Is the Pen Mightier than the Sword, or How Much Do Words Really Matter?

By The ATA Chronicle | July 31, 2022

In recent years, people have become more aware of how language, and specifically inappropriate terms, further sustain inequalities. While replacing outdated terminology with new, more appropriate, and inclusive words seems straightforward enough and can solve concerns around racist, ageist, or ableist terms, using inclusive language to remove inequalities doesn’t stop there.

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Bonanza! Striking Translation Gold by Mining Parallel Texts

By The ATA Chronicle | July 30, 2022

Let me start with a confession: I barely passed translation theory in college. I scraped by with a C after several nights in a…

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Editing Translations: Tips for Cultivating a Collaborative Mindset

Editing Translations: Tips for Cultivating a Collaborative Mindset

By The Savvy Newcomer | May 31, 2022

Most translators I know also work as editors. There seems to be an industry assumption that translators do both by default. This makes sense,…

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Selling Data

By The ATA Chronicle | May 17, 2022

In 2004, I started a company with Donna Parrish, one of the co-owners and co-organizers of the LocWorld conferences (https://locworld.com), called TM Marketplace. The…

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Self-Published Authors: Another Option for Literary Translation

Self-Published Authors: Another Option for Literary Translation

By The Savvy Newcomer | May 10, 2022

A lot of us first became interested in translation because we wanted to translate books, or more specifically, novels. Even if we ended up…

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Inside Specialization Legal Translation

E73: Inside Specialization – Legal Translation

By ATA | May 3, 2022

Hear about the role passion plays in the decision to become a legal translator and learn the key to becoming one of the best.

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Literary Translation: Finding Focus in Its Fuzzy Borders

By The ATA Chronicle | March 22, 2022

What makes literary translation challenging is also what makes it interesting. A good translation should respect and reflect the author’s style and vocabulary, but this doesn’t mean that every single word or phrase you choose has to perfectly resemble the author in style and effect. Let’s explore some of the frequent challenges faced by literary translators, such as making the voice of a character sound authentic and translating names and places with intentional meanings or symbolism.

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Three (Surprising) Reasons for Poor Quality Translations

By The Savvy Newcomer | February 22, 2022

This post was originally published on Content Rules. It is reposted with permission. Usually, when someone tells you that your translations are poor, the…

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International Trade Translation

E72: Inside Specialization – International Trade Translation

By ATA | February 1, 2022

It’s the knowledge beyond the words on the page that will take you places in the specialization of International Trade Translation.

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Summary of “Defining Translation Quality”

Summary of “Defining Translation Quality”

By The Savvy Newcomer | February 1, 2022

The article “Defining Translation Quality” (Koby, Fields, Hague, Lommel, and Melby) is the third article in a series of articles. This particular article starts…

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The New Espacenet Tools for Patents Translation

The New Espacenet Tools for Patents Translation

By The ATA Chronicle | January 25, 2022

Originally, the Espacenet interface (now called classic Espacenet) was available in the three official languages of the hosting European Patent Office (EPO) site: English,…

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Subtly Sexist Sources: What’s a Woke Translator to Do?

Subtly Sexist Sources: What’s a Woke Translator to Do? 10 Practical Pointers for into-English Translators

By The ATA Chronicle | January 24, 2022

Amidst far-reaching societal change, language is evolving. Unfortunately, not all our clients are keeping pace, and their source texts sometimes smack of sexism in the form of worn-out stereotypes, passé gender roles, and problematic language. Translators should feel empowered to stray from the source when necessary and draw on their expertise to educate their clients. Here are 10 takeaways on incorporating gender-neutral writing into your English translations.

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