Since I’m the curator and the
exhibits staff, what do I do?
Actually I think this is a point about
translations well taken, but I should also add that most curators I know can’t
afford not to write to appropriate level.
Candace Perry
From:
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 3:10
PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Promoting Museums to
Other Cultures in the Community
Rachel's point is important but with a large caution:
professional translators do not usually know how to write exhibit labels.
I have worked with translators on exhibit labels before and while what the
professionals produce is excellent Spanish, it is almost always written
at an inappropriate reading level for your local Hispanic community
(imagine the results if you lett the curators write the labels with no
oversight from exhibits staff...). Work with someone trained in grammar
to correct the errors, but don't expect a professional translator to understand
the readability level needed for a museum exhibit label.
--John
On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 3:02 PM, Rachel Talent Ivers <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I think these are wonderful ideas, but I would like to
encourage the use of a professional translator (or someone with a degree in
Spanish grammar or Spanish literature) to proof the translations before you
publish them or put them on your walls. Conversational Spanish (or English, for
that matter) doesn't always equate to a grammatically correct translation. I
worked with a translator once who literally doubled-over in laughter while
proofing translations provided by a lending institution that had used a
bilingual docent to translate their label copy. Puns, metaphors, and
colloquialisms are also easily misunderstood during translation, so pay
particular attention to those.
Good luck!
Rachel Talent Ivers
Head Registrar
One East Las
954.525.5500 ext. 292
direct: 954.670.2862
fax: 954.524.6011
From:
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 2:35
PM
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L]
Promoting Museums to Other Cultures in the Community
Start by
recruiting community help to translate your labels into Spanish.
Community help will both encourage interest in the museum and make sure that
you don't translate into a version of Spanish that is not used by your local
Latino population. If you can't afford to replace the signage in the
museum with bilingual labels (and this can be expensive), then make photocopies
of the translations available at the front desk.
Make an
effort to recruit high school volunteers from the Latino community--they, in
turn, will encourage other community members to visit. If at all
possible, work with the community to prepare an exhibit about Hispanics in the
community. Work with your local Latino cultural center or church groups.
Once you
have something to attract the Latino community (translations of exhibit labels,
an exhibit about them, etc.) distribute flyers to the stores and other places
in the community frequented by the Hispanic population.
--John
On Tue,
Apr 22, 2008 at 2:03 PM, Diane Hutsell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
We
have a pretty good size Latino population in our community, but none of them
come to our museum. We haven't decided if it is because they don't know
about us or if they don't feel like they are welcome. It has been suggested
that we print some publicity materials in Spanish but then the question as to
what do we do about the fact that all of our exhibits are in English. Has
anyone else addressed these issues that has some insight to share?
Diane
Diane
Hutsell
Executive Director
423-745-0329
www.livingheritagemuseum.com
[log in to unmask]
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303-681-5708
and
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Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery
19 Deike Building
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