2008 AGM

eSense
SENSE’s digital newsletter
Issue 12 May 2008
2008 AGM
This year’s AGM in Utrecht saw the
election of a new chairman and
was followed by a very insightful
interactive presentation by Mike
Gould on culture and how it affects
us. For those of you who missed
the event, here are some photos.
Feature articles in this issue:
Update on European standard for translations
www.sense-online.nl – what next?
Workshops reviewed and compared
Above: Mike Gould
Interview:
New SENSE chair Peter Melville
Left: The AGM was a good-natured meeting
with plenty of participation from the floor.
Plus:
New members
Below: A colourful vote on questions of
culture
Above: EC members Francis Cox, Lesley
Walker and Carla Bakkum (outgoing chair)
The European standard for translation services: two years later
Brian Jones
Two years ago, in June 2006, a new standard for translation services was introduced, the CEN-EN 15038. Now, two years later, it’s time for a brief update
from Sense member Willem Jan Gasille of Gasille vertalingen.
Willem Jan says that three questions should be answered:
•
What does the new standard mean for freelancers?
•
Has it been widely adopted yet what?
•
What’s up next?
For the background, what is the principle aim of the standard?
Willem Jan: “I’ll summarize the main points, handy for those whose memories may need a little shaking up and for those new to SENSE and the
translation business. The aim of the standard is to provide clarity in the relationship between the translation service provider (read: translation agency or
freelance translator) and the client. The standard is not about the quality of the translation; it is rather about all of the procedures.
Why do we need a standard?
Willem Jan: “The idea behind the standard is that good procedures facilitate conditions for the delivery of good order quality. For instance, the standard
stipulates that the work should be done by a qualified translator. Whilst that in itself is still no guarantee for good quality, at least the client knows that
not just any old Tom, Dick or Harry works on his assignment. Another condition is that every translation should be corrected by another translator. The
third condition is that the translation service provider (TSP) has a set of procedures which are verifiable, transparency in other words. You should think of
workflow procedures (quote, terms of delivery, invoicing, archiving, secrecy, etc.) and complaints procedures. If you think that this sounds like running
a translation agency, you’d be right, since most major translation agencies already work that way. These agencies will little difficulty in adopting the
standard.
So we come to question 1: Where does the standard leave the freelancer?
Willem Jan: “You might think that you, as a freelancer, will be unable to meet the standard. Well, in fact a freelancer can meet the standard. Just think
of the way your computer and filing cabinet are organised, plus the fact that you already quote your price and send an invoice. You may not have your
procedures written down in a nifty little handbook, but you do have them. All you need to do is to jot them down from memory and create a step-bystep plan. And of course, stick to it. That’s all. Well almost… You also need to have someone check your translations. You could arrange that with the
translation agency you work for, or you use someone from your professional network; just as long as they’re qualified to do the work.
How does the standard define “Qualified”?
Willem Jan: “Qualification in terms of the standard does not necessarily mean that you should have completed a translation study, because experience
and other studies count as well. Are you getting the picture now? You, as a serious and responsible professional, will probably easily meet the standard.
Who’s going to pay for this standard?
Willem Jan: “Of course you’ll say now I have to pay someone to correct my work! And yes, you’re right, no arguing about that. Either your services will
have to become more expensive or you’ll earn less. But there are plenty of clients willing to pay just that extra for guaranteed quality. After all, I’m sure
you’ll agree when I say that translation services, considering your level of expertise, are just about the cheapest services you can get at the moment? The
side effect of the standard in the long run is to emancipate translators! Anyway, when you work for a translation agency, they’ll take care of this. You’ll get
paid just as much as before. And if you are a translation agency, or you work directly for your clients, adopting the standard is a way to discern yourself.
Question 2: Who’s using the standard today?
Willem Jan: “Doing a little research on the Internet you’ll notice that at present it’s mainly the larger agencies who have adopted the CEN-EN 15038
standard. This is because in practice they already comply with the standard and the standard in fact describes best practices. Not all TSP’s work according
to the standard. Translators need to know the existence of the standard and the 15038 standard is not yet that well-known. You’ll need to read the full text
and then the pros and cons need to be discussed.
Who polices the standard?
Willem Jan: “The fact is that there is no controlling authority and that is an issue. You adopt the standard, and at the moment the only one who might
check is your client. Consider the DIN CERTCO, you register with DIN and state that you work accordingly, but no-one is going to check this. Only in the
case of complaints can you can get struck off the list.
Question 3: What can be done to ensure the standard in future?
Willem Jan: “The next step will be to develop a set of criteria for assessment companies. In several countries standardization workgroups are developing
such criteria. Assessment may be done by commercial companies, or by professional associations. Of course TSPs will have to pay for assessment. The
professional associations, however, could pick this up for their freelance members and include it in the membership fees.
Isn’t that going to cost more?
Willem Jan: “Yes, this will inevitably lead to an increase in the price of translation services, but it will also lead to a strong professional industry. Just
think of the important texts you translate, which may damage a person’s future if translated incorrect. After all, you’d want your cardiac surgeon to be a
professional too, wouldn’t you?”
Recommended further read:
CEN (European association of standardization institutes):http://www.cen.eu
NEN (Dutch standardization institute):http://vertaalnorm.nen.nl
DIN CERTCO: http://www.dincertco.de/en/competencies/registrations/translation_services/index.html
www.sense-online.nl – what next?
Lesley Walker
In November 2007 we launched the new-look SENSE website. This was the culmination of many EC discussions and of testing, assessing content and
filling empty pages. We see this as a stepping stone in presenting the professional image of SENSE to our current and prospective clients and fellow
editors and translators in the Netherlands.
Those of you who have your own websites know that you never actually finish working on them. Websites need to be kept up-to-date, relevant and
interesting and the SENSE website is no exception. So it won’t come as any surprise to hear that we are developing plans for the member’s section
of www.sense-online.nl. Plans which we believe will offer more benefits to members, and plans which will let members add content to the website
themselves.
The PIT content management system
used to create the website offers us plenty
of interesting opportunities for further
development. For example, it is possible to
make, and send, a newsletter from within
the website. It is also possible to include a
forum in the website. These are two of the
improvements we will be investigating and
trialing in the coming year. A lot of work,
but it is great fun being creative and very
satisfying to see the end results!
The member’s section of the website has
been filled with lots of useful information
and resources, many of them taken from
our original website, revised and inserted
as pdf files. Our Handbook chapters, for
example, and the information covering the
use of our various forums. Our continuing
challenge is to keep this information up-todate and to do this we will start a wiki trial.
Wikis are editing tools which enable more
than one person to update or edit a central
document. Wikipedia is probably the best
known example. A wiki in our IT Resources
page would let you add your expertise
in software or problem solving to the
website, making this knowledge available
to your fellow editors and translators while
immediately creating an archive. Similar
to the summaries that we now have on the
forum, in an easily accessible place.
We would like to encourage the SIGs to add
content to their webpages. Gini Werner, SIG
Far North, has bitten the bullet and done
just this. Check this page out to find out
more about the SIG members and what they
discuss at the meetings! A style sheet will
shortly be available for those who decide to
follow Gini’s excellent example.
Of course, this website is your website. Let us
know what you want to see there! You can do
this by e-mailing me, Lesley, at webmaster@
sense-online.nl. And you can e-mail me
at the same address if you don’t have a
password to get into the member’s section.
It’s worth having a browse around!
Workshops reviewed and compared
In view of the wide range of specialist workshops that are currently available on the market. eSense asked five members to review two series of
workshops given earlier this year by Teamwork and Kath Starsmore.
Teamwork financial workshop - “Debiteuren/crediteuren voor vertalers”
Lawrence Lowenthal
Willem Jan Gasille
The Teamwork financial workshop entitled
“Debiteuren/crediteuren voor vertalers” was
held at the headquarters of the ING bank in
Amsterdam on Friday 8 February 2008. The
morning session consisted of presentations
by ING managers. The subject of the first,
given by Eric de Jonge, was structured export
finance; it was an excellent sales pitch for the
export services of the ING group but was not
really tailored to the audience.
“Debiteuren/crediteuren voor vertalers”,
that sounds promising for everyone who
has watched the Dutch satire series Jiskefet
(Frisian for trash) in the mid nineties. Well,
the Teamwork workshop on 7 March 2008
had something worthwhile to offer and was
amusing too, although not very satirical.
But that was not to be expected, since after
all money matters are serious business and
certainly when you are being entertained at
ING HQ. Aside from the usual pleasantries
(after all, networking is the buzz word), the
morning consisted of two lectures, introducing
translators to international credits and export
financing. Two presentations, by two different
persons. The first presentation was done by
an ING trainer and contained all about the
way credits are being granted to small and
large companies. The main points are that
knowledge of a client and building a strong
relationship are of vital importance. The bank
needs to know who you are and how you go
about doing your businesses in order to get a
good feeling of your solvency (Plain English:
can you pay back the money?). The more
trustworthy you are, the higher the risks the
bank will take. Lending money isn’t just about
being able to produce your annual figures
anymore, the bank manager’s gut feeling is
about as equally important. This will sound
familiar to anyone who takes out a loan or a
mortgage these days. Although interesting in
its own right as an introduction to credits, the
The second presentation, by Ad Hendrikse,
was about corporate credit. Ad kept us
amused and involved by introducing a slightly
more interactive element and the subject
matter was probably of greater interest to
the participants. However, neither of the
presentations gave any insight into general
financial terminology. They were interesting
and useful in terms of background knowledge
but were for the most part of little relevance
to translators.
After a stand-up lunch, at which we had the
opportunity of chatting to old acquaintances
and making new ones, the participants
split up into individual language groups
for the afternoon session. From a personal
point of view the afternoon session was
rather disappointing. Normally at Teamwork
workshops, terminology forms an important
part of the translation session and my main
reason for attending this workshop was to
Lesley Langelaar-Thomas
Review of afternoon DutchEnglish session led by SENSE
members Tony Parr and Allison
Gibbs
I was eager to get down to the nitty-gritty
and actually try my hand at translating
financial documents after having been
inspired by the morning session. The reason
why I took this workshop was to work with
financial documents that I had never worked
with before.
Since most of what I have written or
translated on financial topics skims the
surface of the myriad of financial translation
text formats, I was psyched to find out
what other documents are being translated
in the banking world. Although some of
this terminology was unknown to me and
I had never worked with documents such
as an Offer of finance, I could still follow
the discussions. I was also lucky that my
neighbours put up with my annoying habit of
peeking at their translations.
I was particularly curious about the following:
how do you go about accurately translating
a financial document without upsetting the
bank employee who wrote the copy in the
first place?
However, on this occasion the translation
workshop concentrated solely on translating
specific pieces, with style and coherence
playing a bigger part than terminology.
In my view, this was an ideal opportunity
to explain current IFRS terminology and to
provide standard translations for the principal
terms encountered nowadays in annual
reports, financial reports and suchlike, rather
than focusing on pure stylistic translation
skills. Most Teamwork workshops provide
some sort of glossary or terminology list but
this one did not.
The day ended with a tour of the amazing
ING building, an intricate maze of floors,
mezzanines and corridors with an almost
Gaudiesque feel. We were given an
explanation of the ING art collection policy
and for many participants this short tour was
the highlight of the day.
Unfortunately, my overall impression of the
day was that it fell short of the mark. The
reason I have attended many Teamwork
workshops in the last few years has been
to acquire knowledge of terminology in
specific areas and usually the benefits
are considerable. On this occasion, the
opportunity to gain more knowledge, even
in the short time available, of financial
translating and terminology, was missed.
presentation seemed directed at new bank
employees rather than translators.
The second presentation dealt with export
financing and as such of more interest to
translators, seeing that this subject is more
likely to pop up in your work. It contained
many terms, abbreviations and institutions,
which were explained in a more serious tone
of voice than the previous presentation. The
facts about export finances were given with
great detail and precision, and if you’re new
to the subject you’ll have learned a lot. This
presentation was accompanied by a contract
example in English and Dutch and a handy
glossary.
Conclusion: the morning sessions contained
introductory materials. If you only attended
the morning session you might have gone
away with a feeling that you could have
gathered this information elsewhere. As a
workshop on its own, the morning sessions
might have been a bit too superficial for those
already translating in the world of finance.
The real work would probably come in the
afternoon.
Glancing at the first document which had
been handed out, my immediate reaction
was to rewrite the Offer of finance. And,
of course, I blurted this out, only wishing
later on that something such as a time
warp existed so that I could take back this
comment for good.
I think Allison together with the other
participants (and Tony Parr in leading the
discussions) did a great job in creating a
legible translation just by making some
stylistic and grammatical changes without
having to rewrite the copy. These are the
tools you look for as a translator. The other
advantage, which is just as important, is that
this kind of adaptation doesn’t cause red
faces and balled fists!
Since the documents we worked with were
ones you come across everyday as a financial
translator, this approach was certainly a
better one and one which I am sure (Dutch)
clients not only appreciate but endorse.
Legal Translation for Beginners
Advanced Legal Translation
Ten SENSE members convened in Utrecht in January to be initiated in the
translation of legal documents. We were welcomed by Sue Henry, who then
introduced our instructor, Kath Starsmore, a SENSE member with years of
experience in this special field.
The Advanced Legal Translation workshop at the Park Plaza Hotel
in Utrecht on 15 February 2008 was my first SENSE workshop but
it will certainly not be my last.
Peter Melville
Kath started with some general pointers. She explained that, because the legal
system in Holland is not the same as that in England and the US, there are
terms that do not translate. She talked about the long sentences and archaic
words that often characterize legal texts. To some, that is a charm they wish
to retain in the new text. Kath, however, urged us to produce a document in
idiomatic English. She told us to be clear and effective, to break long sentences
down, even to omit weak and useless words. In short: to use plain English.
The law is like that puppy that always follows you around. Whatever you are
specialized in, sooner or later you will come across a legal term in your text. We
were all glad we had come when we learned what to do with headache-inducing
words such as stichting (omit if possible), statuten (memorandum and articles of
association) and algemene voorwaarden (standard terms and conditions).
Our patience had been tested to its limit. We were finally allowed to open the
folder in front of us and pour over the documents it contained. The first was
on civil proceedings in the Netherlands, with its special words and phrases.
Kath guided us through a writ of summons, challenging us to find the English
equivalents of the wonderfully non-plain te dezer zake, teneinde and mitsdien.
No longer will the attendents of this workshop be daunted by such words.
Next on the docket was a statutenwijziging. The hands-on aspect increased as
we tackled a selection of words and phrases, including reeds nu voor alsdan, de
meest gerede partij and oproepingsbrieven. The terminology of casting votes,
blanco or otherwise, was also covered, which is useful for us all, regardless of
our specialization.
Finally Kath took us through a contract, with its artikelen (no, not articles) and
idiosyncratic expressions. She had very thoughtfully included a glossary of
contract terminology, as well as a list of useful websites and references.
The day-long workshop included a break for lunch, which, besides being tasty,
gave us the opportunity to socialize. At the end of the day we repaired to the
hotel bar to further old and new acquaintances, but only after Sue had thanked
Kath for her expert and instructive workshop.
Alette van Bergeijk
On this cold Friday morning, the welcome we all got from Lesley
Langelaar, our host for the day, and Kath Starsmore, our workshop
leader, was heart-warming, as was the coffee. I was rather awed
by the years of translation experience of my fellow attendees.
Having been a translator for a mere five years, I had wondered
whether it was such a good idea to participate in an advanced legal
translation workshop. However, I quickly noticed that my lack of
translation experience was made up for by my 15 years as a legal
secretary in the firm where I now work as a translator.
After introducing ourselves, we discussed a number of articles from
general terms and conditions. Throughout the discussions Kath
kept reminding us to use plain English rather than simply turning
Dutch legalese into English legalese. We were then let loose on the
translation, our assignment being to pick it to pieces. Well, we did
our best doing just that and the ensuing discussions kept us busy
all morning.
The lunch was excellent and gave us a chance to get to know each
other better. There were lively discussions at every table.
The afternoon session took us to Dutch inheritance law. We did
our best to improve the translation of Section 233 of the Dutch
Civil Code but sadly had to come to the conclusion that the Dutch
text makes it almost impossible to render a clear translation. Kath
then took us through a certificate of inheritance and gave us some
useful terms. The afternoon drew to a close with a quick scan of
a writ of summons and once more some useful terminology from
Kath.
All in all it was a very useful and informative day with lots of
discussions.
eSense interviews Peter Melville
Who are you?
My name is Peter Melville and I’m an American living in the Netherlands.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I enjoy singing and collecting LPs from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s.
What is your professional background and education?
I studied architectural engineering in Delft. After fifteen years of colourful jobs
and activities I trained as a translator and passed the SNEVT exam in 1999.
Why did you join SENSE?
I joined SENSE in 2004 wanting to concentrate on working in English only; for a
while this new society meant to me one thing: the Forum.
What are your immediate goals as chair of SENSE?
I see the Chair’s as helping the membership to move in the direction they choose.
So my first goal will be to learn where members would like more support from
their Society.
I think the EC should use the SIGs and eSense to call the members’ attention to
certain issues. Our primary concern is the very broad issue of professionalization.
Some senior members are already at work on this. I hope the EC will be able to
use their findings, together with reports from the SIGs, to present some ideas
and suggestions to the next AGM.
What is your vision of SENSE three years from now?
SENSE is currently an amazingly active and productive organization. It is the EC’s
responsibility to keep it that way. If we still have a forum, a website and eSense
in 2011, if we are still giving workshops and organizing events, and if we can
grow without compromising our professional status then I will consider my term
on the EC as a success.
Advertisement
SENSE ITV Editing Skills Course
What: Editing Skills Course, taught in 9 evening sessions. Offers you a solid base for your editing career. Students successfully completing the course will
be awarded a certificate from SENSE and ITV Hogeschool. A detailed infosheet on the course is available through the SENSE website (see below).
Who: The course is organized by SENSE and ITV Hogeschool voor Tolken en Vertalen in Utrecht. It is open to SENSE members and ITV students in their
final year. Tutors are Ruth de Wijs and Helen West, both highly skilled and experienced editors. Ruth has been involved in the development and the
teaching of the course since 2003.
When: alternate Monday evenings, from early October 2008 to mid-March 2009 with a break through Christmas and January.
Where: ITV Hogeschool voor Tolken en Vertalen, Padualaan 97, 3584 CH Utrecht
Costs: €800.
Contact: Registration forms are available for download through http://www.sense-online.nl/pit/editor/page.php?id=15. The post address for your
completed form is included in the document.
Advertisement
SENSE workshop - Effective Information Packaging
What: Due to popular demand Mike Hannay is repeating the workshop he presented last November. The workshop examines how to package pieces of
information to communicate as effectively as possible. A good translator tries to capture what is really important in the message. A good editor will make
the reader’s job as easy as possible. But in practice things often go wrong.
Mike will look at some major topics relating to information packaging. Each topic will be discussed using authentic examples and accompanied by editing
assignments in small groups.
Who: Mike Hannay, SENSE member, professor of English language and head of the Department of Language and Communication at the Vrije Universiteit
in Amsterdam
When: Friday 30 May 2008 10:00 -17:15 hours, doors open 09:30 hours.
Where: Park Plaza Hotel, Westplein 50, Utrecht
Costs: €150 including lunch, refreshments and materials
Contact: For more information Sue Henry at sue@shels.nl. To register Brigid de Wals at bdewals@home.nl.
Advertisement
Teamwork - Met de billen bloot
What: “Met de billen bloot” is a revision course for Dutch to English and English to Dutch translators. It consists of an introduction on the role and practice
of revision at the European Commission language departments and a number of hands-on revision workshops and plenary discussions. The course material
will consist of work sent in by the participants themselves, including a special translation assignment which every participant will have to do prior to the
course.
Who: The course has been organized by Teamwork. The introduction will be given by Dik Huizing, in-house adviser at the Dutch Language Department
of the European Commission in Brussels. The workshops and group discussions will be chaired by SENSE members Andy Brown, Tony Parr and Marcel
Lemmens.
When: Friday, 20 June 2008
Where: Park Plaza Hotel, Utrecht
Costs: €295 (excluding VAT) if booked by 24 May 2008.
Contact: Marcel Lemmens (mlemmens@planet.nl) or Tony Parr (tonyparr@planet.nl)
New
members
Susan Bos
Hoorn
Editor/proofreader with own company, Medical Edit (medical texts/PowerPoint
slides)
Every issue, eSense
introduces members
who have recently joined
SENSE. The newsletter
team would like to extend
a warm welcome to all new
members.
Joe Figueiredo
Berkel en Rodenrijs
Senior business and technology writer at FIT Services (ICT, privacy, security,
cybercrime (NL))
Megan Garr
Amsterdam
Freelance editor, writer and translator, editor of Versal literary journal, founding
curator of wordsinhere (strategy, R&D, public-private partnerships, cultural sector)
Kirsten van Hasselt
Woerden
Translator at Kiko Translations (marketing)
SENSE membership is
open to English-language
professionals. Native
speakers of English may
become full members;
others may become
associate members. The
annual membership fee
includes subscription to
the Society’s electronic
newsletter. For information
about membership, contact
SENSE’s membership
secretary, Brigid de Wals,
at membership-secretary@
sense-online.nl.
Martha Hawley
Amsterdam
Freelance editor/translator (Latin America and Spain, Dutch and European social
issues, music (global)), member of VsenV
David Hymans
Amsterdam
Freelance editor (social sciences, history, Asian studies), member of the Society for
Writers, Editors and Translators (Tokyo)
Brian J. Jones
Amsterdam
Desk Editor at Media Partners Group (classical music)
Maik Klaassen
Amsterdam
Translator at Languagewise (law, economics, medicine, technology, environmental
science)
Stephen Machon
Amsterdam
Editor at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
Tiny Mulder
The Hague
Freelance sworn translator (law, science, history, arts and culture), member of
NGTV
Annemieke Righart
Nieuwegein
In-house English editor at The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Jane Ruthven
Amsterdam/UK
Freelance editor (academic research papers for publication), member of National
Union of Journalists (Amsterdam)
Hilly Smeenge
Voorburg
Freelance translator (law)
Louisa Spenceley
Rotterdam
Freelance translator (agriculture, law (international criminal law), history)
Roger Thurman
The Hague (rejoined)
Managing director of English Text Company (general, technical, scientific,
commercial, ad copy)
If you would like a full list
of SENSE members, or
just the list of freelancers,
then please contact the
membership secretary.
On the website page
Names & Faces you can
find many more faces
behind the names on the
e-mail forum.
SENSE
SENSE is the Society of English-Native-Speaking Editors in the Netherlands. Established in 1990, SENSE has over 300 members who specialize in editing,
translation, copywriting, journalism and teaching.
Executive Committee
Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Forum Moderator
Membership Secretary
Programme Secretary
Training Secretary
Webmaster
Newsletter
Peter Melville
Susan van der Werff-Woolhouse
Francis Cox
Tony Cunningham
Brigid de Wals
John Hynd
Sue Henry
Lesley Walker
Lesley Langelaar-Thomas
chair@sense-online.nl
secretary@sense-online.nl
treasurer@sense-online.nl
forum-moderator@sense-online.nl
membership-secretary@sense-online.nl
programme-secretary@sense-online.nl
training-secretary@sense-online.nl
webmaster@sense-online.nl
editor@sense-online.nl
Newsletter team
Managing Editor
Editors
Graphic Designer
Lesley Langelaar-Thomas
Hans van Bemmelen
Liz Cross
Brian Jones
Dave Thomas
Vicky Trees
To access previous issues of the newsletter or any files referred to in this or other newsletters, visit the eSense page in the members-only section of the
SENSE website.
Readers are encouraged to contribute articles, letters, reports and other items of interest to SENSE members, such as stories or anecdotes about
professions involving the English language or about the English language itself. Please send your letters, comments and articles to the editor by e‑mail:
editor@sense-online.nl.
Please send copy no longer than 500 words. Materials originally published elsewhere must include the source and the date of publication. Copy
deadline for the next newsletter: 2 June 2008
Tip of the iceberg
•
•
Find out why the new northern SIG is a “funny” group
Translate the index or index the translation? Pierke Bosschieter explains why indexing from scratch is preferable.