Translation and Interpretation Associations

National Associations
American Literary Translator’s Association
American Translator's Association
National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators
National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare

Local/Regional Associations
California Court Interpreters Association
California Healthcare Interpreting Association
California Workers' Compensation Interpreters Association
Chicago Area Translators and Interpreters Association
Houston Interpreters and Translators Association
New York Circle of Translators

International Associations
Asociación Profesional Española de Traductores e Intérpretes
Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs
International Medical Interpreter's Association
Japan Association of Translators Organización Mexicana de Traductores

Training and Certification

Training Programs
California State University, Long Beach Translation and Interpretation Studies
CSU Fullerton, Legal/Medical Interpreter Certificate Program
CSU Los Angeles, Legal Interpreter Certificate Program
Kent State University, B.S., M.S. Ph.D in Translation Studies
New York University Certificate in Translation
Southern California School of Interpreting
University of Arizona: National Center for Interpretation
University of Massachusetts at Amherst


ASL Interpreter Certification
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf

Court Interpreters Certification
California Courts - Court Interpreters Program (CIP)
Colorado Courts - Court Interpreter Program
Connecticut Judicial Branch - State Court Interpreter Certification (Consortium) Program
Court Interpretation - National Center for State Courts
Delaware Courts - Certified Court Interpreters Program
Federal Courts - Spanish-English Interpreter Certification Examination
Florida State Courts - Court Interpreters Program
Hawaii Courts - New Court Interpreter Certification Program
Indiana Courts - Court Interpreter Certification Program
Iowa Courts - Court Interpreters Program
Maryland Courts - Court Interpreter Program
Michigan Courts - Court Interpreter Certification Test
National Center for Interpretation
National Judiciary Interpreter and Translator Certification (NJITCE)
Nevada Supreme Court - Court Interpreters Program
New Jersey Courts - Becoming a NJ Court Interpreter
North Carolina Courts - Interpreter Training Information
North Dakota Supreme Courts - Court Interpreter Qualifications and Procedures
Oregon Courts - Court Interpreter Certification Program
Pennsylvania - Supreme Court’s Interpreter Certification Program
South Carolina Interpreter Certification Program
Tennessee Courts - Court Interpreter Program
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation - Licensed Court Interpreters Exam
U.S. District Courts - Federal Court Interpreter Program
Virginia Courts - Voluntary Certification Process for Foreign Language Interpreters
Virginia's Courts - Interpreter Certification
Wisconsin Courts - Interpreter Program

Translation Certification
American Translator's Association Certification

Dictionaries and Grammar Resources

English Dictionaries
American Heritage Dictionary
Oxford Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary

Foreign Language Dictionaries
Diccionario de la lengua española
Foreign Word
WordReference

Medical Bilingual Dictionary
Dorlands
Stedman
English-Spanish Dictionary of Health Related Terms
Diccionario de la Clínica Universidad de Navarra

Legal Biligual Dictionaries
Superior Court of California: Multilingual Legal Glossaries

Grammar and Style Guide
La Página del Idioma Español
OWL at Purdue

When trial participants don't speak English, court interpreters are essential -- but does justice sometimes get Lost in translation?

Newsday Inc., Long Island NY recently published an article on December 4, 2005 which reads as follows:

"Under the entry for "molestosa" in Cassell's Spanish and English dictionary are the definitions "troublesome," "irritating" and "uncomfortable."

But read the trial transcript of the People of the State of New York v. Arelis Mora, and you will find the Patchogue baby-sitter describing the crying, fussy 5-month-old baby who died under her care as "obnoxious." That was the definition chosen by the freelance court interpreter who covered Mora's trial testimony."


For Complete News Article Click on Title.
Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

Introduction to Translation and Interpretation

Introduction to Translation and Interpretation

Translation and interpretation are excellent professions for people who love and speak multiple languages. Both translation and interpretation (T & I) require the ability to accurately express information in the target language without omissions or additions. Beyond linguistics, translators and interpreters need to understand the cultures of both the source and target languages, in order to adapt the language to the appropriate culture.

Translation vs. Interpretation

In general, most laypeople refer to both translation and interpretation as "translation." Although translation and interpretation share the common goal of converting information from one language into another, they involve two very different skills.

Translation is written - it involves taking a written text and translating it in writing into the target language.

Interpretation is oral - it refers to listening to something spoken and interpreting it orally into the target language. (Professionals who facilitate communicate between hearing persons and deaf persons are also known as interpreters)


Translation and Interpretation Terms

Source language: The language of the original message.

Target language: The language of the resulting translation or interpretation.

A language - Native language: Most people have one A language, although someone who was raised bilingual may have two A languages or an A and a B, depending on whether they are truly bilingual or just very fluent in the second language.

B language - Fluent language: Fluent here means near-native ability - understanding virtually all vocabulary, structure, dialects, cultural influence, etc.

C language - Working language: Translators and interpreters may have one or more C languages - those which they understand well enough to translate or interpret from but not to.


Types of Translation and Interpretation

Specialized translation or interpretation refers to domains which require training in the field (such as a university degree in the subject, or specialized coursework in that type of translation or interpretation).

Some common types of specialized translation and interpretation are
· financial translation and interpretation
· legal translation and interpretation
· literary translation
· medical translation and interpretation
· scientific translation and interpretation
· community translation and interpretation


Types of Translation

Automatic translation: Also known as machine translation, this is any translation that is done without human intervention, using software, hand-held translators, and online translators.

Computer-assisted translation: A human translates text with the aide of computer assisted translation software.

Subtitling and Dubbing: Translation of movies and television programs, including subtitling (where the translation is typed along the bottom of the screen) and dubbing (where the voices of native speakers of the target language are heard in place of the original actors).

Sight translation: A document in the source language is rendered orally in the target language.

Localization: The linguistic and cultural adaptation of websites, software, or other products to make them appropriate to the target country.

Types of Interpretation

Consecutive interpretation: The interpreter takes notes while listening to a speech, then does his or her interpretation during pauses. The consecutive interpreter would interpret in both directions, French to English and English to French. Unlike translation and simultaneous interpretation, consecutive interpretation is commonly done into the interpreter's A and B languages.

Simultaneous interpretation: The interpreter listens to a speech and simultaneously interprets it, using headphones and a microphone. This is commonly used when there are numerous languages needed, such as in the United Nations.