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Starting out as a translator?

  • 07-07-2015 12:04am
    #1
    doglover89
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23 ✭


    Hi all!

    So, I have a degree in French and Spanish, and have always been interested in translation. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice for getting started in the profession?
    Thank you!


Comments

  • #2
    dory
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,512 Mod ✭✭✭✭dory


    I signed up with Proz and have been doing a few jobs for 2 companies I got in touch with through them. They'll hound you to buy full membership but I never did and got on fine. You'll have a lot of competition with French and Spanish though.

    I think most transltors these days have MA or some sort of post grad in translation though. I did on a few years ago. Didn't think it would be much use but it really stood to me. Made me think of how things can be unintentionally misinterpreted.


  • #3
    Lucena
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,304 ✭✭✭Lucena


    I know someone who is a translator, and his opinion is that in the future there will be less and less work for translators. The reason being that machine translations are getting better all the time, and any work he's done is put into a huge database which is used by the software to improve the translation. The way it's going is that in a few years, the only work for translators will be to check and tidy up machine translations. Whether that's five or fifty years away though, it's hard to say.

    The one exception will be translation of literature, where managing to maintain the style and feeling of the original text is something that's probably impossible for a machine.

    Also most people won't be employed as translators i.e. you won't be earning a monthly wage, but will work freelance. The hard part is getting your foot in the door initially (the old no experience - no job, no job - no experience loop!) and getting yourself known. In the early stages, your job will consist of 50% translation and 50% looking for work. Once you've done a few jobs and have gotten yourself known, it gets easier.

    Translating is also lonely work, it'll basically be you working from home, with little contact with people. This has its upsides (you work when it suits you) and downsides (isolation).


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