It is said “ask and you shall receive” well, for the next few days, or weeks, I will attempt to go outside of my comfort zone and do just that. Ask, ask, and ask for translation or interpretation projects. There are a few projects out there that I am just itching to do but I’m not quite sure whether to take a bold approach of saying, ‘hey, I think I can help you be more successful and I think there’s a need out there to translate your stuff'. As many times this information falls on deaf ears.
After all, if you only make your art, writing, or product available in only one language, you’re leaving money and many other possibilities on the table. This is why I am willing to offer my services where I see possibilities. “Why?” you might ask. Because I know I can do a great job and it will be a win-win.
I’ve often winced at the errors in some translations I’ve seen that actually get published and wonder ‘what the heck?’ Who are these people translating this stuff? Anyway, I’m going to be throwing my hat in several places, I'll be sending that annoying email and maybe following up with that pestering phone call to solicit to do a project that is a little ‘different’. Kind of like the translations I’ve done for the sale and auction documents of Race Horses to stud and breed (along with some details of the process for in-vitro). Yes, different, I know, but so cool to learn!
Let’s see how many ‘yes’s’ or ‘no’s’ I get. My first project will be ….. Well I can’t tell you – the competitions’ too fierce. But I will let you know if I’m successful. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
March 31, 2011
December 5, 2010
Can a Language become Extinct? Yes!
Just a tidbit about the importance of passing on a language to children.
If you don't use what you know it can be lost, forever. Parade Magazine ran a short piece noting some of the amazing discoveries of 2010. This one is about a language that no one knew existed, that is, no one but the 800 people that spoke the language of 'Koro' in a small remote village in Northeastern India. Turns out some linguists where traveling in that area of India, overheard some villagers and there you have it! Too bad though, after reading this I read some other articles that report that the younger people of this village have not been handed down the language, which does not have a written form, and therefore will be lost forever when these 800 villagers pass.
Keep your heritage alive. If you speak another language at home besides English, don't waste that gift. You'll be passing on something valuable in many, many ways.
To see this language of Koro in action, there is a small video of a very old lady singing ... She's adorable! Just text 'Koro' to 76477. To see the National Geographic coverage in photos and a report about the people that discovered this go to : http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/photogalleries/101005-hidden-language-koro-india-new-science-pictures/#/new-language-india-koro-sitting_27143_600x450.jpg
It's pretty interesting, enjoy!
www.accuratetranslating.net
Follow me on Twitter: @ItransL8
Email me at: Accentabsent@gmail.com
Ibis Sardinas,
Translator, Interpreter
Accurate Translating and Accent Absent
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
If you don't use what you know it can be lost, forever. Parade Magazine ran a short piece noting some of the amazing discoveries of 2010. This one is about a language that no one knew existed, that is, no one but the 800 people that spoke the language of 'Koro' in a small remote village in Northeastern India. Turns out some linguists where traveling in that area of India, overheard some villagers and there you have it! Too bad though, after reading this I read some other articles that report that the younger people of this village have not been handed down the language, which does not have a written form, and therefore will be lost forever when these 800 villagers pass.
Keep your heritage alive. If you speak another language at home besides English, don't waste that gift. You'll be passing on something valuable in many, many ways.
To see this language of Koro in action, there is a small video of a very old lady singing ... She's adorable! Just text 'Koro' to 76477. To see the National Geographic coverage in photos and a report about the people that discovered this go to : http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/photogalleries/101005-hidden-language-koro-india-new-science-pictures/#/new-language-india-koro-sitting_27143_600x450.jpg
It's pretty interesting, enjoy!
www.accuratetranslating.net
Follow me on Twitter: @ItransL8
Email me at: Accentabsent@gmail.com
Ibis Sardinas,
Translator, Interpreter
Accurate Translating and Accent Absent
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
November 23, 2010
Lost in Translation
During some of my tutoring lessons I often have students frustrated with the number of phrases or expressions they encounter that are so common to the English language. These phrases take quite a bit of explaining in order to get to the meaning of things. For example: one of my Spanish primary language students was told that someone in their office had ‘come down with something’ and was therefore sent home to see a doctor. The phrase ‘come down with’ literally would mean something very different than the phrase ‘come down with’ a cold, flu, illness etcetera. As a matter of fact the phrase alone would be nonsense, so why not just use the actual word for this meaning ‘sick’? Often times I tell my students well, languages have a life of their own and the idiosyncrasies need to be learned as if you were learning to spell a word in another language for the first time.
In contemplating the possibilities, we so regularly speak in phrases that it becomes second nature. English becomes difficult to learn when phrases are used to express meaning instead to the actual words. The following is a more extensive example of how we use phrases in our everyday speaking ( I have put quotes around the phrases):
So, we see:
Look forward – be excited about the future
Looked up – admired
Pass up – decline (usually something good)
Ran into – meet unexpectedly
Thinking back – remembering
Look into – investigate
Count on – rely
Drop by – come without an appointment
Well, no wonder that English is not an easy language to learn! Then, there are all those words that are written the same but pronounced differently, read (present and past tense), tear (cry/tear and rip/tear), and the ones written differently but pronounced the same: write/right, wrap/rap, sea/see, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, whew! What a mess. Isn’t language fun?
If you’re interested in getting the complete list of the most common phrasal verbs in English just post something on this blog or email me and I’ll do my best to get it to you asap (that’s the commonly written phrase for ‘as soon as possible’.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Please visit my website at:
www.accuratetranslating.net
Follow me on Twitter: @ItransL8
Email me at: Accentabsent@gmail.com
Ibis Sardinas,
Translator, Interpreter
Accurate Translating and Accent Absent
In contemplating the possibilities, we so regularly speak in phrases that it becomes second nature. English becomes difficult to learn when phrases are used to express meaning instead to the actual words. The following is a more extensive example of how we use phrases in our everyday speaking ( I have put quotes around the phrases):
Hello Dr. Smith I ‘look forward’ to hearing your speech about the history of Thanksgiving. I’ve always ‘looked up’ to you as a scholar and could not ‘pass up’ the chance of attending.
Well, thank you Dr. Jones. I’m so glad I ‘ran into’ you at the conference last week. In ‘thinking back’ wasn’t your wife with you then? I would like for you and your wife to ‘look into’ joining our council on historical affairs. I hope we can ‘count on’ you.
Of course Dr. Smith, I’ll ‘drop by’ after your lecture to discuss further.
So, we see:
Look forward – be excited about the future
Looked up – admired
Pass up – decline (usually something good)
Ran into – meet unexpectedly
Thinking back – remembering
Look into – investigate
Count on – rely
Drop by – come without an appointment
Well, no wonder that English is not an easy language to learn! Then, there are all those words that are written the same but pronounced differently, read (present and past tense), tear (cry/tear and rip/tear), and the ones written differently but pronounced the same: write/right, wrap/rap, sea/see, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, whew! What a mess. Isn’t language fun?
If you’re interested in getting the complete list of the most common phrasal verbs in English just post something on this blog or email me and I’ll do my best to get it to you asap (that’s the commonly written phrase for ‘as soon as possible’.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Please visit my website at:
www.accuratetranslating.net
Follow me on Twitter: @ItransL8
Email me at: Accentabsent@gmail.com
Ibis Sardinas,
Translator, Interpreter
Accurate Translating and Accent Absent
April 21, 2010
Interpreter or Translator? I’m both!
The first disclosure in my endeavor with a blog is: I am not a professional writer, though I’d like to be, someday. There, I said it, so now I can blunder away and I‘ll have an alibi. Friends believe that I’ve got some really interesting stories, both personal and professional, AND they’re always asking me to tell them, so…..
As an interpreter/translator I admit, I have had some pretty interesting experiences. The start of this blog is about sharing my experiences in this field of work for anyone who is interested in the profession or just curious. I mostly work alone and I don’t really socialize with other translators so, I imagine, that like me they wonder if we might have some things in common where our work is involved. (I’ll use the term translator to include the arena of interpreter from here on, although they are two distinct areas of work).
Another caveat: please don’t expect me to always discuss the ‘jobs’ I’ve been on, or the quirky things that happen, for that might become very cumbersome to write and to read; (I’d much rather post on Twitter the snippets of the daily finds – ItransL8). The brief reasons previously mentioned for writing this blog, the stories, insights and the experiences that others might find amusing will have to suffice for now. We are more than the work we do.
I love my work. It’s always different. A journey ventured into the unknown with good and not-so-good things that I learn along the way. The struggles that immigrants have in order to live in this wonderful country and the steps they take to become American. The possibility to see this country grow stronger as an immigrant understands how their contribution, be it taxes, a savings plan or the use of their company benefits work if there is education. None of this understanding can exist unless it’s relayed in the language of the recipient. I’ve celebrated a job well done when someone was freed from incarceration because lack of having English as their language to defend themselves resulting in jail time.
A little about how I ‘fell’ into this profession. In 1962 my mother and I fled Cuba and Castro’s revolution to come to the USA, Chicago Illinois actually, to where my dad also fled and resided for 3 years prior. I was submerged into a Polish neighborhood with other children that only spoke Ukrainian. I was pretty fluent in Spanish and quite verbose for a 4 year old. But, my new friends did not speak Spanish or English, thus, I started with Polish. To date I only remember a few things in Polish (movisz Poposku?). In Kindergarten I struggled with English. The only access I had to the possibility of learning English at home was music and television.
The best way to learn another language:
The best process I found for learning English was IMITATION. I write this in bold because IMITATION is the best tool that we have to facilitate learning and re-presenting (or as I prefer to say, ‘pretending’). As a child I ‘pretended’ to speak like the newscasters on TV or the Beatles singing, “I wanna hold your hand”, which I played over and over until I thought I ‘got’ it. I imitated Mae West (“come up and see me sometime.”), Ed Sullivan (“Ah really big shoe”), Barbara Streisand (“People who need people”), Lawrence Welk (“Welcome to everybody.”), and Howard Cosell (“And I am …..”). Well you get it, Micky Rooney, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, you name it/them, I imitated, talking and singing!
Long-story-short, when my parents found out about my proficiency in English I was utilized to no end for translating and interpreting everything possible. Yes, I know you can sense some resentment, and yes I had a lot, but in the long run they did the best they could and here I am. Did I tell you that I really enjoy translating and interpreting today?
So, in the next additions to this blog, I will tell you more of what I do and what strange and interesting things happen in my world as an interpreter and some of the things I’ve had to translate and why. Experiences that might be something you can relate to if you’re in the business or if you’re curious about the business of a translator. I’ll tell you how a word interpreted incorrectly by an incompetent interpreter landed an innocent woman in jail for 2 years until the appeal resulted in her release; result of her release being in part to the correct translation of the original transcript used for her court appeal by yours truly. I’ve had the privilege of helping and hearing the stories of the immigrants that struggle so hard to live in a free world to provide for themselves and their families. I’ve seen things fail as a result of poor communication and I’ve seen the light in the eyes of someone who finally understood the possibility of reaching success due to the proper understanding.
For now, hasta luego…... And please visit my website at:
www.accuratetranslating.net
Follow me on Twitter: @ItransL8
Email me at: Accentabsent@gmail.com
Ibis Sardinas,
Translator, Interpreter
Accurate Translating and Accent Absent
As an interpreter/translator I admit, I have had some pretty interesting experiences. The start of this blog is about sharing my experiences in this field of work for anyone who is interested in the profession or just curious. I mostly work alone and I don’t really socialize with other translators so, I imagine, that like me they wonder if we might have some things in common where our work is involved. (I’ll use the term translator to include the arena of interpreter from here on, although they are two distinct areas of work).
Another caveat: please don’t expect me to always discuss the ‘jobs’ I’ve been on, or the quirky things that happen, for that might become very cumbersome to write and to read; (I’d much rather post on Twitter the snippets of the daily finds – ItransL8). The brief reasons previously mentioned for writing this blog, the stories, insights and the experiences that others might find amusing will have to suffice for now. We are more than the work we do.
I love my work. It’s always different. A journey ventured into the unknown with good and not-so-good things that I learn along the way. The struggles that immigrants have in order to live in this wonderful country and the steps they take to become American. The possibility to see this country grow stronger as an immigrant understands how their contribution, be it taxes, a savings plan or the use of their company benefits work if there is education. None of this understanding can exist unless it’s relayed in the language of the recipient. I’ve celebrated a job well done when someone was freed from incarceration because lack of having English as their language to defend themselves resulting in jail time.
A little about how I ‘fell’ into this profession. In 1962 my mother and I fled Cuba and Castro’s revolution to come to the USA, Chicago Illinois actually, to where my dad also fled and resided for 3 years prior. I was submerged into a Polish neighborhood with other children that only spoke Ukrainian. I was pretty fluent in Spanish and quite verbose for a 4 year old. But, my new friends did not speak Spanish or English, thus, I started with Polish. To date I only remember a few things in Polish (movisz Poposku?). In Kindergarten I struggled with English. The only access I had to the possibility of learning English at home was music and television.
The best way to learn another language:
The best process I found for learning English was IMITATION. I write this in bold because IMITATION is the best tool that we have to facilitate learning and re-presenting (or as I prefer to say, ‘pretending’). As a child I ‘pretended’ to speak like the newscasters on TV or the Beatles singing, “I wanna hold your hand”, which I played over and over until I thought I ‘got’ it. I imitated Mae West (“come up and see me sometime.”), Ed Sullivan (“Ah really big shoe”), Barbara Streisand (“People who need people”), Lawrence Welk (“Welcome to everybody.”), and Howard Cosell (“And I am …..”). Well you get it, Micky Rooney, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, you name it/them, I imitated, talking and singing!
Long-story-short, when my parents found out about my proficiency in English I was utilized to no end for translating and interpreting everything possible. Yes, I know you can sense some resentment, and yes I had a lot, but in the long run they did the best they could and here I am. Did I tell you that I really enjoy translating and interpreting today?
So, in the next additions to this blog, I will tell you more of what I do and what strange and interesting things happen in my world as an interpreter and some of the things I’ve had to translate and why. Experiences that might be something you can relate to if you’re in the business or if you’re curious about the business of a translator. I’ll tell you how a word interpreted incorrectly by an incompetent interpreter landed an innocent woman in jail for 2 years until the appeal resulted in her release; result of her release being in part to the correct translation of the original transcript used for her court appeal by yours truly. I’ve had the privilege of helping and hearing the stories of the immigrants that struggle so hard to live in a free world to provide for themselves and their families. I’ve seen things fail as a result of poor communication and I’ve seen the light in the eyes of someone who finally understood the possibility of reaching success due to the proper understanding.
For now, hasta luego…... And please visit my website at:
www.accuratetranslating.net
Follow me on Twitter: @ItransL8
Email me at: Accentabsent@gmail.com
Ibis Sardinas,
Translator, Interpreter
Accurate Translating and Accent Absent
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