Chinese

C-1 (T, 1:30-3:00pm) - ALL
Chinese Language Division Annual Meeting
Frank Y. Mou, freelance translator and administrator, ATA Chinese Language Division, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

C-2 (T, 3:30-4:15pm) - ALL
The Problematics of Chinese Interpretation
Yuanxi Ma, director of translation, China Practice Group, Baker and McKenzie, Chicago, Illinois; and Elizabeth A. Tu, president, E. Tu Associates, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio

This presentation attempts to address some of the issues of interpretation (English<>Chinese) that mostly do not occur in written translation and that raise questions for discussion and further exploration. When an interpreter interprets from English<>Chinese, usually in front of an audience, it is more than the language that is being interpreted. The interpreter should replicate the source language speaker's tone, manner, and use of register (degree of formality or informality). Moreover, the interpreter should try to "belong" to the culture for which the interpreting is done. The ability to "adapt" to the culture of the source language separates a bilingual technician from a linguistic and cultural "communicator." This presentation will discuss issues, substantiated with examples, such as politics, culture, and style of expression in interpretation. These issues will serve as a start for open discussion.

(T, 4:15-5:00pm) - ALL
My "Mission" in Guam—A Story of the Complexity of Translation
Robin Feng, owner, Feng's Language Service, Houston, Texas

My task in Guam in November of 1999 was to interpret for the Immigration and Naturalization Service between the judge, the immigration lawyer, the respondents' lawyer, and the respondents. The respondents were from Mainland China and spoke no English and very poor Mandarin, while the judge and lawyers knew very little or no Chinese. Thus, an interesting and complex story arose, not only out of the linguistic complications between the different parties, but also out of the complexity caused by the different cultures of the East and West.

C-3 (F, 10:00-10:45am) - ALL
Low Budget Chinese DTP as a Side Business
Gang Li, freelance ATA-accredited (English>Chinese) translator, Atlanta, Georgia

Desktop publishing (DTP) often is a necessary link in making a document presentable to its readers. Some translation agencies give the job to their translators with good reasons. Translators who are willing and able to tackle the job may have a competitive edge and be fairly compensated from time to time. Based on his personal experience, the speaker will list some pros and cons of getting into the DTP business. He will explain his own setup and offer some insights in this field. Special attention will be given to Chinese DTP.

(F, 10:45-11:30am) - ALL
How You Can Benefit from Word 2000
Laura Wang, language manager, Berlitz GlobalNET, Smithtown, New York

This presentation will focus on new features of Windows, in particular Word 2000, which will increase efficiency for Chinese translation. The session will cover conversion of Simplified and Traditional Chinese characters, comparing Word 2000 capabilities to other conversion tools. The presenter will also demonstrate time-saving techniques for inputting special Chinese characters and symbols, and provide tips on how to avoid common errors.

C-4 (F, 1:30-3:00pm) - ALL
Definite Article and Plural in Chinese?
Frank Y. Mou, freelance translator and administrator, ATA Chinese Language Division, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

It is common knowledge that in Chinese there is no such part of speech as the article (the [definite article] or a, an [indefinite articles]). Chinese does not even use suffixes or differentiate plural from singular (as in apples or apple). How do these language-specific issues affect the translation? The speaker will focus on Chinese<>English translation/interpretation and share his personal experiences with these language intrinsic features. A translation quiz will be provided for an interactive discussion designed to sharpen the audience's translation/interpretation skills and to enhance their awareness of these often neglected language-specific issues.

C-5 (F, 3:30-5:00pm) - ALL
Chinese Translating: Why and How Different—A Project Manager's Guide
Yu Zhang, Chinese translator and localization consultant, Davis, California

In the day-to-day practice of today's translation/localization industry, Chinese is conveniently classified, along with Japanese and Korean, as an Asian language, largely due to its double byte nature in computing. While this group differentiation from European languages is acknowledged, the major challenges of translating into Chinese remain unknown to the industry. Because of these unique linguistic challenges, translating into Chinese, when compared to other target languages, not only takes more effort and time for given documents, but in general calls for a much higher level of linguistic talent, subject knowledge, technical expertise, and professional experience. The industry's lack of knowledge of the uniqueness of the Chinese language has been generating lose-lose results for all involved parties, and is imposing even higher risk as the localization industry moves rapidly to higher levels of industrialization. This presentation, while largely devoted to digesting the linguistic basics that shape the challenges of Chinese translating, also proposes win-win solutions for the industry in the face of these challenges.

[CANCELED] C-6 (S, 8:00-8:45am) - ALL
The Impact of Political, Social, Cultural, and Economic Forces on Translation in Mainland China: A Case Study in Literary Translation
Qian Duoxiu, Department of Translation, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong

This session will investigate the influence of political, social, cultural, and economic forces on translation in Mainland China, with special reference to the works by two leading translators since 1949. How have the above-mentioned forces influenced these two translators, and how have they responded? What are the decisive factors in their translation choices and subsequent decisions?

[CANCELED] (S, 8:45-9:30am) - ALL
20 Years of Trends in Translation Studies in Mainland China
Evangeline S-P. Almberg, professor, Department of Translation, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong

This presentation will give a brief overview of the history and development of both translation practice and theory in Mainland China over the last 20 years. Emphasis will be placed on the study of translation theories, especially the impact of Western theories. The presenter intends to draw attention to translation studies as an interdisciplinary subject in China to be developed within a global framework.