Japanese

J-1 (T, 1:30-3:00pm) - ALL
Japanese Language Division Annual Meeting
Izumi Suzuki, Administrator, ATA Japanese Language Division, and co-founder, Suzuki, Myers & Associates, Ltd., Novi, Michigan

J-2 (T, 3:30-5:00pm) - ALL
Legal Documents (Contracts) Made Easy—Understanding Legal Expressions
Junko Gilbert, freelance English<>Japanese translator, Advance, North Carolina

Translating legal documents is easier once you familiarize yourself with their structure and terminology. Pronouns, such as he, she, they, and it, are seldom used for clarification. As a result, the word count tends to be higher. Also, the last few articles of these documents, often called "General Provisions," are almost always the same. This presentation will introduce participants to some of the standard phrases and terms used in legal documents (i.e., agreements). Examples of English translations done without the benefit of an understanding of legal terminology will be provided, along with solutions on how such documents can be rewritten in a concise, yet legal style.

J-3 (F, 10:00-11:30am) - ALL
Understanding the Semiconductor Industry and Technical Terminology in English and Japanese—Part II
Ken Sakai, president, Pacific Dreams, Inc., Salem, Oregon

The semiconductor industry and its technologies have been growing dramatically, driven primarily by the increased demand for Internet equipment and personal telecommunications products. For technical translators, understanding the world of semiconductors can lead to obtaining a higher volume of translation projects. This workshop will review the manufacturing process that turns silicon wafers into semiconductor devices. It will also introduce the new type of semiconductor materials used in the manufacture of telecommunication products. A list of the key players in the industry will also be addressed. For a better understanding of this widely spread industry and complex technological process, it is necessary for translators to be able to identify each technical terminology between English and Japanese.

J-4 (F, 1:30-3:00pm) - ALL
Transit and TRADOS Head to Head in Japanese<>English Translation
Tim Hallet, president, Kanwa Translation, Technical Writing, and Consulting, Inc., Bartlett, Illinois; and Shinji Nakano, Japanese translator, Sycamore, Illinois

TRADOS is one of the market leaders in translation memory technology due to its flexibility and ease of use. Transit is another translation memory tool that has had a strong reputation in the handling of double-byte character sets. The introduction of the latest versions has strengthened the applicability of both tools in Japanese<>English translation, although some issues still remain. This presentation will be a candid review and assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of Transit 3.0, from the perspective of a Japanese>English translator, and TRADOS 3.1.0, from the perspective of an English>Japanese translator. Demos of each platform will be shown during the presentation.

J-5 (F, 3:30-5:00pm) - ALL
Dakara Anata Mo Iki-Nuite: Reflections on Translating a Bestseller
John Brennan, Japanese translator, Chicago, Illinois

Japan's best-selling book of 2000 (according to at least some sources) was Mitsuyo Ohira's Dakara Anata Mo Iki-Nuite. A memoir of the author's wayward adolescence—amid appalling cruelty at the hands of schoolmates—and her ultimate triumph over adversity, Dakara Anata Mo Iki-Nuite was promoted as an inspirational tale for young readers in Japan, but seems to have exerted a broader appeal. In autumn of 2000, the speaker was commissioned to translate this book into English. He will offer comments and reflections on various facets of the job of translating Dakara Anata Mo Iki-Nuite into English. Topics to be covered include: developing a narrative voice, handling gender-related issues, dealing with dialogue in Kansai dialect, and illuminating culturally embedded background knowledge.

J-6 (S, 8:00-9:30am) - ALL
Wavelength-Division Multiplex
Gerry Gooding, ATA-accredited (Japanese>English) independent translator, Huntington Beach, California

Internet traffic is growing faster than anyone ever thought possible a short time ago. This huge appetite for capacity has spawned major research to find new ways of squeezing more bits into existing telecommunications lines. Recently, erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA) have emerged, making purely optical communications feasible over much longer distances. The EDFA cleared the way for wavelength-division multiplex, in which multiple light beams of slightly different wavelengths are combined into one optical signal (light beam) for transmission through an optical fiber. An overview of this new technology will be presented. Some Japanese/English translation issues will also be discussed.

J-7 (S, 10:00-11:30am) - ALL
Software Localization: Helpful Tips from a Quality Assurance Point-of-view (English>Japanese)
Akiko Sasaki-Summers, ATA-accredited (English>Japanese) freelance translator, Longmont, Colorado

As demand for software localization increases, so does the demand for translators. Software strings, online help, and paper documentation are the three major components of localization. The speaker will highlight some common errors she has observed and give some helpful tips on how to correct and improve them. The tips for paper documentation are based on her use of TRADOS and/or FrameMaker. Having done a substantial amount of quality assurance work, the presenter has noticed the commonly-seen errors that freelance translators make due to their lack of knowledge in specific details. Having this knowledge would be beneficial for all involved in this field.

J-8 (S, 1:30-3:00pm) - ALL
Interpreting Workshop (English<>Japanese)
Izumi Suzuki, Administrator, ATA Japanese Language Division, and co-founder, Suzuki, Myers & Associates, Ltd., Novi, Michigan

This workshop introduces various methods on how to learn and sharpen consecutive and simultaneous interpreting skills: idioms/kanji exercises (for common sense); the Hendrickx method (for short-term memory retention); quick word interpreting (for verbal reflexes); shadowing (for developing the skill of listening and speaking at once); repeating (for comprehension and short-term memory); paraphrasing (for comprehension and vocabulary); sight translation (for understanding sentence structure); note-taking skills (for memory triggers and mental organization); and consecutive interpreting training. Participants can learn how to train themselves on their own, in pairs, or in groups through the use of tapes and other materials. Necessary tools for an interpreter will also be introduced.

[CANCELED] J-9 (S, 3:30-5:00pm) - ALL
Computerized Translation Environment
Naomi Matsuoka, Japanese/English translator, Yokohama City, Japan

The speaker fully utilizes his own computerized translation environment, which mainly consists of a digital database, a personal dictionary, and a quick typewriting method. The digital database has an English version and an English/Japanese bilingual version, which have been established through his daily work using machine translation software. The speaker applies several types of software, mainly supplied in a shareware system, to analyze and retrieve words and sentences. The quick typewriting system is not related to an acrobatic skill, but fully depends on the computer program and an abbreviated keyword system. This enables him to easily input characters in English and Japanese and to increase his translation efficiency.