This intensive workshop for translators specializing in the social sciences and humanities strives to provide a mixture of informative talks by experts, exchange of ideas among colleagues, and ample opportunity for networking with other academic translators spread over three to four days in the idyllic Nahetal near Mainz. There will be two in-depth sessions (in English) with invited speakers (Allison Brown and Anna Fankhauser), one each morning of the workshop. One afternoon will—weather permitting—be set aside for a group hike in the surrounding vineyards and along the Nahe—or up to the ruins of Rheingrafenstein fortress—and Kaffee und Kuchen at the architectural jewel of the Kurmittelhaus in Bad Münster. The other afternoon will be filled with shorter sessions (in English or German) offered by the workshop participants themselves (for details, see below). The workshop will officially end Saturday morning, but those who choose to do so can participate in a moderate day hike up and over the Rotenfels on other side of the Nahetal.

Schedule:

From Wednesday, 18 May 2022, afternoon (5 PM) until Saturday, 21 May 2022 (time depending on optional day hike, see below)

Setting:

Just an hour from Frankfurt’s airport or 30 minutes from Mainz by train, Ebernburg Castle sits among the vinyards of the Nahe valley just across from the Rotenfels, dramatic cliffs named after their red rhyolite. The Ebernburg was home to the German knight Franz von Sickingen during the Reformation era and he made the castle a center of refuge for Protestant reformers and humanists, including Martin Bucer and Ulrich von Hutten, who called it the “Haven of Righteousness” (Herberge der Gerechtigkeit). Like so many other castles, the Ebernburg was destroyed and essentially abandoned, only to be rebuilt starting in the nineteenth century. It has been operated as a conference and retreat center since the mid-twentieth century.

Invited speakers and their topics:

Anna Fankhauser: Anna Fankhauser holds a master’s degree in translation and has worked as a freelance translator and proofreader since 2009. From 2013 to 2015 she worked at the Kommission für Mundart- und Namenforschung Westfalens, where she contributed to the compilation of the dictionary of Westphalian dialects. She is now a part-time research assistant and lecturer in the department of English and American Studies at Osnabrück University, where her research interests include English language pedagogy, corpus linguistics, and phraseology, as well as new methodological approaches to translation processes and the role of translation in foreign language teaching. Anna’s PhD project aims to establish a phraseological core vocabulary for German-speaking learners of English. She is co-editor of the Großer Thematischer Englischwortschatz published by Ernst Klett Sprachen.

In her workshop, Anna will show how language corpora offer valuable insights into authentic language use and linguistic units in context and therefore constitute a helpful and easily accessible resource for translators and interpreters. Term extraction, the use of bi- or multilingual parallel corpora, or the extraction of reliable information on grammar in use and idiomaticity are only a few of the features that can help optimize translation processes. Participants will first learn about the basic theoretical principles of corpus linguistics before they are introduced to different corpus analysis tools and their most useful search functions. In the second part of the workshop, a variety of exercises with a focus on academic texts from various disciplines will allow participants to put their new theoretical knowledge into practice. Participants will also be shown how to build their own corpora to further improve their personal workflows.

Allison Brown: Allison has been a freelance translator from German into English of scholarly books and essays, and exhibition texts and catalogues, since 1988. Her main fields of interest include history, religion, art, and the social and political sciences, especially women’s and cultural studies. She has studied linguistics (Free University, Berlin) and German studies (B.A., Stanford University), and has an MA in translation studies (Humboldt University, Berlin). A native New Yorker whose ten years in the SF Bay Area gave her a bi-coastal identity, Allison came to Berlin on a Fulbright grant in 1982 and has been living there (with some interruptions) and working on her “bi-continental” identity ever since.

As an experienced translator of historical texts, Allison will talk about “Rewriting History: Translation Challenges and Strategies in the Digital Age.” She will consider how to “localize” scholarship for English-speaking audiences and provide helpful tips and tricks for Internet research of quotes and how to provide the extra services (fact-checking, etc.) with which academic translators add value for their customers.

Other presenters:

The other sessions (in either 30- or 60-minute-format) will be offered by the workshop participants themselves on one afternoon of the workshop. Upon registration, participants are encouraged to submit short abstracts on topics which they would like to address and prepare. Six weeks before the event, a survey of all registered participants will be conducted to determine which topics have sufficient interest to garner their preparation so that participants can then prepare accordingly. Possibilities include how to deal with archaic language; tips for negotiating book contracts; defending against Denglish; dealing with academic jargon; etc.

Room and board:

The conference fee includes both lodging and coffee breaks and meals (with limited beverage selection) at the Ebernburg from Wednesday evening to Saturday morning. Those who wish may choose to add an additional night after the Rotenfels hike on Saturday. Details about accommodation at the Ebernburg and pictures of rooms available at: https://tagungshaus.ekhn.de/die-tagungshaeuser-der-ekhn/ebernburg/willkommen/das-anwesen.html.

Social evenings:

The village of Ebernburg offers a variety of cozy Straußwirtschaften for social evenings (at participants’ own cost). If participants are interested, other social activities including language games/sessions and a translation slam can be arranged.

Day hike (Saturday, May 21):

An optional day hike through Bad Münster am Stein and up over the Rotenfels cliffs above the valley will provide additional time for networking and enjoying the natural beauty of the Nahetal. Participants will have the option of purchasing lunch at the Gasthaus “Zur Bastei” and booking an additional night at the Ebernburg.

Organizers:

Since 2015, the Facebook group SOS!-Academic Translators has provided a virtual meeting space for language professionals around the world who specialize in translating and editing academic prose. The Ebernburg workshop grew out of a desire to bring the group’s members together in real life, but we welcome anyone to join us—at the Ebernburg and online!—who shares a passion for their own discipline(s) and helping scholars bridge linguistic divides. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the BDÜ for this event.

Über die Referenten

Allison has been a freelance translator from German into English of scholarly books and essays, and exhibition texts and catalogues, since 1988. Her main fields of interest include history, religion, art, and the social and political sciences, especially women’s and cultural studies. She has studied linguistics (Free University, Berlin) and German studies (B.A., Stanford University), and has an MA in translation studies (Humboldt University, Berlin). A native New Yorker whose ten years in the SF Bay Area gave her a bi-coastal identity, Allison came to Berlin on a Fulbright grant in 1982 and has been living there (with some interruptions) and working on her “bi-continental” identity ever since.

As an experienced translator of historical texts, Allison will talk about “Rewriting History: Translation Challenges and Strategies in the Digital Age.” She will consider how to “localize” scholarship for English-speaking audiences and provide helpful tips and tricks for Internet research of quotes and how to provide the extra services (fact-checking, etc.) with which academic translators add value for their customers.