Translators of the Month
May 2010
Interview
This
is the first in a monthly series of interviews with French-English translators
of professional distinction. In order to offer readers a “double- feature”, we
begin the series with the choice of two shining stars in the translating
firmament, Cindy Hazelton of
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Cindy Hazelton |
Marianne Reiner |
Cindy
and Marianne both have degrees in Law and are experienced translators. In
addition, they are partners in “TransConnect Translations" - http://www.tctranslation.com
At the
end of the interview there is a link to Cindy’s and Marianne’s CVs.
The
questions that follow are put to them by your intrepid blogger, Jonathan
Goldberg (himself a professional translator).
J. How did you two meet?
C: I was the project
manager on a translation job for the U.N. We were translating a court ruling
into French for the Khmer Rouge trial. While searching for EN>FR
translators, a colleague recommended Marianne. I realized then how great she
was to work with.
M: I had heard of
Cindy from other colleagues and was delighted when she contacted me. After
making it through such a project, I knew we could work together.
J. You live on opposite sides of the
C & M: Yes.
After exchanging emails for a year, we agreed to meet at the ATA Conference in
J. Why did you decide to form a partnership?
C &M: After
talking in NYC, we realized that we shared the same passion for law and the
French language, had parallel educational backgrounds and a common work ethic.
We also have the same sense of humor, which is very important in a career that
can be stressful at times!
J. What is the goal of your partnership?
C: We find direct
clients needing French/English legal or commercial translations. We share our
lists of current clients and contacts, as well as our marketing costs.
M: We would like to
become a reference for high quality legal translation projects. And hopefully
inspire other colleagues to collaborate with each other. Working as a team is
such a perk in our industry.
J. How will you handle each job?
C &M: We refer
clients to each other for the appropriate language combination. After the
translation is finished, we edit each other's work. Our fee includes the cost
of the translation, editing and post-revision changes.
J. Why do you prefer to work as translators
rather than attorneys?
C: I worked in law
firms during summer vacations from my teaching job. I couldn't see myself
sitting at a desk doing that type of work for the rest of my life. I enjoy legal
translation because it combines my two loves, the French language and the law.
I also appreciate the variety that each job brings.
M: I was attracted to the practice of the Law in
some of its aspects that are not always placed under the spotlight or given
their due attention, but that are vital for winning a case. One such aspect is
translation, which I consider to be a critical component of international
litigation. It was this niche of the Law
that appealed to me.
J. Is the difference in time zones a problem?
M: On the contrary!
It's our strength. As we say on our website, we cover all
C: And when I sign
off in the evening, Marianne works for several more hours. With our Blackberries,
we're always available to each other. We're respectful of each other's time
zone, but also very flexible when necessary.
J. Do you travel to
C: Absolutely.
That's one of the perks of this job!
M: Yes, once a year.
But we also have many clients within the
J. Do you do any other types of translation?
C: Yes, I've
translated a book about Creole literature. I’ve also translated television
commercials and marketing materials for holistic pet food. Contrary to general
opinion, translation is not boring. I can't imagine a more interesting job.
M: Yes, absolutely!
Among many other projects, I have translated a non-fiction book about the case
of a man wrongly executed in
J. Where do you see yourselves 5 years from now?
C & M: We see ourselves having steady
work from direct clients in France and the
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