Canan ve Nurişah: Azim, Mücadele ve Umudu Anlatıyorlar

Trafik kazası nedeniyle felç olan Canan ve annesi Nurişah azmin ve mücadelenin en güzel örneğini verdi. Dirsekleriyle bilgisayar kullanan Canan aranan bir çevirmen, Nurişah'ın ilk romanı listelerde ilk sıralarda. Onlar yaşamlarıyla üzüntü ve çaresizliklerin bile nasıl olumlu sonuçlar verebileceğini ispatladılar.

Latife ŞENCAN    latife_sencan@yahoo.com
Adı, Nurişah Kim... İzmir Kız Lisesi'nden arkadaşım. Birlikte okuduğumuz yıllardan sonra, yollarımızın ayrıldığını sandığım arkadaşım...
Çeşitli yaşanmışlıklardan sonra, yıllardan sonra, 1986'da İzmir'e döndüğümde karşılaştığım bir sınıf arkadaşım sık sık bir araya geldiklerini, istersem benim de katılabileceğimi söylediğinde, Nurişah ile yeniden bir araya geldik.
Evlenmişti... Her zaman renkli, farklı bir kişiliği olan arkadaşımız, yine farklı bir şey yapmış, İzmir'de yaşayan bir Koreli ile evlenmişti... Eşinin sünneti, düğünleri hep basının ilgisini çekmiş, eşinden öğrendiği bir de mesleği olmuştu. Türkiye'nin ilk kadın civciv seksologu...
Artık kardeşlerine de öğrettiği görevi, yeni doğmuş civcivleri tavuk mu horoz mu olacaklarına bakıp cinsiyetlerine göre ayırmak olduğundan, arkadaşım Türkiye'yi dolaşıyor, o arada büyümekte olan iki kızıyla mutlu mesut yaşıyordu.
Taaa ki 1993 Eylül'üne kadar... O yıl büyük kızı Canan Kim'in Çeşme'de geçirdiği bir trafik kazasıyla hayatları altüst olmuştu. Sevgili Canan'ın boynu kırılmış, omuriliği zedelenmiş, vücudunun göğüs hizasından aşağısını hissedemez olmuştu.
Hastanede yattıkları 6. 5 ay sonunda, önceki evlerinin koşulları uymadığı için başka bir eve taşınmışlardı. Kızı hastane odasında "Anne ,çok mu kötüyüm? Sen iyi görünmüyorsun" dediğinde, tüm ailesi ve arkadaşlarıyla durumu kabullenip hayatın getirdiklerini yaşayacaklarını kararlaştırmış, isyan etmek yerine koşulları iyileştirmenin yollarını aramaya başlamışlardı.
Dünyalar güzeli, neşeli, hareketli ve akıllı Canan, halkoyunları ekibinde oynuyor, yabancı diller yüksekokulunda okuyordu. Geçirdiği trafik kazasından sonra ilk yıl öğrenciliğini dondurmuş, ertesi yıl okuluna asansör yaptırılarak tekerlekli sandalye ile derslerini daha rahat izleyebilmesi sağlanmıştı.
Hayat Canan'a göre planlanıyor, tüm düzenlemeler ona göre yapılıyordu. Canan, bu koşullarda 1997'de üniversiteden mezun oldu.
Her gün eve gelen fizyoterapist, tıptaki her türlü gelişmeyi umutla uygulatmak, kök hücre nakli için Kore'ye gidiş gelişler, göğüs altından bir santim daha altını hissettiğinde yaşanan mutluluklar....
Durumu kabullenip "Bundan sonra ne yapabilirim?" arayışına girdiğinde elleri ve parmaklarını hareket ettiremese de dirsekleri ile bilgisayar kullanabildiğini keşfetmesi, Canan'ın dünyasını değiştirdi.
Mesleği olan turizmciliği yapamayacaksa da yabancı dil bilgisini kullanabilir, çevirmenlik yapabilirdi. Aradığı yayınevlerinden biri onu kabul etti, çevirileri çok beğenilir olmuştu. Daha sonra Altın Kitaplar Yayınevi ile anlaşmış, 2007'den bu yana başta Stephan King olmak üzere birçok kitabın çevirisini üstlenmişti.
Televizyon haberlerinde Ali Kırca'nın konuğu olduğunda, azmin, mücadelenin en güzel örneği olarak, başka engellilere umut ışığı olmuştu. Engelli olmanın hayattan kopmak anlamına gelmediğini, hayata dahil olarak, meslek sahibi bir kadın olarak dünyaya meydan okunabileceğini göstermişti.
Aradan geçen 17 yıl boyunca kızını hiç yalnız bırakmayan, onun hayatını kolaylaştırmak için elinden gelenin fazlasını yapan ama bu arada kendine vakit ayırmayı da becerebilen, güzelliğinden, bakımından taviz vermeyen, sivil toplum kuruluşlarında çalışmayı sürdüren Nurişah Kim, bir yandan da evde geçirdiği vakitleri farklı konularda yazarak değerlendirdi.
Yazdıkları beğenildikçe teşvik gördü, yüreklendirildi, daha sonra anne ve babasının ısrarlı baskısından kurtulmak için anne ve babasının yaşam öykülerini yazmaya başladı. Aylar, yıllar süren bir çabanın sonunda, romanını bitirdi. Kitabına, "Rumeli'den Anadolu'ya Bir Göçmen Kızı" adını verdi.
Tam da "Benim kitabımı kim yayınlar ki?" diye düşünürken, Altın Kitaplar Yayınevi'nden olumlu yanıt geldi. Sonra her şey hızla gelişti. Kitabı yayınlandı, liste başı oldu, yetmedi, Dan Brown ile Altın Kitaplar'ın ellinci yıl kokteylinde bir araya geldi.
Nurişah Kim, yaşamıyla olumsuzlukların, üzüntülerin, çaresizliğin , yaşanan sıkıntıların bile nasıl olumlu sonuçlar verebileceğini ispatladı. TÜYAP Kitap Fuarı'nda okurlarına kitabını imzalarken, farklı duygular içinde mutluluktan havalara uçuyordu.
Bu özel kadın, geçtiğimiz hafta Konak Kadın Meclisi'nin konuğu oldu. Söyleşi öncesinde kitaplarını imzaladı. Türkan Saylan Kültür Merkezi Benal Nevzat Salonu'nu dolduran izleyicilere arkadaşımı sunarken, gözyaşlarıma engel olamadım. Arkadaşımın yaşam öyküsünü ve felsefesini anlattığı konuşması sırasında da salonda duygusal anlar yaşandı.
Her anne çok özel... Her anne çocuğu için her türlü fedakarlığı yapmaya hazır... Her anne dünyanın en güzeli, en akıllısı, en eşi benzeri olmayanı... Ama her anne Nurişah Kim değil...
Seni seviyorum arkadaşım...
* Latife Şencan, Sosyolog
Kaynak

How Does the Economic Crisis Affect the Translation Business?

Currently, the world is experiencing an economic and financial crisis of proportions not seen since the Great Depression in the 1930s. While all sectors of the economy are affected, some suffer more serious blows than others, depending on their capital needs and their susceptibility to business and consumer behaviour. The translation sector is suffering a decline in volume and worse may be to come, but its fundamentals are sound.

The good news for translators is that their sector is, by its very nature, in a strong position to weather the economic storms and to emerge relatively unscathed. There are two main reasons for this.

Firstly, translation is a labour-intensive rather than capital-intensive business. To keep the basic translation processes going, translators need very little in the way of operational investment or overhead compared with a host of other industries. This means their dependence on banks and other financial service providers is extremely small – which is a reassuring thought given the current hesitance or indeed inability of many banks to accommodate those that depend on them.

Secondly, translations are not generally regarded as luxury products. In times of economic hardship, businesses and private consumers alike can be expected to economise on items or services they can do without, and to postpone purchases or acquisitions that are not crucial to their short-term survival or well-being. In most cases however, translations are business necessities that are crucial for effective communication in an international context. A manufacturer that wants to sell its products in China will need to ensure that the Chinese know what it wants to sell and understand their business proposition (and vice versa). And despite the global crisis, globalisation is an ongoing process. Corporations with employees all over the world rely on English as their central language of communication, but they operate in a variety of language areas and will have to translate all their critical correspondence, documentation and publicity accordingly if they really want to engage their employees and customers and keep their business running smoothly. Without translation, business would grind to a halt – and it would not take long for that to happen either.

This is not to say, of course, that the translation industry is immune to the effects of economic crises. Obviously, if companies in other sectors suffer declining business volumes, their need for translations to accompany operational processes will necessarily diminish. At the same time, there will be a negative knock-on effect on orders for non-essential translations. Examples include company brochures, staff schemes and facilities, publicity documents and the like.

Whatever the case may be, however, a company doing business overseas will have to be able to communicate effectively and will, therefore, have a sustained need for basic translation services. The tendency to rely on self-made English will grow, which may suffice at a very basic level of communication but will obviously have to be supplemented by more advanced and professional services for effective communication in formal operational and legal contexts.

In summary, the economic crisis will fuel a shift in emphasis in the translation business, away from non-essential documents and publications towards core business
communications that are operationally vital to enable transactions to take place. Inevitably, this shift will leave its mark on translation agencies’ revenues. How should they respond?

It is often heard in business that people are a company’s most important assets – a cliché voiced in particular by executives when they are in a flattering mood, or in union statements intended to prevent management boards from making unwelcome decisions. But it is completely true – and perhaps even more so in the translation sector than in many other companies. In hard times, the most important thing to bear in mind for a translation agency is that it simply cannot exist without experienced translators. For that reason, any agency whose first reflex in response to declining revenues is to make its translators redundant, is in fact digging its own grave. An ice-cream manufacturer who decides to sell its ice-cream machines in response to a drop in income may be able to buy new equipment once the crisis is over, but experienced professionals are not so easy to find and when they go, they take a part of your company with them.

When figures are falling and the order portfolio is getting thinner, there are all sorts of employment or semi-employment arrangements that can be considered, including freelance contracts, to carry on the relationship with your principal translators even if you can no longer offer them full-time permanent employment in the foreseeable future. Whatever you do, do not sever your ties with your translators, nor suggest that that is what you want to do. Instead, try to find ways of moving your staff on to more flexible types of contract, possibly allowing them, for example, to work for other agencies as well.

About the author
Jeroen Oomen is co-owner of Het Scandinavisch Vertaalbureau, a translation agency in the Netherlands. After having worked for several translation firms in paid employment, he took the plunge in 2004 and incorporated his own company.

About Translatorium Translations
Het Scandinavisch Vertaalbureau, established in the Netherlands in 2004, is a professional translation agency with a primary focus on the Dutch and international business community, and on public and semi-public institutions. Our principal strengths lie in the financial, legal and medical sectors, as well as in commerce, advertising and media. Our client base includes some of the largest corporate enterprises in Europe.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

One third of Ontario courtroom translators fail proficiency tests

One out of three Ontario courtroom translators failed proficiency tests administered by the Ministry of the Attorney-General last year.
Another third did poorly enough that they have been placed on probationary status by the ministry, Paul Burstein, president of the Criminal Lawyers Association, said Monday.
Mr. Burstein said the figures were revealed recently by a ministry witness who was called to testify by Mr. Justice Casey Hill of Ontario Superior Court, who has expressed repeated concerns in the past about the quality of translation in the courts.
The CLA called for an inquiry into the ministry’s response to the problem. It also urged the province to make a concerted effort to locate possible wrongful convictions caused by inadequate courtroom translating.
“They have had five years to fix the problem and all they have managed to do is devise a test that shows their efforts achieved a significant failing grade,” Mr. Burstein said in an interview. “Enough is enough.”
In some jurisdictions with a high immigrant population, such as the Toronto suburb of Peel, interpreters are called to numerous courtrooms on a daily basis. Mr. Burstein said it is critical not just for witnesses to understand questions they are asked, but for defendants to properly instruct their lawyers.
“Ask any defence lawyer who has ever done a trial involving an interpreter and they’ll tell you that it is very common to have a witness give five or six sentences in a foreign language, and somehow the interpreter manages to distill it into three English words,” Mr. Burstein said. “You are not getting the evidence of the witness. What you are getting is a summary that the interpreter has made which may or may not be accurate.”
Mr. Burstein said that 77 of the 225 translators tested by the ministry last June failed outright. “It seems to me the simplest place to start is take the 77 interpreters who failed the test, trace back and find what trials they were on, locate the convictions and … assess whether there may have been a miscarriage of justice,” he said.
The issue came to a head in 2005, when Judge Hill issued a judgment that was critical of translation facilities. Mr. Burstein said the 34 per cent who failed the test have since lost their accreditation; the 31 per cent who did poorly enough that they are conditionally accredited are undergoing further training and being used primarily for less complex cases.
None of 31 new recruits who were among those tested qualified for accreditation, Mr. Burstein said.
Source

WhiteSmoke Revolutionizes English Writing, Editing and Grammar Software

Online writing help, new translation dictionaries enhance distinctive writing software.
(PRWEB) March 13, 2007 -- WhiteSmoke, the best on-line writing software to help businesses to improve their English, announces two new additions to its suite of writing solutions. Top Expert, an online forum that provides quick answers about English from experts in writing. And WhiteSmokes new translation dictionaries cover seventeen different languages. These new features will serve the global business writer by providing strong enhancements to WhiteSmokes distinctive writing software solution.
Both online and mortar-and-brick businesses increasingly find English indispensable. Fortune 500 Companies spend $3 Billion a year to teach employees basic English, according to one recent report. Poor English has even cost the British government almost one-billion pounds-for just one badly written pamphlet. Nearly every business in the global marketplace increasingly relies on written English. Many governments, businesses, and others need to write English well. Increasingly, translation has become important in this writing. WhiteSmoke offers a unique and truly comprehensive software solution.
WhiteSmokes software allows users to achieve perfect English grammar in their writing with English grammar check, English grammar corrector, and English grammar lessons. Users instantly enrich their writing with relevant adjectives, adverbs, and phrases using unique, patented Natural Language Processing technology that allow WhiteSmoke to make context-based suggestions for synonyms and style-enrichment. Its dictionaries provide extensive entries about usage, history, and the subtleties of meaning that other software dictionaries leave out. Its proofreading functions correct grammar and spelling-no matter what software the user has been writing with-but go well beyond that by offering text enrichment, style suggestions, and templates for different writing contexts.
Not all English writing is the same. WhiteSmoke recognizes that the medical writer, business writer, legal writer, and creative writer each needs a different set of solutions. So WhiteSmoke has developed specialized profiles for Medical, Business, Legal, and Creative writing. Over 600 templates provide examples of typical writing for each area. Writing enhancements, synonyms, and style recommendations are geared to the particular writing. The two new features increase the ability of WhiteSmoke to provide context-sensitive assistance.
WhiteSmoke's new Top Expert Forum provides users direct access to top-quality online help for: basic English grammar; English vocabulary, idioms and synonyms; verbs and tenses; and punctuation; among other topics. There are also areas for users to provide each other support and feedback on their own writing, to offer templates to each other, and to share solutions. Users ask specific questions and receive answer from Top Experts in English.
Top Experts are mother-tongue English speakers, including former professional English teachers who know well how to help others with writing. WhiteSmoke employs linguists, former college writing teachers, former high school English teachers and other well-trained professionals to assure that its software and its Top Expert Forums provide the most professional and best English writing help possible.
"English has become the lingua franca of globalization," says Hilla Ovil-Brenner, WhiteSmoke's CEO. "Our software has been designed to help users get their message across effectively. The new Top Expert Forums provide additional support for difficult writing situations, furthering our goal of providing customers with the best English-writing solutions possible."
Even with English as the lingua franca of globalization, translating English into another language correctly could make money for a business. And it costs governments millions of dollars to do. However, getting the words right in a medical setting could save lives. WhiteSmokes new suite of translation dictionaries for seventeen languages continues the companys efforts to bridge global communication. The dictionaries serve as an additional feature to its software.
Globalization has created an explosion of multi-lingual populations all around the world. Translating into different language is complex and time consuming. The new online dictionaries offered by WhiteSmoke to enhance its writing software seeks to alleviate some of these issues. The initial release of the new dictionaries will cover seventeen languages: Arabic, two forms of Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Korean, Polish, European and South American Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. More languages will soon follow.
But the importance of translation goes beyond mere convenience or even money. Researchers at the University of Michigan recently found that medical translation errors have critical consequences, from misunderstandings that can lead to delays in diagnosis or treatment to unnecessary hospitalizations. Health and life could literally be on the line in the field of medical translation. Yet, little attention has been paid to the accuracy of medical translation.
"Poor translation in medical settings could potentially cost health and lives," says Ovil-Brenner. WhiteSmoke's award-winning writing software already has distinctive features to improve medical writing and medical terminology. "Now, with WhiteSmoke's entry into the area of translation dictionaries," continues Ovil-Brenner, "we plan to use our medical writing expertise to help." Its rich English dictionary includes idioms, parts of speech, extensive definitions, and a unique comprehensive explanation of each word that help assure accurate usage.
"Without quality translations of medical documents in the language of their patients, [doctors cannot provide [the best quality care, and patients are at risk for receiving inferior care," says one of the University of Michigan researchers, Dr. Michael Fetters, associate professor of family medicine. The research focused on accurately translating written materials from one language into an equivalent written form in another language. WhiteSmoke's software also focuses on written communication.
While not necessarily life-threatening, good translation is increasingly mission-critical for governments, courts, and businesses. One estimate has various local and national branches of the British government and courts spending as much as 100 Million Pounds a year on translating documents into other languages. WhiteSmoke sees the Top Expert Forum and the new translation dictionaries as important supplements to the legal writing contexts of its current offering as well as to the medical writing support it provides.
Translating from English is business-critical as well. One recent business marketing report noted the importance of effectively translating English web pages. "For global companies, translating their content into other languages can be a time-consuming process that delays the launch of new pages and campaigns," writes Mike Moran for WebProNews. WhiteSmoke's translation dictionaries include a specialized business thesaurus in addition to a standard thesaurus.
In addition to its new translation dictionaries and Top Expert Forum, WhiteSmoke has been offering online English lessons for some time. From short articles on finer points of grammar and punctuation to how-to help on various types of writing (such as letters, business plans, essays, or songs) the online English school" at WhiteSmoke provides users help that goes well beyond grammar checking. The whole package is a bit like consulting a personal tutor online. WhiteSmoke adds new content to its web site nearly every day. Now, the new forum adds true interactivity and personalization to its content, as Top Experts reply to specific writing questions.
All of these innovations grew out of a conversation that Ovil-Brenner, CEO of WhiteSmoke, had with her father. He commented on the poor quality of written English communication among his professional medical colleagues, many of whom spoke English well. Ovil-Brenner decided to find a solution for poor English writing that would be easy to use and really help writers at all levels to improve their English. WhiteSmoke was born from this idea in 2002, and began offering its software early in 2006. It has had great success in selling the software, and many articles have extolled the virtues of the initial product. These new features further WhiteSmokes efforts in the service of improving English writing.
And WhiteSmoke has arrived on the scene just in time. One research study concluded that poor English disturbs the large English-language customer base for outsourced customer services more than a lack of knowledge or poor service. Service companies have started to rely on written English to avoid misunderstandings due to spoken English. WhiteSmokes solutions and the new features help businesses that, like the customer-service industry, are increasingly reliant on written English.
Using WhiteSmoke software while writing and consulting with the Top Expert Forum and the English school" will keep businesses writing the best possible English. The new translation dictionaries help assure that an English word is just the one that the writer meant to use. These new offerings from WhiteSmoke will add important complements to the company's one-click support for medical, business, legal, and creative writing.
http://www.whitesmoke.com
For more information: Amit Greener / 972-54-8138873
Content Sources:
John Devorre (lawyer fined for bad writing)   http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1076428397626
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/02/29/stories/2004022900721600.htm
China crackdown on bad translations   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16783677/   http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06290/730579-294.stm
Fortune 500 spend $3billion   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10004296/   
India-Pilots sent home   http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/pilots-sent-home-due-to-bad-english/2007/02/16/1171405407787.html   
customer service companies moving to English writing   http://www.netreflector.com/company/pr.asp?p=20060501   
British pamphlet cost nearly 1 billion pounds   http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1996860,00.html 
Medical translation problems   http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=3163   
# # #

How to Find Translation Work

Freelance translators should realize more clients are looking for experts in specialized subjects, so you may want to develop a niche

I've been a freelance translator since I graduated from university in 2004, but I'm having difficulty finding new opportunities. What new methods can I use to find more jobs? —N.A., Cairo, Egypt
For a self-employed person, the ideal situation is for you to become the "go-to" professional for translation agencies and corporate clients who have regular translation work that they outsource. Once you prove yourself available, reasonable, and reliable, and make key corporate contacts, you'll be able to decide how much—or how little—you want to work.
"The good news is that translation is a global industry, and one that is constantly growing," says Nataly Kelly, an author and a senior analyst at business globalization and language services research firm Common Sense Advisory. Her firm predicts that the language services market will hit $24 billion by 2012.
Increasingly, translation agencies and end clients seek specialized subject-matter expertise, so if you don't have a niche you may want to develop one. "Literary translation is very different from technical translation, and translating business marketing materials is completely unlike translating legal or medical documents, such as informed consent forms. Highlighting your unique skills and experience is essential to differentiating your services from those of other translators," Kelly says.
If you are new or little known in the industry, it might help if you offer some free translation work, or volunteer as a translator for charitable group, says Susanne Evens, of AAA Translation in St. Louis. "Free translation work helps you gain experience and exposure, which you can use in your résumé," she notes. Build a credible Web site (BusinessWeek.com, 6/9/08) if you don't already have one. It should list some recent projects and client testimonials if you can get permission to use them. "Include downloadable samples of your work, but if you use actual projects as samples, be sure to redact any of your clients' identifying information before posting," Kelly says.
Send translation companies your résumé and Web site information. Your résumé should be free of spelling errors and include three references and a translation sample, Evens suggests. If you list all of your specialized skills and areas of interest—even hobbies—that may catch the eye of someone looking for a specialist, Kelly says.
Finally, get registered with the American Translators Assn., and sign up for projects at online translation boards such a www.ProZ.com, www.elance.com, www.TranslationDirectory.com, and www.translatorscafe.com, Evens says. Keep in touch with the industry by reading language translation magazines such as www.multilingual.com and www.translations-news.com.
Where you live determines how much you will earn. Translators in Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, and the U.S. earn the most, Kelly says, while those in Bulgaria, China, and Moldova earn the least. Stats from Common Sense Advisory show that translators based in Egypt earn around $20,000 annually, Kelly says.
Karen E. Klein is a Los Angeles-based writer who covers entrepreneurship and small-business issues.

Translator Volunteers, 'Angels' Come to Quake-Hit Yushu

After Yushu was hit by an earthquake on April 14, the Communist Youth League Committee of Sichuan province recruited 100 Chinese-Tibetan translator volunteers as soon as possible to participate in the rescue work in quake-hit area.

On the night of April 15, those translator volunteers had been sent to hospitals to take the jobs of translating, accompanying and transferring the wounded.

Most of those volunteers are students of Southwest University for Nationalities, and they can communicate well with the wounded. For some student volunteers, their home is Yushu, but they swallowed their grief and contributed their best just like angels.


Sözlük


A volunteer (L) from the quake-hit Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture interprets for the doctor at the 1st affiliated hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi'an, northwest China's Shannxi province, April 18, 2010. Many volunteers of the Tibetan ethnic group supplied oral interpretation service in hospitals in Xi'an, where injured people from the quake-hit Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Qinghai Province are treated. (Xinhua/Hou Zhi)


By People's Daily Online

Jibbigo Announces English to Chinese Speech Translation App on iPhone

Software runs on iPhone with no dependency on Google servers
Jibbigo, the world's first and leading speech-to-speech translation app, will release its English/Chinese version for the iPhone 3GS and 2nd generation iTouch on April 19.
Jibbigo, because it relies on software that resides completely on the device, enables transparent communication across cultures by voice without the need for data links to a large network server.  Threats such as the potential shutdown of Google over censorship claims in China illustrate the flaws in dependence on a large network server for all communication.  Jibbigo is bi-directional, and accepts English or Chinese speech and speaks out a translation in the other.
"Jibbigo runs on your iPhone without the need for a network server.  You can converse with your Chinese partners without the worry, cost or dependency on data links or large network servers," said Dr. Alex Waibel, founder of Jibbigo.
Jibbigo is a product of Mobile Technologies, a start-up founded by Dr. Waibel, a Carnegie Mellon University professor. The English/Japanese version of Jibbigo quickly became the number-one grossing app in Japan and the most downloaded travel application at the iTunes Japan store when it launched in January. Jibbigo is also available in an English/Spanish version and the company is working on additional languages.
"One of our main goals in creating Jibbigo is to make it possible for people to communicate transparently, without barriers," said Dr. Waibel. "With this release of Jibbigo, English and Chinese speakers will be able to converse, in real time, in their own languages, simply by using an app. No Internet connection will be required." Jibbigo also offers a dictionary, features for correction, and new name entry.
At the heart of Jibbigo is bi-directional, natural speech-to-speech translation software that lets speakers of two languages converse in their own spoken languages. Jibbigo is not a dictionary or a phrase book, but a speech translator: One person speaks a sentence naturally in English or Chinese into Jibbigo, and Jibbigo speaks the sentence aloud in the other language, much like a personal human interpreter would.  Jibbigo also shows the recognition and translation as text on the app screen.  Chinese text is shown in Chinese and/or Roman characters. This allows Western users to play back the Chinese speech but also see how the Chinese characters are pronounced.
About Jibbigo
Jibbigo is a product of Mobile Technologies, a start-up founded by Carnegie Mellon University professor Dr. Alex Waibel. The mission of Jibbigo and Mobile Technologies is to eliminate language and translation barriers around the world that limit transparency in communication.  The company maintains a strong research partnership with the International Center for Advanced Communication Technologies, at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley and at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.  Jibbigo is currently available at the Apple iTunes store for the iPhone 3GS and late generation iTouch in English/Spanish, English/Japanese and English/Chinese.
SOURCE Jibbigo

Google Translator Toolkit: Artıları ve Eksileri


Haberi henüz olmayanlar için tekrar hatırlatalım.. Google, çevirmenlerin ve çeviri sektörünün geleceğini kökünden değiştirebilecek Google Translator Toolkit adında bir arayüz (API) geliştirdi.. Milyonlarca çevirmen artık çevirilerini aynı workbench üzerinde yapacak ve katrilyonlarca çeviri birimi yaratılacak! Bu arayüz crowdsourcing olarak adlandırılabilecek sistemin en kapsamlı örneği yanılmıyorsam.
Devrim niteliğindeki bu arayüz, akıllıca kullanabilen tercümanlar için çok büyük katma değer yaratabilecek nitelikte yenilikler getiriyor ve bu yeniliklere sürekli ilaveler yapılıyor! SDL Trados ile tanışanlar bu aracı çok hızlı çözecektir ancak bu yazıda bilmeyenler için bu aracı kısaca anlatıp, artılarına ve eksilerine kısaca değineceğiz.
Aracın tercümanları ilgilendiren en önemli özelliği, TMX ortamında çeviri belleği yükleyip bu belleği yapacağınız (veya mevcut) çevirilerle geliştirebilmenize olanak sağlaması. Çeviri belleği yüklemek için sol tarafta bulunan Translation Memories bölümüne gidip Add butonuna basmanız gerekiyor. Bilgisayarınızda varolan bir TMX dosyayı yükleyebiliyorsunuz. TMX dosya nedir bilmiyorsanız, şuradan (http://jump.fm/NYJTM) göz atabilirsiniz. Bu dosyayı Notepad (Not Defteri) ile açıp düzenleyip kaydedebilir ve Google Translator Kit’e yükleyebilirsiniz deneme olması bakımından. Bu belleği yükledikten sonra sadece buradaki bir cümlenin olduğu bir Word dosyasını arayüze yükleyin çevrilmek üzere.. Bu Word dosyasının daha önce yüklediğiniz TMX çeviri belleğine göre otomatik olarak çevrildiğini göreceksiniz..
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Constitutional Right to an Interpreter Throughout the Proceedings

35 Cal.3d 785 (1984)
677 P.2d 1198
200 Cal. Rptr. 908

THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
MARCELLO MATA AGUILAR, Defendant and Appellant.

Docket No. Crim. 23237.
Supreme Court of California.
April 5, 1984.
787 COUNSEL
Quin Denvir, State Public Defender, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, and Lisa Short, Deputy State Public Defender, for Defendant and Appellant.
George Deukmejian and John K. Van de Kamp, Attorneys General, Robert H. Philibosian, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Arnold O. Overoye, Assistant Attorney General, Robert D. Marshall, Eileen Ceranowski, Eddie T. Keller, Jane N. Kirkland and Karen Ziskind, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
OPINION
REYNOSO, J.
The right of a criminal defendant to an interpreter is based on the fundamental notion that no person should be subjected to a Kafkaesque trial which may result in the loss of freedom and liberty. We granted hearing in this case to determine the scope of interpreter assistance which article I, section 14 of the California Constitution requires be afforded a non-English speaking criminal defendant. The trial court properly appointed an interpreter for the accused, Marcello Mata Aguilar, after observing him and speaking with him at his arraignment. That interpreter, however, became unavailable to the defendant during the testimony of two Spanish speaking prosecution witnesses. Mata Aguilar[1] was convicted by the jury and he challenges that conviction.
Defendant's central contention on appeal is that the trial court's interference with his exclusive access to the interpreter throughout the proceedings deprived him of a constitutional right.
We hold that article I, section 14, requires that when an interpreter is appointed for a non-English speaking accused, the accused has a constitutional right to the assistance of the interpreter throughout the entire proceeding. Accordingly, we find constitutional error in the proceedings below.

788 1. How the Problem Arose

On July 21, 1981, an altercation occurred between two farmworkers employed by Alfred Orosco Ramirez, a Sutter County labor contractor. The two employees, Jose Chaidez and Marcello Mata Aguilar both lived at the nearby labor camp. As the argument between the two Spanish speaking employees became heated, a crowd of fellow employees gathered. The argument escalated into a physical confrontation. Chaidez, the ultimate victim in this case, was the aggressor. The small crowd, which included Chaidez' son, Jose Aurelio Chaidez, witnessed the events; several persons unsuccessfully attempted to intervene.
Chaidez, who was heavier and taller than Mata Aguilar, delivered several blows to the defendant which caused him to be knocked down. Chaidez then picked up a large stick approximately 30 inches long and threatened and yelled at defendant. Frightened and in pain, defendant got up and retreated to his nearby sleeping quarters where he retrieved his rifle which he kept loaded. Defendant emerged from the building and advanced toward Chaidez. As Chaidez dropped the large stick, defendant fired a single shot.
The police arrived shortly thereafter. They ascertained that Chaidez was dead. Police Detective Wilbur Terry located defendant and took him to the sheriff's department to be interviewed. During the interview, Detective Terry learned that defendant could neither read or write Spanish, his native language, nor could he read or write English. He could speak only broken English. After being advised of his constitutional rights, defendant agreed to give the detective a statement.[2] On August 19, 1981, defendant was charged with murder in violation of Penal Code section 187 and use of a firearm within the meaning of Penal Code section 12022.5.[3]
789 At defendant's jury trial, the court appointed an interpreter for him.[4] However, his interpreter was "borrowed" by the court to function as a witness interpreter for the benefit of the court and jury when Jose Aurelio Chaidez and Alfred Orosco Ramirez, two prosecution witnesses, were called to testify against him. Chaidez was the first witness for the prosecution. Because he was Spanish speaking, the prosecution suggested that he would need "the interpreter." Defense counsel, without consulting defendant, acquiesced in the "borrowing" of the interpreter. Chaidez, the only eyewitness other than defendant, testified about the verbal argument that preceded the physical altercation, the actions of his father and defendant prior to the shooting of his father, and defendant's conduct after the shooting. 790 Orosco Ramirez was the last witness called by the prosecution. The court again directed that defendant's interpreter assist the witness in testifying against him. Counsel, again without consulting defendant, acquiesced in this suggestion. Although defense counsel cross-examined Chaidez, no cross-examination of Orosco Ramirez was conducted.

2. The Solution: Constitutional Right to an Interpreter Throughout the Proceedings

a. The Parameters of the Right

(1a) Article I, section 14 of the California Constitution was amended in 1974 by vote of the electorate to provide that "[a] person unable to understand English who is charged with a crime has a right to an interpreter throughout the proceedings." (Italics added.) The trial court correctly appointed an interpreter for Mata Aguilar, thus complying with the portion of the Constitution which guarantees that an interpreter be provided. However, the trial court failed to follow the last three words of the constitutional provision — "throughout the proceedings" — when it deprived Mata Aguilar of that right by using his interpreter to translate for the prosecution's witnesses. California's Constitution does not provide a half measure of protection. Rather, it requires that when an interpreter is appointed for a criminal defendant, that interpreter must be provided to aid the accused during the whole course of the proceedings.
(2) Interpreters play three different but essential roles in criminal proceedings: "(1) They make the questioning of a non-English-speaking witness possible; (2) they facilitate the non-English-speaking defendant's understanding of the colloquy between the attorneys, the witness, and the judge; and (3) they enable the non-English speaking defendant and his English-speaking attorney to communicate ... an interpreter performing the first service will be called a `witness interpreter,' one performing the second service, a `proceedings interpreter,' and one performing the third service a `defense interpreter.'" (Chang & Araujo, Interpreters for the Defense: Due Process for the Non-English-Speaking Defendant (1975) 63 Cal.L.Rev. 801, 802; hereinafter cited as Chang & Araujo.) While the three roles are interrelated they are distinct.
The defendant's right to understand the instructions and rulings of the judge, the questions and objections of defense counsel and the prosecution, as well as the testimony of the witnesses is a continuous one. At moments crucial to the defense — when evidentiary rulings and jury instructions are given by the court, when damaging testimony is being introduced — the non-English speaking defendant who is denied the assistance of an interpreter, 791 is unable to communicate with the court or with counsel and is unable to understand and participate in the proceedings which hold the key to freedom.[5] (1b) Thus, the "borrowing" of the interpreter, the accused's only means of communicating with defense counsel and understanding the proceedings, was a denial of a constitutional right.[6]
Our conclusion finds support in recent Court of Appeal rulings. People v. Chavez (1981) 124 Cal. App.3d 215 [177 Cal. Rptr. 306], held that a non-English speaking criminal defendant had been denied his constitutional right to receive interpreter assistance throughout the proceedings. The defendant was wholly without an interpreter during portions of the preliminary proceedings dealing with his competence to stand trial. In Chavez, defense counsel acted as an interpreter when Chavez was arraigned (Id., at p. 221); a court-appointed official interpreter was provided for the entry of the plea[7] (Id., at pp. 222-223); and an unofficial interpreter was provided for part of the sentencing process.[8] The Court of Appeal noted that prior to the 1974 amendment of article I, section 14, an interpreter was only required wherever it was "necessary" as a matter of due process. (See People v. Annett (1967) 251 Cal. App.2d 858, 861-862 [59 Cal. Rptr. 888].) The court went on to note, however, that "Article I, Section 14, now grants a non-English-speaking defendant the distinct right to an interpreter `throughout the proceedings.'" (People v. Chavez, supra, 124 Cal. App.3d at p. 221.) Accordingly, the court found constitutional error in the trial court proceedings.
792 Recently, in People v. Menchaca (1983) 146 Cal. App.3d 1019 [194 Cal. Rptr. 691], the Court of Appeal found, "nothing short of a sworn interpreter at defendant's elbow," will satisfy the article I, section 14 guarantee to an interpreter throughout the proceedings. (Id. at p. 1025.) That case involved a Spanish speaking criminal defendant who was illiterate and neither spoke nor understood English. Like defendant Mata Aguilar, Menchaca was initially provided with an interpreter but the interpreter was removed during the testimony of a prosecution witness.[9]
In concluding that a constitutional error had occurred, the Menchaca court took judicial notice that when an interpreter is utilized at trial, the interpreter and the witness speak to each other at relatively close range. The court stated, "Under such circumstances, it cannot be assumed a defendant clearly hears and understands the question and answer exchange in Spanish." (Id. at p. 1024.) The court observed that even if the defendant could understand the answers of the witness, it was not established that the defendant understood the testimony because, "[w]ithout a clear understanding of the questions, such testimony is essentially meaningless." (Ibid., italics added.) Finally, the court mentioned that when acting as a witness interpreter, the same interpreter could not provide the defendant with translation of other integral parts of the proceedings, such as the open-court colloquy between bench and counsel and the rulings of the court. (Id. at p. 1025.) These concerns, of course, are equally applicable to the case at bench.
We find persuasive discussion in federal case law. One such case addresses the issue of interpreter assistance principally in terms of the right of confrontation under the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution. In U.S. ex. rel. Negron v. New York (2d Cir.1970) 434 F.2d 386, the appellate court found constitutional error in the failure of the trial court to provide a Spanish speaking defendant with an interpreter notwithstanding the fact that a prosecution interpreter provided the accused with periodic summaries of the proceedings. "The least we can require is that a court, put on notice of a defendant's severe language difficulty, make unmistakably clear to him that he has a right to have a competent translator to assist him, at state expense if need be, throughout his trial." (Id. at pp. 390-391, italics added.) There, the defendant was unable to communicate with his counsel without the use of an interpreter. The single interpreter provided by the court was used primarily to interpret the testimony of the Spanish speaking witnesses for the court and jury. Negron's contacts with counsel through the interpreter were few. The concern of the district court in Negron is instructive: "[i]n order to afford Negron his right to confrontation, it was 793 necessary under the circumstances that he be provided with a simultaneous translation of what was being said for the purpose of communicating with his attorney to enable the latter to effectively cross-examine those English-speaking witnesses to test their credibility, their memory and their accuracy of observation in light of Negron's version of the facts." (310 F. Supp. 1304, 1307 (E.D.N.Y.) affd., 434 F.2d 386.)
In affirming the granting of Negron's habeas corpus petition, the Second Circuit went beyond the right of confrontation, "... the right that was denied Negron seems to us even more consequential than the right of confrontation. Considerations of fairness, the integrity of the fact-finding process, and the potency of our adversary system of justice forbid that the state should prosecute a defendant who is not present at his own trial, [citation omitted], ... [a]nd it is equally imperative that every criminal defendant — if the right to be present is to have meaning — possess `sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding.'" (434 F.2d at p. 389.)
(3) The Judicial Council has recognized that under circumstances like that at bench the appointment of more than a single interpreter is warranted. "An interpreter is needed ... if a party is unable to understand and speak English sufficiently to comprehend the proceedings and to assist counsel in the conduct of the case. Separate interpreters may be needed for each non-English speaking party. An additional interpreter may be needed to interpret witness testimony for the court." (Standards of Judicial Administration, section 18(a), appended to Cal. Rules of Court). Two interpreters were required in this case.
Compelling reasons exist for the appointment of more than one interpreter: "[It] is nearly impossible for one interpreter to translate the testimony of a witness while simultaneously translating and listening to the discussions between defendant and counsel. It is in these circumstances that a defense interpreter is most needed to ensure adequate representation by the defendant's counsel." (Chang & Araujo, at pp. 821-822.) Requiring two interpreters in cases such as the one before us has additional benefits to the criminal justice system because "it is difficult for an interpreter who has worked closely with the defendant and his counsel in the preparation of the defense from the pretrial stage to translate the court proceedings impartially. Finally, a separate defense interpreter would serve to ensure the accuracy of the proceedings and witness interpreters."[10] (Id., at p. 822.)
794 Without an interpreter, the trial is reduced to "a babble of voices" to the defendant. (U.S. ex rel. Negron v. New York, supra, 434 F.2d 386, at p. 388.) Sensitivity toward language difficulties is the hallmark of our multilingual state. This sensitivity has been appropriately elevated to constitutional proportions when the state, through the criminal process, places the life and liberty of the non-English speaker in jeopardy.

b. The Waiver

A reversal is required unless the defendant waived the constitutional right we have described. Was there a valid waiver? (4) We reject the People's contention that consent of defense counsel to the use of Mata Aguilar's interpreter to translate testimony for the benefit of the jury and the court amounted to a waiver of the article I, section 14 right.
There is no indication in the record that defendant voluntarily and intelligently waived his constitutional right. Although prior to 1974, appointment of an interpreter could be waived by failure to request one, this is no longer the case. "The right to an interpreter having since been guaranteed in the Constitution, it may not validly be waived without an `affirmative showing,' on the record, of waiver which was `intelligent and voluntary' on the part of the affected defendant." (People v. Chavez, supra, 124 Cal. App.3d 215, 227.) We agree and thus we hold that a personal waiver by the defendant was required. The mere acquiescence by counsel did not waive the right to interpreter assistance.
Further, the record does not support a conclusion that defendant knew he had a right to an interpreter throughout the proceedings. The issue of knowledge of the right to an interpreter was addressed by the Second Circuit in Negron, in which the court stated, "Simply to recall the classic definition of a waiver — `an intentional relinquishment or abandonment of a known right,' Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U.S. 458 [parallel citations omitted] (1938) — is a sufficient answer to the government's suggestion that Negron waived any fundamental right by his passive acquiescence in the grinding of the judicial machinery and his failure to affirmatively assert the right. For all that appears, Negron, who was clearly unaccustomed to asserting `personal rights' against the authority of the judicial arm of the state, may well not have had the slightest notion that he had any `rights' or any `privilege' to assert them." (434 F.2d at p. 390.) Similarly, Mata Aguilar's inaction in demanding his personal right did not result in a waiver.
795 There is no indication in the record that defendant made a voluntary and intentional waiver. An exchange took place — entirely in English — between the court, the prosecutor, the interpreter, and defense counsel. The defendant was excluded.[11] This conversation, being a "babble of voices" to the defendant, cannot be held to amount to a waiver by him of his right to an interpreter.
In the ethnic richness of California, a multiplicity of languages has been nurtured. Historically, many peoples speaking diverse tongues have formed large portions of our population. The people of this state, through the clear and express terms of their Constitution, require that all persons tried in a California court understand what is happening about them, for them, and against them. Who would have it otherwise?
The judgment is reversed.
Bird, C.J., Kaus, J., Broussard, J., and Grodin, J., concurred.
RICHARDSON, J.[*]
I respectfully dissent. Under the circumstances of this case, reversal is not warranted, because defendant has shown neither prejudice nor denial of any constitutional right arising from the procedures utilized by the trial court. The trial court appointed an interpreter for defendant at trial. However, we have not been supplied with any record of the proceedings leading to the appointment so we do not know the basis upon which the request was granted. None of the interesting sociological data provided in footnote 5 (ante, p. 791) is part of the record before us nor is it in any way tied to defendant. What is included in the record amply demonstrates that defendant had sufficient knowledge of the English language to have enabled him to communicate effectively with counsel during the time that the interpreter was being used to interpret for the two prosecution witnesses.
796 After defendant's arrest, he was questioned by Officer Terry. Both the questions put and the answers given were entirely in English. The officer testified at trial that defendant had no difficulty in speaking English and that defendant told him he understood that language well, although defendant's spoken English was "broken." Terry took a statement from defendant in question and answer form during an interview conducted entirely in English. The officer then read the statement to defendant, again in English, and simultaneously recorded his reading and defendant's oral concurrence with the written version of the interview. Finally, defendant signed and dated each page of the written transcription of the interview.
Next, at the time of defendant's arraignment, the record shows that without the use of any interpreter, defendant requested appointment of counsel, entered a plea, and readily answered all questions posed by the court. I also find it significant that the probation report submitted to the court for sentencing purposes revealed that defendant was born in the United States, had an eighth grade education in American schools, and served in the United States military services until his honorable discharge.
Finally, the record of the sentencing proceeding recites that "Defendant stated that he understands what the Court is saying and does not request an interpreter." Defendant then personally and readily responded in English to questions from the court regarding his right to appeal and his obligation to file a notice of appeal on his own behalf should his attorney not do so.
The California Constitution declares that "A person unable to understand English who is charged with a crime has a right to an interpreter throughout the proceedings." (Art. I, § 14.) Defendant here selectively utilized the services of an interpreter and the record reflects that in those instances where he functioned without such services he was able to understand and to make himself understood in the English language. The appointment of an interpreter was a laudatory safeguard to assure the highest comprehension by defendant during the trial. However, in view of defendant's demonstrated understanding of English and the lack of any specific assertion that he unsuccessfully attempted to communicate with counsel, a reversal of his conviction is not required. There is no indication in this record that defendant was unable to hear and understand the questions or answers during the relevant examinations, or that he asked to speak to counsel and was unable to do so, or that he requested repetition of any testimony, or that, in any other manner, he felt constrained, isolated, or asea in "a babble of voices" while the interpreter translated for the witnesses. Article I, section 14, is violated only when interpreters are denied "a person unable to understand English."
797 Moreover, I think it is arguable that defendant, through his counsel, knowingly waived his right to the services of a second interpreter during the period in which the first interpreter assisted the witnesses.
In summary, defendant has not demonstrated that he was denied any constitutional rights by the procedures followed here. I would affirm the judgment of conviction.
Mosk, J., concurred.
Respondent's petition for a rehearing was denied May 24, 1984. Mosk, J., and Lucas, J., were of the opinion that the petition should be granted.
[1] The record is unclear regarding the defendant's surname — whether it is Mata or Aguilar. In the face of such uncertainty the use of both names is proper.
[2] At trial, Detective Terry testified that Mata Aguilar did not have difficulty understanding English, although he did have difficulty speaking English. Defendant on the other hand, testified that he understood "very little" English and that he was able to understand Detective Terry because he explained and read everything to him.
There is a vast difference between the stationhouse and the courtroom in terms of defendant's ability to use and understand English. Detective Terry, we assume, had ample time to assure by measured tone of voice and repetition that defendant understood him. In contrast, a trial is a formal proceeding. The trial court, having the advantage of observing and listening to defendant in that setting, concluded that the defendant was in need of an interpreter and thus appointed the interpreter for the defendant. It is this conclusion, by the trial court, as we discuss in the text, and not the extrajudicial conclusion of Detective Terry, which forms the basis for this appeal.
[3] It is unclear from the record whether the interpreter actually assisted the defendant during the jury selection process.
[4] The trial court, as we have noted, determined that defendant needed the assistance of an interpreter. The dissent disregards that factual conclusion. Rather, it makes an independent determination based on the testimony of Detective Terry which we have noted. In addition, the dissent points to defendant's personal history and two phases of the proceedings (the arraignment and sentencing phases) to demonstrate that Mata Aguilar understood English well.
While the record shows that defendant understood and spoke limited English, nothing in the record negates the correctness of the order appointing an interpreter.
On the basis of what little personal information we have about defendant, the dissent's inference is unwarranted. Defendant was born in Brownsville, Texas, a border community that is and has been 85 to 90 percent Spanish speaking. (Hansen, The Border Economy: Regional Development in the Southwest (1981) University of Texas Press, pp. 15, 143.)
Mata Aguilar, age 54 at the time of trial, apparently completed his eighth grade education at a time when the segregation of Mexican American children into separate schools was the practice in California and throughout the Southwest. (Mexican Americans and the Desegregation of Schools in the Southwest (1971) 8 Houston L.Rev. 929, 940.)
As late as 1930, a Texas school district succeeded in defending its practice of separate schools for Mexican American children on the basis of the children's language deficiencies. (Independent School District v. Salvatierra (Tex.Civ.App. 1930) 33 S.W.2d 790.) In California, the segregation of Mexican American school children on the grounds of language deficiencies was not declared unconstitutional until 1946. (Mendez v. Westminster School District (S.D.Cal. 1946) 64 F. Supp. 544; affd., 161 F.2d 774 (9th Cir.1947).) In declaring the practice unconstitutional, the federal district court in Westminster noted that "[t]he evidence clearly shows that Spanish-speaking children are retarded in learning English by lack of exposure to its use because of segregation." (64 F. Supp. at p. 549.)
Defendant's military record does not compel the conclusion that he could understand English well. Defendant served in the United States Army between 1948 and 1951, a period when there were no English language requirements for service. We do not know whether defendant volunteered for service or was inducted. Although the ability to speak and understand English was a requirement for voluntary enlistment in 1938 (10 C.F.R. § 71.2, subd. (b) (1938 ed.)), that requirement was eliminated in 1939 and was not reinstated during the time that Mata Aguilar was in the Army. The regulations under the Selective Service Act of 1948, similarly, do not list English speaking ability as a requirement for induction. (32 C.F.R. pt. 16 (1949 ed.)) Furthermore, Army units comprised primarily of Spanish speaking G.I.s were common at the time, and there was at least one Company, from Texas, made up of entirely Spanish speaking soldiers, many of whom spoke only limited English. (Morin, Among the Valiant: Mexican Americans in World War II and Korea (1966) Borden Publishing Co., pp. 59-60.)
Finally, since age 11 defendant has been a seasonal farmworker. The activity giving rise to his conviction took place in a migrant farm labor camp in 1981. He was among Spanish speaking workers. We may judicially notice that the migrant stream of farm workers in the Southwest is predominantly Spanish speaking.
[5] The record is silent as to the Spanish speaking ability of counsel for defendant. Assuming counsel did speak Spanish, defendant's constitutional right would not be vitiated. Were we to conclude otherwise, bilingual counsel would be seriously disadvantaged at trial. As noted by one commentary, the bilingual attorney would be "in the undesirable position of translating the proceedings to the defendant while at the same time attempting to formulate and discuss strategy and tactics." (Chang & Araujo, at p. 822.)
[6] The People's argument itself demonstrates the importance of guaranteeing continuous translation assistance for a defendant. As is discussed in the body of the opinion; the People contend that Aguilar waived his article I, section 14 right. The very interchange that produced the purported waiver involved the court, the prosecutor, the interpreter and defense counsel. This conversation was entirely in English. The fact that the prosecution attempts to use an all English conversation in such a harmful way against defendant, underscores the importance of guaranteeing a non-English-speaking defendant the assistance of an interpreter during the whole course of the proceedings. It also demonstrates the necessity of requiring personal waiver of the right to an interpreter.
[7] An additional problem presented in Chavez was that the defendant received only paraphrased summaries of the questions and comments of the court during the plea proceedings. The proceedings were not, in fact, translated. Such summaries do not comport to California constitutional requirements. Rather, the usual practice of simultaneous, or ongoing translation (a word, phrase, or sentence at a time) is the accepted and proper procedure. (See People v. Menchaca (1983) 146 Cal. App.3d 1019 [194 Cal. Rptr. 691].)
[8] An employee of the district attorney's office was asked to interpret on this occasion after being identified as the "only interpreter in the building." Defense counsel was purported to have waived the right to an interpreter on the second day of sentencing. As in the case at bench, there was no indication that defendant participated in or agreed to the purported waiver. (Id., 124 Cal. App.3d at pp. 223-224.)
[9] Menchaca, however, also challenged the denial of an interpreter at preliminary proceedings.
[10] Accuracy is required to protect the integrity of the proceedings as well as the defendant's rights. When no defense interpreter is available, it is impossible for the non-English-speaking defendant to check the accuracy or competency of the witness interpreter's translation. This breakdown effectively precludes the defense from challenging or impeaching the interpretation rendered, because objection regarding accuracy of the interpretation must be made below. (People v. Reyes (1976) 62 Cal. App.3d 53, 70 [132 Cal. Rptr. 848].) Moreover, on review, no transcript of the oral proceedings in the translated language exists. Thus, the denial of a defense interpreter represents a singularly unchecked aspect of our criminal justice system.
[11] The transcript of the trial shows the following:
"MR. H. TED HANSEN [the prosecutor]: Thank you, your Honor. We'd first call Jose Chaidez. And your Honor, this witness does require the interpreter.
"THE COURT: All right, we'll now swear the interpreter.
"SUSAN INAZETI, the interpreter herein, was sworn to translate English into Spanish and Spanish into English to the best of her ability.
"THE INTERPRETER: Your Honor, he'll [Aguilar] be able to hear the answers and responses and be able to hear the questions of counsel translated into Spanish, too, if there's no objection to counsel as far as attorney-client privilege.
"THE COURT: Thank you. Mr. Norman Hansen, is that agreeable. [Sic.]
"MR. NORMAN HANSEN [defense counsel]: No, your Honor. That was anticipated.
"THE COURT: All right, please swear the witness. Will you step forward, please?"
[*] Retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court sitting under assignment by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council.
Kaynak: http://scholar.google.com.tr/scholar_case?case=15447974759804021620

Tercüme Odası Tekrar Kurulmalıdır

Tercüme Odası Osmanlı Hükümetinin diğer ülkelerle olan yazışmalarını yürüten tercümanların eğitildiği ve görev yaptıkları kurumdu. Tercüme Odası 1821'de kurulmuştur. Fenerli Rum Divan-ı Humayun tercümanlarının 1821 Yunan İsyanında taraf olmaları üzerine Müslüman Osmanlı memurlarına yabancı dil öğretmek için açmıştır.  İlk tercümanı Ahmet Vefik Paşa'nın dedesi olan Yahya Naci Efendi'dir. Daha sonra da Başhoca İshak Efendi kurumun başına getirilmiştir. Tercüme Odası Osmanlı Devleti'nin yıkılışına kadar varlığını sürdürmüştür. Tanzimat'ın devlet adamları ve bazı aydınların (Ali Paşa, Fuad Paşa, Ahmet Vefik Paşa, Namık Kemal) buradan yetişmiştir. (Kaynak: http://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terc%C3%BCme_Odas%C4%B1)
Bazılarının, 'Nereden çıktı şimdi bu?' dediklerini duyar gibiyim, ancak ağır aksak giden muasırlaşma çabamızın önündeki en büyük engellerden biri her türlü bilgiden ve bilgi kaynağından hala fersah fersah uzak oluşumuzdur. Üstelik de bu internet devrinde!
Bu Oda eskiden daha çok diplomatik yazışmaların/görüşmelerin çevrilmesi maksadıyla kullanılmış. Bir okul görevi görüp, çok da kalburüstü şahsiyet yetiştirmiş.
Şu anda tüm devlet birimlerimizde eski Tercüme Odasının görevlerini ifa eden birçok şube var sanırım, ancak yeniden kurulması gereken Tercüme Odası eskisinden biraz farklı olmalı ve Türkiye'nin dünyadaki yeniliklerden daha hızlı haberdar olmasını sağlamalıdır. Yeni Tercüme Odası, ülkemizin uluslararası arenada öne çıkmak istediği alanlarda referans kitap, eser, makale ve yazıları Türkçeleştirmelidir. Örneğin ülkemiz madencilik, tarım, bilişim, tıp, mühendislik gibi alanlarda öne çıkmak istiyorsa, Yeni Tercüme Odası da bu doğrultuda yapılandırılmalı ve bu alanlarda ortaya çıkan tüm uluslararası gelişmeler anında takip edilerek Türk diline birçok çeviri eser kazandırılmalıdır. Elbette aslolan bilimi bizim üretmemiz, mühendisliğe bizim yön vermemizdir; ancak elinizde kendi dilinizde neredeyse hiç bilgi birikimi yoksa, bunu yapamazsınız!

Kurulması gereken Yeni Tercüme Odası, ulusal çıkarlarımızla ilgili de çalışmalar yapmalı ve örneğin Ermeni Sorunu, Güneydoğu Sorunu, Kıbrıs Sorunu gibi alanlarda dünya kamuoyunun bilgilenmesini sağlayıcı içerik geliştirmelidir. Devletimizin bu gibi önemli konularda çok açıklarının olduğu aşikar. Üstelik böyle bir Oda, diplomat kalitesinde bir çok uzmanın da Devlet terbiyesiyle yetişmesini sağlayacaktır. Türk Dil Kurumu gibi artık işlevini yitirmiş ve bilim üretmeyen hantal bir yapı yerine Yeni Tercüme Odası kurulmalıdır. Yeni Tercüme Odası birçok uluslararası platformda bir Türkiye Lobisi gibi de hareket edebilir. Dünyanın bir çok yerinde siber suçların önlenmesine yönelik olarak nasıl bir siber polis birimi kurulduysa, aynı şekilde her alanda dünyada meydana gelen değişiklikleri takip etmek için de Yeni Tercüme Odası kurulmalı ve bu Oda yukarıda saydığımız alanlarda güncel içerik üretmelidir.. çünkü İÇERİK KRALDIR! Bu yönde başlatılacak her türlü Türkiye'de tüm çevrelerce alkışla karşılanacak ve ülkemize yepyeni bir dinamiz getirecektir.

Bir Çeviri Harikası: Temel Reis

İhtiyar Delikanlı Temel Reis
5/5/2009 ·Ebru AKKAŞ KUSEYRİ
19.04.2009 tarihli Taraf Pazar Eki'nde yayımlanmıştır.
Sinbad’dan sonra dünyanın en ünlü denizci Temel Reis 80 yaşına bastı. Bu ihtiyar delikanlının yaratıcısı çizer Elzie Crisler Segar’ın ölümünün üzerindense tam 70 yıl geçti. Telif haklarının Avrupa Birliği yasalarına göre 70 yıl korunduğu düşünülürse Temel Reis resmini tişörte, postere, kupaya basmak; karikatür kitabını yayımlamak için artık izin almaya ve telif ödemeye gerek kalmadı. Temel Reis, Kabasakal ve Safinaz, Türk Patent Enstitüsü’ne hem İngilizce hem de Türkçe isimleri ile kayıtlıydı ve izin alındığı takdirde kullanılabiliyordu. Bazılarınızın hatırlayacağı üzere 2004 yılındaki yerel seçimlerde CHP, Temel Reis’ten esinlendiği “Deniz Kaptan'ın Maceraları” propagandasını yürütürken patenti elinde bulunduran Hearts Holding tescilli karakterlerinin izinsiz kullanılması nedeniyle CHP’ye bir ihtarname göndermişti. Resmi web sitesine göre kısa boylu, seyrek saçlı, huysuz ve resmen çirkin olan Popeye nam-ı diğer Temel Reis ilk kez 19 Ocak 1929’da Elzie Crisler Segar’ın Thimble Theater adlı karikatür bandında yayımlandı. Popeye bu köşede kendini ilk kez gösterdiğinde Thimble Theater 10 yılını geride bırakmıştı. Bu karikatür bandının esas karakterleri sıska Safinaz (Olive Oyl), sevgilisi Ham Gravy ve Safinaz’ın müteşebbis ağabeyi Castor Oyl’du. Temel Reis, Segar’ın karikatür bandında ihtiyaç duyduğu konuklardan biriydi. Bu patlak gözlü, pazılı, çapa dövmeli ve pipolu huysuz denizci bir süre sonra Thimble Theater’ın gözde adamı oldu. Segar, tüm dünyada herkesin seveceği bir kahraman yaratmayı başarmıştı. Birçok yazar/çizer yarattığı karakterlerin otobiyografik olduğunu inkâr ederken Segar, Temel Reis için “Tamamen benim duygularımı yansıtan bir kahraman. Ahlaksızları kesmek, birçok insanı da pataklamak isterdim ama hiçbir zaman aklım ve cüssem buna müsaade etmedi. Ben de hayal gücümü kullanıp bu işleri denizcinin yapmasını sağladım,” diyerek samimiyetini göstermişti. Temel Reis, karikatür kahramanı olarak yayımlandıktan dört yıl sonra beyaz perdeye transfer oldu. Karikatürden animasyona geçişte karakterlerin daha basit olması gerekiyordu. Temel Reis, Safinaz’ı lunaparka götürdüğü ilk animasyon macerası “Popeye The Sailor”da Betty Boop ile aynı sahnede kısa da olsa hula dansı yaptı, Kabasakal’ı (Bluto) patakladı. Ağzından düşürmediği piposunun da etkisi ile kendine özgü bir konuşması olan bu kahraman aslında sınırları zorlanana kadar makul tavırlar sergiliyor. Yüksek sesle içinde bulunduğu duruma daha fazla tahammül edemeyeceğini beyan ettikten sonra kaba kuvvete başvuruyor. Üstelik doğaüstü gücünü pek de güzel olduğunu söyleyemeyeceğimiz sevgilisi Safinaz’ı Kabasakal’dan korumak için kullanıyor. Yumruklarını konuşturmasının çocuklar üzerinde olumsuz etkisi yaratacağı endişesi ile Segar’ı uyaran yöneticiler şimdilerde yayımlanan çizgi filmleri görmüş olsalardı kendilerinden utanırlar mıydı bilmem. Doğaüstü Ispanak Temel Reis, karikatür karakteri olduğu dönemde nadiren ıspanak yiyen bir denizci olduğu halde çizgi filmlerde gücünü ıspanaktan alan bir kahramana dönüştü. Safinaz’ın tek rakibi ise ıspanaktı. Ispanağın çizgi filmdeki diğer karakterler üzerindeki etkisi de aynı oldu. Mesela bir bölümde boğa tarafında kovalanan Temel Reis’in yardımına bahçesindeki ıspanakları yiyen bir köstebek koşar ve boğayı kuyruğundan tuttuğu gibi alt eder. Çünkü ıspanak doğaüstü güçleri olan bir sebzedir! Temel Reis çizgi filmleri yayımlanmaya başladıktan sonra Birleşik Amerika’da ıspanak tüketiminin arttığını dönemin üreticileri ve rakamları söylüyor. Hatta bir şehir efsanesine göre Segar, ıspanak tüketimini artırmak için hükümetle işbirliği yapmıştı. Çocukların beslenme alışkanlığı üzerindeki olumlu etkisi inkâr edilmeyecek bu kahraman, ıspanak üreticilerinin gelirlerinde artış sağladı. O kadar ki 1937 yılında Teksas’ın ıspanak başkenti olarak bilinen Crystal City’de üreticiler Segar ve Temel Reis’i onurlandırmak için bir Temel Reis heykeli diktiler. Böylece Temel Reis heykeli dikilen ilk çizgi film kahramanı oldu. Demir deposu olarak bilinen ıspanağın tahtı 1981 yılında British Medical Journal’da T.J. Hamblin tarafından yayımlanan bir makale ile sarsılsa da Temel Reis dünyanın en sağlıklı çizgi film kahramanları arasında yer almaya devam ediyor. Hamblin, bu makalesinde ıspanağın aslında içerdikleri için değil bir virgül hatası yüzünden demir deposu olarak bilindiğini yazmıştı. Elzie Segar’ın 1938 yılındaki erken ölümünün ardından Popeye patentine sahip olan King Features, Thimble Theather bandının devam etmesi için aralarında Segar’ın asistanı Bud Sagendorf’un da bulunduğu birçok çizerle çalıştı. Uzun soluklu bir band olarak varlık gösteren Thimble Theatre’ın adı “Thimble Theatre Starring Popeye” en sonunda da “Popeye” olarak değiştirildi. Popeye ülkemizdeki nadir çeviri harikalarından biri olan Temel Reis adıyla tanındı. Olive Oyl Safinaz; Bluto ise Kabasakal olup çıktı. Bu muhteşem çevirileri kimin yaptığı bilgisine maalesef ulaşamadım. Madem kimin çevirdiğini bulamadım bari televizyonda yayımlanırken kimler tarafından seslendirilmiş onu yazayım dedim; bu sefer de TRT’den bir yanıt alamadım. Sadece Temel Reis’i tiyatrocu Ertan Savaşçı’nın seslendirdiğini teyit edebildim. Temel Reis, oyuncakları ve konservesi ile ticari mala dönüşen ilk çizgi film kahramanlarından biri oldu. 1930’lu yıllarda çizgi roman kültürü etkili olduğu için neredeyse dönemin tüm çizgi roman kahramanlarının oyuncakları yapıldı. Temel Reis’in bu dönemlerde üretilen oyuncakları, koleksiyon meraklılarının peşine düştüğü nadide bir parçaya dönüştü. Müzelerin de en değerli parçalarından biri oldu. Ne şanslıyız ki birçok oyuncak müzesine nasip olmayacak kadar çok Temel Reis oyuncağı İstanbul Oyuncak Müzesi’nde sergileniyor. Müzenin koleksiyonunda biri bebek dördü teneke olmak üzere 5 adet Temel Reis oyuncağı yer alıyor. Temel Reis bebeği müzenin en nadide parçalardan bir tanesi. Teneke oyuncaklarda ise Temel Reis marifetlerini sergilemeye devam ediyor; bir tankı kaldırıyor, kuş kafeslerini taşıyor, pilotluk yapıyor. Asıl vurucu oyuncak ise müzenin “Yabancı Oyuncaklarda Türkiye İmajı” altında sergilenen Temel Reis’in el arabası ile bir valizi taşıdı oyuncak. Temel Reis’in taşıdığı valizin üstünde 3 etiket var; birinde Asia, diğerinde China ve en sonuncusunda Turkey yazılı. Meraklıları İstanbul Oyuncak Müzesi’ni ziyaret edebilir. Temel Reis, dünyanın en sevilen çizgi kahramanlarından biri olmaya devam ediyor. Temel Reis var oldukça ıspanağın nelere kadir olduğunu hep beraber göreceğiz.
Kaynak: http://yokyokulke.blogcu.com/ihtiyar-delikanli-temel-reis/5460681

Serbest Çevirmen Kontrol Listesi

__Sunduğum hizmetlerle ilgili bir pazarlama planım var.
__Emeğim karşılığında elde ettiğim gelirden memnunum.
__İşlerim genellikle eski müşterilerimden geliyor.
__Üç veya daha fazla düzenli müşterim var.
__Fiyat listemi telefonun/bilgisayarın yanında bulunduruyorum.
__Elimin altında gönderilmeye hazır güncel bir özgeçmişim var.
__Genellikle elimde istediğim kadar iş olur.
__Müşterilerimden çevirilerimle ilgili görüşlerini istiyorum.
__Çevirilerimin editör kontrolünden geçmiş hallerini görmek istiyorum.
__Gelirlerimi sürekli olarak takip ediyorum.
__Çevirilerimi göndermeden önce yazdırıp son kontrolünü yapıyorum.
__LinkedIn ya da benzer bir web sitesinde profilim var.
__CTA, ATA, Proz vb. sitelerdeki profilimi düzenli olarak güncelliyorum.
__CTA forumları, ATA forumları, ProZ forumları vb. online tartışma.
gruplarına katılıyorum.
__ATA Chronicle, Multilingual veya sektörel dergiler gibi ticari
yayınlarda yazılar yazıyorum.
__Bir web sitem ve/veya blogum var.
__Meslektaşlarıma ve çeviri bürolarına sormak suretiyle çeviri
fiyatlarıyla ilgili objektif verilere sahip oluyorum.
__Farklı çeviri işleri için saatlik ücretimi hesaplıyorum.
__Bölgesel, ulusal ve/veya uluslararası haberleri okuyorum.
__Uzmanlık alanlarımla ilgili sektörlerde çevremi genişletiyorum.
ve/veya hizmetlerimi pazarlıyorum.
__Hedef dildeki yazım becerilerimi aktif biçimde iyileştirmeye çalışıyorum.
__Uzmanlık alanlarımdaki terminoloji bilgimi aktif biçimde
iyileştirmeye çalışıyorum.
__Kamu yararına çeviriler yapıyorum.
__Çeviri dışında, editörlek, redaktörlük, sözlü çeviri, dublaj,
transkripsiyon, özel ders, içerik yazarlığı vb. ilave hizmetler sunuyorum.
__Mümkün olan hallerde, kendi adımın yaptığım çevirilerin üzerinde
bulunmasını istiyorum.
__Bir projeyi çeviremeyecek kadar yoğun olduğumda, müşteriye başka bir
tercüman arkadaşımı tavsiye ediyorum.
__Kredi kartı, havale, çek vb. çeşitli ödeme yöntemlerini kabul ediyorum
__Çok fazla işim olduğunda bile pazarlama çalışmalarına devam ediyorum.
__Bir süredir görüşmediğim müşterilerimle irtibatı koparmıyorum.
__Müşterilerime ve meslektaşlarıma teşekkür belgeleri (kartpostal,
hediye vb.) gönderiyorum.
__Müşterilerimde web siteme, broşürüme vb. koymak üzere tavsiye mektupları
istiyorum.

Kaynak:
http://thoughtsontranslation.com/2010/02/22/a-freelance-best-practices-checklist/


Yazılı ve Sözlü Çevirinin Kavşak Noktası: Sight Translation

Yazılı ve Sözlü Çevirinin Kavşak Noktası: Sight Translation

Dikkat çekmek için belki biraz abartıp “Çevirmenin Ateşle İmtihanı: Sight Translation” gibi bir  başlık da kullanılabilirdi; ancak kavşak noktası tanımı cuk diye oturdu ve daha belirgin bir ifade oldu sanırım sight translation etkinliğinin nerede durduğunu vurgulamak bakımından. Mütercim Tercümanlık ifadesinin kendini belki de en iyi bulduğu alandır sight translation, ya da daha doğru ifadesiyle sight interpreting. Hem yazılı hem de sözlü etki alanlarını içine alması bakımından, çevirinin kavşak noktası da denebilir sight translation için.

Bu yönde çeviri talebinin azlığı nedeniyle şu ana kadar üzerinde çok durmamış olabileceğimiz sight translation, aslında çevirmenler için çok iyi bir tatbikat alanıdır. “Practice makes perfect“ özlü sözünün gereğinin yerine getirilmesi her profesyonel etki alanında olduğu gibi çeviri etki alanında da bir zorunluluktur.  Bu perspektiften bakıldığında, sight translation pratikleri hem mütercim hem de tercüman için zaferle çıkılacak  bir muharebeye giden yoldaki manevra kabiliyetini artırıcı tatbikatlardır.

Çevirinin ne kadar zor bir zanaat olduğundan dem vurmak için çok zaman “Çevirmen doğulur, çevirmen olunmaz“ deriz, ancak eğer bir kişi çevirmen doğmamışsa çevirmen olabilmesinin en hızlı yolu bu kavşaktan geçer; zira bu kavşakta bir mütercim ve bir tercümanın karşılaşabileceği her türlü riski önceden görme şansına sahiptir. Ancak bu kavşakta karşılaşabilir konferans tercümanlığının zorluklarıyla ve yine ancak bu kavşakta görebilir yazılı çevirmenliği gerektirdiği ustalığı..

Ne tarafından tarif edersek edelim, sight translation çevirmenin küçük dünyasının sınırlarının genişletilmesi yönünde tarifi imkansız fırsatlar sunmaktadır. Mütercim tercümanlar hem mükemmellik egosuna ulaşmayı denemek hem de kendini sürekli yenileme adına bir kere de bu imkanlardan yararlanmayı denemelidir. Bu iki nitelik bir çevirmenin olmazsa olmazıdır. Ütopyalar ülkesinde yaşayan mükemmellik sarayına ulaşmaya çalışmak ve  bir de kendini sürekli yenileme gayretinde olmak.. işte bunlar çevirmenin sürekli sığınması gereken son iki kaledir. Çevirmen ara ara bu iki kaleden dışarı çıksa da,  tilkinin dönüp dolaşıp geleceği yer misali, çevirmenin de evirip çevirip günün sonunda büyük bir teselli ve kurtuluş bulacağı sığınaklar bunlardır. Sight translation pratikleri bu sığınaklar şehrinin altın anahtarıdır!

Thoughts and tips on becoming a patent translator

Thoughts and tips on becoming a patent translator ~特許翻訳への道 成功するために~

This article by James Phillips originally appeared in the February 2008 issue of the Tsuyaku-Honyaku Journal. Reprinted with permission.

People that are considering a career in patent translation often seem to have exactly the same questions. In this article I will attempt to answer those questions, give some hints as to how you can study for free, and give some useful advice regarding how to get work once qualified.

The following is a list of questions I am asked most often.

1) Is there a demand for patent translators?
2) Do you think I would make a good patent translator?
3) What is the best way to become a patent translator?
4) Can I really study for free?
5) Should I work in-house, or freelance?
6) How can I get freelance work?

1. Is there a demand for patent translators?
特許翻訳の需要はあるのか?

This question is easy to answer. Yes, there is always a demand for GOOD patent translators. A good translator will usually have the following:

a) An excellent understanding of the source and target languages.
b) A detailed knowledge of the subject being translated.
c) Specialist knowledge relating to how to translate patent specifications.
d) A meticulous approach with regards to quality and deadlines.

If you already have a) and b) then you have an excellent chance of achieving your objectives as c) and d) can be picked up with relative ease (at least compared to a) and b)!). Having a specialist subject that you know inside-out is an enormous advantage. It will make the task of translating much more straightforward and it will also be much easier to sell yourself as a translator. The translation work itself will also be more interesting for you because if you have an in-depth knowledge of the subject it is probably something you like (hopefully!). If you do not have any kind of specialization then it will be more difficult to sell yourself to potential customers and the fees you can command are likely to be lower than a specialist. However, if there is a subject you have a strong interest in that you feel you can pick-up with relative ease, then maybe it will be possible to turn that subject into your specialization.

2. Do you think I would make a good patent translator?
自分は良い翻訳者になれるのか?

All good translators have one thing in common: a willingness to ask questions and to never stop learning. If you have a willingness to learn and preferably some kind of specialist subject then there is every chance that you will be able to become a successful patent translator. You should be aware though that this will require a relatively sustained amount of effort over a reasonable period of time. Like most skills worth having, it is not the kind of skill you can pick up overnight.

3. What is the best way to become a patent translator?
特許翻訳者になるための最良の方法とは何か?

I obviously have a vested interest in this subject as I provide courses in patent translation via my site at horsefrog.com and there is a bewildering array of courses offered by a wide range of translation schools. However, such courses will often serve merely as a springboard for entry into the business, but what approach should then be taken to gaining the right kind of experience that will help you to become a high-quality patent translator? The most common route is to join a patent office or the patent department of a company as a junior translator. When choosing such a job, take care to be sure that you will be tutored in an effective manner by the staff of the company. The level of expertise offered by a patent office or company patent department will often be higher than that offered by a translation agency but you may find that entry is more difficult as a result so a translation agency may also be considered. If, for example, you have already had a career spanning a number of years as an engineer, you may find that you can skip this step altogether and go straight to being a freelancer by making use of your specialty.

4. Can I really study for free?
本当にお金をかけずに勉強できるのか?

Yes, self-training is possible to a certain extent. The big advantage with the Internet is that it provides a wealth of information that can be harvested for the purposes of study. For example, it is possible to search the USPTO for a US patent that has a corresponding Japanese patent and then search the JPO for the equivalent Japanese patent. This will often yield two almost identical documents that can then be used for the purposes of studying. You can also get documents in the exact field you wish to study by searching in a manner corresponding to this field. Detailed instructions of how to do this are provided on the horsefrog.com site. We also run free online patent translation workshops on the horsefrog site once a month where you can have a short translation evaluated for free and we provide free translator level evaluations. Free glossaries and a forum are also provided. The JPO, USPTO, and WIPO sites themselves are also excellent free sources of information regarding patents and how they should be written.

One suggestion I would have if you are studying by yourself though is to be very careful not to study simply by memorizing sentences. A much better approach is to read the document you are intending to translate very carefully, gain a full understanding of the invention first, then translate the document in the manner that you yourself would actually have written the document had you actually been the author. Finally, compare your translation to the actual original document. This will give your translations a much more natural feeling than attempting to translate a document word for word. Joining a translation organization such as JTF or JAT will also enable you to share your experiences with others in the same situation and pick up a great deal of useful information that would otherwise be extremely difficult to acquire. The more enthusiastic amongst you may consider attending the upcoming IJET-19 conference to be held at a beautiful location in Okinawa on April 12th/13th. This will be a particularly valuable opportunity for those new to translation to pick up lots of useful information and will include several presentations on the subject of patent translation.

5. Should I work in-house, or freelance?
インハウスとフリーランス、どちらを選ぶべきか?

This really very much depends on the kind of person you are. If you are a social person that likes to be around other people all the time then you are probably more suited to working in-house. If, on the other hand, you put great value on independence, would love the freedom to make your own schedule as you please and don’t at all mind being by yourself a lot, then freelancing may well seem like heaven to you.

6. How can I get freelance work once I feel I am ready to become a patent translator?
フリーランスで仕事を得るにはどうしたらよいのか?

There are many ways to get work once you feel you are equipped to complete the work effectively. There is, of course, the traditional approach of applying for jobs through the various media. However, a more proactive approach is likely to meet with much more success. For example, make a list of the companies that you would most like to work for (companies that most closely match your field of specialty, for example). Then find some material by the company of your choice (for example, a short section of a patent belonging to that company). Translate the material and send it to the company concerned, together with a letter explaining who you are, what you do, and why you would like to work for that particular company. This approach is much more likely to meet with success and is widely considered by people in the translation business to be the most effective. It naturally involves more effort than the more traditional approaches, but the company can see the quality of your work immediately and is likely to be more interested in somebody who has shown such an obvious interest in their company rather than somebody who has simply sent hundreds of general-looking resumes to lots of different companies.

I hope you have found the content of this article of use. If you have any further questions please feel free to either post them on the horsefrog site or send them to me directly at james@horsefrog.com. I always go to great lengths to answer any questions I receive as soon as possible. In the meantime, good luck to anybody who is considering becoming a patent translator. Maybe I will see you in sunny Okinawa!

Source: http://jat.org/2008/07/18/thoughts-and-tips-on-becoming-a-patent-translator/#more-213