hod explained the Poetrans project, a wiki catalogue of translations of poetry into Hebrew. This is useful when a translator (or anyone) encounters a poem (or part of one) in another language and wants to know if and where it has been translated into Hebrew. The site lists books and the poems translated in each, with the title in the original language and the Hebrew translated title, and of course mentions the author and the translator.

Innes Moldavski gave examples of sexism in language and discussed the ways that translators with an awareness of feminism and gender issues can create a more neutral text.

Shakhar Peled gave an entertaining talk about distractions and procrastination, the two occupational hazards faced by translators.

Ury Vainsencher presented the work of translators in the United Nations and its various institutions. He noted the six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, and explained that the interpreters (spoken translating) and translators (written translating) work in separate departments. The work seems technical and challenging.

Debi Yehoshafat told us about the phrases in Portuguese that originated from football, and in some cases noted the differences between Brazilian Portuguese and the Portuguese of Portugal.

Alan Clayman discussed financial translating as a highly specialized field. Just as in any area of specialization, the translator must have a complete understanding of the material and awareness of the technical terminology and style used in both source and target language.

Mark Levinson presented a case study of song localization, showing the differences between the lyrics of a song in the American original version, the Hebrew version, and the French version.

Judith Rubanovsky-Paz discussed the role of explication in translation. In some cases, translators add notes and additional explanations to make a text more comprehensible to the target language culture. However, in some cases there are explanations that are redundant in the target language, and she made a convincing argument for omitting these types of explications.

I highly enjoyed the lectures, and hope the ITA organizes another similar even soon.

Holiday in Kos

After our free holiday last month in Crete, this month we had another free holiday. My parents decided to invite the whole family on a short trip to Kos. This was partly to celebrate my mother's 70th birthday next month (and also my father's 80th birthday back in March), and partly an opportunity for the whole family to spend some time together. There were ten of us: My parents, my sister and brother-in-law, their 4 children (ages 15, 12, 3, 7 months), and Ivor and me.

We stayed at the Blue Lagoon Village, a luxury all-inclusive resort on the south coast of Kos. This resort contained many pools, restaurants, bars, shops, a water-park, and a beach. All the meals and drinks were included in the package, the staff were friendly and efficient, and the place was clean and well-maintained. My father has difficulty walking, and he was able to ask for rides on the electric golf carts when he needed to (though sometimes he had a bit of a wait). My only criticism of the resort is that the WiFi connection, which cost extra, was not available in the rooms but only in the public areas.

Blue Lagoon Village, Kos

Beach, Blue Lagoon Village, Kos

Readers of this blog will know that I love cats, so I was pleased to discover that in the resort there were two special areas dedicated to cats. There were cat towers for the cats to climb on, with a water bowl, and both guests and staff regularly fed the cats. The hotel asked guests not to feed cats in the restaurants, but encouraged them to take food to the cat towers, or even buy cat food in the mini market.

We went on one day-trip, which the hotel helped us organize. First we stopped at Zia, a village with a panoramic view and many tourist shops.

Zia, Kos

Next we visited the Askleipion, the ancient temple of healing. We climbed the stairs and explored the site.

Askleipion, Kos

Askleipion, Kos

For lunch, we were taken to a taverna recommended by the hotel staff in Platani, a village where many residents are descended from Turkish families, and there is still a Turkish influence on local cuisine.

After lunch we had a brief visit to Kos Town before returning to the resort. We were able to view some of the excavations and the harbour.

Excavations, Kos Town

Harbour, Kos Town

We had another enjoyable holiday, and being with my family made it a different sort of experience. Perhaps one day we will return to Kos and explore it more thoroughly.