Spring 2018 Meeting Report
The spring meeting of the Ohio Honyaku Group was held on Saturday, April 21, 2018, at JASCO (Japan America Society of Central Ohio) headquarters in Dublin, Ohio. A total of 12 members attended, including one new member.
The meeting started with a brief explanation of upcoming JASCO events by executive director Ben Pachter. These include a free networking event (May 10), business seminar for women engaged with the Japanese community (May 17), presentation by a curator of Japanese from the Cleveland Museum of Art (June 7), and a yukata dressing class (June 9). A Tanabata celebration is also planned for July 7 from 4 to 7 PM at a Dublin park. This is a community event and is open to the public. Event details and registration information are available from the JASCO website.
Next, the Group discussed variations to the meeting format from 5-minute presentations, particularly the use of a single presentation or workshop. Ultimately, we decided to move ahead with a hybrid-type which will combine both formats. One member showed interest in preparing an introductory presentation to patent translation for the fall meeting in October and indicated that the techniques used for handling long sentences and relative clauses could be useful even to non-patent translators. (We will use our usual format for the summer meeting.)
An upcoming workshop on general business translation from JAT (Japan Association of Translators) on June 9th was also mentioned. This event is open to everyone, but requires registration. A discount is provided to JAT members. More information and signup is available here.
A member who is currently changing jobs asked members about the current market salary for in-house translators/interpreters. We talked about accreditations (ACTFL, JLPT, etc.) and specific skills required for many in-house jobs. In the end, differentiation and having in-demand skills (simultaneous interpretation, working experience on shop floor, etc.) are the key points for any job search.
After short introductions, we followed our usual practice of having 5-minute presentations followed by open discussion. The content of the presentations was as follows.
(1) Book recommendation: Seizo Genba No Eigo (製造現場の英語)
A presenter with extensive experience working on the shop floor of Japanese companies presented this book and how, even though it was intended for Japanese speakers, it was equally useful to native English speakers. This led to a discussion on useful online dictionary resources, including J-Global, Honyaku Star, and Sangyo Honyaku. We talked about using member input to build a list of these recommended resources for the Ohio Honyaku website.
(2) Japanese plants in my garden
One member provided an extensive list of Japanese plants in her garden, complete with the scientific, English, and Japanese names. She also provided a stunning slideshow of these plants. We talked about the Japanese gardens at local botanical sites including Inniswood Metro Gardens and Dawes Arboretum.
(3) Pre-editing for greater efficiency in human and machine translation
This presentation examined techniques for preparing documents for obtaining better results in machine translation, or pre-editing. This talk covered the key points in the pre-editing process (limiting sentence length, itemization, limiting adverbial clauses, etc.), using one idea per sentence, and consistency in terminology and phrasing. Examples were presented for group discussion, and it was pointed out how this technique works for human translation as well when dealing with long and complex sentences.
(4) Ergonomics and interpreting: Don’t call it a break
This talk covered ergonomics for interpreters and the astounding lack of awareness of ergonomics for interpreters, especially compared to floor workers. For this reason, the presenter stressed the importance of introducing ergonomic strategies as “job rotations” instead of a “break,” and mentioned specific strategies, such as 1.5hr rotations and team interpreting. She provided a number of difficult-to-find resources that include benchmark standards for interpreters. One member added how talking over environmental noises, and even whispering, can strain the voice over extended periods.
(5) Tax strategies for freelance translators
This presenter talked about tax strategies for freelance translators. With marginal tax rates of around 40% to 50% (including all federal, state, and local taxes, and sliding benefits), the importance of maximizing deductions is crucial. Key strategies are to document everything and not neglect any expense, no matter how small. Specific examples included use of the home office deduction, mileage reimbursements, and back-loading expenses at the end of the tax year. We also talked about use of accounting software, and if using a human accountant, using one who understands your personal situation so that that he or she can provide pertinent suggestions for further reducing your tax burden.
(6) Come to Brazil!
The presenter, who had recently taken a trip to São Paulo, Brazil, talked about the history of the Japanese population in Brazil and their emigration to Brazil starting from 1908. He talked about the prejudice that they endured and how their fortunes improved with the Japanese postwar economic recovery so that, today, Japanese culture is highly respected in Brazil. He also talked about the opening of the JAPAN HOUSE in São Paulo for deepening understanding and appreciation of Japan.
The Ohio Honyaku Group meets quarterly to discuss issues of importance to translators and interpreters of Japanese, and we welcome all current and future Japanese language professionals. The meetings are lightly structured and new topics for discussion tend to arise spontaneously as we chat. If you live in Ohio or a nearby state, or if you happen to be visiting the area when we are meeting, please join us!
The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for July 21, 2018 at JASCO headquarters.
For more information, please visit our website at http://www.ohiohonyaku.com/.
Contact us at inquiries@ohiohonyaku.com.
Report prepared by C. K.
