The 65th Annual ATA Conference will be held from October 30 to November 2, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. Whether you’re a first-time attendee or a seasoned conference-goer, there’s something for everyone in the lineup.
Traditionally, we compile a list of sessions and events that we believe will be of particular interest to our members. For speaker bios and more information about the conference, please visit the ATA65 website.
Thursday, October 31
Mining 101: The Basics for Every Translator and Interpreter
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Presented by: Sadot Marquez and Pedro Valdez
This session is listed under the “Science and Technology T&I” main topic.
Sadot and Pedro will delve into one of the world’s most challenging and strategic industries. The rapid evolution of technology and methods used in mining over the past decade has triggered an increasing demand for English-speaking professionals, who often face language barriers and region-specific jargon.
See also: Mining 102: Advanced Insights for Translators and Interpreters on Friday, November 1 at 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
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Can You Build Your Own Neural Machine Translation Engine?
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Presented by: Carola Berger
Is it possible to build a functioning machine translation engine for a tech-savvy translator with over a decade’s worth of subject-matter-specific translation memory data? The answer is “not really.” However, it’s possible to adapt an existing engine to run locally on your machine and train it with your own data, thus adhering to strict data privacy regulations. Attend this session to find out more!
This session’s presenter, Carola Berger, is a longtime member of the S&TD Leadership Council and former S&TD Administrator.
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Clinical Trial Documents Decoded: A Brief Review of Key Documents and Frequent Terminology
2:35 p.m. – 3:05 p.m.
Presented by: Guadalupe Martin
The clinical trial industry is expected to continue growing in the years ahead, driven by the increasing number of drugs in the pipeline and rising investment in pharmaceutical research and development. This creates numerous appealing opportunities for translators. The session will focus on the most frequently translated key documents in this field. Attendees will gain an understanding of clinical trial documents and their terminology to be better equipped when translating within this industry. This session will be presented in Spanish with examples in English.
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GenAI Showdown: The Ultimate AI Chatbot Face-Off
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Presented by: Nora Diaz
In this session, Nora will dive deep into the world of Generative AI, pitting various chatbots against each other in a battle of usefulness and capability. We’ll explore how different chatbots handle a variety of language-related prompts and challenges, revealing their strengths and weaknesses. Come prepared to vote for your favorite and walk away with clear insights to pick the right tool for each task.
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The Language of Reproductive Health for Medical Translators and Interpreters
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Presented by: Betty Galiano
This session aims to provide you with in-depth knowledge in the field of reproductive health, thereby enhancing the precision and sensitivity of your translations. Our focus will be on the essential concepts, acronyms, and terminology specific to reproductive health, encompassing prevalent complications, treatments, and procedures. The session will highlight the significance of cultural sensitivity and confidentiality in dealing with reproductive health matters, guaranteeing that these subjects are approached with the utmost professionalism and care.
Friday, November 1
Into English Medical Terminology
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Presented by: Marion Lemari
This session is an introduction on how to handle medical terminology in German-into-English patient records. We’ll cover essential research methods, available resources, and useful strategies for translating simple terms, including acronyms and two-letter abbreviations as well as medical codes and complex terms and phrases. Emphasis will be placed on English symbols, abbreviations, and dose designations that could jeopardize patient safety. We’ll look at medical concepts and discuss semantic features (full and partial equivalence) as well as polysemy, hyponymy, hypernymy, and synonymy in medical terminology. Finally, we’ll explore basic medical termbase mapping and term storage.
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Terminology-Based Approach to Master Medical Translation and Interpreting
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Presented by: Luciano Ramos
The language of science is deeply rooted in classical languages like Greek and Latin, forming the foundation of medical terminology. This session delves into the historical significance of these languages in shaping medical jargon and the information they offer to medical translators and interpreters. We’ll explore how understanding Greek and Latin roots enhances translation accuracy and comprehension, with examples in Spanish. From dissecting word roots to decoding complex medical terminology, this session equips translators and interpreters with essential skills to navigate the intricacies of medical translation and interpreting with confidence and precision.
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Turn AI into Your Ally for Medical Translations
2:35 p.m. – 3:05 p.m.
Presented by: Luciano Ramos
In the rapidly evolving landscape of translation, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly enhance efficiency and accuracy in the realm of medical translations for specialized linguists. This session explores how translators can leverage AI technologies to streamline the translation process, improve terminology accuracy, and enhance overall quality while maintaining control over the technology to avoid mistakes. From machine translation systems to AI-powered terminology management tools, attendees will gain practical strategies for translators to turn AI into a trusted ally in delivering precise and timely medical translations.
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Mining 102: Advanced Insights for Translators and Interpreters
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Presented by: Sadot Marquez and Pedro Valdez
This session is listed under the “Science and Technology T&I” main topic.
Building upon the foundational knowledge gained during “Mining 101: The Basics for Every Translator and Interpreter,” (Thursday, October 31 at 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) this session delves into more technical facets of the mining industry. Attendees will explore occupational health and safety protocols, processing and plant operations, and waste and tailings management, expanding their knowledge of the mining production chain. The speakers will provide specialized vocabulary and insights crucial for accurately translating and interpreting in mining contexts. Join us as we deepen our expertise and readiness to serve the diverse needs of the mining sector, both on-site and remotely.
See also: Mining 101: The Basics for Every Translator and Interpreter on Thursday, October 31 at 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
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Working with Good Helpers in Scientific Translation: Online Research Tools and Resources
4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Presented by: Kazumasa Aoyama
Research is essential in the translation process and crucial in the fields of science, where accuracy and clarity are paramount. Knowing and using good research tools and resources can make a difference between a successful and failed translation. In this session, the speaker will share online research tools and resources he has found useful in his long career with English into Japanese scientific translation, including dictionaries, databases, corpora, and AI applications. He will demonstrate how to use them effectively and share recommendations from other translators. This session will be presented in English with Japanese examples, but will also benefit translators in other language pairs.
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Science & Technology Division Dinner at McMenamins Broadway Pub
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Join us at McMenamins Broadway Pub, where you’ll have the chance to connect with fellow S&TD members, share ideas, and enjoy some delicious appetizers and drinks. Optional alcoholic drinks and additional food items will be available for purchase at your own cost. What better way than this to unwind and network after a day full of learning. Visit the ATA65 Science & Technology Division Dinner page for more information and to register.
Saturday, November 2
The Characterization of Chemistry
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Presented by: Matthew Schlecht
This session is listed under the Science and Technology T&I topic. The presenter, Matthew Schlecht, is a longtime member of the S&TD Leadership Council.
Western and Eastern philosophical systems evolved in substantial isolation, and modern Western science was only integrated into the relatively xenophobic Chinese and Japanese cultural complexes in the mid-19th century. While native alchemy provided a foundation to build upon, the Chinese and Japanese languages were tasked with digesting the novel foreign content of the science of chemistry, tapping different Western sources in each case. This session will describe the importation of the language of Western chemistry into East Asia, and methods, techniques, and resources for translating chemistry content from Chinese and Japanese into English will be provided with examples.
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Subtitling Translation Strategies from English into Traditional Chinese: A Case Study of the 2012 Musical Film Les Misérables
3:05 p.m. – 3:35 p.m.
Presented by: Gene Hsu
This session has been included in this list because the presenter, Gene Hsu, is a member of the S&TD Leadership Council.
In this session, Gene will discuss her research regarding the English into Chinese (traditional) subtitling translation strategies used in the musical film Les Misérables. The methodology is based on subtitling and translation strategies and audiovisual translation, and conceptual and qualitative models with a case study. The research evaluated findings and results, including the loss and changes of subtitling in the target language, and found that various strategies were adopted in the film. These strategies are not only influenced by guidelines and rules but languages and cultures. The speaker suggests that subtitling translation strategies should be adopted according to the genre, scene, film plot, target language, and culture.
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These sessions and events are just a glimpse of what this year’s conference has to offer. Be sure to mark your calendars and take full advantage of the conference. We look forward to seeing you there!