I saw this 10-facts post on LinkedIn the other day and I feel I ought to repost and share it with you all. Amusing though it is, this list debunks some of the myths about translators, or indeed, translation, as it can be quite a misunderstood profession sometimes.
Translators invest a significant amount of time and energy into researching, writing, and editing multiple times before delivering the finalised text to their clients; likewise, at The Languaging Lab, we take the time to identify the translation and transcreation requirements of your documents, and focus on sector-specific knowledge, contextually-appropriate tone and register, as well as culturally-adapted language.
We give you a voice and enable you to communicate with your international audiences.
👥 We write (we create written content such as books); interpreters talk (they deliver oral content such as speeches at conferences).
🖊 We must translate into a language in which we are also a good writer.
🎹 Knowing two languages does not make you a translator, in the same way that having 10 fingers does not make you a pianist.
💡 Translating is not just about words, it’s about making a whole culture become clear.
🕯 We have to work in the shadows. If you notice us, it means the translation isn‘t good.
💪🏼 We make a living from a curious paradox: we exist thanks to the differences between languages and we work hard to eliminate them.
🤓 A good way to make a big impression on us is to use correct grammar (sorry for all the times we correct you – we can’t help it! 🤷🏽♀️)
⏳ We can spend hours finding the “right” word and can even be in a bad mood until we find it.
🧠 We sometimes look a bit strange by forming sentences with words from different languages (and we can’t even remember words in our own mother tongue). Other than that, it’s really fun!
💵 If you think that a qualified translator is expensive, just think about how much a bad translation could cost you.
(by M. Esquenet)
Edison Tam MA MCIL CL is a Translator, Proofreader, and Copyeditor (zh-hk/en) who works with students, independent non-fiction writers, academic researchers, and clients from businesses and organisations of all sizes.
He is Chartered Linguist and Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), and has undergone wide-ranging academic training in Business, Modern Languages, and Applied Linguistics in Hong Kong, London, and Barcelona.
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