February 19 - SWET Kansai: Editing J-to-E Translations for Better Communication

Two-in-One Workshop on Advanced Translation Editing

Leader: Lynne E. Riggs
Date: Saturday 19 February 2011
Time: 1:00-6:00 p.m.
(Session One) 1:00-3:00 p.m. and (Session Two) 3:30-6:00 p.m.
Fee: 5,000 yen SWET members/6,000 yen non-members.
If you join SWET or renew your SWET membership on the day, pay 10,000 yen (workshop+SWET membership): an extra discount of 1,000 yen! (One session participation 3,000 yen.)
Place: Room 201, Hyogoken Shigaku Kaikan, Motomachi, Kobe Map
神戸市中央区北長狭通4丁目3-13 (2-minutes north of JR/Hanshin Motomachi Stns, 7 mins from Hankyu Sannomiya Stn)
Reservations: SWET Kansai
Reserve early; attendance limited to 16 people per session. Participation in single session permitted. Please inquire.


Editing and rewriting are inextricable parts of the translation process. Good editing and rewriting are forms of translation as well. SWET will hold an intimate and intensive 4-hour workshop on advanced translation and editing skills for J-to-E translators and wordsmiths who edit their own or other people's writing or translations. Lynne E. Riggs, of the Center for Intercultural Communication in Tokyo, who specializes in non-fiction, non-technical (general) translation, will lead two interconnected sessions to help translators, editors, and rewriters advance their craft.

Session One: Polishing Translations—Advancing the Craft
Participants will be invited to translate two short texts (general non-fiction writing) in advance. Referring to the submitted translations, Riggs will note some of the weaknesses of draft translations and suggest translation approaches that can remedy such problems. Participants are encouraged, but not required, to submit translations in advance. Interested non-translators welcome. Attendees may participate in the discussion and on-screen editing shared via data projector.

Draft translations to be sent to SWET Kansai by February 11 (Friday). (Translation texts will be available from this page in early January.)

Session Two: Editing Translations: Writing and Styling
This session will focus on editing and enhancing J-to-E translations (by either native or non-native speakers of English), at the copyediting, editing, and writing levels. Participants will tackle sample texts and the group will compare edits and discuss alternative approaches.

Bonus: Translation/Editing Clinic
Participants may send in short texts illustrating thorny writing or translation situations they have encountered to learn techniques a veteran uses to address such problems. Passages or texts should be within 100 words and be sent to SWET Kansai by February 11 (Friday). Please include your name and email with your submission.