Directorate-General for Translation

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Translating for Europe

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation

(Graham Cansdale, Translator in the English-Language Department)

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Who am I?

Graham Cansdale Language graduate (Spanish and Russian) +

postgraduate diploma in technical and specialised translation

European Commission translator since 1993, working in English Department

Previous work as translator at the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation in Vienna, the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg and the European Parliament in Luxembourg

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Why are we there?

Council Regulation No 1/58:• Regulations and other documents of general

application shall be drafted in the official languages

Treaty establishing the European Community:• Citizens have a right to

address the official EU bodies in any of the EU’s official languages and to receive a reply in that language

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20?? ?? languages

2007: 23 languages

2004: 20 languages

1995: 11 languages

1986: 9 languages

1981: 7 languages

1973: 6 languages

1957: 4 languages

Enlarging multilingualism

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Cost of multilingualism

• Translation and interpreting in all EU institutions put together cost each EU citizen just over 2 euros (about 80 Taiwanese dollars) per year.

• The cost of multilingualism adds up to less than 1% of the annual EU budget.

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Types of languages

• Official/working/Treaty languages: 23

• Procedural languages: English, French, German

• Additional languages:

from Spain: Basque, Catalan, Galician

from the UK: Scottish Gaelic and Welsh

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EU Translation galaxy

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European Commission

Initiates new legislation

Implements EU policies and supervises compliance with EU law

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DGT’s staff

Some 1 750 translators and 600 support staff

110 translators in the English Department

40% in Luxembourg

60% in Brussels

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OrganisationDirector General

Assistants

Translation Centre

Adviser

Audit

Communicationand information

Legal, interinsti-tutional and international

affairs

Directorate ATranslation

Directorate C Translation

Directorate DTransversallinguistic services

Directorate R Resources

Directorate S Translation strategy

and multilingualism

Danish LD

Swedish LD

D2 - WEB translationFinnish LD

Italian LD

Spanish LD

D4 - Editing

Portuguese LD

Slovakian LD

Greek LD

-D1 - Field Offices and relations with representations

R3Informatics

R4Training

R2Financial resources

R5 - Internaladministrativematters

R1Human resources

S2External translation

S3Multilingualism and

translation studies

S1Demand

management

S4Evaluation and

analysis

Estonian LD

Hungarian LD

Lithuanian LD

Slovenian LD

Maltese LD

Latvian LD Czech LD

Directorate B Translation

English LD

Irish

D3 - Library,terminology and

translation support

French LD

German LD

Dutch LD

Polish LD

LUX LUX LUXBRU BRU BRU

Bulgarian LD

Romanian LD

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Example 1: Reporting back

The Commission wishes to find out what each Member State is doing to apply EU legislation on recycling

Jan Zijlstra (NL) is case officer and puts together a tough, searching questionnaire in English

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Reporting back (2)

The questionnaire is translated into the other official languages to be sent to the Member States

The environmental authorities of each Member State receive the questionnaire in their own language

They put together their replies in that language These replies land one by one on Jan’s desk...

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Reporting back (3)

Réponses au questionnaire sur le recyclage

Considérant que les économies s'apparentent à des écosystèmes: tous deux exploitent de l'énergie et des matériaux pour générer des produits et des processus, la différence étant que notre économie suit des flux de ressources linéaires tandis que la nature fonctionne par cycles; considérant que les écosystèmes assument des fonctions convertissant les déchets en ressources en transférant l'énergie à partir du soleil, ce dont les processus industriels ne sont pas capables; considérant, dans le contexte de la croissance rapide des économies et des populations, que la production et les produits générant des flux de déchets que la nature ne peut pas absorber ni transformer en nouvelles ressources pose un nombre croissant de problèmes du point de vue de la durabilité sont pas capables; considérant, dans le contexte de la flux de pli

Respuestas al cuestionario sobre el reciclaje

Considerando que las economías son como los ecosistemas: ambos explotan energía y materia para generar productos y procesos; la diferencia estriba en que nuestra economía utiliza flujos de recursos lineares, mientras que la naturaleza funciona por ciclos; considerando que los ecosistemas asumen funciones que convierten los residuos en recursos transfiriendo energía a partir del sol, mientras que los procesos industriales no son capaces de hacer lo mismo; considerando, en el contexto del rápido crecimiento de las economías y de las poblaciones, que la producción y los productos generan flujos de residuos que la naturaleza no puede absorber ni transformar en nuevos recursos, lo que da lugar a una situación cada vez más problemática desde el punto de vista de la sostenibilidad,

Risposte al questionario sul riciclaggio

Considerando che le economie sono come gli ecosistemi: ambedue sfruttano energia e materiali per trasformarli in prodotti e processi, con la differenza che la nostra economia segue flussi di risorse lineari mentre la natura è ciclica; considerando che gli ecosistemi svolgono funzioni che convertono i rifiuti in risorse trasferendo l'energia proveniente dalla luce del sole, mentre i processi industriali non sono in grado di farlo; considerando, nel contesto di economie e popolazioni in rapida crescita, che la produzione e i prodotti che generano flussi di rifiuti che la natura non può assorbire né trasformare in nuove risorse risultano sempre più problematici sotto il profilo della sostenibilità

Antworte auf den Fragenbogen über Recycling in der Erwägung, dass Volkswirtschaften wie Ökosysteme funktionieren, da in beiden Systemen Energie und Material eingesetzt und in Produkte und Prozesse umgewandelt werden, wobei der Unterschied darin besteht, dass unsere Wirtschaft linearen Ressourcenströmen folgt, während Abläufe in der Natur zyklisch sind, und dass Ökosysteme Funktionen wahrnehmen, durch die Abfall in Ressourcen umgewandelt wird, indem sie Energie aus dem Sonnenlicht übertragen, wozu industrielle Prozesse nicht in der Lage sind, sowie in der Erwägung, dass vor dem Hintergrund rasch wachsender Volkswirtschaften und Bevölkerungen solche Produktionsweisen und Produkte, die Abfallströme verursachen, die die Natur nicht aufnehmen und in neue Ressourcen umwandeln kann, unter dem Gesichtspunkt der Nachhaltigkeit immer problematischer werden,

Tweġibiet għal stħarriġ dwar ir-riċiklar

billi l-ekonomiji huma bħal ekosistemi: iż-żewġ sistemi jużaw enerġija u materjali u jibdluhom fi prodotti u proċessi, bid-differenza li l-ekonomija tagħna ssegwi flussi ta' riżorsi lineari filwaqt li n-natura hija ċiklika; u billi l-ekosistemi jwettqu funzjonijiet li jibdlu l-iskart f'riżorsi billi jitrasferixxu l-enerġija mix-xemx, u billi l-proċessi industrijali ma jistgħux iwettqu dan; billi, fil-kuntest ta' ekonomiji u ta' popolazzjonijiet li qed jikbru b'rata mgħaġġla, il-produzzjoni u prodotti li jwasslu għal flussi ta' skart li n-natura ma tistax tassorbi u tibdilhom f'riżorsi ġodda huma dejjem aktar problematiċi fir-rigward tas-sostenibilità,

Replies to the questionnaire on recycling

whereas economies are like ecosystems: both systems take in energy and materials and turn them into products and processes, the difference being that our economy follows linear resource flows whereas nature is cyclic; and whereas ecosystems perform functions which convert waste into resources, by transferring energy from the sunlight, and whereas industrial processes are not able to do this; whereas, against the backdrop of rapidly growing economies and populations, production and products that lead to waste streams which nature cannot absorb and turn into new resources are increasingly problematic from the point of view of sustainability,

Ringlussevõttu käsitlevale küsimustikule saadud vastused

Arvestades, et majandus sarnaneb ökosüsteemile: mõlemad kasutavad toormena energiat ja materjale ning muudavad need saadusteks ja protsessideks selle erinevusega, et meie majanduses on ressursivood lineaarsed, loodus aga toimib tsüklitena; ja arvestades, et ökosüsteemi toimimise käigus muudetakse päikesevalgusest saadud energia abil jäätmed loodusvaradeks, kuid tööstuslikud protsessid seda ei suuda; arvestades, et majanduse ja rahvastiku arvu kiire kasvu taustal kujutavad tootmise ja toodanguga kaasnevad jäätmevood, mida loodus ei suuda vastu võtta ja uuteks loodusvaradeks muuta, endast säästvuse seisukohalt üha suuremat probleemi;

Отговори на въпросника относно рециклиране

като има предвид, че икономиките са като екосистемите: и двете системи използват енергия и материали, за да ги превърнат в продукти и процеси, като разликата се състои в това, че нашата икономика следва линейни ресурсни потоци, докато природата функционира на цикли; като има предвид, че екосистемите изпълняват функции, които превръщат отпадъците в ресурси, чрез прехвърляне на енергия от слънчевата светлина и че промишлените процеси не са способни да правят това; като има предвид, че в контекста на бързото нарастване на икономиките и на населението, производството и продуктите, произвеждащи отпадъчни потоци, които природата не може да абсорбира, нито да преработи в нови източници на енергия, представляват нарастващ брой проблеми от гледна точка на устойчивото развитие;

Kierrätystä koskevaan kyselyyn saadut vastaukset

ottaa huomioon, että taloudet ovat kuin ekosysteemejä: molemmat järjestelmät muuttavat energiaa ja raaka-aineita tuotteiksi ja prosesseiksi, mutta erona on, että taloutemme seuraa lineaarisia resurssivirtoja kun taas luonto toimii sykleissä; ottaa huomioon, että ekosysteemit muuttavat auringonvalon energian avulla jätettä resursseiksi, kun taas teolliset prosessit eivät kykene siihen; ottaa huomioon, että nopeasti kasvavien talouksien ja väestöjen kulisseissa tuotanto ja tuotteet, jotka synnyttävät jätevirtoja, joita luonto ei kykene ottamaan vastaan tai muuttamaan uusiksi resursseiksi, aiheuttavat yhä suurempia ongelmia kestävyyden näkökulmasta,

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Reporting back (3)

Jan is unable to carry on...

until the replies are translated into English for him and his team of colleagues (comprising a Slovak, a Spaniard, a Lithuanian and two Belgians) to deal with

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Example 2: People power

The inhabitants of a small village in Portugal learn of a proposal to build a nuclear power station next door

They form an action group and, having discovered the plan contravenes EU law, decide to write to the Commission for help

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People power (2)

None of the group writes EN; in any case, the technical details of the case require very clear and precise drafting skills

Availing themselves of Article 1 of Regulation (EEC) No 1/58, they submit their case to the Commission in Portuguese

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People power (3)

Ilze Bērziņa (Latvia) is the case officer able to save the day in this case

Despite being fluent in several languages, Ilze is unable to read Portuguese...

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English is not enough for the EU

The EU has to operate in all official languages Reliance on EN is not an option However, it is clearly impossible to expect all

officials to be entirely operational in 23 languages (more languages to come...)

The need for translation is clear Translation is essential for the internal workings

of the EU

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Trends in translation at the Commission

1997 2004 2008 2010

Total DGT output in pages, all languages

1 125 709 1 270 586 1 805 689 1 860 347

% outsourced to freelance 16% 23% 26% 28%

% outsourced by EN department

- 21% 55% 56%

Language of source text:- English

45% 62% 72% 77%

- French 41% 26% 12% 7%

- German 5% 3% 3% 2%

- Other languages 9% 9% 13% 14%

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Language of original documents (%)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

English

French

GermanOthers

•

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The EN department translates from all official languages

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DGT production 2009 – breakdown by target language

Translation production in 2009 by target language (number of pages)

0

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

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EN department production per source language, 2008.

EL ES IT

NLPL

CS SV LT HU PT SL FI RO BG LV SK DAET

FR

DE

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

FR DE EL ES IT NL PL CS SV LT HU PT SL FI RO BG LV SK DA ET

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EN department production per EU source language, 2009

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

DE FR ES IT EL PL NL FI BG PT HU LV RO CS SK SV LT DA SL ET

Total pages: 177 035

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EN department production per EU source language, 2010

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

DE FR IT E S E L P L NL CS P T SV LV BG HU LT SK RO DA FI SL E T MT

Total pages: 188 069

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EN department production per non-EU source language, 2009

Total pages: 3 349 (about 2% of total production)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Chinese

Russian

Arabic

Turkis

h

Korean

Ukrain

ian

Croat

ian

Hebrew

Canton

ese

Indo

nesia

n

Japa

nese

Bosnian Tha

i

Galicia

n

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EN department production per non-EU source language, 2010

0200400600800

100012001400160018002000

Rus

sian

Ara

bic

Chi

nese

Tur

kish

Cro

atia

n

Nor

weg

ian

Kor

ean

Geo

rgia

n

Heb

rew

Tha

i

Fae

roes

e

Indo

nesi

an

Japa

nese

Ukr

aini

an

Cat

alan

Vie

tnam

ese

Gal

icia

n

Ser

bian

Bos

nian

Can

tone

se

Icel

andi

c

Mal

ay

Total pages: 3 609 (about 2% of total production)

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Wide range of document types

Legal acts and preparatory documents Commission decisions and communications Publications Correspondence (public, Member State

authorities) Speeches, minutes Reports, working documents Web pages

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Main document types

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…and on all subject areas

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Our services

Translation of confidential

texts

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Electronic translation tools

Terminology• Electronic dictionaries,

glossaries, etc.• IATE• EUR-Lex• Quest Metasearch • Web search engines• DGT Vista + SG Vista

Translation tools• Translator's

Workbench/Euramis• Machine translation• Voice recognition

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EUR-Lex: free public access to EU law

eur-lex.europa.eu

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IATE: public multilingual term base

iate.europa.eu

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Quality assurance

1. Before translation: editing of originals, Clear Writing campaign and training, preparatory work

2. During translation: translation aids and tools, information sharing (Note/Elise)

3. After translation: revision/review/spot-checking; evaluation; feedback

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Training and professional development

• Thematic training

• IT training

• Language courses (weekly, in-country,VTS)

• Other DGT jobs

• Jobs elsewhere in the Commission/other EU institutions

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What else do we do?

Links with schools and universities

Machine translation

LIND-Web

Studies

Terminology and tools

European Day of Languages

VisitingTranslatorScheme

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Job opportunities

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/workwithus/index_en.htm

Staff translator: permanent Temporary staff: 2 years, renewable Contract staff: 3 months – 3 years Freelance contractor Traineeship: 5 months

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General remarks

All competitions are held on interinstitutional level by EPSO (European Personnel Selection Office)

Annual competition cycle, according to language needs

EPSO website: http://europa.eu/epso/index_en.htm

Applications only via INTERNET through the EPSO site

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Particular skills

People with language degrees, but also science degrees or non-language arts degrees relevant to EU policies• Basic requirements (ability to grasp problems, communicate, resist

stress, intellectual curiosity)• Language skills (command of grammar, style, register) • Thematic skills (familiarity with various subject areas)• Translation skills (accuracy, attention to detail, research skills,

computer skills)

“Profile for Commission translators” at http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/workwithus/staff/profile/index_en.htm

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Linguistic knowledge

The candidates must meet the three following requirements:

Perfect command of the main language (mother tongue or equivalent) as target language

Very sound knowledge of either EN, DE, FR as first source language

Thorough knowledge of a second EU official source language

Note: Any knowledge of an additional EU language will be an asset

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The competition process

• Apply online (July for translators)

• Pre-selection test (numerical, verbal & abstract reasoning)

• Translation tests, group exercise, structured interview, oral presentation

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What DGT offers

Starting salary € 4 500/month Generous leave entitlements Various allowances Varied, challenging work Excellent language-learning opportunities Job security & flexible working arrangements Multicultural environment

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Traineeships (“stages”)

Duration: 5 months

Two rounds per year (starting in March and October)

For university graduates only

Trainees must be able to translate from two EU languages into their main language

Monthly grant €1000

Any nationality

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Chinese translators

temporary contracts of between 18 and 36 months. place of work: Brussels must be EU national successful applicants will be required to:

• translate from English into Chinese and from Chinese into English;

• revise translations from English into Chinese and from Chinese into English;

• evaluate and, where necessary, revise translations from English into Chinese and from Chinese into English produced by external contractors;

• assist DGT terminology and IT units; • assist DGT translators learning Chinese.

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More information?

Web: ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation

Facebook.com/translatingforeurope