Queen Elizabeth I, the Translator

Rulers at present may be seen as practical, passionate, determined or powerful but few would think of them as intellectuals. Thus, it may be quite surprising to learn that Queen Elizabeth I, one of the most powerful English rulers during the Renaissance, was not only disciplined and independent but also an inward intellectual who devoted her teenage years to the translation of various religious texts that definitely shaped her “man’s mind”.

Elizabeth I was a successful Queen in times where women were not considered suitable for holding certain positions in society. And according to Janel Mueller, professor of English language and literature at the University of Chicago, William Rainey Harper Professor in the College, and dean of the Division of the Humanities., much of her success can be related to the translations she did while still being a princess influenced by her stepmother Katherine Parr. Mueller even takes this a little bit further and says that her translations were key to her power.

In 1545, when she was still a teenager, she translated the first chapter of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Then she took a religious work that Katherine Parr had done in English and translated it into Latin, French and Italian and gave it as a New Year’s gift to her dad.

Mueller points out that during the early period of Elizabeth’s reign she translated some devotional literature, but shifted later to classical texts from Seneca’s tragedies as she had more experience as Queen of England.

Mueller, as well as other scholars looking into Elizabeth I’s translations, are interested in determining that these works are not only a proof of her refined schooling but also a way she found of making these texts available. Despite the fact that Elizabeth did quite literal translations and avoided using English references, it is undeniable that she was part of a culture highly interested in translation as a means of making something foreign available to the natives.

Upcoming Translation Events in July

July will definitely be an interesting and busy month for translators. Look at all the translation related events that will take place everywhere in the world this month!

july-2013-events

Online: Early July

Website Translation and Localization Course

Monterey Institute of International Studies, online/ Monterey, California, USA

1st

4th International Symposium for Young Researchers in Translation

Department of Translation and Interpreting, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain

1st-25th

Summer Translation Program

Department of World Languages and Literatures, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

6th

TALLER PREPARATORIO PARA EL EXAMEN DE LA AMERICAN TRANSLATORS ASSOCIATION (ATA) (2048)

Colegio de Traductores Públicos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

11th-12th

Second Hermeneutics and Translation Studies Conference

The event is intended to discuss new areas of and new approaches to research within the field of hermeneutics and phenomenology that seem to be of relevance to translation studies.

Institut für Translation und Mehrsprachige Kommunikation, Cologne, Germany

15th-19th

International Terminology Summer School 2013

TSS is a practice-oriented one-week training course on terminology management. It is intended for practitioners, students, scientists who are looking for an introduction to terminology theory and practice.

TermNet, Cologne, Germany

17th

Proz Online Conference in Spanish: “Consejos, trucos y herramientas para profesionales de la traducción

21st-27th

Literary Translation Summer School

The summer school will include workshops translating from Finland-Swedish and Portuguese

British Centre for Literary Translation, Norwich, UK

22nd– 2nd August

Translation Research Summer School Hong Kong

Centre for Translation, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

22nd– 25th

SDL TRADOS 2007 NIVEL INICIAL. JULIO (2038)

Colegio de Traductores Públicos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

25th

Use of Customized Corpora to Improve Translation Accuracy

Webinar by the American Translators Association

29th – 1st August

APPLIED ENGLISH GRAMMAR AND ERROR ANALYSIS FOR THE SPANISH-ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF LEGAL TEXTS (2026)

Colegio de Traductores Públicos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Advantages of Being a Freelance Translator

Some time ago we dealt with the everyday life of a freelance translator and made it quite clear that working from home and having to make ends meet on your own was definitely not a bed of roses. However, it does have some unbeatable and really attractive advantages.

image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Autonomy

When you work as a freelance translator, you manage your own business. In other words, you are your own boss. There will be nobody else but you to control the quality of the work you do or how well you invest your time. And what’s even best, you can forget about that terrifying boss that chased you even in your dreams expecting you to cope with impossible deadlines and workloads.

Flexibility

Other important advantage is the overall flexibility that you gain working as a freelance translator. In the first place, you can manage your working hours as you please. Since you are not stuck up with a desk job, it is up to you to decide whether you want to spend the whole night awake translating that document or if you’d rather be an early bird, finish things quickly and have the rest of the day just for you. Besides, and this is especially attractive if you are a stay-at-home-mom, it is definitely much easier to arrange your family schedule and spend quality time with your husband and children.

In the second place, you can take your work with you wherever you go and wherever you want. If the day is sunny and warm, you can easily grab your notebook and find a nice spot in the park. And if it is rainy and cold, you don’t have to leave your home in order to reach your office.

In the third place, you can manage your own work load. It is you as a freelance translator who decides how much you want to work, if you’d rather take huge and highly demanding projects or if you’d rather take small projects from different clients.  In relation to this, you also decide if you want to work while watching your favorite TV program or if you want to do it listening to the radio or to some music.

Income and Expense Control

Being a freelance translator allows you to control how much money you earn and how much money you spend. Many freelancers work really hard for a couple of months to make as much money as they can so that they can take things easier or plan a trip in other time of the year. There are many expenses you can say goodbye to as you don’t have to leave your home to work: there’s no commuting to and from the office, there are no lunches to buy, you don’t need to spend money on clothes and you save on time too!

Global Perspective

This is probably one of the most attractive advantages of being a freelance translator. Living in a global world as we are, and enjoying the benefits of the Internet, as a freelancer you can easily apply for translation jobs not only in your area but also across the world.

Networking

Even though you may miss the daily gossip at the office, taking freelance translation jobs does not mean that you work totally isolated from the rest of society. You will find yourself meeting and talking to lots of interesting people from everywhere either through forums, Skype, email, social networks and, of course, the telephone.

The Origin of the Word Chévere

If you have had the chance of spending some time in Venezuela, or Cuba or in any other Caribbean country or if you have watched any Venezuelan soap opera on TV, there are great chances that you have heard at least once the word chévere (meaning good, cool). And in fact it is quite likely that you’ve found yourself saying chévere once and again to locals talking to you while on holidays in the Caribbean. But, have you ever thought about which is the etymological origin of this word?

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Chevere and Its African Origin

According to some language experts, chévere is a neologism derived from the African language Efik, which was introduced to Cuba at the beginning of the 19th Century by a group of African immigrants that came from Nigeria as slaves. These slaves formed the secret society Abakua and, for over two centuries, they used the word chévere as part of the songs they sang during their public ceremonies. As these songs were made popular in recordings made by popular Cuban artists of the 1950’s such as Cachao and Tito Puente, the word chévere and others from the Efik language started being used in other Caribbean countries, especially in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Colombia.

Popular Versions of the Etymological Origin of “Chévere”

There are quite a few popular versions of the birth of the word chévere. For instance, it is believed that it derives from the name of the General Jacques Francois De Chevert.

The Cuban philologist José Juan Arrom believes that the origin can be traced back to Guillermo de Croy, Lord of Chievres, servant of Charles I and thief who abused of his position when he went to Castile in 1517 with the king, giving birth to the revolution of the Castilian Communities (1520-1521).

English-Only: Past, Present and Future of a Controversial Movement

The Whole Food’s incident, in which two employees accused the company of encouraging an English-only policy in the working environment and suspending them for speaking Spanish during the working hours, seems to have opened Pandora’s box in relation to a long-standing and unresolved issue that reaches deep into the American society: the use of English language as a means to exercise some kind of control over Latin American immigration.

The Early Origins of the English-Only Movement

Even though it may seem that the advocates of the English-Only Movement can only be found in recent years, especially as President Barack Obama is pushing an immigration reform, the truth is that its origins can be traced back to the 1800’s. In fact, during 1878 and 1879 the constitution of California was rewritten so that the Spanish language rights were no longer recognized and the English-only schooling was recommended to Native Americans. According to the official text “All laws of the State of California and all official writings, and the executive, legislative and judicial proceedings shall be conducted, preserved and published in no other than the English language”. Years later, English-only instruction laws were also passed in Wisconsin, Illinois and Hawaii.

The need of relying on the English language to provide some kind of unity and common bond to the American nation, which was being born at the time, is probably the main reason behind passing these laws.

Does the USA Need English as an Official Language?

Almost since its inception, the United States of America has been a pluralistic nation. Stating that it is a land of opportunities, it embraces warmly any immigrant that wants to fulfill the American Dream and help the country grow and prosper.

This multiculturalism has lead people from all over the world to come to the USA and, in many occasions, they do not know nor understand English and find it easier to communicate with peers in their mother tongue so that they do not feel pressed by the need of learning English.

As a result, many people doubt whether these immigrants are really integrated into society and question whether establishing English as the official language would be helpful in order to press them to learn English and therefore become fully functional American citizens.

There are different groups such as ProEnglish and U.S. English –just to mention the most important ones- that believe that in a pluralistic nation, it is important to foster and support the similarities and encourages public opinion and law makers to adopt English as the official language at all levels of the government as they consider English as the most empowering tool that immigrants have to succeed.

So far, the United States Federal Government does not specify an official language. However, all official documents in the U.S. are written in English, though some are also published in other languages. Looking at this issue state by state, a vast majority of them (33 out of 50) have passed laws that establish English as the official language in the state while some of them also accept the use of other language. Amongst these states we can mention: Hawaii, Wyoming, Idaho, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky.

Whether the United States need an official language or not, is a question that has caused quite an interesting controversy. While the ones that are pro this idea consider the English-only movement a good way of unifying a multicultural and multinational nation, there are many others that are convinced it is discriminatory and that it certainly contradicts the First Amendment and the right to freedom of speech.

These groups suggest that the union of people of the United States  will be the result not of a single language being spoken but of exercising tolerance and pushing political measures that benefit all people equally no matter what their ethnic origin is. They deny that English is under threat and they claim that, many a time, these English-Only movements show hatred against non-English speaking immigrants.

 

Will you Attract More Clients by Lowering your Translation Rates?

As a freelance translator, setting up your translation rates accordingly means whether you make ends meet by the end of the month or not. This is often quite tricky for novel and experienced free lancers so it is always advisable to research the market prices from time to time to verify how much other professionals or agencies are currently charging.

At present, when the economic situation is less than flourishing, lowering your translation rates seems to be the recipe to attract more clients. But, is it a wise strategy? It definitely has some advantages and disadvantages.

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The Bright Side of Lowering Your Translation Rates

If you have just launched yourself into the translation industry as a freelancer, having lower translation fees than the average will increase your chances of getting some clients faster and gain experience. Once you have made yourself a name, you can rise your rates or select to work only with those clients that offer you larger or more frequent projects.

It is also worth offering low prices to certain clients depending on the situation: big projects, companies or customers that you think will bring you a lot of work in the future or if your economic situation is very bad and you definitely need some money.

Many a time, experienced freelance translators offer limited time discounts to their existing and/or new clients. This marketing strategy usually leads them to a larger number of projects which keeps them busy when the market in general is down.

If a client has referred additional clients to you, lowering your translation fees is definitely a good idea. It is a strong way of showing your appreciation

The Dark Side of Offering Lower Translation Rates

Being competitive is crucial in the translation niche, but you should also make sure that asking for less money for a translation job does not compromise the quality.

It is also important to ensure that your special translation rates do not have a negative effect on how professional the clients see you. If your rates are constantly below the market, clients may start to question if you really are such a good translator. As a result, they may stop offering jobs to you, which will definitely affect your monthly income.

Another disadvantage of having very low rates is that you may find it hard to make a living.

It is also worth considering that rates below average may have a negative impact on your skills. If you can hardly make ends meet, then you won’t have enough money to invest in training materials and courses.

Another thing that may keep you from low rates is that with little spare money you might not be able to replace working equipment (hardware or software) that become obsolete or worn out.

The E Day: Spanish Speakers Celebrate their Mother Language Day!

Spanish is the second language in the world according to its number of native speakers, over 500 million people can speak it across the globe and it is the third language most used in the Internet. Such impressive numbers as well as the richness of such a vast culture are definitely worth a celebration and this is the reason why the Cervantes Institute based in Spain is organizing the E Day on June 22.

However, this celebration is not limited to Spain. The different branches of the Cervantes Institute located across the world will open their doors to the public and offer a special set of cultural activities especially prepared for that day.

Spain, of course, will be the heart of the E Day. Let’s see what two of the Spanish Cervantes Institute are planning for the 22nd June.

El dia E


Cervantes Institute in Madrid: Children are Especially Welcome!

The Madrid branch of the Cervantes Institute will open its doors and children are especially invited to their E Day celebration. Amongst the activities planned for such occasion we can mention:

  • A story-telling workshop where children will be able to listen to traditional Spanish and other Latin American tales.
  • A magic show that combines magic tricks and language.
  • A creative writing workshop
  • A visit at its “time capsule” where children will be able to appreciate the important legacy that Spanish writers, poets, scientists and artists have left for future generations.
  • A balloon party.

Cervantes Institute in Alcalá de Henares:

The Cervantes Institute in Alcalá de Henares is also planning special activities for the E Day! Amongst them we can mention that the public will be able to appreciate 74 engravings that are part of the Institute’s art collection and are inspired in paintings and literary works such as “The Quixote”, Federico García Lorca’s poetry and the great masters of the Prado Museum.

Find out more about the E Day here.

Does Whole Foods discriminate against Spanish Speaking Employees?

In such a multicultural country as the United States, the number of Hispanic employees in the workplace has shown a steady increase over the last years. Attracted by the chance of better employment opportunities, many Latinos come to the States to find jobs in small, medium-sized and large business organizations. Some of them speak English fluently but others are not comfortably at all in an English-only environment thus employers need to adapt their companies to these circumstances.

There are many things that business owners can do to demonstrate commitment to Hispanic employees, at least from the language point of view. Amongst them we can mention: providing them with Spanish training courses, making sure all notices and corporate messages are offered to them both in English and in Spanish, and using visual aids to make concepts clearer in every training session.

Enforcing an “English-only” rule in the workplace seems to be a practical idea to discourage the use of Spanish amongst Latino workers. However, under the light of the recent events in New Mexico in which Latinos are organizing a boycott against Whole Foods for having allegedly suspended two workers for speaking Spanish during working hours, the advantages of such a policy should be at least questioned.

In this case, Whole Foods store in Albuquerque has failed to understand that it is located in one of the states with one of the largest Latino community and that, therefore, its decision shows a total disrespect not only to its Hispanics employees but also for a large number of their clients. In fact, it should not be strange at all if any time soon Latinos just stop doing their grocery shopping in their stores. Their spokesman’s statement that “all employees must speak English in the workplace” has not calmed down the outcry.

US companies, no matter how big or small their Latino workforce is, should definitely pay attention to this issue as it shows the impact that a corporate decision can have amongst its employees and clients. Failing to provide a comfortable and secure working environment to Spanish speaking employees can backfire in many other aspects of the business. It’s not only a matter of making sure everybody understands corporate memos and training courses on how to use a certain machine or software program. In fact, it has to do with corporate responsibility and showing respect for the Hispanic community.

Translators: The Importance of Having a Blog

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Nowadays, anybody who has something to say writes it in a blog. From web gurus to experts in home deco to work-at-home-moms, blogging seems to be the best way to share ideas, insights and everyday problems with an audience of peers. That been said, it is quite likely that, as a translator, you’d been wondering if you should start your own blog. In fact, it could be a great idea and it could have a significant impact on the number of clients you work for.

Let’s discuss the main reasons why having a blog could help your career.

A Great Way to Establish Credibility    

Whether you are an experienced translator or a recently graduated one, writing your own blog will allow you to share your insights, communicate news, write about the challenges you face while working on a document, or simply get your name spread around. Even though a blog should not be considered a direct marketing tool, it is true that if yours is successful it will definitely have some linking power that will call the attention of other colleagues, translation agencies and potential clients as well. Having an “About Us” section in the blog will allow you to promote your business and share with your audience your areas of expertise, translation portfolio and so on.

Besides, blogs are easily indexed by most important search engines. Therefore, anyone searching for your name in the Internet will reach your blog. This leads us to one of the main important aspects that you should take into consideration if you write a blog as a translator: you should be absolutely careful with what you write about and the quality of your writing. As a language expert, your blog should have an impeccable grammar and syntax, no typos and it should deal with language-related topics.  The more professional your blog is, the more readers will stick to it and probably a large number of them will eventually become your clients.

An Awesome Networking Tool

Another reason why translators should have a blog is that it provides them with an awesome tool allowing them to meet colleagues and establish nice relationships with them in an informal way. There are great chances that fellow translators either have their own blogs or like reading other people’s blogs. You can be part of really interesting discussions, get to know other translators better and learn a lot of different things. Many bloggers that share similar interests usually organize face-to-face meetings over a cup of coffee.  Wouldn’t that be nice?

Professional Control in Cyberspace

It is also worth mentioning that having a blog allows you to carefully build your own online reputation while having at the same time full control over it. Since you are the writer and editor of your own posts, you can rest assured that everything you publish is well written and useful.

Show Off Your Skills

Last but not least, having your own blog is a great way of sharing with potential clients your knowledge of your area of specialization. This is especially useful if you specialize in a highly competitive niche or in one in which having a good writing style (just as literary or marketing translation) is very important.

Career Opportunities for Multilingual People

Being multilingual is usually considered as the key to landing more attractive and well-paid jobs than the ones that people that speak only one language can aim at. However, when people think about what positions multilingual people can look for, in general they limit themselves to teaching a foreign language or translating, without taking into account there are many other interesting jobs available in the market. Let’s explore some career opportunities you should consider if you speak more than one language.

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National Defense

National defense programs depend on maintaining a fluent communication between countries; and this would be impossible without the collaboration of multilingual individuals who work in military, economic, environmental, cultural or national security. Everywhere across the world, the Departments of Defense offer multiple career alternatives that are both challenging, rewarding and allow you as well to contribute to the world order and be in constant relation with people from different nations.

Embassies

Working at an embassy is also a wonderful opportunity for multilingual people. It is challenging and glamorous and encourages you to speak, write and think in your second language almost the whole time you are working. Embassies are also a great place for those speakers of more than one language who are fond of travelling as there are many times commercial missions organized abroad to which you can be invited.

Tourism and Hospitality

Hotels and resorts are always in need of individuals who speak at least a foreign language in order to be able to provide a top notch service to their international guests and keep them happy. Career opportunities in this area are almost unlimited and you can find positions in marketing, catering or hotel management at a global level as you move forward in your career.

International and Non-Government Organizations

From the Red Cross to UNICEF or UNESCO, there are hundreds of international and non-government organizations where multilingual people can find challenging career opportunities. In these places, people skillful in more than one language are greatly appreciated because of their ability to communicate and establish strong relationships with the locals, which translates into a better reach of the programs that need to be enforced. They also offer a great environment where you learn first-hand from other cultures and feel helpful.

Banking and Finance

With companies and individuals doing business across the globe, it is really advantageous to speak more than one language in the banking and finance niche. From helping customers overseas solve their bank account or commercial problems to being able to translate a financial document so that everybody in a meeting can understand it, there are multiple areas where multilingual people can develop a successful career.

Law Enforcement

People skillful in more than one language are important as they can make sure people coming to live to a new country or tourists understand the local law and comply with it. In other occasions, multilingual people are required to make sure anybody that has committed a crime in a foreign country understands what he’s been accused of, understands what the lawyers and prosecutors are telling him, has access to documents translated into his own language and has the right to a due process.