--> Nora Stevens Heath
 
 

Nora Stevens Heath

nora@heathens.co.nz

Professional goals:
  • Freelance Japanese-English translator for business/culture
Education:
  • University of Michigan
  • Graduated with honors May 1, 1999
  • Earned a BA in Japanese and in linguistics
  • Recipient of Class Honors
  • Member of Golden Key National Honor Society
Japanese skills:
  • More than a decade of language study
  • Maintained a 4.0 in Japanese at the University of Michigan
  • Exchange student to Japan in July 1994; many further visits in subsequent years
  • Alumna of Japan Center for Michigan Universities, Hikone, Shiga, Japan (Winter 1998)
  • Selected to be a Shiga Supporter
  • Has tutored Japanese and English; recommended to other students
  • Provided interpreting services for General Motors
  • Certified at the highest level of Japanese language proficiency, December 2001
  • Member of JAT (Japan Association of Translators) since 2002; elected to Board of Directors in 2005; selected as president in 2006
Computer skills:
  • Macintosh and PC hardware
  • MacOS, MS-DOS, Windows, and Unix operating systems
  • Internet, including the WWW/Web page publishing; Macromedia Dreamweaver, Perl programming
  • Certified in use of and training for Lotus CC:Mail
  • Word processing/DTP: MS Word, WordPerfect, Adobe PageMaker, MS Publisher
  • Spreadsheets: MS Excel, Lotus 1-2-3
  • Graphic design: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe ImageReady, Corel Photopaint
Other qualifications:
  • Highly motivated; strong work ethic
  • Extremely detail-oriented
  • Eager to learn; follows directions well
  • Excellent time management skills
  • Works well independently
Other:
  • Was recommended by linguistics professors to tutor phonetics and to supervise the revision of a graduate dissertation on Japanese linguistics
  • Enjoys translating Japanese to English: music, films, games, books, etc.
  • Created and maintains church Website as well as several personal and professional pages
Relevant experience:
    November 2003 to present
Kurodahan Press
J-E short story translation
  • "Sacrifice", Lairs of the Hidden Gods series, Volume 1: Night Voices, Night Journeys See at Amazon
    • August 2002 to present
    Freelance translation and localization
    Various clients
    J-E translation; proofreading of English and translated English documents
    Projects include fiction, scientific articles, marketing presentations, nonprofit research reports, business proposals, songs, business and leisure Websites, cultural pamphlets, and much more
      May 2002 to present
    Freelance game localization
    Various clients
    Translation of Japanese video games for English-speaking market
  • Monster Rancher Advance 2 See at Amazon
  • Dark Cloud 2 See at Amazon
  • Silent Hill 3 See at Amazon
  • Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits See at Amazon
  • AirForce Delta Strike See at Amazon
  • RPG Maker 3 See at Amazon
  • Steel Lancer Arena International See at Amazon
  • Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition See at Amazon
  • Kingdom Hearts II See at Amazon
  • Contact See at Amazon
  • and more
    Translation of software/hardware manuals, guides, Japanese playtester comments for US-based game teams, game concept materials, marketing proposals, etc.
    Special projects include translating Silent Hill 3 songs and fitting the lyrics to music
    Works alone or as part of a team
    Praised by project director and fellow translators for style, accuracy, and attention to detail; "a model for others to follow"
    • October 2001 to August 2003
    Nisshinbo Automotive Corporation
    Sterling Heights, MI
    Bilingual coordinator
    Japanese-English translation and interpreting
    Facilitated intercultural understanding
    Provided cultural and lifestyle support for Japanese nationals
    PC support technician; upgraded and built employee computers
    Leading member of IT committee
    Designed and maintained company Website
      July 2001 to May 2002
    Berlitz Language Center
    Bingham Farms, MI
    Japanese and English instructor
    Part-time position
      February 2000 to July 2001

    AutoWeb Communications, Inc.
    Oak Park, MI
    Received promotion to Web development
    Japanese-English translation and interpretation
    Responsible for internal and external Website design and front-end functionality
    Created several Perl-driven interactive forms
    Maintains company-wide electronic document repository
    Telephone system administrator
    Editor-in-chief of all extracompany communications
    Graphics designer
    Customer tech support

      May 1999 to February 2000
    AutoWeb Communications, Inc.
    Oak Park, MI
    Assistant to president and vice-president
    Japanese-English translation and interpretation
    Contingency plan administrator
    Telephone system administrator
    Editor-in-chief of company newsletter
    Customer survey co-writer
    Customer tech support
    Tracked invoices, expenses, etc.
      June 1997 to May 1999
    The Localizers, Inc.
    Novi, MI
    Computer bilingualization
    On-site tech support
    Hardware, software, and network installation, troubleshooting, training
    All tasks performed in both Japanese and English
    Company representative at Tech Data's Tech Tour '97
     

    Please address all questions, comments, concerns to nora@heathens.co.nz.