Tips on Being a Professional Translator
I received this request the other day from Brandon, a college senior in New York. He gave me permission to post it, as I thought the question was a good one. He wrote, "I am a jazz musician, but I am interested in interpretation as a possible profession. I would like to ask for any advice you can give to a graduating senior getting his foot in the door."
Here are my thoughts:
1. The most important thing in written translation is to have a love for and facility with written language -- grammar, spelling, subtleties of meaning. I can't comment on spoken interpretation because I haven't done that professionally (although I speak several languages well, and some fluently).
2. In written translation you always translate INTO your first language. Only rarely are there interpreters qualified to translate both ways. Again, it has to do with subtleties of meaning that only a native speaker knows.
3. You have to know your limitations, and constantly learn. If you don't know something, find someone who does. Read, listen (radio, music, TV), converse and immerse yourself in the foreign languages you wish to master.
4. It goes without saying, but I'll repeat it anyway: The single best way to learn a foreign language fluently is to live in a country where it is spoken. Barring that, you need to live with someone who only speaks that language!
5. There are areas where specific vocabularies or jargon are important, such as music, science, business, medicine, technology. Specializing in one or more of these areas can be a good career option.
6. An important concept to be aware of is register, meaning the appropriate socioeconomic level of the language -- we all know that street slang is not what you'd use in a business meeting.
7. It's often useful to find and compile glossaries of terms you frequently encounter and use. Also make sure you own the standard dictionaries (in Spanish that is the two-volume Diccionario de la Real Academia Española -- unlike English, Spanish spelling is standardized through most of the world, though usage and vocabulary vary by region). Style guides are valuable too.
8. Always check your work with several qualified people who know the vocabulary/field/concepts you are working with and who are good writers/editors in the target language.
9. Certain multinational organizations use many translators. The World Bank is often a source for people wishing to find translators for freelance work.
Best of luck to you, Brandon!
Here are my thoughts:
1. The most important thing in written translation is to have a love for and facility with written language -- grammar, spelling, subtleties of meaning. I can't comment on spoken interpretation because I haven't done that professionally (although I speak several languages well, and some fluently).
2. In written translation you always translate INTO your first language. Only rarely are there interpreters qualified to translate both ways. Again, it has to do with subtleties of meaning that only a native speaker knows.
3. You have to know your limitations, and constantly learn. If you don't know something, find someone who does. Read, listen (radio, music, TV), converse and immerse yourself in the foreign languages you wish to master.
4. It goes without saying, but I'll repeat it anyway: The single best way to learn a foreign language fluently is to live in a country where it is spoken. Barring that, you need to live with someone who only speaks that language!
5. There are areas where specific vocabularies or jargon are important, such as music, science, business, medicine, technology. Specializing in one or more of these areas can be a good career option.
6. An important concept to be aware of is register, meaning the appropriate socioeconomic level of the language -- we all know that street slang is not what you'd use in a business meeting.
7. It's often useful to find and compile glossaries of terms you frequently encounter and use. Also make sure you own the standard dictionaries (in Spanish that is the two-volume Diccionario de la Real Academia Española -- unlike English, Spanish spelling is standardized through most of the world, though usage and vocabulary vary by region). Style guides are valuable too.
8. Always check your work with several qualified people who know the vocabulary/field/concepts you are working with and who are good writers/editors in the target language.
9. Certain multinational organizations use many translators. The World Bank is often a source for people wishing to find translators for freelance work.
Best of luck to you, Brandon!
posted by Alexa Weber Morales @ 2/09/2009
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