tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24444792053214977072024-03-14T12:40:33.777+02:00Take Nina's Word for ItOn Language, Reading and WritingNina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.comBlogger194125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-8159547604953726472021-08-29T17:55:00.005+03:002021-09-18T18:46:42.437+03:00One Night at Norman's<p></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt;">Tel Aviv, 1980</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="direction: ltr; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I used to go to Norman's every Sunday and
Wednesday night, after dance class, around nine. It was still relatively quiet
at that hour, and the three of us – Judy, Ellen, and I – used to burst in
flushed, exhilarated, perspiring, and always laughing at Ellen's latest racy
anecdote. We'd head straight for the bar and make ourselves comfortable.
Natalie was behind the bar, and she was always so generous –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>her gin and tonics had more gin than tonic.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Considering its somber exterior, uninviting and
uninformative, it was amazing that the place was so popular – amongst a certain
clientele, that of expatriates in Tel Aviv of the late seventies and early
eighties. If you weren't in the know, you'd never find it. From the street, all
you'd see were three small, totally opaque windows set in a featureless stucco
wall, and a heavy black door subliminally suggestive of stairs leading to a
forbidding, dark, dungeon. It didn't even have a proper handle on the outside –
just a large, round metal knocker. To get in, you had to push hard with your
shoulder. No sense in knocking –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>no one
would hear you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Inside, the light was yellow and warm, the </span></span>décor<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> dark wood and shabby, burgundy-colored plush upholstery, and the music was
country-pop speckled with romantic mush.
Though we habitually sat with our backs to the door, we kept track of
everyone who came in. When the heavy door creaked, signaling a new arrival, how
could you not turn round and look? <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ellen, long-legged, enterprising and quick of
tongue, was our dance teacher and pub scout. Born and bred in Brighton, England,
she was on an indefinite stay in Israel that had begun as a trip in the
footsteps of a man now nearly forgotten. She seemed the sort of person who
always lands on her feet, an impression that intensified the longer I knew her.
It was Ellen who'd discovered Norman's, and the rest of us followed her like
kittens following Mother Cat. Judy was an uneasy new immigrant from Texas, who
hadn't yet found her place in Israeli society and probably wouldn't as long as
she clung to Ellen. As for me – a bit of a misfit in this Isle of Publand -- I
had seen Ellen's hand-crafted ad in local shop windows, thumb-tacked on to tree
trunks in the boulevard, taped to the walls of bus-stop shelters – announcing
the opening of a new dance class at the studio around the corner, and thought
it might be fun; which it certainly was. Besides, Ellen's dance class offered
several perks, such as going out to party after each dance class, and getting
to meet cute, foreign men – American, Brits, Aussies – who gravitated to
Norman's in search of a familiar type of atmosphere.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Starsky – one of the Americans – used to walk
in about half an hour after us. Only <i>he</i> came to Norman's every night,
Natalie assured me. He used to sit at the left-hand table nearest the bar,
under one of the loudspeakers which poured waves of country music into the cool
air. He sat alone, drinking draft beer, humming along with the music, gazing in
the general direction of the bar through his metal-rimmed glasses. I thought he
was staring at Natalie, but she said rubbish, he was just looking at her 'cause
he knew her and was too shy to look at us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wasn't used to shyness in men; most of the
ones I knew were either coolly supercilious or annoyingly over-familiar and
pushy. <a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">Starsky
intrigued me.</span></a> I had
gathered that he worked as a consulting engineer for Israel Aerospace
Industries, probably on the <i>Lavi</i> fighter aircraft project, and never
discussed his work. Perhaps his semi-secret work gave him an aura of
mysteriousness. I stole glances at his rounded chin, plump cheeks, soft-looking
lips and general air of cuddliness, and found the ensemble somehow appealing,
though I wouldn’t admit it. He was <i>pudgy</i>, for Heavens' sake! I liked my
guys sinewy and muscular, lean and hungry – more easily identifiable as
"security" types. I couldn't be attracted to that plump, bespectacled
teddy-bear, could I?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The only person Teddy Bear seemed to talk to
was Natalie, the Australian barmaid. She was well over thirty, "an older
woman" to my twenty-something year-old eyes. A husky-voiced brunette with
knowing eyes and a warm, outgoing attitude, and extremely efficient, she seemed
to me a kind of sophisticated big sister who could show me the safe way to
exotic adventures and secret pleasures.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"My, don't you look fetching tonight!"
Natalie greeted me one Wednesday night, as we settled on our bar-stools as
usual. Glowing and rosy-cheeked from the dance class and the brisk walk to the
pub, I was safe from the embarrassment of being caught blushing. But she was
right. I had made an effort, new leotard and all, to look – well – fetching, as
Natalie put it. Or sexy, as I would put it. Would <i>he</i> notice?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll never know, since he didn't show up that night.
That I am certain of, because I stayed there till the last call.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When he wasn't there again on Thursday, I broke
down.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Natalie," I said, as nonchalantly as
I could, which wasn't very non, "you wouldn't by any chance know where
Starsky is, would you?"<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Natalie grinned. "I wondered when you'd ask!
… And when I saw you coming in on a Thursday, after having been here until – “<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Oh Natalie," I interrupted quickly,
"do spare me your keen observations…"<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Keep your knickers on, Luv," she
said, not unkindly. "If he ain't here he must be on one of his business
trips. Though you could call him and find out for yourself – what do I
know!" <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I hesitated. Calling a guy was a bit forward,
but not unheard of. Besides, if Natalie suggested it, it must be okay… and I
put out my hand, giving her a challenging look.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She handed me a business card. It said Gabe
Starsky, Engineering Consultant, in no-nonsense black lettering. And the
coveted phone number. A Tel Aviv number, its first two digits indicating that
it belonged to that neighborhood; he must live pretty near; all I had to do was
call. There was a phone at Norman's, of course, but I wouldn't dream of phoning
Teddy Bear within Natalie's hearing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Hold my drink, will you," I said to
Natalie and <span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">headed
for the phone-booth</span> just
around the corner, feeling for the token in my pocket. I took a deep breath and
dialed quickly, before I lost my nerve. No reply. I tried again. And again.
Damn! For all I knew he may be away for weeks! What am I going to do? Haunt
Norman's or try that number night after night? …<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Deflated but not defeated, I returned to the
bar and my drink, fidgeting unhappily.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"There was no reply", I blurted
without preamble when Natalie took my glass to refill it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Told you, Honey," she said brightly.
"He's probably away on one of his business trips."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"How do you know so much?" I asked,
catching myself barely in time to make the question sound amused rather than
suspicious.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I don't know so much. But when his <i>Fuego</i>
isn't parked over there near the Pizza place, it usually means he's away on
business."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">"You mean that beautiful, slinky, sexy,
silver Renault Fuego is his?" I said, rather impressed. "I thought it
belonged to the owner of the pizza place. Don't you think a man would want to
show off a car like that?" For me, carless and with no hope of a car in
the foreseeable future, having the latest, most coveted model of a European car
was something worth showing off.</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>"Not
him. I'm sure he parks it there on purpose. I know he adores his car – seen him
talk to it and stroke it… but he wouldn't flaunt it. Uh-uh, not him."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Thanks all the same, Natalie," I
said, and then she got busy with some other regulars. I was left with the
feeling that she knew a lot more. Not surprising. Bartenders usually do, don't
they? Over time, they could probably learn quite a bit even about guys who just
sit there, minding their own business and not being very communicative, just by
observing them. But Natalie was a professional, she had her ethics; one didn't
blab to the other customers. She'd done more than enough by giving me a clue, I
could take it from there; I could easily walk by the Pizza place every day…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Several Fuego-less days went by. But on the
following Wednesday, on my way to dance class, taking a somewhat roundabout
route, there it was, a bit dusty, standing in its usual spot. While my legs plié-ed
and relevé-ed as usual, my mind was hugging a bespectacled teddy-bear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once again into the cool, dimly-lit cave that
was Norman's. Once again, Natalie's refreshing tall drinks. But no Starsky.
Will he or won't he? Should I or shouldn't I?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Natalie, keep an eye on my drink
please…" I mumbled, and dashed out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please God let the phone be in working order…
Please God make him be home… The line was busy. Busy busy busy. I backed out of
the booth and let an impatient man make a phone call which he promised would be
brief but seemed to me to take forever. Then I snatched the still-warm receiver
and dialed again. No reply. Hell! Must've just missed him. Better go back to
Norman's and see if he'd beamed himself over or something. I'd at least get to
finish my drink.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I pushed open the squeaky door. Starsky was
there, at the bar, on the stool next to the one I had occupied, grinning at me,
as if welcoming me back.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Hi," I addressed him directly for the
first time "I could have sworn you weren't there a moment ago. Where did
you pop up from?"<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His puffy cheeks creased in a contented little
smile. "Oh, I just had this phone-call saying that there was a young lady
asking about me… so I thought I'd oblige and come downstairs… pleased to make
your acquaintance, Miss." And with that quaint speech he held out his paw.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I shook the warm, firm hand I glanced at
Natalie, who winked at me and turned down the volume on the tape deck. My hand
was still in his when I looked back into Starsky's eyes. He had removed his
metal-rimmed specs in a slow motion which I identified as a lowering of
defenses; I used to be bespectacled myself in the pre-contacts era. Bears don't
have bright-gray eyes, I thought to myself. But teddy bears can.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Suddenly I was shy. I wanted to know all about
him but didn't dare ask. It was impolite to pry, my mother had taught me; you
don't ask a total stranger personal questions. Oh yes you do, Ellen had tried
in vain to teach me; otherwise, how on earth are you ever going to find
out? But it seemed as if Starsky had
been brought up by someone like my American-born mom; he didn't ask me any of
the usual questions: what did I "do", where was I from, where and
with whom did I live… I found it a relief, not having to give routine answers
and not having to refuse to answer what I thought was nobody's business but my
own. So, actually, we didn't talk much. We drank leisurely. Gazed into each
other's eyes. Smiled a lot. And made some disjointed comments about Natalie's
predilection for Country music; he said he preferred Blues, I said I had a
pretty good Rock collection. We touched on the shabby yet homey upholstery at
Norman's; agreed on the delicious onion-dip on Friday afternoons' Happy Hour,
and wondered whether Nick stood a chance of beating Graham at the darts board. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It wasn't even midnight when he got off his
perch and stretched.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Gotta go," he said matter-of-factly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was off my own perch and standing beside him
expectantly before I knew what I was doing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Going home?" I asked, and hated
myself instantly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"No. You hungry? I'm going to grab a pizza
first."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I hesitated. It didn't sound like much of an
invitation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"C'mon," he urged good-naturedly,
"I'll buy you a pizza."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We ate the pizza standing in the warm night
air, leaning on the Fuego. He washed it down with a Coke.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Helps keep me awake," he explained.
"Need a ride home?" he added as an afterthought, his hand already on
the car-door handle.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"No thanks," I forced myself to say,
"I'd rather walk. It isn't far. Thanks for the pizza. Good night."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Good night."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He just stood there, looking at me with a faint
smile. Guess it's my move, I said to myself, stepped towards him, put my hand
on his shoulder, and kissed him slowly on the mouth. His right hand was on the
car-door handle, but his left hand drew me close to him. I shut my eyes and
inhaled deeply. Dove soap. <i>Eau Sauvage</i>. The intoxicating scent of a
man's sweat. My nose was just under his collar bone. I heard his heartbeat.
Then he let go of me gently, still smiling. We said "good night"
again, and I turned around and floated home, not looking back.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thursday was a blur. I didn't dare show up at
Norman's. Now it was definitely his move. Would he bother to ask Natalie for my
phone number? Would he make an effort to contact me, or would he just wait for
me to re-appear? Would he expect to pick up where we left off? I doubted it.
Something about him suggested that he expected nothing; he merely accepted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But on Friday I couldn't very well not go. For
months I'd been showing up for Friday Happy Hour; it was fun; it was truly the
happiest, jolliest, busiest hour at Norman's, and I had promised Natalie to
help out. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I made sure to arrive with my friends – Ellen,
Judy, and a couple of guys. I needn't have worried; Starsky wasn't there. My
disappointment was not unalloyed with relief: If I came in and he was there, I
couldn't very well ignore him; but if I arrived first, and he later, it would
be up to him to acknowledge my presence. But when Happy Hour was almost over
and sheer disappointment set in, Natalie came through:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"He's gone down to Eilat, " she
volunteered, à propos of nothing, unless it was my continuous wild glances
towards the door each time it creaked open. "Be back next Friday,"
she continued. "If you come in same time next week he should be here. Said
I could tell you so, in fact."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"He did?!"<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Don't be fooled by those innocent-looking
eyes. He's a sharp one. And a real doll. Looks to me like he's taken a shine to
you."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Bless you, Natalie," I said as I
absorbed this fascinating bit of information. "I'll be here! With my hair
tied up in a bow! No, better not. Makes me look twelve."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During the week that followed I gave Starsky
all the unoccupied space in my heart and mind. There was plenty of space. My
clerical, pay-the-rent job at the PR department of a bank in the center of town
was not very taxing; dance was a hobby, a way to have fun and keep limber.
Dating foreign men I met at Norman's was far more fascinating than trying to
strike up an acquaintance with the stuffed shirts at the bank. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So I spent my time conjuring up Starsky's
image, going over every detail of his physique which had been visible to me. I
replayed every sentence I ever heard him say, be it "Fill it up please,
Natalie" or "Tum-tum, da-di-da, tum-tum". I wanted to see more,
hear more. On the Sunday and Wednesday, after dance class, I shamelessly pumped
Natalie for information, repeating whatever I learnt as if cramming for an
exam. His parents lived in New York City. His work for the IAI was on a special
contract basis. He lived alone in a spacious flat on the top floor of the old
building where the pub was located. He was around 35 years old. He had had a
relationship with a woman in the States, but they broke up before he came to Israel.
There had been rumors of an Asian wife or sweetheart during his Vietnam days
who had been killed, but Natalie said no-one knew the true story, since Starsky
wouldn't talk about it. In the short time that Natalie had known him, he hadn't
dated anyone, as far as she knew. But, best of all – listen to this! – he said he liked me.
Unobtrusively keeping his eye on us –
me, Ellen, and Judy – from his corner table, he preferred little me to
any of the others. Said he never heard me say anything vulgar or bitchy even
after three of Natalie's notorious gin-and-tonics, and that that was more than
he could say for many a girl.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I could have kissed Natalie. I didn't, though.
Instead, I made a silent vow to cut down to two gin-and-tonics and not take a
chance of my luck running out and my tongue betraying me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'd be terrific for him, I reflected. I'd make
him forget the love he left in Vietnam, or New York, or wherever. I'd make him
fall madly in love with me. He'd want to see me every day, spend all his free
time with me. We'd go for long pleasure drives in his Fuego. It would be my second
home. I'd leave a few personal things in the glove compartment. Soon he'd let
me drive it. Would I go to bed with him the next time we met? Should I play
hard to get, or throw away games and pretenses and just do what comes
naturally? Would we go to his place or mine? If we went to his place – yes, I
think that's better -- I'd probably spill something on my shirt accidentally,
and borrow one of his in the morning. I'd rinse out my shirt and leave it there
to dry. Perhaps my panties, too. We'd become an item at Norman's; they'd say
our names in one breath, as if we were one. He'd write to his parents about me…
Naturally, they'd want to meet me. So he'd take me home, to New York, for
Christmas… Even his parents would see that I was right for him. They'd see the
intimacy and understanding between us; the way we finished each other's
sentences, the way we complemented each other…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Friday came. The morning at the bank crept
painfully until closing time, at one. At home, I was too excited to take a nap,
though I did want to look fresh and relaxed. I chose my clothes thoughtfully.
Now that I knew he cared, I didn't want to be blatantly provocative. The white
trousers and flimsy peach tunic would do very nicely. A touch of peach blusher,
brown mascara, and a fine mist of Chanel 19, a fresh yet sophisticated
fragrance, a current favorite with airline hostesses. I checked the contents of
my handbag one last time, making sure I was prepared for <i>any</i>thing, and
walked along Dizengoff street to meet my love, heart pounding. The silver
Fuego, still dusty from its trip to Eilat and back, stood in its usual place. I
smiled at it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There I was in front of the familiar black
door. I wiped my clammy hands on the seat of my trousers, then took the plunge.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The place was hopping. Elton John and his piano
made merry. The smell of fresh, hot popcorn hit my nostrils, combined with
cigarette smoke, frothy beer, and an assortment of colognes, after-shaves and
deodorants, carried on the streams of cold, synthetic air-conditioner air. My searching
gaze bobbed from head to head. Blond ones and brown ones, curly tops and bald
ones. Some of the heads swiveled, some faces smiled. They meant nothing to me.
I squeezed through the happy bodies and made my way to the bar. Starsky's place
in the left-hand corner table was occupied by someone else. I felt a momentary
resentment and annoyance, then inwardly laughed at myself. Starsky didn't need
his corner perch anymore. By all means let somebody else try it! But where was
he, anyway? Darts board? Toilet? Kitchen? I tried to catch Natalie's eye. Her
hands were full, she was laughing with one of the regulars, but managed to
greet me with a nod and raised eyebrows.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had almost finished my first drink, given to
me by Natalie's helper, before Natalie extricated herself from a crowd of
guffawing men and made her way to me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Well?" I said, like a teacher
demanding an explanation from a recalcitrant student.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Well, I'm sorry, honeybunch, but he ain't
coming today. He's left for the States. Had an urgent call from Head
Office."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think I just gaped. I can't be sure. Then I
mumbled something about his car.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Yes, I know. I'm supposed to take care of
that. He came back from Eilat early this morning. Must've driven half the
night. Called me while he was packing. Asked if I'd take care of a few things
for him…"<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"When is he coming back?" I asked,
trying to be practical.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"He isn't, honey. His contract was almost
over anyway, didn't you know that? They just called him back a bit early,
that's all."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"But his car?… His things?…" I
repeated, probably sounding as dumb as I felt.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I just told you, I'm taking care of his
things. He's left some terrific cassettes! Would you be interested in any? I'll
sell them to you cheap. Oh, by the way, he brought you something from Eilat
– said you mentioned you had a collection – “
And with that she went behind the bar and handed me two of the most nondescript
pieces of rock I have ever seen.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't go into Norman's anymore. Besides, the
place has changed hands and it just isn't the same; no heavy black door – all
glass and chrome. I don't know what became of Natalie. I still turn to look at
every silver-colored Fuego. Luckily, there aren't many of them around. And I
buried those two featureless rocks deep down at the bottom of my collection.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>*<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> *<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> *</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><div><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_2" language="JavaScript">
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</div><p><br /></p>Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-30382536919301087872020-03-19T12:27:00.003+02:002021-09-18T18:51:01.496+03:00ITA Conference 2020 - Day 2<b>Day two</b> was good, too (pardon the obvious pun.)<br />
The only problem is, that I waited too long to write this post, have forgotten much of what I heard, and must now rely on my skimpy notes. On the positive side, this might turn out to be a shorter post, and less time-consuming for you guys to read! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrdEMERq8MA" target="_blank">Always look on the bright side</a>, etc etc.<br />
<br />
On the second day I made my life easier by deciding to skip the first session, which meant I could get up at 07:00 instead of 06:00 (sheer torture for me). I didn't mind missing <a href="https://ita.org.il/?page_id=3492&lang=en" target="_blank">Moshe Devere's talk about MemoQ</a> for newbies, because I don't intend to get into CAT tools; (of course I can always change my mind!) and I didn't mind missing <a href="https://www.aclang.com/working-on-your-project-with-liron-kranzler-feldman/" target="_blank">Liron Kranzler-Feldman</a>'s session about developing translator-client relationships because I'm not looking for clients. Ah, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/wlfuac6" target="_blank">the privileges of being retired</a>!<br />
<br />
So once again I was in ZOA's <a href="https://zoatlv.co.il/en/hall/marlen/" target="_blank">Marlen Hall</a>. This entire session, until lunch break, was in the hands of <a href="https://ita.org.il/?page_id=3378&lang=en" target="_blank">eight capable and interesting speakers</a> representing the<a href="https://bookunion.org.il/" target="_blank"> Israeli Union of Literary Professionals</a>. Sounds better in Hebrew: איגוד אנשי הספר - <i>Igud Anshei HaSefer</i> - people of the book. (Sorry - the site is only in Hebrew. Someone should probably suggest that it be translated into English and other languages, hint hint, nudge nudge.) Each speaker was limited to ten minutes.<br />
<br />
The first speaker was <a href="https://about.me/yinonk" target="_blank"><b>Yinon Kachtan</b></a>, committee member of the above Union. If you're not in the field of writing, translating, publishing etc, you have no idea what we're up against, how underpaid these professions are, and how important it is to unite, achieve solidarity, and together strive to improve our rights and terms of work. So we should all be thankful that Kachtan and his colleagues have picked up the glove. His <a href="https://yinonk.co.il/" target="_blank">professional website</a> is fascinating; pity it's only in Hebrew.<br />
<br />
Next was <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaniv-farkas-46a50712/" target="_blank"><b>Yaniv Farkas</b></a>, a freelance English>Hebrew translator. Unfortunately, the cryptic title of his talk, "Mapping Israel's book market players onto Game of Thrones' finest", was lost on me, because I don't watch <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/" target="_blank">Game of Thrones</a>. Luckily, my son read <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire" target="_blank">A Song of Ice and Fire</a> (by George R. R. Martin), on which the TV series is based, and explained Yaniv's Hebrew title -- שוק הספרים בישראל: בין בנק הברזל להולכים הלבנים. So now I get it: Yaniv used the <a href="https://www.marketplace.org/2019/04/12/game-thrones-iron-bank-explained/" target="_blank">Iron Bank</a> and the <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/White_Walker" target="_blank">White Walkers</a> as metaphors for the powerful, ruthless elements which we, the people of the book, must deal with in order to make a living.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/asaf.bareket" target="_blank">Asaf Bareket</a></b>, owner and chief editor of<a href="http://harpatka.net/ocean-publishing-house/" target="_blank"> Ocean Publishing House</a> had the brilliant idea of creating the <b>Adventure </b>series, which is dedicated to beautiful new editions of children's and young adult classics. Nostalgia had me qvelling in my seat, as I re-lived, for a few blissful moments, many happy reading-hours: Bambi, The Glass Slipper, The Prince and the Pauper, Black Beauty, Tarzan of the Apes, Oliver Twist, Pollyanna, Peter Pan, Around the World in Eighty Days, and many more.<br />
Thing is, most of these books had been translated into Hebrew ages ago. As we know, the Hebrew language has developed and recent translations sometimes sound to us (old timers) a bit too "modern". In many instances, we're emotionally attached to the old version. The trick is to retain the feel of, say, 19th century England, yet make the text fluent and accessible to today's youngsters. I got the impression that the Bareket brothers chose their translators carefully, and hope to god that they did a good job. Once my grandkids get their hands on some of these books (with my encouragement and help, I hope) I will find out for myself. (Yes, I know I can find them in the local library! But who has time to go to the library?...)<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://dovladaat.com/shop/about/people" target="_blank">Dr. Hamutal Ben Dov</a></b>, co-manager of <a href="https://dovladaat.com/shop/about/company" target="_blank">Bear in Mind publishing</a>, spoke about the desirable cooperation between publishers and the Union of Literary Professionals. The <a href="https://dovladaat.com/shop/" target="_blank">company's online shop</a>, with its selection of educational books and games that feel more like fun than like "learning" or "studying", is very attractive. It reminded me of the [defunct] educational software company <a href="http://tinyurl.com/umufga3" target="_blank">LOGAL</a>, whose software at the time was groundbreaking, fascinating, and fun. (Worked there for 10 years!) Anyway -- I regret to say that I didn't take any notes during Dr. Ben Dov's talk, and have nothing more to say... Except that I wish the site was available also in English.<br />
<br />
Much-needed brief coffee-break.<br />
<br />
Next: The Odd Couple ;-) Just kidding - they're not odd, they work really well together, and are both entertaining and edifying: <b>Rachel Halevy</b>, editor; <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/yaniv.farkas.58" target="_blank">Yaniv Farkas</a></b>, translator. The first time I saw them "perform" was at the 2005 conference, in their joint talk/presentation about their <a href="http://www.dafdaf.co.il/images/file/Hafaalot/huk.pdf" target="_blank">Hebrew translation</a> of <b><a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Adventures_of_Huckleberry_Finn" target="_blank">Huckleberry Finn</a></b>. I must have been busy enjoying the show, because I didn't take any notes. Besides, I have worked with Rachel Halevy once, on a novel. I don't usually translate from English to Hebrew, so felt a bit insecure, and having Rachel as editor was a blessing. Every few days I'd send her a Word document with a table: on the left was the problematic sentence/s in English, on the right my question or suggestion. She'd get back to me with clear, super-helpful replies. The book in question was <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Summer-You-Me/dp/1594485704" target="_blank">The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamutal-yellin-51592b69/" target="_blank"><b>Hamutal Yellin</b></a>, a literary translator and editor, and active board member of the <a href="https://bookunion.org.il/" target="_blank">Literary Union</a> mentioned above, accomplished a helluva lot in her allotted 10 minutes. She gave a wonderfully succinct and clear presentation of the current literary-translation market in Israel, from our point of view. "Our" meaning us, professional literary translators and editors, who work hard for every shekel. The situation sucks. Publishing houses don't pay well, don't give raises over time, aren't fair or consistent in their methods of calculating the payments due, and overall do not treat us fairly. Which does not bode well for the future of this profession, for the future of people practicing it, and the future of translated literature in the country.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrqCvKWItznuPstLmSKJF72_9CKjZeFy4xaFKXMh2SqwBwqRuCMvo1bcUW10YfqarTNPM19RC3wnQZRjgSAyPvVahO1Mtq9WTRZC9jJA5bw-H_RMgISUGdzExo64Dc2xnm8GMhx6MyveJ/s1600/ITA+conf+2020+Hamutal+Y_9673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrqCvKWItznuPstLmSKJF72_9CKjZeFy4xaFKXMh2SqwBwqRuCMvo1bcUW10YfqarTNPM19RC3wnQZRjgSAyPvVahO1Mtq9WTRZC9jJA5bw-H_RMgISUGdzExo64Dc2xnm8GMhx6MyveJ/s320/ITA+conf+2020+Hamutal+Y_9673.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Implications of the current situation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekeXZ5-FXt1WgtJt9xsnByE0QCu-mtuYp8SCzDZ26zHnxX9D_25aHTAFGdcI0OkfySQwI4s0mDNQPSsbcl8qk1pnI3jPDeqd6BH8stsHQfB5GHMhftjYm95hQjGgt6AXCwOaQk3GAWgl6/s1600/ITA+conf+2020+Hamutal+Y_9674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekeXZ5-FXt1WgtJt9xsnByE0QCu-mtuYp8SCzDZ26zHnxX9D_25aHTAFGdcI0OkfySQwI4s0mDNQPSsbcl8qk1pnI3jPDeqd6BH8stsHQfB5GHMhftjYm95hQjGgt6AXCwOaQk3GAWgl6/s320/ITA+conf+2020+Hamutal+Y_9674.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What can we do about it?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1600" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYu9tQ4UE-xdJb3FDPq9Wp7cip9qA8H_jitguesE2THmA12x-Y0AJigg3jTaZkr5XDUlagpmF2m_C7vqwVBv_pZ5oU4JHepNdShpo1uFwRZUftgw0a9VqPcRSJaIn6Jb1vIMremKBBmgpj/s320/Hamutal+conclusions.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We join forces!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYu9tQ4UE-xdJb3FDPq9Wp7cip9qA8H_jitguesE2THmA12x-Y0AJigg3jTaZkr5XDUlagpmF2m_C7vqwVBv_pZ5oU4JHepNdShpo1uFwRZUftgw0a9VqPcRSJaIn6Jb1vIMremKBBmgpj/s1600/Hamutal+conclusions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYu9tQ4UE-xdJb3FDPq9Wp7cip9qA8H_jitguesE2THmA12x-Y0AJigg3jTaZkr5XDUlagpmF2m_C7vqwVBv_pZ5oU4JHepNdShpo1uFwRZUftgw0a9VqPcRSJaIn6Jb1vIMremKBBmgpj/s1600/Hamutal+conclusions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
We join forces, that's what; we unionize. Together we're stronger.<br />
We share information; it's easier for publishers to get their way when we don't have the full picture.<br />
We negotiate and haggle, for better rates, better terms of payment, all reflecting our true worth.<br />
We support and help each other.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.metargemet.com/new/english" target="_blank"><b>Inbal Sagiv Nakdimon</b></a>, with a track record of <a href="http://tinyurl.com/InbalBooks" target="_blank">over 160 translated books</a>, plus more on the front and back burners, needed to find a subject she could squeeze into 10 minutes, and chose "Measure for Measure". How do we decide when to change miles into kilometers for the sake of Hebrew readers, the feet into meters, the ounces and pounds into kilograms? Surely Jane Austen's heroines didn't think in kilometers-per-hour, when discussing the time it would take their horse and carriage to trot from their "humble" home to the next town?<br />
And while I'm at it: Inbal gave another presentation later on, dedicated to <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Gideon_Toury" target="_blank">Gideon Toury</a> and his essay about optimal translation. This is top-notch academic material which I shall not go into here. You can <a href="http://www.metargemet.com/new/archives/10" target="_blank">read it in Hebrew on Inbal's website</a>, and watch her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRdvp3ZLgjs" target="_blank">presentation on YouTube.</a><br />
<br />
Back to <b>Yaniv Farkas</b>, solo this time, with 30 translation hacks. Sharing one's tricks and tips with fellow translators is a <i>mitzvah</i>. Farkas began his talk with technical stuff like his preferred computer screen ("portrait" as opposed to "landscape" orientation); preferred keyboard (a certain Lenovo, with the red dot - <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ybb397uk" target="_blank">TrackPoint</a>); then went on to essential work-habits such as making backups. Last but not least: Take a deep breath before answering annoying clients ;-)<br />
<br />
Below are links to a few <b>work tips</b> I wrote and spoke about in the past:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.com/2014/06/my-most-important-tip-for-translators.html" target="_blank">My most important tip for translators and editors</a></li>
<li><a href="https://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.com/2014/06/my-most-important-tip-for-translators.html" target="_blank">Nina's tips for lectures and presentations</a></li>
<li><a href="https://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.com/2014/07/how-to-work-with-translation-agencies.html" target="_blank">How to work with translation agencies</a></li>
<li><a href="https://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-to-find-well-paying-clients.html" target="_blank">How to find well-paying clients</a></li>
<li><a href="https://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-not-to-write-and-mail-cv.html" target="_blank">How not to write and mail a CV</a> </li>
</ul>
Lunch break!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/yael.sela.71" target="_blank"><b>Yael Sela</b></a>, my longstanding fave translator and speaker, has been [Hebrew] Language Manager at Google since 2014, helping Google improve its Hebrew capabilities. She spoke with her usual vim and vigor about <b>Goliath </b>-- the project of making light of Google's Hebrew. In my professional past, I had the displeasure of trying to edit and improve the Hebrew UI of various [educational] software, usually written quite badly by programmers, may they forgive me for this generalization.<br />
Yael's task is to make Google's Hebrew, as it appears onscreen to the average Hebrew speaker, more inclusive, friendly and accessible. Their guiding motto is "Google is for everyone"; its instructions, commands, messages should all be understandable and friendly towards kids, golden-agers, and women everywhere. You can easily read more about <a href="https://diversity.google/" target="_blank">Google's Diversity approach</a>.<br />
As it happens, I don't use Google in Hebrew, so wasn't aware of these specific changes. But the project is still going on strong, and I'm curious enough to try the Hebrew version and see for myself.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-teplitsky-ben-saadon-08627611/" target="_blank"><b>Vicky Teplitsky Ben-Saadon</b></a>, of the <a href="https://en.hebrew-academy.org.il/" target="_blank">Hebrew Language Academy</a>, is terminology coordinator in the science section of the Academy, and very aware that a living language is constantly changing by its speakers. When it comes to scientific terminology, most scientists are not linguists. The Academy believes that language should serve all spheres of life. This implies that there's no point in creating words that make sense only to a small, limited sector. Also, there's no point in artificially creating Hebrew alternatives to foreign words which have become part of our everyday life, e.g., pizza, sushi, pop, rap, hip-hop, blog, blogger, etc. My notes mention that the word סימלון, <i>simlon</i>, has been suggested for emoji. I don't know whether this was a serious suggestion; I suspect not -- I think emoji is here to stay. The same goes for the much "older" word -- date, as in "I asked her/him out on a date."<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUV_wOvhlTewNdCTgxETTPkIvJ5QvoN90DHM1n83hw2I6o0y_i4_JGCpLfYzTwq9tZpEhW237uVwQP1uocoeANNjOvAVOBvOZ_T89C2UcJ7xWwsgm_IoPZun_6eKk_J5U47L697q2XVKF/s1600/ITA+conf+2020-Vicky_9676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUV_wOvhlTewNdCTgxETTPkIvJ5QvoN90DHM1n83hw2I6o0y_i4_JGCpLfYzTwq9tZpEhW237uVwQP1uocoeANNjOvAVOBvOZ_T89C2UcJ7xWwsgm_IoPZun_6eKk_J5U47L697q2XVKF/s320/ITA+conf+2020-Vicky_9676.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How the Academy decides on creating a Hebrew term</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Though I was thoroughly enjoying Vicky's talk, I left before it ended, since I'd intended to switch to the <a href="https://zoatlv.co.il/en/hall/academia/" target="_blank">Academia room</a>, where<a href="https://italkit.wordpress.com/about-2-2/professional-translation/" target="_blank"> <b>Shirley Finzi Loew</b></a> was speaking.<br />
So imagine my disappointment when I reached the room only to realize that Shirley was at the tail end of her talk. She was discussing the challenge of translating Italian dialects into Hebrew. Most of us, whose Italian encompasses the basic <i>ciao, bellissima, arrivederci, buongiorno</i>, and perhaps a handy expletive or two, aren't aware of the dialects, let alone coped with explaining their nuances. If I'm lucky, I might get another opportunity. If you'd like to read a brief summary of Shirley's talk, you can scroll down my colleague <a href="https://ruthludlam.blogspot.com/2020/02/ita-conference-2020.html" target="_blank">Ruth Ludlam's blog-post</a> about the conference.<br />
<br />
Inbal Sagiv Nakdimon's second talk, which I mentioned above, was the last on the agenda. During the ensuing break, many said their goodbyes. Those who stayed spent a relaxed hour or so enjoying a musical performance by Ronit Ophir and her accompanying musician, singing old favorites with lyrics by Natan Alterman, Natan Yonatan, and Natan Zach.<br />
<br />
Until next time -- Arrivederci, folks!<br />
<br />
<br />Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-61952747871989475142020-03-06T18:03:00.000+02:002021-09-12T09:47:37.579+03:00ITA Conference 2020 - Yes, it was worth it!Yep, the bottom line is that it was good.<br />
Why was it so good?<br />
- Ah, I'm glad you asked.<br />
<br />
I was nearly late for the first session, having forgotten what public transport is like during morning rush hour. So I barely had time to hug and/or wave at colleagues before settling in. From the corner of my eye I glimpsed the very-colorful round buns (=sandwiches) on the bar next to the entrance to <a href="https://zoatlv.co.il/en/hall/marlen/">Marlen Hall</a>, but had to forgo them. (Temporarily.) The event took place at <a href="https://zoatlv.co.il/en/">ZOA House</a> in Tel Aviv, like in <a href="https://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.com/2017/03/zoa-house-not-just-conferences.html" target="_blank">2017 </a>and <a href="https://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.com/2018/02/ita-conference-2018-short-and-sweet.html" target="_blank">2018</a>. The interior design has undergone noticeable refurbishing, or redecorating, without major changes that could have altered the venue's character and "vibe". The chief annoyance at ZOA remains the lack of a place to hang one's coat!<br />
<br />
<u>Day One</u>. The keynote speaker was <b>writer and translator <a href="https://www.assafgavron.com/">Assaf Gavron</a></b>. I haven't read anything by him; but I have now added him to my reading "wish list", and fervently intend to actually make that wish come true. Thing is, by now I'm also wondering what the English version of his books sound like... So whichever book I choose, I'm likely to get it in both languages, and end up comparing the two. Which is what I did with <b>Dror Mishani</b>'s crime novel, <a href="https://d-a-mishani.com/the-missing-file/">The Missing File</a>, for example, after hearing <a href="https://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.com/2016/03/translators-conference-jerusalem-feb_10.html">his talk at the 2016 ITA Conference</a>.<br />
<br />
Mind you, I'm not sure I'd be up to translating Gavron's novels and stories -- they seem quite complex (in the good sense of the word) in terms of plot, characters and language. Those of us who've had some experience in translating Israeli novels into English are aware of the many hurdles. And not just because the IDF lingo, slang, missions, atmosphere and so on are nothing like that of the American or British armed forces. Gavron provided many amusing and edifying examples of the problems and pitfalls involved. Luckily, Gavron's command of English is far better than the average Israeli's, having been brought up by British parents in an English-speaking home and has lived, inter alia, in the U.S., England, and Canada. He himself even translated one of his novels -- the intriguing <i>Tanin Pigu'a</i> (= <i>Almost Dead</i> for the U.S. market and <i>Croc Attack</i> for the British) into English, with the help of British editor/writer <b>James Lever</b>. Gavron said that he thinks<a href="https://www.wordswithoutborders.org/article/from-almost-dead/" target="_blank"> the English version</a> ended up being even better than the original. I am not surprised; understanding and collaboration between author and editor or translator can work wonders.<br />
<br />
While on this subject, do you remember <b>Amos Oz'</b>s talk at the 2017 ITA conference, on translating <i><a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/A_Tale_of_Love_and_Darkness" target="_blank">A Tale of Love and Darkness</a></i> into English? Oz collaborated with his <a href="http://tinyurl.com/umqxatp" target="_blank">translator, Nicholas de Lange</a>, and gave him the go-ahead to leave out several sections of the novel, which were either of no interest to the American reader or too difficult or cumbersome to explain. And a propos <i>A Tale of..., </i>Gavron also translated into Hebrew the its English script written by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000204/" target="_blank">Natalie Portman</a>. As well as the script of one of my fave movies, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/" target="_blank">Pulp Fiction</a>. I don't suppose the script included the "<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/quotes?ref_=tttg_ql_trv_4" target="_blank">Quarter Pounder with cheese</a>" dialog...<br />
<br />
May the god-of-translators forgive me for patting myself on the back, but I believe that I, too, have improved a few books and short stories while translating them from Hebrew to English. In my case it was relatively easy, once I had the consent and collaboration of the author. As we know, much depends on one's client and his/her attitude. I once had a client who hit the ceiling whenever he saw that my [English] sentence was not a 100% match with his [Hebrew] sentence; whereas another client has full confidence in me, is very flexible, open to discussion and appreciative of my suggestions and contributions to his original text.<br />
<br />
Gavron translated a good number of books, scripts and short stories into Hebrew, and as far as I know had very good editors, such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aliza.ziegler" target="_blank">Aliza Ziegler</a>. I could go on and on, but I recommend that you simply go to<a href="https://www.assafgavron.com/" target="_blank"> Gavron's website</a>. Have fun!<br />
<br />
As usual, the plenary was followed by a break. The colorful buns were a bit weird-looking but tasty, the cookies were very moreish, the coffee was bleh, but for 12 shekels you could get a half-decent latte. Then came the usual difficulty of choosing which track to attend. Briefly, here's what I listened to:<br />
<br />
<b>Nathalie Haddad,</b> managing director of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TransTitles/" target="_blank">Transtitles</a><b>,</b> spoke about -- surprise, surprise -- translating subtitles. I think she did a good job of explaining the challenges involved. Most of the TV series I watch are in English, with no subtitles. But when I do watch TV with Hebrew subtitles, I am always acutely aware of both brilliant solutions and amusing or ghastly failures.<br />
<br />
Next was <b>Yael Valier,</b> an experienced and talented speaker, as I discovered during her presentation on translating children's poetry at last year's conference. The emphasis this time was on translating texts designed to be heard -- an aspect most of us don't deal with on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
Lunch break. Baby-bourekas instead of confectionery. But for those who wanted something more substantial, there are plenty of good cafes and eateries within easy walking distance. As stated, the main inconvenience was having to schlep one's coat and bag while simultaneously balancing a small, recyclable plate of food & drink and trying to find a temporary resting place.<i> Meileh -- lo nora!</i> (= Oh, forget it, no harm done; we survived to tell the tale...)<br />
<br />
Break over. Back to Marlen Hall:<br />
<b>Avi Stainman</b> basically told his audience what his company, <a href="https://www.aclang.com/" target="_blank">Academic Language Experts</a>, does, and why it's important. I totally agree that Israel's academics are, for the most part, in need of the services offered. Translating, editing, and formatting academic papers can be a huge headache which I for one was glad to stop doing. IMHO, most of what Avi said was plain common sense. But a little common sense can go a long way ;-)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/YaelCahaneShadmiTranslation/" target="_blank"><b>Yael Cahane-Shadmi</b></a>, a versatile translator and experienced lecturer, gave a short talk about an important aspect of our work: What do you do when a text you are asked to translate revolves around a subject, or promotes an issue, that is morally or ethically contrary to your principles. Obviously, if you can afford to pick and choose, you simply turn down any texts you dislike for whatever reason. But when the issue at hand is more serious, and you need the money, where do you draw the line?<br />
Yael's presentation is available <a href="http://tinyurl.com/vu4bk4q" target="_blank">on her blog</a>; but note that it is only in Hebrew. You can also enjoy an earlier presentation of hers, on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IsraelTranslatorsAssociation/videos/449649252414681/" target="_blank">assertiveness</a>, which comes in handy when you want to turn a client down. :-) This presentation, too, is in Hebrew.<br />
<br />
<b>Ruth Ludlam</b>'s presentation was about the process of publishing an academic book. This is something I would dread, and have done my best to avoid. But if you must do it, it's good to know what you're getting yourself into. For example: every publishing house has its own guidelines and demands, so if you get turned down by one publisher, you don't give up in disgust -- you try a different one, or two, or three... And even once you've established an understanding with a certain publisher, your contact person might suddenly be replaced by someone else, kicking you out of your comfort zone. You can read more about it on <a href="https://ruthludlam.blogspot.com/2020/02/ita-conference-2020.html" target="_blank">Ruth's blog.</a><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/liath-noy-53b533/" target="_blank">Liath Noy</a></b> spoke about the state of translation studies in Israel. A touchy subject, it seems. Once upon a time, like fifty years ago, there were no "Translation Studies" in Israel. I studied English Literature, Linguistics, some French and Spanish; and later a few courses in Comparative Literature, and a two-semester workshop in play-writing -- all interesting and fun, but not exactly geared towards translation. At present, my alma mater, <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/" target="_blank">Tel Aviv University</a>, no longer has a translation department.<br />
Translators' work often calls for an acquaintance with (or education in) a wide field of knowledge -- linguistics, modern language studies, comparative literature, cultural studies, philosophy, creative language, and more. But in day-to-day reality, that's not enough. The late Prof. Miriam Schlesinger believed in translation studies that prepared its students for the real world. (Which is why she invited me to give a guest-presentation in 2005. More about that in a separate post, I hope.) Today's academic programs are trying to adapt to the 21st century, with more emphasis on hands-on practice, technological aspects and business aspects. Among other things, Liath teaches how to use MemoQ - a successful translation software. If I were still working full-time, I'd definitely try it.<br />
<br />
Last coffee-break for the day, followed by two brief talks:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Haddar Perry</b> spoke about <a href="http://tinyurl.com/woo3vdv" target="_blank">excess words in translation</a>. I've been following <a href="https://hadarperry.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Haddar's blog</a> (in Hebrew, duh!) for years; her knowledge of the Hebrew language, past and present, is amazing in its breadth and depth. Her talk was a short version of the blog post mentioned above. The blog post contains no less than 47 examples of the way Hebrew-speakers use lengthy, often superfluous phrases when translating from other languages, including English. As we know, Hebrew is, by nature, a succinct language. In many cases the translator or editor looks at the tiny Hebrew (translated) sentence, which seems to him/her somehow insufficient, not respectable or impressive enough... and immediately pads and plumps it up with a few unnecessary words.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/micaelaziv/" target="_blank">Micaela Ziv</a></b>'s two most important projects for the ITA over the past few years have been the Recognition project, and representing the ITA at <a href="http://www.lahav.org.il/" target="_blank">Lahav </a>- "the NPO whose goal is to lobby for and protect the rights of freelance and self-employed workers". Many of us have been asked by a prospective client to provide proof of our expertise, a professional certificate. And no, a university degree is not enough; it says nothing about your experience. But I can attest that my Certificate of Recognition does the trick.<br />
- Anyone here up to being our new representative at Lahav?<br />
- Anyone here willing to become a mentor for translators into Hebrew? If so, <a href="http://ziv@zivgroup.co.il/" target="_blank">contact Micaela</a>.<br />
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That's all for now. I can hear you sighing with relief... One day, I'll report about Day 2.<br />
To see photos from the conference: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/IsraelTranslatorsAssociation/photos/">https://www.facebook.com/pg/IsraelTranslatorsAssociation/photos/</a><br />
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<br />Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-6430803188319522982019-03-29T17:30:00.001+03:002021-09-12T09:47:49.825+03:00ITA Conference 2019 - and where were you?Yes, I'm talking to you, my translator and editor buddies. I missed you.<br />
If there was anything disappointing about this conference, it was the size of the audience. Everything else was fine: good speakers, interesting talks, comfortable chairs, relatively short sessions, unlimited coffee and other drinks, the standard cakes and pastries. Not sure about the parking facilities, but then I had a ride to <a href="http://www.kmc.co.il/en/">Kfar Maccabiah</a>, and caught a bus home.<br />
<br />
For old-timers like me, who remember 3-day conferences with two hundred(?) participants, the current event was a mite depressing. The in-house advertising for the event made it clear that it wouldn't be <i>that </i>type of conference. The wording clearly attempted to re-define expectations:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXsa_0uWrvYVLRH_lZOoc8V9GNuVT6u35BZB0BKV5HwiD1YyIWN_gjXKtZd6vPyzTA4LKjfStIwi4CpGT1DxWqEl0egUd5MdH35p5N0zmsVp6jJK-RQmXav9FnhOs_UZiZ5j6Ol_Zb251/s1600/ITA+conf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="622" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXsa_0uWrvYVLRH_lZOoc8V9GNuVT6u35BZB0BKV5HwiD1YyIWN_gjXKtZd6vPyzTA4LKjfStIwi4CpGT1DxWqEl0egUd5MdH35p5N0zmsVp6jJK-RQmXav9FnhOs_UZiZ5j6Ol_Zb251/s400/ITA+conf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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But still: forty-odd participants?...<br />
Yes, we were a good, attentive and appreciative audience. Honestly.<br />
And yes, the small-but-involved audience contributed to a relaxed, friendly, intimate atmosphere. Comments or questions didn't come across as rude interruptions, nor did they did seem to throw our speakers off their track.<br />
<br />
Okay, enough kvetching. You wanna know what you missed? Here's <a href="https://ita.org.il/?page_id=2712">the program</a>, and below is a brief(?) report:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b>1</b>.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Keynote speaker </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/he/%D7%92%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%90%D7%9C_%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%A0%D7%91%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9D">Dr. Gabriel Birnbaum</a>, senior researcher at the <a href="https://en.hebrew-academy.org.il/">Academy
of the Hebrew Language</a>, spoke about the <a href="https://maagarim.hebrew-academy.org.il/Pages/PMain.aspx">Historical Dictionary Project</a> -- a fascinating topic, as is turned
out, and I kid you not. I wonder whether, had I been mainly a translator into
Hebrew, and/or a Hebrew editor, I'd know more about the Academy and about this project. To quote the <a href="https://maagarim.hebrew-academy.org.il/Pages/PMain.aspx">Ma'agrim </a>page
in English, "<span style="background: white;">The aim of a historical dictionary is to relate
the history of the words of a language by answering questions such as: When did
the word first enter the language, and is it still in use? What were the word’s
original form and meaning and how did they change over time?" </span></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Dr. Birnbaum's description of the process of gradually putting
together such a database, his examples and answers to questions from the
audience, were enlightening and amusing. Though he was speaking to a relatively
knowledgeable group, he easily stumped us with his questions. I bet you didn't
know that the noun <i>tayir </i>means fortune telling based on
patterns of birds' flights. Or that the horrible-sounding word <i>ma'arufia </i>(reminiscent
of the verb la'arof, as in "Off with his head!") actually means
clientele. Well, the origin of both words is Arabic, so if you know Arabic, you probably figured out these two words easily. We live in the Middle East, guys! Wakey wakey! Time to learn Arabic!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
To find out more about Dr. Birnbaum and his work, read <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/The-Israeli-academy-continuing-the-unprecedented-revival-of-the-Hebrew-language-542822">this Jerusalem Post interview</a> (though I doubt that it captures his low-key, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Coffee break. Chatting. All's well, but then comes my usual conflict: Shall I go to Track A or Track B? Track A offered a longish session by one <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfie-gelbard-626b4942/">Alfie Gelbard</a> on a subject that I know nothing about: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/yxtadkgp">Poetry slam</a> in Israel; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/slam-poetry">Slam Poetry</a>; <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Spoken_word">Spoken Word</a>. Sure, I've heard of these. I'm just totally ignorant on the subject. Okay, so people write poetry and recite it aloud. Big deal. What's so special about that? Hasn't that been around, like, forever?.. Since Ancient Greece, or <a href="http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0705.htm">The Song of Deborah</a>?.. Had I gone, I would have found out. But I didn't, so I might just make the effort and look into the subject. Instead, I chose Track B, which had at least two sessions which are of current relevance to me.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; text-align: center;"> * *</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; text-align: center;"> *</span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="text-align: center;"><b>2</b>. I knew I wanted to hear <a href="http://conf.ita.org.il/en/shira-leibowitz-schmidt/">Shira Leibowitz Schmidt</a>, because I'd liked a previous lecture of hers [at the AGM of June 2018]. In this talk, titled <i>Can a Rabbi be a Muslim</i>, she shared with us some of the difficulties and conundrums encountered in a translation involving different cultures. Specifically in this case, the translation of subtitles for the documentary by Eyal Datz, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8657590/">Hidden Face</a> (Hebrew name: Astir Panai אסתיר פני). It's not easy to communicate the world of Israeli Orthodox Jews to foreign viewers Leibowitz-Schmidt refers to, for the purposes of translation of course, as "a gentile in Georgia". (The U.S. Georgia.) Terms that are obvious by now to most Israelis, such as <i>rogalach</i>, <i>cholent</i>, <i>shma</i>, <i>kapota</i>, and plenty more, have to be very-briefly explained, wherever there is no simple English equivalent. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">The audience was -- how shall I put it -- easily countable by my 5-year-old grandson; but I think about half were from a religious background, so unsurprisingly they had encountered similar issues, and were quite adept at suggesting solutions, e.g., respectively: pastries, stew, the basic Jewish prayer, Hassidic coat, and so on. Other issues were less straightforward. But hey -- that's exactly what the session was all about!</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">3. When I first saw <a href="http://tinyurl.com/y3owllko">Dr. Michal Fram-Cohen</a>, while mingling and nibbling, I didn't realize she was one of the speakers. I'd never heard of the novel <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Vale-Cedars-Martyr-Fifteenth-Century/dp/0543975509">The Vale of Cedars</a> nor of its author, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/yyotx87c">Grace Aguilar</a>. So I had no idea what to expect. But as is often the case, the ITA conference provided a pleasant surprise. Dr. Fram-Cohen, in a brief talk, managed to illustrate the huge difference between the two translations of the novel, each guided by the ideology of its translator, in accordance with the mores of the time. Most of us are familiar with early translations of classic stories or novels, say from English and from German, into Hebrew. As a pre-teen and a teenager, I read Sir Walter Scott's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ivanhoe-Penguin-Classics-Walter-Scott/dp/0140436588">Ivanhoe </a>in Hebrew, without realizing to what extent it had been "scrubbed clean" of any obvious Christian motifs. Similarly, I read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hur-Tale-Christ-Complete-Unabridged/dp/1617203408/">Ben-Hur</a> by Lew Wallace several times as a teenager, in Hebrew. The original subtitle, "<a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Ben-Hur:_A_Tale_of_the_Christ">A Tale of the Christ</a>", most certainly did not appear anywhere on or in the book; the plot was, apparently, also similarly adapted to the Hebrew readers of that era. According to <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/he/%D7%91%D7%9F_%D7%97%D7%95%D7%A8_(%D7%A1%D7%A4%D7%A8)">Wikipedia</a>, there are no fewer than <i>8 translations</i> into Hebrew, done between the years 1924-1979, and <i>in all of them</i> the Christian motif was "censored". Considering the centrality of this motif to the novel, it's amazing that it was so totally eradicated. I'm sure that reading the original and reading one of the Hebrew versions is simply a different experience. Fram-Cohen did a good job of selecting and presenting a novel where this type of "localization" is both amusing and disturbing.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">Hebrew readers might find the following page interesting: https://lib.cet.ac.il/pages/item.asp?item=23714</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><b>4.</b> & <b>5.</b> <a href="https://ita.org.il/?page_id=65&lang=en&userID=1026">Yael Valier</a> spoke about translating lyrical and rhyming children's books from Hebrew to English, which is more difficult and requires more creativity and ingenuity than the average Israeli writer/poet realizes. <a href="http://www.tzivia.com/">Tzivia MacLeod</a> picked up more-or-less where Valier left off, addressing the challenges of translating children's stories (Hebrew to English), and the $$$-question of how to promote and sell such books on the American market. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
These two presentations were very relevant to me, since I've been involved recently with translating stories for children, written in Hebrew by a friend. A couple of these stories contained some rhymed stanzas, which I passed on to my friend and colleague <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-yechiel-9198bb31/">Linda Yechiel</a>, since poetry and rhymes are not my forte. As for the rest, I translated the stories as best I could, but remained dubious as to their chances of ever selling on the American market. On Amazon, to be precise. I did share my doubts with the author, a kindergarten teacher by profession, and a darn good one, too. Her (didactic) stories are adored by local preschool teachers, and kids love her. So far, so good. But selling children's books on Amazon is a different story altogether, and requires an understanding of the market and of how Amazon works. I may not be an expert, but I know the basics, and MacLeod's talk reinforced what I knew and gave me additional pointers.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"> * *</span><span style="font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"> *</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">Lunch break. The usual buffet. More food than anyone could eat, and cute little petit fours which, being <i><a href="https://www.thefreedictionary.com/parve">parve</a></i>, are seldom as tasty as they look. (But I didn't want the extra calories anyway, did I?..)</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"> * *</span><span style="font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"> *</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">Three out of the four post-lunch sessions weren't of great interest to me, mainly since I am retired and have the luxury of being very selective about the work I undertake; I'm definitely not attempting to attract any more business. And so I easily skipped Stephen Rifkind's session, which was about accessing the world market; and <a href="http://www.q-lingua.com/">Q-Lingua</a>'s session, which was about <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/International_Organization_for_Standardization">ISO standards</a> and certification. If you're interested in these sessions, pop over to <a href="https://ruthludlam.blogspot.com/2019/03/2019-ita-conference.html">Ruth Ludlum's blog</a>, where she reported on both.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><b>6</b>. Instead, I went to the other track, where <a href="https://en.linguistics.huji.ac.il/people/dikla-abarbanel">Dikla Abarbanel</a> of The Knesset Chronicles, explained and demonstrated what the editors are up against when editing transcripts of Knesset sessions. This is a very specific type of editing, where you must be precise and neutral, obviously; yet you have guidelines of what to omit. After all, not every hesitation, repetition or guffaw merit documentation handed down to posterity.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><b>7</b>. Well, I can attest that traffic in the region was rather horrid that day... which may be the reason that the speaker for this session simply never made it. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/udi.her">Udi Hershler</a> was supposed to talk about "Studying and the Yeshiva Language". Glancing at Hershler's Facebook page, he comes across as an interesting fellow. Maybe there'll be a "next time". (Though I don't promise to attend.)</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"> * *</span><span style="font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"> *</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">Coffee break. Then the last session, where I was pleased to see and hear a well-known top-notch artist of the written word, whose work every Israeli probably knows, even if they're not aware of it:</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><b>8</b>. <a href="https://www.dorymanor.com/">Dory Manor</a> - Translating the Untranslatable - Ruminations on Translating Poetry. Manor opened his talk with a well-known quotation of Robert Frost, who wrote in 1959: "...I could define poetry this way: it is that which is lost out of both prose and verse in translation." Not a pleasant thought for translators, especially translators of poetry, I expect. Which is why Manor goes to great lengths to re-create the poesy, the tone, the music, when transforming poetic works from French, English, Spanish (and I'm not sure which other languages) -- into Hebrew. I say "transforming" rather than "translating" because, as Manor says and as other translators surely know, translating poetry means writing it anew in a different language.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">What never ceases to amaze me is that some of my favorite writers wrote the most beautiful poetry in a language other than their mother tongue: <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Leah_Goldberg">Leah Goldberg</a>, <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Rachel_Bluwstein">Rachel</a>, <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Jacques_Brel">Jacques Brel</a>, and <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Nathan_Alterman">Nathan Alterman</a> - to name but a few. Why, as a student at Tel Aviv University (er... some 50 years ago), I was floored by Joseph Conrad's mastery of the English language, considering he did not speak English fluently until his twenties (<a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Joseph_Conrad">says Wikipedia</a>.)</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">By the time Manor's lecture was over, I couldn't wait to get home and check out some <a href="https://fleursdumal.org/1868-table-of-contents">French poetry</a>, read it aloud and savor its beauty, feeling thankful that this beauty is also accessible to readers in other languages.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">C'est tout pour aujourd'hui. Au revoir!</span><br />
Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-82219519357133595502018-02-17T18:20:00.001+02:002021-09-12T09:48:03.858+03:00ITA Conference 2018 - Short and SweetIn case I haven't mentioned it before, I'm a notebook freak... Give me a unique or pretty notebook, and I'm yours forever -- or at least until the next attractive notebook comes my way :-)<br />
So the moment I presented myself at the ITA desk on the second floor of the ZOA House, and received this notebook (and pen!)<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ggVFXQVOuSwOdIGtv170lz4hW8EuoN1hGp8i7E8fTEU39kItDYOTFilJYmVBtxJ1PzVtjroIVgcPX6C1HgsoPMPaR_QZ9y83Ph3peBROTIECjyF2OorqsXJzBgphH_weXifpx-nVjRG0/s1600/ITA+Conf_5338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ggVFXQVOuSwOdIGtv170lz4hW8EuoN1hGp8i7E8fTEU39kItDYOTFilJYmVBtxJ1PzVtjroIVgcPX6C1HgsoPMPaR_QZ9y83Ph3peBROTIECjyF2OorqsXJzBgphH_weXifpx-nVjRG0/s320/ITA+Conf_5338.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With thanks to Sarah Yarkoni, <a href="http://www.semantica.co.il/SemanticaManagTeam.html" target="_blank">Semantica</a></td></tr>
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in addition to my name-tag and <a href="http://conf.ita.org.il/en/program-2/" target="_blank">program</a>, my face glowed with pleasure. Add to that warm hugs with friends and a buffet with beautifully cut fresh fruit, and the day was already deemed a success. Even though the bus from Rishon LeZion to Tel Aviv took about an hour -- as long as getting from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv during rush-hour -- and by the time I got there, it was almost time for the first session, leaving me very little time for initial schmoozing and fruit-nibbling.<br />
<br />
So I was a bit late for the keynote speaker's presentation -- missed the first few slides, but caught on pretty fast. <a href="http://www.apextra.fr/about-us" target="_blank">John Di Rico</a> of <a href="http://www.wordfast.com/clients_translators" target="_blank">Wordfast </a>was speaking about <i>Selling Your Translation and Interpreting Services</i>. He was not only speaking and presenting slides, but also asking us questions and trying to get his audience involved. As you can see from his online profile, and as one could tell from his presentation, he is indeed experienced in and comfortable with teaching adults.<br />
My only reservation about this lecture was that it was not suitable to the Israeli market. The type of interaction between translator and potential customer described by Di Rico is nothing like the typical interaction we translators (and editors) are accustomed to, and which goes something like this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
- Customer calls: "Hi! I have a 30-page document about Mechanical Elves. Need it translated from Swahili to English. By tomorrow. Can you do it? How much do you charge?"<br />- Bewildered Newbie Translator: "Er... um... I'm not sure... Is it in a Word document? Can it be by the day-after-tomorrow? Is 50 shekels a page okay?"<br />- Blase, Experienced Translator: "Sure, for 150 shekels per 250 words in the target language, plus 30% surcharge for a rush job, and if you pay 50% in advance and the rest by the end of this month. Who did you say your target audience is, by the way?"<br />- Tired, Semi-Retired Translator: "Yeah, in your dreams!" [Click. Disconnect.]</blockquote>
I totally agree with Di Rico's basic assumption that people love to talk about themselves, and so we -- the "customercentric sellers" (i.e. translators eager to eke out a living) -- should be patient and listen. But as far as I know, most of us prefer to communicate with our customers by email. Otherwise, they'll never remember all the info I need them to know. And besides -- I'm telephobic...<br />
When it comes to writing -- sure, no problem! Di Rico provides these guidelines for summing up the conversation between Customer and Seller:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-g91mE5K1-97y3bA982CtQsbxAHy3a94VqTgBOI98RWQhCoFEhw-kKrHKONk59Pvq3PLb49kXIKFkjcJHfJ86n5dHXgFQEQTZhZTBfti3svMpUzPiZk7TqtA1dgE1LbsN2r56R0WCrEx/s1600/From+J+Di+Rico+presentation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1600" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-g91mE5K1-97y3bA982CtQsbxAHy3a94VqTgBOI98RWQhCoFEhw-kKrHKONk59Pvq3PLb49kXIKFkjcJHfJ86n5dHXgFQEQTZhZTBfti3svMpUzPiZk7TqtA1dgE1LbsN2r56R0WCrEx/s400/From+J+Di+Rico+presentation.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With thanks to <a href="http://gansellconsulting.webs.com/" target="_blank">Gila Ansell Brauner</a></td></tr>
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My own emails may not follow this "Champion Letter", but I do take them seriously and they have been effective. (Examples available upon request, just give me a chance to browse through my folders...)<br />
<br />
Coffee break. The instant coffee and the "botz" were blah, but the ZOA coffee counter offered acceptable Cappuccino, I am told, at no extra cost.<br />
<br />
Next there were several sessions that were irrelevant to me, (being retired, as I've <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2017/02/what-retired-translators-and-editors-do.html" target="_blank">mentioned before</a>) e.g., the one about tax deductible expenses. I was, however, curious about <i>Strategies for Overcoming Literalism in Translations</i>, by <a href="https://www.aclang.com/our-team/" target="_blank">Avi Kallenbach</a>, bless him. How can I not admire a young man who enjoys the same books as my own kids do, e.g., <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy" target="_blank">The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</a>, <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Catch-22" target="_blank">Catch 22</a>, books by <a href="https://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/" target="_blank">Terry Pratchett</a>, <a href="http://www.philip-pullman.com/" target="_blank">Philip Pullman</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/14352716-avi-kallenbach" target="_blank">many more</a>. So I didn't learn any new strategies, but I think he's on the right track.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlALsjlMu-1DdqbAgAOt_7xkqmoBKT6eenLwqXxiymPZyDofcvDOZw7UiKLTAhm8ilUOmingHJ02xWE80vPIrp3V2TeWFiHY9TDFMK3NT-mEOUYKyFG7B7GwuSrp65gKV-DhZrERpw4nSW/s1600/Keith+Brooks+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1600" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlALsjlMu-1DdqbAgAOt_7xkqmoBKT6eenLwqXxiymPZyDofcvDOZw7UiKLTAhm8ilUOmingHJ02xWE80vPIrp3V2TeWFiHY9TDFMK3NT-mEOUYKyFG7B7GwuSrp65gKV-DhZrERpw4nSW/s320/Keith+Brooks+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/kbmsg" target="_blank">Keith Brooks</a></td></tr>
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The other session I joined and enjoyed was <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/kbmsg/fix-your-own-computerr" target="_blank">Keith Brooks</a>' <i>Faster Translations Start with a Faster Computer</i> - a very fast and entertaining presentation, which ain't to be sneezed at, considering Brooks was speaking about some very annoying situations, wherein your PC or laptop is driving you crazy and you do your best not to kick it. Calling it names is acceptable, though not helpful.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7ipoCRCDAF1eO_DjFv7JSrzHmzAQrQPa507FdLte7tALOcTB9SovfrQOkEmREQaxr4fV0uTZMHwV46hJgoQ-IX6iZFxaTwJVgOlqA6DjZw99n_KWGbWG7MfCHScrmsQD7NGrZ23aygFU/s1600/Keith+Brooks+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7ipoCRCDAF1eO_DjFv7JSrzHmzAQrQPa507FdLte7tALOcTB9SovfrQOkEmREQaxr4fV0uTZMHwV46hJgoQ-IX6iZFxaTwJVgOlqA6DjZw99n_KWGbWG7MfCHScrmsQD7NGrZ23aygFU/s320/Keith+Brooks+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pics thanks to Gila Ansell Brauner</td></tr>
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I'm a lucky PC-user, in that my husband has been my live-in tech-support ever since he introduced me to computers, way back circa 1986. But I want to be able to fend for myself, to a certain degree at least, and I'm sure Brooks' numerous presentations, available online, will be of help to me. Besides, he has a great sense of humor, which is one of the most important attributes a person can have.<br />
<br />
Last session, a panel entitled <i>The three Points of the Triangle: The customer, Translation Company and Translator</i>. I have worked in the past with three out of the four agencies that took part in the panel: <i>Quality Translations</i>, which later became <a href="http://www.mgslanguage.com/translation/" target="_blank">MGSL</a>; <a href="https://transnetonline.com/about-us/" target="_blank">Transnet</a>; and <a href="http://hebrewtrans.com/en/" target="_blank">Rina Ne'eman</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtjPfRHi9yJH7IiPCVUJrlJKqRVr1uZUluLtVobjYcLgCcLv8Ld7-xF-6-iMAuGr4OKW4jtVIF8skXmDKTr_eQLc_w7aVB1B6Ej3EHcG8ASA87UXLg95qiLoNll7afo-KMLFK_uz6FiOi/s1600/ITA+Conf_5331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtjPfRHi9yJH7IiPCVUJrlJKqRVr1uZUluLtVobjYcLgCcLv8Ld7-xF-6-iMAuGr4OKW4jtVIF8skXmDKTr_eQLc_w7aVB1B6Ej3EHcG8ASA87UXLg95qiLoNll7afo-KMLFK_uz6FiOi/s320/ITA+Conf_5331.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I have <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2014/07/how-to-work-with-translation-agencies.html" target="_blank">spoken and written about working with agencies</a>, from the translator's point of view. [See <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2014/07/how-to-work-with-translation-agencies.html" target="_blank">here</a>]. So the discussion itself wasn't an eye-opener in any way, but as always it was good to see and hear the actual people behind the names. I hadn't met <a href="http://weistrans.com/our-team/" target="_blank">Emanuel Weisgras</a> before, but it was a pleasure listening to him, especially because he has a sense of humor! (Click the above link and see for yourself.)<br />
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Just for the fun of it, and for the sake of my fellow notebook lovers (I know you're out there!), here's a pic of a few of my fave notebooks:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxVHFYMU7VXzob0u0gp4sdr8w00ouKsmqw3mw2hAJyuqBjHs4_vDqIbYghEn5QO5Z6QKUJXukjsJq-G9Z3HWW5e8_Ncl8Dnv3TC9lCuhzL2NMV6NzDy8AdR_N0tRnUizJcjX223zlTimB/s1600/Notebooks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxVHFYMU7VXzob0u0gp4sdr8w00ouKsmqw3mw2hAJyuqBjHs4_vDqIbYghEn5QO5Z6QKUJXukjsJq-G9Z3HWW5e8_Ncl8Dnv3TC9lCuhzL2NMV6NzDy8AdR_N0tRnUizJcjX223zlTimB/s320/Notebooks.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-27198005864096163822017-03-02T23:27:00.001+02:002021-09-18T18:39:00.271+03:00ZOA House - Not Just ConferencesI've been going to the <a href="http://ita.org.il/?lang=en" target="_blank">Israel Translators Association</a> conferences for over 10 years, and treating the event as a vacation, time off for good behavior. I'm used to signing up for the entire event, including two nights at a pleasant hotel far from home. "Far" being a relative term, of course. To an Israeli living in the country's central region (<a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Gush_Dan" target="_blank">Gush Dan</a>), a trip to Jerusalem or Haifa, about an hour's drive away, can feel almost as adventurous as a journey to where-the-wild-things-are.<br />
So Hubby and I would arrive on the afternoon of the first day, dump our stuff in the hotel room, and go downstairs to mingle with the Workshop crowd during their coffee break.<br />
<br />
This year, several things changed drastically:<br />
No hotel. No faraway city. No sense of adventure. Why? Long story. As a member of the ITA's Audit Committee, all I can say is that the change in format was well thought out, with the idea of reaching out to translators who found the usual hotel-based format too expensive and time-consuming. Most self-employed translators, especially those with families and tight deadlines, can't just escape for two and a half days.<br />
<br />
Searching for an alternative wasn't simple. Committee members researched the options, made phone calls, received price quotes, considered everything from travelling time to cakes and ale (okay -- cakes and soft drinks) and everything in-between, and settled on the <a href="http://www.zoatlv.co.il/" target="_blank">ZOA House</a> on Ibn Gabirol Street, Tel Aviv. An aside: I am disgusted that their website is in Hebrew only. But have added the link because the pics are pretty and give you an idea of what it's like.<br />
<br />
Spoiler alert: Sentimental mush below.<br />
<br />
Ah, good old ZOA House! It means so much to me! See, once upon a time I belonged to The Tel Aviv Drama Circle, which then became TACT - Tel Aviv Community Theater. A group of amateur actors, singers, dancers, directors, set designers and what-not. <a href="https://ninatrackschanges.wordpress.com/claras-memoirs/" target="_blank">My mother</a> was among the early members, and soon enough so were my father, myself and my kid sister. By the time my firstborn, Daria, was about 7, she, too, got roped in; first in a musical evening; and later in a drama. I won't go into the whole history of this group. Suffice it to say that it was a wonderful hobby, and doing musicals was the best. Many of our rehearsals and most of our performances took place at the ZOA House. It was my second home. At the time I lived in Tel Aviv, not far from the <a href="http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/israel/hilton-tel-aviv-TLVHITW/index.html" target="_blank">Hilton Hotel</a>, and could easily walk to and from rehearsals.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxs7ew3jtklFQZ_fNVBe8TzxPypi5CF6ovH4eTABNVqs9Me87f9ZI7rTFuXojRjrR5OdafolzB-SF2a9ogTRas_l91oNVveUAVWv9IiHxN8ChYs-AuuoaeVbzbdUPPJAyR-Fw3op7ikoS/s1600/Forum_3166.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxs7ew3jtklFQZ_fNVBe8TzxPypi5CF6ovH4eTABNVqs9Me87f9ZI7rTFuXojRjrR5OdafolzB-SF2a9ogTRas_l91oNVveUAVWv9IiHxN8ChYs-AuuoaeVbzbdUPPJAyR-Fw3op7ikoS/s320/Forum_3166.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum @ZOA, 1981. Nina as Tintinabula</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LTeGsnyAjmvm6sN-KhHQxLQNs2GmvaZyRuft2Eq1BavuLIhJsnUasdfl6u73C_O164fdTWvahkXKG04XCI4V4CBa5OmNIT0Zi-QwaUiavBYM0O2GAIu6z-6Gl5ABcCiRDt2q59CTYkNv/s1600/The+Boyfriend_3162.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LTeGsnyAjmvm6sN-KhHQxLQNs2GmvaZyRuft2Eq1BavuLIhJsnUasdfl6u73C_O164fdTWvahkXKG04XCI4V4CBa5OmNIT0Zi-QwaUiavBYM0O2GAIu6z-6Gl5ABcCiRDt2q59CTYkNv/s320/The+Boyfriend_3162.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boyfriend @ZOA, 1980. Nina in red Tshirt</td></tr>
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<br />In addition, I took various courses at the ZOA House. Leather-work, Esperanto, and god knows what else. Later, when we needed a venue for a family occasion, ZOA was the obvious choice. And in recent years, the ITA has held a few events there. I gave a talk there in July 2014 called <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2014/07/how-to-work-with-translation-agencies.html" target="_blank">How to Work with Translation Agencies</a>.<br />
<br />
So in many ways, I was pleased the conference would be taking place there. I feel at home there; it holds sweet memories.<br />
On the other hand, it was a bit of a let-down. Unexciting. Like having the conference at the neighbors' next-door. Hubby and I pass by the building twice weekly, on our way to help out with the grandkids. Skipping grandkids duty for the sake of two days at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Jerusalem feels acceptable; but for spending time across the street (practically) at Good Old ZOA?... [Shrug. Pout. Raised eyebrows.] Oh well. [Acceptance].<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g-zmklsF1A6s1lYNeuWAl5q8Ta7M4yqa3UoOfRzHm19G5GFHSMItv7xpxdDmRUEWUqpql_C-DRwvD2klQp8F37wEZDfFU1OYtnjTeFU8AS5c1Hpz63IvSEIyfkKY4tY31dp3ZstXvV3y/s1600/Pyjama+Game_3178.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g-zmklsF1A6s1lYNeuWAl5q8Ta7M4yqa3UoOfRzHm19G5GFHSMItv7xpxdDmRUEWUqpql_C-DRwvD2klQp8F37wEZDfFU1OYtnjTeFU8AS5c1Hpz63IvSEIyfkKY4tY31dp3ZstXvV3y/s320/Pyjama+Game_3178.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pyjama Game @ZOA, 1979. Nina standing on the right</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Three Angels, w/Johnny Phillips, 1977</td></tr>
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<br />Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-48939511074647262542017-02-20T21:15:00.002+02:002021-09-21T12:15:23.052+03:00What Retired Translators and Editors Do"See you next year!" - That's how I blithely ended my <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2016/03/translators-conference-jerusalem-feb_10.html" target="_blank">fifth(!) post about last year's (2016) Translators' Conference</a>. And what have I written in this blog since? Nothing. Zilch. Nada. How come? Do I simply live from one conference to the next? Surely not. Was I so darn busy working that I had no time for writing? Have I not had any inspiring insights about reading, writing, translating, editing, worthy of sharing with you, for an entire year? - Rubbish! So what the ...?<br />
<br />
Enough with the soul-searching. I'll leave that for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. But I will provide a few explanations, and if you're bored already, just skip to my<span style="background-color: white;"> next post,</span> where I actually start reporting on the conference. [Link to be provided as soon as said post is written.]<br />
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I'm officially retired, and glad of it. I love my profession, but -- as most translators will agree -- dealing with clients can be irksome, and running our business is a chore and a bore to most of us. So, once officially retired, I was freer than ever to pick and choose what projects, big or small, to take on.<br />
I've been lucky: people call me. They tell me about a novel, say, that they wrote in Hebrew. They want it translated into English. I glance at it and, for the most part, roll my eyes. I no longer have the patience. I might find the text long, wordy, lacking focus, flowery, or just plain not my cup of tea. So I give the writer some tips and suggestions, along with the names of trustworthy colleagues who will perhaps be willing to undertake the job. I have done this for Ella, Simona, Tali, Gili, Lihi, Haim, Sigal, Lilach, Yossi, Tamar, and others. Sometimes the text is not bad in itself but is just well-nigh untranslatable.<br />
I take this seriously. I know that the writers put a lot of time, thought and effort into their "baby". I admire them for having the determination and persistence to sit and write. What's known in Yiddish as "sitzfleisch": The ability to endure or persist in a task. So I treat my feedback with all due respect, which takes time.<br />
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Then there are the books, or manuscripts, that I do undertake. Not to translate, but to help in other ways: To read and give my opinion, to edit to a certain degree, to offer some criticism and helpful suggestions. Two writers whom I'm pleased to say I helped recently in this way are <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dorothea-Shefer-Vanson/e/B00GA5SGA0" target="_blank">Dorothea Shefer-Vanson</a> and <a href="http://www.twoprincesbook.com/synopsis" target="_blank">Shmuel David</a>.<br />
<br />
On a daily basis, I get a kick out of adding my 2 cents' worth to discussions on Facebook's translators' forums, especially <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/230045600341848/" target="_blank">Agenda</a>, which is my favorite. And when I encounter translators in distress, particularly those who are relatively new to the field, I send them one or more of the glossaries I've compiled and/or accumulated over the years.<br />
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Oh, and for the past year I've been on the <a href="http://ita.org.il/?page_id=217&lang=en" target="_blank">ITA's Audit Committee</a>. Not that it takes up much of my time; after all, I'm not a professional auditor. But I try to follow what's going on in the Executive Committee and be part of the discussions and decisions, to the best of my ability.<br />
<br />
What with three [adorable, of course!] grandkids and a wanderlust-driven hubby, I find myself <a href="https://nina-makes-tracks.blogspot.co.il/" target="_blank">roaming distant lands</a> on the one hand, and exploring Tel Aviv and Rishon Lezion kids' playgrounds on the other hand. May I take this opportunity to recommend <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/he/%D7%92%D7%9F_%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%94" target="_blank">Gan Hamoshava</a> in Rishon, mainly because that's where my parents took me when I was the age of my grandkids... My favorites in central Tel Aviv are <a href="https://www.google.co.il/maps/@32.076293,34.7811593,17z" target="_blank">Ginat Dubnov</a> and <a href="https://www.google.co.il/maps/@32.0729846,34.7711053,17z" target="_blank">Gan Meir</a>.<br />
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What else does a retired translator/editor do in her free time?<br />
- Yoga, twice a week. That's pretty demanding, for a short-limbed, non-flexible person like me.<br />
- Mentor kids from disadvantaged families at the local public library, once a week.<br />
- Struggle to maintain three blogs, one of which includes a section dedicated to <a href="https://ninatrackschanges.wordpress.com/claras-memoirs/" target="_blank">my mother's memoirs</a>.<br />
- Maintain correspondence with lots of penpals... (Er... do the youngsters among you even know what that means?)<br />
- Try to read another chapter in one of the books on my night-table, while my eyelids still obey me.<br />
- Try in vain to keep cleaning my In boxes, upload pics to my Flickr account, glance at LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest; not spend too much time on Facebook; not watch depressing news and scary TV series. I'm being good to you and not adding links to the above sites.<br />
<br />
Et maintenant, que vais-je faire?.. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW6QiI7hHGA]<br />
I'll just collapse in front of the idiot-box with a nice cuppa tea and some chocolate.<br />
TTFN!<br />
<br />
<br />Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-31034743356810059852016-03-10T19:17:00.000+02:002021-09-12T10:25:18.142+03:00Translators Conference, Jerusalem Feb 2016 Day ThreeThe third day of the conference started bright and early -- far too early for me. The early-birds went on a tour of <a href="http://www.machne.co.il/en/" target="_blank">Machne Yehuda Market</a> with a fascinating young man named <a href="http://www.streetwisehebrew.com/about-guy.html" target="_blank">Guy Sharett</a> who is a linguist, Hebrew teacher, entertainer, and sharp-eyed collector of linguistic graffiti. The rest of us lazybones had to make do with his talk at the post-breakfast plenary: <b>The Israeli Linguistic Landscape: Stuff I Found in the Street</b>. Luckily for all of us, <a href="http://www.streetwisehebrew.com/" target="_blank">Guy's website</a> is delightfully colorful, insightful, and educational in a lighthearted way. "Everything that happens in the streets can be used to teach Hebrew", says Guy. Go see for yourself. I'll just post a slide of one item that particularly appeals to me; plus one that I saw and liked in Rome:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You got up this morning? Thank the Lord. All else is a bonus.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Treat your life as you would a work of art</td></tr>
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The next plenary talk, <b>Translating Hannah</b>, has a subtitle nearly as long as the session itself, so I'll shorten it: Brazilian Author <a href="http://vbmlitag.com.br/vbm/eng/authors/ronaldo-wrobel/" target="_blank">Ronaldo Wrobel</a> discussed the demanding task of <a href="http://penn.co.il/en/book/translating-hannah/" target="_blank">translating his work into Hebrew</a> (by Dalit Lahav-Durst) and into German (by Nicolai von Scweder-Schreiner.) Apparently, he wrote his book in Portuguese, so first and foremost it had to be translated into Spanish. I didn't succeed in following everything that was said, but one important point that came up was, that when the author doesn't speak the target language at all, it's difficult for him to extend any help to the translator. Yes, he can explain something which the translator finds perplexing, say. But he cannot help the translator make any informed choices in the target language.<br />
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On this day, I chose <b>the Literary Track.</b> The first session was a panel dedicated to <b>translating Jane Austen's work into Hebrew</b>. Panel participants were: <a href="http://www.sendikbooks.co.il/English.html" target="_blank">Shai Sendik</a>, <a href="http://en.hotem.org/Artists/lee-evron-vaknin/" target="_blank">Lee Evron Vaknin</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WanderWordsGlobal" target="_blank">Inga Michaeli</a>, <a href="http://www.metargemet.com/new/english" target="_blank">Inbal Sagiv Nakdimon</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michal-ladan-50610877" target="_blank">Michal Ladan</a>, <a href="http://www.rachelilavi.co.il/" target="_blank">Racheli Lavi</a>. Now, this panel was sure to be an eye-opener, because I'd only ever read Jane Austen in English. And whereas, when reading a current-day English novel, I might find myself wondering, "Gosh, how would this sound in Hebrew?", with Jane Austen the thought had never even crossed my mind. I had a vague feeling that someone, at some point, would probably wrestle with this, and was sort of relieved it wouldn't be me.<br />
Not only did I get a chance to hear several talented translators/editors discuss their choices, read out select passages and compare notes; but I also learnt about Jane Austen's early writing, which I hadn't heard of before. So I have something new (that is, old, actually) to look forward to! In case you're interested, the <a href="http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/janeinfo.html" target="_blank">Jane Austen Information Page</a> is probably the treasure trove you're looking for. The translators on this panel said that the annotated versions were a great help.<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Update</span>: Was delighted to learn that Inbal uploaded to YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfXd49bdqRs" target="_blank">a video of this panel</a>. Thanks to Inbal, for uploading, and to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/victor.flickstein" target="_blank">Victor Flickstein</a>, for calling my attention to it.<br />
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I skipped the next slot -- there was nothing of interest to me. I'd planned to listen to <a href="https://transela.com/about_yael_sela_shapiro_english/" target="_blank">Yael Sela Shapiro</a>'s talk, even though I'm fairly adept at Googling; but it'd been cancelled.<br />
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Last session before the coffee break: The wonderful <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/roni-gelbfish-83a11516" target="_blank">Roni Gelbish</a> on a Very Touchy subject: <a href="http://itaconference.com/translators-as-enemies-and-how-to-protect-your-book-from-them/" target="_blank">Translators as Enemies and How to Protect Your Book from Them</a>. Any writer feels protective of his "baby", his creation; and I'm sure most have misgivings about placing their precious "baby" in the hands of someone else, who's going to "do things" to it. If you're <a href="http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1366/the-art-of-fiction-no-148-amos-oz" target="_blank">Amos Oz</a> and your novel is translated into English and your own English is not half bad, you can probably afford to have your say, to work hand in hand with the translator, and the two of you can drive each other crazy. But books are also translated into languages the author doesn't know at all. Which is when he/she feels they have no control over the process.<br />
Roni gave an amusing example: Apparently, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jan/22/constance-garnett-hero-edna-obrien" target="_blank">Constance Garnett</a> (1861-1946), translated about as fast as she typed. From Russian to English! Some 73 volumes! It's easy to poke fun at her translations, which understandably suffer from some shortcomings. But nonetheless, her translations made dozens of good books accessible to readers who wouldn't otherwise have been able to read them. And I assume that later translators must have availed themselves of her work, even if just by "peeking" to see how Garnett had dealt with certain expressions or words. (Er, sometimes she didn't. She just ignored them.)<br />
Roni's talk was followed by <b>Open Mike</b>, where we all had our say on this thorny matter. A translator should find something to love in the book, then give it his all. The writer, according to Margaret Atwood, has got to let go. Let go, trust your translator, and let your work reincarnate in a different language. Yes, it may come out "different", but that doesn't mean it won't be good and won't be loved by your readers in other parts of the world. A case in point is Oz's <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2004/sep/11/featuresreviews.guardianreview" target="_blank">A Tale of Love and Darkness</a>, which is popular in China, despite entire chapters that were left out. Other cases we're familiar with from childhood are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_K%C3%A4stner#Works" target="_blank">Erich Kastner</a>'s Das doppelte Lottchen, aka Lottie and Lisa, aka Ora Hakfula, which was quite thoroughly "localized" both in the Israeli-Hebrew book version and in the American movie The Parents' Trap; and <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/514" target="_blank">Little Women</a>, which, in its Israeli-Hebrew version, was "cleansed" of obvious Christian themes and passages. All of which did not make us love those books any less than they were loved in their original language, by their original audience.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Over to <u>the last plenary on the last day</u> of the conference:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Writer <a href="http://d-a-mishani.com/about/" target="_blank">Dror Mishani</a> spoke on <b>The Mystery of the Hebrew Detective: Thoughts about Detectives and Translation</b>. I'm quite sure the first [literary] detective I ever met was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes</a>, in </span>Hebrew, when I was still in grade school. Because, as Mishani pointed out, for years detective novels were considered "not real literature", and thus relegated to the kids' section in libraries. I remember only too well being home alone on a stormy winter night, reading <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2852/2852-h/2852-h.htm" target="_blank">The Hound of the Baskervilles</a>, and being too scared to go to bed before my parents returned. The first detective I met in English was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Drew" target="_blank">Nancy Drew</a>; I'll never forget <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Moss-Covered-Mansion-Nancy-Stories/dp/0448095181" target="_blank">The Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion</a>!<br />
I think that next time I'm at my grandkids', I'll finally pick up one of <a href="http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/5020/the-art-of-fiction-no-9-georges-simenon" target="_blank">Georges Simenon</a>'s <a href="http://www.trussel.com/f_maig.htm" target="_blank">Inspector Maigret</a> novels that have been beckoning to me for years now. (In Hebrew; my French isn't good enough.)<br />
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Despite being in overload, I managed to take notes during <a href="http://www.internationalwriters.com/aboutus/jost.html" target="_blank">Jost Zetzsche</a>'s talk, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/zptuj5f" target="_blank">Getting Back into the Driver Seat: What We Can Do to Determine the Future of the Translation Profession</a>. True -- says Zetzsche -- technology can collect tons of data from lots of journals the world over and machine-translate it within seconds. But only human intelligence can prevent hysterically funny (and potentially dangerous) misunderstandings. We professional translators are passionate about our work; we love what we do, and love to complain about it ;) But are we an industry?<br />
"Everyone" thinks that pretty soon the world will no longer need real, live translators, and our offspring won't need to bother learning a foreign language. Of course, we translators know this is drivel. But it's up to us to affect the discourse and effect a change. We have to "engage", be pro-active, be part of the process. We have the power to influence the way linguistic products are developed, and we should make sure they are developed in a way that will help us do our job better.<br />
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C'est tout.<br />
See you next year!<br />
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Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-79918992723098042902016-03-05T18:11:00.000+02:002021-09-12T10:26:51.639+03:00Translators Conference, Jerusalem Feb 2016 Day 2 Academic Track cont'dHere we are again, still on Day 2 of the conference, and the next talk in the academic track is by my colleague <a href="https://www.facebook.com/inga.michaeli" target="_blank">Inga Michaeli</a>, a very prolific English>Hebrew translator of travel guides, non-fiction and fiction by authors as diverse as <a href="http://www.davebarry.com/" target="_blank">Dave Barry</a>, <a href="http://stephenking.com/" target="_blank">Stephen King</a>, <a href="http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/" target="_blank">Thomas L. Friedman</a>, and -- oh, the list is too long; just go to her <a href="http://im-translator.net/my_translations/" target="_blank">website</a>.<br />
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This time, her talk was entitled <b>Between Transparency and Ideology -- Translation Politics and the Politics of Translation</b>. An important topic, that tied in nicely with Temima Fruchter's talk. I listened and enjoyed the session, but didn't take notes, since I'm very familiar with this issue. Also, a similar talk, though from a different point of view, was given in the plenary session of the 2015 conference, by journalist<a href="http://www.tabletmag.com/author/eetta-prince-gibson" target="_blank"> Eetta Prince-Gibson</a>: <b>Objectivity, Subjectivity and Bias: A Journalist's View of Translation in Conflict</b>. Last year I did take notes, but never got beyond posting about the first day of the conference :-( To make a long story short, whether you are reporting on politics or translating a report on politics, you cannot always resort to neutral words, even if you wanted to. Your choices betray your attitude and your convictions, or at least the biases and guidelines of those who pay you to write.<br />
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Next lecture was <b>Translating Creativity</b> by <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/taking-matters-literally-1.394909" target="_blank">Jeffrey Green</a>. This sounded intriguing. After opening with examples of creativity in various fields such as music and art, Green continued with creativity in translation -- obviously a topic of interest to most translators. Why, even in so-called dry or technical translating, one is often challenged and must think creatively in order to produce good work. Well then, imagine having to translate <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shmuel_Yosef_Agnon" target="_blank">S.Y. Agnon</a>! Though I haven't read much of Agnon's writings -- mainly what we studied in high-school, plus another couple of stories that my daughter studied in high school -- I always wondered how he got the Nobel prize in literature. I'm not saying he didn't deserve it; all I'm saying is, that I wondered in what language the judges read his writings, and whether these were good translations, and how on earth does one do justice to Agnon's peculiar Hebrew style. So I was pleased when Green handed out pages with Agnon's Hebrew text in the right column and Green's own English version in the left.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxZHEU4WH7Aj1H_d-qQRxpz0B9eOh2wbJ7M2Tw6cfp8FduYjxNvt77kEk9hR1c3MX6LDIYynOnVDuZLLqIassXtZv1ms2q930mnu5fiu4c39oC7IbRJuoBTro7Q2boChBASRT10iHbfFf/s1600/ITA+conf+program.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxZHEU4WH7Aj1H_d-qQRxpz0B9eOh2wbJ7M2Tw6cfp8FduYjxNvt77kEk9hR1c3MX6LDIYynOnVDuZLLqIassXtZv1ms2q930mnu5fiu4c39oC7IbRJuoBTro7Q2boChBASRT10iHbfFf/s320/ITA+conf+program.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conference program; Jeffrey Green's handout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sorry to tell you guys that this was a disappointment. I was extremely curious to see a creative solution, but what I saw was mostly what seemed to me like taking the easy way out. The English sounded like a translation of a simplified Hebrew version of Agnon.<br />
Now, Green himself told in an <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/taking-matters-literally-1.394909" target="_blank">interview in 2011</a>, how he came up with his own version of sub-standard English when translating a book whose protagonists were "Moroccan immigrants somewhere in the Galilee." His efforts were not appreciated by the publishers in London. Could that be why he decided to be less creative this time? How on earth did other translators of Agnon cope?<br />
Guys -- seriously: If you've read English versions of an Agnon novel or short story, that you think hits the nail on the head, please tell me.<br />
<br />
<u>Aside #1:</u> In an earlier ITA conference, there was an interesting joint presentation by translator <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaniv-farkas-46a50712" target="_blank">Yaniv Farkas</a> and his editor <b>Rachel Halevi</b> [Rachel, where art thou? Give me a link to your <i>About </i>page in English, please]. They spoke about Yaniv's translation of <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/76/76-h/76-h.htm" target="_blank">Huck Finn</a>, and I'm sure you can imagine that was no walk in the park. Hebrew readers: Try <a href="http://www.haaretz.co.il/literature/1.1025501" target="_blank">this review of the book</a>.<br />
<u>Aside #2</u>: Just realized Jeff Green also spoke at the ITA conference of 2010. As did I :-) If you're in the mood, I highly recommend <a href="http://tinyurl.com/zcvnbvf" target="_blank">Mark Levinson's comprehensive report</a>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmh9fbA2QSvc78Dx1LmyWngdg1tjCvYzog3AKsTxXNR_H2Hl98lbQuxBChqoqMv5ZPX0G3aF0Iy2AohLS8jT8F7lK9E1Y-eU_Bimo6ZsMmXQp_oY7sadDhM2V9LtI3mmemYoBxfjCMzHp/s1600/ITA+conf+folder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmh9fbA2QSvc78Dx1LmyWngdg1tjCvYzog3AKsTxXNR_H2Hl98lbQuxBChqoqMv5ZPX0G3aF0Iy2AohLS8jT8F7lK9E1Y-eU_Bimo6ZsMmXQp_oY7sadDhM2V9LtI3mmemYoBxfjCMzHp/s320/ITA+conf+folder.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Folder with 10 years of ITA conference programs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last session before the coffee break leading to the plenary was by <a href="https://fromdorothea.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">Dorothea Shefer Vanson</a>: <b>"Every Day in Theresienstadt is a Gift", Translating the Diary of Martha Glass</b>. Dorothea is both an experienced translator and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dorothea-Shefer-Vanson/e/B00GA5SGA0" target="_blank">author of three novels</a>, plus one more in the making. This translation was from German to English. I couldn't appreciate the German, but following Martha's thoughts and emotions in English was heart-rending, especially knowing that Martha's experiences were similar to those of Dorothea's grandmother's, except that Martha survived to tell her tale, whereas Dorothea's grandmother did not.<br />
When <a href="https://fromdorothea.wordpress.com/2016/02/19/a-transport-of-translators/" target="_blank">blogging about her own lecture</a>, Dorothea says plainly how nerve-wracking it can be, and I couldn't agree with her more. Aside from the nervousness and pre-lecture jitters, giving the last lecture of the day is not fun; you feel that people have had enough, they're in overload, and their attention-span has, er... been somewhat eroded. You, the speaker, are also at the mercy of your "competitors" -- the ones giving a lecture during the same time-slot, in a different room, on a perhaps "sexier" topic. I remember how I felt when giving my lecture<b> Arbitrating in Cases of Customer Complaints</b> at the 2011 ITA Conference.<br />
<br />
Yay! The 2nd day is nearly over!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/goldschmidtdaniel" target="_blank">Daniel Goldschmidt</a> of Microsoft spoke of <b>Cloud and the Internet of Things - The Way Forward.</b> I have no idea what it was all about. Yes, I know what "cloud" means in the context of computers. And the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_Things" target="_blank">IoT is, to quote Wikipedia,</a> "the network of physical objects -- devices, vehicles, buildings and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity -- that enables these objects to collect and exchange data." Great. The Future is here. Everything "talks" to everything. The speaker went on and on, but something about his diction and very-Israeli intonation pattern were preventing me from following what he was saying. But do go to the Wiki page, there's a <a href="http://tinyurl.com/hn4lcvy" target="_blank">cute illustration</a> there.<br />
<br />
Last but not least: <a href="http://www.fipresci.org/people/albert-gabay" target="_blank">Albert Gabay</a>, film critic, gave a talk entitled <a href="http://itaconference.com/from-the-written-word-to-the-silver-screen/" target="_blank">From the Written Word to the Silver Screen</a>. You probably wouldn't be surprised to learn that he prefers the medium of cinema to that of a written book. He likes the freedom of interpretation that comes with being a director or an actor, or a script writer, for that matter. Did you know that, to date, there have been over 900 film versions of Shakespeare's plays? And 161 film versions of Tolstoy's novels? I hope this truly impressive info comes in handy one of these days, when I'm doing a trivia quiz. (Over to you, <a href="mailto:trivia.haaretz@gmail.com" target="_blank">Yoana Gonen</a>.)<br />
<br />
Um... there was also Day 3. Are you still with me?... Good! <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2016/03/translators-conference-jerusalem-feb_10.html" target="_blank">Here's Day Three</a>.<br />
<br />Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-71215858416833881532016-03-02T12:47:00.000+02:002021-09-12T10:27:12.313+03:00Translators Conference in Jerusalem, Feb 2016 Day Two, Academic TrackHurray! I've finally made it to the Jericho/Masada Hall, the Academic & Other Track.<br />
The first talk was the only one given in Hebrew on that day. It was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/racheli.lavi.12" target="_blank">Racheli Lavi</a> on <b>Rhetorical Features Translators Need to Identify So that They Don't Get Lost in Translation</b>. Long title, but spells out exactly what it's all about. I made Racheli's acquaintance during last year's ITA conference, where she and her partner were promoting their Hebrew editing software, <a href="http://ivri.guru/" target="_blank">Ivri</a>. We got to talking (yes, that's one of the purposes of a conference...), and she told me about her own conference, dedicated to creative writing. Being <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2015/11/a-writers-conference-in-tel-aviv.html" target="_blank">a compulsive writer</a>, I expressed an interest, and was later invited to the conference, called <b>Nekudat Mifneh</b> (= "Turning Point". No, not <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076843/" target="_blank">the 1977 ballet movie</a>... Oh, you weren't even born then? Sorry.) At the time, I couldn't go. But a year later I did attend the <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2015/11/nekudat-mifneh-2-enjoyable-writers.html" target="_blank">2nd Nekudat Mifneh conference</a>, in November 2015, and it was great, as you can gather from <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2015/11/nekudat-mifneh-2-enjoyable-writers.html" target="_blank">my blog post</a> about it.<br />
<br />
Anyway. Racheli presented eight types of rhetorical devices, whose "academic" names were not all familiar to me, which doesn't mean I didn't know what she was talking about. The definitions below are from various online dictionaries; I'm not copying Racheli's definitions since they're in Hebrew but I'm providing a link to the English definition, so go ahead and look them up!<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anaphora%20?s=t" target="_blank">anaphora </a>- <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">- <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/zeugma" target="_blank">zeugma </a>- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">a figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/syllepsis" target="_blank">syllepsis </a>- another form of zeugma</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="http://parallel%20structure%20%28also%20called%20parallelism%29%20is%20the%20repetition%20of%20a%20chosen%20grammatical%20form%20within%20a%20sentence.%20by%20making%20each%20compared%20item%20or%20idea%20in%20your%20sentence%20follow%20the%20same%20grammatical%20pattern%2C%20you%20create%20a%20parallel%20construction./" target="_blank">parallel structure</a> - of which there are two or three types</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- rhyming sounds (?) - not sure of the English term. A type of alliteration: the same sound is repeated in several words in the same sentence. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliteration" target="_blank">alliteration</a> - e.g, Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers (an old childhood fave of mine)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- a string of words connected with "and" or "or, creating a kind of list</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/onomatopoeia" target="_blank">onomatopoeia</a> - e.g. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">"Chug, chug, chug. Puff, puff, puff. Ding-dong, ding-dong" (from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Engine_That_Could" target="_blank">The Little Engine that Could</a>, which I read to my grandkids, although its old-train culture makes it a bit difficult for them to follow. Still, the quaintness lends it a unique charm.)</span></span><br />
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The examples in the lecture were from various sources, from the Bible through recent bestsellers to the immortal Jane Austen. More about the latter in my next post. Racheli is an excellent speaker, with a very relaxed and easy manner, and manages to make complex stuff sound simple and accessible.<br />
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Next session was <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/temima-fruchter-80090474" target="_blank">Temima Fructer</a> on <b>What's This Text Really Saying? Matrices for Disclosure Analysis of Texts and Subtexts</b>. Though I've heard of Temima, and had the vague impression that she's worth listening to, the title of the talk made me dread it. Matrices? Disclosure analysis? Sounds awfully scientific. Not that I have anything against science, god forbid :-)<br />
<br />
However, I needn't have worried. The main idea was that words are never arbitrary. A translator should always keep that in mind when approaching a text. Questions to consider are, for example:<br />
- What the text omits<br />
- How sentences are linked together<br />
- Grammatical features that carry relational value: who is the writer "talking" to; who does he/she identify with, or who he/she is identified with.<br />
- Does the text use jargon? slang? formal language? euphemisms? If so, why?<br />
- Think of the different expressions used to describe the same thing: blackout; power failure; power outage; load-shedding. Who and why would prefer one of these expressions to the others?<br />
Temima speaks fast (she did warn us), and crammed quite a bit into her talk. It was time well-spent.<br />
<br />
Next: Lunch break, followed by <a href="http://www.proz.com/profile/89747" target="_blank">Stephen Rifkind</a>'s talk, <b>With Friends Like These... Translation Pitfalls in French-English Legal Translation</b>. I skipped this talk because: I don't do legal translation; my French is limited to conjugating verbs and reciting a bit of poetry; and I'm well aware of the phenomenon of "false friends" (even though it was years before I discovered that this common pitfall has an "academic" name).<br />
<br />
In December 2005 I was invited by the late <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Shlesinger" target="_blank">Prof. Miriam Shlesinger </a>to give a presentation to all her classes at <a href="http://translation.biu.ac.il/en" target="_blank">Bar Ilan University</a>, on the actual challenges a translator faces in his/her daily work, in contrast with the theory of translation as studied at university. Four out of my 52(!) slides dealt with what I called at the time "mokshim" in Hebrew, literally "landmines", but meaning pitfalls in this context.<br />
Here's one example I gave, of French > English mistranslation:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 14.4pt; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> "…
par des documents rediges sous
forme
<span style="font-weight: bold;">resum</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">é</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">e</span>" - cannot be translated as "…
by documents prepared in a <span style="font-weight: bold;">resumed</span>
form" –
it doesn't make sense in English. (Perhaps "summarized", or "in
the form of a summary")<br />"Securité
does not always mean "security"; in many contexts it means
"safety".<br />“…
une
facture d'acompte
etablie
en
six <span style="font-weight: bold;">exemplaires</span>…”
- six <span style="font-weight: bold;">copies</span>, not
six examples</span></blockquote>
<br />
After the lecture, Prof. Shlesinger sent me a photocopy of an academic article that discusses "false friends", which is how I learnt of this term.<br />
<br />
Gosh, I've written over 850 words, and still want to tell you about 3 more talks/presentations, plus two lectures in the plenary session. Thanks for reading so far. More in my<a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2016/03/translators-conference-jerusalem-feb.html" target="_blank"> next post: Day 2, Academic Track continued.</a><br />
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<br />Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-89885789993166574032016-02-26T15:52:00.000+02:002021-09-12T10:27:31.808+03:00Translators Conference in Jerusalem, Feb 2016 - Day Two... so it came about that on the second morning of the conference, right after breakfast, we had three visiting speakers from abroad*.<br />
<br />
First among them was <a href="http://tinyurl.com/hgt35rk" target="_blank">Andre Lindemann</a>, President of the <a href="http://www.bdue.de/der-bdue/" target="_blank">BDU - German Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators</a>. I'm sorry I don't remember exactly what he said. I think my colleague <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthludlam" target="_blank">Ruth Ludlam</a> wrote about it in <a href="http://ruthludlam.blogspot.co.il/2016/02/ita-2016-conference.html" target="_blank">her post about the conference</a>. All I recall is that he'd been asked to speak in English, which is not his mother-tongue, and he has a beautiful, deep voice.<br />
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Second was the sprightly <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stefan.gentz" target="_blank">Stefan Gentz</a> (originally from Germany I believe), full of energy and pizzazz, with a presentation entitled <b>The Future is Now</b>. Creating a good presentation is an art in itself, which I, for one, have not yet mastered; my slides are far too wordy. Gentz could teach you how it's done: his slides were short on words but loud and clear on message. And as I've said before, a good speaker should be <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2010/02/make-em-laugh.html" target="_blank">a bit of an entertainer.</a> Translators, apparently, have become but a footnote in this huge, world-wide industry with a turnover of Lots and Lots of Money. Customers expect us to come up with innovative solutions to their needs. The industry is far from dead; it has a future, but as it evolves, we have to change too. Why don't you just go to SlideShare and enjoy <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/stefangentz/tcuk13-stefan-gentz-leading-the-change" target="_blank">Gentz's slidewhow</a>.<br />
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Third was <a href="http://www.morristraduction.com/en/Home.html" target="_blank">Andrew Morris</a> with his talk, <b>Standing Out: Changing the Game</b>. This talk could probably have benefited from a slide show, just to help make his point and give the audience an additional something to focus on. Morris spoke mainly about the good and bad aspects of social media, as it applies to us translators. Israelis are addicts of social media. (I can't say exactly how they compare with other nationals.) We know only too well how [some] users get carried away with ranting and raving, creating the website or app they're using into an arena seething with foul language and hatred. As translators and wordsmiths, we seek excellence, success, enjoyment. The last thing we need is that sort of filth and stress. Acting on this conviction, Morris created an online safe haven, much like our own <b>Agenda </b>and <b>Members of the ITA</b> forums on Facebook. That's where we consult each other, help one another, joke around, and enjoy what we do. Morris also spoke of the need to be open to change. But each of us has to decide what type of change is best for them, since every decision, every change, entails its pluses and minuses.<br />
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Coffee break, with all those mouth-watering cakes. And time for agonizing over the huge choice of lectures. I had to go by process of elimination. So, with a heavy heart, I gave up the <b>Business Track</b>, the Technical Track and the Specialized Track. I don't mind much having missed "10 New Ways Your Smartphone Can Help You in Your Business and Life", because I'm trying to cut down on smartphone time, as well as on my business. I'm trying to get on with other important aspects of my life. But if any of you, dear readers, went to one of the Business Track lectures -- do tell.<br />
<br />
Similarly, I skipped the <b>Technical Track</b>: I've stopped using <a href="http://translation.babylon.com/" target="_blank">Babylon </a>because it seemed to me to get less user-friendly and more annoying with each new version; I don't do enough work to warrant the use of Translation Memory software; and I have live-in tech support who rescues me when disaster strikes. On the other hand, I suspect I might have found the panel on assessing translation quality interesting, even though it's something I've been doing rather intuitively for dozens of years.<br />
<br />
I always give the <b>Specialized Track</b> a miss, since I've never seriously dealt with legal, medical, or financial translations. Not my expertise, neither in this incarnation nor in the next. (I've applied for "ballerina" in my next incarnation, but...)<br />
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Mazal tov, I've landed in the Jericho/Masada Hall, for the <b>Academic& Other Track.</b> But by this time you're feeling this post has gone on for too long already, right? So I'll tell you about it next time. See you soon!<br />
P.S. It is now "next time" :-) <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2016/03/translators-conference-in-jerusalem-feb.html" target="_blank">Here's installment #3</a>.<br />
---------------------------------<br />
* This annual conference is not merely a local thing. Some of our leading translators -- <a href="http://www.semantica.co.il/SemanticaManagTeam.html" target="_blank">Sarah Yarkoni</a>, <a href="http://im-translator.net/" target="_blank">Inga Michaeli</a>, to name but two -- are active on the international scene, submit papers, go to translators' conferences abroad, make friends, tie ties, and invite foreign professionals to come visit us. That is, to attend the ITA conference, give talks and workshops.Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-25601832814191861932016-02-23T23:55:00.000+02:002021-09-12T10:27:42.298+03:00Translators Conference in Jerusalem, Feb 2016 - Day One... so here I was, once again, at the <a href="https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/jerusalem/jrscp/hoteldetail" target="_blank">Crowne Plaza hotel in Jerusalem</a>, in mid-February, at the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/jp2ochz" target="_blank">Israel Translators Association</a> Conference. And as always, happy to be there. Happy to see familiar faces of colleagues I see only on such occasions. Happy to get to meet for the first time colleagues with whom I'd only been in touch online. Happy to sample the delicious bits of confectionery concocted by the hotel's elite kitchen team. (I use "sample" here as a polite understatement.)<br />
<br />
As usual, I did not attend any of the workshops which take place on Day 1. But my cousin <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gila-brand-173b6711" target="_blank">Gila Brand</a>, for instance, a highly skilled translator, emerged from <a href="http://www.ithl.org.il/page_13231" target="_blank">Avirama Golan</a>'s workshop on translating children's literature with an inspired glow on her face. My colleague <a href="http://im-translator.net/" target="_blank">Inga Michaeli</a>, who led a hands-on workshop on making social media work for you ("you" = the translator/editor), was initially surprised that most her attendees were veteran translators, whereas she expected to see more newcomers to the field. But, truth be told, many newcomers to the field balked at attending the entire conference, and seemed to think that the workshops wouldn't be that helpful. Other workshops aimed at giving translators and editors technical tools which make our work easier and faster: <a href="http://www.sdl.com/cxc/language/translation-productivity/trados-studio/" target="_blank">Trados</a>, <a href="https://www.memoq.com/translation-products" target="_blank">MemoQ</a>, MS-Office tips and tricks, and so on. Personally, I think those translators were making a mistake.<br />
<br />
Well then, if those workshops are so great, why don't I attend?<br />
1) Because two full days of lectures and presentations are the limit of my attention-span; by the end of Day 3 I'm in overload. So I prefer to start with the first night's after-dinner talk.<br />
2) At this stage of my career, when I do more babysitting than translating, these workshops are not my top priority.<br />
<br />
The after-dinner presentation this year was given by <a href="http://middleeasternet.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Tal Pavel</a>, in Hebrew with simultaneous translation by the accomplished <a href="https://twitter.com/ruchieavital" target="_blank">Ruchie Avital</a>. As it turned out, the title of the talk -- The Language of Internet Terror -- was a bit misleading. It led the listeners, as well as the organizers, I suspect, to expect a talk that was more concerned with language in its basic meaning -- words. Whereas the talk focused on visual language: online psychological warfare based on manipulating existing photos and video clips. Plainly speaking, our enemies go through huge databases, select photos and clips, then photoshop them and present them in a misleading way. Or else, even without editing the item itself, just giving it a totally false title (and relying on the short memory and/or ignorance of their target audience), thus taking it out of its original context and converting it into a nasty slur on Israel.<br />
<br />
Such disinformation, coupled with anti-Semitic motifs, have been rampant in the current Intifada. Their target audience, explained Dr. Pavel, is threefold: To the Arab audience, they convey strength, bravery, glory. The "message" is intended instill fear in the Israeli audience. And to de-legitimize Israel on the international level.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, the gory photos of destruction, injury and death were grim in themselves. But to see and hear how such photos were expertly abused to incite murderous hatred in, say, the Palestinian population, and to glorify hell-bent terrorists, was disgusting and disheartening, to say the least. <br />
<br />
Oh well. As far as I recall, I didn't have any nightmares.<br />
<br />
Next post: <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2016/02/translators-conference-in-jerusalem-feb.html" target="_blank">Conference, Day 2</a> -- Told you there'd be a link when I've written it :-)Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-69468316522149936982015-11-17T18:56:00.002+02:002021-09-18T18:37:59.580+03:00Nekudat Mifneh 2: Enjoyable Writers' ConferenceWhat an unimaginative title for a blog post about creative writing! From a person who used to be a copywriter, to boot. Couldn't I think of anything niftier?<br />
- Sure I could. But, quite a while back, I decide to <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2013/02/the-secret-life-of-blog-posts.html" target="_blank">avoid unwarranted wisecracks</a>, and concentrate on making my message plain and simple. So here's my message: The writers' conference I attended on November 11th, 2015 at the ZOA House in Tel Aviv, was a huge success: well planned and executed, well attended, enjoyable, and helpful. That's the bottom line; now for the details.<br />
<br />
People got there bright and early, considering the heavy traffic into Tel Aviv in the morning. I got there at 08:30 as recommended, and dozens were already milling around, drinking coffee and helping themselves to a neat collection of cute cookies. (Yes, they were as tasty as they were cute-looking.)<br />
<br />
In her opening words, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/racheli.lavi.12" target="_blank">Racheli Lavi </a>commented on how gratifying it is to see so many faces -- about 180 of them -- about twice as many as last year, at the first conference. The name Nekudat Mifneh, meaning turning point, is a forward-looking, optimistic choice, communicating a positive and encouraging attitude. Racheli hopes (I'm not quoting her, this is my impression) that this conference will make a difference in aspiring-writers' lives, infusing them hope, belief in themselves, and determination. Her approach does not rely on "New-Age" motivational techniques; it is down-to-earth, practical, accessible, and as clear as a coloful elephant. Which is an allusion to those time- and energy-guzzling tasks we undertake just because we don't know how to say No.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjps4E8uukkaXQDnRikOOSMTA2FbwAR8Ry3OtkeYyN574olLN-IUpWL_P89HM09pmeMIjn_PvKyY-mkk5d32ZdWigEJm3K1yW11P6HkwlRdlmz70FCizPzo6y6lwbgsv2r2-RdWTzv9KMGx/s1600/Racheli+Lavi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjps4E8uukkaXQDnRikOOSMTA2FbwAR8Ry3OtkeYyN574olLN-IUpWL_P89HM09pmeMIjn_PvKyY-mkk5d32ZdWigEJm3K1yW11P6HkwlRdlmz70FCizPzo6y6lwbgsv2r2-RdWTzv9KMGx/s320/Racheli+Lavi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Racheli Lavi on stage. Photo by Peleg Alkalai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next was keynote speaker <a href="http://www.meiravoz.com/" target="_blank">Meirav Oz</a>, who recounted her own experience of writing and publishing a book. In her case, she came from the advertising world, and had helpful connections. But Meirav's creativity, her relentless drive, organizational skills, and sheer spunk and determination are the force that got her where she wanted. Her romantic-comedy novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Wrong-Move-Romance-Romantic-ebook/dp/B00LFS2Z2W" target="_blank">One Wrong Move</a>, was translated into English and is available on Amazon, in case you're interested. Though this talk was interesting and entertaining, I can't say it encouraged me. It made me feel you must be a veritable bulldozer to translate your ideas into a published novel and see the project through.<br />
<br />
Coffee break, followed by difficult choices. <b>Track 1</b> offered 2 talks: How to attract kids to poetry; and advanced writing techniques. <b>Track 2</b> was a workshop on creating [fictional] worlds. <b>Track 3</b> offered two talks focusing on the process of publishing a book. Actually, Track 3 interested me the most, even though I know a thing or two about the process, thanks to a few friends who've been through it and shared their experiences with me. However, sadly, it's just not relevant to me at this point, since I have no manuscript ready for publication. On the other hand, I'd heard about <a href="http://gelbfish.com/" target="_blank">Roni Gelbish</a> the writer and workshop leader, who presented, or rather led, Track 2. But the subject matter sounded daunting. After all, to write a fantasy or sci-fi novel, one had to use one's imagination. And I was pretty sure I had none. Nonetheless, this is the workshop I attended. And am glad I did. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwI8oSRTaADwDTXsB7oNeZcgVhlEMvOYrIDo51XivaqTdrt776KkUwHa_F57sDGJMQtbL8NINUW_Aoe5mHmveAS5bqd_XQXkYleMo1gtGAyv0QyAjeeoLa4aT9o_s8g74Ltq6gH3ftWyFM/s1600/Roni+Gelbish+workshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwI8oSRTaADwDTXsB7oNeZcgVhlEMvOYrIDo51XivaqTdrt776KkUwHa_F57sDGJMQtbL8NINUW_Aoe5mHmveAS5bqd_XQXkYleMo1gtGAyv0QyAjeeoLa4aT9o_s8g74Ltq6gH3ftWyFM/s400/Roni+Gelbish+workshop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roni Gelbish's workshop. Photo by <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Peleg Alkalai</span></td></tr>
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Roni described a few basic guidelines on how to approach such a novel, encouraged everyone to add their 2 cents' worth, then gave us a few short writing assignments which we completed on the spot, read out loud, and received feedback. (Yes, I know that's how a workshop works; it's just that it's been a long time since I attended or led one.) Roni's feedback was positive and encouraging, and helped us zero in on the essence of our ideas; she sort of pointed her flashlight at the possibilities inherent in them. The atmosphere in "class" was easygoing and non-competitive, and though not everyone took the opportunity to speak up, those who did were pleased with the response. As for me -- I discovered that I wasn't a total washout when it came to imagination. What a relief for a would-be writer!<br />
<br />
Lunch break. I chose not to leave the building and just got a sandwich and coffee at the small upstairs bar. That turned into a good opportunity to talk to and get to know a few people. See, at <a href="http://ita.org.il/?lang=en" target="_blank">ITA </a>conferences I know many of the regulars. But here, I hardly knew a soul.<br />
<br />
Lunch break is also the time to confront difficult decisions: there were three tracks, each with two separate lectures. <b>Track 1</b> offered a talk about "the emotional truth" in writing, whatever that meant; and a talk about the [indisputable!] value of editing and re-writing. <b>Track 2</b> included a talk about enjoyable horror (i.e. how to write a horror-thriller); and how to write a seven-volume saga. <b>Track 3</b> tried to answer the elusive question of how to find time for our writing; and <a href="http://www.jumpstarter.co.il/" target="_blank">Jumpstarter</a> - raising funds for art & cultural projects, and more.<br />
<br />
I'm glad I chose <a href="http://www.adimaorsiso.com/" target="_blank">Adi Meir Siso</a>'s talk, about how to make time for writing, or generally manage your time effectively. Don't roll your eyes at me! I know you think you've heard it all before. But I found Adi very persuasive, and have already implemented two of her suggestions. "If so," you might say, "how come this blog post has taken you a whole week to write and post?!" - Well, what can I say. Better late than never?.. Last winter, after the <a href="http://itaconference.com/2015-conference-archives/" target="_blank">2015 ITA conference</a>, I managed to <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2015/02/wonderful-ita-conference-day-one.html" target="_blank">post only about the first day</a> out of three... I still have the first draft about the 2nd day, but didn't get even as far as a draft about the 3rd day. Isn't it lucky the ITA keeps precious info in their archives! By the way: For Hebrew readers, I recommend <a href="http://www.adimaorsiso.co.il/" target="_blank">Adi's Hebrew website</a>; the English one is accessible but not quite finished, as I write.<br />
<br />
Next, I left the room and switched to the second part of Track 2, the one about writing a seven-volume series. Seems a bit pretentious for beginners? Possibly. But then it has the advantage of making use of an already-created world. Once you've put so much effort into creating something like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earth" target="_blank">Middle-Earth</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_series" target="_blank">Foundation</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogwarts" target="_blank">Hogwarts</a>, or "just" a quirky county called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsomer_Murders" target="_blank">Midsomer </a>, why stop at one novel? Or two? Or three?... I hope most listeners enjoyed the talk. I tried to listen, but couldn't figure out what the lecturer was talking about. His lecture was heavily based on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire" target="_blank">A Song of Ice and Fire</a>, which I haven't read, nor have I watched the series <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones" target="_blank">Game of Thrones</a>. So I took a break until the penultimate session -- Problems in the writing process, with writer <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eshkol-Nevo/e/B001J3U10Q" target="_blank">Eshkol Nevo</a>. Nevo is a good speaker -- articulate, accessible, friendly. Makes you feel that, as difficult as writing is, it is an achievable feat. If he writes as well as he speaks, I think that's a good enough reason to actually get my hands on one of his novels. He spoke of the connection (and differences) between creative writing and real life; about planning one's story as opposed to improvising or letting the characters move the plot along; about dealing with writer's block; and about the inevitable writer's loneliness.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I had to leave at the Questions & Answers stage. Grandmotherly duties and all that. And so I missed the last part of the conference -- the summing up and the freebies. Still -- it was a day well-spent. Stimulating, thought-provoking, inspiring, and helpful. Well done, Racheli Lavi. Looking forward to the next conference. Ta-ta for now.<br />
<br />Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-63249672307943452312015-11-05T12:33:00.002+02:002015-11-10T14:12:20.940+02:00A Writers' Conference in Tel AvivYippee! There's a writers' conference in Tel Aviv next week, November 11, 2015, and it sounds terrific. This is the second year that Racheli Lavi is holding this <a href="http://www.ivri.guru/mifne2/" target="_blank">conference, called Nekudat Mifneh</a>, i.e., turning point. I couldn't attend the previous one, but I sure-as-hell am going to this one.<br />
<br />
The conference is in Hebrew. So, no matter what language you write in -- Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Amharic, Klingon -- as long as you understand Hebrew, you'll be able to enjoy this get-together, and benefit from it.<br />
<br />
Like many others who attend writers' workshops and other such get-togethers, I am a frustrated, would-be Writer. Yeah, I write. Always have written, and I am still a graphomaniac, still writing, but haven't published a single book. In theory I know a lot about creative writing. I even led a workshop on creative writing, years ago. At some point, I bravely sent a collection of my short stories to one (only one!) publisher. The stories were rejected. I didn't have the guts to submit them again; I just sulked at my desk. Now where would we be today, had Graham Greene (to name but one writer) sulked at the first rejection, rather than forged ahead, rewriting and resubmitting his manuscripts. Okay, so I'm no Graham Greene... but you get the point.<br />
<br />
Besides -- I've been telling myself -- I simply have no imagination! I can blog to my heart's content about <a href="http://nina-makes-tracks.blogspot.co.il/" target="_blank">where I've been</a> and <a href="https://ninatrackschanges.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">what I've done</a>. But actually inventing a plot and characters? Not to mention an entire new world? - Forget it; won't happen. Each year, <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a> comes along, and each year I say to myself -- Maybe next year...<br />
<br />
But say you've had the <i>sitzfleisch </i>to complete your stories, or your novel. What next? How do you get the darn thing published? As a translator and an editor, I've seen many manuscripts -- both fiction and non-fiction -- at that intermediate stage. Some have seen the light of day via publishing houses; others have popped up on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/b?ie=UTF8&node=154606011" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, having been published as an ebook by their authors, with a little help from experts; and some are still dormant on hard disks, "clouds", or good old-fashioned desk drawers. Publishing one's manuscript is a complex project, and most of us need advice, guidance, encouragement and virtual hand-holding. I think this guidance and encouragement is mainly what I'm looking for in this upcoming conference.<br />
<br />
So, come Wednesday morning, Oct. 11th, meet me at the Turning Point conference, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zoahouse/info/?tab=page_info" target="_blank">ZOA House,</a> on the corner of 26, Ibn Gabirol and 1, Daniel Frisch streets. Ta-ta for now!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<br />
See also Racheli's Facebook page about her Hebrew editing software, and about the conference:<br />
https://www.facebook.com/ivri.guru/<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="http://www.ivri.guru/mifne2/" target="_blank">נקודת מפנה 2 -- כנס הכותבים</a>, 11 באוקטובר 2011, בית ציוני אמריקה, תל אביב. </div>
Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-78027345979466358172015-10-05T20:15:00.000+03:002021-09-12T10:19:46.634+03:00How to throw out papersWell, at least one kind of papers: newspapers, magazines, brochures, leaflets. But mostly newspapers and magazines. The ones from yesterday and the ones from last week, last month, possibly last year.<br />
- Oh, you don't understand the question? You mean you simply pick them up from wherever you last left them, and throw them into the appropriate rubbish bin / recycling container, whatever, and go about your business without giving it a second thought? Well, bully for you, as Teddy Brewster used to say in <a href="http://www.filmsite.org/arse.html" target="_blank">Arsenic and Old Lace</a>. Amazing. I'm in awe. You need read no further.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGHEbzndlrqe1pOnWDN7rXNGw6E43buYZYs7-3uXOhzDBX_aePevLy_FtX9o3guUsz36kwiZ8BvjUYjWXNJxEzAFxGQCnzSAo8yVna0VqhgOvFdpisbUNdhmCZiYV_LmQqZ4QodA2s7bw/s1600/Arsenic+and+Old+Lace2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGHEbzndlrqe1pOnWDN7rXNGw6E43buYZYs7-3uXOhzDBX_aePevLy_FtX9o3guUsz36kwiZ8BvjUYjWXNJxEzAFxGQCnzSAo8yVna0VqhgOvFdpisbUNdhmCZiYV_LmQqZ4QodA2s7bw/s320/Arsenic+and+Old+Lace2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clara Rimon (L) & Nehama Weinberg (R) as Abby & Martha Brewster; Bob Chadis as Teddy<br />in The Little English Theater's production of Arsenic & Old Lace, ZOA House, Tel Aviv, 1968</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But you guys who are still with me, you know what I'm talking about, don't you?...<br />
Every once in a while, when she had an hour or two to spare, my mom used to sit at her desk with a heap of papers, a pair of scissors, a pile of used envelopes, a collection of pens, and a very serious, concentrated expression on her face. It was sorting time. She'd re-read every bit of paper before sentencing it to Life or Death. Death meant being crumpled and tossed into the wastepaper basket; Life meant she had to decide whom to pass it on to or where to file it. Recipes went into an envelope marked with the name of her cooking-fan friend; articles and photos of dancers went into her Ballet scrapbook; interesting articles went into different envelopes, according to which friend or cousin or second-cousin or third-cousin-once-removed might find them interesting. And she actually put them into envelopes, addressed, stamped and mailed them! Long before email, scanning, and other such wonders. Even before photocopying and faxing were easily available. Xerox machines may have been standard equipment in offices, but certainly not in people's homes, certainly not in Israel.<br />
<br />
And now, I find myself tempted to continue in her footsteps. Albeit with the help of modern technology. But the first stumbling block is making the time to read, or at least leaf through, all these papers, weekend supplements, High Holiday supplements, monthlies and various magazines I either subscribed to in a moment of weakness or get in the mail, unsolicited.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuwyEmXPa6sF_eOTukysFN-c_1F4_6eFKwL7hQB7Ho4lgobP31bgN4GVo3be2M5Jvar94bIoSPFqS83R06YX7aD-nTitnGnQ9WL6yMtO0Zr0bsx0Jy6HXIu9TkRvnctWpWcJLntrfkrdH/s1600/papers+on+chair.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuwyEmXPa6sF_eOTukysFN-c_1F4_6eFKwL7hQB7Ho4lgobP31bgN4GVo3be2M5Jvar94bIoSPFqS83R06YX7aD-nTitnGnQ9WL6yMtO0Zr0bsx0Jy6HXIu9TkRvnctWpWcJLntrfkrdH/s200/papers+on+chair.JPG" width="150" /></a>At the moment, just for example: in addition to back copies of <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/" target="_blank">Haaretz</a>, the <a href="http://www.jpost.com/" target="_blank">Jerusalem Post</a> and <a href="http://www.israelhayom.com/site/today.php" target="_blank">Israel Hayom</a> (don't lynch me! I have my reasons!) piled up on the dinette chair and floor, we have<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RP0QZaNvkJk3hpeTn2S-s6ujWaOV6A7s4JmXZk81QfTOBYJwFaVDX6DgYKAG-zTBbNt41Lhkmo_Kfx7f6eImf5UN2JSqCkeSf7fcsQXSutwjyaGl-LPVDxZcCh7Uk5tB9pxd3q4W-gVJ/s1600/papers+in+Ikea+bin+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RP0QZaNvkJk3hpeTn2S-s6ujWaOV6A7s4JmXZk81QfTOBYJwFaVDX6DgYKAG-zTBbNt41Lhkmo_Kfx7f6eImf5UN2JSqCkeSf7fcsQXSutwjyaGl-LPVDxZcCh7Uk5tB9pxd3q4W-gVJ/s200/papers+in+Ikea+bin+1.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ikea bin #1</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E4l_y1oWdwh-x3tgcbaOK0D5ZwZOfh4KBgTA5451ZzzFV_elTvHOH2F49hUuOSm7T2qnsmINyUY1TzMO2mt71laYGXhU0P_T_3_94jt9IWsRPRi87Xt5RqA3A2EhJlTBTQsC8q5bNtrD/s1600/magazines+in+Ikea+bin+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E4l_y1oWdwh-x3tgcbaOK0D5ZwZOfh4KBgTA5451ZzzFV_elTvHOH2F49hUuOSm7T2qnsmINyUY1TzMO2mt71laYGXhU0P_T_3_94jt9IWsRPRi87Xt5RqA3A2EhJlTBTQsC8q5bNtrD/s200/magazines+in+Ikea+bin+2.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70219359/" target="_blank">Ikea bin #1</a>, <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00138432/" target="_blank">Ikea bin #2</a>, the coffee-table, as well as various spots in my study (not shown here, but take my word for it.)<br />
These contain issues of: <a href="http://www.esra-magazine.com/" target="_blank">ESRA magazine</a>, The <a href="http://www.club50.co.il/" target="_blank">Good Life </a>(aka Club 50) magazine; <a href="http://onlinecatalogue.ikea.com/IL/he/IKEA_Catalogue/" target="_blank">Ikea catalogs</a>; <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/" target="_blank">National Geographic</a>; <a href="http://www.themarker.com/magazine" target="_blank">The Marker</a> magazine; <a href="http://www.heichal-rishon.co.il/" target="_blank">Rishon Lezion's Cultural Center</a> program for 2015-2016, and more.<br />
<br />
It breaks my heart to throw out so much valuable, edifying, fascinating info... I asked my eldest for moral support. Her reply was swift and decisive: Out, out, out!<br />
<br />
Okay, okay, I'll throw them out. Except for that excellent review of...<br />
Oh, darn! There I go again.<br />
<br />
What? You feel cheated? I gave you no pointers on how to throw out papers? Sorry. I do apologize for letting you down. But if you happen to think of a good tip or two, do send them my way. Thanks!<br />
<br />
<br />Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-48675710516830298602015-07-06T13:05:00.000+03:002015-07-06T13:05:03.285+03:00How to find well-paying clientsAny translator (practically...) can get work if he/she is willing to work for peanuts. Not that I've checked the current price of peanuts. For all I know, a bag of peanuts may be pricier.<br />
But how do you land those oh-so-coveted customers who are willing to pay you top dollars for your work?<br />
<br />
This question keeps coming up on the translator forums I belong to.<br />
On the one hand, we translators and editors exhort each other to charge decent rates for our skills and hard work; on the other hand, a high rate scares away many a potential client.<br />
<br />
So I've sat and looked through my Work folders, in search of a pattern.<br />
<br />
Rewind to the bad old days:<br />
I've been translating and editing, to this or that extent, most of my adult life. But let's concentrate on the past 9 years or so, ever since I became self-employed. Of those nine years, let's ignore the first 2-3 years, when I worked mainly for translation agencies. When you're just starting out and don't have connections, the only thing to do is sign up with several translation agencies. They don't pay top rates, of course; but some are better than others. Gradually, you gain confidence and build your reputation. Then -- if all goes well -- people start recommending you, passing on your name, referring potential clients to you. Many of those clients, however, are reluctant to pay top $. They have no idea what translation entails; they think it's like "typing in a different language"; or else they're just used to haggling, bargaining, trying to get a "good deal" out of service providers.<br />
So, you want to know: Where are those high payers hiding??? Who <i>are </i>they?<br />
<br />
You won't like the answer.<br />
<br />
The high payers are those who get well-paid themselves. Professionals who know how much they themselves charge for their work, and who realize that you, too, are a professional who expects to be well paid.<br />
<br />
A couple of cases in point:<br />
<br />
1. A successful medical equipment company, let's call it <i>In the Pink,</i> needed a Hebrew-to-English translator and marketing writer. The specific product and service were sought-after, and not cheap. The accompanying brochure was very professionally created, both in terms of text and graphics, by a well-known Israeli firm that charges relatively high fees. I submitted a price quote based on NIS 100 per "unit" (=250 words in the target language), which was at the time a bit higher than the unofficial ITA-recommended rate. This was about twice as much as I was getting at the time from translation agencies. But the managers at <i>In the Pink</i> did not blink. They could easily afford it, and were used to paying professionals what they deserve.<br />
<br />
Next, the company asked me to give them a quote for original copywriting in English based on an hourly rate. I was at a loss. I knew that I shouldn't ask for the low rate I'd been getting from Yankaleh, the local producer of cheap cosmetics, nor from the no-name pizza manufacturer. The <i>In the Pink</i> boss saw my distress, took pity on me and offered me $100 an hour, saying this is what he pays his other foreign-language writers. That translated to NIS 400 at the time. I was dumbfounded and barely had the presence of mind to nod a "Yes, that'll do," trying to stifle a happy chuckle.<br />
<br />
2. A successful educational-software company, let's call it <i>SmartKid</i>, needed a translator for its scripts in math and chemistry. This is a highly specialized field, and since I had relevant experience, having worked for a similar company for nearly ten years, I had no compunction about asking for NIS 120 per unit. Once again, a company that is used to paying its software designers, developers, and educational content writers top bucks, will not rear up or balk when faced with translation charges. They will not risk ruining their product.<br />
<br />
3. Other clients who did the right thing by me were, among others: well-established lawyers; senior profs at good universities; upmarket fashion boutiques; high-end skincare manufacturers who charge a small fortune for their products and can't afford to make fools of themselves; successful architects, engineers, designers and graphic artists who charge high fees for their services; public speakers who need to get their message across; and so on.<br />
<br />
You get the picture.<br />
<br />
Of course, we can't limit ourselves to working only for the well-off. But keep this in mind: If at least half of your clients pay you handsomely, you can afford to be considerate and charge less from people who truly can't afford large sums, but whom you would like to help nonetheless.<br />
<br />
Last but not least, and worth repeating: Connections, connections, connections. Network. Mingle. Leave your desk and go meet other translators in person. Be nice to your colleagues. Offer to collaborate. Reciprocate. And cast your bread upon the waters.<br />
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* * *</div>
Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-24808984572620387542015-06-27T19:47:00.000+03:002021-09-12T10:20:18.981+03:00To Russian, with love<i>Kak dilla</i>, my friends?<br />
<br />
The fact that I've lived in Israel all my life, have Russian-speaking friends, have been seeing and hearing it all around me, and <i>still </i>don't know any Russian, is beyond me. I love languages. I've read Russian literature in Hebrew and in English translations. I've been baffled by the language, attracted to it, and at times extremely annoyed by it.<br />
<br />
In the late 1950s there was a [relatively] large wave of immigration from Poland and the USSR to Israel. Our elementary school, like the other schools in town, got a boost of Russian- and Polish-speaking kids. I became quite close with several of them. Chief among my Russian friends at the time was one Shoshana Kaufman, who later became a math teacher. The practical Shoshana both liked me and saw how we could help each other. I wrote brief compositions for her in Hebrew, checked and corrected her English homework; she started teaching me Russian. Though I don't recall getting much beyond the alphabet, both print and script. Her handwriting, using a fountain pen with a flexible nib, was beautiful.<br />
<br />
Another way Shosh helped me immensely was with <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2600" target="_blank">War and Peace</a>. I was supposed to write a paper about Love in the novel, and there was no way I could read the entire novel and write the paper by the deadline. Shosh took my Hebrew volume and her Russian volume for comparison, and marked in my volume the chapters that had to do with love... And thus I skipped all the war descriptions and philosophical discussions, concentrating only on the romantic story-lines. Mind you, though I got a good mark, my teacher -- the unforgettable <a href="http://library.osu.edu/projects/hebrew-lexicon/01340.php" target="_blank">David Levithan</a> -- did find my paper lacking. "What about the love of God? Love for one's country? Love between friends?" he wrote in his comment. But I was 17... To me, only romantic love mattered.<br />
<br />
As I <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2008/09/stranger-in-my-own-land.html" target="_blank">wrote here in the past</a>, it can get very annoying when you're in your homeland and you don't understand a word of what it said around you. But that's not the main reason I've finally decided to learn Russian. First of all, it's a challenge, and my aging mind (tfu, tfu!) can use the exercise. Second, we're about to take a trip to Russia! More about that, I hope, when the time comes. (August)<br />
<br />
So once again, I'm collaborating with a friend. This time it's Anna, the woman who usually occupies the <a href="http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/equipment/6-different-types-of-exercise-mats.html#b" target="_blank">exercise mat </a>to my right on Monday and Thursday afternoons. We meet at our usual table in <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ojg3pqd" target="_blank">the nearby mall</a>, an hour before class begins. Yes, it's a bit noisy, but it's air-conditioned and convenient for both of us. I'd been nagging Anna for a while now to let me help her practice her English. Like me, she has a daughter in Canada. But unlike me, she also has a granddaughter there, who no longer speaks Russian -- she's Canadian through and through. Anna was reluctant to take me up on my offer, until I came up with the suggestion that she teach me Russian in return. So we spend roughly half an hour on English and half an hour on Russian, then wipe the sweat off our brow and rush to exercise class to unwind from the effort. Yes, it's a big effort. Whatever text she reads or hears in English, Anna first translates in her head into Russian, then into Hebrew. And whatever word Anna teaches me in Russian, I make her repeat it half a dozen times before I even attempt to reproduce it. No matter how hard I try, I cannot reproduce the trilled R nor the glottal(?) L. I can barely hear the difference between a hard consonant and a soft one, let alone pronounce them properly.<br />
<br />
So far, I'm nearly comfortable with the alphabet; I have a list of words that are [nearly] the same in English and in Russian; I'm collecting easy, useful phrases, and am enjoying some cute words, like "ootka" - утка -- meaning "duck", and despairing of ever being able to order ice cream -- мороженое -- in Russian.<br />
<br />
До Свидания!<br />
<br />Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-27466413218009817822015-02-25T22:42:00.000+02:002021-09-12T10:28:11.524+03:00Wonderful ITA Conference - Day One <a href="http://www.ita.org.il/index.php?cnt=_conferences" target="_blank">The 2015 ITA Conference,</a> which took place at the Jerusalem Crowne Plaza, 16-18 February, was wonderful, for more reasons than just its content. And there's no reason to go on and on about the truly varied content -- it's all in the program. If you've been to the conference, your program is probably well-worn, having been consulted over and over again in your attempt to decide which session to attend. I cherish my post-conference programs, with my notes scribbled inside. But even if you haven't been to the conference, the program is still available online. There you'll find also <a href="http://www.ita.org.il/uploaded/PDFs/ITA%202015%20Bios%20EN_HE.pdf" target="_blank">bios of the speakers</a> and <a href="http://www.ita.org.il/uploaded/PDFs/ITA%202015%20Abstracts_HE%20and%20EN.pdf" target="_blank">summaries of the lectures</a>, in English and in Hebrew. See <a href="http://www.ita.org.il/uploaded/PDFs/ITA%202015%20Program_HE_final.pdf" target="_blank">Hebrew program here</a>, and <a href="http://www.ita.org.il/uploaded/PDFs/ITA%202015%20Program_EN_final.pdf" target="_blank">English program here.</a><br />
<br />
<b>Day One</b> of the conference traditionally features super-useful, hands-on workshops which I never attend. I have no intention of learning to use computer-aided translation tools (<a href="http://www.sdl.com/cxc/language/translation-productivity/trados-studio/" target="_blank">Trados</a>, <a href="https://www.memoq.com/" target="_blank">MemoQ</a>, <a href="http://www.wordfast.com/" target="_blank">Wordfast</a> and others) at this point in my career. If I change my mind, those companies will be only too happy to sell me their products. Some of the other workshops are for beginners, which I am not. And some are business-oriented, which is Very Important, but not relevant for me at this point, when I am trying to spend more time on being a Good Granny than on being a good business woman. There was one workshop that I'm sorry I didn't attend: <i>Translator as Author: Advanced Translation Workshop</i>, by writer <a href="http://gelbfish.com/" target="_blank">Roni Gelbfish</a> (in Hebrew.) Of course, I can follow her blog, attend her ongoing workshops, or I can just read her books. As <a href="http://www.ithl.org.il/page_14546" target="_blank">Dorit Rabinyan</a> said in her excellent talk, the one just before the chairman's closing remarks in the afternoon of Day 3. Dorit, whose carefully crafted novels have been translated into many languages, also gives creative writing workshops, but says that she feels a bit of a fraud for doing so. Because, she says, you can't really teach anyone how to be a creative writer. If you want to write a novel, you've got to read, read, read. Read good novels. Read the ones which fascinate you over and over again, to get the hang of it; to see what makes them work.<br />
<br />
As I've said before, I can't stand reading the Hebrew translation of an English book, because my mind is constantly doing "back translation", trying to guess what the original sentence was. What I do sometimes do, is take the same book in Hebrew and in English, and compare the translation with the original. Fascinating -- if the translation is good; infuriating, if the translation is lousy.<br />
<br />
Oh, by the way: Just because I don't feel like leaning CAT tools doesn't mean I've stopped learning. My colleague Lior Bar-On just posted on FB the following quote: <span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.4559993743896px;">"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing you can do is keep your mind young." - Samuel Clemens / Mark Twain". </span> We're all agreed on that, right? Which is why I plan to take up Russian. Anyone know a good teacher in Rishon LeZion? Possibly in return for English conversation lessons?<br />
<br />
But I digress. Back to Day One of the conference. What I try to do is arrive in time for the 3:30 coffee break before the end of the workshops. Great opportunity to say my first Hi to colleagues, and sample the cakes. Which I did, in the company of veteran translator and editor Helene Landau and others. At 6:30 everyone gathered in the lobby, all bundled up in winter coats and scarves as advised, for the short trip to the Gala Event at the <a href="http://www.blmj.org/en/" target="_blank">Bible Lands Museum</a>. Suffice it to say that I found the museum interesting; if you're interested, go visit -- the website or the place itself. However, most of us translators are not in the peak of youth, and standing around in a museum can get tiring. Luckily, people found some plastic stools, which they carried with them from room to room.<br />
<br />
The after-dinner speaker was the inimitable <a href="http://www.simchajtv.com/" target="_blank">Simcha Jacobovici,</a> and believe me, there's so much stuff about him and his work on the Internet, that I had a hard time deciding which link to use! If I recall correctly (I didn't take notes), he spoke mostly about Jesus from a historical and archaeological point of view; see, for example, his blog post <a href="http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/jesus-marriage-to-mary-magdalene-a-historical-fact/" target="_blank">Jesus' Marriage to Mary Magdalene: A Historical Fact!</a> My mother would have loved it. You see, one of her nephews kept asking her whether she'd "found Jesus" yet. To which she'd reply sweetly that she's not looking for him, and as far as she knows, he was a nice Jewish boy.<br />
<br />
Okay guys and dolls -- today's lecture is over.<br />
Do come back for the next installment.Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-28034778323468384382015-02-21T16:39:00.000+02:002015-02-21T23:24:26.539+02:00What to wear to the Conference<b>Why on earth</b> should I choose to write about such a trivial aspect of the conference, when the three days were so choc-full of Really Important Goodies*? And when I say "the conference", I am referring to the ITA 2015 International Conference, which took place at the <a href="http://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/jerusalem/jrscp/hoteldetail" target="_blank">Crowne Plaza Hotel, Jerusalem</a>, 16-18 February.<br />
<br />
<b>Well</b>, <b>because </b>people look at each other during the conference. Whether in the plenary hall, in any of the other, smaller halls; in the wide corridor where coffee and cake-cake-cake-and-more-cake are served; in the dining hall; in the queue for the loo; in the lobby, the elevator, the front desk, and so on. <b>And because</b> one of my fave colleagues, who couldn't make it to the conference, expressed the hope that "people are dressed well", it got me thinking. And looking.<br />
<br />
<b>Besides</b>, as anyone who's followed my blogs knows, I'm forever agonizing over what to pack for various trips and occasions.<br />
<br />
<b>Short answer</b> to the question in the title is: That depends on whether you're there as a speaker, a representative of a company, or as an ordinary, run-of-the-mill translator or other language-smith. The issue of how the "ordinary" translator (and I use that word as a cover-all for language-related occupations) dresses just happened to pop up on <i>Agenda</i>, [one of] the translators' forums on Facebook. It's a closed group, so I can't provide a link nor quote directly from it. But I can give you the gist:<br />
Translators who work from home like to be as comfortable as possible. PJs are acceptable. An old sweatshirt and sweatpants are practically <i>de rigueur</i>. Slippers, <a href="http://www.tevanaot.co.il/en/women/itemlist/category/94-clogs" target="_blank">Naot clogs</a>, flip-flops (weather permitting); sneakers are nearly "elegant". Women forsake underwire bras and tight jeans. Men forsake -- what? I don't know, you tell me. We all feel as snug as a bug in a rug (remember -- it's winter as I write this). When, sooner or later, we must go out for something urgent like picking up the kids (or the grandkids, in my case) from nursery school or replenishing the coffee supply, we throw on something a bit more respectable and leave the house, hoping not to bump into an ex who used to think of us as smokin' hot.<br />
<br />
<b>Then </b>along comes The Conference. Gosh, what shall I wear? For the Gala evening? For the workshops? For the lectures and other sessions? How much should I pack? I need to be color coordinated, that makes it easier to choose. The blue jeans will go fine with the striped shirt and/or the blue polka dot sweater. Which means I shouldn't bother with the pink/red items. But what about the new purple thingy? Nah, better not bother; it's a bit tight around the waist and I know I always eat too much at the conference. Shoes or boots? Boots are sexier, and add a much-needed inch to my stature (No, not <a href="http://www.uggaustralia.com/women-boots-classic/" target="_blank">Uggs</a>). But shoes are more comfortable. Heels? Are you mad? Who wears high heels to a conference? - I'll tell you who: the speaker from France. High-heeled shoes complete with sexy black pantyhose, elegant skirt (!) and top. Whereas one of the best [Israeli] speakers I heard wore scruffy jeans and some nondescript pullover knit top. Why? Because that's what we're used to wearing. And how on earth can we be expected to concentrate on hours and hours of lectures if we're uncomfortably clad?<br />
<br />
<b>Years ago</b>, before the first presentation I ever gave at an ITA conference, I called my friend <a href="http://www.marionclaire.com/" target="_blank">Marion </a>in L.A., a public-speaking coach. In addition to public-addressing tips, I asked her for dressing tips. Her advice was to wear clothes about one notch above what the audience would be wearing. Seemed very sensible to me. Though not feasible without going out and buying something smart. Which I did, at <a href="http://www.dorinfrankfurt.co.il/" target="_blank">Dorin Frankfurt</a>'s -- but only at end-of-season prices.<br />
<br />
<b>Anyway</b>, I just went through all the conference pics uploaded to the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/n5hsrlt" target="_blank">ITA page on Facebook</a>. Three times at least. And I was happy to note that most people looked both happy and comfortable. Which is the main thing. I hope they didn't agonize too much over what-to-wear and what-to-pack. Who cares. <b>It was great to see you all.</b><br />
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* The important goodies shall be dealt with in a separate post. Since I sat for 2 whole days taking notes, I might as well put them to good use!Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-18434078744661380452014-07-31T13:24:00.001+03:002014-07-31T13:24:09.253+03:00Working with translation agencies - Hebrew version - עבודה עם סוכנויות תרגום<div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">כמובטח, הרי הנוסח העברי של ההרצאה שנתתי ביום העיון למתרגמים מתחילים, ב- 29 ביולי 2014, בבית ציוני אמריקה בתל-אביב. <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2014/07/how-to-work-with-translation-agencies.html" target="_blank">הנוסח האנגלי מופיע בפוסט הקודם</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">טוב, אז
החלטתם לעבוד עם סוכנות, או סוכנויות, תרגום. אתם כבר יודעים שיש לזה פלוסים
ומינוסים. עכשיו משההחלטה התקבלה, אנחנו הולכים להתרכז באיך להפיק מזה את
המקסימום. איך לעשות את זה על הצד הטוב ביותר.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1. לאיזה
סוכנות לפנות?</span></b><span dir="LTR"><br />
</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- תעשו שעורי בית. אתר האינטרנט של החברה הוא
בעיקר טקסט שיווקי שמיועד ללקוחות-הקצה. אתם צריכים לקרוא בין-השורות ולנסות להבין
מה זה אומר לגביכם. נניח, חברה שמציעה
תרגום-תוך-שעה: האם זה מתאים לכם? האם תוכלו להפסיק כל מה שאתם עושים באותו רגע
ולהתלבש על טקסט, לתרגם צ'יק צ'ק והיטב?</span><span dir="LTR"><br />
</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- חברה שמתמחה בשפות מזרח-רחוקיות מתאימה לכם?<br />
- תתייעצו עם כמה שיותר קולגות שעבדו או עובדים עם חברות. העזרו בפורומים. (<a href="http://tinyurl.com/c2vt5pl">תפוז</a>, אג'נדה בפייסבוק, יאהו ועוד) תקראו
משוב של מתרגמים אחרים על סוכנויות.<br />
- סוכנויות בחו"ל – אין לי נסיון, פרט ל</span><a href="http://www.hebrewtrans.com/en/"><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">רינה נאמן</span></a><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. שאלו מתרגמים אחרים.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>2. איך פונים לסוכנות?</span></b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
בדרך כלל דרך האתר, או דרך קשרים/פרוטקציה </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span dir="LTR"></span>J</span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
השאלון אולי לא ימצא חן בעיניכם, אבל מלאו אותו כמיטב יכולתכם. זכרו שמה שאינכם
יכולים להבהיר בשאלון, תוכלו להבהיר בקו"ח שלכם.<br />
- האנשים שבודקים את השאלון והקו"ח הם רק בני אדם. הם יכולים לפספס משהו או
לקפוץ למסקנות שגויות. <br />
- חבר המתרגמים: </span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/pmrhuyg"><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">שאלון
מלא</span></a><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, אבל הוא מתחבא </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span dir="LTR"></span>J</span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
- אניטקסט: </span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/oxzxopf"><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">פרטים בסיסיים</span></a><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> +
קו"ח<br />
- אינטראופיס: אין שאלון בינתיים, אבל ישמחו לשמוע מכם <a href="http://www.interoffice.co.il/contact.html">בדוא"ל</a>, עם קורות חיים
מקצועיים.<br />
- </span><span dir="LTR">MGS</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">–
לשעבר "תרגומי איכות": אין שאלון, אבל יש </span></span><a href="http://www.mgslanguage.co.il/Jobs"><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">דף מפורט מאד</span></a><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> עם סוגי התרגומים הנחוצים להם. לפי זה תראו אם יש לכם צ'אנס.<br />
- כאמור, קשרים עם מישהו בסוכנות יכולים לעזור.<br />
- טרנסנט</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span>
</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> - הדף
הרלבנטי בבניה; בינתיים השתמשו ב<a href="http://www.transnetonline.com/contact.php">"צור קשר</a>"<br />
- רנה נאמן (ארה"ב)– אין לינק שמיועד למתרגמים. אולי אפשר ליצור קשר דרך
"<a href="http://www.hebrewtrans.com/en/contact">צור קשר</a>"...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3. קורות
חיים: איך להציג את עצמכם? </span></b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
כתיבת קו"ח היא תורה בפני עצמה. מה-לא-לכתוב חשוב לא פחות ממה-כן-לכתוב. ראו
בשני הפוסטים הבאים:</span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- </span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2011/08/how-not-to-write-and-mail-cv.html">איך לא
לכתוב ולשלוח קו"ח</a> (פוסט באנגלית, אבל בחיי שווה קריאה)</span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
- </span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2008/05/who-cares-when-you-were-born.html">למי אכפת
מתי היומולדת שלך</a> (כנ"ל)</span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<b>טיפ נוסף</b>: קו"ח לא כותבים פעם אחת ודי. מעדכנים ומתאימים לפי הלקוח
הפוטנציאלי. <br />
- פוסט מעולה על כתיבת קו"ח – ב<a href="http://transela.com/2009/05/30/how_to_write_your_cv/">אתר של יעל סלע-שפירו</a>. (הידד, פוסט בעברית.)</span></div>
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4. מהם
השיקולים הכי חשובים בבחירת סוכנות?</span></b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <br />
- בנוסף ל<b>תשלום</b> (לא רק <b>כמה</b> אלא גם <b>מתי</b>): האם המסמך שלכם
יעבור <b>עריכה</b> מקצועית. והאם תקבלו <b>משוב</b> על התרגום שלכם, לפחות
בעבודות הראשונות.</span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- כמה עבודה הם יכולים לספק לכם?<br />
- האם אתם מרגישים ש"יש עם מי לדבר". <br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5. להתמקד
בתחום שלכם או להסתעף?</span></b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> - למתרגם מתחיל אני ממליצה להתמקד במה שהוא יודע
הכי-טוב. אבל אם מה שאת יודעת הכי טוב זה לעצב נעליים, תקבלי עבודה פעם בשנה במקרה
הטוב. בחרו בתחום שגם מדבר אליכם וגם שיש לו ביקוש. ראו ביתר הרחבה את המצגת (באנגלית, תתגברו!) של
יעל סלע שפירו, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/m7jxfet">"לגוון או
להתנוון"</a>.<br />
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">6. כלים מקצועיים:</span></b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">- האם
תוכנות עזר לתרגום (כגון </span><span dir="LTR">MemoQ, WordFast, Trados</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>) תעזור לכם להתקבל לעבודה? – בגדול, כן.<br />
אשר לשליטה בוורד, אקסל,</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ואולי תוכנה גרפית כלשהי -- זו כיום דרישה די בסיסית. אתם לא צריכים
לדעת </span><span dir="LTR">InDesign</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> אבל אתם כן צריכים להסתדר עם </span><span dir="LTR">PowerPoint</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> .</span></div>
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">7. מה לשאול
את איש/אשת הקשר בסוכנות עם קבלת העבודה:</span></b><b><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- כמה זה דחוף, מה הדדליין, והאם יש תוספת דחיפות. זכרו את </span><a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2014/06/my-most-important-tip-for-translators.html"><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">חוק מרפי
למתרגמים</span></a><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">: כל עבודה תתברר כמסובכת/קשה יותר ותיקח יותר זמן מכפי שנראה במבט
ראשון. (בדוק!)</span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- למי ולמה הטקסט מיועד.</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> האם זה להבנה פנימית בתוך
הארגון?</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> או שמא לחוברת
שתופק על ניר כרומו בעיצוב של גרפיקאי? </span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- האם זה מכתב אישי שצריך להיות בסגנון חמים</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"><span dir="LTR"></span>,</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">או שזה מיועד כעדות בבית משפט?</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">- האם זה
צריך להיות באנגלית בריטית או אמריקאית? צרפתית של צרפת או קוויבק? ספרדית קסטליאנית
או דרום-אמריקאית?</span></span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- האם יש מילון מונחים?</span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- אם דברים בטקסט ממש לא-מובנים, למי לפנות, מי יספק הבהרות, ומתי
אפשר לפנות אליהם?<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">8. תאום
ציפיות:</span></b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">- מה
הסוכנות רוצה מכם? בקיצור: שתעבדו טוב, מהר, ובזול. ושתהיו נחמדים.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>9. איך מגישים עבודת תרגום:</span></b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
- בזמן! (זכרו את חוק מרפי)<br />
- לפי הנחיות הסוכנות</span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- עיצוב מסמך קרוב ככל האפשר למסמך המקור<br />
- אחרי שעשיתם עריכה-עצמית, ליטוש והגהה ובדקתם איות שמות, מונחים וכד'<br />
- עם כמה שפחות "הערות המתרגם", היילייט צהוב וסימני שאלה. <br />
- שמרו תמיד עותק של המקור והתרגום. דאגו לגיבוי יומיומי על "ענן" או
דיסק חיצוני או שניהם.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">- זכרו
ללחוץ </span><span dir="LTR">CTRL+S </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> כל כמה דקות במרוצת
העבודה, ותחסכו לעצמכם הרבה עגמת נפש.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">10.
"הגורם האנושי", או "מישהו לרוץ איתו"<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">טפחו
איש/אשת קשר בסוכנות ותהיו נחמדים אליהם! גם בטלפון וגם במייל. אתם לא חייבים
להסתחבק או ליהפך לידידי נפש, אבל תהיו מנומסים.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">11.
תשלום: כסף זו לא מלה גסה</span></b><b><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>– תרשמו בטבלה, גליון אקסל, כרטיסיה, או כל דרך אחרת שנוחה לכם את
הפרטים של כל עבודה: הלקוח, שם הקובץ, הנושא, מספר מלים, תעריף. כאשר תקבלו את
התשלום החודשי, תשוו עם הרישום שלכם. כולנו בני אדם. כבר קרה לי שסוכנות שילמה לי
פעמיים את אותו חשבון, וקרה שסוכנות דילגה בטעות על עבודה אחת שעשיתי בשבילה.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">- התוכנה
</span><a href="http://www.emaze.co.il/milim/"><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"עבודת מלים" </span></a><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">– יש
גירסה מלאה וגירסה "לייט" למתרגמים עם היקף עבודה נמוך יחסית.</span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- מתי אפשר לבקש העלאה: </span></b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
- אחרי שעבדתם עם הסוכנות כמה חודשים לפחות והוכחתם את עצמכם בעקביות כמתרגמים
טובים ואחראיים<br />
- אם התחלתם לקבל חומר קשה/מסובך יותר שדורש יותר השקעה של זמן.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>12. גם למתרגם טוב יש ימים רעים</span></b><b><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- גם מתרגם טוב לא תמיד קולע למטרה. ולפעמים לקוח-הקצה פשוט לא
אוהב את הסגנון.</span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- אם מתרגם הוא בדרך כלל טוב, הסוכנות לא תפסיק לעבוד איתו. אולי
הם יהיו יותר זהירים בסוג הטקסט שנותנים לו; אולי יבדקו את עבודתו במשך זמן מה
אחרי המקרה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"><span dir="LTR"></span>.</span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- ואולי המתרגם ילמד להגיד "לא" לטקסטים מועדים
לפורענות...</span></div>
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">13. סיבות
עקריות לתלונת לקוח-קצה<br />
</span></b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">- לא נעשה תאום ציפיות עם הלקוח.</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> (למשל, תרגום שיווקי שגובל
בקופירייטינג לעומת "סתם" תרגום; ההבדל בין הגהה לעריכה, ועוד.)</span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- בחירת המתרגם הלא-מתאים לעבודה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span></div>
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<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- מסירת העבודה ללקוח בלי שהתרגום עבר עריכה</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>(רשת הבטחון של המתרגם והסוכנות)</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR" lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span></div>
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">14. משוב
חיובי לעומת ליטוף האגו</span></b><b><span dir="LTR"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">קבלת
משוב חיובי ומחמאה בנוסח "לקוח הקצה היה מאד מרוצה מהתרגום" זה נפלא.
אבל אל תפלו בפח של "רציתי דווקא אותך לעבודה הזאת" – נכון, יש סוכנויות
שמתכוונות לזה. ויש שמשתמשות במשפט הזה מתוך גישה צינית, כאילו מחמאה שווה כסף. (יש
מתרגמים שמוכנים לעבוד בזול, העיקר שילטפו להם את האגו).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">בונוס</span></b><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">במקרה
שפספסתם את ההרצאה של אביבה דורון ואליעזר נובודבורסקי, "צריך שניים
לטנגו", הרי כמה מהפלוסים של עבודה בשביל סוכנות תרגום:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>- לא צריך לרדוף אחר לקוחות – העבודה מגיעה אליכם למחשב<br />
- לא צריך לרדוף אחר הכסף – סוכנות טובה משלמת כמו שעון<br />
- לא צריך להתעסק עם לקוחות-קצה מעצבנים, הסוכנות מתווכת ביניכם<br />
- במקרה הטוב: עוד זוג עיניים עובר על התרגום, ועוד זוג ידיים מטפל בצד הגרפי.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="direction: rtl; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right; unicode-bidi: embed;">
<span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ברוכים
הבאים למצטרפים אל שורותינו, שיהיה בהצלחה ובכיף!<br />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs9Fv4Fyah2Rx03Gn9mj44OGNyZyl_YrVzCUBq76Gzxq4cctNMGsT34Qm-57FTybhXQz-NdIETDoyrTgyw2HZrFnmnr-Wlp4GMCnd-QE0I_3AKausnJA0h3YNpqDQ24_mHZ8AWSHLfvhY/s1600/Nina+at+ITA+lecture+285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs9Fv4Fyah2Rx03Gn9mj44OGNyZyl_YrVzCUBq76Gzxq4cctNMGsT34Qm-57FTybhXQz-NdIETDoyrTgyw2HZrFnmnr-Wlp4GMCnd-QE0I_3AKausnJA0h3YNpqDQ24_mHZ8AWSHLfvhY/s1600/Nina+at+ITA+lecture+285.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgPYD_lwuH_ZgvFMrK86Bfg34irpQeg5TRkzfWk00IAso9ij9ZPZUFVsC8pJf37tjMJH3aNTK5Uh7PE8cB0qx4EJrlV9GQTXeU9ypyN2la4JqLy1F6JUjYn28Y_8wTXt67BGuUJQ42u9n/s1600/Nina+at+ITA+lecture+286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgPYD_lwuH_ZgvFMrK86Bfg34irpQeg5TRkzfWk00IAso9ij9ZPZUFVsC8pJf37tjMJH3aNTK5Uh7PE8cB0qx4EJrlV9GQTXeU9ypyN2la4JqLy1F6JUjYn28Y_8wTXt67BGuUJQ42u9n/s1600/Nina+at+ITA+lecture+286.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><span dir="LTR"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-23410479345539768222014-07-30T17:34:00.000+03:002021-09-12T10:21:27.953+03:00How to work with translation agencies - English version<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As promised, the text of my talk at the ITA's seminar for new translators, July 29th, 2014, at the ZOA House in Tel Aviv. <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2014/07/working-with-translation-agencies.html" target="_blank">The Hebrew version appears here.</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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OK, so
you’ve decide to work with translation agencies. The question now is how to do
it right and make the most of it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>1. Which
agency/agencies to approach?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Do your
homework. Peruse agencies’ websites. Though they’re intended mainly for
end-clients, you can still read between the lines and figure out the
implications for you. E.g., an agency that offers one-hour translation: is that
right for you? Can you drop everything and produce a good translation within an
hour?<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>- Agency that translates into Far East
languages?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- Ask your
buddies who work/have worked with agencies. Look for helpful info and relevant
feedback on translators’ lists and forums. (<a href="http://tinyurl.com/c2vt5pl">Tapuz</a>,
Agenda/FB, Yahoo Groups, etc)</div>
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- Overseas
agencies – I have no personal experience, except for <a href="http://www.hebrewtrans.com/en/">Rina Ne’eman</a>. Ask other translators.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>2. How to
approach an agency<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Most
agencies’ websites have a link, menu option or button for translators. Complete
the questionnaire and send it, along with your CV. While keeping in mind that
those reading it, and your CV, are only human and can overlook or misunderstand
something you wrote.</div>
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- Hever<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> </span>Translators’ Pool: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/pmrhuyg">A full questionnaire</a>, but it’s
well-hidden <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div>
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- Anytext:
Basic <a href="http://tinyurl.com/oxzxopf">details/info</a> + CV</div>
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- InterOffice:
No questionnaire until their new website is up and running. Meanwhile, they’ll
be happy to hear from you <a href="http://www.interoffice.co.il/contact.html">by
email</a>, with a professional CV.</div>
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- MGS
Language Services – formerly Quality Translations – no questionnaire, but a page
with <a href="http://www.mgslanguage.co.il/Jobs">highly detailed info </a>about
their preferred fields of expertise.</div>
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- Transnet –
Their “wanted” page is under construction. Use their <a href="http://www.transnetonline.com/contact.php">Contac Us</a> page.</div>
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- Rina
Ne’eman (USA) – No link for translators. I assume you can use their <a href="http://www.hebrewtrans.com/en/contact">Contact Us</a> link.</div>
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If you have
connections in an agency, this is the time to use it. (“protektzia”)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>3. CV:
How to present yourself?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Writing a CV
is an art in itself. What to leave out is nearly as important as what to
include. See my two earlier posts on this subject:</div>
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<a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2011/08/how-not-to-write-and-mail-cv.html">How
not to write and send a CV</a></div>
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<a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2008/05/who-cares-when-you-were-born.html">Who
cares when you were born</a></div>
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<b>Tip</b>:
Writing a CV is not a one-time effort. It should be updated periodically, and
adapted to suit the addressee and the job you’re applying for.</div>
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For in-depth
explanations on how to write your CV, see <a href="http://transela.com/2009/05/30/how_to_write_your_cv/">Yael Sela-Shapiro’s
excellent post</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>4. What’s
the most important consideration when choosing a translation agency?</b></div>
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- In
addition to their <b>rates</b><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> & <b>terms of payment</b>: Will your
translation be <b>edited</b>, and will you receive <b>feedback</b>, at least on
your first few submissions?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- Do you
feel you have a rapport with someone at the agency?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>5. Stick
to what you know best, or diversify?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- For
starters, I recommend sticking to what you know best. But if your expertise is
shoe design, you’ll get work once a year if you’re lucky. So choose an
additional field which you’ll feel comfortable with, and for which there’s
demand.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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For a more
in-depth, and entertaining, review of this issue, see Yael Sela-Shapiro’s
presentation, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/m7jxfet">Diversify or Die</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>6. Professional
tools: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Will command
of Translation Memory tools (e.g. MemoQ, WordFast, Trados) help you get work? -
Probably. Command of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is a fairly basic demand
nowadays.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>7. What
to ask your Agency contact when undertaking a job:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Deadline?
Urgency? Urgency fee? Remember <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2014/06/my-most-important-tip-for-translators.html">Murphy’s
Laws for Translators:</a> every job will turn out to be more difficult and will
take longer than you thought.</div>
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- Who’s the
target audience? Is it intended for internal company use or a fancy marketing
brochure? </div>
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- What register?
Formal-legal? Fuzzy-warm?</div>
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- American/British
English? French/Quebec French? Castellano or Argentinean Spanish?</div>
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- Will a glossary of relevant terminology be
provided?</div>
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- Who is
your go-to person for questions? When are they available?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>8.
Setting expectations: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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What does
the Agency want from you? Briefly: Do a good job, fast, at a low rate, and be
nice.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>9. How to
submit a translation:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- On time!</div>
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- According
to the agency’s guidelines</div>
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- After
self-editing, polishing, proofreading, checking spelling, terminology, names
etc</div>
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- Format the
document as close as possible to the original</div>
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- With as
few comments, highlighting etc (to indicate unclear bits) as is humanly
possible</div>
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- Always
keep a copy of the original and the
translation. Back-up your work every day, on an external disc, on a “cloud”, or
both. <span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>- Hit CTRL+S every few minutes!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>10. The
human factor:</b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Nurture a
good relationship with your agency contact person. Be nice. On the phone, by
email, and in person.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>11. Money makes the world go around: Payment<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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- Keep track
of your work in a table, Excel sheet, notebook – whatever suits you: Customer
name, file name, subject, word-count, rate/fee. When you get paid, check
against your records. We’re all only human.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- Software
designed especially with us in mind – Avodat <a href="http://www.emaze.co.il/milim/">Milim</a>. There’s a full version and a “light”
version for non-heavy users, e.g. translators with few clients or who work only
part time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>When is
it acceptable to ask for a raise?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- After
having worked for the agency for at least a few months and proved to be
consistently good and reliable translators</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- If you’ve
started accepting more difficult/complex jobs that require more time and
effort.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>12. We
all have our off-days<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Even a good
translator sometimes goofs; or else the client doesn’t like his/her style.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The agency
won’t stop working with a good translator; but will be more careful in the
future.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The
translator may decide to say No to problematic texts in the future. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>13. Main
reasons for end-client complaint</b><br />
- Client expectations weren’t clear (e.g. copywriting vs. “plain” translation; heavy
editing vs. proofreading, etc.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- The agency
chose the wrong translator for the job</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- The job
was submitted to end-client without editing (safety net for both translator and
agency)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>1</b><span dir="RTL"></span><b><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span>4</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
Positive feedback vs. flattery<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Receiving
positive feedback is great. Learn to distinguish between it and flattery that
comes in lieu of decent pay. Some translators will accept lower pay in return
for having their egos stroked. That isn’t fair to you and is detrimental to
your colleagues.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Bonus #1<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.anytext.co.il/" target="_blank">AnyTEXT</a>
guidelines to their translators, verbatim:</div>
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Keep the same
filename; just add your language and the word count</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
(i.e.
filename eng xxx.docx)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Before
sending us your translation, please proofread your text looking for:</div>
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· Omissions</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
· Typing
errors</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
· Typos in
names, dates, numbers</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
· Spelling
mistakes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
·
Grammatical errors</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Please</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
· Use a
consistent terminology throughout the text</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
· Apply
language conventions on dates, numbers, titles, etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
· Check
format is identical (tables, bold, underline, etc.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
· In case of
special requests, do not forget them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Where
appropriate,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
· Use the
supplied glossary to translate the text</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
· Read the
supplied reference material before translating</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
· Check that
references such as Table of Contents and Index entries, cross references, etc.
match original</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Use of
Google Translate or similar software constitutes a breach of confidentiality
and his prohibited to all our translators.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Bonus #2<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Just in case
you missed <a href="http://www.interoffice.co.il/index.html" target="_blank">Aviva Doron</a>’s and Eliezer Nowodworski’s talk, “It Takes Two to
Tango”, here are a few of the advantages of working for a good agency:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- No need to
chase clients – work comes to you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- No need to
chase payment – the agency pays like clockwork</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- No need to
deal with annoying end-clients – the agency serves as go-between</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- Another
pair of eyes goes over your work, another pair of hands deals with the graphic
aspect.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Welcome to
the club, good luck, and enjoy!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgPYD_lwuH_ZgvFMrK86Bfg34irpQeg5TRkzfWk00IAso9ij9ZPZUFVsC8pJf37tjMJH3aNTK5Uh7PE8cB0qx4EJrlV9GQTXeU9ypyN2la4JqLy1F6JUjYn28Y_8wTXt67BGuUJQ42u9n/s1600/Nina+at+ITA+lecture+286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgPYD_lwuH_ZgvFMrK86Bfg34irpQeg5TRkzfWk00IAso9ij9ZPZUFVsC8pJf37tjMJH3aNTK5Uh7PE8cB0qx4EJrlV9GQTXeU9ypyN2la4JqLy1F6JUjYn28Y_8wTXt67BGuUJQ42u9n/s1600/Nina+at+ITA+lecture+286.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs9Fv4Fyah2Rx03Gn9mj44OGNyZyl_YrVzCUBq76Gzxq4cctNMGsT34Qm-57FTybhXQz-NdIETDoyrTgyw2HZrFnmnr-Wlp4GMCnd-QE0I_3AKausnJA0h3YNpqDQ24_mHZ8AWSHLfvhY/s1600/Nina+at+ITA+lecture+285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs9Fv4Fyah2Rx03Gn9mj44OGNyZyl_YrVzCUBq76Gzxq4cctNMGsT34Qm-57FTybhXQz-NdIETDoyrTgyw2HZrFnmnr-Wlp4GMCnd-QE0I_3AKausnJA0h3YNpqDQ24_mHZ8AWSHLfvhY/s1600/Nina+at+ITA+lecture+285.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a><br />
<br /></div>
Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-8575529036090723552014-07-25T15:17:00.000+03:002014-07-25T18:01:10.796+03:00Seminar for new translators<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
A bit late in the day, it occurred to me that I should tell
you all about the above wonderful opportunity, mainly because, to my surprise, the <a href="http://www.ita.org.il/uploaded/images/NewTranslatorsWorkshopFlier.jpg" target="_blank">seminar program</a> that appears on the <a href="http://www.ita.org.il/" target="_blank">ITA website</a> and has been re-posted on Facebook and elsewhere, is in Hebrew only. Since many of my readers prefer English, and since I'm taking part in the event, here goes:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Should I become a translator? Can I make a living out of it?
How do I find new clients? How do I find clients in the first place?!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We will do our best to answer the above questions -- and
various others you were too shy to ask or simply didn’t know whom to ask -- in
the ITA’s upcoming <a href="http://www.ita.org.il/index.php?cnt=_workshops" target="_blank">one-day seminar </a>(well, half-day, actually). The speakers are
all experienced translators, who’ll be only too happy to share their know-how
with you, so that you can make a more informed decision on these issues: Do you
want to be a translator at all? (Sure you do! It’s a great occupation), and how
to make a living out of it (initiative and assertiveness go a long way.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.semantica.co.il/SemanticaManagTeam.html" target="_blank">Sarah Yarkoni</a> will speak on <b>how to get started</b></li>
<li><a href="http://www.transl8.co.il/wp/en/" target="_blank">Yael Segal</a> will talk about <b>contracts</b></li>
<li><a href="http://transela.com/" target="_blank">Yael Sela-Shapiro</a> will give a presentation called <b>Diversify
or Die</b></li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/ruchie-avital/12/858/40" target="_blank">Ruchie Avital</a> will address <b>common translation mistakes</b></li>
<li><a href="http://www.interoffice.co.il/" target="_blank">Aviva Doron</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/eliezer-nowodworski/0/942/15b" target="_blank">Eliezer Nowodworski</a> explain how <b>agency-translator
collaboration</b> works</li>
<li>And I will speak about such collaboration <b>from the translator’s
point-of-view</b>: how to <b>choose the right agency</b> for you, and how to <b>make the most out of it.</b></li>
</ul>
This seminar is the welcome brainchild of the <b>Israel Translators’
Association</b>, and will conclude with meeting representatives of several
agencies. You see, we’ll be saving you the trouble of looking them up and
pursuing them on your own. So make sure your <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2011/08/how-not-to-write-and-mail-cv.html" target="_blank">CV is up-to-date and up-to-scratch</a>, and bring
along a bunch of business cards, too. (You do have a business card, don’t you?
Because if you don’t, it’s a little late for this occasion. Not too late for
other occasions, though. Just don’t keep putting it off!)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To sign up, write to ofraflint@gmail.com, and attach your
CV. And yes, it does cost money. But rather than studying for a whole year and
only then deciding if it’s right for you, come to this informative afternoon/evening,
get the lowdown from the inner circle, and be better equipped to make an
informed choice at a bargain price.<br />
<br />
<b>Please note:</b> Instead of translating the ITA's notice from scratch or rephrasing it in my own words, I asked my colleague <a href="http://transela.com/about_yael_sela_shapiro_english/" target="_blank">Yael Sela-Shapiro</a>, who’d already posted on the subject in Hebrew, whether I could give you my English version of <a href="http://transela.com/2014/07/17/new_translator_seminar_july_2014/" target="_blank">her post.</a> She said Sure, knock yourself out! So I did :-)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In any case -- hope to see you there!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the <b>ZOA House, 26 Ibn Gabirol St., Tel Aviv</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>July 29th, 2014, 2 p.m. – 9:15 p.m.</b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-36106519430167147732014-06-08T09:36:00.001+03:002014-06-09T10:50:17.503+03:00My most important tip for translators and editors<div class="MsoNormal">
OR:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>How to fight the dreaded Murphy’s Law of translation</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Most important?” Really? When it comes to translation and editing, I have lots of opinions and advice, accumulated over decades of work.
So how do I choose? “Who cares,” I can
hear you saying, “just give us what you’ve got.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here’s one of my pet pointers, which appears also in the presentation
I gave at the <a href="http://www.ita.org.il/index.php?lang=english" target="_blank">ITA </a>conference of Feb 2010, "First Aid for Translators and Editors". (Sorry,
no link yet. One of these days I’ll upload it and provide a link.) It comes under
the heading "About accepting work".<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Say you’re among the lucky ones whose In-box runneth over with work. Or say you’re forever frantically floundering and fishing for work. Or say you’re just your ordinary (no-such-thing), everyday translator who’s been
offered a job, wants to accept it and wants to not-screw-it-up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember: Most of Murphy's Laws apply to all translation and
editing jobs and projects. Chief among them:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Every job is more complex and more difficult than it seemed
at first glance, and will take longer than you thought.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With that law in mind, follow these simple (ha!) rules:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Allow enough time for each assignment. Which is difficult,
because the client usually applies pressure.</li>
<li>Always ask to see the text/document first.</li>
<li>Ask questions: E.g.: Who's the target audience? American or British English? Castellano or Espanol? Internal company
use or for publication? Will a glossary of relevant terms be provided?</li>
<li>Try to find out how urgent the job in question <i>really </i>is. Rush
jobs should carry an added urgency fee. Some agencies offer it, others don't –
ask or request, don't be shy.</li>
<li>If you can't handle a rush job, don't take it. (Or you'll
ruin your reputation before you've had a chance to build it.)</li>
<li>When calculating how long a job might take, remember to take
into account the administrative work related to it.</li>
<li>Find out how much graphics/formatting the work involves. Can you deal with it? Remember that ppts, graphs, tables, illustrations etc can be tricky and very time-consuming.</li>
<li>Paperwork: always send official price quote/work order. Get
approval in writing. See more (both in Hebrew and in English) on <a href="http://transela.com/translation_career_101/translation-editing-contract-hebrew/" target="_blank">Yael Sela Shapiro's website</a>.</li>
<li>Find out if your work will be edited and if you'll get feedback
on your work. Some agencies are better than others at QAing translators' work and
providing them with feedback. Don't sulk and take it personally -- take it
professionally. Learn and improve.</li>
<li>Pricing – don't sell yourself cheap.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Before you carry on to my colleagues' blogs and read their most-important tips, I'd like to introduce you to my friend <a href="http://speakingissexy.com/about/" target="_blank">Marion Claire</a>, who's an expert on public speaking. Sooner or later, you may be asked to give your own advice in public... Yes, to actually leave your comfort zone and stand on a podium, shudder shudder, and talk to an audience! Before I did this for the first time, I called Marion (who lives in Los Angeles) and asked her for advice, which turned out to be very helpful. Here's one of her important tips: <a href="http://speakingissexy.com/blog/2014/5/6/to-read-or-not-to-read-thats-the-question" target="_blank">To Read or Not to Read, that's the question</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
And now, go to my friends’ blogs and read their most-important tips:<br />
<span data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687637477973289:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px;"><a aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_18" class="UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=606488662&extragetparams=%7B%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687637477973289:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author.0" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/inga.michaeli?fref=ufi" id="js_19" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Inga Michaeli</a></span><span data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687637477973289:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:0" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px;"> </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687637477973289:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687637477973289:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><a class="" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687637477973289:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$range0:0" dir="ltr" href="http://im-translator.net/2014/06/08/bloggers/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://im-translator.net/2014/06/08/bloggers/</a></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687637477973289:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px;"><span data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687782534625450:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author"><a aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_20" class="UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=100003354214886&extragetparams=%7B%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687782534625450:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author.0" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/tami.eylonortal?fref=ufi" id="js_21" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Tami Eylon Ortal</a></span><span data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687782534625450:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:0"> </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687782534625450:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687782534625450:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><a class="" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687782534625450:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$range0:0" dir="ltr" href="http://tamieylonortal.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://tamieylonortal.wordpress.com/</a></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687637477973289:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687782534625450:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><a aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_23" class="UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=789743649&extragetparams=%7B%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687796607957376:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author.0" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/pfriedmann?fref=ufi" id="js_24" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Pierre Pe'er Friedmann</a> </span></span><a class="" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687796607957376:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$body.$comment-body.0.$range0:0" dir="ltr" href="http://makropulos.net/?p=8618" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://makropulos.net/?p=8618</a><br />
<span data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687806401289730:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px;"><a aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_26" class="UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=771636809&extragetparams=%7B%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687806401289730:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author.0" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/yael.cahane?fref=ufi" id="js_27" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Yael Cahane-Shadmi</a></span><span data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687806401289730:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:0" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px;"> </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687806401289730:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687806401289730:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><a class="" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687806401289730:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$range0:0" dir="ltr" href="http://yaeltranslation.com/2014/06/08/my-best-tip-for-translators/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://yaeltranslation.com/.../my-best-tip-for-translators/</a></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687806401289730:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px;"><span data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687810191289351:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author"><a class="UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=522404791&extragetparams=%7B%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687810191289351:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author.0" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/danitbk?fref=ufi" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Danit Ben-Kiki</a> </span><span data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687810191289351:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:0"></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687810191289351:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687810191289351:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><a class="" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687810191289351:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$range0:0" dir="ltr" href="https://danitbk.wordpress.com/2014/06/08/%d7%a4%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%99%d7%99%d7%a7%d7%98-%d7%91%d7%99%d7%9f-%d7%91%d7%9c%d7%95%d7%92%d7%99-%d7%98%d7%99%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%9d-%d7%9c%d7%9e%d7%aa%d7%a8%d7%92%d7%9e%d7%99%d7%9d/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://danitbk.wordpress.com/.../%d7%a4%d7%a8%d7%95%d7.../</a></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687806401289730:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px;">Gili Bar-Hillel Semo http://gilibarhillel.wordpress.com/</span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".10.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687806401289730:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12.288000106811523px;"><a aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_75" class="UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=1485769579&extragetparams=%7B%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" data-reactid=".2d.1:3:1:$comment687360181334352_687361618000875:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author.0" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/inbal.s.nakdimon?fref=ufi" id="js_76" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Inbal Saggiv Nakdimon</a> http://www.metargemet.com/</span><br />
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<a aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_64" class="UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=522404791&extragetparams=%7B%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" data-reactid=".1w.1:3:1:$comment687629547974082_687925727944464:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author.0" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/danitbk?fref=ufi" id="js_65" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 12.288000106811523px; text-decoration: none;">Danit Ben-Kiki</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><a href="http://danitbk.wordpress.com/" style="background-color: #f5e9e5; color: #644527; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.440000534057617px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: right;" target="_blank">http://danitbk.wordpress.com</a><br />
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<br />
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Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-32083999840824526312014-06-02T23:11:00.000+03:002021-09-12T10:22:18.091+03:00Books I started reading but never finished<span style="font-family: inherit;">My old high-school friend S. recently posted this cartoon on Facebook that touched a nerve: Hey, this is just what I've been meaning to write about! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLm1AHO3XVwDxgZwYcMhOHnX9yxRQRGqJPxF5nZcC75_zZlsoJpLWCJ1iN-KZNNpF62rG7QorJb-s8opwM_Ng5ov1K4G47GvD9uUAG4ooQaPRP0pAMDlPZkJwyXV5CyMV1GpL8VqeALezU/s1600/Library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLm1AHO3XVwDxgZwYcMhOHnX9yxRQRGqJPxF5nZcC75_zZlsoJpLWCJ1iN-KZNNpF62rG7QorJb-s8opwM_Ng5ov1K4G47GvD9uUAG4ooQaPRP0pAMDlPZkJwyXV5CyMV1GpL8VqeALezU/s1600/Library.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">See, there’s this very-good-book that I've been wanting to read for ages and have finally picked up. Since my copy is a paperback and the print is rather small, I downloaded it onto <a href="http://take-ninas-word-for-it.blogspot.co.il/2012/08/kindle-not-open-book.html" target="_blank">Kindaleh</a>. My eldest also has a paperback copy on her bookshelves, so when I’m on Savta Duty (i.e. babysitting – silly term, since not much sitting gets done) and Baby Yos is asleep, bless him, I can continue where I left off even if I've neglected to slip Kindaleh into my already-too-heavy shoulder-bag.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is superbly written, but scary and depressing as all hell: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/lceef7v" target="_blank"><i>The Plot Against America</i></a>, by Philip Roth. And I don’t want scary and depressing. I want either light, witty and entertaining; or illuminating and awe-inspiring, or brain-teasing. So on the one hand I keep going back to <i>The Plot</i> and reading another page or two; on the other hand I’m constantly on the lookout for something light and entertaining to serve as a counter measure. At this rate, it’ll either take me forever to finish <i>The Plot</i>, or else it’ll join the list of books I started reading but never finished.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some compulsive readers can’t bear to do that. They’ll grin and
bear it, wade through the book for better and for worse, the less-compulsive
skipping a bit here & there or peeking at the last page/s to see how it all
turns out. I know a young woman who will not read a book if she finds out her
fave character gets offed by the author. A man I know has no compunctions about
skipping whole chapters to find out whether it’s worth pursuing to the bitter(?) end. And I? I give up, put the troublesome book back on the shelf, and add
it to my list. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The list, I’m afraid, is too long to include here. Might scare you
off or bore you to tears. It includes both classics and books that were
bestsellers in their heyday, not always justifiably. Below is a partial list,
with a short note of my first impressions at the time, often including the
reason for dropping the book:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Virginia Woolf: </b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_the_Lighthouse" target="_blank"><i>To the Lighthouse</i></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Requires quiet and concentration... like “good literature” I
studied at university.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Having started reading Virginia Woolf's biography by <a href="http://www.hermionelee.com/woolf.html" target="_blank">Hermione Lee</a> I
thought I might find Lighthouse more interesting in terms of identifying
elements taken from her own life. Not that it makes any difference to the novel
itself or my enjoyment of it; but as a would-be writer, it's helpful to see the
extent to which good writers draw on their own lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">BTW – never finished reading the biography either. All those trivial
details drove me crazy. Reached p.81/755 (ignoring the Index & Notes). I
adore Virginia Woolf. Wouldn’t I be better off just reading her writings
instead of the writings about her?...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Daniel Goleman: </b><i><a href="http://www.danielgoleman.info/topics/emotional-intelligence/" target="_blank">Emotional Intelligence</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Extremely annoying. Too much repetition, too much stating of the
obvious. Remember: Always count to 10 (or 20, or more) before doing or saying anything stupid. Got it? You're good to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Wally Lamb: </b><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She's_Come_Undone" target="_blank">She’s Come Undone</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, I know a protagonist doesn’t have to be charming in order for
a novel to be good. But the protagonist is so off-putting that I can’t force
myself to continue reading. I heard it has a happy end. Jolly good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Carolyn Heilbrun: </b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Gift-Time-Beyond/dp/0345422953" target="_blank">The Last Gift of Time</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Heilbrun’s (a.k.a. Amanda Cross) novels all have an agenda, they’re very “academic”. Unlike the mysteries, this
one’s non-fiction. I lost patience with it because I couldn’t identify with its
premises. The writer doesn’t succeed in making her insights about women
relevant to a wide range of women. Virginia Woolf talked about “a room” of
one’s own, which, in practical terms, is difficult enough; Heilbrun talks about
a house of her own… (Poor woman committed suicide in Oct 2003).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Peter Hoeg: </b><i><a href="http://us.macmillan.com/borderliners/PeterH%C3%B8eg" target="_blank">The Borderliners</a></i><b>.</b> I liked <i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smillas-Sense-Snow-Peter-Hoeg/dp/1250002559" target="_blank">Smilla’s Sense of Snow</a></i>
despite its flaws, so I thought I might like this one, too. But there was
something creepy about it. Reminds me of Kazuo Ishiguro's <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Let_Me_Go_(novel)" target="_blank">Never Let Me Go</a></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rebecca Wells: </b><i><a href="http://www.rebeccawellsbooks.com/books/divine_secrets.php" target="_blank">Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Couldn't finish. The characters were not "rounded"
enough, it was difficult to distinguish between them and remember who's who.
Also, the writer tries too hard and ends up tripping over excessive verbs and
superfluous, pointless descriptions of actions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Graham Greene: </b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/End-Affair-Vintage-Classics/dp/0099478447" target="_blank">The End of the Affair</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite my adoration of Graham Greene, I didn't finish this one; it
was beautiful and touching and engaging, until I learnt that the woman gives up
her love because of a promise made to God. Lost interest. After seeing the
movie, I tried getting back to the book. However, I was still annoyed that God
punishes her by death(!) for her transgression. What's her main transgression,
going back on her word to Him, or committing adultery? Will reading the book
provide an answer?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Other <b>GG</b>s I didn’t finish: <i><a href="http://tinyurl.com/lnb5glh" target="_blank">Stamboul Train</a></i> (early novel, not very
good); <i><a href="http://tinyurl.com/ogy9qeo" target="_blank">Monsignor Quixote</a></i> (too much politics and religion); <i><a href="http://tinyurl.com/krfyqfa" target="_blank">A Burnt Out Case</a></i> </span>–<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Reached page 189 out of 208, and couldn't continue. I saw where the plot was
headed, and it breaks my heart. Of course, I could be mistaken – Graham Greene
has been known to fool and surprise me with a twist of the plot… But I can see
Querry falling into the trap, being ensnared by malicious gossip…; <i><a href="http://tinyurl.com/l9jd5pm" target="_blank">TheComedians</a> </i></span>–<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Started in English, got confused with the time line, so switched to
the Hebrew </span>–<span style="font-family: inherit;"> old translation by Amatzia Porat </span>–<span style="font-family: inherit;"> which annoys me no end. Even allowing for conventions in translation during the 1960s (not to mention
earlier), it is still bad, contains inexcusable inaccuracies and high register
which make the clear GG text nearly unintelligible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Margaret Atwood: </b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Blind-Assassin-A-Novel/dp/0385720955" target="_blank">The Blind Assassin</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Complex. Too early to tell. But already a few shrewd observations.
Never went back to it. What do you say, folks, is it worth it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Lynne Truss: </b><i><a href="http://www.lynnetruss.com/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=13" target="_blank">Talk to the Hand</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Truss makes some very important points, only she’s so in love with
words that her words sometimes cloud the very issue she’s trying to make. But
that is probably considered her unique style; take that away from her, and her
observations seem a bit bare. I’d hoped to continue, but never did; she made
her point: people are rude. So?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">* * *</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Enough for one day, eh? </span><br />
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Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2444479205321497707.post-69970767498933783902014-04-26T18:00:00.000+03:002014-04-26T18:44:58.084+03:00Translating "in the zone"Translators, writers, other creative people all know the wonderful feeling of working "in the zone". It's that blessed feeling when you're at your best, on a roll, seemingly without putting any effort into it. Your thoughts and ideas flow smoothly, your fingers touch the keyboard (or pen, brush, strings, keys -- whatever your medium) and produce exactly what you want.<br />
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When this happens to me as I translate, I feel as if my fingers have a will of their own... My eyes see the Hebrew text, and my fingers produce the English without "asking" my brain what to do next. It's a wonderful, exhilarating state. I think there's a name for it -- one's mind is in its Alpha state, or something like that. I read about that many years ago, when I was enamored with the idea of the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/184955.The_Silva_Mind_Control_Method" target="_blank">Silva mind control method</a>. For a while I tried practicing guided imagery according to Silva's instructions. I don't think I persevered long enough for it to have any effect.<br />
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One memorable period wherein I enjoyed this "in the zone" feeling was about 7 years ago. The end-client was <a href="http://www.archives.gov.il/ArchiveGov_eng" target="_blank">The Israel State Archives</a>, and the project was "<a href="http://www.archives.gov.il/ArchiveGov_Eng/Publications/Documents/" target="_blank">Documents on the Foreign Policy of Israel</a>" -- something that ordinary folks never think about. But it's there, and it's fascinating stuff. I found the series of documents which I was asked to translate particularly interesting, because I remembered the period involved: the time just before, during and after the<a href="http://history.state.gov/milestones/1953-1960/suez" target="_blank"> Sinai Campaign of 1956. </a>Though I was just a child at the time, a schoolgirl, various names and expressions were etched in my memory. U.N. Secretary <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dag_Hammarskj%C3%B6ld" target="_blank">Dag Hammarskjold</a> was a household name, mentioned daily on the radio (no TV in Israel at the time!). Finding out, as an adult, what went on behind the scenes, reading (and translating) correspondence between Israel's top politicians (e.g. <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/177524/Abba-Eban" target="_blank">Abba Eban</a>) and major European and American political figures (e.g. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Bunche" target="_blank">Ralph Bunche</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Mollet" target="_blank">Guy Mollet</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Eden" target="_blank">Anthony Eden</a>) was riveting to me. I suspect that just hearing these names helped throw me back to a different era, making it come to life. Maybe this immersion in the past helped me glide into "the zone". Work proceeded with record smoothness and speed.<br />
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I was reminded of this near-hypnotic state recently, when working on a chapter of the non-fiction book I'm currently translating. At some point, it began to flow, I was in a sort of daze, suddenly "waking up" to realize that the hours have flown by and I'd done ten pages without thinking.<br />
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But of course, nothing so good lasts for long.<br />
This time I mentally tripped over a simple little expression which catapulted me out of the zone.<br />
The Hebrew expression was <i>"zeh lo zeh"</i>. The context was, roughly: The writer is planning a "roots" trip to Poland and is searching for a guide, preferably from his parents' home town. At first, all he finds online is tourist guides from a town some 200 km away from Home Town, and he feels that <i>"ze lo zeh</i>" -- it just won't do. But guess what -- I couldn't for the life of me think of the expression "it just won't do", which came to me without thinking now, as did a couple of alternatives. <br />
So I snapped out of the zone.<br />
Never mind -- it was time for dinner anyway :-)<br />
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<b>N.B.</b><br />
1. To read more about <b>guided imagery</b> and <b>mind control</b>, see my <a href="http://ninatrackschanges.wordpress.com/2014/02/02/the-power-of-hypnotherapy/" target="_blank">post about hypnotherapy</a>.<br />
2. <b>Alternative translations of "zeh lo zeh"</b> include: not good enough; not the real McCoy, not quite right, not the real thing, etc -- all depending on context, of course.<br />
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<br />Nina Rimon Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611966428346591291noreply@blogger.com0