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Outstanding chorister and translator hits high note at McGill with top translation prize

Published: 6 September 2005

Chorister, manager and linguist Christine Dumas earned the McGill Associates Prize in Translation for her skill as a translator from English to French.

After finishing a BA in Social Work at Université Laval, Christine Dumas embarked on a multi-faceted educational path — French language and literature, marketing and accounting — before deciding to enrol in McGill's translation program, finishing it with flying colours in the spring of 2005. Having more than one string to her academic bow, she is familiar with languages other than French and English, such as Spanish and Creole.

Added to these many talents is her love of music, particularly choral singing, which explains her ten-year dedication to the Alliance des chorales du Québec (Alliance of Quebec Choral Societies), eight spent as director general.

Very active in community life and related activities, she has coordinated and headed groups across Quebec, devoting her time to projects such as symposia, conferences, group meetings and festivals all sharing a common theme: choral singing. This core of music combined with Dumas's language skills has undoubtedly contributed to her volunteer translation work, which has appeared regularly in the International Choral Bulletin since 1994.

Christine Dumas is at present working as coordinator for the Fédération québécoise du loisir littéraire (Quebec Recreational Reading Federation). Nevertheless, her volunteer work has in no way stopped. For her, according to McGill's Director of Translation Studies, James Archibald, "translation is a sweet, gentle song — to re-echo Eric Orsenna's famous expression."

The McGill Associates Prize is awarded annually to the student with the best results in the English-French option of the Certificate in Translation program.

The combination of McGill's Certificate and Graduate Diploma in Translation gives access to the professional designation of "traducteur agréé" (certified translator) awarded by the Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec, the regulatory board for certified translators in Quebec.

For further information:
kathy.peacock [at] mcgill.ca (Mrs. Katherine Peacock)
Tel.: 514-398-1484

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