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“The problem with communication ... is the illusion that it has been accomplished.”

—George Bernard Shaw

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Rebecca Petras, Public Relations Manager

Rebecca with her family (including her mom) at Ngorogoro Crater in Tanzania

In 1968, Ralph McElroy started his company in Austin, Texas and I turned one in Chicago, Illinois. The third girl, my parents had run out of good names, so I got the honor of being the fifth-generational Martha–and have used my middle name ever since.

At 13, I became only the second member of my family to obtain a passport. I promptly took off for Germany with my school and found that traveling was the most invigorating thing I had ever done: It would become a lifelong passion. I returned to Germany for the year when I was 17 and majored in German (and Philosophy) at the University of Michigan. Certainly not fluent enough to translate, I do maintain conversational German and talk to my German 'family' as often as possible.

German and philosophy got me a waitress job in Chicago after college. But all was not lost, my future husband was a customer. I did leave him for a while, though, to attend The Columbia University School of Journalism in New York. With my master's in hand, and a nice big loan coming due, I made my way back to Chicago, did freelance writing, became a stringer for a while, and then got a real job.

In journalism, a 'real' job is often in the wrong field: public relations. Actually, my first big job was as a professional writer with Andersen Consulting. I then moved into public relations when I relocated to Cincinnati (to be with my soon-to-be husband). My journey in PR–and around the country–began then, stopping along the way at Dan Pinger Public Relations (Cincinnati), Ketchum Public Relations in LA, and then Ketchum Public Relations in San Francisco. Having made it to the Vice President level at Ketchum, I bagged it all in 2000 to run my own business.

Running your own business is a lot of fun, but it can be just a tad challenging when you have a brand new baby, a 16-month-old, and are pregnant with your third. The first few years, I had enormous success with my mostly technology clients, but also took some time off to be with my kids.

Having lived my entire life in big cities–Chicago, New York, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, San Francisco–in 2001 I found myself in an oh-so-unexpected place: Carnation, Washington. Where, you say? Well, about 25 miles east of Seattle in the foothills of the Cascades. In the woods. And the mud. With the coyotes. And the bears. And the chickens. Yes, we moved the family to 11 acres of paradise outside of Seattle, and I thought I had landed on the moon. But I have loved it ever since.

We did take a hiatus from our rural lifestyle when we transferred to England for a few years. That's when I learned all about localization. They may speak the same language in England, and, then again, they may not. It was fascinating to examine the differences. I also had the good fortune to work with a great PR client from the US that was addressing localization issues in England. Even better, we traveled all over Europe, into Russia, down to Turkey, through eastern Africa and Egypt. It was an incredible experience and it reminded me how much I love languages, different cultures and travel itself.

Upon our return to lovely Carnation (home of Carnation Farm–yes, the place where Carnation Evaporated Milk came from), I was determined to shift my PR activities slightly away from technology and toward international clients. I was very lucky to find out about the public relations position at the Globalization and Localization Association, where I have been the PR and Marketing Specialist for the past eight months. From there, I worked with Shelly, and have been building the PR program for McElroy since June.

Spare time activities? Ha! Let's see: my son is a gymnast, so I spend LOTS of time at the gym NOT working out. My daughters are into soccer, Girl Scouts, horseback riding and drawing. I somehow find time to be the Cub Master of the Carnation Cub Scout pack, and I am a part-time librarian at my kids' school. But when no one is asking me to do something, I tend to my garden (my tomatoes are my pets), help my son with his chickens (16, soon to be 25), and work with my husband on being good stewards to our forested land.

Translation Into French for France

What are some pitfalls specific to French to avoid that a client should be aware of when translating into this language?

A client willing to translate materials into a foreign language is typically focusing on the linguistic aspect of the task. However, maximizing the impact of the message also requires finding the right tone for the intended audience.

Consequently, the challenge lies just as much with the subtleties of cultural differences as with the complexities of syntax and grammar. The French are particularly demanding in that regard, and small missteps can have a major impact on communication (think of the number of tourists complaining that “snobby” Parisians would not give them the time of day because their wording or pronunciation was not perfect!). It is therefore dangerous to underestimate the necessity to gauge accurately how formally or colloquially a particular text should read.

Too stern a marketing campaign might sound stale or outdated and completely fail to achieve its intended objective. Too familiar a tone might be inappropriate for the context. Is it best to address the reader with a direct (“imperative”) or indirect (“infinitive”) form of address? The informal “tu” or the formal “vous”?

By the same token, it is essential to account for differences in perception of sociocultural issues in order to provide an approach with which the reader can identify. For example, a lecture on ethics in the workplace might elicit more sarcasm than approval if it advocates too candidly an absolute obedience to the law in circumstances when it is deemed culturally acceptable to try to stretch or circumvent it.

Another aspect specific to the French language is the definition of the target locale. Although most francophone countries tend to follow very similar rules for the “academic” language, some differences exist from one country to another (for instance, the rules for punctuation are different for France and Canada).

Moreover, the spoken language is inevitably affected by the geographic location and the proximity of another culture. In cases where a “hip” feel must be maintained (e.g., an advertising campaign), it will be important to be aware of the local colloquialisms of the target country.

What are characteristics of French that are unique or different from English and/or other languages?

Unlike in English, every noun in French has a gender (i.e., masculine or feminine). This affects every element of the sentence that is in relation with it (article, adjective, etc.).

The form of address (direct or indirect) is dictated by how formal a tone is appropriate for the document. Typically, but not always, an official document will use the more formal indirect address (“infinitive”) to give instructions to the reader. A text vying for a more casual or personal feel will employ the direct address (“imperative”). In this case, a further distinction needs to be made between the familiar “tu” and the more distant “vous.”

And there is always the thorny issue of measurement units. A vast majority of the documents written in English use the imperial units, which have no significance in countries that have adopted the International System of Units (i.e., the metric system). It is therefore imperative to produce equivalents in an understandable, reasonable, and, most importantly, accurate format.

How do these characteristics make it important to use properly qualified, professional translators?

A qualified, professional translator brings to the table a fairly complete set of skills. Namely, a good command of the source language, an in-depth knowledge of the target language, an understanding of the subject matter (assuming the project falls within the translator's area of specialization), years of experience, and most likely, a collection of tools that the “casual translator” might not have available. And it is only the synergetic combination of all these elements that will produce a high-quality result.

Linguistic skills are of course fundamental. French spelling, grammar, and syntax are notoriously arduous, and experience shows that even highly educated people (particularly maybe in the more technical fields) can have difficulty overcoming some of the obstacles.

Moreover, professional translators are typically native speakers of the target language, have generally spent years immersed in both cultures, and by necessity, stay attuned to the latest developments and trends (new words officially introduced by the Académie Française, terminology used in new fields, particularly nascent scientific areas, or even new trends in street slang). This ensures that the professional translator will have at his/her command the appropriate terminology for the subject at hand, but also will come equipped with the necessary depth of language to maximize the impact of the message.

RAPS 2007 Conference/Boston, MA

Tina Wuelfing Cargile, PMP, Account Manager

The RAPS (Regulatory Affairs Professionals) Conference was held September 24-26 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston; I exhibited on behalf of McElroy.

The Convention Center, attached to the hotel where I stayed and a large shopping venue, is in the Back Bay area of Boston--the weather was unseasonably warm (it reached 91 degrees on the day I flew out) but still beautiful.

What is RAPS?

From their website: The Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS) is the leading worldwide member organization devoted to the health product regulatory profession. With more than 11,000 individual members from industry, government, research, clinical and academic organizations in more than 50 countries, RAPS develops professional standards for knowledge, competency and ethics and is the leading source of information on the scope of practice of regulatory professionals and their critical roles in the health sector.

From me: While there was a solid pharmaceutical presence at the conference, manufacturing and regulation of medical devices is emphasized at RAPS. This is an area McElroy would like to develop, and it is also an area where regulatory concerns and QA requirements are even more intense than in pharmaceutical work. Think about it--if a patient experiences an adverse effect after taking a medication, they can be treated and stop taking it. If a hip replacement is installed and there is a recall, the consequences are far more serious.

Our Presentation

We tried some new ideas for this conference. Susan Andrus, Multimedia Designer, created stunning new graphics based on the ad work staff admired, and Cathy Pyrek, Communications Coordinator, organized and handled the ordering of a new rental furniture layout: instead of the “science fair” model--sitting or standing behind a long table--we had two comfortable side chairs and a round glass coffee table. I also was able to find a dozen roses in a color that matched the graphics. Many people stopped and remarked upon the layout--the words “inviting” and “stunning” were frequently used.

For our giveaway this time, I went back to Dom Perignon, which stopped many people dead in their tracks to ooh and aah. Most other giveaways were the normiPods. We also had the thermal lunch coolers on hand and they were extremely popular.

Differentiation

Because there were quite a few language service providers, the most common conversation opener was “OK--you all say you do the same thing--can you differentiate yourself?” Indeed I was able to do that. The strongest points, and those that got the prospects off their feet and into a chair for a detailed discussion of our processes and resources were: 1) our longevity and financial stability, which equates to more extensive resources and translator loyalty, 2) our internal employee retention rate, which equates to consistent and mature experience, and 3) our willingness to craft customized solutions to fit client needs. I was also able to relate many real world case studies that were relevant to client project challenges--all of those long days and challenging projects do pay off!

American Translators Association Surpasses 10,000 Members

From a press release issued October 9

Alexandra, VA – The American Translators Association (ATA) today announced that the organization has surpassed 10,000 members. The ATA founded in 1959, is the largest professional association of translators and interpreters in the U.S. with members in over 80 countries. 

"We are thrilled with the explosive growth that this vital profession has recently experienced," said Marian S. Greenfield, ATA's President. "The business of translation and interpreting continues to expand with the global economy and has become the new, hot career."  

In the past ten years, the $11 billion translating and interpreting services industry has experienced tremendous growth, increasing at a rate of 10% to 15% annually, particularly in the areas of the global marketplace, healthcare and national security, Greenfield pointed out.    

In today's global business environment, the stakes are high. Translation mistakes can be costly, embarrassing, and even disastrous. Having a professional translator is vital and translation has proven to be one of the most sought after professions in the 21^st century. 

Parade Magazine recently listed translation as the 2^nd hottest job right now, saying that industry growth will be 26% in the coming year. The rapidly evolving global economy has given rise to a greater demand for translation services, and translators and interpreters are visible and being acknowledged as an indispensable force in the global arena.   

"Translators and interpreters are no longer behind the scenes; they are now key players in an increasing number of international companies and organizations," continued Greenfield.

Translators and interpreters are in hospitals, courts, banks, telecom, pharmaceuticals, tech, and dozens of other businesses that speak to people around the world on a daily basis.

McElroy Donates $500 to Conservation International

Conservation International's programs combine scientific knowledge with expertise in specialized fields to achieve conservation solutions through demonstrating the value of partnerships, lending advice on best practices, and guiding implementation of conservation solutions.