Resources: Websites on Translation

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Paula

Working in translation is a dream for many people who study Japanese, and already we’ve been lucky enough to feature an article on what it’s like to explore translation as a profession. Today we’re featuring a couple of links kindly sent in some time ago by a reader who wanted to be sure we had information on some of the resources available to people interested in the translation field. Since I myself am not a translator or entirely familiar with all the services offered, I’ll briefly outline the contents of the sites below and encourage you to do more research into them individually based on your own interests!

American Translation Association: The Japanese Language Division

The American Translation Association is an important organization with which to consider membership. The ATA has a plethora of information on the translation business, including guides to certification (an essential part of working as a translator!), conferences and seminars on translation and professional development, and even a directory of translation and interpretation services and language service companies that can help you if you or your business have translation needs. There are a lot of useful directories throughout the site for general translation career interests worth exploring.

The Japanese Language Division in particular provides information on its annual conference and current news and events, but more importantly is a gateway into a larger community of translators. Under the resources tab you’ll find links to the online JLD community. Although their blog does not appear to be active any longer, you can find past JDL info in the blog archives and those of their newsletter, the JLD Times. In addition, you’ll find links to two different mailing lists (the JLD and honyaku lists) which appear to be quite active and dynamic sources of information. Tapping the resources of online communities of people in the field is an essential method of gathering information on your professional and personal interests.

Japan Association of Translators

The Japan Association of Translators is another member-based organization meant to bring together and exchange information between individual translators of Japanese. Based out of Tokyo, JAT hosts numerous gatherings on translation, including the International Japanese English Translation Conference  (IJET), the PROfessional Japanese-English Conference on Translation (PROJECT), and regular meetings, presentations, and events on individualized subjects (see their events page to get an idea of how frequently such events are held all over Japan!). Their site provides information on what one should look for in a translator, as well as a searchable directory of translators and interpreters. One of the most useful sections of their site is definitely the resources section, which although still under construction in some sections, features articles on translation by professionals in the business, a collection of links to translation organizations, useful sites for translation work, and a link to their mailing list.

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Hope this brief introduction to two very useful translation sites has been helpful! Have any other sites you think we should feature? Let us know by emailing us at shinpai.deshou@gmail.com!

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Job Opportunity: Consular Section or Cultural Section, Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta

Posted on July 17, 2012 by LM

Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta is seeking an individual for the position of either the consular section or the cultural section.

Candidate must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. green card holder, must be fluent in Japanese and English, and possess computer skills (Microsoft Word and Excel etc. preferred).

To apply for this position, please send your resume to katsumi.isoda@mofa.go.jp

See original posting on the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta website.

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Funding: [General] Fung Global Fellows Program for Early-career International Scholars

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Paula

Theme: Language and Authority

The Fung Global Fellows Program reflects Princeton University’s commitment to engaging with scholars from around the world and inspiring ideas that transcend borders. The program brings exceptional international early-career faculty members working in the social sciences and the humanities to Princeton for a year of research, writing, and collaboration. It is administered by the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, which serves as a site for integration and joint activity across all of the University’s international and area programs.

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Job Opening: Program Officer, Lecture Programs, Japan Society

Posted on July 16, 2012 by LM

Education requirements: 4-year degree
Languages needed: Japanese
Employment type: Full time
Location: New York City, NY
Posted 11 July 2012, deadline not specified

Established in 1907, New York’s Japan Society is an internationally recognized nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that provides access to information on Japan, offers opportunities to experience Japanese culture, and fosters sustained and open dialogue on issues important to the United States, Japan, and East Asia.

Program Officer, Lecture Programs

The Program Officer plans, executes, and manages lecture programs, conferences and symposia on themes relating to existing Japan Society projects, performances and current trends of Japanese culture, including but not limited to, design, architecture, food, literature, and social issues.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of three years related experience.
  • Bilingual with strong writing and editing skills in Japanese.
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills.
  • Creative self-starter.
  • Demonstrated ability to network and build external relationships. Ability to identify and engage speakers and partner organizations across the United States and Japan.
  • Familiarity with New York Metropolitan area cultural organizations and other non-profit institutions
  • Excellent research skills.
  • Familiarity with and interest in a wide range of issues relevant to U.S.- Japan relations and Japanese culture and society today.
  • Ability to work in fast-paced environment.
  • Knowledge of Word, Excel, Database management (Raiser’s Edge) and basic HTML language.
  • Flexible schedule.

For more information and to apply, see original posting at idealist.org.

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Job Opening: Editor, The Mary Sue

Posted on July 16, 2012 by LM

Employer: The Mary Sue
Location: New York City, NY
Education level: BA
Job begins in Sept. 2012
Deadline: “apply ASAP”

If you’re a scholar of geek culture, including Japanese geek culture, and gender, check out this opportunity from The Mary Sue.

You’ll join us in our offices (yeah, a loft in SoHo, exposed brick, no big thing), write, get red eyes looking at Google Reader, write, write some more, tweet, Tumbl, Facebook, organize contests, and generally keep your finger on the pulse of geek pop culture, gender in pop culture, and a bit of science.

The ideal candidate is a college graduate with internet writing experience looking for a job at a news startup. The ideal candidate can also demonstrate throughout the evaluation process that they are capable of writing quickly, clearly, and cohesively about numerous major aspects of both geek culture and gender in culture. Start date for the job has not yet been determined specifically, but will be in early September. Yes, you must be available to work in our office in NYC.

Here are the two biggest things we’re looking for in applicants:

The primary qualification for this job is an encyclopedic knowledge of, and obsessive enthusiasm for, multiple aspects of geek culture. If you are knowledgeable about weird, obscure anime or manga, thrive on television and movie casting news, or have incorporated the names of pages on TVTropes.org into your conversational vocabulary, then this is the job for you.
The secondary, but just as important, qualification is being able to write quickly and clearly (on topics from your geek specialties to gender issues), without weird grammatical or spelling issues, on topics that you yourself think up/discover on the interwebs.

Here are some other very important qualifications:

Previous experience in pop culture blogging or otherwise writing for the internet in a professional capacity.
Knowledge of blogging software.
Knowledge of the major personalities and figures in both the real and fictional sides of geekdom.
Basic experience with photo-editing software.
An ability to listen, take direction, and follow through with assigned tasks.

And here’s some way less important criteria that, if they apply to you, we totally want to know about:

Knowledge of anime and manga fandoms.
Experience in science writing.
An interest in writing and storytelling tropes.

For more information and to apply, see the original posting on The Mary Sue.

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Book Announcement: The People’s Post Office

Posted on July 15, 2012 by LM

http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674062450

The People’s Post Office: The History and Politics of the Japanese Postal System, 1871–2010
Patricia L. Maclachlan
ISBN 9780674062450
Publication March 2012

In 2001, Prime Minister Koizumi Jun’ichirō launched a crusade to privatize Japan’s postal services. The plan was hailed as a necessary structural reform, but many bemoaned the loss of traditional institutions and the conservative values they represented. Few expected the plan to succeed, given the staunch opposition of diverse parties, but four years later it appeared that Koizumi had transformed not only the post office but also the very institutional and ideological foundations of Japanese finance and politics. By all accounts, it was one of the most astonishing political achievements in postwar Japanese history.

Patricia L. Maclachlan analyzes the interplay among the institutions, interest groups, and leaders involved in the system’s evolution from the early Meiji period until 2010. Exploring the postal system’s remarkable range of economic, social, and cultural functions and its institutional relationship to the Japanese state, this study shows how the post office came to play a leading role in the country’s political development. It also looks into the future to assess the resilience of Koizumi’s reforms and consider the significance of lingering opposition to the privatization of one of Japan’s most enduring social and political sanctuaries.

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Job Opening: Asian History (with E Asia focus)

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Paula

Institution: Goucher College, History
Location:   Maryland, United States
Position:   Assistant Professor, Asian History

Goucher Colleges History Department is seeking a tenure-track assistant professor to teach Asian history with a research focus on East Asia (Japan or China).  Preferred candidates should have a background and training in comparative, international, and world history. Candidates will also have significant experience teaching survey, upper-level, and seminar courses.  Applicants must have a Ph.D. in History, or a related discipline, at the time of appointment. Review of applications will begin October 15, 2012.  The department will conduct preliminary interviews at the AHA Conference in New Orleans in January 2013.

Goucher College is a selective liberal arts college located in Towson, Maryland, twenty minutes north of Baltimore.  The colleges strategic plan emphasizes environmental sustainability and international and intercultural experiences. There are opportunities for faculty to develop courses and experiences with an international focus.  Goucher College is committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and encourages applicants that will fulfill that mission.

Interested applicants must apply online at http://goucher.interviewexchange.com.

Please submit the following application materials online:

CV
Cover letter
Statements of scholarly and teaching interests, areas of expertise, and teaching philosophy.

Three letters of recommendation and official graduate transcripts should be forwarded separately to: Human Resources, Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore, MD 21204-2794.

Goucher College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Contact: Robert Beachy
rbeachy@goucher.edu

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FLF: The World’s Most Expensive 1 Bedroom Apartment

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Paula

Maybe you checked out our previous Fun Link Friday on the inventive floating Japanese tea house designed by David Jameson in DC. Or maybe you happened upon the CNN report some time back about the guy who designed a house for him and his mom on a parking lot-sized plot of land. Upon cleaning out my bookmarked links I discovered I’d tucked away another gem of Japanese architecture and design: The House. Estimated at 1.8 billion yen (21.8 million USD), The House is located in Tokyo’s Minami-Azabu and may be the most expensive 1-Bedroom apartment in the world.

Photo via Japan Sotheby’s International Realty

The original article notes that the official listing includes the following details:

– Almost all furniture in the home is custom designed by Cecotti Collezioni
– Many of the walls, flooring and doors are Italian imported stone and wood
– Features a Japanese ‘Ryotei’ style dining room for dinner parties allowing chef to serve guests directly from gourmet kitchen
– Parisian-style terrace overlooking Arisugawa park
– Features original works from famous Japanese artist Hiroshi Senju, painted on site
– Entrance hallway has walls that open up to massive 200-pair shoe storage unit
– Features massive, fully enclosed courtyard garden
– 1 full bath, 2 partial baths
– All kitchen appliances by La Cornue

For lots and lots of images of this expensive insanity of an apartment, you can check out the Twisted Sifter article here or go to the Japan Sotheby’s page here.

Happy Friday!

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Job Opening: Associate Private Development Specialist, World Learning

Posted on July 12, 2012 by LM

From the World Learning mailing list:

The International Development & Exchange Programs of World Learning has an immediate opening for an Associate Private Development Specialist. World Learning is an 80-year-old global non-profit organization with operations in 77 countries. Through its award-winning international education programs – The Experiment in International Living, the SIT Graduate Institute, SIT Study Abroad and the International Honors Program (IHP) – World Learning fosters global citizenship by connecting over 3,000 young ambassadors annually across cultural differences and social barriers. Through its International Development & Exchange Programs, World Learning practices what it teaches, undertaking community-driven international development, training and exchange projects in sixteen countries. For more information visit www.worldlearning.org

Position Title:　Associate Private Development Specialist
Position Grade:　G-10
Reports To: Director, Strategic Engagement
Location: Washington, D.C.
Deadline: open until filled (mailed on 10 July 2012)

Job Purpose: To position WL as a leader in innovative programmatic responses through a rigorous program design, proposal development, and networking with focused attention on the private sector under the direction of WL’s office of Strategic Engagement.

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Job Opening: Doctoral Research Fellow positions in East Asian/South Asian Language Based Area Studies

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Paula

The Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo, has recently announced two  doctoral fellowships in East and South Asian language-based area studies.

Deadline: September 1

Two PhD positions are available within East Asian or South Asian language based area studies. The topic of the applicant’s PhD project should be related to geographical areas in Asia relevant for research at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (IKOS) (China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Nepal, India, Bangladesh). It is also required that the project is thematically relevant to current research at the Department. The applicant must document relevant language competence and the project should be based on sources in Asian language(s).

The appointment is for a period of 3 years and the doctoral thesis is expected to be completed within the given time frame.

The person appointed will be affiliated with the Faculty’s organized research training. The academic work must result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at the Faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. The successful candidate is expected to join the existing research milieu or network and contribute to its developement.

The Faculty offers one PhD programme in Humanities. Read more about the PhD-programme here.

Qualifications 

  • A Master degree or equivalent. The master degree or equivalent has to be achieved by the time of application.

See more: http://uio.easycruit.com/vacancy/770047/61723?iso=gb

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