Translation Policy
As stated in our Mission and Vision statements, the purpose of the Translation and Interpreting Office is to guarantee that the Spanish-speaking community can access the services, resources and benefits offered by the institution. UTRGV’s guiding principles call for an institution that produces global, bilingual and biliterate leaders and that becomes a Gateway to the Americas. It is, therefore, crucial that our work has a multicultural imprint: we produce target texts that are as “standardized” as possible so that they can be understood by members of the larger Rio Grande Valley community, as well as by members of the vast Spanish-speaking world, comprising over half a billion (native and non-native) speakers.
Spanish is a rich language that is spoken all over the world, nowadays being the official or national language of 21 countries in Central and South America, Europe and Africa, and totaling over 440 million native speakers. In the US alone, the number of Spanish speakers rises to 37 million, which makes it by far the most spoken non-English language of the country. It is, therefore, not surprising that it has developed individualities and differences across three different continents and even within each country and, as it happens with every language, it continues to evolve and change permanently.
Keeping these notions in mind, one of our goals is precisely to make sure that each and every Spanish speaker clearly understands the content that is translated into Spanish, regardless of where they live or come from. Our office goes hand in hand with the institutional goal of being a Gateway to the Americas by contributing to the vision of a university that is bilingual, bicultural and biliterate.
To that end, we have created a number of guidelines which are intended to help us keep consistency in all the materials we produce.
We encourage our clients and anyone interested in our work to read the recommendations of the American Translators Association for Translation Services and for Interpreting Services:
For your convenience, however, we have summarized here a number of important aspects to bear in mind when you consider having your texts translated or your event interpreted.
The Translation and Interpreting Office at UTRGV is highly proficient in rendering into Spanish different types of texts. Our translation team has a diverse academic and professional background that covers several disciplines in the arts and sciences. We are committed to producing high-quality material using the most up-to-date technology and the most comprehensive translation tools in the market nowadays.
The translation process involves several stages that help us guarantee the high standards and accuracy of our work, and which imply at least translation, edition, and several layers of revision of the same text. Our work flow also includes the regular monitoring of material published online.
We translate all UTRGV institutional material including website content, regulatory documentation (norms, policies, rules and regulations), advertising, marketing material, and content developed by any of the university departments, offices, divisions, centers, colleges, and schools. Ours is a collaborative effort, on numerous occasions working alongside other UTRGV offices in order to have our material available always in both languages and at the same time.
The following list of quotes summarizes some of the recommendations by the American Translators Association about translations in general that may be very informative for those who have not used our services yet.
Always bear in mind that translated text tends naturally to grow in length and that look-alike wordings, no matter how obvious, are not necessarily the best possible renditions in the target language.
- Speaking is not writing. Oral fluency does not guarantee smooth, stylish writing. Even if you regularly negotiate successfully in […] Spanish, and spend lots of time in the countries where those languages are spoken, 99 times out of 100 your written command of a foreign language will be immediately recognizable as “foreign”.
- Bilingualism on its own is not a guarantee of written fluency or skill in translation.
- Professional translators are writers, producing texts that read well in the target language. They are usually fluent in their source language(s) as well. But they are above all effective bridges between the languages they work in; they can render the message of the original text, with appropriate style and terminology, in their native language.
- Bilingualism is something else. Bilinguals speak two languages fluently, but are not necessarily good at moving information between the two, especially in writing. And many people described as bilinguals overestimate their communication skills altogether.
- Finalize your text before starting the translation.
- Tell the translator what it’s for. A speech is not a web site. A sales brochure is not a catalog entry. A graph heading is not a directional sign.
- An inquisitive translator is good news. No one reads your texts more carefully than your translator. Along the way, he or she is likely to identify fuzzy bits—sections where clarification is needed. This is good news for you, since it will allow you to improve your original. Good translators strip down your sentences entirely before creating new ones in the target language. And they ask questions along the way.
- The more technical your subject, the more important it is that your translators know it inside out.
- Have typeset copy proofread by your translator, always. Even if you have a sound procedure in place, with reliable translation providers who know your company inside out, last-minute additions (headings, captions, word changes) by well-meaning non-linguists can sabotage an otherwise effective document.
- Typography varies from language to language. Many printers and office staff are unaware of this—or don’t take it seriously—and may “adjust” […] texts to bring them into line with their own standards. [Spanish] writes quotation marks « » and […] neither months nor days of the week take an initial capital. Even if each typesetting glitch is minor, the cumulative effect is off-putting for […] readers.
- There are hundreds of ways a translation project can go off track: ridiculous deadlines, ambiguities in source text amplified by the translator not asking questions, misapplied MT (machine translation), no proofreading of typeset text by a native speaker, blissful unawareness of an over-confident translator operating in a vacuum, poor coordination of large projects, poor cheap freelance translator, poor expensive freelance translator, poor cheap translation company, poor expensive translation company, no client input, and on and on.
The Translation and Interpreting Office at UTRGV also offers a range of English-Spanish interpreting services that can be suitable for the clients’ specific needs. Our staff is highly trained and prepared to provide the following interpreting services:
- Short consecutive interpreting
- Long consecutive interpreting
- Simultaneous interpreting
The entire staff is committed to follow rigorously the code of ethics and standards of practice to ensure a proper interpreting service that can fulfill the customer’s special requirements.
We encourage our clients to read the following frequently asked questions about the nature and requirements of the interpreting services that we offer.
Interpreting is the verbal translation of SPOKEN (not written) language. It is a task that, when properly done, requires high cognitive functions and needs to be conducted by highly trained professionals. It also requires adequate settings in order to ensure its utmost quality.
Interpreters generally work in one of three modes, and each mode requires overlapping but distinct sets of skills. These modes are:
Consecutive interpreting – The interpreter waits for the speaker to finish a sentence, an idea or a full paragraph, and then renders the interpreted message in the target language.
Simultaneous interpreting – The audience wears headphones, and the interpreter renders through a radio system the speakers' words into the target language as they speak.
Sight translation – The interpreter reads a text in the source language to him/herself and, almost simultaneously, renders its content in the target language.
Interpreting services for events held by or related to UTRGV are typically free of charge. Interpreting rates for non-UTRTGV clients will be budgeted based on standard market rates and availability.
Clients should appoint a contact person to manage all coordination between both parties.
T&iO can be reached by phone at (956) 882-7214 and by email at tio@utrgv.edu.
Clients should also inform T&iO about the nature of the event, so that both parties can discuss and decide on the most appropriate interpreting mode for the event. The interpreting mode/approach will depend on the type of event, number of attendees, number of speakers, room design, etc.
Other important pieces of information our office needs to have in advance are the date, time, and location of the event. Regarding the venue, the address should be clear and complete. If the venue is in a remote area, a map or a rough sketch signaling the location will be appreciated.
Transportation expenses between T&iO and the event location will be covered entirely by the client at the mileage rate established by UTRGV. Clients have the option of providing their own transportation for our interpreters. Transportation costs/mileage DO APPLY to UTRGV events that entail interpreters working at different locations outside their regularly assigned campus.
Yes. Clients must inform T&iO about the content of the event well in advance. Some aspects to be taken into consideration are: what type of event it will be (e.g. a conference, a meeting, a lecture, a discussion, etc.) or what the subject matter of the event will be (e.g. medicine, business, politics, administration etc.). It is very important that the client share slides, remarks, written speeches or drafts, etc. with the interpreter(s) ahead of the event. Keep in mind that the more information the client shares prior to the event with the interpreter(s), the better the service they will be able to provide.
If the services are cancelled by the client less than 24 hours before the scheduled time of the event, the client must fully pay the contracted services. There is no charge for UTRGV-held/sponsored events.
Simultaneous interpreting may be the most suited interpreting mode for speeches, conferences and lectures. Simultaneous interpreting does not interfere with the regular pace of a speech, and speakers do not need to stop to wait for the interpreter(s) to render their translation, neither does the audience have to wait for the speaker to finish before being able to listen to a rendition in a language they understand.
However, this interpreting mode entails some important technical preparations.
T&iO can provide, at the client’s expense, the necessary equipment: microphone, FM transmitter and receivers. There is no equipment-related cost for UTRGV-related/sponsored events.
Our staff must test the audio setup at the designated location well in advance. The time needed to test the equipment at the event location will also be considered for billing purposes, should it apply.
The client must provide a set of professional headphones carrying the local sound feed (main audio of the event) for all and every interpreter needed during the event.
For events lasting more than 30 minutes, two interpreters are required and, therefore, two different set of headphones working at all times.
In addition, a soundproof booth (if possible) or a table large enough for the interpreters and their equipment to be placed in a comfortable manner must be provided. Chairs are also needed.
It is important to note that the interpreters will focus on rendering interpretation services and that they are NOT audio technicians. Thus, the client should assign their own sound technicians, who will be responsible for their own sound equipment, including the main audio feed that interpreters need in order to perform simultaneous interpreting. THEREFORE, the office or unit that petitions our services MUST SUBMIT a request to the IT Department through support.utrgv.edu for an audio technician to be present the day of the event, on site, and during the testing conducted the previous days. Such request should be submitted at least five days in advance according to what we have been told by the IT Department.
If the event location does not have a soundproof booth, the designated table for the interpreters should be as far from the stage as possible, and always near an electric outlet. However, interpreters need to have visual contact with the stage at all times, particularly with the speaker(s). This means the interpreters’ table or booth should not be placed behind the speaker(s).
Not for large audiences. Only when the audience is limited to two or three persons at the very most, simultaneous interpreting can be conducted in what is known as “whispered” mode (without audio feed).
SPEAKER: Regardless of the interpretation mode, interpreters must have a short pre-event session with the speaker(s) in order for the former to familiarize the latter with the process, and also to ease the job for the interpreters themselves. A very brief handout will be provided for the speaker to read. No more than a few minutes will be required from the speaker.
DELIVERY: Our staff is prepared to render their services in a professional manner. It is therefore advisable that the speaker(s) talk in a normal pace in order to maximize the quality of the interpretation job. If the speaker(s) talk in a fast pace, it is more likely that a segment of the original message may be missed while speaking in the target language. The speakers’ loud and clear voice will also be very helpful.
AUDIO QUALITY: In the case of simultaneous mode of work, the use of professional headphones is vital, as well as the fact that interpreters receive a clear and loud feed from the stage microphone. The sound of a loud speaker directed to the interpreters’ work area may be problematic, since the audio may be muffled or distorted, and the interpreters will probably have a hard time understanding what is being said as they talk into their microphones.
LOCATION: Whether simultaneous or consecutive mode, interpreters must never leave their working area during the event and, consequently, they will not be able to assist in other duties or responsibilities that are not part of the interpreting process. An exception is provided in cases of what is known as “escort” interpreting, in which a party walks around facilities or stopping at various locations for on-the-spot discussions.
Clients must guarantee a safe work environment, free of health and safety hazards.
The answer is typically: “YES”. That means that everything the speaker says during the session will and must be interpreted at all times. Whether a previously written speech, an ad-lib, or a side comment, interpreters will render everything that is being uttered, and it is their responsibility to make sure that the communication between two culturally diverse groups is not interrupted nor disrupted in any way.