NYU SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES CENTER FOR PUBLISHING & APPLIED LIBERAL ARTS CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS (PALA/CE)

Continuing Education Programs in Publishing, the Humanities, Arts, Producing, Design, Writing, and Translation.

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MS in Translation & Interpreting Faculty Member Barbara Inge Karsch Publishes ATA Chronicle Article on the Formation of New Terminology by Translators

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In a recent article for the American Translators Association’s ATA Chronicle, “Creating New Terminology: Do Translators Really Do This?,” MS in Translation & Interpreting (MSTI) instructor Barbara Inge Karsch identifies situations in which translators might develop terminology to represent new concepts. Karsch, who teaches Theory & Practice of Terminology and Terminology Management, is one of the language experts convened by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to create standards and frameworks to anchor the process of term formation. 

“One of the primary goals of technical material is to pass on information to a user. A large component of technical texts are terms and names (designations). Indeed, terms and names are the main carriers of information, as they’re the representations of concepts covered by the text.

If we invent terms and names randomly, chances are nobody will understand the concepts behind them. Communication will be inhibited or not occur. If we form terminology with a systematic approach, a larger percentage of readers will grasp the concept, and grasp it faster. […]

Companies that are serious about their linguistic presentation and professional image put work into naming their products, features, departments, job titles, and most of all the company itself. As their extended representatives, translators must put equal care into the coining of new terms and names. ISO 704 provides us with seven term formation principles to guide us in this endeavor.”

Read the full text for a description of the seven principles and the significance of the committee’s work.   

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A translation and interpreting degree can help you to take charge of your career, whether you are new to the field or already working in the language professions. Apply for CALA’s M.S. in Translation & Interpreting, a fully online, 36-credit graduate degree.

MS in Translation Graduate Daniela Obregon on Medical Interpreting and Translation in the Time of COVID

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Daniela Obregon moved to the United States from Argentina at the age of 20 with the goal of pursuing an education in translation and interpreting. She found the NYU MS in Translation (MST) while exploring online graduate programs and completed it part-time while employed at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. In the interview below, Daniela reflects on her work to further pediatric palliative care, the influence of graduate study on her professional life, and her experience as a medical translator and interpreter in the time of COVID.   

Q: What led you to apply to the MST program? What interpreting experience did you have prior to beginning your MST coursework, and what were your career goals?

A: I had been interpreting since 2014 but knew I wanted to specialize in translation. I moved to California after graduating with my BA in English, so it was very important for me to find a graduate program in Los Angeles or online. Once I learned about the MST program at NYU, I knew it was the one to choose and I liked that NYU is a globally-recognized university.

A month after I started the program at NYU, I got hired to work at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) as a Language and Cultural Specialist in Spanish. 

Q: What have you been up to, professionally, since graduating?

A: Since graduating, I have continued working at CHLA. I also do freelance medical and legal translations to maintain the skills I gained at NYU.

Back in January, Frente Indígena de Organizaciones Binacionales (FIOB) and My Cielo organizations invited me to New York City to teach at a workshop for interpreters of indigenous languages. I volunteer with this organization every year to help break the cultural and language barrier between communities- especially indigenous communities.

I have also presented at the Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling Graduate Program at Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) in Claremont, CA about Latino cultural awareness.

Q: You gave a presentation at the ATA on self-care and team support for interpreters working in pediatric palliative care. Can you give us an overview of the presentation? How did you come to present on this topic, and what was your experience at the conference?

A: Back in October, I gave a presentation at the ATA conference about interpreting for palliative care in pediatrics. The presentation was mainly about the complexity of the topics seen in palliative care encounters, such as dealing with our own emotions while giving parents and families tragic news. 

The conference itself was fantastic. I was able to network with other colleagues and also to spend some time at the NYU booth.

Q: What has your experience been in the current COVID crisis? What role do interpreters play in navigating this crisis? 

A: The current COVID-19 crisis has been a rollercoaster of emotions. Fortunately, the pediatric population is not very vulnerable to COVID-19 and I have not been part of many cases.

When we receive patients with COVID-19, the hospital has made the decision to protect their staff, so interpreters are not interpreting in person to preserve PPE and our health. In those cases, we help families over the phone.

Q: How has your coursework in the MST influenced you professionally? Is there anything you would like to share about your experience in the program?

A: The MST program was challenging and time-consuming but very rewarding. I enjoyed every class in the program and was able to focus on learning skills that helped me become a better translator and professional. The program is accessible to working students. I decided to work full-time and study part-time and it was difficult, but doable. 

I will be forever grateful to have had incredible professors like Ana Krause, Ana Lis Salotti, Michael Crooks, and Annelise Finegan Wasmoen, who talked to me not only about my academic goals but also about the world after graduation. Knowing what to expect after finishing your degree is extremely important. I feel prepared to face the challenges to come.

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Thank you to Daniela for sharing your experience as both a student and a professional translator and interpreter. 

A translation and interpreting degree can help you to take charge of your career, whether you are new to the field or already working in the language professions. Apply for CALA’s M.S. in Translation & Interpreting, a fully online, 36-credit graduate degree.

Bismarck R. Vergara, MS in Translation graduate, receives 2020 Academic Excellence Award

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Bismarck R. Vergara has received the 2020 Academic Excellence Award from the MS in Translation program, which he completed in December. “I felt humbled and honored when I learned about the award,” he says. “My dream was to attend NYU and that became a reality.”

Bismarck impressed faculty with the high quality of his thesis project, a translation of a Spanish-language publication from Greenpeace about the climate change crisis. “Biz was an ideal student, both in class and during his capstone, which resulted in an absolutely wonderful end product,” said Michael Crooks, his thesis adviser. “I could not be happier knowing that Bismarck has had both his work and attitude rewarded.”

Bismarck came to New York from Bolivia and lived on the streets for a time before learning English, serving in the US Army, and enrolling in community college. He is proud to continue his service with the Department of State and believes that the translation degree will be an asset in his current role and beyond. “My time at NYU helped me to be a better communicator, taught me teamwork, critical thinking, time management, and problem solving,” he states, calling these “talents that will add value to my organization.”  

Please join us in congratulating Bismarck on his accomplishments!

Elisa D. Gabella-Poisson, MS in Translation graduate, selected as 2020 Flag Bearer

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Elisa D. Gabella-Poisson has been selected as Flag Bearer for the NYU SPS MS in Translation program, recognizing her exemplary dedication and engagement throughout her studies. “Elisa is an extremely enthusiastic and dedicated student who worked very hard in the program,” says faculty member Roxana Dinu, noting Elisa’s strong language and research skills.

Born in France and raised in Florida, Elisa is trilingual in English, French, and Spanish. She completed her degree while working full-time for Dassault Aviation business jets, also finding time for singing and other extracurricular activities. After graduation, she says, “I will continue to work for Dassault Aviation, with an ultimate goal to work in the United Nations.” Elisa was “overcome with joy, a feeling of accomplishment and of gratitude” when she learned of her graduation honor.

Please join us in congratulating Elisa on her achievements!

MS in Translation Graduate Minxuan Sun Translates Documentary on Chinese Poet Xu Zhimo

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Recent MS in Translation (MST) graduate Minxuan Sun recently took on her first large-scale translation project, creating the English translation of the CCTV documentary Xu Zhimo and His Contemporaries, originally recorded in Chinese. Xu Zhimo was a romantic poet of the early twentieth century whose Western influences and use of vernacular language challenged traditional Chinese poetic forms. Minxuan was selected for the translation position through MST instructor Dr. Yong Ho, who recommended her for the role. In the interview below, she describes her experience working on this project, the challenges she faced, and the lessons learned from her first major translation effort.  

Q:  Tell us a bit about your subtitling project on Xu Zhimo. How did you come to work on this project, and what were your responsibilities?

A:  Xu Zhimo’s grandson Tony Hsu was collaborating with a Chinese director on this documentary and he wanted to have it broadcast in the U.S. He turned to professor Yong Ho to see if he knew any translator who could translate the documentary. 

My job was mostly translating the documentary from Chinese into English. There were cases where Tony wanted to rewrite the English script and I would translate it back into Chinese accordingly. After the documentary was aired on CCTV, we found out that the script we received was incomplete and thus some parts were untranslated or poorly translated. So, in November, we did a second round of translation and revision. This time, an editor would first edit the translations of those parts and have me correct any mistranslations. 

Q:  What were some of the major challenges you faced on this project? What were the most rewarding elements of the process?

A:  This project involved many historical events and figures, so doing research was key. Also, it was important to keep in mind that the American audience may be unfamiliar with some terms or figures that I am familiar with, so I had to include some brief introductions in the translation. It was a great learning opportunity for me: I would not have spent so much time studying the history of literature during the Republican era and poet Xu Zhimo if it were not for the project. Of course, nothing is more rewarding than seeing the final product.

Q:  How did your training in the MST program prepare you for your work on this project? Did you have any previous professional or academic roles involving subtitling or translation?

A:  I’ve learned a great deal in the MST program: how to quickly gather useful information, how to prepare glossaries, and, most importantly, how to work with fellow translators and editors. 

Q:  Is there anything else you would like to share about this project or your background? 

A:  I had the opportunity to work with some wonderful editors during this project. When I finished translating each batch, I would send my product to the editors and they would polish it up. One batch could undergo three to four rounds of editing. We learned from each other through the process. Translation projects involve more than just translation and any final product is the result of a joint effort. 

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Thank you to Minxuan for sharing your experience working on this fascinating translation project. 

A translation degree can help you to take charge of your career, whether you are new to the field or already working in the language professions. Apply for CALA’s M.S. in Translation & Interpreting, a fully online, 36-credit graduate degree.

Recent MS in Translation Graduate and AFTI Scholarship Winner Carol Lujan Finds Connection at ATA Conference

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Recent MS in Translation (MST) graduate Carol Lujan, who completed the program in January 2019, found both community and her first post-MST job at the 2019 American Translators Association (ATA) conference in Palm Springs. Her trip was supported by a new annual scholarship from the American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation (AFTI). AFTI has established these student scholarships to defray the cost of attending ATA.   

The AFTI scholarship allowed Lujan to access the professional and intellectual resources of the conference. “I learned a lot more about the translation and localization industries,” she says. Lujan also met with other scholarship recipients and was featured in the ATA Chronicle. 

She used this opportunity to connect with MST classmates and faculty, including MST Academic Director Annelise Finegan Wasmoen. “I even saw a classmate in the pool of the hotel I stayed at, she recalls. “It was such a coincidence!” 

In addition to a stronger professional network, Lujan’s trip to the ATA conference resulted in a job offer. “I met a recruiter with whom I had an interview over the phone a couple of weeks before the conference and I ended up being hired,” she says. In her new role as a Foreign Language Analyst for the government contractor Amentum, Lujan is applying the skills she acquired in the MST while continuing to extend her knowledge of the field. “I love the positive team vibe and everyone is very cooperative,” she reports of Amentum. “I have learned to work with different publishing tools. I write in English with a journalistic style and translate into English as well.” 

“A translator has a huge responsibility towards her audience and her clients and being bilingual is never enough to perform this role with the seriousness that it deserves,” Lujan states. “I strongly believe that obtaining my MS in Translation has opened the door to many opportunities, including attending the ATA conference.” The 2020 ATA conference is scheduled to be held in Boston this October. MST students and recent graduates can apply for an AFTI scholarship in the spring.  

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A translation degree can help you to take charge of your career, whether you are new to the field or already working in the language professions. Apply for CALA’s M.S. in Translation & Interpreting, a fully online, 36-credit graduate degree.

Subtitles or Dubbing? “Parasite” Reignites Debate Over Translation and Film

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Which is superior, subtitles or dubbing? This contentious and politically thorny question, familiar to translators and those with an interest in non-English media, has returned to prominence surrounding the Best Picture Academy Award win of the Korean film Parasite. 

Defenders of both sides of the “subs or dubs” debate have recently sparred in print and social media. Dubbing advocates, including Kevin Drum of Mother Jones, have claimed that subtitles can intimidate or distract viewers, rendering subtitled material inaccessible. Those favoring subtitles argue that their approach is necessary to preserve artistic and cultural integrity. Parasite director Bong Joon-ho addressed the perceived American aversion to subtitled films directly, stating that “once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” 

The market for both subtitled and dubbed media is booming, with content providers like Netflix investing in both areas. Programs including CALA’s MS in Translation (MST) are responding to this demand with focused course offerings. At SPS, Students with an interest in translating for film can learn more about subtitling, dubbing, and other applications of translation and interpreting skills by enrolling in Translation for New Media and Audiovisual Translation. Both courses are electives open to all MST students.  

Such training can help students prepare for the delicate work of film translation. In an interview with Korea.net, Parasite subtitler Darcy Paquet described the challenges of aligning punchlines and selecting comparable cultural references to create a translation that would engage the audience without altering the meaning of the original text. “The biggest challenge is writing in a very compact way,” Paquet says of subtitling. “I’d recommend reading a lot and being conscious of language as you go through life. Listen to the language that people use.”  

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Interested in studying subtitling, dubbing, or script translation? Apply for CALA’s M.S. in Translation, a fully online, 36-credit graduate degree.

PEN America Translation Prize, Judged by MS in Translation Faculty Members Elizabeth Lowe and Jenny McPhee, Awarded to Allison Markin Powell

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On the evening of March 2, the 2020 PEN America Literary Awards were announced at a Radio City Music Hall ceremony hosted by Seth Myers. PEN is an international non-profit committed to fostering and perpetuating the ideal of freedom of expression. This year, two members of the CALA MS in Translation (MST) faculty, Elizabeth Lowe and Jenny McPhee, participated in judging the Translation Prize for a book-length work of prose published in 2019. The award went to The Ten Loves of Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami, translated from the Japanese by Allison Markin Powell.    

In a joint reflection, Lowe and McPhee shed light on their experience as judges of this prestigious competition.“We were given a total of about 192 books in translation from all over the world to review among the six-person jury,” Lowe and McPhee explained. “The first challenge was to decide on a process, since we had a short timeline to come up with first a longlist of ten books, then a shortlist of five and finally, a nomination for the winner.” The judges communicated regularly via Zoom and a Google doc, comparing impressions of the submissions as they read. They were pleasantly surprised to find how easily this simple process yielded consensus. 

While the judging process went smoothly, it also raised interesting questions about the contemporary field of translation. Lowe and McPhee discussed “the importance of translation prizes in bringing greater exposure to translation and translators, the ethical responsibility of judges, and the question of whether there is a contemporary aesthetics of translation” with their fellow judges. “We noticed we were all drawn to translations which preserved something of the original language and culture.” 

Overall, both Lowe and McPhee found the judging process to be intellectually stimulating and professionally rewarding. “It was a great experience that allowed us to share the importance of translation with the world,” they said, “and also to get to know colleagues who are deeply committed to the field.” 

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A translation degree can help you to take charge of your career, whether you are new to the field or already working in the language professions. Apply for CALA’s M.S. in Translation & Interpreting, a fully online, 36-credit graduate degree.