Translator Experience Day – Aurora Humaran Interview

You remember a few weeks ago, my post on Aurora Humaran’s N. de T. Forum. Today I bring you my interview of Aurora, as promised:

OK, here goes:

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Aurora Humarán?

Au is someone who loves words and communication. Translation is a good excuse to be among words, between languages and worlds. She is a passionate reader (big Borges fan), and probably a frustrated writer() Au believes that life without objectives is death: challenges are her fuel. Au’s unfulfilled dream is to study Letras (BA in Spanish language) and, one day, become an expert in etymology, one (another) of her passions. Au is CEO of Aleph Translations. She is divorced and lives with her 22-year-old daughter (Leticia, writer and musician) and their beagle (Fausto).

2. Why did you start the N. de T. Forum?
Because I wanted to create a place for translators to talk about translation from translators’ perspective — without any type of limitation or conflicting interests. A place where friends (Whitman, Cortázar, Ocampo, Neruda, and Borges) would always welcome other friends.

3. Do you go to the Forum every day?
Yes.

4. How much time per week do you spend on the Forum?
Will my shrink read this?

5. How did you manage to make the Forum so popular in such a short time?
I never thought it would be so popular. I invited some colleagues that I thought might be interested in my proposal, and then… word of mouth did the rest.

6. Are you satisfied with Forum activity: number, diversity, frequency of posts, etc.?
I am more than satisfied. I would like to see more activity in the interpreters’ area, but then… the Hollywood guys are always so busy and most of the times they are away from the PC. To me, theirs is a magical world and I would love to read more about it, but, such is life. This happens in most sites and lists I visit. So no plans to shut down The Booth for the time being….

7. What are your plans for the Forum? Where do you want to be in 10 years’ time?
I am still enjoying the surprise of the warm welcome by my colleagues, still feeling their ‘hug’ and metabolizing the fact that some brilliant professionals ‘feel at home’ at N. de T. I was expecting a group of 15 or 20 translators to join in, so you can imagine how I feel with more than 300. 10 years’ time? That is too far from here. I do have some (ultra secret) plans for the near future.

8. With Web 2.0 we now have a great variety of online networking venues. What do you think is the future of Forums?
They satisfy a very clear market niche. Specifically, in our industry, the lonely translator who enjoys sharing pauses with fellow colleagues, this said apart from the ‘practical’ use of fora: questions, resources, exchange of information on clients, rates, etc.

9. Do you think “marketing” is really necessary for freelance translators/interpreters?
I have a strong marketing background as I studied both Marketing and Advertising, and devoted 7 years to that activity in a highly marketing-oriented company i.e. Clorox. Yes, in the 21 century, marketing is key for almost everybody.

10. What do you think of Translator Power?
I have not been able to see very much of it, as you introduced it to me at about the same time I was launching N. de T. It’s on my waiting list.

Thank you for your interest in N. de T.! (Nota de Traductores = Translators’ Notes)

11. Thank you very much indeed, Aurora

A.M.Sall

P.S. We have turned the free 7-Part PR ecourse into a free downloadable PDF and all you have to do is visit this link and instantly download it!

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Globalization and Civilization

The “unsung heroes of Globalization” or Civilization would have been impossible without translation

Do you know who you are?

Do you realize that without you civilization would have been impossible?

The Ancient Greeks TRANSLATED Ancient Egyptian science (mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, medicine, etc.) and gave birth to modern civilization

The Japanese heavily TRANSLATED from Chinese

The Romans from Ancient Greek

The Arabs from Latin and Greek

The words of Jesus were TRANSLATED from Aramaic

(And thanks to the miracle of translation, literally millions of people in the US today believe that Jesus was actually called Jesus and that he told his parables in… English)

The Reformation amounted to no more than a gigantic TRANSLATION exercise from Latin

etc., etc., etc…

You translators have always been agents of progress, fulfilling an extraordinarily valuable civilizing mission

Without you, the world would just grind to an halt or turn in circles, like the snake that bites its own tail

No renewal, no external contacts

Nations would indulge in abject narcissistic, incestuous relationships

and the World would be irretrievably lost in “cultural masturbation”

A sad state of affairs, really

So why be so modest and unassuming?

Why keep a “low profile”?

Why allow yourself to be undervalued?

Because of you, people can afford NOT to learn each other’s languages and still communicate

You have been called the “unsung heroes of globalization” but you are much, much more than that

You certainly are among the movers and shakers of this world

Whatever your current income is, you deserve more, much more…

Now, do what it takes to get what you deserve, simply because you deserve it

Let’s give the last word to Borges: “Translation is a more advanced stage of civilization.”