The publishers of a new book called From Our Lips to your Ears are looking for true personal anecdotes reflecting the everyday life of interpreters, with the aim of giving the general public a better idea of how interpreters touch people’s lives. The deadline for submission is the 3 December.
I like their guidelines for writing – it sounds like the kind of book I’d really like to read. They say:
Ideally, your story should accomplish one or more of the following things:
- Enable the reader to imagine the scene vividly
- Engage one or more of the five senses
- Evoke emotions
- Help the reader feel more connected to others
Their promotional tour currently only involves the US, but it would be great to have some perspectives from this side of the pond too. So, what do you say, interpreters? Sounds like a great chance to come out from behind the booth/ speaker.
Of course, I’d really love to see a similar collection of stories by translators. Or even better, a movie. No matter what you thought of The Interpreter, there’s no doubt that Nicole Kidman has done wonders for the profession in the glamour stakes.
I’m sure us translators could club something together to rival it. I can see it now: the obvious star would be Scarlett Johannsson (channelling glamour, a strong air of intelligence, and an artsy almost bookish air). My outside-the-box vote would go to Angelina Jolie (channelling a strong interest in current affairs, a career/family juggler, a go-it-alone type). Now for the difficult part – a nail-biting plot… hmmm… 
About the author
Sarah Dillon is a qualified, accredited and experienced professional translator originally from Co. Clare in Ireland. She specialises in producing English-language texts that don't "sound" like translations, ensuring her clients' message has the desired impact in their overseas market. She is based in Brisbane, Australia and works with corporate clients, small businesses, agencies and nonprofit organisations all over the world. In her spare time, Sarah is also Marketing Director of eCPD Webinars.
Sarah Dillon has written 252 posts for There's Something About Translation.
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I like your thinking…..Translation: The Final Frontier / Curse of the Culture-Specific Term!
I like your thinking…..Translation: The Final Frontier / Curse of the Culture-Specific Term!
LOL we could definitely be on to something here… watch this space for news of us being fêted at Cannes next year!
LOL we could definitely be on to something here… watch this space for news of us being fêted at Cannes next year!