The Savvy Newcomer aims to serve newcomers to the translation and interpreting professions by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed content on a weekly basis. We strive to provide you with the answers to the many questions you face as a new or aspiring translator or interpreter.
This post was originally published on听KGH Interpretation. It is reposted with permission.听 In 2022 I facilitated a session of the Language Access Caf茅 at the NCIHC Annual Membership Meeting and was asked to speak about interpreter self-care. Prior to the meeting, I decided to do an informal survey of medical interpreters asking them some questions about their mental health. I wanted to have a little bit of data that would clue me in on some of the issues interpreters were facing. While most of the results I shared during the AMM focused on stressors and supports, I also briefly shared…
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After 35 years as a translator, these two things I know: we translators love words, and we love a good meal. The more exotic the meal (or the words), the better. Need a good Burmese take-out in Oklahoma City? Ask a translator! A colleague and I recently had a discussion on the taxonomy of the world鈥檚 dumplings, from Russian pel鈥檓eni…
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I had heard many people say Errors and Omissions (E&O) policies were not necessary for translators. I went along with that鈥 until a direct client required it. In the medical field, it is common for direct clients to require a one million dollar E and policy limit. When I signed the policy, my insurance agent walked me through the do鈥檚…
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Reblogged from the听Gostalks blog, with permission This is to give you some pointers as to what and how to check for, hence a sort of QA/QC checklist, for legal translation: Unless you have perfect memory and consistency, write down a glossary, either a general one or a specific one for every larger project, to make sure that you translate the…
Read MoreMy Personal Style Guide for the ATA Translation Exam into Spanish
Reblogged from Gaucha Translations blog, with permission by the author Based on the comments from a failed exam. I am writing this to help others not fail the same way! Include necessary clarifying information to reduce ambiguity. (register former inmates/registrar para votar a los que hab铆an sido鈥) (spread the word to thousands鈥 /informarles la decisi贸n a decenas de miles鈥) Keep…
Read MoreBook review: The Subversive Copyeditor
I first became aware of the work Carol Fisher Saller does when she spoke at the American Copy Editors Society conference in Portland, Oregon, and presented on her book, The Subversive Copy Editor: Advice from Chicago. I finally read her book in January of 2018. I should have done so sooner. There are so many things we can learn from…
Read MoreInbox Zero: Forever in pursuit of 鈥淣o new mail!鈥
There is nothing more satisfying than seeing those three little words: 鈥淣o new mail!鈥 My Gmail app announces, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e all done!鈥, and I especially love the accompanying image because, yes, I do want to be sitting in the sun reading a book right now. The elusive Inbox Zero is indeed attainable, but I have a little help. I use Unroll.Me,…
Read MoreHow to identify and avoid translation scammers
It is an unfortunate truth that translation scammers abound. Many of us receive dozens of emails per week that qualify as translation scams鈥 some more convincing than others. How do we sort through the myriad of requests to determine which ones are legitimate and which are worth nothing more than a quick 鈥淒elete鈥? Although much has been written on this…
Read MoreFidelity In Translation
Reblogged from Dragon Translate blog, with permission from the author (incl. the images) Faithfulness or fidelity has been a measure by which a translator鈥檚 work can be judged. However, fidelity has not remained constant throughout time and across space and at different stages of history the interpretation of fidelity has varied quite broadly. This essay aims to discuss this meandering…
Read MoreBook review: Guide to Becoming a Successful Freelance Translator
The translation and interpreting industries have been blessed with a plethora of new books in the last few years. The book I’m going to talk to you about is mostly for new translators and interpreters, curious to explore and eager to learn more about their communities. Let鈥檚 see the basics of the book first. Title The Ultimate Guide to Becoming…
Read MoreLinguist in the Spotlight: An Interview with David Rumsey
Following our most recent 鈥淟inguist in the Spotlight鈥 interview (with current ATA President Corinne McKay), we could not be happier to have had the opportunity to speak to immediate past president of ATA, David Rumsey. A Swedish-, Danish-, and Norwegian-to-English translator for nearly 30 years, David has a wealth of knowledge about the profession (which, by the way, he fell…
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