Do you like a lonely job?
Some translators are quite fond of consulting with others, debating the merits of particular linguistic choices or finding fault with translations done by others (indeed, the latter sometimes appears to be their favourite pastime). Even so, these behaviours are usually little more than online derivates of true social contact and only underline the fact that translating is essentially a very lonely job. You will probably be working at home or, if you are lucky, at your desk in an office all day and no matter how often you feel it is necessary to confer with others, your translation is the fruit of collaboration between yourself and your computer. If you like working with people, if you can’t wait to go to meetings or, even better, conferences or trade shows, if, in short, you are a person who would be happy if his job – like a manager’s – consisted mostly of talking, then beware that translation will bring none of those social amenities. As a translator you are pretty much left to your own devices. What you will need most of all is concentration – and concentration is by definition best achieved in isolation.

Can you deal with criticism?
Most good translators are highly language-conscious and, by extension, will be aware that language means power. They will be aware that their linguistic skills are their principal asset – the instrument that brings them status, power, influence and money. Because they so much depend on those skills, they are acutely aware of the need to maintain them and keep them in good order, yet at the same time also feel peculiarly reluctant to accept criticism. You should be aware that translation is an extremely error-sensitive skill – innumerable things can go wrong in a single text, and sometimes even a simple spelling error can spoil your professional image. To make matters worse, your translation is likely to be read – and judged – not only by your client but by countless other people as well, and the notions of what it takes to create a good text vary considerably. Some people don’t like sentences with subclauses. Others don’t like Latinisms. And others may criticise you for taking liberties with the source text. A professional translator will be able to take such criticisms for what they are worth, but is also aware that he needs the response of readers to sharpen his skills. This is because a writer is never exactly aware of the effect of his writing, until he receives feedback from others to reflect what he has written, and how he has written it.

To sum up, a good translator is a professional with a versatile linguistic repertoire and creative writing skills who is able to work in isolation and willing to submit his work for feedback from others.

About Metamorfose Vertalingen
Metamorfose Vertalingen, established in Utrecht (the Netherlands) in 2004, is a professional translation agency with a primary focus on the Dutch and international business community, and on public and semi-public institutions. Our principal strengths lie in the financial, legal and medical sectors, as well as in commerce, advertising and media. Our range covers virtually all European languages and also includes expert translation services into Chinese, Turkish and Arabic. Our client base includes some of the largest corporate enterprises in Europe.

Page 2 of 2 :: First | Last :: Prev | 1 2 | Next