We usually think of “translation” as the written word; but a narration script or a speech is intended to be heard. Not only that; it must be presented to the listener through the medium of a narrator, who works under special constraints. It is not enough to produce good prose; the script translator needs to understand what narrators can and cannot do, and also what the listener can and cannot understand easily.

Tom Gally is an experienced translator of narration scripts for videos, films, CD-ROMs, and other multimedia presentations. He will give basic advice and guidelines aimed at future professionals in this interesting and lucrative field. Assisting Tom with illustrations and examples will be Doreen Simmons, veteran SWETer, who includes among her other job descriptions twenty years’ experience of recording work, from particle physics to nursery rhymes, and from TV documentaries to washing machine commercials. Tom and Doreen will offer a lively package of information and good advice.