2015年8月26日 星期三

Interpreter in a conference. | 會議中的雙面翻譯

The conference interpreters are specialists in oral communication between people and culture. They are not only to render a message from one language into another, naturally and fluently, but also to adopt the delivery, tone and convictions of the speaker and speaking in the first person. It is different from translation, which deals only with written texts.

In the early fashion, interpreters have always been involved in the development of international trade and cultural exchange. With the emergence of simultaneous interpretation in the middle of the 20th century the profession developed considerably and was shaped accordingly. As international conference attendees are from various background and cultures, and speaking different languages, the job of an interpreter is to enable the attendees to communicate with each other, not by literally translating word to word, but further by conveying the idea which they express.

There are three forms of conference interpretation:

- Simultaneous interpretation
This is the most frequently used form, where the interpreter speaks at the same time as the speaker, usually through electronic equipment, offering immediate communication in as many languages as required in a soundproofed booth. In the practice, the interpreter sits in a booth, listening to the speaker in one language through headphones, and immediately speaking their interpretation into a microphone in another language.
The interpreting equipment transmits the interpretation to the headphones of listeners in the meeting room. This form is appropriate in bilingual or multilingual meetings and has the advantage of not lengthening the meeting. It facilitates a lively discussion and encourages more spontaneous contributions. Aside from its benefits, simultaneous interpretation requires a high level of concentration of a specialist, since the interpreter is doing several things “simultaneously”:
listen and speak, analyze the structure of what is being said in order to present the speaker's argument, listen to his/her own interpretation to check for slips of the tongue.
In the due course, interpreters usually take turns of about 30 minutes.

simultaneous interpretation
source : barinas

- Consecutive interpretation
This is usually used for small discussion groups and in negotiations. The interpreter is in the same room as the speaker and follows their speech while taking notes before presenting their interpretation. Very long speeches may be broken up into parts, with interpretation after each part, but a trained interpreter is capable of consecutive interpretation of speeches several minutes long. Note taking is an essential part of consecutive interpreting. It involves committing to paper the logic and structure of the statement as an aid to memory, rather than recording everything that is said. It is suitable for scientific and technical presentations given by a single speaker, or in meetings where only a small number of languages are spoken, since it makes the meeting longer.

source : BOYI

- Whispered interpreting
Whispered interpretation is essentially simultaneous interpreting without a booth and rarely used in a conference. The interpreter sits very close to the listeners and provides a simultaneous interpretation in a quiet voice. At least two interpreters take turns. The practice is hard on the voice and appropriate only for short meetings. This form is not recommended for more than two people because if several interpreters are working at the same time in the same room this can be as noisy and unpleasant for the participants as it is inconvenient for the interpreters.



The skills of the conference interpreter
Interpreters must have complete mastery of their working languages, including an excellent command of their native language. They need an immediate grasp of their passive languages and a well-developed capacity to express themselves in their own language. Another essential requirement is a good mind. 

Interpreters need
a good level of general education, a lively and flexible intellect, analytic capacity, the ability to put themselves in the minds of the people for whom they are interpreting.

They also need
to be able to concentrate, have a good memory, have a pleasant voice and good diction, be physically and mentally robust.

Interpreters need to be willing to travel, since their work often takes them a long way from home.

Finally, they have to be rigorous, not only getting the message across, but also in their everyday professional practice. A professional conference interpreter is always well-prepared, is never late and above all has an absolute obligation to respect professional confidentiality.



       References
How interpreters work

What is conference interpreting?

Conference interpreting

What is a conference interpreter?


2015年6月29日 星期一

Why Risk Management is Important | 他山之石:從八仙彩虹趴學風險管理

source: 天下雜誌

The concept of Color Event comes from Holi Festival in India, which celebrates the beginning of Spring. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colors and saying farewell to winter. Traditionally, washable natural plant-derived colors such as turmeric, neem, dhak, kumkum were used; but water-based commercial pigments are increasingly used.

Festival of Colors - World's BIGGEST color party


Later on, in 2012, the first Color Run took place in USA and then started the global trend in the color events.

THE COLOR RUN™ - 2015 Shine Tour

When people enjoy the happiness and get wild in color powder, they may not know this kind of powder is inflammable. The worst of all is the planner does not know the risk. Dust explosion requires the conditions of the following five:
   1. A combustible dust
   2. The dust is suspended in the air at a sufficiently high concentration
   3. The dust cloud is confined (not always required)
   4. There is an oxidant (typically atmospheric oxygen)
   5. There is an ignition source

However, the risky point is the ignition can be:
   1. Electrostatic discharge
   2. Friction
   3. Arcing from machinery or other equipment;
   4. Hot surfaces, including e.g. overheated bearings
   5. Fire

Most event planners avoid the fire but the crowds, which cannot be eliminated, is the ignition! The unfortunate dust explosion of Taiwan Color Party teaches the worst lesson.

Risk management is a process designed to safeguard the various elements of a meeting / an event by minimizing the amount or severity of harmful events that may occur, according to the PCMA book – Professional Meeting Management. The importance speaks loud from the past experience yet many organizers still turn head around. It is not only the matter of human life, but also information, property, financial investment, organization image and professional reputation. To be a responsible event planner, start to review your risk management plan and start it now!

Step 1. Identify those elements or activities which could carry a risk.

Step 2. Identify the risks associated with each element or activity.

Step 3. Determine the possibility of occurrence of the risk and the severity of the consequences if the risk does happen.

Step 4: Risk Prioritization.

Step 5. Formulate, prepare and implement strategies to manage risks
Some common strategies used for risk management are:
1) Risk Avoidance: Avoid those elements and activities which could carry a risk.
2) Risk Retention: Accept some or all the consequences associated with a particular risk.
3) Risk Transfer: Transfer the risk to a third party, e.g. transferring the event security responsibility to a security agency.
4) Risk Reduction: Reduce the risk associated with a particular element or activity by developing an effective contingency action plan.

Step 6. Monitor the risks periodically

All in all, we should always prepare for the worst. In the tragedy of Taiwan Color Party, the lack of evacuation accessibility and immediate response increased the mass injury. While the solid risk management plan is done, can the real condition support?

There is no second chance to manage the risk, so Do it Right the First Time.


Shall you wanna learn more, here is the conference for you.
22nd Anuual Risk Minds International  (7-11 December 2015, Amsterdam)



※ Reference
Wiki   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi
Risk Management Plan for Events http://www.eventeducation.com/risk-management-events.php


2015年5月10日 星期日

COMPUTEX TAIPEI 今昔

source: BusinessWire

炎炎夏日一步步逼近,繼1月美國拉斯維加斯「國際消費電子大展 (Consumer Electronics Show, CES)」,以及3月西班牙巴塞隆納「世界行動通訊大會 (Mobile World Congress, MWC)」兩大資通訊界年度盛事後,亞洲最大、全球第二大的「台北國際電腦展 (COMPUTEX TAIPEI)」也將於2015年62日至6日登場,各家參展商無不摩拳擦掌,準備抓緊全球目光。


 source: LATIN POST



source: GSMARENA


COMPUTEX TAIPEI 1981年首次展出,並於1984年正式升格國際級展覽,參展廠商立刻由30家增至145家。雖陸續擴大展覽場地,展位仍一位難求,且因未徹底區隔內外銷,部分廠商越界進行促銷兜售而損形象。1990年,主辦單位決定將內外銷分館展示,並限定國際館不對外開放,獲得國際買主支持,遂於1991年起,將內銷館獨立為另一展覽,由COMPUTEX 正式挑起外銷責任。

如果說80年代是全球資訊電腦相關展覽的戰國時期,90年代就是形成三強鼎立態勢的重要時期。在「市場地理區位考量」、「各國科技實力」、「產業聚落」等因素的催化下,世界三大資通訊展覽逐漸浮出檯面,分別為:電腦資訊科技發源地和美洲市場訊息交會點的「美國 Las Vegas COMDEX Fall 電腦展」、歐洲工業科技大國和歐洲市場訊息中間交會點的「德國漢諾威 CeBIT 電腦展」,以及全球資訊電子產業製造代工生產基地的展示場所「台灣 COMPUTEX TAIPEI 電腦展」。甚至讓該產業業者從90年代起,習慣於每年11月到美國 COMDEX 看趨勢,隔年3月到漢諾威 CeBIT 找應用,6月到台灣 COMPUTEX 買產品。


source: 2GB

2003年台灣爆發 SARS 疫情,一度傳出停辦的 COMPUTEX 最終決定延至9月舉辦,雖然廠商與媒體均欣然同意,但卻因時間點的改變,意外與上海 CeBIT Asia 進行對決。然因原A21展覽館、現世貿三館啟用,擴大參展廠商容納量,加上美國 COMDEX 逐步沒落、當年上海 CeBIT Asia 也大幅衰退,SARS 危機反成為 COMPUTEX 的轉機,使其規模正式爬升為世界第二。

而除了各國廠商相互較勁之外,「最佳產品獎 (Best Choice Award)」與「創新設計獎 (d&i Awards)」兩個大會獎項,亦是鎂光燈追逐的焦點。




Best Choice Award (BC Award) 是專為買家挑選優秀產品的官方評選活動。自2002年起,凡當年度參展廠商皆可提報 ICT 產品參選,以產品的 FunctionalityInnovationMarket Potential 為評選重點,獲獎產品可免費於 COMPUTEX 展示,並享有展前記者會、與國際指標媒體合作專題報導等宣傳機會。



d&i Awards 2008年創立,是為了鼓勵資通訊產品的創新發明,特邀請德國知名工業設計龍頭 iF(國際論壇設計公司)執行該活動,所有參賽產品皆經過專業的國際評審團隊進行評選。獲獎後的線上產品展示、獲獎產品專刊發行及海內外知名資通訊大展的巡迴展出等多樣化的宣傳方式則是該獎項最大特色,也是該獎項與其他國際獎項最大的不同處。


​​

長久以來,COMPUTEX 被業界期許扮演引領未來趨勢的角色,也是將絕妙創意轉變為創新產品的展覽。走過30多個年頭,今年將以智慧科技、行動運算、雲端商業、穿戴應用等四大領域進行展出,屆時將有1,700多家參展廠商參展(如宏碁、華碩、博通、台達電、福特、技嘉、英特爾、微軟、微星等),攤位達5,000多個,涵蓋資訊通訊技術的各個層面。在這波濤洶湧的產業洪流中,COMPUTEX Taipei 持續領著台灣立足全球。

※ 2015年台北國際電腦展:請點此看更多資訊



國際會議│辦活動│參展│商務參訪│獎旅
滿意度最高的亞洲籌辦單位 - 滙集國際 service@asiaconcentrate.com

2015年1月28日 星期三

Universal Gifts! What's Offensive? | 柯P啟示:各國送禮禁忌,你送對了嗎?

Learn from mistakes!

Just a few days ago, the Mayor of Taipei city, Ke Wen-Je, received the watch gaffe from the UK government minister, who didn't expect this gift represents a negative symbol in Chinese culture. Yet, why a gift with big meaning in one country can be offensive to the other? Culture difference plays a great role here. Let's learn something from this story.

photo credit: BBC News

While planning an international event, the give-away can be a disaster if the giver doesn't study on the participants in advance. To make it simple, we can avoid the taboos from below 3 aspects.

1. COLOR
GREEN is not as auspicious to Japan. Yet, in Australia, it is the key color to celebrate their St. Patrick Day.
BROWN is deemed as mourning for the death in Brazil. 
YELLOW is offensive to Syria and Pakistan.
BLUE is preferred in Egypt and Belgium. Yet, it is the color of love in Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Syria and Iraq.
For some political or historical reasons, colors can be sensitive in some countries.
DARK GREEN is the Nazi uniform color so not a commonly-accepted color in France and Belgium.

2. NUMBER
13 is a figure of danger to Western Catholics. The well-known "Black Friday", as the 13th on Friday, can make some people feel a constant state of anxiety.
4 means bitter and death for Chinese and Japanese because of its pronunciation similar to death. Yet, in Malaysia, people treat it as a boss sitting pose.

3. FLOWER
WHITE LILY is the symbol of death or ill omen in British countries. Yet, to Romans, it is a symbol of beauty and hope, and Persian people think it is the expression of innocence and virginity.
TULIPS in Turkey is seen as a symbol of love, but the Germans do not think that it is the feelings of flowers.
ORCHID is a symbol of South-East Asia, while in Poland that is a passion flower
LOTUS is rated high in China, India, Thailand, Bangladesh, Egypt and other countries, but in Japan it is regarded as a symbol of the ominous, not used in a memorial ceremony.
CHRYSANTHEMUM is Japan's royal family dedicated flowers but, in Spain, Italy and Latin American, is considered "spent demon" only used in the cemetery.


Although the taboos varies with time and individuals, there is something in common by countries and religions.

Don't give any presents in figure, containing alcohol, or women to Islamic.
Presents in odd numbers and fine package are preferred by Americans.
Give economic but meaningful presents to British and the receivers would open it right away.
Crane means dummies to French and Walnuts is the symbol of bad luck. Plus don't strap flowers as gifts to them.
Giving money to Russian means humiliation.
Japanese value the gifts as it shows their respect to others so remember to bring gifts every meet-ups. Don't open in front of the givers. Comb is not a good option.
No gift to Arabic for the first meeting because it is deemed as bribe.
In Latin America, Scissors means the end of friendship and Handkerchief is considered sadness.
Don't give clocks, shoes or umbrellas to Chinese as they are associated with death and separation.
It is not appropriate to take food as gift in Holland.

Next time, when you prepare give-away for an event, be sure you study your attendance so you don't make any joke like the story.

Shall you know any offensive gifts, share with us!!