Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

[jennifer przewoznik <>]

Hey there folks,

My experience aligns with what others have said.  NCCASA has worked with Arte Sana on some trainings (not translation help) and they have underscored many times the importance of NOT using the online translation software and the importance of hiring someone whose primary language is that which you are looking to translate to. 
Of course, b/c of colloquialisms, dialects, and variation,  that even leaves room for error.  It is a big need, for sure.  

FYI-In case you are not familiar with Arte Sana, check them out.  They do not offer translation services (or else they would probably get 1,000 asks a day), but they do a lot of other amazing things: www.arte-sana.com. 

Jen

On Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 3:01 PM, Kaplan, Claire (cnk2r) <> wrote:

Several years ago I got a grant to translate some of our materials into Mandarin Chinese.  I hired a grad student to do the translation.  But I would caution anyone working on this to be very careful.  The person who translates may not really understand the cultural concepts from an American perspective. Hiring an American to translate into a foreign language may result in a poorly translated document from a native speaker's POV.  Some languages do not have the same terms or words to describe what we know in English (even body parts).  When I worked at the LA Commission on Assaults Against Women (now Peace Over Violence), we translated our Handbook for Survivors into several languages and it was a real challenge—especially from English to Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese.  Languages transmit cultural priorities and when it comes to issues like these, it can be really tricky.  I even had a native Spanish speaker translate some materials and then another native speaker saw it and ripped it to shreds.  Go figure.  They were from two different countries.

That being said, this is a critical issue.  The best source of information in my mind is from the Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence (http://www.apiidv.org/).  They have information on literature in 32 languages, including those spoken in South Asia (such as Arabic, Malay and Urdu) and those spoken in other parts of Asia, such as Chinese, Japanese and Thai.  I would consult with them if it would be helpful.  The APIIDV is a highly-regarded organizations.

Claire

Claire Kaplan, Ph.D.

Director, Sexual & Domestic Violence Services

UVA Women's Center

(434) 982-2774 Voice

(434) 982-2901 Fax

From: <Anderson>, Linda <>
Date: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 2:24 PM
To: Sexual Assault Program Coordinators' Listserv <>

Subject: help with translation of sexual violence information

Dear SAPC colleagues,

 

We are seeking information about where/how to get materials translated from a reliable and knowledgeable source on sexual violence. We are planning efforts to provide education for incoming international students this fall during orientation, and we have a large number of students coming from Saudi Arabia and China. We thought having handouts (and possibly powerpoint during the presentations) in various languages, starting with Arabic and Chinese, would be useful for these students.

 

If you could refer us to any resources, we would greatly appreciate it!

 

Thanks so much,

Linda Anderson

 

 

Linda Anderson, Ph.D.

Coordinator, Sexual Assault Support Services

Licensed Psychologist

Oregon State University

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

500 Snell Hall

Corvallis, OR 97331

Phone: 541-737-2131     SASS Helpline: 541-737-7604

Fax: 541-737-2518

 

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-- 
Jen Przewoznik, MSW
Prevention Education Coordinator
North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault
811 Spring Forest, Suite 900
Raleigh, NC 27609
919-871-1015 (p)
919-871-5895 (f)
www.nccasa.org

"It is unreasonable to expect that people will change their behavior easily when so many forces in the social, cultural, and physical environments conspire against such change." 
                                                                           -Institutes of Medicine