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The JAT Board met before our normal meeting on 18 January and have the following to report, based on that and other meetings since our last report.
Bob Oliver reported that the IJET-7 books are essentially closed, and that IJET-7 made a profit of approximately 1,000,000 yen. A detailed report is included elsewhere. After April 1st, our bank accounts have been consolidated for simplicity, but funds from and for IJET will be kept as separate accounting items.
Progress is being made in setting up online payment of JAT dues, with the help of Adam Rice, who is working on setting up the "payment package" that will enable this.
The Board agree to tell the Pacifico in Yokohama, reserved for IJET-9, that we wish the same amount of space and number of rooms as for IJET-7.
John Burton reported a membership of 143.
Emily Shibata-Sato reported no articles received yet for the Bulletin, but expressed the hope that her call for "Honyaku Words of 1996" would evoke some participation. Naturally, the candidacy statements will also go into the February Bulletin.
A discussion ensued about the placement of back issues of the Bulletin in a member-accessible location. After discussing various options, including downloading by members from a URL that only JATers would be informed of, the Board decided to place the content of the Bulletin on the open part of the JAT website 3 months after it is distributed to JAT members via JAT-LIST or other electronic means.
On the issue of distribution of the JAT Bulletin, because some members would like to not be a member of JAT-LIST continuously, the feeling developed that it might be best to have a separate "broadcast" type mailing list which everyone would be a member of for the purpose of receiving the Bulletin and other official JAT information.
Lise proposed a JAT logo program, in which JAT members with websites would be encouraged to include a JAT Member's logo on their website as a link to the JAT website. This was approved. Subsequent to that approval, Lise made two small versions of the JAT logo available at the URL http://www.jat.org/member/memberlogo/index.html.
Connected with issue of the logo, discussion ensued about JAT business cards for directors, and it was decided that any JAT directors having need for business cards should use the logo, have the cards made up themselves, and be reimbursed by JAT (within reason).
The feeling of Board is that JAT should have a standing IJET committee, and that the current membership of the IJET-7 committee would be prime candidates to stay on, their energies and desires permitting.
The issue of stabilizing the names of IJET conferences was brought up, and the Board decided that all coming IJETs should be named IJET-N, where N is a number indicating that the conference is the Nth IJET. This will ensure a degree of uniformity, while avoiding the issue of a 2000-year problem, since IJET 00 would be a bit awkward.
The fact that we should have something about IJET 9 to hand out at IJET 97 was brought up by Lise, but we still have enough time to worry about that, and a decision on what to create and was put off.
Bill Lise
President
This issue of the Bulletin contains candidacy statements from the people running for JAT Director. Please read these statements carefully.
Then cast your votes for the people you think would make the best Directors for JAT for the coming year.
Please note that you may vote for up to five candidates. (There is no need to vote for that many and you may vote for fewer than five, but voting for more than five will invalidate your ballot.)
To vote, please indicate your preferences on the enclosed ballot and send it back to the Elections Committee. Although it is pre-addressed, it does not have a stamp on it. Please put the appropriate postage on it (50Yen if you are in Japan) before you mail it.
Finally, because the Constitution stipulates that only paid-up members may vote, we need your name so we can verify that you are eligible to vote. Please print your name on the ballot before you send it in. (Note: These names will be ignored and held in strictest confidence by the Elections Committee.)
Note that the deadline for receipt of your ballot is three weeks from the date on which these ballots were sent out. This means about two weeks from when you got it. Which leaves you about a week to fill it out and give the post office time to get it back here. But go ahead and do it now. You have a week, but why wait?
Thank you. With your participation, we can keep JAT going strong in everyone's best interests.
--- Elections Committee (John Burton & Kathleen Taji)
I am writing to declare my candidacy for the JAT board of directors. If elected, this will be my third term on the board. I am currently the only director living outside Japan, or outside Kanto for that matter, which is why I can't be present at the "meet the candidates" session.
When I offered my candidacy last year, I commented that JAT was in the midst of interesting times. We were planning a number of interesting projects. Here we are a year later, and we've gotten a fair amount accomplished, or very near completion: a website, lower membership dues, a more flexible payment mechanism, a more online orientation. These projects will be moving out of the stage where we are just trying to make them happen, into the stage where we maintain them and try to make them succeed. I've enjoyed being a part of these projects to this point, and look forward to seeing them through.
Since I cannot be part of a live question-and-answer, I invite questions about my candidacy by personal e-mail, or preferably over JAT-List.
Adam Rice
As I mentioned to our small audience at the January 18th JAT meeting, JAT has gone through a year of changing the form of its interaction with its members. Several months into its term of office, the Board made the decision to move the JAT Bulletin to the forum of choice for most J-E translator interaction, and acted on that decision by making the Bulletin available by email since July. Another major step the Board took, and one in which I was able to use my embryonic website-creating skills on (only natural, since I proposed it), was the creation of the JAT website at http://www.jat.org. With the help of Adam Rice and Jeremy Whipple, that website is growing, and will continue to grow, as long as content providers come forth to put meat on the bones we have provided. The coming year needs to be the year we provide that meat--the content that will either make people want to be a part of the JAT community, or convince them that it's not worth the effort. Which is it going to be? Stay tuned to find out.
Whether or not I continue to serve as JAT President, I will certainly continue to provide whatever content I can. One thing I have done, for example, is to retain copyright on my chapter of the JLD/ATA patent translation handbook, thereby allowing me to release this to JAT colleagues. I have already made a glossary that is part of that handbook available (see separate article). But one person donating content is not enough. With IJET being held outside Japan this year, I hope that a number of JATers might have the time to think about what they can do to flesh out the bones of the Bulletin and the JAT website. If you wish to help, even if helping is suggesting what kind of content we might create, please contact someone on the Board.
With that, I look forward to serving JAT for another term, and to the learning experiences that doing so inevitably provides.
Bill Lise
I have been a JAT director for the past three years. I have served as JAT Treasurer during this time. In 1995-96, I was also JAT President. Additionally, I served as IJET-7 Treasurer during the past year.
I am willing to serve as a director for one more year.
JAT faces many challenges during the coming year. The organization is going through a period of enormous change. The BULLETIN is soon to be completely electronic. A JAT WEBSITE has been established and is undergoing further development.
Most important to me, JAT is now establishing a system through which JAT members living outside of Japan can pay JAT membership fees and IJET-7 participation fees by credit card. It is hoped that this new system will be in place by April 1, 1997.
I am dedicated to making JAT a stronger and more effective organization serving the interests of all its members. There is an enormous amount of work to be done and I look forward to making a modest contribution.
Respectfully,
Bob Oliver
Here's my short candidacy statement...
During my first year as a JAT director I enjoyed (and also learned a lot) putting out two versions of the JAT Bulletin; paper and online via JAT-List. We have two more paper bulletins to go and I feel it my responsibility to make its successful transition from paper to cyberspace.
In addition, as JAT is facing many challenges this year, I would like to make some contribution (微力ながら(biryoku nagara)) to shaping its future.
Therefore I am willing to serve as a JAT director for one more year.
Emily Shibata-Sato
立候補に当たって
JATは設立後10年以上が経ち、今大きな変革期を迎えています。その変化の中で今後の方向付けに参加し、微力ですが、力を尽くしたいと考えています。
理事に選出されましたら、次の４項目の提案を行い、ほかの理事と協力してJATを運営していきたいと思います。
1. 会員間の交流の活性化参加しやすい親睦会を開催し、特に新しく会員になられた方々との交流を行う。また会報を活性化するために理事による比較的翻訳経験の浅い方のためのQ&Aコーナや特定のテーマに関しての執筆依頼を行う。
2. 管理業務の簡素化
少数の理事だけでもJATが運営できるように、なるべく業務を簡単にする。
3. 紙媒体による連絡・会報の見直し
電子化による利点はよく理解しているが、紙媒体による交流を大切にする会員がいてもいいし、その方々が参加しやすい状態にしたい。具体的には月例会のお知らせはこれからも継続し、会報は数ヶ月に１回程度紙媒体でも発行する。
4. 新規事業の検討
メーリングリスト、IJETに続く新しい事業の検討を開始したい。
時國滋夫 (George Tokikuni)
Since my appointment last year, I've managed to avoid doing much real work in my capacity as a JAT director without portfolio. My major JAT-related accomplishment was to get the proceedings for IJET-7 done, with the help and encouragement of the members of the IJET committee and others; this, however, was a job I did as a volunteer assistant to the committee rather than as a director.
The main reason I propose myself as a candidate this time is to take over from (the retiring) John Burton as membership secretary. It is a job I expect to be able to handle, perhaps not as smoothly and unobtrusively and John has done for years, but I think I can avoid making a complete botch of it. And I am interested in trying to make some changes in the Directory format over the course of the year, primarily adding Japanese entries and making the information, or at least part of it, available on line. I'm alsovery interested in the idea of letting each member create a separate little Web page on the JAT site and would be willing to work within reason to make it possible.
I would also like to do my bit as a director to make JAT-LIST an active and useful forum for members. I've volunteered to replace Dan Kanagy as administrator of the list, since he's indicated the desire to step down. Incidentally, JAT-LIST is now very swift, a feature that should facilitate lively discussions. I hope members will take full advantage of it.
I think the organization should be allowed to have a bit of a breather after the past year's major move to cyberspace. "Let the dust settle" sort of thing. I am currently against the idea of replacing the board of directors with a virtual cybercommittee, and also against the idea of abolishing the whole organization and setting up a by-invitation-only standing IJET committee in its place. But I hope to be able to keep an open mind to arguments in favor of these and other suggestions from members,including, but certainly not limited to, other directors.
Jeremy Whipple
Well, I don't know if I can come up with that many, but let's see:
My main reason for running is because I think JAT's Directors accomplished quite a lot in the previous term toward moving to an Internet-centric operation, with the establishment of the official JAT website, and arranging to discontinue the paper Bulletin (a move which led to a significant reduction in membership charges). But there is still more to do, both with the website and with other related issues such as online payment of membership fees. As I am familiar with the issues involved and the progress made thus far, I think I can bring some continuity to this year's board, and help make the ongoing transition as smooth as possible.
I did not make nearly as great a contribution this past year as others did, but I believe I did what I was able to do, attending most if not all meetings, and if re-elected, I will continue to serve JAT's membership to the best of my ability, and in particular assist with the net. changeover however I can.
(It's only about 170-180, but I don't have much else to say. Hope this helps.)
Be Seeing You...
Michael House
by Bill Lise
Over 100 JATers (more than two-thirds of the members) have already joined JAT-LIST.
Joining JAT-LIST is extremely easy. Simply send an e-mail message with the text
subscribe jat-list
to the e-mail address majordomo@majordomo.netcom.com.
All JAT Bulletins since the July/August issue have been distributed via JAT-LIST, and unless the list is replaced by some other electronic means, this will continue after the last paper Bulletin goes out next month. In addition to JAT Bulletins, JAT-LIST is a place for JATers to discuss JAT business, activities, and even things that might not be strictly JAT, but are of interest to J/E translators who are members of JAT.
If you have any questions about how to join JAT-LIST, or about how to acquire e-mail capability, Mac users Michael House, Adam Rice, and I (contact information at the end of this issue) and PC user Mayumi Nishioka (tel/fax: 0738-32-9563, e-mail: PXN04277@niftyserve.or.jp) will be happy to provide whatever help we can.
時國滋夫 (George Tokikuni)
by Bill Lise
Several months ago a patent client asked me to translate a list of hundreds of two-kanji compounds used often in patents to describe the way elements in an invention are connected together and cooperate with one another. Most of these are terms which no dictionaries cite. With the client's permission, I am making that glossary--or more precisely an enhanced version of it--available to JAT colleagues. It is still in very primitive form, the kanji, the hiragana reading and a definition, separated by tabs, but this can be downloaded from the screen and put into an appropriate format, of course.
The glossary is currently on a subpage of my website that has no links to it--it is essentially "floating," so you need to know the specific URL to get there. The URL is http://www2.gol.com/users/billlise/twokanji.html.
I will be adding terms to this glossary and adding examples of usage for the terms. Additions, corrections, and comments can be sent to billlise@gol.com.
Please write these dates down in your diary now: 19 to 21 June 1997.
Several years ago I was on a postgrad Japanese cram course at a Scottish University. One of my fellow sufferers was a Yorkshireman by the name of Kevin, an executive with a major Japanese textile company based in the North of England. His Japanese bosses who probably spoke excellent English found Kevin's rich Yorkshire accent (Trooble at the mill) hard to understand. So they packed him off on an all-expenses paid full-salary sabbatical to learn Japanese. Poor Kevin had immense difficulty with the pronunciation and stayed up till three in the morning practising his drills. Having mastered the language, we jetted off for the Japanese leg of the course. Kevin spoke the language with a delicious Yorkshire intonation. But he triumphed. By gum he triumphed! In the karaoke bar he belted out everything from My Way to enka, to the delight of the local men who kept him well plied with innumerable Asahi dries and the girls who were eager to sing a duet or two with him.
The purpose of this little memoir is simply to remind you to book your place on the IJET Conference - now. The location is Yorkshire -- home of the Brontes, very famous cricketers and Kevin. Come savour our wonderful North of England hospitality and climate. It's bound to rain on the moors. We are going to have some real fun.
And of course there is a serious side too! We already have plenty of offers from colleagues around the world who have offered to speak. The topics proposed include The Internet, Patent Translation, Client Relations, Medical Matters and special sessions on Machine Translation and Interpreter Training. At the moment the committee is working hard to mould these topics and organise a program that will be inspiring, well-balanced and valuable. Our aim is to involve all participants in a conference that will make a major advance in our world-wide co-operation and from which we will leave with fond memories, greatly increased knowledge and the satisfaction that we are part of a progressive and exciting profession of vital importance for the twenty first century.
So for the 19 to 21 June please leave off your Kirins, Buddies and Fosters or whatever your bevy may be, and join us in some real Yorkshire ale. We look forward to seeing you. For more information, check our home page on the Internet at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ijet97.
By Minoru Mochizuki
It has been a while since I attended the ATA convention in Colorado last year. However, one thing has stuck in my mind since then and has been urging to say something about what I experienced there.
I met many people while I was wondering through various meeting rooms and cafeterias engaging in mainly little talks. What amazed me was that there are quite a few people who hold PhD who selected the profession of translation as their main source of income as opposed to pursuing the profession they were originally trained in the course of acquiring doctorates. Here are some of them:
1. Male. Chinese-American. Recently naturalized U.S. citizen. A graduate of Beijin University. Professional field: Geophysics. He said, the starting salary of a PhD is lower than what he can earn being a translator. He also said being a translator, he can have more fun. His wife is a Chinese-American registered nurse. I guessed he is about 30 years old.
2. Male. Lebanese-American. Recently received a doctorate in microbiology from a university in Boston area. He is trying to be a French-English translator. When I asked him why, he said, "Look, if I join a research institute now, I will probably be involved in the cutting edge research involved in DNA and the stuff like that. But what happens after 10 years from now. I will most like be doing the same thing and I will be immensely be bored. On the other hand, translation will provide be sufficient income (he thinks!), and it is much more interesting to me. Recently, I worked with Arnold Achwarzenegger as an interpreter for a couple of days to coach him a dialect of Farsi (?)." He was taking an accreditation test for French to English translation. He looked younger than 30.
3. Male. Middle aged Caucasian. He recognized me reading my name tag that I was one of the translators involved in a rather large project coordinated by a translation agency. He introduced himself as a director of the agency company and we chatted. I found out that he is also a physics PhD and used to work for Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. So I told him that I once met a Japanese-American mathematician who is a translator and who also used to work for the same laboratory. He denied any knowledge of him (the lab is a big institution). Now, I couldn't stop asking him the same question. I don't remember what he said.
I wonder if their education is wasted or not. It is certain that there is a glut of PhDs in the U.S. and the personal investment in time and money to acquire the title is not always rewarded properly. I even did not complete my master's program in engineering ... and I am a translator!
by Bill Lise
The idea of publicizing the JAT Directory content as a service to members has often come up at JAT Board meetings, but invariably runs aground when the issues of privacy and member consent are considered. Another thing to consider is that the Directory entries for many members do not provide enough information to a person looking for language services. The establishment of the JAT website, however, brings new possibilities to this issue.
The JAT website could have, in addition to a page of links to members' websites, pages for individual members (chiefly ones without websites of their own) to splash their wares. Within reason, this could even include graphics (a tasteful photo of the member, perhaps?). With the caveat that I am not necessarily volunteering to create or maintain such a page, what do people think about the idea itself?
By Emily Shibata-Sato
JATがスポンサーとなっているHONYAKUメーリングリストでは、1日に多いときで100通以上のメールが交わされ、政治経済、科学技術、医学から文化、社会、スポーツにいたるまで様々な翻訳上の問題が活発に議論されています。
さて、そのHONYAKU上で12月、昨年の現代用語の基礎知識版「1996年新語・流行語大賞」が紹介されました。昨年は「自分で自分をほめたい」、「友愛／排除の論理」、「メークドラマ」の３つが大賞を受賞したそうです。HONYAKUでは「アムラー」の語源とは何かなどについて、活発な議論が繰り広げられました。そこで私、このHONYAKU版（HONYAKU WORDS OF 1996）を募集してみようと考えました。どのような言葉やトピックがメンバーたちの印象に残っているでしょうか。
HONYAKU上で呼びかけを行なったところ（1996年1年間ならびに1997年1月の印象に残る言葉・トピック）、次のような回答が寄せられました。＜＞内の日本語はこちらで付け加えたものです。
My candidate for Word of the Year is "solution(s)" ＜ソルーション＞
The reason: It is a seemingly plausible term exposed as hype when exposed to the scrutiny translation requires.
Steve Harris
These were chosen mainly because of the lively discussions they provoked.
John De Hoog
Susumu Ando
Boring, maybe, but my submission is ソルベンシー・マージン (sorubenshii maajin). It was a new term that I ran across in 1996 and appears to be an important term for measuring the soundness of insurance companies that we will be seeing more of--at least people who translate in the field.
Dan Kanagy
I do not have a lot of "words of 1996," but I do wonder how many people saw the term "make drama ＜メークドラマ＞" and finally decided it was like a "soap opera ＜ソープオペラ＞" except sponsored by cosmetics companies rather than soap companies.
But then, I always wondered how many Japanese-speakers thought "soap operas" were X-rated musicals.
Fred Uleman
コメント：長嶋さんもビックリですね。
HONYAKU WORD OF JANUARY 1997
Hi, I joined late December, so I can only list some words that stick on my mind.
"gaijin" ＜外人＞ "Jap" -- These topics are not supposed to be discussed on =honyaku=, but I "trash"ed so many of "gaijin" notes without reading them, and I read some "Jap" notes. The reason why I list these words is as follows:
Words are part of one's PERSONAL experiences and feelings. It is hard to truly understand that others may not have the same experience with or feel the same way towards the same words. I think that these discussions must have enlightened some participants of =honyaku= and have made them aware of the importance of choice of words.
Mutsuyo Okumura Unger
JAT BULLETIN来月号では、HONYAKU WORDS OF JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1997 をご紹介いたします。HONYAKUメンバーの方はふるってご応募下さい。宛先はEmily Shibata-Sato (E-mail: aya-sato@ga2.so-net.or.jp)です。
Adrian Boyle sent me a comment on the name "Iain" which appeared in the January Bulletin article（新刊本のご紹介）:
In reference to your recent review of Iain Arthy's book: I don't know anything about the man, but I thought you might like to know that "Iain" is the Scottish version of "John", just as "Ivan" and "Juan" are the Russian and Spanish versions of that name. "Ian" is a more popular variant spelling, but "Iain" is also a very common name.
Adrian Boyle
| Inflows | |
| Exhibit or Ads | 750,000 |
| Interest earned | 996 |
| Party | 112,000 |
| Registration | 5,100,050 |
| Seed money from JAT | 210,000 |
| Total of Inflow | 6,173,046 |
|---|---|
| Outflows | |
| Keynote speaker | 300,000 |
| Misc. expense | 163,178 |
| Postage | 83,829 |
| Printing | 941,013 |
| Promotion | 27,094 |
| Room rent | 9,270 |
| Seed money returned to JAT | 210,000 |
| Supplies | 74,307 |
| Takkyubin | 1,660 |
| Telephone | 4,365 |
| Transportation | 7,300 |
| Unspecified | 1,247 |
| Venue | 3,330,852 |
| Total of outflow | 5,154,115 |
| Overall total | 1,018,931 |
Bob Oliver
IJET 97
8TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON JAPANESE-ENGLISH TRANSLATION
AND INTERPRETING
SHEFFIELD, U.K.
19 TO 21 JUNE, 1997
Sheffield, built on hills that border the famous Peak District, will be the setting for this year's International Conference for translators and interpreters who work between the Japanese and English languages.
There will be presentations relevant to our profession and an opportunity to meet, converse and make friends with translators and interpreters from around the world.
The program includes entertainments, and after the business of the day a chance to see some of the sights of Sheffield, go shopping or even savour real Yorkshire ale.
Keep in touch with our Home Page on http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ijet97
The Japan Association of Translators (JAT) is a nonprofit association dedicated to serving the interests of individual translators. Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed in JAT Bulletin articles are solely those of individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Japan Association of Translators.