Sonia Melnikova-Raich
TRANSLATION INTERPRETING CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Interpreting for Senator Richard Lugar during his meeting
with Russian business leaders
San Francisco - USA
Phone/Fax: 415.861.3667
rusenglish@aol.com
www.soniamelnikova.com
CERTIFICATION
Certified Russian Translator
Certified by American Translators Association
SPECIALTIES
|
legal business health care social services science communications education |
marketing advertising art & architecture religion film & video literary |
SERVICES
Translation (English into Russian and Russian into English)
Editing (English into Russian)
Interpreting (consecutive, simultaneous, voice-over)
Certified translation of diplomas and legal documents
Localization and Cultural Adjustment
Linguistic Analysis and Research
Cross-cultural Consulting
PERSONAL PROFILE
Born in Moscow, into a multilingual family of three generations of renowned linguists. Personally trained in English language and translation skills by E. E. Israilevich, one of the founders and professor at the Academy of Foreign Trade of the USSR, the well-known linguist, scholar and author of the first English grammar textbook published in the USSR. American citizen; emigrated to the USA and settled in San Francisco in 1987. Other professional areas include art, design, and photography (see My Art).
RELATED EXPERIENCE
Certified Russian Translator
Twenty years of experience in translation in a variety of areas for corporate and private clients. Provide accurate certified translation of academic records and legal and business documents, as well as linguistic analysis of company and product names, localization and cultural adjustment of marketing materials. Published author of literary translations from Russian into English and from English into Russian (see Published Translations).
Certified Russian Interpreter, Certified Court Interpreter
Fifteen years of experience Interpreting for depositions, arbitration, mediation, and trials (civil litigation; criminal cases; business, intellectual property and real estate disputes; adoptions; personal injury; workers' compensation; hate crime). Worked for U.S. Federal Court, Superior Court of California, London Court of International Arbitration, U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Services, San Francisco District Attorney's and Public Defender's Offices, Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, Department of Health and Human Services; and major local, national and international law firms (see Testimonials & Clients).
Conference / Delegation Interpreter
Classroom interpreter for USAID and USIA educational programs. Delegation interpreter for visiting Russian business leaders during their meetings with Secretary of State Colin Powell and members of the U.S. Congress. Consecutive and simultaneous conference interpreter. Interpreted for Senators Richard Lugar, Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer; San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown; world-famous musician Mstislav Rostropovich, poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, and many other high-profile political and cultural figures.
Cross-Cultural Facilitator
Program coordinator and group facilitator for educational programs sponsored by USAID; USIA; Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Center for International Studies, California State University; Kaiser Permanente International; Asia Foundation; Earth Island Institute, and others.
Legal Research
Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Justice: Conducting background research; assisting attorneys and experts in preparing, reviewing and analyzing documents used in investigation and litigation involving the electricity and natural gas market in California. London Court of International Arbitration: Assisting in researching, abstracting, and translating into English of a large volume of rare historical and legal documents concerning British and American mining concessions in Russia.
Management
Department Manager: Successfully launched and managed Translation and Cross-cultural Communication Department for Productivity Enhancement Program, a U.S. Department of State funded program providing business management training to visiting Russian entrepreneurs; supervised a large international team of translators, interpreters and program facilitators; oversaw production and translation of program materials; developed bilingual glossaries, program manuals, and translation and interpreting guidelines. Assistant Director for International Programs: Assisted with developing and administering of several Russian-American programs, including Climate of Trust, a bilateral program for legal professionals and public officials designed to combat hate crime and promote ethnic and religious tolerance.
SELECTED TRANSLATIONS
“Unexpected Joy,”
by Bulat Okudjava,
ICARUS, Rosen Publishing, NY
“Forbidden Fruit,”
by Fazil Iskander,
TWO LINES 2000, San Francisco
“Little Soldier,” by Chingiz Aitmatov,
Formations, Northwestern University Press, IL
Solyaris, by Andrei Tarkovsky (subtitles),
The Criterion DVD Collection
“The Harriman
Arbitration, Lloyd George, Lenin and Cannibals,”
by V. V. Veeder QC,
International Commercial Arbitration, No.2, 3, 2005,
Moscow
Court
Rules of The London Court of International Arbitration,
LCIA Web site, London
(See Published Translations for complete list.)
AUTHOR
Doing Business With Americans (Russian)
Productivity Enhancement Program: Participant Guidebook (Russian)
Cross-Cultural Facilitator Manual (English)
Survival Guide to Russia (English)
Russians: Myths & Reality (English)
The Art of Dissent: Jewish Artists in the Soviet Non-conformist Movement
Old Voices, New Faces: (Soviet) Jewish Artists from the 1920s-1990s
GUEST EDITOR
End of Empire: New Works from the Former Soviet
Union,
Rosen Publishing, NY
FILM & ART
Prisoner of Time,
Prize Production (cultural consultant)
10+10: First Joint Exhibit of Russian and American
Artists,
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (mediator)
Old Voices New Faces,
National Jewish Museum, Washington, DC (curator)
A Family Album: Photographs from the Russian
Émigré Community,
Jewish Museum, San Francisco (curator)
Identities Lost & Found,
Exhibits, One Bush, San Francisco (curator)
Expectation of a Miracle: Russian Artists at Home
& Abroad,
Exhibits, San Francisco (curator)
MEMBERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION
American Translators Association (ATA)
Certified Russian translation by a Certified Russian Translator: Sonia Melnikova-Raich is a Russian-English translator certified by American Translators Association (ATA). She is a certified Russian translator, certified Russian interpreter, certified court interpreter, Russian court interpreter certified by the State of California and Judicial Council of California, and a federal court interpreter. She has twenty years experience with expertise in legal translation, business translation, real estate translation, health care translation, medical translation, education translation, environment translation, communication translation, social services translation, social science translation, marketing and advertising translation and cultural adjustment, religion translation, art, film and video translation, architecture translation, and literary translation from Russian into English and from English into Russian. She works as a court interpreter for Superior Court of California, US Federal Court, USCIS (INS), Workers Compensation Board, and interprets for depositions, arbitration, trials, immigration and political asylum interviews, business meetings, and conferences. She provides certified translation of diplomas, academic transcripts, birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, adoption papers, immigration documents, business contracts, immunization records, and other legal documents in compliance with requirements of the USCIS (INS), US courts, credentials evaluation services, medical boards, boards of registered nursing, American colleges and universities. She can also provide a certificate of translation (affidavit of translation or affidavit of translation accuracy), and notarized translation, if needed. She translates from English into Russian and from Russian into English. She interprets English to Russian and Russian to English, performing consecutive interpreting, simultaneous interpreting, sight interpreting, and voice over. Other services include linguistic analysis of company and product names, localization and cultural adjustment, Russian-American cross-cultural communication, cultural sensitivity training, and cross-cultural conflict resolution.