By Karen Tkaczyk
We were deep into Day 2 of the annual conference in Minneapolis when I joined a pleasantly packed room of familiar SciTech faces alongside some new ones, all eager to hear from Matthew Schlecht, a German and Japanese into English chemical translator.
Matthew and I go way back. In early 2006, when I was still establishing myself and he was getting busy, he recommended me to one of his clients for French to English work, as he preferred to do higher paid German work. I never stopped working for that client. (At a higher rate than in 2006, thankfully. 😊)
At this point in a review, I would typically dive into content and takeaways in some detail. However, as I started to tackle that using Matthew’s slide deck as reference, I decided instead to link to it. I would only be summarizing some points here when the entirety is clearly presented there. So why not share the original!
For some, the ATA conferences are all about catching up with colleagues we work with. For others connections made in the exhibit hall are the draw. Some of us look for content that builds our translation skills. In the SciTech division we have been spoiled over the years by session after session that builds the expertise we need to deliver amazing translations. Matthew forms part of the backbone of the return speakers, those we can look forward to hearing from every couple of years. What a marvelous resource this is. Thank you Matthew. We owe you.
Presentation Highlights
- What are polymers?
- What is polymer science?
- Where do polymers come from?
- What do I need to know about polymers?
- Where will polymers turn up in my work?
- Terminology resources
Link to Matthew Schlecht’s presentation “Poly-what? A Translator’s Guide to Polymer Science”
