performed with interpreting equipment), and consecutive (the interpreter listens to a portion of a speech and then interprets it as the speaker waits in silence). Interpreters usually work in conferences, workshops, international meetings or summits, often traveling constantly for work. They charge per day, and a client will need to pay for their travel and accommodations in the event that the booking requires it. “But I can speak French, can’t I be an interpreter?”
A lot of people all over the world speak more than one language, but they cannot all translate from one of these languages into another. For quality work, one must request the services of someone with a degree in translation or interpretation, and it is sometimes necessary to seek out someone who specializes in a certain field. It is completely irrational to expect a translator or an interpreter to be fluent in every language spoken on the planet. In the GCC, English
most interpreters do translation work, but translators are not interpreters. It takes training and experience to be able to perform simultaneous interpretation.
and Arabic are the two most requested languages, whereas in North Africa French takes precedence in some transactions. In Lebanon, translators and interpreters work into and from, Arabic, French, and English. Some of them learn an extra language and work that into their language combinations. Arabic is not that high on the list of languages requested in Europe, and in parallel, Bulgarian, for example, is not highly requested in the Arab world. Bidding wars
When contacted by a client, both translators and interpreters can offer bids, and the main problem here lies within fee-slashing. In an effort to win over a client –and often in the context of professional rivalry,
Lorem ipsum... what? The story behind the “dummy” text that caught on
If you’re a designer or you work in print media production, you’ll most likely recognize lorem ipsum. Or you may be a client who’s all too familiar with receiving these in prototypes. Believe it or not, since the 1500s, surviving five centuries and the shift to electronic typography, lorem ipsum has been the standard filler text in design worldwide. By having words that viewers don’t understand, people can see how the design and typography will look like when the text is placed without
being distracted by actual text content. Many people think it’s meaningless, but au contraireas it turns out, lorem ipsum is “slightly jumbled Latin”, coming from the fragments of “section 1.10.32-3 from Cicero’s de Finnibus Bonorum et Malorum” (The Extremes of Good and Evil) which starts off as “Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit”, meaning “there is no one who loves pain itself, who seeks after it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain.” According to Sean Herron of open.NASA, it dates back to 45 B.C. from a thesis on ethics, popular in the Renaissance. The mixed-up version began to be used in the 1500s as filler text.
which can become quite bitter– translators and interpreters will slash their fees and lower their prices ridiculously. This can become a problem when the work delivered is of low quality (on par with the slashed prices). It can also become a problem when clients become used to a certain lower price given by some, and refuse to pay the regular fees for higher-quality work, a problem slowly spreading throughout the MENA region. What not to expect from your translator or interpreter
Contrary to popular belief, not all interpreters look like Nicole Kidman in 2005 blockbuster, The Interpreter. They don’t uncover assassination plots, and they don’t necessarily save the world. Joking aside, you do need to be aware that translators are not human dictionaries. They need context before they can execute word translation, because a term changes meanings depending on whether or not it came from a legal document or a book about magical slippers.
Another common misconception? All interpreters work for the UN- this is not true. They often work as freelancers, and have short-term contracts with clients from various international, regional, and local organizations and companies, and have other jobs teaching languages, translation or interpretation. You should also be aware that not all translators work in subtitling, and not all translators are sworn translators with their own translation offices. They also often work as freelancers, taking on other jobs, such as teaching. Maria Elena Kassab is a freelance conference interpreter and translator, working with clients across the MENA region in English, Arabic, and French. Kassab is also a published writer in both English and Arabic publications, with her portfolio including print and web mass mediums. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Twitter @ElenaKassab
LOREM IPSUM Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nam nibh. Nunc varius facilisis eros. Sed erat. In in velit quis arcu ornare laoreet. Curabitur adipiscing luctus massa. Integer ut purus ac augue commodo commodo. Nunc nec mi eu justo tempor consectetuer. Etiam vitae nisl. In dignissim lacus ut ante. Cras elit lectus, bibendum a, adipiscing
vitae, commodo et, dui. Ut tincidunt tortor. Donec nonummy, enim in lacinia pulvinar, velit tellus scelerisque augue, ac posuere libero urna eget neque. Cras ipsum. Vestibulum pretium, lectus nec venenatis volutpat, purus lectus ultrices risus, a condimentum risus mi et quam. Pellentesque auctor fringilla neque. Duis eu massa ut lorem iaculis vestibulum.
Today, the many online lorem ipsum generators are joined by fun filler text generators like Space Ipsum (NASA’s project of creating filler text based on archival space quotes), Whedon Ipsum (quotes from TV and
Maecenas facilisis elit sed justo. Quisque volutpat malesuada velit. Nunc at velit quis lectus nonummy eleifend. Curabitur eros. Aenean ligula dolor, gravida auctor, auctor et, suscipit in, erat. Sed malesuada, enim ut congue pharetra, massa elit convallis pede, ornare scelerisque libero neque ut neque. In at libero. Curabitur molestie. Sed vel neque.
film works of Joss Whedon like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel), and finally, Cupcake Ipsum (words like marshmallow and chocolate). Lorem ipsum is now art for art’s sake: ars gratia artis. By PamelLa de Leon AUGUST 2014 August
Entrepreneur
41 49