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On Sunday, March 3, 2002, starting around 3 o'clock, the 7th meeting of the San Francisco Bay Area Japanese Translators' Association began in beautiful Belmont, California, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose on the peninsula, at the home of Eric and Naoko Selland. Some of the Bay area Big Guns were there, such as the fabled Obinata brothers of yore, Shunsuke and Ryusuke, who have been active members of the translation community here for many years, but unfortunately, some of the others, such as Alan Siegrist and Fred Schodt, were unable to make it this time. Well, we all hope for better luck next time. There was an excellent turnout, however, with over 20 people showing up, including half the translation staff of NPI (Nikon Precision Inc., the semiconductor manufacturing equipment subsidiary of Nikon, i.e., steppers).
As mentioned in the meeting announcement, we discussed how to manage in these current times which are difficult for some of us, interpreters in particular having had their business fall off precipitously after 9/11. Some tried-and-true methods were brought up, such as telephoning agencies to let them know you were still around, contacting new agencies that you'd never worked for before, and so on. There was no consensus as to method of getting out of the doldrums, however, nor was everyone without work to the same degree across the board.
The effects of the recession on translators here, though dramatic and immediate for some individuals after the 9/11 incident last Fall, seems actually to be uneven, with some individuals not feeling the effects much at all. Much like the last recession in the U.S., effects seem to vary from specialization to specialization, while those who are better established seem also to be somewhat more cushioned. Some individuals cautioned against reducing rates overly much as a means of attracting clients, as this could cause damage to rates in the long run. Not surprisingly, those new to the field or who are generalists were affected most, and interpreters found work disappearing completely as of last Fall. One interpreter is now doing in-house contracting work for Toyota for the time being. It was suggested that translators keep a longer than usual client list and continually call translation coordinators as a means of keeping things moving. One individual (in chemicals) remained pessimistic despite these suggestions and hints of recovery mentioned by others.
Also, interesting to note, within a week after the meeting there was a sudden explosion in large E-J projects, including interpreting, and also a number of large rush J-E projects being shopped around by the agencies. I don't think this means things have recovered completely for translators, but I think it's a sign of things to come.
Some individuals found themselves suddenly swamped with work again within a week or so after the meeting (fields varying from general business to software). Naoko Selland also had one new interpreting order in mid-March. One must assume, therefore, that the "big guns" mentioned by Richard (i.e. the more established translators) were not in attendance because they had too much work. Which suggests that this recession is not as deep as it may have seemed to some and certainly not a permanent change in the market.
Unfortunately, translation is a corporate cost that is easy to put off during rough times, hence translators can be hurt quickly and badly when something negative happens in the business world, but eventually business must go on, and translators find themselves busy again. Contingency plans are of course always necessary for those who work for themselves, and it is also a good idea to be up on changes in the marketplace as well as changes in technology. For instance the use of translation memory tools is gradually becoming more prevalent, and some clients expect translators to have the newest programs and tools. This is an area suggested for further discussion and presentation at future meetings. In closing, it may also be interesting to note the number of translators in the area now working at in-house jobs, something one almost never saw ten or fifteen years ago. Whether this means anything or not, I don't know. It may be the sign of some change in the local translation market, but on the other hand, the practice of finding fulltime translation employment has by no means become a common practice across the board.
We then discussed how to conduct future meetings and pretty well decided on having them every two months, if topics could be nailed down in time. Presenters will probably take part on a more frequent basis in the future. After completing this business all retired to the kitchen to munch on goodies and drink potables brought by the attending members. Some of the hardcore people stayed and ordered pizza for dinner. A wonderful time was had by all.
--Basic report by Richard Markley in Belmont,
CA
--Detailed enhancement graciously provided by Eric Selland in
Belmont, CA
Picture IDs
Far left near the front in the blue T-shirt is Steve Proschan. Moving toward the right, the man in the light blue shirt and dark sweater wearing glasses is Richard Markley. Next to him, sitting on the floor with a beard and blue pants is Eric Selland. The woman with the pink shirt next to him is anonymous, and the man in the red shirt next to her is Shun Obinata. The woman behind him with the blue shirt is Yasuko Markley. The man on the far right, sitting on a chair with blue pants is Shun's brother, Ryusuke Obinata. Naoko Selland is all the way to the back on the left, sitting on the stairs, wearing a grey and white sweater. None of the others are identifiable (yes, we tried).