La patrie est morte, vive la patrie or Home, bittersweet home

 

[small house  + VW Beetle*]

According to physics, everything is constant movement, however imperceptibly in the short term. This change affects places and people alike.  Both people and their hometowns evolve over time, eventually creating a completely different locale and persona. It does not mean that the past does not leave traces but this heritage is only part of the current reality. Therefore, as a native-born American that has lived in Israel for more than half of my life, I can say that you can’t go home again but you can adopt a new home.

First, regardless of the desire of individual people, neighborhoods have their own dynamic. The ages of the residents and residences increase and decrease. The size and upkeep of the housing have their ups and downs. Stores open and close, develop and disappear and change ownership and approach. The roads change in width, smoothness and traffic load. Stop signs appear and are may be replaced by traffic lights or even disappear. Sometimes, highways and rail stations appear or are closed. A comparison of a city even after 20 years will generally show a significant transformation.

Likewise, people develop their priorities, tastes and values over time. An 18-year-old may seek accessible and exciting night life but a young parent would not want drunk people walking by at night. Clearly, purchasing habits vary over time, with the DYI store replacing the toy store over time to be replaced by a pharmacy, to name just one example. Most importantly, individual world views evolve over a lifetime. What was once considered glorious freedom may turn into complete lack of respect. It is impossible to say that we are the exact same person that we were even five years ago, not to mention twenty years ago.

Granted, our early life does leave its traces. Parental attitudes color our perception of religion and ethics. Home and local food create a strong emotional connection. Even sports retain their mark. I still enjoy watching baseball and American football. Therefore, leaving home is not total rejection of its elements.

Still, after many years abroad, visiting “home” becomes increasingly similar to stopping in a someone familiar foreign city. It is not completely alien in that we can recognize the roads and landmarks. Yet, it is foreign not only in that the place is somehow different than we remember it but in that we also gradually lose the emotional connection to it. In practical terms, I now visit my mother in Los Angeles but I do not go home. This emotional distance is somewhat disturbing but almost inevitable. A person that is not part of the daily existence of a location is not part of it. Thus, there is a sense of losing our “home”.

However, for long-term expats, that feeling is balanced by realization of a new home, the country of their immigration. Clearly, this sentiment generally does not exist in the beginning when everything is new, including behavioral morays, and established emotional connections are lacking. However, over time, a new location becomes a new home, with physical and emotional connections to the place. Not only that, immigrants eventually adopt some of the routine habits and manners of the locals, becoming one of them. In the case of Israel, I expect people to talk loudly and argue and enjoy having a large lunch but a small dinner. Even if the Israel of today is quite different than that of when I first arrived, I aged with it and maintained the connection. When asked where I am from, my first answer is Israel.

This adaption is, of course, only partial. Depending on the age of immigration, newcomers may not have not experienced many of the bonding experiences locals did, such as school or army service. Foreigners often consciously reject many local behavior elements, including clothes and manners of address. Certain phenomena will also seem incomprehensible. However, unless a person chooses to live in a total ghetto, immigrants are at least partially culturally assimilated into the population. I remember visiting a store in Los Angeles with my mother and be surprised that my mother was upset by the rudeness of the salesperson when I did not even notice it. I had already developed thick skin, apparently. Thus, immigrants, regardless of how many years they have lived in a country, are neither 100% native or foreign.

This foreign status is not necessarily negative. Seeing a society from a different point of view provides a critical, in the both positive and negative sense of the word, perspective of a society. I enjoy and appreciate many aspects of Israel that native-born Israelis take for granted or even dislike. I enjoy the openness and honesty of daily discourse, even if it is not pleasant at the moment. I appreciate the high value of life and the sense of public welfare that guides private and public behavior. Immigrants, in opting to live in a country, generally actively choose to be part of a different society, somehow creating a greater commitment to the country.

Thomas Wolve wrote You can’t home again. In one sense, he was completely correct. Once a person leaves home, an ever-increasing distance is created as the two are no longer evolving together until one day home is no longer home. On the other hand, it is possible, with sufficient will, effort and time, to create a new home where a person’s hearth and heart are. Granted, it may be quite different from the original. However, for those that never felt at home where they grew up, it is a far better place to be. That is how I feel about Israel. To paraphrase the old expression, home is dead, long live home.

* Picture captions allow the blind to access the Internet.

Picture credit: Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/jaymantri-362084/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=405876">JayMantri</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=405876">Pixabay</a>

Options for certified translation in the Hebrew-English language combination

 

 

The following explanation is true as of January 2022.

Current legal situation:

There is no official certified translation in the Hebrew – English combination either by a governmental body or translation association.  Specifically, the Israeli government does not provide any recognition to a translator or agency for such translation. Likewise, no translator association has an official test to create a category of “certified” translators, including the American Translators Association (ATA) and the ITA (Israeli Translators Association).  The closest equivalent currently existing is the certificate for “Recognized Translator” by the Israeli Translators Association, which is based on experience, education and recommendations.

Options for de facto certification:

1.       For documents required by an embassy, use a translator approved by that embassy.

2.       Have the translator add a signed statement identifying himself/herself and stating the translation is faithful. This has been generally accepted by both foreign governmental agencies and universities.

3.       Have the translator sign said statement before a notary public. For a one-page document, the current additional cost is 200 NIS plus translator time.

4.       Have the document translated by an Israeli translator that is also a notary, very few of which exist, at prices established by the government. This is the most expensive option.

Basis for choice

It is the client’s responsibility to inquire what will be acceptable.  In terms of cost, Option 2 is the least expensive followed by Option 3 and Option 4. The cost of Option 1 is unknown in advance.

My five pillars of a good manager

 

[temple pillars*]

In life, people experience managers of many different stripes, from awful AWOL privates to great 5-star generals. Some of us even take on team leadership tasks for periods of time with various levels of success. Regardless of the size of the staff and scope of the tasks, I see many common elements to effective leaders, including technical skill, broad prospective, emotional intelligence, courage and genuineness. Clearly, no person is naturally great at all of them but it is possible to assess and improve weak areas in order to become a truly successful executive.

[Rubik's cube]

The easiest qualification to measure in a prospective and acting manager is technical skill in the area of activity. In order to understand the process and retain the respect of the staff, a manager must know the ins and outs of the activity. It is not accidental that Japanese corporate policy was (and may still be) to post junior managers to all departments before promoting them to general manager positions as that practical knowledge allows them to understand which skills and support they must provide. Moreover, professionals respect others that can perform at a similar or higher level. Without this respect, employees tend to view superiors as outsiders.

[prairie horizon

However, specific expertise does necessarily correlate with managerial success due to the need for a global view. Unlike frontline employees, managers must balance priorities, financial and human resources and time to attain larger goals. Good enough is often the best that can be achieved. Consequently, it is the essential mission of the manager to keep an eye on the ultimate goal without overly stressing the details. Some employees naturally have this ability while others have to be coached or taught. Successful in-house manager development requires awareness of this skill.

[lion and child]

Even when the vision is present, managers require emotional intelligence to harness the talents of the active participants and motivate them. Since every human being has a different skill set, employees are not identical. The key to success to employing the best person for each task to the extent possible. Since a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, random or mistaken assignment of personnel can lead to failure. Moreover, it is often necessary to accept that a certain employee performs a task differently but still effectively. Another cause of failure is the assumption of universal motivation, generally financial. Many employees value recognition or praise just as much if not more than money and will go the extra mile if given it. A good manager of sports team or corporate department alike seeks to identify the key of each employee. People develop this intelligence to different degrees and at various ages. Ignoring this aspect of management is a recipe for failure while honing it is a key for long term success for both the manager and the company.

[leap between rocks]

A good manager is courageous. Courage is defined as the will to take the necessary action despite the fear of unpleasantness or failure. Calling in an employee to the office and criticizing poor performance is unpleasant but necessary. Firing is even more daunting, at least for most managers. In terms of self-exposure, it takes great self-confidence to admit to employees that you are responsible for a certain failure and are taking steps to prevent its reoccurrence. All managers face tasks that are emotionally difficult but the best do not run away from them but instead perform them with courage, even if nobody knows how painful or distressing it is.

[mirror face image]

Finally, a good manager is genuine. People respect leaders that do not pretend to be different than they are. No person and no manager have the same personality and set of skills. Likewise, communication style varies from person to person. Employees are willing to accept this package if they know it is real, not an act, and understand the intended message. Employees may not like their manager but will fully cooperate if they feel understand and respect the manager.

Clearly, there are many other attributes of good management, some teachable, other not. Some are clearly identifiable while others only appear under certain circumstances. People may be born with them, learn them or never learn them. However, from the perspective of an employee, the supervisors that I have most respected and worked the hardest for were those with these abilities. They are my personal pillars of a good leadership. 

* Captions help the blind access the Internet. All pictures via Pixab 

Name, the problems – a less-than-rosy situation

 

[A rose*]

If there is one area of translation that seems rather straightforward and simple, it is official documents. How many words are there on a certificate of birth, marriage or death? What is difficult about translating names, dates and status? Alas, translating such short documents is very demanding as all the details must reflect the source language but follow the rules of the target language, with no errors tolerated. A perfect illustration is the translation of names in French, Russian and Hebrew to English.

[French handwriting]

French conveniently uses the same letters as English but names pose a challenge in terms of their format. First, it is standard French practice to capitalize all the letters of the last name in order to distinguish it from the first and middle names, as in George CLEMENCEAU. This is quite a convenient rule but it is not applied in English. Thus, the name of the former prime minister is George Clemenceau on official British documents. On a trickier note, it is quite common to see handwritten original French official certificates, especially those issued in Africa. For those unfamiliar with the standard French loopy-loop handwriting, rather aesthetic in itself, it is often difficult to distinguish the letters especially when long African names, generally unfamiliar to Western translators, are written. I personally remember how difficult it was to read the handwriting of my mother, educated in France as she would say, in her correspondence to me in summer camp many years ago. If there is any doubt, the translator has to conduct a careful letter comparison with known words. Since every letter is important in a name, it is vital to be certain about the spelling of a name and not blindly follow the formatting of the source language.

[Russian cursive]

Russian documents also involve handwritten certificates but also include the issue of grammar cases. Even today, many clerks in the Russian Federation carefully and beautifully write out birth and marriage certificates. While as calligraphy the text may be impressive, interpreting the actual letters often requires comparison with other words. It is my practice to sit with Russian natives to have them decipher the Cyrillic hieroglyphics to ensure that I have correctly read the word. On a grammatical scale, Russian has six cases, grammatical functions, marked by suffixes. Accordingly, Ivan Ivanovich Pushkin comes out Ivana Ivanovicha Pushkina when it is a possessive, as in his child. By contrast, English has no cases, meaning that the translator must identify the name in the nominative form and use it consistently throughout the document regardless of the actual Russian form. Knowledge and due diligence are important when working with Russian certificates.

[Hebrew letters]

Hebrew poses issues due to the alphabet in terms of sound and spelling. Several letters have two pronunciation options, including bet ב (b and v), vuv ו (long u and long o) peh פ (p and f) shin ש (sh and s] and kav כ (ch and k). When the vowels are marked or the word is Hebrew, there is no problem knowing the correct form. However, in texts without vowels involving foreign names, it is actually impossible to be certain. For example, the last name in Hebrew שוף, could be Shoop, Shope, Sop. Sup, Shoof, Shofe and Shuf, to name a few.  Adding to this ambiguity the random hand of immigration clerks and immigrants with creative spelling creates complete uncertainty on how the name is actually spelled regardless of the direction of translation.  The English form of most standard last names have several options while first names are limited only by imagination. The only solution is to ask customers for clarification and remind them that the spelling should reflect that in the passport to avoid problems.

The importance of name spelling cannot be overestimated. People have had their applications for visas and Green Cards rejected because of spelling discrepancies. In official applications, short cuts make for long delays. Poor quality, home-done translations often torpedo the best laid plans. In some matters, it is best to pay a professional. After all, a rose is rose is a rose in general but in some cases, especially for governments, only if it is properly translated.

* Captions allow the blind to access the Internet.

Words and their meanings – the 2022 Israel Translators Association Conference

 

[row of large stones*]

Despite trying times and great uncertainty, the ITA presented its 2022 conference, online of course. Its formal moto was “Moving Forward”. However, from the presentations I was able to attend, the unifying theme was also our interaction with words. I learnt about how people, including translators, produce, interpret, regulate, visually frame and market with words. It also provided a quite affirmative answer to the question posed by the keynote speaker regarding translators and interpreters, specifically whether we are optimistic about the future of the professions.

The conference addressed one of the key issues in modern translation, specifically the possibility of coexistence of human and machine translation. Yuri Balashov correctly put the aside the emotional resistance and clearly demonstrated using MemoQ how reference to machine translation enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of human translation. In other words, he showed even ever-improving machine translation is actually a benefit to translators, not a threat. Judy Jenner in her keynote speech expressed concern and uncertainty in regards to this issue but expressed reasoned hope in the future. Even those that choose to ignore machine translation came out with food for thought.

As a linguist, I truly enjoyed the presentations on how people interpret words. Immanuel Lottem provided numerous examples of how translators and editors see the words and their context in a different light, which often leads to great frustration. On a brighter note, Rik Smits entertained listeners with his amusing breakdown on the actual meanings of curse words, which go far beyond their dictionary listing, including surprise, joy and extreme emotion. I find this profound multicultural approach illuminating and somehow encouraging as I don’t feel so bad about using choice words at specific times.

Another interesting theme was the approach to regulating the use of words. Vicky Teplitsky Ben-Saadon, The Academic Secretariat, Academy of the Hebrew Language, analyzed the general language structure of gender in pronouns, especially in the second person, and discussed the complicated situation in Hebrew, where gender not only impacts all pronouns but also verbs and adjectives. She expressed the policy that the Academy does not impose usage on users but attempts to create some order in actual use. In other words, she stated that the Academy is going to let people decide if and how to create gender inclusive forms. Amina Hassan, Science Secretary of the Academy of the Arabic Language, discussed the projects of Arabic Academy and brought up the issue of the Arabic in road signing in Israel. Not only do current signing suffer from curious spelling but it also often reflects transliteration of the Hebrew name of cities and villages, not the recognized name in Arabic, if it exists of course. As linguists, we wish the Academy success in rectifying this situation. Eitan Wellisch illustrated the approach and structure of his online dictionary and show how his site can make identifying the correct English equivalent easier as words are placed in context. I would also like to mention the presentation of Andy Benzo regarding the appeal process in the US court systems. Not only was it clearly organized but the clarity of the terminology showed the importance of precision in choice of legal vocabulary. Whether in expanding or narrowing interpretation, the conference brought out the challenges of understanding words.

Two speakers illuminated the visual aspect of words. Eyal Holtzman provided details examples of how the shape, size and location of words in letters emphasize and connect different language when they are placed on the same page. Adele Shapiro recounted the story of daemons and devils from Egyptian to modern times but in linguistic terms. She noted that the in Egypt the written script reflected the neutral as compared to negative status of demons by also displaying them as protective creatures in specific situations, not just as creators of chaos. Unlike modern languages, pictures, not letters, showed this role. It was interesting to see how non-alphabet elements impact words.

Finally, in the face of a rapidly changing business setting, there were several presentations on how translators and interpreters can use words to market themselves. Nicole Koenig explained on the manner of marketing content while I spoke about the process of writing marketing content. Mireya Perez discussed making a digital footprint. It is clear that translators and interpreters not only should use other people’s words but create their own.

My only regret about this conference was my inability to attend all lectures due to the existence of two tracks and some previous commitments. I confess to having missed all the presentations on interpreting and hope that someone can report on them. I thus apologize to those whose names I did not mention or was not more specific. Overall, the conference reinforced the need for translators and interpreters to master words in all of their dynamic movement in order to create the best translations and improve ourselves. The conference was truly about moving forward.

* Picture captions are vital in creating access for the blind.

Picture credit: Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/marcelkessler-3217273/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4696755">marcelkessler</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4696755">Pixabay</a>

Notes of a non-native son – to technology

 

["Retrain your mind"*]

I have been privileged to witness and experience the most amazing period of electronical transformation. In almost all spheres of life, the manner of accomplishing the simplest of tasks has changed fundamentally. I was born in 1961, at the start of that revolution. For writing, I learned on a manual typewriter and have used an electric and electronic typewriter, a Commadore 64 word processor, Basic based word processing systems (“…2s…” was the command for double space, I still remember), Word Perfect and other local variants until finally settling into, along with almost everybody, Word. The phone at home was a rotary dial hand unit and evolved through touch-tone phones, dumb phones and smart phones to phone watches. Banking used to involve tellers and cash and now is almost entirely digital ATM’s and applications, not to mention the gradual disappearance of paper cash. Real-time monitoring has become the norm, even in physical fitness. Applications now tell you how many steps you have taken, calories you have burned and heartbeats per minute. There seems to be an app for everything. The pace of electronic-based change in our life is extraordinary.

While my age gives me an interesting historical perspective, it renders me non-native to this technology. Specifically, I may use it, sometimes by choice, but I do not understand it intuitively nor really embrace its use. To explain, I use a computer for work and play, do my banking online, order takeout food and make restaurant reservations through sites and invoice my customers through an online service. I use MemoQ, a CAT (Computer Aided Translation) tool, and do most of my term searches online despite my extensive collection of dictionaries. I maintain communication with my teaching colleagues through WhatsApp and email and can teach on Zoom. I am clearly computer literate to a respectable degree. Still, I approach each new technological application on a need-to-know basis, absorbing only those features that I require, with no curiosity on what else can be done.

Not surprisingly, when I attend conferences (virtually lately) and workshops and hear fellow translators and educators discuss technological solutions, I am left with the feeling of inadequacy and even inferiority. These experts show how amazingly simple it is to use a specific application or software to speed up or automate professional tasks. They exhibit great knowledge and joy explaining how our lives will be improved if we use these tools. My first uncomfortable feeling is the sense of the gap between my prehistoric or at least Bronze Age methodology and that these experts so heartily recommend. However, I do not use age as an excuse and know that I am capable of learning new technologies as I have done so before. What is more disturbing is my strong internal resistance to making the jump to these more efficient tools. In blunt terms, I generally do not want to make the effort to catch up with the latest technology. I know that I am not “up to snuff” but am emotionally paralyzed to take the “necessary” steps to address that issue.

This inaction leaves me with a disconcerting feeling. On the one hand, I know that I am far more computer literate than many. In a recent questionnaire, some 25% of translators in the American Translators Association still do not use CAT tools. I also realize that life is not a competition, i.e., my happiness is not based on my ranking as compared to others. On the other hand, part of me says that I should (such an awful word) care and embrace technology with all my heart, soul and brain and that doing so will make a better professional and person. Alas, fundamentally human beings are rationalizing, not rational, creatures if given a choice. I am not native to digital technology and can at best selectively use it to meet my needs. I try to remember the words of Jacques Prévert: Je suis comme je suis; je suis fait comme ça – I am who I am; that is my nature. In most cases, I accept my imperfections quite well but, in this case, it does somewhat bother me but evidently not enough to motivate me to overcome that barrier. As in James Baldwin’s book of essays Notes of a native son, albeit to much smaller degree, I feel out a little out of place and powerless in my own society. I am almost certain that I am not alone in this feeling but that sharing only goes so far in compensation. I simply will continue to live and strive, someone uncomfortably, as a non-native.

* Pictures captions allow the blind to access the Internet.

Picture credit: Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/johnhain-352999/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=743166">John Hain</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=743166">Pixabay</a>

Keeping the power in the PowerPoint – a view from the gallery

 

[opera theatre*]

Presentations, in-person or virtual, must have PowerPoint slides or so it appears. It is no longer acceptable to just speak clearly and be organized. The messages need a visual crutch. While many embrace the use of this technical tool and have mastered it, many others, including experienced professionals, are not experts in PowerPoint are unsure how to best use it. My long exposure with PowerPoint is mainly through suffering through engineering student presentations. Over the years, I have had the privilege of viewing hundreds of student attempts to boost their oral presentation by adding slides, with varying degrees of success. I have also prepared quite a few PowerPoint presentations when I have lectured at various conferences. From this experience, I can state as an observer that the best PowerPoint slides use selected words to reinforce the oral message and are ideal of numbers and statistics. Furthermore, considered use of graphics, colors and fonts are vital for their success.

[script]

In choosing which words to insert in a slide, it is vital to remember that PowerPoint is the bridesmaid, not the bride. In other words, it is a serious error to insert the script of a presentation in the slides (unless the slides are for student review of the material) because people will almost always prefer to read a text than listen to a lecturer. Therefore, PDF slides should include phrases or words, not sentences, which will be orally explained in depth by the lecturer. Not only does the audience pay greater attention to the lecturer but the words on the slide reinforce the key words through wish they remember the content. If it is necessary to insert a full quote, it is advisable to limit its length or highlight the relevant parts. An additional advantage of outline style text is that it reminds lecturers of their intended content, a vital hint when preparation time is limited. PowerPoint texts should be short and specific enough to create a visual cue to the oral material.

[numbers]

By contrast, PowerPoint is perfect medium for numbers. Even in their native languages, listeners find it difficult to grasp numbers, even simple ones, when spoken. By contrast, it is possible to effectively provide a full set of statistics on a slide. However, it is vital for the lecturer to organize and present an interpreted set of numbers, not raw data. Listeners generally do not want to spend time analyzing statistics and expect the lecturer to have already done so. Of course, everything in moderation, including numbers. Avoid overloading the content of any single slide. This use of PowerPoint for numbers definitely adds value.

[dart]

For graphics, simplicity is best to ensure that they do not overwhelm the content. It is generally not desirable to have all items appear at once on a slide as a full list causes the audience to count them down and even try to figure out when this slide will end. While PowerPoint has a wide variety of animation styles to determine how items appear, no matter how creative the use, they fail to impress after a few repetitions. Pictures can either provide essential details, such as a drawing showing the name of the parts or chart showing the action flow, or reinforce the messages by adding a visual image representing the main point of the slide. Either way, they boost the message.

[green on green]

Color and font must be appropriate. The best hue is often a matter of audience expectations and lecturer preference. However, dark text on a dark background is hard to read. Also, it is vital to keep in mind that a beautiful combination on a PC or laptop may look rather different through a projector. A good tip is to run the presentation on the actual system before the lecture. As for font, it is vital to ensure that the size and form are easy to read. Clearly, pseudo handwriting and overly ornate fonts create problems for the audience. The easiest way to check if the font is acceptable is to ask several people for their opinion. Once again, practicality is the essence.

It is not necessary to be maven on PowerPoint or graphic artist or invest copious amounts of time to produce an effective PowerPoint. By making the written text add value to the oral presentation, presenting numbers in written form and thinking about audience ease when choosing graphics and form, listeners enjoy the audio-visual performance, with the PowerPoint reinforcing the message to the gallery.

* Captions help the blind access the Internt.

All picture through Pixibay.