by Gene Hsu
This year, I was thrilled to attend the American Translators Association’s 65th Conference at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland! I had a busy schedule, and an informative and highly productive conference. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would like to share some highlights.
NETWORKING
Prior to attending the conference, I was often in the dark about ATA division events until I received emails from the divisions. For instance, Rony Gao, Assistant Administrator of the Chinese Language Division, reached out to me with details about a group chat and an invitation to the division dinner, which made me feel very welcomed.
Moreover, there were a lot of networking events, and everyone was nice and open to chatting. Unlike the academicconferences that I attended, ATA65 provided a professional platform where colleagues and peers could talk to one another, exchange ideas, and learn from each other.
During the conference, I had the opportunity to connect with many interpreters, translators and peers from all over the world. It was a great chance to network and make new friends. It is always wonderful to meet many people with different backgrounds and experiences, as the magic of in-person meetings is truly incomparable.
SESSIONS
The event featured a packed schedule filled with informative sessions and productive networking opportunities, making it an enriching experience for all attendees. There were many interesting sessions I would have loved to attend, but I eventually had to choose due to the overlapping schedules.
The ones I did join were highly informative and engaging. The value came not only from the relevant topics, but from new knowledge and insights I learned from the speakers’ presentations, how they articulated their ideas, and how they tailored their presentations to their audiences.
I was surprised by the significant presence of senior interpreters and translators at the conference, which highlighted the vast opportunities for my own growth, learning, and improvement in the field.
MY SESSION
It was my honor to be both a first-timer and speaker at the 65th ATA conference.
My session “Subtitling Translation Strategies from English into Traditional Chinese: A Case Study of the Musical Film ‘Les Misérables’” went very well.
Attendees provided enthusiastic feedback, with some highlighting the usefulness of my references and others expressing fascination with the depth of meaning in traditional Chinese characters—something they had not previously thought much about.
These thoughtful comments not only validated my research but also boosted my confidence in continuing the work I have been devoted to. I am deeply grateful for their attendance at my session and for offering such warm, constructive insights! I will keep it up and remain humble.
PORTLAND
Apart from attending the conference, I visited some tourist sites in Portland, and really enjoyed the colorful maples in this late but beautiful autumn.
Last but not least, I would like to share a CLD Division Dinner photo. I am looking forward to seeing you again!
感恩相遇,期待再次相見!
Gene Hsu is a professional interpreter-translator, singer and ethnomusicologist based in the UK. She is anATA voting member and CIOL MCIL member, and an NRPSI full-status registered interpreter.
Gene is engaged in intercultural and interdisciplinary research in music and translation. Her independent project “Music and Translation” was awarded CIOL qualification for its innovative nature. She has presented her papers at international conferences around the world. Furthermore, her research draws attention to the historical and cultural significance of traditional languages, songwriting and song translation. Gene hopes to bridge cultural and language gaps and to contribute towards better understanding and world peace.
Gene’s website: https://veritastranslates.com/
Edited by Ben Murphy and Sijin Xian.
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