The JAT Track at the JTF Translation Festival!●Marian Kinoshita
The JAT Track at the JTF Translation Festival!
By Marian Kinoshita, JAT President
JAT is honored to be involved in the 25th JTF Translation Festival. This is our fourth year as a sponsor, and we have assembled four sessions guaranteed to enlighten and entertain! The JAT track targets Japanese-to-English freelance translators, yet each session will serve all translators and business owners alike. The majority of the sessions will be conducted in English, but questions in Japanese are welcome and appreciated.
We start the day with a panel discussion featuring four translators renowned in their respective fields, poised with advice to smooth your path toward specialization. Moderator Ben Tompkins and panelist Akira Saito are pharma translation wizards, George Tokikuni is a sage patent translator, and Carol Lawson presides over legal translation.
Next up is the wildly successful Cathy Hirano, award-winning translator of literature for children and young adults (including my family’s favorite, Moribito)、not to mention the famous book on “tidying up” by Marie Kondo (I have read it and, yes, it works!). Cathy’s unique perspective provides a rare window into the world of translating stories and topics that appeal to readers while overcoming cultural differences.
JAT segues into the afternoon with a session on information security, a pressing issue even for freelance practitioners. Jeff Chapman and Alex Garfitt will reveal their approaches as small business owners: in Jeff’s case, as one offering a diverse range of language-related services, and in Alex’s, as CIO of a translation firm spanning continents.
The JAT track concludes with a return to the noble world of literature in the hands of the eminent Juliet Carpenter, professor at Doshisha Women’s College and award-winning translator of Japanese authors, such as Minae Mizumura and Ryotaro Shiba. Juliet’s titillating topic surely tortures each of us regularly, as it addresses just how politically correct we should be when translating the words of another.
Finally, don’t miss the networking dinner that follows these irresistible sessions. As a special 25th anniversary treat, JAT’s own Mick Corliss will juggle and perform fancy moves for the roomful of contented translators, donning his entertainment hat as Banzai Mick!
For more details on the JAT track speakers and their presentations, go to http://www.jtf.jp/jp/festival/festival_program.html
