Translating for a living - (very) unfinished
Created | Updated Feb 23, 2005
What is translation?
Translation is both a process and a result. It is the term for the act of taking a text written in one language (the 'source language') and writing it in another (the 'target language'). The word 'translation' also refers to the resulting new text in the target language.
Translation is more than just substituting one word for another. Differences in grammar, vocabulary, writing style, and culture require good judgment and creativity on the translator’s part to convey the meaning of the source text accurately and eloquently.
This entry will give the reader a brief overview of the variety of specialties within translation, the tools at a translator’s disposal, and the role of translation in society today.
What skills and training would a translator need to have?
In the US, there are very few undergraduate programs in translation. * Most people interested in translation get a bachelor's degree in their language(s) of choice, then continue to a master's either in comparative literature with a translation certificate, or a master's degree specifically in translation. Some schools in the US with a translation program include:
- American University in Washington, DC Department of Language and Foreign Studies
- Kent State University’s Institute of Applied Linguistics
- Monterey Institute of International Studies
- SUNY Binghamton Translation Research and Instruction Program
In the UK....(I'll get round to looking up the details later)
Those who are interested in translation will often try to find an internship with a translation agency, publishing house, or similar company.
As far as other skills and personality traits, a translator should:
- be detail-oriented
- be able to work to deadlines
- be comfortable with technology: word processors, Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) tools, basic web page authoring, email, etc.
- have good research skills
- have a working knowledge of a specialized field and its vocabulary (engineering, medical, legal, software, etc.)
- [any others im missing?]
How much money can a translator make?
Taking as an example a technical translator:
Technical translations are billed 'by the word' and the going rate for a translation varies in accordance with the source/target language pair and the field of expertise.
Put into plain English, translating a legally binding document from Chinese into Ancient Greek is likely to cost a lot more, per word, than translating an instruction manual for a toaster from French to English.
Most technical translators work at a rhythm of between 2,000 and 3,000 words per day and an average tariff for translating between two European Languages would be around XXXXX per word.
Thus, one can say that, on average, a translator should be easily capable of billing XXXXX per month, giving an annual income of around XXXX1.
However, it should be noted that this is a 'top-line' figure, and that as the majority of translators are self-employed (freelance), the translator's actual earnings will be much lower, depending on taxation levels in each individual country.
The legal responsibilities of a translator
Various types of translating jobs
- Simultaneous Interpreter
The most difficult of all translating jobs - Try patting your head whilst rubbing your stomach and reciting prime numbers - all at the same time. This involves translating for conferences etc.
- Technical Translators
Responsible for the translation of technical documentation and websites. Covering everything from maintenance manuals for nuclear power plants through to tender applications for the construction of landfill sites. Requires good all round technical expertise and the ability to learn new subjects continuously.
- Commercial Translators
This is the job for a bilingual sales specialist, requires the ability to look at a snappy catchphrase or sales pitch in one language, and come up with something equally snappy in another.
- Legal Translators
A sub-category of Technical Translating, requires in-depth knowledge of legal procedures and wording. Involved in the translating of contracts and all types of legal documentation. One of the most demanding forms of technical translation as the translated version must be capable of standing up in court and having exactly the same meaning as the original.
- Literary Translators
These are the people who translate everything from Douglas Adams through to Mein Kampf into foreign languages. This job requires strong literary abilities and a great deal of patience, working on one project for months at a time is not everyone's cup of tea.
Computer Assisted Translation
Although there are many translation programmes on the market today, they can all be classified under one of two headings:
Automatic Translation Software
The most commonly used automatic translation software currently in use is by SYSTRAN.
These programmes work on the basic principle of taking a bi-lingual dictionary and set of grammatical rules for the source and target languages, 'reading' the original text and providing an automatic translation for later verification by a human translator.
The one major problem with this system is that, as yet, no-one has been able to develop a computerised system that takes into account all the sublties of human speech... Double entendres, words with multiple meanings, etc. As any user of Babelfish will be instantly aware, Computer based translation is still in its infancy.
Professional versions of this software do have one advantage over cheaper computer translation software however: The ability to define a 'user dictionary' of technical terms, specifically for an individual client or field of expertise. For instance, the French word 'Robinet' would be translated by most people as 'Tap'. However, depending on circumstance and the individual wishes of a specific client, it could also be translated as 'Valve' and 'Cock'. These variations can thus be entered in a 'client specific' dictionary.
Translation memories
Translation Memories work on a completely different principle:
Whilst translating a document, the computer breaks down the source document into individual phrases, inviting the human translator to insert their own personal translation for each phrase. These coupled, source/target language phrases are then stored in a database2.
As the translator advances through the document, the computer constantly checks its database to see whether the phrase currently being translated has already been dealt with, either earlier in the document, or in another document translated for the same client.
In this way, the computer does not actually translate anything, it simply remembers everything the human translator has already done and reminds him/her of it if a similar phrase occurs.
Although this is more labour intensive than a purely computerised translation, it has the great advantage of 'learning' from the human translator, remembering exactly what term was used for a specific piece of equipment 40 pages ago in an extremely complex technical document.
