| Vom Thema belegte Seiten: [1 2] > | A friend that thinks being a translator is easy... Initiator des Themas: María Toresani
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María Toresani
Argentinien
Local time: 14:03
Mitglied (2022)
Englisch > Spanisch
+ ...
Hello,
My parents have a friend who saw I am doing well as a translator, so, he took an online course and in one week...TA DA! He became a """translator""" himself and now wants me to tell him where do I get jobs...
Of course I am very angry because this undervalues our profession and I am tired of people thinking this job is all about easy money.
What would you answer to him?
I am trying to find the right words.
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Well, unfortunately that had happened to me so many times I can't even count. My standard answer is: Find your preffered field and study it everyday. Google agencies, send cv, and make tests. Create account on ProZ and explore. Learn as many CAT Tools as you can. And that's it. I put no details and include as many difficult words as I can. Be sure to ask them to Google if any questions. Everything is out there.
| | | | Thayenga 
Deutschland
Local time: 18:03
Mitglied (2009)
Englisch > Deutsch
+ ...
My answer would be real simple, since you've become a translator in just one week, surely there are online classes that teach you where to find work... in one week.
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 17:03
Mitglied (2015)
Englisch > Portugiesisch
+ ...
| An online course and in one week? | Nov 15, 2020 |
Maria Toresani wrote:
Hello,
My parents have a friend who saw I am doing well as a translator, so, he took an online course and in one week...TA DA! He became a """translator""" himself and now wants me to tell him where do I get jobs...
Of course I am very angry because this undervalues our profession and I am tired of people thinking this job is all about easy money.
What would you answer to him?
I am trying to find the right words.
Dear Maria Toresani,
Why don't you answer him with one question: "In this online translation course why didn't you ask them this same question? I'm sure they would give you tips on how to find translation jobs."
It may sound a bit "rude", but that's what I would do.
[Edited at 2020-11-15 14:46 GMT]
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Sadek_A
Local time: 21:03
Englisch > Arabisch
+ ...
"Don't you have enough income already?"
"I'll split my translation income with you, if you will split your profession's income with me"
"You can take all my clients off my hands, provided you give me a fixed monthly amount of my choice"
Be creative!
People like that family friend are the ones that literally make millions stretching themselves into practically every profession, regardless of education, expertise or whatever!
| | | | Samuel Murray
Niederlande
Local time: 18:03
Mitglied (2006)
Englisch > Afrikaans
+ ...
Maria Toresani wrote:
My parents have a friend who saw I am doing well as a translator, so, he took an online course and in one week...TA DA! He became a "translator" himself and now wants me to tell him where do I get jobs... Of course I am very angry because this undervalues our profession and I am tired of people thinking this job is all about easy money.
I understand that you feel threatened by his actions, but the fact is that many people get into translation by doing something very similar: taking a quick course or reading a beginner's book, and then trying their luck. Most such people stop as soon as they realise how much work is involved or when they start getting bad feedback from their clients.
I think you should treat him like a potential colleague. Tell him to (a) register at ProZ.com and then read the wiki and watch some of the videos and read some forum posts and (b) buy and read a few beginner translator books, and (c) buy books or subscriptions or find free but reliable web sites for grammar and style in his language combination. Tell him that you won't be able to help him, and wish him the best of luck.
Here are some books I recommend:
How to be a translator:
* Corinne McKay - How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator
* Douglas Robinson - Becoming a translator
* Geoffrey Samuelsson-Brown - A practical guide for translators
* Morry Sofer - The Global Translator's Handbook
How to translate:
* Jeremy Munday - Introducing Translation Studies, Theories and Applications
* Baker and Saldanha - Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies
How to use technology
* Jost Zetzche - The Translator's Tool Box, a computer primer for translators
If you want to help him just a little bit, make a photocopy of the preface of any non-fiction book, and tell him that you'll give him one free lesson in translation if he translates it, by giving him many examples of what he did wrong. He's going to discover that it takes a lot longer to translate than he imagined, and he's going to discover that it's a lot more difficult to translate than he had thought.
If you want him to fail, you could introduce him to Babelcube (-: but that would be quite cruel.
[Edited at 2020-11-15 15:30 GMT]
| | | | | Gosh Samuel, you're a good soul!! | Nov 15, 2020 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
Here are some books I recommend:
How to be a translator:
* Corinne McKay - How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator
* Douglas Robinson - Becoming a translator
* Geoffrey Samuelsson-Brown - A practical guide for translators
* Morry Sofer - The Global Translator's Handbook
How to translate:
* Jeremy Munday - Introducing Translation Studies, Theories and Applications
* Baker and Saldanha - Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies
How to use technology
* Jost Zetzche - The Translator's Tool Box, a computer primer for translators
Surely, the same way, this smart guy was able to find this crash course, he can find those books on his own, let alone clients
| | | | Rachel Waddington
Vereinigtes Königreich
Local time: 17:03
Niederländisch > Englisch
+ ...
| Don't let it get to you | Nov 15, 2020 |
If you are doing well, why worry about what other people think? Your parents' friend may be in for a bit of a disappointment or maybe he does have what it takes. Who knows?
If you're not keen on spending a lot of time giving advice but don't want to be rude you could always tell him to join Proz and read the getting started threads where these questions have been asked time and time again. That should give him an idea of the basics. But don't let it get to you, it's not worth it.
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Lincoln Hui
Hongkong
Local time: 01:03
Mitglied
Chinesisch > Englisch
+ ...
| Give them ProZ? | Nov 15, 2020 |
Give them a link to ProZ, and set them loose. That should be all that anyone needs.
Conversely, ProZ is also not particularly privileged information, and you should not be so petty as to withhold even this.
| | | | Vanda Nissen
Australien
Local time: 03:03
Englisch > Russisch
+ ...
| Marketing is also a part of our profession | Nov 15, 2020 |
Just tell him that marketing is also a part of being a freelance translator and s/he needs to learn how to find jobs or, ideally, let the jobs find them.
| | | | IrinaN
Vereinigte Staaten
Local time: 11:03
Englisch > Russisch
+ ...
"When you are arguing with an idiot, there is a good chance he is doing the same."
M. Zhvanetsky.
| | | | | Where is the world going… | Nov 16, 2020 |
… when even one week crash courses don't prepare you for the real world…
Maria Toresani wrote:
Hello,
My parents have a friend who saw I am doing well as a translator, so, he took an online course and in one week...TA DA! He became a """translator""" himself and now wants me to tell him where do I get jobs...
Of course I am very angry because this undervalues our profession and I am tired of people thinking this job is all about easy money.
What would you answer to him?
I am trying to find the right words.
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freezone (X)
Vereinigte Arabische Emirate
Being a translator and tryng to speak using an acquired lanaguage will and is never easy.
| | | | JaneTranslates
Puerto Rico
Local time: 13:03
Spanisch > Englisch
+ ...
| Great suggestion! | Nov 16, 2020 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
If you want to help him just a little bit, make a photocopy of the preface of any non-fiction book, and tell him that you'll give him one free lesson in translation if he translates it, by giving him many examples of what he did wrong. He's going to discover that it takes a lot longer to translate than he imagined, and he's going to discover that it's a lot more difficult to translate than he had thought.
That's the best suggestion I've seen! I've actually done something similar; I let someone take an old exam from my undergrad course in basic principles of translation. After I graded and returned it (with lots of feedback and explanations of why I marked things wrong), I never heard back.
--Jane
| | | | Kay Denney
Frankreich
Local time: 18:03
Französisch > Englisch
I have a similar problem in that various (well educated, cultivated, bilingual) friends will often tell me that I mustn't ever turn work down, they'll be happy to help out. They are probably capable of producing a decent translation (I started out without even a university degree after all), although it would likely take them much longer. Then they don't know the software, and they don't have the client knowledge I have built up, that is often just in my head, they are not used to the fast pace ... See more I have a similar problem in that various (well educated, cultivated, bilingual) friends will often tell me that I mustn't ever turn work down, they'll be happy to help out. They are probably capable of producing a decent translation (I started out without even a university degree after all), although it would likely take them much longer. Then they don't know the software, and they don't have the client knowledge I have built up, that is often just in my head, they are not used to the fast pace where you just have to drop whatever project you might have taken up during a lull, and work flat out all day on nothing but the translation. They are not interested in doing all the spade work to find clients and imagine me turning stuff down all day - er no it doesn't work like that. And they have their own work too, so it'd be weekend stuff or putting in hours after their day job. I'm pretty sure they'd start saying "could I do it next weekend because I have a lot going on this weekend". I just smile and say thank you, like they're doing me a favour, but it riles me because they just want a bit of extra money and think it's easy. ▲ Collapse
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