alexpgp | Letter to an ATA official...

I just got an email to the effect that during its upcoming conference in New Orleans, the American Translators Association will be considering a resolution condemning torture. As I will miss attending this event, I sent the following note to an acquaintance who happens to be a member of the association's board:

I am writing to you from the steppes of Kazakhstan, where I will be until mid-November. This will unavoidably entail my absence at this year's conference in New Orleans, but it's hard to argue against the offered payday.

I feel like starting out by asking "Do you know of any good organizations in the United States that promote the translation industry?" because I am rapidly beginning to lose faith in the ATA.

As you know, the continuing education requirement is an issue that pushes my buttons, especially in the way it has been implemented. Attending conferences is by far the easiest route to satisfying that requirement, followed only by attendance at seminars that purport to teach people how to use overpriced software (while those of us unfortunate enough to have figured out how to use it on our own are, well, apparently out of luck as far as CE points are concerned).

But this recently announced torture resolution really makes the CE issue pale by comparison.

To me, it seems an obvious attempt to steer the ATA into the political arena, with a very specific agenda. Should translators oppose torture? Sure. But there are other evils in the world: murder (including the televised murder of bound hostages), suppression of the free expression of ideas, pollution of the environment, embezzlement, and so on. I oppose all such acts, but I don't think (or expect) a professional organization to adopt resolutions condemning them.

To be frank, I've given serious thought as to whether it makes sense for me to continue as a member of the ATA should I fail to rack up the requisite CE points by the deadline, thus reverting to being an "ordinary" member with no certification and no voting rights. (For one thing, the amount of front-line, honest-to-goodness translation and interpretation that I do would prevent me from jumping through the requisite hoops to regain the certification, assuming that I could do so at all, given the new criteria, but I digress...)

Should this resolution pass, my decision-making process will be considerably simplified.

Speaking of which, I do not recall getting any mail from the ATA before I left for Kazakhstan. How might I participate in the voting, do you think?

It pains me that I only seem to think of you when I have something to complain about. I'll do my best to stay in touch more often in the future, and will keep things on a lighter note, I promise. I'll be thinking of you and the gang while you all are in The Big Easy (and I'm out here helping shepherd a launch campaign with ILS); please pass along my best regards.

Cheers...