Welcome
Welcome or Wilkommen to the inaugural issue of Print Translations' quarterly newsletter. I will be sending out a new edition at the start of each season containing updates from the office, terminology tips, helpful links and advice for translation buyers. If you would prefer not to receive this newsletter, please send me a quick e-mail and I'll be happy to delete you from the mailing list. Last month marked ten years since I began my career as a full-time German-English translator. Thank you to all of my clients for choosing me for your translation needs over the years. I look forward to working with you for many decades to come.
On the road
This year has been very busy on the professional development front. At the start of the year, I braved a memorable 8-inch snowstorm to attend the Air and Waste Management Association's annual technical conference. My primary objective in attending was to learn more about Kansas City's waste management infrastructure and improve my knowledge of US waste terminology. It was really eye opening to compare the methods of managing waste in Kansas and Missouri (landfilling and some co-incineration in cement kilns) with those used in Germany. The good news is that there is a great deal of potential for recycling to grow, something that will surely happen as people become more aware of environmental issues and learn how waste can be used as a resource.
As spring began I attended an event about the Kansas City glass recycler Ripple Glass that was organised by my local chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. It's interesting to note that glass recycling is a relatively new phenomenon in Kansas City, with purple glass recycling bins available only in the past two to three years. Incidentally, Ripple uses glass processing technology provided by an Austrian company.
In May I crossed the Atlantic to attend the Institute of Translation and Interpreting's Conference in Birmingham. And next week I will be flying to Boston to attend the American Translators Association's Annual Conference, my fifth time attending this event in the past six years. I'm particularly looking forward to several sessions on environmental issues and to catching up with colleagues and clients. Please note: I will be out of the office from 25th to 29th October and will not be accepting translation assignments during this period.
A new challenge
On 1st October I also embarked on a new role as the president of my local translators' association, MICATA. I look forward to representing our region and helping to put together high-quality continuing education opportunities for local translators and interpreters.
Terminology tip
For more information about why translating "Entsorgung" as disposal might not be a good idea, visit my recent blog post Disposal: A Loaded Word. Stay tuned for the next issue, which will look at terms that have emerged during the ongoing process to revise Germany's main piece of waste legislation, the Kreislaufwirtschafts- und Abfallgesetz.
Consider your audience
Don't be surprised if I have a lot of questions about your text. I generally need to know whether you need the translation for publication or for information purposes, who your target audience is, whether you need your document translated into British or American English and whether you have an in-house glossary of preferred terminology, to name just a few questions that you might be asked.
Did you know?
Kansas City is known as the City of Fountains. With over 200 fountains, Kansas City claims to have the second most in the world just after Rome. The city is also known as the Paris of the Plains due to its large number of boulevards.
Thanks for reading and until next time,
Abigail Dahlberg
Print Translations