Vol/51 No/2 2012APRIL/MAYTheLinguist31INSTITUTE MATTERSJuneAGM, SEMINAR & NETWORKINGLUNCH Saturday 16 JuneNovotel London CitySouth, 10.30 for 11amFormal AGM papers andseminar details will beemailed to ID members. 53-61 Southwark BridgeRoad, London SE1 9HH.OctoberSTUDY WEEKEND5-7 October Brixen/Bressanone(South Tyrol)Learn about the languageand culture of the Ladinpeoples. For details, emailGuglielmo Fittante DETAILSJudith Ridgway,@googlemail.comHeather Fulford, Ray, Matthey, Lee,, Candia Hillier, Sharma, Katrin Hiietam, Withers, Caine, in the media is clearly of broad interest toID members, and some 70 people attended theNovember event on the subject, many of them first-time visitors to an Interpreting Division event. Our firstspeaker at the Novotel in South London talked abouthis freelance interpreting work in various mediaenvironments. A graduate of the University of Krakow,Poland and the London School of Economics,Alexander Nowak has worked for the BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera, the International Court of Arbitration,Polish and UK ministers and government officials, anda variety of commercial organisations. Alexander looked in particular at how to managethe demands of short-notice live media work and thesometimes excessive responsibilities placed on theinterpreter. In this sector, interpreters need to beextremely flexible and not prone to panic, but there isa point at which 'managing' an impossible situationneeds to be discussed objectively and urgently withthe client, however pressurised the situation may be.Often clients do not understand fully the interpretingprocess and believe that, in an emergency situation,one person can interpret for long periods without abreak (all day via an unreliable TV link, for example). In live media, such burdens almost inevitably lead toa drop in quality, yet those listening will not be awareof the impossible conditions the interpreter is facing.Finding a balance between offering the flexibility suchassignments require and maintaining high qualityinterpreting is an additional skill that interpreters in thisenvironment need to develop.Our second speaker, Tomoko Komura, gave anamusing but very professional insight into how, as adeveloping interpreter, she had broken into the mediasector, and the differences she had found betweenthat and other interpreting settings. Her academicbackground, including a BA in Theatre (University ofColorado), an MFA in Theatre (London InternationalSchool of Performing Arts) and an MA in Interpreting(London Metropolitan University), helped in her first yearof building a media interpreting portfolio. Tomoko outlined various interpreting assignmentsshe had undertaken and gave a very honest overviewof her reflections on both the positive and negativeaspects of each assignment, which she felt was animportant learning tool. Her clients include the BBCWorld Service's Outlook programme; BBC MasterChefLive; the film 47 Ronin(Universal Pictures); the UK'sbiggest Japanese culture event, Hyper Japan; andArsenal player, Ryo Miyaichi. She felt that herperforming arts background had helped her toprovide the high level of flexibility required.Our post-lunch session, entitled 'The MediaInterpreter Professional Environment: Skills andconsiderations', was hosted by Kristin Kelber, JessicaStrenk and Sonia Harder, who outlined and discussedtheir post-graduate research, with Leon Grasmann, atLondon Metropolitan University. They had looked atwhat constitutes media interpreting; the varioussettings and contexts (using the popular German TVshow Wetten, dass.?as an example); the mode ofinterpreting; and the questions interpreters should askthemselves when considering such jobs, including 'canI do it?', 'is the job worthwhile?' and 'what are theclient's expectations?'. They addressed the issues relating to pre-assignmentbriefing and research, working alone and/or from amonitor, and the duration of the assignment. They alsoconsidered what is involved in relation to puttingtheory into practice, crisis and stress management,maintaining high quality, ethics and professionalstandards, working conditions, and remuneration. It isa varied and fun type of interpreting, they concluded,but a demanding professional environment.Professional standards and codes are useful butcommon sense on the job is essential.The audience discussion with the speakers was,unsurprisingly, pro-active and lively, as was the debateover lunch.Details of Interpreting Division events can be foundon the ID page at www.iol.org.uk.In the mediaCHRISTINE POCOCK ON THE RECENT 'INTERPRETING IN THE MEDIA' EVENTPROFESSIONAL INSIGHTTomoko Komura shares her experiences

INSTITUTE MATTERSGOLD32 TheLinguistAPRIL/MAY www.iol.org.ukDIVISIONS The Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon is traditionally heldon the last Sunday of February and this year's was myfirst half marathon of 2012 - race number 10in a yearthat will see me run 50 races in aid of Brain Tumour UK.The hilly course is one of the UK's top races and runnersrecently rated it second in a poll of best half-marathons.Having competed in the 125th English National CrossCountry Championships at Parliament Hill the previousday, I joined a field of more than 2,000 runners in thescenic Kent countryside and crossed the finishing linein two hours, six minutes. I received my medal fromdouble Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes -thefourth time she has hung a medal around my neck. 2012 is an amazing year for runners and for sport ingeneral, with the Olympic Games being held in Londonfor the first time in 64 years. My 50-race challenge willinclude the London Marathon, the Great North Run andthe National Lottery five-mile Olympic Park Race in theOlympic Stadium, before the Games begin in August.I have raised money for a number of charities overthe years, but this challenge is particularly poignant as Iwill be running in memory of Lesley Hall, a friend andCIOL colleague, who sadly died in July last year after avery short illness. I have set a goal of raising at least£1,000 for Brain Tumour UK, the leading charitycommitted to fighting brain tumours. By the time of the London Marathon in April, I willhave completed nearly 20 races. Training three times aweek and clocking up the miles in all weathers can betough going and I am always grateful of support. Don'tforget to watch out for me in the marathon ontelevision or, if you are in London, come along andgive me a wave!To support the Going for Gold challenge, pleasesend a cheque, payable to 'Brain Tumour UK', to Daryl Lucas, Saxon House, 48 Southwark Street,London SE1 1UN or donate through the Just Givingwebsite: www.justgiving.com/Daryl-Lucas.ON THE RUNDaryl faces the snow on the Valentines 10km race in North Downs on 12 February (above)Going for EXAMINERMANAGER DARYL LUCASSETS OUT TO RUN 50 RACESIN 12 MONTHSBusiness and pleasureJOIN HEATHER FULFORD AND MARGARET MAY AT THETRANSLATING DIVISION'S MOST RECENT EVENTS Translator's Pack Live!In November, more than 70 members took part in the Translating Division's'Translator's Pack Live!' professional development event, held at Euston House inLondon. The Translator's Pack is a series of factsheets developed by theTranslating Division Committee to provide new translators with practicalinformation on starting up in business as a professional translator. The Translator'sPack Live! event was designed to bring some of those factsheets to life throughpresentations, interactive sessions and discussions. The day began with a keynote address delivered by Janet Fraser and entitled'Continuing Professional Development: Separating fact from fiction and getting intogood habits'. Janet explored the different modes of CPD, ranging from the formalto the informal. She then reminded delegates of the importance of CPD and theresponsibility of professionals to plan, carry out and reflect on their CPD activity. A number of parallel sessions followed, covering topics such as web resourcesfor translators, the translator's office, networking and support for freelancetranslators, and business information sources for freelancers. After a buffet lunch,Karen Stokes delivered a plenary presentation on working with agencies anddirect clients. A lively panel discussion brought the formal proceedings to a close.Discussion and networking continued in the more relaxed and informal setting ofa wine and canapés reception. Feedback from the day has been very positive and plans are afoot to re-run theevent in other parts of the country over the coming year or so, for the benefit ofmembers who do not have easy access to London. An Evening With.Translating Division members were treated to an entertaining evening withProfessor Donald O White, the American translator of Die Insel des ZweitenGesichtsby Albert Vigoleis Thelen. Thelen lived a bohemian life on Mallorcaduring the early 1930s, and the book describes the colourful characters he and hiswife Bea encountered, against the darker setting of the rise of fascism and theirattempts to subvert its manifestation in the island's German consul. The rendering of the title as The Island of Second Sightwas one of thetranslation challenges discussed by Prof White during his reading of mainlyhumorous extracts from the book. He also addressed the problems raised byThelen's frequent neologisms, making interesting comparisons with the Frenchand Dutch solutions. This was truly a literary labour of love: Prof White wasengaged with the translation for some 20 years, twice meeting the author. Hisenthusiasm for his subject was infectious.The reading, in the historic Over-Seas House, London, on 27 January, was alsoattended by the book's publisher, Isabelle Weiss. Prof White had brought photosof people and places described in the reading, as well as a reproduction of VanGogh's famous chair painting to illustrate Thelen's delightfully satirical 'single chair'system of pedagogy. A lively Q&A session was followed by a reception, withplenty of opportunity for networking. A number of members continued theconversation with Prof White and his wife at a Piccadilly restaurant.With thanks to Karen Stokes and Heather Fulford for organising such anenjoyable event.