A1-b

** John Buckley ** ** Shane O’ Leary ** ** Alistair Murphy ** We were given the task of looking at different blog entries to comment on them regarding their relevance to translation. I will briefly go through the blogs that we found most suitable. In the blogs we were looking for relevant information regarding translation and also for tools that would help us translate. The criteria for the most suitable blogs were whether or not they had links to other blogs associated with translation.
 * Grupo 1(b) **

Another blog that we examined was “**unprofessional translation**”. We found the blog to have some very interesting blog entries regarding translation. One entry in particular looks at the profession from natural translator through to the advanced and expert translator. Another interesting blog entry examines the consecutive interpreting done by conference interpretors. The blog also contains links to other blogs about translation. A search tool is also included in the blog, which allows the user to find useful blog entries using key words. Users may also leave comments on blog entries, possibly to debate on different methods of translation. Overall we found this a very interesting blog to read through, we don’t think it would give much help if you needed to translate a document as there is very little information regarding translation theory. It is more focused on the experiences of the blogger. Since we could not find any useful direct translation tools on the blogs provided, we decided to look ourselves for useful tools on websites across the internet. [] Translationz is an Australian website that offers individuals to aid in conference interpreting. It also gives a list of suitable conference destinations that can be of benefit to the parties involved. The website doesn’t offer any direct translation tools but it gives quotes to companies that wish to avail of their services.. [] Legal language is a website that aids with the process of legal interpretation. The company base themselves in 97 different countries and specialize in 157 different languages. They offer rush services that meet deadlines and specialize in all areas of international law. Linguists with specialized legal vocabulary interpret trials, depositions, arbitrations and other legal proceedings throughout the US and around the world. [] We found an online translation company called K International which specialises in providing translations for medical documents. This is an important service as translating medical documents can be extremely difficult for an amateur translator. The service is also important in that this type of translation can help spread new medical discoveries and theories in a timely fashion. However due to the level of difficulty and perceived importance this service comes at quite a high price and is perhaps more suitable for companies rather than individuals After exploring all the relevant blogs, we found that there were not a lot of actual translation tools linked with the blogs. There was however, a lot of interesting information regarding the field of translation and how it is linked to our everyday lives. Possibly the most relevant piece of information we found was the personal experiences we came across. We felt that these personal experiences could be looked at and learned from for other interpreters in the future. We also found some relevant translation theory in some of the blogs which may help people studying in the field of interpretation. There are also many useful translation websites but as previously stated they are much more suitable for companies rather than individuals as they are quite expensive.
 * T**** he Liason Interpretor ** blog was set up by Lionel Dersot. On the blog he provides an outlet where peers can discuss interpretation matters. One of these means is IntJC a Twitter based chat initiative where people can discuss specific translation matters simultaneously. Dersot stresses in his blogs how this Twitter initiative is very useful as since it is essentially a social networking website, people talk more candidly about translation matters. Dersot also mentions how this new initiative has been spurred on by previous failed attempts on bringing people together to discuss translation matters, where issues such as person’s egos have come in the way. In Dersot’s blogs, he mentions various issues around the field of translating, for example the stresses associated with being an interpretor (in the case of the French interpretor for refugees). However, many of the links posted by Dersot were not very useful in the field of transation. He provides links stating what interpreting is and the skills involved with interpreting (e.g interpersonal skills, confidence, understanding of cultural backgrounds etc), but I don’t think he goes over the ground rules of interpreting very well. Furthermore, there is no tools linked to this blog that could help someone who is having problems with translating something. This blog is good for those who have a significant knowledge in translation and interpreting as the Twitter initiative allows experts to discuss different issues. But I do not think it could be of use to someone who is looking for any help translating something.
 * Translation and Interpretation in America is a ** blog was set up by Gladys Matthews and it deals with the practice and teaching of translation and interpretation in the U.S. Definitions of interpretation, and how it offers an insight into how interpretation has been shaped and how it is perceived in the US judiciary system are mentioned. Different blogs by Matthews discuss how interpretation is used in court proceedings to overcome language barriers for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals. Matthews touches on other translation issues such as telephonic interpreting, and what difficulties may occur with this. Interpretation is becoming more and more important in everyday life, and this is backed up by his blog regarding the Healthcare Interpreter Training Programs being introduced in the US. I felt this blog was interesting as it links translation and interpretation into our everyday lives, emphasising just how important it is in today’s world. It also provides links to the latest interpreting stories in the news and a search tool that allows you to look for any interpretation issues that may have been blogged in the past.
 * In my words ** is a blog written by a conference interpretor who also teaches interpretation and is currently studying for a PhD in interpretation studies. The blog has a useful Twitter box in which interpretors can discuss issues simultaneously and ask questions in relation to interpretation. Another aspect I found to be useful was the section in which key words are tagged and listed in the blogs. This makes it easy for the reader to find exactly what they are looking for. For example, the tag for “professional guidelines” lead to a very interesting post on this this issue. The blog also contains links to other interpretation and translation blogs which looked quite useful. One post that popped out as being very interesting was entitled “My goals as an interpreter”. This post informs the reader of the difficulties of a young interpreter not just in terms of finding work but finding suitable work with qualified people and acceptable facilities. Along with this is a list of goals set out by the interpreter. We found this blog to be an interesting read as the author reveals many aspects of life as an interpreter, and it would be very useful to follow for other young aspiring interpreters. However once again we didn’t manage to find any useful tools for direct translation.
 * InterpretAmerica ** is an interesting website set up to provide a national forum for the interpreting profession in the US. It does this by providing conferences, discussion groups and through other activities. The organisation also organises summits in which all of the leaders in the interpreting industry attend. This website also offers news and updates concerning the interpreting field. The organisation was set up in 2007 and brought together a distinguished group of international experts from conference, legal, medical and academic sectors. Interpret America are pushing the profession forward in areas such as the development of video and telephonic interpreting technology in medical interpreting, legal interpreting and advanced curriculum and degree programs available in conference interpreting. This was an interesting website that was well organised. However it offered very little with regard to discussion on the topic nor did it provide any links to tolls to aid with the process of translation.