Women In Iran

With the recent happenings in Iran, which raise the underlying question of why we ended up here, one might ask what really the identity of Iranian women is. It is obvious that the government of Iran is trying to change the way women see themselves and who they identify with. This is actually a very good question.

Research shows that Iranian women had a higher place in society and were treated as equal to men in the ancient Persia. The King’s mother and Principal wife led an autonomous life.

“The Principal wives had their own court, could sign agreements with their own seal, and had unlimited access to the King. Women could choose their own husbands, and did so when they were not asked to marry for political purposes. Concubines were often non-Persian women and, accordingly, could not marry into royalty but were still respected as women of high rank. Xerxes I (r. 486-465 BCE) added a harem building at Persepolis close to his palace, suggesting the elevated status of the women.” (See Women In Ancient Persia)

During the Achaemenid Period, women could serve in the military. “Scholar Kaveh Farrokh notes that ‘tombs attesting to the existence of Iranian-speaking women warriors have [been found in Iran and] also been excavated in Eastern Europe’ (128).’’ (See Women In Ancient Persia) Wealthy businesswomen existed and had their own entourage and commanded their own workforce.

“Women labored alongside men in the workforce and were often supervisors and managers. There was no difference in pay based on gender; one’s salary was based solely on one’s level of skill and experience in the job. Pregnant women, however, received higher wages as did new mothers for the first month after the birth of their child.”(See Women In Ancient Persia)

So why are we still struggling to define the identity of Iranian women?

Farsi Translation Center Receives 2022 Best of Caldwell Award

It was four pm on a Thursday when I received an email from a client. He had a large number of Persian (Farsi) court documents to translate into English. He was frustrated because the court needed the translations promptly at 9:00 am the following Monday. My team and I began working right away. Our first challenge was the subpar resolution of the documents. My associate came up with a plan and began communicating with the client directly to have the problem solved. Soon after, we started working on the translation. We completed the translations by the end of the weekend.


A few days later the client called to let us know that the judge had accepted the documents and that the case was ruled in his favor. We couldn’t be happier for him. “Thank you for your insights and for bringing such professionalism and expertise to the task. We appreciate the quick turnaround time and attention to details”, he wrote. I am honored to accept the 2022 Best Of Caldwell Award. The Caldwell Award Program identifies companies that are believed have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. We are grateful for being noticed for the work we do in the Tri-State area. We owe this achievement to the hard work and dedication of our team of translators and our developer, Olga Trubnikova.

The Caldwell Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Caldwell area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value. It was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Its mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.

Poland

Did You Know That:

The existence of Iranian pronunciation for numbers two- دو (dough), five- پنج (panj), and six- شش (shesh) in Polish language, two- دوا (dwa), five- پینجِی (peeyenj) and six- ششج (sheshej) indicates a distant and common root of these two Indo-European languages.

Similarly, the given name Darius (داریوش) is more frequently used than in Iran and Marjan- مرجان (Mardjan) and other original Iranian given names are mostly common.

Languages Are Fluid

Did you know that:

In France ‘entrée’ stands for ‘hors d’oeuvre’ or ‘appetizer’ and not the main course?

And so the ‘manicure’ comes from the French word ‘manucure’?

It is interesting how languages change over time when they travel from mouth to mouth. But if we look at the origins of words we can learn a lot!

As an example, there is neighborhood in Abadan, Iran that is called Kafisheh (کفیشه or
Kafeesheh). Abadan (Persian: آبادان Ābādān, pronounced [ʔɒːbɒːˈdɒːn]). It is a city and capital of Abadan County, Khuzestan Province, which is located in the southwest of Iran. It lies in Abadan Island and has a history intertwined with the British exploitation of the rich oil fields in the region.

It was not until the 20th century that rich oil fields were discovered in the area. On 16 July 1909, after secret negotiation with the British consul, Percy Cox, assisted by Arnold Wilson, and Sheik Khaz’al agreed to a rental agreement for the island, including Abadan. The Sheik continued to administer the island until 1924. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company built their first pipeline terminus oil refinery in Abadan, starting in 1909 and completing it in 1912, with oil flowing by August 1912 (see Abadan Refinery). Refinery throughput numbers rose from 33,000 tons in 1912–1913 to 4,338,000 tons in 1931. By 1938, it was the largest in the world.

So the British presence in Abadan brought Western language and culture into the city.
Consequently, a coffee shop opened in one of the neighborhoods. So the coffee shop became a landmark and the neighborhood became known as the “Coffee Shop”. The locals who were unfamiliar with English pronounced the word differently. And so over time, the word Kafisheh or کفیشه was born.

LEARN ABOUT ATA FARSI CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Improve Your Certification Image

Dear Colleagues: 

The business of translation of Farsi in the US has become questionable. Due to the lack of a standardized certification, many individuals who do not possess adequate translation skills have entered this profession. The translations and interpretations produced by these non-qualified translators have considerably lowered the quality of Farsi translation products and interpretation services in the US compared to other countries such as Canada or Australia. 

The American Translators Association (ATA) is the sole organization in the US that offers translator certifications. Given that there is no standardized certification procedure for the Farsi-English pairing by the ATA, we have formed a volunteer workgroup and have initiated the process for its certification by the ATA (Read our announcement published in ATA’s Newsbriefs here). The benefits of this certification include:

1. Ensures the quality of Farsi translations and interpretations and allows our community to safeguard the Farsi language and join the other major languages already certified by the ATA. 

2. Contributes to greater confidence in the quality and credibility of our profession, the recognition of our commitment to the profession and its ethical practice and greater visibility in the ATA directory. 

3. Creates a distinction that puts certified translators in a better position to market themselves and engage with others in their professional community for further development in all areas. 

4. The ATA certification can open doors to new business opportunities and higher compensations for certified Farsi translators and interpreters. 

The process for establishing a certification for a language pair is relatively straightforward and is described in the guide provided by the ATA. Our workgroup has already covered most of the initial steps and we are now reaching out to you to support this endeavor. 

At this point, we need to collect 50 signatures. Signatories are simply declaring their interest in taking the certification exam for the Farsi-English language pairing. Please note that this does not involve any cost or obligation for the signatories. Your signature is simply a testament to the demand in the Farsi-speaking community for reliable professional translation services.

Participation from Farsi translators will shift the status quo, both in terms of leveraging campaigns for our work and the pairing’s recognition by the organization. Our journey toward ATA Certification begins here, so don’t delay! Sign up here to be included in our list of supporters and to receive important updates about the certification. Act now and Sign Up! 

AN ENCOUNTER IN TEHRAN

MY STORY

Back in the winter of 2000, during a visit to Tehran, I met a young accounting student who lived in my parents’ neighborhood. Since I was also an accounting student, but in the US, we compared notes. She told me that she had a hard time understanding accounting concepts because their English-to-Farsi textbooks were too literal in translation. This experience made me reflect more deeply about the true purpose of translation. It was then that I understood fully that authenticity in translation requires a translator who is able to “read between the lines” in order to achieve the truest meaning of the words as they transform from one language into the next. The perspective gleaned from this revelation has remained at the heart of the Farsi Translation Center to this day.

OUR BIGGEST MILESTONE, SO FAR


I founded Fravahr Translation in 2010. My company went through many ups and downs as do all small businesses. Recently, I reached an important Milestone. My milestone isn’t about revenue or the number of customers, but rather a vision. From the beginning, I realized the huge need for my native language’s presence in high quality linguistic circles. The American Translators Association (ATA) did not offer a certification in the Farsi language. I made it my mission to organize the first ever Farsi linguistic team to establish a language pair at the American Translators Association (ATA). After over four years of hard work, finally in January 2020, the ATA Certification Committee has officially recognized the need for a Farsi certification and has given that first Farsi linguistic team the green light to move forward. To me, this milestone is more than just creating a Farsi certification program at the ATA level. It is giving the Farsi (or Persian) language the attention it deserves as one of the oldest, richest and most beautiful languages in the world. 

There is still much work that needs to be done. But for now, I would like to say that I couldn’t have done it without the support of those who believed in this new vision, however out of reach it used to seem.

What’s the ATA Certification and Why is it Important?

The American Translators Association (ATA) is the largest professional association of translators and interpreters in the United States with nearly 10,000 members in more than 100 countries. ATA offers certification examinations for its members in some language combinations and is affiliated with the International Federation of Translators (FIT). If you hire an ATA certified Farsi translator you can rest assured that:

  • Their translation skills are at a professional level.
  • They are committed to the profession and its ethical practice.
  • Their credentials have already been verified.

With the efforts of Sepideh Moussavi, the founder of Farsi Translation Center,  the ATA Certification Committee has officially recognized the need and the demand for a Farsi to English certification. To learn more, read our blogs The Importance of ATA Certification, The Human Cost of Bad Translation, and Know Your Interpreter.

Scam Alert: Fraudsters Target Interpreters and Clients

Perpetrators of business fraud are getting more sophisticated everyday, and the translating and interpreting field is no exception. All the familiar scams involving everything from impersonated or “spoof” email accounts to “overpayments” with counterfeit checks are present in this industry. As problematic as schemes like that are, today I want to talk about a different kind of business fraud: CV or resume theft. Continue reading