27 September: International Translation Day/27 septembre : Journée mondiale de la traduction

Just came back form a very interesting and mind expanding evening celebrating the above event. As in previous years, it was held at Glendon College from where I graduated in 1972. It did not have a translation school then, just a comparative translation course, but judging by the some 100 attendees of tonight’s meeting, the school is successful and doing well.

Le thème de la réunion était “Ne tirez pas sur le traducteur! “– qu’on développé trois collègue interprètes: Hazel Cole-Egan, Lida Nosrati et Lyse Hébert. It was nice seeing Hazel whom I had worked with for many years while I was at GM. She and her colleagues did a tremendous job interpreting PowerPoint presentations for Marketing. She tells me that she still does it too.

La nouvelle présidente de l’ATIO, Nancy McInnis, avait présidé les festivités et avait décrit aux aspirants traducteurs les défis que pose la profession de traducteur ou interprète.

Deux autres collègues de vieille date sont venus me parler: Charlez Metz, qui m’avait aidé dans mes premiers pas dans la traduction à Toronto, et Margaret Rousseau, of Toyota, with whom I participated in a number of terminological committees in Montreal developing specialized terms for the automotive industry.

A bit of old, a bit of new and all those eager young faces of aspiring linguists!