Experience:
| 2001-2010 |
Independent translator for clients in North America, Japan and Europe. Patents, manuals, specifications, and reports in electronic and mechanical technology fields. Contracts, annual reports, sustainability reports, and press releases for a variety of businesses. Top quality and reasonable rates. |
| 1999-2001 |
Translator at NEC facility in Hillsboro, Oregon. Supported implementation of Japanese specifications for automotive electronics production of airbag control systems, antilock brake systems and occupant detection systems. Participated with American and Japanese managers in planning for new products and implementating production processes. Rapidly promoted to production engineer. |
| 1994-1999 |
Technical translation for firms in Japan. Began Japan residence in 1990 and started translating four years later. Major clients included auto parts makers and factory equipment producers. |
Education:
| 1995-2010 |
Continuous development of Japanese skills through study, audio listening and reading. Concentration on genuine fluency, which is a negligible side issue for many native English-speaking Japanese translators, but which often results in faster and more accurate understanding of Japanese content. |
| 1990-1995 |
Independent language study in Japan, with rigorous research of Japanese language formalities as well as regular social interaction in the language. |
| 1990 |
Intensive Japanese. University of Washington. Full-day, everyday comprehensive Japanese instruction that introduced and developed all aspects of the language, from grammar and reading to verbal skills. Received a high evaluation from the instructor. |
| 1985 |
B.A. English-Writing. Classical Greek minor. University of California—Davis. Comprehensive instruction on literature and composition, with foreign language learning techniques instilled by study of Greek. Fostered excellent writing skills and laid foundation for rapid progress in learning Japanese. |
Associations:
| 1995-2010 |
Japan Association of Translators (JAT). Director in 2004. (JAT Profile) |
| 2001-2010 |
American Translators Association (ATA). (ATA Profile) |
Recent Translations:
Japanese Language Learning Materials Developer:
- A natural outgrowth of attaining an advanced level of Japanese language ability has been the desire to develop materials for other learners. This resulted in the formation of Blue Sea Press, a company that offers Japanese language learning materials. The endeavor has led to a deeper understanding of Japanese, increased translation skill, and a sense of accomplishment in supporting other learners.
KanjiFind® Advanced Character Dictionaries
KanjiFind Advanced is a software dictionary with a unique format that enables quick and easy location of information regarding 2472 kanji (Japanese characters of Chinese origin).
- Kanji Learning Today: Workbooks 1 and 2
- This PDF textbook aids quick learning of Japanese characters through an innovative system of focused writing practice.
- Blue Sea Wordbooks
- These PDF books are "ordered glossaries" that assist with reading Japanese books (books written in Japanese for a native audience). Each wordbook presents vocabulary in a form that matches the original book page-for-page. This decreases use of dictionaries so reading can proceed smoothly, with greater impact in gaining language fluency.
Additional Skills:
| 1990-2010 |
Continuous Japanese development. Reading, writing, listening, speaking. Prefer coordination in Japanese when the client is capable. |
| 1993-2010 |
DTP with professional Japanese layout software since 1993. Currently using In-Design 6.5. |
| 1996-2010 |
Bilingual Web site development at the source code level. |
| 1997-2010 |
Database implementations using FileMaker Pro. Japanese language data storage and retrieval. Options for furigana (hiragana over kanji) and other language-specific information handling. |
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