Today, September 30th, is International Translation Day, an annual celebration which pays tribute to translators around the world. Originally held in honor of the patron saint of translation, St Jerome, who was the first to translate the bible from Hebrew to Latin. Today, translation has become an integral part of international business and travel.
The power of language is one of the greatest gifts man-kind holds. With language, we have the ability to communicate more profoundly than any other creature on Earth. Many times we take it for granted because the thought of not being able to interact is almost unbelievable. There are about 6,500 languages in the world today. As a language translation services company, we see hundreds of languages requested on a regular basis. Professional translators and interpreting services providers allow us to understand many of them, decreasing our overall inability to communicate across language barriers.
Why Do We Celebrate International Translation Day?
International Translation Day was created by the FIT (International Federation of Translators) in 1953 as a yearly event for the translation and interpretation community giving medical interpreters, literary translators, students, teachers, and many others, the opportunity to discuss important issues within the sector, and to celebrate their successes on International Translation Day.
International Translation Day is celebrated with the feast day of St. Jerome, a Christian scholar and priest. He was the first person to translate the Bible from Greek into Latin, making it available for the first time to a larger audience. This also made him the patron saint of translators. We celebrate International Translation Day because translators and interpreters try to make this large world slightly smaller place by breaking down language barriers and deserve to be recognized and appreciated.
Is Translation the Same as Interpreting?
A common mistake among most non-translation experts is the assumption that translation is equivalent to interpretation. Although both involve conveying meaning from one language to another, they are two distinct acts. The act of conveying meaning between languages for written content is translation, requiring a translator. The same act, but facilitated orally between speakers of different languages is interpreting, requiring an interpreter (of which there are two distinct modes – simultaneous and consecutive). These two types of professionals must, in fact, undergo very different training and possess a very distinct set of skills.
Honoring Our Translators and Interpreters on International Translation Day
We at Language Connections would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our translators for their efforts in helping make language barriers a thing of the past. This international translation day, we wanted to provide greater insight into the special contribution that translators make with their work. We have taken this opportunity to interview one of our own Language Connections translators, Nick, who has been working with us for several years. Learn what it means to be a professional translator, from the special training required to new challenges encountered in the field of translation.
Q: What languages do you translate?
A: I am a translator in three languages: English, Arabic and French. This means that I translate from and into all three: English <> French, English <> Arabic, and French<>Arabic,
Q: How long have you been translating and how did you get into the translation profession?
A: I have been in the language industry for about 12 years. When I first legally immigrated to the US, I was working in a completely different field. In the winter of 2005, I had a lot of free time and by chance, I found a website whose focus was to choose editorials from international newspapers and translate them into English so that the American public could get news and opinions from outside their national media. The work was voluntary but rewarding in so many other ways. For example, in 2005, the internet and social media were not prominent like they are today; as such it was harder to get your name out as a professional. Working for this website allowed me to have my name publicized on each article I worked on as “Translated by Nick…” would be listed for each one. It also enabled me to become a better translator as my boss for the website was an editor himself, and would review my work. This became useful when I applied later to jobs requiring taking translation tests, mostly for government contracts.
[A] Few months later, I started enlarging my scope of work in translation and interpretation while I “kept my day job”. By the end of 2008 I shifted all my focus to the language industry and have been a freelancer ever since.
Q: What fields do you translate for?
A: All of my translation/interpretation work is for the private sector, but a sizable part of the work I do for the private companies is contracted from the US government. Therefore, I end up working indirectly for the Justice Department (Court systems), for DHS/ICE (immigration, refugee programs), local school districts, and the Department of Interior (Bureau of Land Management, translating touristic brochures for the National Parks).
In addition to the topics I mentioned before, private companies also provide translation/interpretation services for individuals (mostly certificates and private documents) or other private entities. Among those are hospitals needing interpreters for the patients or translators for their medical brochures, drug companies, lawyers’ offices and different other industries.
Q: What kind of training or background is necessary for this type of work? What experience and preparation helped you the most?
A: There are obviously two paths for this profession. You are either born in a foreign country and you acquire the language and the cultural aspects naturally, or [you acquire them] through your conscious and personal decision to study the foreign language in your country/target country. In my case, Arabic is my native culture and my schooling was bilingual (Arabic/French) from day one of grade one. All subject matters were in French except Arabic (!) and English started at grade six. My college studies were in English. I should note that I was always good in languages/literature but I believe [that just because] someone has average command of the languages in school, [it does not mean] he will be able to rely on the language industry to make a living. Being “good at English in college” is not enough. It can help with small interpretation, but this is very different from bigger projects – being asked to take a five page article and orally convey it for example. [With Translation] nothing escapes the proofreader! In my case, I passed several language tests before I was able to work for [certain] companies.
I have met some US born linguists who studied foreign languages in school and interpretation/translation in college, and are now working in companies or as freelancers. Many spent some time abroad to get a deeper cultural understanding of the target country. The cultural dimension is very important to understand the nuances and mindset of the target language.
Q: What personal qualities or abilities are important for doing well in this kind of work?
A: All the qualities and requirements of success apply in the language industry. In the beginning, knowing the limits of your language abilities is necessary to [minimize] the failures associated with the start of any independent business endeavor (start with a birth certificate, not a biography). Persistence, resilience and stamina will get you through the difficult first year or two (or more), especially if you are a freelancer.
It is important to network and attend conferences. I met Language Connections at a NETA Conference. Join professional organizations like the ATA and NETA. I [also] contacted several companies through LinkedIn, [as well as] read books about self-employed translators (Corinne McKay) and listened to professional podcasts [which] provided additional insights about the profession.
It is [also] important to have a clean record (Police and Credit). Since many companies take government contracts needing translators/interpreters, all candidates have to go through some type of background check. The process might take a few months. If you fail the investigation, you will not be hired for that contract. If you pass the investigation, you will be granted a “clearance”. The clearance is active for several years and can be used for different companies, since it is granted by the government and not by the hiring company. Having a clearance gives you an advantage among others because companies will know that you have experience in government-oriented work, and the next company to offer you a contract will be aware that you have a clean record and [that] your processing time and cost will be minimal for them.
Q: What kind of changes do you see coming in this line of work?
A: CAT tools will definitely play a bigger role in the industry. More and more companies request knowledge and experience in translation software. My advice is to start training on a software when you are still in the beginning phases of your translation career and not wait “to see if things will pick up” before getting the software.
Q: What do you see as the major problems for those working in this field today?
A: Many bilingual speakers think that they have all they need to start in this profession. Simply being bilingual is not enough, a good “written” mastery of both languages is necessary to succeed as a translator. Some think that they can get better by training on the job and the results show up when their work is reviewed. Another problem caused by this situation is the low rates for which such translators are willing to work for, dragging [down] the rates for everybody else. [To avert this situation,] some companies require translators/interpreters to be tested (ALTA) beforehand, especially if they take government contracts.
Q: What do you think needs to be changed?
A: Many companies require translators to have translation software, membership in professional organizations and [to] continue [their] education (by obtaining a medical or legal interpreter certificate for example). I believe more companies should do this, as all these requirements prove that the translator is committed to his field. This approach filters out the individuals who view translation as a hobby, and don’t remain in the industry long-term.
Q: What’s the best part about being a freelance translator / what’s the hardest part?
A: I have been working as a freelancer for more than eight years. The best part of this situation is being in command of your professional life. At the moment, I stopped actively looking for new customers (contacting them and proposing my services). I get new customers when they contact me through ATA, NETA or social media. I like the fact that my scope of work covers several aspects of the language industry: translating, phone interpreting, simultaneous interpreting, transcription, video subtitling and cultural training. The most rewarding projects are the ones where the customer expects you to guide him through the different phases/approaches of the project and the final product comes out better than they expected. Interpretation assignments sometimes require travel and that gives me the opportunity to take my young family with me.
The obvious hard part is budgeting your rates in a way to cover all of your living expenses and keeping enough for the periods of low income and retirement. Never forget that the apparently good rate that you are getting is not yet taxed and has to be distributed on daily expenses, savings and retirement. Fortunately, the “value” of a translator increases with time and experience and the newcomers do not have an advantage in the market, as it is [in] the case for most technological fields where the average age of employees is below thirty. Therefore, if you look after your physical and emotional health, with the proper mindset you can still work longer than many other professions.
Q: Any advice for aspiring translators?
A: If you were a fresh graduate with a language degree, I would look for a translation agency first. If you like/fit in the corporate culture you will be promoted and get the chance to provide new language services for customers. It is difficult to start on your own right after college when you have college loans and living expenses to pay.
If you are in a different profession and you want to shift to freelance translation, my advice is to start your translation services on the side of your profession. It takes time to build a customer base. In this particular case, the best choice is to specialize in the translation of your original field of work (engineering, law, pharmacology…). Specialized translators/interpreters get higher rates and the time and money invested in your college would still be useful. However, make sure you have some diversification in your base of customers because you never know when a certain field goes through an economic downturn and there is less need for translation services. The oil industry comes to mind. Thankfully, the initial investment for a freelancer is minimal compared to other fields (you work from home, in big cities you do not need a car, no need to hire employees….). A customer base of 15-20 individuals/companies should provide you with enough continuous work.
Finally, always expect and accept the ebb and flow of the work volume. In your free time, spend more time with your family and keep up with the new trends in the industry. You should not worry when for some reason the workflow decreases. You need to know that when your customers have work for you, they will call you!
A special thanks to Nick and his willingness to share with us his personal experience being a professional translator. We appreciate all the hard work he, and the other translators and interpreters we work with, do to help enable us and people around the world to communicate just a little bit easier. Happy International Translation Day to all linguists!
About Language Connections:
Language Connections is one of the top language service companies in the US. Over the last 30 years, we’ve focused on providing the best business translation services, interpreting services, as well as interpreter training and customized language training programs. In addition to top-tier corporate language training, we offer certified corporate interpreters and professional business translation services in 200+ languages. Our network includes linguists with backgrounds in all major industries. They’re ready to meet your needs, whether they’re for technical translation services, legal translation, government translation services, international development translation services, education translation services, life sciences translation, or something else. Reach out to us today for a free quote on our cost-efficient and timely translation services, interpreters, or other linguistic services.
Language Connections Inc.
2001 Beacon Street, Suite 105,
Boston, MA 02135
Phone: +1-617-731-3510
Email: service@languageconnections.com