This process creates some real challenges, and I recently made a breakthrough. The design demanded code to deal with two issues: The front page has two columns that must be of equal height, and the rest of the pages have one column that needs to have at least the same height as a second column. Because the content in these columns is dynamic, I couldn’t just set a fixed height for any of them. I needed to find a solution that would automatically adjust the design when the content changed.

Luckily, I found a solution to the first problem with a little research. Someone had already written Javascript code to set equal column heights:

    <script type="text/javascript">
    jQuery.noConflict();
    function equalHeight(group) {
        tallest = 0;
        group.each(function() {
            thisHeight = jQuery(this).height();
            if(thisHeight > tallest) {
                tallest = thisHeight;
            }
        });
        group.height(tallest);
    }
    jQuery(document).ready(function() {
	equalHeight(jQuery("#container,#primary"));
    });
    </script>

The real problem came when I wanted to work with other pages. Try as I might, I couldn’t find a piece of code that successfully set a minimum column height based on the height of another column. So I took matters into my own hands—I modified the code above to fit my needs. Then I added an if/else statement so all of the code could be pasted into my theme’s functions.php file:

// script for column height function
 
function my_scripts() {
  if (is_front_page()) {  ?>
    <script type="text/javascript">
    jQuery.noConflict();
    function equalHeight(group) {
        tallest = 0;
        group.each(function() {
            thisHeight = jQuery(this).height();
            if(thisHeight > tallest) {
                tallest = thisHeight;
            }
        });
        group.height(tallest);
    }
    jQuery(document).ready(function() {
	equalHeight(jQuery("#container,#primary"));
    });
    </script>
 
  <?php } else { ?>
 
    <script type="text/javascript">
    jQuery.noConflict();
    function fixMinHeight(group) {
        thisHeight = 0;
        group.each(function() {
            thisHeight = jQuery(this).height();
        });
        jQuery("#container").css("min-height", thisHeight+100);
    }
    jQuery(document).ready(function() {
	fixMinHeight(jQuery("#secondary"));
    });
    </script>
 
 
<?php }  }
add_action('wp_head','my_scripts');

The result? All the columns work as they should. Someone else may come up with a more elegant solution, but I solved the problem. I jumped around the living room for a good five minutes after I got that to work!

For me, this process is very similar to translating. Like coding a website with an existing design, translating requires me to write based on a source text. When a puzzling term or tricky bit of grammar arises, a little research can sometimes lead me to a solution. If, however, a solution doesn’t already exist, I have to rely on a bit of ingenuity to come up with my own.

I didn’t know much about META (Multilingual Europe Technology Alliance), so I took a peek around their website. I came across some interesting information and resources:

META-SHARE - A repository of language data sets, tools, technology, and resources. Read more about META-SHARE.

META-NET Language White Papers - These white papers discuss the language technology support for specific European languages, considering the particular needs of each language. I am particularly interested in the white papers on Spanish and English, although there is a long list of papers in the series.

META-RESEARCH - This section is specifically focused on research in machine translation. There are limited materials available on the website right now, but at a time when many translators fear and misunderstand machine translation, I think it is worth keeping an eye on how this research goes.

Language Technology World - This is the META knowledge portal. There is a lot of information here, including links to other information sources, language tools, commercial products and services, and other language technology projects.

Six months later, I started seriously considering it as an option. Soon after that, I started studying German. Now I am writing this blog post as I sit in my living room in Aachen, Germany. How things change!

What this move means for my clients:

• I am now living on Central European Time (GMT+1). I still try to do most of my work during normal business hours, but my late-night habits mean that I often see emails from US clients as they arrive in my inbox.
• I can more easily work with clients and partners in Europe, including UK clients looking for a native US English speaker and clients in Spain looking for a translator who specializes in business, marketing, and international development.

What this move means for me:

• I am now able to visit Spain more easily—in fact, I traveled to Barcelona in November!
• I am discovering new resources, both local (such as the Asociación para el fomento del hermanamiento Aquisgrán-Toledo) and regional/national (such as the BDÜ, the Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators in Germany).
• I am learning German. I won’t be translating from German any time soon, but learning a new language keeps me thinking about language issues in general. And it’s fun!

I want to thank everyone who has been patient with my transition to a new country. It is a long process, and I’m sure surprises will pop up along the way. However, I am excited about what this new country—and new year!—have to offer.

This is a day to reflect not only on our day-to-day work, but also on our role in this global culture. As the world changes and technology brings us closer together, translators are becoming more, rather than less, important. The need for translation is obvious in our everyday lives. Even as non-translators take advantage of widely-available machine translation, they can see its shortcomings. There is a clear place for professional translators in our globalized world. Translators connect governments, businesses, doctors, development workers, students, … We make it possible for people with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds to work together to improve their lives and the lives of others. That is a profession I am proud to be a part of. Happy Translation Day!

In honor of our patron saint, here is a painting of St. Jerome by Jusepe de Ribera that I saw recently at the San Diego Museum of Art:

However, there is one sentence I dread. It usually comes in an email from a client. The emails explains that the client has a project with a translator already lined up. And then the dreaded sentence:

“I am looking for a proofreader.”

What’s so wrong with that request? Shouldn’t I like hearing that my clients need me? Of course I should, and I do. But not everyone has the same idea of what it means to edit or proofread a translation. That one sentence doesn’t tell me what the client actually needs me to do. In other words, we end up wasting time trying to define what we both mean by “editing” and “proofreading.”

What is Editing?

Think of editing as the big picture process. The translation is compared to the original (source) text, and the translated text is reviewed as a whole. The editor should check for things like word choice, clarity, conciseness, consistency, jargon, and register. This editing process should answer a few simple questions:

1. Does the translation accurately convey the meaning of the source text?
2. Does the translation use the appropriate terminology and style for its intended audience?
3. Is the translated text consistent? (This is especially important when more than one translator was involved.)

A Word of Caution: Think twice before using a Spanish/English editor who offers “edition services.” The Spanish word for editing, edición, is sometimes mistranslated as the word “edition.” This kind of word choice error is exactly what a good editor should be watching out for!

What is Proofreading?

If editing is looking at the big picture, proofreading is like getting out the magnifying glass and doing a careful inspection. At this stage, the goal is to clean up the text; the source text is forgotten and the translated text must stand on its own. Issues to consider:

1. Style Guides: In-house guide and/or professional guides (such as The Chicago Manual of Style)
2. Mechanics: Spelling, capitalization, punctuation, abbreviations, numbers
3. Sentence Structure: Run-on sentences, comma splices, sentence fragments
4. Regional Differences: UK v. US English spelling and punctuation

A proofreader may have specific duties that depend on the kind of document or the client. My favorite client sends a checklist to all proofreaders, to ensure that our work is consistent and covers everything the client needs. After proofreading, the translation should be ready to use.

Who is the Editor/Proofreader?

So who do you contact for editing, proofreading, or both? Most translators include some amount of editing and proofreading in their workflow. For example, when I translate a document, I always compare my translation with the original document. I check it for accuracy, and then I rewrite any part that doesn’t flow well in English. After that, I proofread the entire document for mechanical and formatting errors.

For some documents, this process is sufficient. If the translation will only be distributed internally, you probably don’t need to get bogged down in additional editing. However, even the best translators won’t catch every error in their own work. If you are translating marketing materials or other documents to be published, an independent editor and/or proofreader will help create a polished product.

The editor should be an expert in both languages, while the proofreader may be monolingual. The editor should also know the subject matter deeply—nothing wastes your money like having errors introduced in the editing stage after paying top dollar for an expert translator. Proofreaders may or may not be experts on the subject, but they should be experts on the writing style guide used in-house and in your field.

When requesting editing and proofreading services, be clear what it is you need. Define the service you are looking for and your requirements for the person who carries it out. When it doubt, ask your language services provider to explain what is included in each service. Spending a little extra time at the outset will ensure a more accurate quote and the best translation for your needs.

There are a few things that translators need to be really good at: For one thing, I am an expert in both of my working languages. I spent years studying Spanish, visiting Spain, and working to build my fluency and language expertise. I also spent many years strengthening my writing skills in English, my native language. In addition, I have specialized knowledge in the fields in which I translate: marketing, business communications, international development, and humanitarian aid. (Learn more about my specializations and services here.) I spend a lot of time maintaining my language skills and knowledge base.

In order to stay focused on my areas of expertise while still diversifying my income, I have built up my translation business in several ways:

• Spanish to English Translation for a diverse client base: I work for a variety of clients, including translation agencies and direct clients. I prefer to work for smaller, similarly-specialized agencies (which may serve larger companies as their end clients) and with direct clients that tend to be smaller businesses and NGOs. By not focusing all of my work on one or two large companies, I am able to provide personalized service to each client and avoid putting all my eggs in one basket.
• English editing services: As a specialist in the English language, I also offer editing services to clients who produce documents in English, translate documents into English, and need to adapt British English to U.S. English. I include editing and proofreading in all of my translation projects—and I truly enjoy it!—so providing editing as a standalone service is a natural extension of my skills.
• Teaching translation: I teach a course in Spanish to English translation for the translation/interpretation certificate program at the University of California, San Diego Extension. It is incredible to be plugged into this community of successful Spanish-English translators and interpreters as well as aspiring language professionals. As a teacher, I can contribute to training future translators as well as growing and improving the language industry as a whole. Teaching also requires me to continually renew my language and writing skills. Thanks to my students, I am always learning!
• Business workshops for translators: I have also offered two workshops at UCSD Extension centered on best practices for translation businesses. Creating Your Own Website teaches translators how to create a simple, professional website that will help get them noticed by potential clients. Formatting Translation: Integrating Desktop Publishing into Your Workflow introduces translators to basic DTP skills and discusses how to offer clients different kinds of DTP services.

My diverse streams of income provide stability for my business while maintaining a focus on the language services industry. I am also looking into ways to develop more passive streams of income, such as recorded webinars or e-books about my areas of specialization. My goal is to do what I love without sacrificing long-term, financial stability … so far, so good!

Do you want to hire me for Spanish to English translation or English editing? Learn more about my services or contact me directly and get started right away.

Are you looking for a instructor for translation courses or business workshops? Would you like someone to give a presentation about the translation or language services industry at your San Diego-area event? Contact me with details about your needs and timeline.

The mission of the American Translators Association’s certification program is “to evaluate the competence of translators according to guidelines that reflect current professional practice.” ATA certification is neither a requirement for translators in the United States nor a guarantee of a translator’s ability to excel on any particular translation project. (And some translators point out that current professional practice involves computers, which are not allowed in the ATA exam.) There are also excellent translators who are not certified. However, ATA certification is one measure of a translator’s ability. And despite required qualifications for taking the exam, the overall pass rate is still below 20%.

In my case, ATA certification is added to my education, training, and growing experience. It isn’t my only qualification, and it isn’t the end of the process of becoming a great translator. I don’t get to sit back and relax now. For me, being a certified translator means that I have to work harder! I hope to continually improve my work and provide better service to my clients. I also hope to continue to educate myself in both the translation field and my fields of specialization. Part of why I love translation is that it gives me ongoing opportunities to learn!

So this just one step in my career, but it’s a step that I plan to celebrate!

I had to finalize the performance description, collect the artist bios and photos, get the program order from the directors, coordinate the ads and sponsor messages, update our list of donors, and decide on cover art. Then, like working on a jigsaw puzzle, I had to arrange everything neatly on the pages. Oh! I also had to get the programs printed on time.

I am sure I drove those printing companies completely crazy. Inevitably, I would be shuffling things around and making changes to the concert program up until the very last minute. I would only pick up the phone to call the printer after panicking about the deadline. My printing requests often began with an apology and ended with, “How soon can you possibly get them back to me?”

In almost every industry, that one question means adding a rush fee and causing the price to skyrocket. But that’s not all: It means not having time to carefully proof your source document, rushing to draw up the project specs, and not leaving time for revisions to the final product. Even worse, it could mean not noticing errors until your materials are already in your customers’ hands.

When I was printing concert programs, I was lucky: I could always make last-minute changes with a program insert. But when it comes to translation, you don’t always have that option. And just like printing, translation often happens after a long process of brainstorming, creating, and editing the source document. You are taking your carefully crafted document and placing it—as well as a chunk of your budget—in someone else’s hands.

Tips for saving your budget (and your sanity!) when ordering a translation:

1. Research your options.

Not all translators are alike: Find out their specializations, rates (including rush fees), and general turnaround time. Decide whether you want to use a translation agency or work directly with a freelance translator. Do it now—don’t wait until your deadline is looming!

2. Ask how you can reduce the project cost.

My favorite printer helped me identify cheaper paper that saved us money but still looked and felt great. A translator may be able to identify parts of your project (e.g. internal communications) that can get a rough translation, leaving more of your budget to polish up those marketing pieces until they shine.

3. Plan ahead.

Use the estimated turnaround time to set yourself a deadline for completing the source document. Even better: Move that deadline up at least a week. Give yourself time to ensure that you are sending the translator your final, proofed document. That way you won’t have to go back and make changes after the translation is finished.

4. Provide detailed project specs—and invite questions.

The more a translator knows about you, your project, your audience, and the source document, the easier it is to produce a high-quality translation without spending a lot of time and money on revisions. If you are working with an agency, provide as many details as you can and ask that they be passed on to the translator. If you have planned ahead, you should have time at the end of the process to look over the final product and make sure it fits the project specs (or have someone skilled in the language and subject matter look it over, if you don’t speak the language).

5. Find great translators and stick with them!

Just like any service, the translation process goes much more smoothly once you get to know the other people involved. You know what to expect from the translator; likewise, the translator knows what to expect from you. The turnaround time may get shorter, and you may get more for your money as the translator gets to know your style and incorporates your feedback in the translations. You also end up with more consistent wording and messaging in your translated materials. It’s truly a win-win situation!

In honor of grammar nerds everywhere, Editor Mark is holding a grammar-related haiku contest. I do not consider myself a poet by any means, but I decided to just go for it and have a little fun. Here are the results:

The students wondered
Should they have used past perfect?
Stupid verb tenses

I have a master’s
But I received an M.A.
Do I get an A?

And my favorite:

Stretched out on the bed
She told a whopping falsehood
The lying liar

Happy National Grammar Day from McRoberts Translations!

How many languages do you need?

If you need a document translated into a dozen different languages, an agency will help keep things simple by coordinating with all of the translators, editors, and proofreaders you need. On the other hand, if you have a document you only need to translate from Spanish to English, using a freelance translator will cut out the middle man and allow you to work directly with the service provider.

How specialized is the subject?

Some agencies specialize in certain subjects and can help you find the right translator for your needs. On the other hand, translation agencies that claim to translate all languages and all subjects may be a master of none. To be sure that you are working with a specialist, go directly to the source: the translator. Working with a freelance translator allows you to check their credentials and references, as opposed to trusting that an agency will find the right person for your job.

How important is consistency?

While translation software provides tools for maintaining consistency across translations, nothing ensures consistency like using the same translator for all of your documents. Agencies may provide their translators with glossaries or translation memories (although they don’t always do so), but they may not always have the same translator(s) working on your projects. Also, consistency isn’t just about using the same words or phrases. For marketing translation, the tone and writing style is as important as the individual words. Using a freelance translator means that you will get your message across in translation—consistently.

What kind of formatting do you need?

Agencies often provide desktop publishing services in addition to translation, meaning that you can get a finished, formatted product. Many freelance translators focus on what they do best: translation. If you need to outsource the entire project, it may be best to use an agency. However, translators can surprise you! Because of my background in developing marketing materials, I can handle translation and the desktop publishing process. In other words, I can translate a document from Spanish to English and produce the formatted collateral materials, ready to be delivered to your printer.

What is your personality?

After considering all of the technical aspects of working with agencies versus freelance translators, you have to consider your own personality. Some people want to hand a project over to an agency and have a project manager take it from there. Others would rather have direct access to the translator and manage the translation more closely. Whatever your personality, look for a translation service provider who will work well with you!