This award will support Dr. James M. Unger of the University of Hawaii to initiate establishment of a working collection of scientific and technical dictionaries and other reference materials for Japanese- English translators. A bibliography of available technical reference materials, with documentation on source and availability, cost, and assessment of usefulness, will be compiled. The potential usage of such a Japanese technical reference center, and its potential for being self-supporting on a fee-for-service basis will be assessed. Obtaining high-quality translations of Japanese scientific and technical literature remains a bottleneck in the transfer of such information from Japan to the U.S. This problem could be alleviated, in part, by making a comprehensive collection of professionally managed reference and resource materials available to a large number of Japanese-English translators.
