Middlebury Institute student Clara Clymer MAT ’22 has written a personal essay about her published English translation of Simone Veil’s consequential 1974 speech delivered before the French National Assembly in favor of legalizing abortion in France.
Clymer discusses what led her to the field of translation and her experience translating and publishing a historic speech given by the French political icon Simone Veil. Clymer touches on themes of finding voice, coming of age, and having an impact across time and place.
Within the framework of her practicum course at the Middlebury Institute, Clymer translated the speech Simone Veil delivered before the French National Assembly in 1974 during the national debate on abortion legislation. This speech was instrumental in both the legalization of abortion in France and in advancing women’s rights in the country. Clymer published her English translation of the French speech on November 26, 2021, the 47th anniversary of the speech. In her personal essay, Clymer weaves together her time in France with the personal and professional undertaking of translating Simone Veil’s words.
Read the full story on the Middlebury Magazine website.
| by Jessie Raymond
Marianna Guedez Forgiarini TLM ’22 has published Desde el Exilio, a collection of poems in Spanish and English about her experiences as a Venezuelan who fled her country in 2014 in the face of political and economic turmoil.
| by Clara Clymer
Fans of This American Life have likely heard the voice of Gabriela Muñoz MACI ’23, who worked as an interpreter for several episodes of the popular national radio show. That experience led her to pursue a master’s in conference interpretation.
| by Jessie Raymond
Inspired by a 2021 J-term class, two Institute students have established a nonprofit that connects volunteers with seniors needing Spanish and Chinese translation services.
