Pay attention and become a perfectionist

Master computer technology

Take specialization or refresher courses

Once again, this holds true for any profession, yet a translator is not allowed to disregard it. It may be a course on the new Portuguese spelling reform, translation techniques, legal terminology, or computer assisted translation programs; it is absolutely essential to keep current.

Here I must mention a rather sad story. We sent a file in Word format to a translator with his first job for us. The file had been carefully laid out, including words and titles in bold, italics, and using varied fonts, plus an automatically generated and linked index, etc. When we received the translation, it came in plain text, without any of those bolds, italics, different fonts, etc. I was puzzled and immediately called the translator who gave me this rather bizarre answer, “I printed out the file using Word and translated it from hard copy, because that’s how I work.” No comment, and it goes without saying that it was the very first and last time we ever hired this professional.

So it is essential to master Microsoft Office. If I send a file with some specific formatting (exception made to PDF files, of course), I expect to receive it exactly the same. Therefore a translator knowing their way in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is always taken for granted.

9. Understand and learn to use some computer assisted translation program (Trados, Wordfast, Déjà Vu, etc.)

As the owner of a translation firm, I often hear translators complaining that “they are forced to work with Trados (or Wordfast, etc.), because agency X, for whom they have been translating, requires it.” The software is assigned to be the villain. The agency uses it to make a profit on the poor translator. This may even be true in some cases, however translators seem to overlook the key issue: these programs are productivity tools, i.e., they serve to increase the translation professional’s output. However regardless of whether a job is for an agency or a direct client, using them means higher productivity in the long run, resulting in more money.

I can’t imagine a translator nowadays still doing it in the good old way, i.e. without being boosted by such software. These tools increase productivity, standardize terminology, save on typing (copying numbers, for instance), just to name a few benefits. In this case, translators should overcome their skepticism and start using them.

This might seem overrated, however I think that paying attention is essential for a good translator. I have lost count of how many times I saw translators simply skipping a word (or a whole sentence!) in a translation, or typing the wrong date (which is awfully bad in a plain translation, yet unacceptable in a sworn translation) or even commit gross subject-verb concordance mistakes. A translator should pay close attention to translating and review the work with utmost care. Taking this one step further, translators should work toward becoming perfectionists, as both agencies and direct clients expect a flawless, error-free finished product, and requiring as little rework as possible; this is the benchmark all translators should strive to achieve.

Task 1

Answer the questions:

What skills and qualities should a person possess to become a good translator/interpreter?

How can people acquire these qualities?

Is translator’s job attractive to you? Why?

Task 2

If you have already worked as a teacher or a translator/interpreter, share your impressions with your groupmates.

Kevin Miller’s future career

Kevin Miller

GOOD AT: maths, physics, biology, foreign languages.

ENJOYS: outdoor activities, meeting people, travelling.

CHARACTER: active, sociable, good team member, but not a self-starter

Possible careers for Kevin? medicine, travel and tourism, landscape gardening, education, research, journalism, civil engineering.

Task 1

Kevin Miller has just finished school and is not sure what career to choose. Discuss various possibilities together and decide what you think would be the most suitable career for him.

Use the following phrases:

I think a career in … might/might not be appropriate for him since he …

Do you think it would be a good idea if he went into …?

It says that he’s … so perhaps … would be a good/better choice.

If he chose …, he would be able to …

I think we can rule … out, so that leaves us with …

Well, we’ve got (two/three) options left. Which do you prefer?

Final task 1

Discuss these questions:

What jobs in your country are popular or unpopular with young people? Why?

Is it easy for young people in your country to find the kind of jobs they want? Why/why not?

What factors (e.g. salary, opportunities for travel or promotion, working hours) would you take into account in choosing a career for yourself?

Sometimes people are not paid well enough for the job that they do (e.g. nurses) while other people (e.g. successful businessmen) earn enormous salaries. In your opinion, which jobs are underpaid and which are overpaid in your country?

Final task 2

Be ready to speak on the topic “My Future Profession”

Дата добавления: 2014-12-16