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New to Translating
Thread poster: nickym (X)
nickym (X)
nickym (X)
United Kingdom
French to English
Aug 21, 2015

Hello
I have recently joined Proz.com and am keen to start translating. I have a French Degree and have done a little Nautical translating already but any hints for getting into the business and how I should start would be really welcome. Is it worth investing in the advertised Translation resources and which are the best, etc...?
Many thanks.


 
Jenae Spry
Jenae Spry  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:39
French to English
More specific? Aug 22, 2015

Could you be a bit more specific about "advertised resources"? Do you mean CAT (computer-assisted translation) tools?

The answer to that depends. In general CAT tools are useful if:
1) You will be working with agency clients.
2) You will be working on similar materials with repeated text.
3) You have a tendency to skip/miss any text when translating.
4) You will be working on very long texts.

Breaking into the industry can be challenging but a go
... See more
Could you be a bit more specific about "advertised resources"? Do you mean CAT (computer-assisted translation) tools?

The answer to that depends. In general CAT tools are useful if:
1) You will be working with agency clients.
2) You will be working on similar materials with repeated text.
3) You have a tendency to skip/miss any text when translating.
4) You will be working on very long texts.

Breaking into the industry can be challenging but a good start would be to beef up your Proz profile. I took a look at it and it speaks as if you're talking to a friend as opposed to pitching your services as a business to another individual or business.

Also, as I'm also an F>E translator, I took a look at your sample translation and I think there's some sort of conversion error as this is what I saw:

1. The condition of the h llbeneath the water\ine and topsides.Any sign of impact,distortion or any form of flexing,or signs of delamination. If moisture readings are taken is there any significant water ingress into the laminate. If t e l:l c ll is !teet or eltJrfliRitlffi,Rtdl tRiei€Ress offleas : re!'¥4eRts will be teqalred.

So you might want to fix that as well.
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Tony M
Tony M
France
Local time: 16:39
Member
French to English
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Research in the forums Aug 22, 2015

Hi Nicky, and welcome to the band!

The questions your are asking yourself have by and large been answered before in the forums, often many times over. So I'd suggest a good palce to start would be by doing some research within the ProZ.com forums, which really do contain a wealth of valuable material — if you have th patience to dig it out!

As Jenae said, there are pros and cons to the use of Computer-Aided Translation (CAT) tools; the advantages and disadvantages of
... See more
Hi Nicky, and welcome to the band!

The questions your are asking yourself have by and large been answered before in the forums, often many times over. So I'd suggest a good palce to start would be by doing some research within the ProZ.com forums, which really do contain a wealth of valuable material — if you have th patience to dig it out!

As Jenae said, there are pros and cons to the use of Computer-Aided Translation (CAT) tools; the advantages and disadvantages of each of them have been discussed at great length, and you really do need to read and inwardly digest all that before making any decisions. Thankfully, I started in translation before such things existed; had that not been the case, and I had been faced with using them as a fait accompli before I even started, I frankly don't think I would ever have become a translator!

As Jenae says, presentation is all important — you really need to look hard at how others will perceive you on the basis of your profile, etc.; it might help to enlist the support of a kindly but honest friend who will be able to give you impartial third-party feedback.

DO make sure you profile, CV, etc. is perfectly error-free — one of our colleagues who shall remain nameless advertises themselves as "Accuracy is our watchword!" or somesuch — a claim that is sadly belied by their error-ridden public profile!

Same with your sample translations — DO make sure they give a good image of your work (but DON'T cheat!) One native French speaker sought to offer FR > EN translations, but the samples they posted made it painfully obvious why one ought not to translate into a language that is not one's mother tongue! Yet they could see nothing wrong with them!

Good luck, translating can be very rewarding!
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Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Nikki Scott-Despaigne  Identity Verified
Local time: 16:39
French to English
Nikki to Nicky Aug 22, 2015

Hello Nicky. Welcome to ProZ.

There are a number of routes into translating professionally. Your profile indicates that you have been translating for 25 years, so I am not quite sure how to understand what you mean by "new". Perhaps you mean that you have been translating one way or another for 25 years and that what will be "new" is your setting up officially as a translation professional with the aim of obtaining a source of income from that activity.

You need client
... See more
Hello Nicky. Welcome to ProZ.

There are a number of routes into translating professionally. Your profile indicates that you have been translating for 25 years, so I am not quite sure how to understand what you mean by "new". Perhaps you mean that you have been translating one way or another for 25 years and that what will be "new" is your setting up officially as a translation professional with the aim of obtaining a source of income from that activity.

You need clients. You can contact a number of agencies who will generally ask you to fill in some rather lengthy documents on line and to provide copies of your qualifications and other documents. Rates offered by agencies tend to be anything from 20-30% lower than those you might obtain if you provide the same service to a direct client. They have to take their cut too. Agencies generally have payment terms which can mean being paid anything from one to two months after having completed the job. The advantage is that you can have a regular source of work coming in from working with agencies.
Another source of work, which can of course be done in parallel with working for agencies, is to contact clients yourself. You may also have potential clients waiting in the side-lines from previous professional experience. The translator can charge a higher rate, the client paying less that he would if he went through and agency. You can also generally negotiate better payment terms.

There are advantages and disadvantages with both. There is absolutely nothing to prevent you from using a mix of sources.

Computer aided translation (CAT) tools offer various types of solutions which give you the possibility to manage your projects, manage and build terminology bases and work through large volumes with speed and consistency. Like any professional tool, there is a certain initial outlay which, if you do eventually recover, if you do a sufficient amount of work. Some agencies actually require CAT tools. In doing so, many also apply reduced rates according to the percentage of repetition of a given text, for example. Those who use them on a daily basis swear by them and I do not doubt they are an extremely useful tool for many people. Their utility will depend on the type of work you actually do. You can download a free trial which will generally enable you to try the tool for one month. I sometimes use Wordfast, a free tool but I have little use for CAT tools in the type of work I do. They are not to be ignored though and it is worth looking into the types of tool available and trying out a couple, bearing in mind the type of work you will be doing.


I have just taken a look at your sample translation. Nautical survey reports were my bread and butter at one point. The nautical field remains my major source of clients. You might like to have look at the last item, n° 16. It should read "balise de détresse" (not "balaise") and it is not an "emergency flare" but a "distress beacon". I think you have confused "balise de détresse" and "fusée de détresse".
The last bit of French text has been omitted in the English version.

[Edited at 2015-08-22 20:13 GMT]
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nickym (X)
nickym (X)
United Kingdom
French to English
TOPIC STARTER
New to Translating replies Aug 24, 2015

Many thanks for your kind words and very helpful comments!

 
Parrot
Parrot  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 16:39
Spanish to English
+ ...
On tools... Aug 24, 2015

Your number one priority is your brain. If there is any field you clearly want to specialise in and you find a helpful course that covers it, I'd recommend that first.

Then, CAT tools still do not cover PDFs, which are a pervasive format. Explore the possibility of getting a conversion tool, as it saves time on extra non-translation work. A good conversion tool also helps loads when you do decide to get a CAT tool.

Many clients worth keeping may give preference to one t
... See more
Your number one priority is your brain. If there is any field you clearly want to specialise in and you find a helpful course that covers it, I'd recommend that first.

Then, CAT tools still do not cover PDFs, which are a pervasive format. Explore the possibility of getting a conversion tool, as it saves time on extra non-translation work. A good conversion tool also helps loads when you do decide to get a CAT tool.

Many clients worth keeping may give preference to one tool over another. Check your market as you accumulate one and find the tool that satisfies them all, or most of them. There are certain very evidently good reasons for using one, such as proprietary literature (texts the client already "owns" and would prefer to repeat for legal/branding/its own reasons), repetitive technical instructions and descriptions, etc. A discount by itself is NOT a good reason -- more a dangerous area to tread -- since it may propagate errors. (By their attitude to CAT discounts you shall know them).

The advantages of CAT tools are time savings. You may think you bill words, but that's not true; you're basically charging for the time you invest in them. So be practical about it: if you're going to do literature, don't bother, and take a long hard look at legal assignments. It's only when you're asked to work on a case over a long time (through first instance, appeal, etc.) that CAT tools can offer any important leverage, and only if you're given editable text.

Hope it helps.

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DLyons
DLyons  Identity Verified
Ireland
Local time: 15:39
Spanish to English
+ ...
Source text - French ??? Aug 27, 2015

Which direction are you translating in? If FR-EN, you have interchanged ST and TT.

 
nickym (X)
nickym (X)
United Kingdom
French to English
TOPIC STARTER
New to Translatin Aug 27, 2015

I was translating from English into French, definitely would prefer the other way around! Hopefully I have the TL and SL in correctly.

 
alain169
alain169
Belgium
Local time: 16:39
Dutch to French
+ ...
new in subtitle translations Aug 27, 2015

I am a native speaker in French and Dutch, meaning my mothertongues at home were simultaneously French and dutch and i did my entire studies in Dutch. In order to improve my German i studied at the Euroschool of Nürnberg, Germany for simultaneous translator German-English-French. I also lived and worked in Germany for about 10 years to improve my German.

During my professional life i have been translating all kind of company resolutions and information flyers for years and this in
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I am a native speaker in French and Dutch, meaning my mothertongues at home were simultaneously French and dutch and i did my entire studies in Dutch. In order to improve my German i studied at the Euroschool of Nürnberg, Germany for simultaneous translator German-English-French. I also lived and worked in Germany for about 10 years to improve my German.

During my professional life i have been translating all kind of company resolutions and information flyers for years and this in several sectors like for instance transport, music instruments, dispatching, all kind of flyers ... . At the moment i am working as a customer consultant German-English-French-Dutch for KitchenAid europe, based in Antwerp, Belgium.

I have done translations in petfood-advertisement for a couple of years while living in Germany and now I am really trying to make a living in what really passionates me : subtiteling-translation for movies.

I have to admit that, at the moment, I have no true experience whatsoever in this particular field except adjusting for myself uncorrect translations i notice while looking at movies that are already subtitled in French or Dutch.

What I am really looking for is just a chance to make my "dream come true" and for that, I need the right people to give me a push in the right direction. Whom to contact, what compagnies, how to start, ... So i really hope i am at the right place here.

All advice is just fine. Thx a lot in advance
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DLyons
DLyons  Identity Verified
Ireland
Local time: 15:39
Spanish to English
+ ...
Interchange ST/TT Aug 29, 2015

nickym wrote:

I was translating from English into French, definitely would prefer the other way around! Hopefully I have the TL and SL in correctly.


Your sample says "Source text - French". But underneath that you have put your English TT!


 
cristinacb (X)
cristinacb (X)
Romania
Local time: 17:39
French to Romanian
+ ...
for Alain Aug 29, 2015

TED - are looking (or were looking) for volunteer translators, so working with them will offer you a certain experience in translation (subtitles).

TED (Amara) They have a lot of files (generally) in different languages.

Kind regards,

Cristina B


 
564354352 (X)
564354352 (X)  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 16:39
Danish to English
+ ...
There are no free lunches Aug 30, 2015

alain169 wrote:

What I am really looking for is just a chance to make my "dream come true" and for that, I need the right people to give me a push in the right direction. Whom to contact, what compagnies, how to start, ... So i really hope i am at the right place here.

All advice is just fine. Thx a lot in advance


As others have said: Check out all the information, in particular the forums, here on Proz.com, and you will be off to a good start as you venture into the world of translation.

No one here is going to give you a complete step-by-step guide on how and where to find clients, if and when to select a CAT tool and which one, how to set your rates etc. But you can find very solid advice on all of these things - and much, much more - if you take some time to read countless earlier discussions in the forums. Experienced translators have given a lot of excellent advice to many new translators, so just start searching for it. Put a bit of effort into it yourself.

My own best piece of advice is this: There are no free lunches in this business. It's a lot of hard work, and there's a lot of competition, but if it is what you really enjoy doing, it can be worthwhile. Do your own bit of footwork by reading former discussions. If you then have additional questions, by all means, come back and ask away. There are many very helpful people on Proz.com, but all of the questions asked here have already been answered before. Several times over...

Good luck


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 16:39
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Find your own niche Aug 30, 2015

One reason for not giving you a step-by-step guide is that there are so many different paths and combinations.

I don't fanatically believe you should only translate into your native language(s), but you do need to write exceptionally well in your target language when you translate.
'As good as most natives' is not good enough - you have to write at professional level.

Find a small handful of specialist areas - and become really, really good at them. If you have a
... See more
One reason for not giving you a step-by-step guide is that there are so many different paths and combinations.

I don't fanatically believe you should only translate into your native language(s), but you do need to write exceptionally well in your target language when you translate.
'As good as most natives' is not good enough - you have to write at professional level.

Find a small handful of specialist areas - and become really, really good at them. If you have a hobby that is a complete contrast to the others, think about that. A complete change of gear and thought process is refreshing now and then.

I enjoy translating texts about food, menus and tourism as a change after a run of medical records and cardiovascular disease, or some of the other documents I take on. Not necessarily light relief: some of the more technical museum catalogues are definitely a challenge!

But never mind me, find your own profile and carve out your own niche.

Go to live translator events (any powwows near you? http://www.proz.com/powwows ) and meet people, or go to trade fairs and listen to potential clients, and try to talk to them. Look at the webinars everyone is offering these days... but be selective! Start with the free ones, but move on if they are mainly advertising and not instructive as well.

Register for the International Translation Day virtual conference... http://www.proz.com/conference/668?page=schedule

And best of luck!
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Lalitha Krishnamurthy
Lalitha Krishnamurthy
Indonesia
Local time: 22:39
Hindi to English
Another newcomer Aug 31, 2015

Hi everybody ,

I am also a language enthusiast venturing into this arae of translation. I know English, Hindi , Tamil and Sanskrit at the spoken and written level. I know Bahasa Indonesia and have done a course in Basic German. I am venturing into translation with English as my target language.
I see everybody in this forum has considerable years of experience .......
I would like to get some tips and opinions from everybody !


 
nickym (X)
nickym (X)
United Kingdom
French to English
TOPIC STARTER
New to Translating Aug 31, 2015

Particular message to DLyons - thanks so much for getting me straight!! And many thanks to all the other helpful comments, I am on a mission now to make a go of it!

 
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