Stron w wątku: [1 2] > | Output Autor wątku: WS McCallum
| WS McCallum Nowa Zelandia Local time: 02:03 francuski > angielski
One of the most common assumptions I get from people who I meet and tell I am a translator is that I must therefore translate novels as a living. Often they are disappointed when I explain that, in spite of my literary training, I ended up translating nearly ... See more One of the most common assumptions I get from people who I meet and tell I am a translator is that I must therefore translate novels as a living. Often they are disappointed when I explain that, in spite of my literary training, I ended up translating nearly everything but literature. The other common assumption is that translation is a dilettante’s activity or some sort of sideline, where you polish off a highly-crafted page or two now and then, in-between doing “real” work. Consequently, I often have trouble convincing people that this is work I do on a daily basis and, yes, it takes up a full working day, and I have generally worked 6 days a week for most of my self-employed life. As part of my work archives scheduled destruction programme, I took the opportunity to snap the following photo of some of my professional output, along with some stats: Period: Four years (2014-2017) Files height: 2.1 metres Estimated number of translated words: 4.6 million Languages translated: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Slovene, Russian ▲ Collapse | | | Sadek_A Local time: 18:03 angielski > arabski + ...
Totally biting my tongue! | | | Matthias Brombach Niemcy Local time: 16:03 Członek ProZ.com od 2007 niderlandzki > niemiecki + ...
Do you still use a typewriter? Honestly, I still experience the same problem with other people (mainly my neighbours; the experienced readers here on proz know who I am talking about) not respecting translation as "real" work. But when I tell them, that I can stay at home to make money, while others have to go to work for it, they hate me even more for what I do. But if I would tell them, how much I have to pay for my health... See more Do you still use a typewriter? Honestly, I still experience the same problem with other people (mainly my neighbours; the experienced readers here on proz know who I am talking about) not respecting translation as "real" work. But when I tell them, that I can stay at home to make money, while others have to go to work for it, they hate me even more for what I do. But if I would tell them, how much I have to pay for my health insurance, which is mandatory here in Germany, then they (would) look even more consternated and tell me, they didn't assume I would pay for insurances and taxes at all (because they think I live on their expenses). Next step in their question-and-answer game is to ask, why I still live in Germany and do not spend my working time on a tropical Island, with my laptop on the knees at the beaches. I could then answer, that their bad attitude motivates me to stay here, otherwise they wouldn't have anything they could maul over (and would have to annoy other people then). The last question would be (which is sometimes the first question), in what languages (plural!) I translate. When I answer "Into German only" they have no further questions, but you can see in their faces, what they think about you then.
[Bearbeitet am 2021-02-04 07:28 GMT] ▲ Collapse | | | WS McCallum Nowa Zelandia Local time: 02:03 francuski > angielski NOWY TEMAT
Yes I do still have a typewriter - nothing beats it for typing addresses on envelopes. It's odd what people think about our profession - misconceptions abound. | |
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Dan Lucas Wielka Brytania Local time: 15:03 Członek ProZ.com od 2014 japoński > angielski Paper-lite over here | Feb 4, 2021 |
WS McCallum wrote: Files height: 2.1 metres That's a decent stack of paper. Anything printed here gets put through a cross-cutting shredder, and I have to submit a signed declaration to my clients every 12 months to attest to the fact! Different strokes indeed. Dan | | |
Shelves of dictionaries and stacks of paper. Reminds me of our office circa 2005! I still check on paper but I don’t keep paper copies of jobs any more. The CIA and the KGB both had full teams down our local recycling centre for a month to sift their way through 20 years of output when we finally cleared all the paper out. Spot on, Matthias. But whether they are impressed or unimpressed, most people still seem to come out of it thinking I am an interpreter. | | | Matthias Brombach Niemcy Local time: 16:03 Członek ProZ.com od 2007 niderlandzki > niemiecki + ... Oh yes, certainly! | Feb 4, 2021 |
Chris S wrote: most people still seem to come out of it thinking I am an interpreter. ... good point, Chris, how could I forget to tell them neighbours that I translate, and do not in-ter-prete! That could change the situation here immediately and I will go and ring the doorbells around me right now! (Of course! A translator! And they all wonder why there is no mumbling to hear in my flat when they put their hearing aids against the walls! They think I am an interpreter, but don't believe it! How could I forget!) "Hello, Klukowski, wait a minute, I have to talk to you...!"
[Bearbeitet am 2021-02-04 08:37 GMT] | | | matt robinson Hiszpania Local time: 16:03 Członek ProZ.com od 2010 hiszpański > angielski Out of mother tongue | Feb 4, 2021 |
Where I live (central Spain) people don't seem surprised that I can earn a living as a full-time translator, but they almost always assume that I translate out of my native language into Spanish, and are surprised when I tell them that translators usually translate into their mother tongues. As for paper I don't use it in a work context, apart from the odd NDA that I have to print off and physically sign, and even then I could probably manage without the printed format. I would also say th... See more Where I live (central Spain) people don't seem surprised that I can earn a living as a full-time translator, but they almost always assume that I translate out of my native language into Spanish, and are surprised when I tell them that translators usually translate into their mother tongues. As for paper I don't use it in a work context, apart from the odd NDA that I have to print off and physically sign, and even then I could probably manage without the printed format. I would also say that nowadays around 50% of my input and output has never and will never be put down on paper. ▲ Collapse | |
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Period: 36 years (1985-2021) full-time + 5 years part-time. Files height: no idea (just imagine how many meters it would be if I had kept everything on paper!). Anyway, when I move back to Lisbon in 2015 and because I had plenty of space in Brussels it took me two long weeks to select and shred all old and unneeded documents. Estimated number of translated words: no idea of the total, but I know what I did last year: EN/PT: 465,417; ES/PT: 8,911; FR/PT: 154,285; IT/PT: ... See more Period: 36 years (1985-2021) full-time + 5 years part-time. Files height: no idea (just imagine how many meters it would be if I had kept everything on paper!). Anyway, when I move back to Lisbon in 2015 and because I had plenty of space in Brussels it took me two long weeks to select and shred all old and unneeded documents. Estimated number of translated words: no idea of the total, but I know what I did last year: EN/PT: 465,417; ES/PT: 8,911; FR/PT: 154,285; IT/PT: 6,857 = 635,470 words (no CAT tools). Languages translated: English, French, Italian, and Spanish to Portuguese. Work in EN-PT has been on the rise over the years, while FR, IT and ES are losing ground. People around me are not surprised that I work at home as a freelancer (some are surprised that I’m still working), but like others I’ve also seen how disappointed they are when I say that I translate exclusively into Portuguese. ▲ Collapse | | | Marina Taffetani Włochy Local time: 16:03 Członek ProZ.com od 2013 niemiecki > włoski + ... What do translators even do? | Feb 4, 2021 |
Luckily most people seem to understand that translating is a "real" profession and that I do indeed work. Of course, it's different with older people, who usually cannot even grasp the meaning of working from home, let alone understand what a "translator" is. However, people are astonished when I say I don't translate novels, that seems impossible to them. Why, what do translators do then? Oh yes, of course, translators are actually interpreters, that's what they must be if they don... See more Luckily most people seem to understand that translating is a "real" profession and that I do indeed work. Of course, it's different with older people, who usually cannot even grasp the meaning of working from home, let alone understand what a "translator" is. However, people are astonished when I say I don't translate novels, that seems impossible to them. Why, what do translators do then? Oh yes, of course, translators are actually interpreters, that's what they must be if they don't translate novels, right? And why would I only translate into Italian? Then surely I'm not that good, right? Obviously all translators work in at least 10 language pairs. It's absolutely impossible I don't translate into English. Why, certainly I can translate this letter their granny wants to send to someone in Germany, right? And these hospital brochures into English for non-Italian-speaking patients. Uh, I must be terrible at my job if I won't accept that kind of work. ▲ Collapse | | | Generalizations... | Feb 4, 2021 |
Marina Taffetani wrote: Of course, it's different with older people, who usually cannot even grasp the meaning of working from home, let alone understand what a "translator" is. Many translators here are classified as older people (aged 60 and above) and I’m one of those lucky ones… | | | Where does this come from? | Feb 4, 2021 |
I do wonder where your wisdom "Of course, it's different with older people, who usually cannot even grasp the meaning of working from home, let alone understand what a "translator" is." comes from, especially the last part. | |
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IrinaN USA Local time: 09:03 angielski > rosyjski + ... What is the starting point for "older"? | Feb 4, 2021 |
Marina Taffetani wrote: Of course, it's different with older people, who usually cannot even grasp the meaning of working from home, let alone understand what a "translator" is. Usually, in child's mind it's 30 | | | Adieu ukraiński > angielski + ...
I don't think I've ever printed a single sheet of translation. EDIT: no, I lied. I had a weird lawyer shop client in the mid 2000's that wanted hand-delivered hard copies... we didn't hit it off, for obvious reasons. | | | P.L.F. Persio Holandia Local time: 16:03 Członek ProZ.com od 2010 angielski > włoski + ... Or even before 30 | Feb 4, 2021 |
IrinaN wrote: Usually, in child's mind it's 30 Our 16 y.o. pussy cat died when my daughter was 4, so that was her first encounter with the notion of death: Her: Mum, please don't die. Me: Aw poppet, don't worry! I don't think I'm going to die any time soon. Her: But you're so old! Me: I'm 29, you little bugger.
[Edited at 2021-02-04 15:11 GMT] | | | Stron w wątku: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Output Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
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