1. TRANSMITHING
Once Daniel started on
the project, it was imme-
diately clear to me that
he absolutely knew what
he was doing. [...] He
was easy to communi-
cate with, quick to un-
derstand my needs and
concerns [...]
- Jeff Campbell, Owner of “ The
Clean Team” , California
In This Issue
 Debunking the One
Direction Translation
Approach
 NJ Court Interpreting
Certification Upgrade
 An Industry in Demand
 The Wisdom of C-3PO
 The Concept of
Transmithing
Photo Caption
Debunking the One Direction
Translation Approach
In a linguistic industry saturated with freelance translators, these professionals
tend to stand out by indicating that they translate in “ one direction” . In other
words, they translate from a source language into a target language only. If the
source language is, for example, English, and the target language is Swedish, it is
understood that the target language is oftentimes the translator’s own native lan-
guage.
“Transmithing” , among many things, is the art of translating in both directions in
an equally competent manner. And a Transmith applies the craft of Interpreting to
achieve this result. Here’s why it matters:
Translation vs. Interpreting
Translation concerns written materials and Interpreting deals with spoken lan-
guage and oral translation, Despite the vast differences in training, skills and tal-
ents needed for each job, it is possible to be skilled in each language.
Q: Aren’t most translators skilled at translating into their native language?
A: Yes. Professional translators almost always translate into their native lan-
guage. However, a translator who commands both source (continues on p.2)
The Transmith T&I Newsletter January 2016

2. New Jersey Court Interpreting
Certification Upgrade
It is a pleasure to announce that Daniel Sanabria-Morales, President and Founder
of Transmith T&I Services, has been upgraded by the New Jersey Administrative
Office of the Courts to the Journeyman Certification level as Spanish-language
Interpreter.
In his most recent state-level examination, he ranked on the Top 5% of all oral
examinees, and was praised for his performance during this competitive, high-
level exam.
Court Interpreting Certification Levels
In the State of New Jersey, there are three qualifying certification levels for all
Interpreters, regardless of language: Master, Journeyman, and Freelance
(Conditionally Approved). An "approved" court interpreter is someone who has
qualified for the Journeyman or Master level of the profession. Interpreters may
become "approved" or "conditionally approved" only if they have reached an ap-
propriate score on a court interpreter performance examination, sometimes re-
ferred to as an "oral" examination as it is a test that measures ability of actual
court interpreting skills.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- A highly educated, native-like mastery of both English and a second language.
- Possess a broad knowledge of the court system in general and the procedural
components of all major case types as well as ancillary venues where interpreting
services are required
- Possess a thorough knowledge of the specialized terminology used by judges
and lawyers
One Direction
Translation
(continued from p.1)
And target languages is a rarity in
the industry. He would need to be
able to express himself in a given
subject equally well in both lan-
guages. This is where the Inter-
preting background pays off: a
Transmith, as a seasoned Inter-
preter, specializes in a specific
occupation, researches its unique
terminology, knows the cultural
connotations, and intuitively ren-
ders the source language text by
concentrating on its wholistic quali-
ties, not just its word-for-word
meaning, drawing on the Interpret-
ing skillset.
Daniel, NJ Journeyman Level Interpreter
A Transmith specializes in, and researches thoroughly ,an industry’s terminology

3. An Industry in
Demand
The need for a cross-
linguistic (and cross-
cultural) understanding
has turned the translation
and interpretation indus-
try into a massively grow-
ing behemoth.
In fact, the U.S. Depart-
ment of Labor indicated in
2012 that the growth rate
for translations was pro-
jected to be 46% between
2012-2022.
Compared to the average
growth rate for all occu-
pations (11%), this
means that translators
and interpreters will be
needed for some time to
come.
“I’m an Interpreter. I’m not supposed to know a power socket from a computer terminal.”
The Interpreting Wisdom of
C3PO
It’s finally upon us: the new Star Wars movie, just in time for the holidays! As a long-time fan
of the entire Star Wars saga, I could not miss watching Episode VII: The Force Awakens
when it was released nationwide. And while I have mixed feelings about some of the charac-
ters’ value to the overall theme of good versus bad (here’s looking at you, Jar Jar Binks),
C3PO stands out in terms of his role as a “protocol-etiquette droid”. Or, as Goldenrod (Han
Solo’s nickname for C3PO) indicated, it was simply an interpreter. Can anything be learned
from this long-winded machine?
Fluent in six million forms of communication, both human and machine-based, 3PO is, at
heart, a machine that can just as easily interact with complex computer languages as with
Ewoks and Wookies. Yet, he consistently complains about his lot in life: in A New Hope, he
expressed that he was being “made to suffer”, and as Michael Cronin states in his book
“Translation Goes to the Movies”, he is not simply “impersonally transmitting transmitted
material, but he is represented as being acutely sensitive to the implications of his translation
for his target audience.” In Return of the Jedi, we see C-3PO caught in the interpreting di-
lemma between Jabba the Hutt and a greedy bounty hunter holding a thermonuclear device.
3PO communicates Jabba’s final offer and makes a final, personal plea to the bounty hunter:
“Jabba offers the sum of 35[000] and I do suggest you take it.”
While Interpreters on this side of the galaxy may not have to confront a Jabba the Hutt-type
of despot or a beeping astrodroid on a mission to save the Alliance, being sensitive to the
implications of one’s translation for the target audience is a must. It does not necessarily
imply adopting 3PO’s pessimistic approach, but the Interpreter can tap into the Light side of
the Force and stay calm, confident and positive while interpreting difficult subject matters.

4. Contact Us
Give us a call for more
information about our ser-
vices and products
Transmith T&I Services
1122 72nd St., Apt. 11
North Bergen, NJ 07047
(201) 675-0311
info@thetransmith.com
Visit us on the web at
www.thetransmith.com
The Concept of Transmithing
A blacksmith’s trade is the perfect analogy for the new type of translator/
interpreter I envision. Case in point: shaping the metal blade to become its intend-
ed object by striking it deliberately and meticulously has a very specific name. It’s
called forging. It’s a multilayered type of work. It requires several operations or
techniques. And guess what? So does translating and interpreting.
Blacksmiths do more than just forge cool objects like weapons. They produce a
variety of objects such as light fixtures, tools, agricultural implements, decorative
and religious items, among others. This is true of translations, as well. Their output
isn’t tools or metal weapons, but through the deliberate manipulation of words to
convey the same meaning into a “target” language, something new is created,
something unique. I want, for example, a double-edged medieval sword with my
family crest emblazoned on the hilt. Maybe I’ll add some text inscribed on the
blade, too. My inner child would be delighted, indeed.
In future newsletters, I’ll cover each technique in detail, and how they relate to
translations. Rest assured, it’s not going to be boring, dull reading. You’re going to
see that translations can be as labor-intensive as any work produced by a black-
smith, though not as physical. I’m using this trade as a source of inspiration for the
new type of translation/translator/process I envision.
Transmith T&I Services
1122 72nd St., Apt. 11
North Bergen, NJ 07047
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Transmith T&I—The Craft of Language