Why a Career in Translation is Worth Considering

First of all, let’s get a basic question out of the way – what actually is a translator? The answer isn’t really that complicated – a translator converts certain types of material from one language to another. These materials include books, newspapers, articles, and manuals. Notice a pattern? They’re all in the written format. A translator only works with written material, not with spoken material: that is the job of an interpreter.

Bilingualism

A translator doesn’t really need many skills to succeed in their chosen career. The most important skill is bilingualism – the translator has to know two languages inside out; they should be able to read, write, speak, and even think in both of the languages very well. This might sound hard, but there are many people who are raised this way as children – if you are one of them, then congratulations! You already possess the most important skill that a translator needs. Also, learning languages is not the hardest thing in the world to do – especially if you already know a language that’s similar. Spanish, Italian and French are all in the same family of languages, as are Dutch and German. If you already know one of the languages then it would be a good idea to learn others in the same group – there are a fair share of websites that offer free language tutorials to start off with.

Translators and computer skills

Translators also need to be able to use word-processors and similar software. This probably isn’t the hardest skill in the world to pick up, and if you can master two languages then you can probably learn to use Microsoft Word.

But apart from being able to convert from one language to another, translators also need excellent knowledge in the field which they will be translating. That is to say, someone who translates non-fiction books about cars needs to know a bit about cars, so that they can translate the material well. Similarly, someone who is translating a mystery novel needs to be well-read in the mystery genre, to know how the translation should be written. However, there is good news with this.

Professional degree and education

You see, translators come from all sorts of areas and backgrounds, and as you might expect most translators carry some sort of degree. However, this degree isn’t always a degree in translation – in fact, more often than not it isn’t a degree in translation. Instead, the degree is more often in the subject that they will be translating – for example, a degree in art history for those translating material to do with the history of art.

The advantage of this is that you can choose to do a degree in what you’re interested in, and this way you can still use that degree to pursue a job in that area! With a degree in medicine, one could get a career in medicine or translate medical works – the choice is open.

However, although translation may be easy to get started in, there is much to master in it. Translation is far from being an exact science – it is more of an art. While translating a work from one language to another – especially if the two languages are in different families – you have to find a balance between making the text readable in the new language, and distorting the meaning from the original one.

Let me explain in a simpler way. It is generally found that the more of the original meaning you try to maintain of the text, the less readable the translation is. The same applies the other way around – the more readable you make the translation, the less of the original meaning is kept. The balance is hard to find, but when done right it can bring much satisfaction.

Benefits of being a professional translator

A great joy of working as a translator is the sheer variety in the work available to you. With cultures spreading quickly and taking their native tongues with them, the demand for translation is rising across the spectrum. All sorts of works need to be translated in this day and age. From the to-be-expected assortment of books and articles, to the less formal bunch of birthday cards and handwritten notes – there are virtually no restrictions to what a translator needs to translate.

If you just want to get a taste for translation, a good idea might be to try out freelance translation. With this, the internet is your main tool. Set up a website advertising yourself – ideally including the languages you are proficient in, your areas of expertise in translation, how to contact you, and approximate fees that you charge. If you want to keep your business totally online, you can ask your clients to pay you via PayPal. With this approach, you can get a taste of the joys of being a translator.

Basically, translation is a very rewarding profession that doesn’t require much in the way of ground skills. It can bring a very high level of job satisfaction, since you can choose to translate material in an area which you are interested in. It is also easy to learn the basics of how to translate, but hard to master the art of translation – finishing a translation that maintains the original meaning and is also readable can bring enormous satisfaction. These are all great reasons to be a translator, and it is a field that warrants your serious consideration.