Come join us at the 2011 ATA Annual Conference in Boston!

The PLD has a large range of talks scheduled for the ATA Annual Conference in Boston.  Below is the list of talks either related to the Portuguese language or given by PLD members on related subjects.

Brazil and Portugal: Two Countries Separated by a Common Language

• Isabel Pinto Franco

(Wednesday, 9:00am-12:00pm; All Levels; Presented in: English and Portuguese) - You must sign up in advance and pay for this pre-conference seminar

This seminar will explore the cultural differences of two Portuguese-speaking groups and will illustrate the unique interpreting techniques required for each. The presenter will provide a brief overview of the people from the Azores and Minas Gerais. Attendees will learn how family roles, medical conditions, and level of education are vastly different in these two groups and can create interpreting challenges that go beyond different accents and cultures. The acculturation process and its impact on both groups will also be discussed. Audience participation is encouraged to uncover and explore the stereotypes, expectations, and misconceptions one has when facing a different culture. Other topics will include listening skills, fidelity, and de-verbalization.

The Craft of Revising Translations

• Eloisa D. Marques

(Thursday, 11:30am-12:30pm; Intermediate; Presented in: Portuguese)

This presentation will provide a brief explanation of the editorial process, discuss the differences between copyediting and reviewing, and concentrate on reviewing and proofreading translations. The presenter will ask participants to work on a series of short reviewing exercises covering some of the most common problems encountered in translations. The exercises will be divided into several areas: problems of meaning transfer, content, language and style, and physical presentation. The goal is to give translators enough tools to help them make a thorough self-review of their translation and to feel confident in tackling the job of reviewing other translators' work.

The 100 Most Difficult Words to Translate into Portuguese: Avoiding Portuguenglish

• Tereza D. Braga

(Thursday, 2:30pm-3:30pm; Advanced; Presented in: English)

This presentation will test and review your comprehension skills, reading habits, and vocabulary. Participants will be challenged to come up with multiple and unexpected translations. It is not enough to be aware of false cognates.

Portuguese Language Division Annual Meeting

• Elena Langdon, Cristina Silva, and Naomi Sutcliffe de Moraes

(Thursday, 4:00pm-5:00pm; All Levels; Presented in: English and Portuguese)

Members of the Portuguese Language Division are very excited that ATA's Annual Conference is being held in Boston, a city that has long been renowned for its Brazilian, Portuguese, Azorean, and Cape Verdean presence. Immigrants from these countries have contributed tremendously to the local cuisine and cultural landscape of this region. During this year's meeting, in addition to a detailed report on the division activities and election results for the new division administrative team, we will have a trivia game designed to get you talking about the Lusophone presence in this region. Fiquem ligados!

A Primer of the Brazilian Legal System: Laws, Courts, and Appeals

• Ana Luiza Iaria

(Friday, 10:00am-11:00am; All Levels; Presented in: English and Portuguese)

This presentation will provide an overview of the Brazilian legal system. The first part will introduce translators to how laws are structured. Then we will cover the court system, from the lower courts to the supreme courts and their jurisdiction. The hierarchy of the courts will be shown together with the different types of appeals. Do you know your embargos infringentes from your embargos declaratórios? Ever wondered what a recurso adesivo was? Why do we translate appeal as recurso and not apelação? This presentation will attempt to answer these questions.

Introduction to Subtitling Techniques and Strategies for English<>Portuguese Translators

• Bianca Bold, Carolina Alfaro de Carvalho

(Friday, 2:30pm-3:30pm; All Levels; Presented in: English)Starting with an overview of audiovisual translation, an area in which subtitling is one of many options, the presenters will discuss various aspects of translation for subtitling. Attention will be given to its purposes, public, common procedures, involved media, and unique structural features. Tips on syntactic and stylistic elements will help translators convey a succinct, efficient message on the screen despite the inherent space and time constraints. Through the English<>Portuguese translation of short movie clips, participants will have the chance to apply the new techniques. The group will then discuss the possible outcomes of the hands-on exercise.

Why Can’t We Understand Each Other If We Speak the Same Language?

• Isabel Pinto Franco

(Saturday, 10:00am-11:00am; Intermediate; Presented in: English)

This presentation will focus on the cultural and linguistic differences between two Portuguese-speaking groups and the interpreting challenges that this can entail. Examples of culturally charged expressions will be given as one of the challenges. The presenter will also provide information regarding the characteristics of these groups, both pre- and post-immigration. The acculturation process will be touched upon as a context to better understand the two groups. The presenter will suggest ways to provide the best interpreting despite these differences.

How Green Is Your Translation? Understanding Environmental Concepts and Terminology in English and Portuguese

• Marsel N. de Souza

(Saturday, 11:30am-12:30pm; Intermediate; Presented in: English and Portuguese)

The presenter will discuss how environment translation is a unique field in that it is often associated with an array of other seemingly distant areas of expertise. What does it take to specialize as an environmental translator? What should translators in other areas of expertise know about the environment? An overview of subareas of environmental translation will be provided, including sustainable development, climate change, and nature conservation. Key environmental concepts and terminology will be examined in the English<>Portuguese pairs. Participants will receive useful resources and tips for terminological research.

ANACpedia

• Fernanda Silva

(Saturday, 2:30pm-3:30pm; Intermediate; Presented in: Portuguese)

Since aviation material in English presents peculiar characteristics, aviation specialists and technicians face many challenges in dealing with the terminology. Sometimes they have to cope with the task of translating original texts written by non-natives, which requires an understanding of the subject matter and the ability to choose the best terminology for each specific text. These challenges and the need for consistent terminology led a group of translators to compile a vocabulary list that has evolved into a database called ANACpedia (ANACpédia), containing English<>Portuguese glossaries.

Topics in Literary Translation

• Jayme Costa Pinto

(Saturday, 4:00pm-5:00pm; All Levels; Presented in: Portuguese)

new wave of translations of established literary works—by such authors as Joyce, Proust, and Emily Dickinson, to name a few—is expected to hit the Brazilian book market in the coming months, bringing to light (once again) important issues in the field of translation studies. This presentation will touch on linguistic (rhythm, meter, prosody) as well as cultural (imagery, metaphors, allusions) topics, with an eye to eventually arriving at the core of any literary translation attempt: aesthetic value. Excerpts of literary texts and their respective translations, both prose and poetry, will be used to illustrate the cases in point.

Tweeting to Teach: How to Mine the Internet to Train the Next Generation of Interpreters

• Elena Langdon & Cristiano A. Mazzei

(Friday, 11:30am-12:30pm; All Levels; Presented in: English)

Training interpreters is no longer about juggling cassette tapes and photocopying newspaper articles. Interpreter trainers in all fields need to know how to make use of available online and offline technologies to find relevant and fresh material to present to inexperienced and experienced learners. This presentation will show participants how to use web 3.0 technologies such as Twitter, YouTube, podcasts, social network sites, and other resources to train interpreters.

Complementary Views on Sight Translation: Implications for Translator/Interpreter Training and Teaching Methodology

• Gloria R. L. Sampaio

(Saturday, 11:30am-12:30pm; Advanced; Presented in: English)
This presentation will focus on the results of four undergraduate research subprojects linked to a major ongoing project on sight translation. The subprojects, conducted at the Catholic University of São Paulo, examined specific aspects of sight translation from the viewpoint of translation/interpreting students, trainers, and practicing professionals. The results obtained so far provide fresh insight into the complexities of sight translation and the challenge it poses to professionals-in-the-making.

Challenges and Rewards of Teaching Translation and Interpreting in Language Neutral Classrooms: A Community College Experience

• Cristiano A. Mazzei

(Saturday, 4:00pm-5:00pm; All Levels; Presented in: English) Training translators and interpreters in language-neutral courses at the community college level offers a variety of challenges and rewards, including different levels of language proficiency, disparate levels of bilingualisms, a diversity of languages, adult learners versus undergraduate students, and distinct degrees of technology literacy. This presentation will explore the experience of a translation and interpreting program at a large college that was recently created to train and improve the quality of translation and interpreting services provided in the local community. The program focuses on issues and some solutions for situations that are specific to community college learners and students from very diverse cultural backgrounds.

Translating Technical Manuals: Dos and Don’ts and Some Best Practices

• Joao Roque Dias

(Thursday, 11:30am-12:30pm; Intermediate; Presented in: English)
Technical manuals are written for a very precise and specific purpose: to convey information to those who need it to operate a piece of equipment, to keep their jobs, or, simply, enhance their lives. A technical text is not a literary text sprinkled with puzzling words (the so-called technical terms) and complicated sentences. Far from it! With these simple ideas in mind, participants will examine a manual's anatomy, dissect it part-by-part (from the translator's point of view), and study some examples of what to do—and perhaps more importantly, what not to do.

The End is Near: Translation of Terms Related to Company Dissolution

• Naomi J. Sutcliffe de Moraes

Friday, 11:30am-12:30pm; Advanced; Presented in: English)
Company dissolution and liquidation are difficult topics to translate without some understanding of the underlying legal principles and processes. The presenter will describe the processes for dissolution, liquidation, bankruptcy, and reorganization, plus translations of relevant terms between English and several European languages. The many situations that lead to dissolution will also be discussed.

Teaching Translators to Read Between the Lines: A Discussion with New York University Online Translation Faculty

• Milena Savova, Eve E. Hecht, Grant Hamilton, Cristina Silva, and Pedro Cano

(Friday, 2:30pm-3:30pm; All Levels; Presented in: English)

Even without extensive training in law, medicine, or technology, translators can learn to think like the authors of the specialized texts they translate. Understanding why certain words or phrases have been selected and their implications for the way the texts are used, allows the translator to work more quickly and intelligently and to produce translations that echo, not only the words, but the meaning and intent of the original. A panel of New York University instructors will explain how they teach translators these essential skills.

Lights, Camera, Action: Over-the-Phone and Webcast Interpretation

• Cristina Silva

(Saturday, 11:30am-12:30pm; Intermediate; Presented in: English)

Technology has made it possible to interpret consecutively over-the-phone and simultaneously and remotely during webcasts. The presenter will discuss her experiences interpreting over-the-phone and in remote webcast events. Topics will include ideal interpreter profiles, minimum setup, as well as challenges and difficulties and how to overcome them. This presentation will also share secrets from the field by featuring interviews with interpreting project coordinators as well as over-the-phone and webcast interpreters.

The Organization of American States: The Role of In-House Translators

• Mirna Soares Andrade and Sheyla Barretto de Carvalho

(Saturday, 8:30am-9:30am; All Levels; Presented in: English)

As the world's oldest regional organization, the Organization of American States (OAS) is multicultural and multilingual by nature. The four official OAS languages (Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French) make translation necessary to enable communication, foster negotiations, and reinforce diversity. Working as an in-house translator in this environment demands a great deal of team work, research, methodology, and exchange with staff, consultants, and diplomats to produce texts that are coherent and meaningful. This presentation will provide an inside view of OAS from the translator's standpoint.