Poll: Which of the following do you consider yourself?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Oct 5, 2018

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Which of the following do you consider yourself?".

This poll was originally submitted by Ricki Farn. View the poll results »



Jayshree Purwar
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 09:13
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Jack-of-all-trades Oct 5, 2018

As I started out some 40 years ago as a generalist translator the subjects I‘m familiar with include a wide variety and I’m sort of what is called in a derogatory way as a jack-of-all-trades. I work mainly in the following areas: EU affairs (education, taxes, corruption, piracy…) medicine (medical devices), consumer goods (electrical personal care appliances), cosmetics, vacation rentals… There are of course a good number of unfamiliar areas I will never venture in as I know my limits. ... See more
As I started out some 40 years ago as a generalist translator the subjects I‘m familiar with include a wide variety and I’m sort of what is called in a derogatory way as a jack-of-all-trades. I work mainly in the following areas: EU affairs (education, taxes, corruption, piracy…) medicine (medical devices), consumer goods (electrical personal care appliances), cosmetics, vacation rentals… There are of course a good number of unfamiliar areas I will never venture in as I know my limits. But every now and then I can get a job that is outside my familiar areas and most texts I work with will have something new, even in the fields I master. It’s healthy to learn new things, isn’t it?Collapse


Noni Gilbert Riley
Adam Warren
Catherine De Crignis
Selene Desiré Bovo
Gibril Koroma
Julio Madrid
Maria Silvestri
 
Marjolein Snippe
Marjolein Snippe  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 10:13
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
translator who specialises Oct 5, 2018

I consider myself a subject matter expert in cell biology, virology, microscopy, biochemistry and related subject areas, which makes me well placed to be a specialised medical translator.

Ricki Farn
 
Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 10:13
Member (2016)
English to German
Other Oct 5, 2018

A generalist translator who specializes in certain formats (subtitles, games).

 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 06:13
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Oct 5, 2018

None of these is accurate for my situation
1. I'm not "a translator who specializes in a subject" because I specialize in several subjects, not only one, and because I have other professions in addition to translator in my experience, although I gave them up in 2013 for good;
2. I'm not a generalist, because I do have areas of expertise and preference, and I do not take just ant job in any area;
3. I'm not a subject matter expert who translates, because I'm currently a full tim
... See more
None of these is accurate for my situation
1. I'm not "a translator who specializes in a subject" because I specialize in several subjects, not only one, and because I have other professions in addition to translator in my experience, although I gave them up in 2013 for good;
2. I'm not a generalist, because I do have areas of expertise and preference, and I do not take just ant job in any area;
3. I'm not a subject matter expert who translates, because I'm currently a full time translator. I used to fit into this category until 2013, since translation was my second professional activity. Not anymore.
So my only option was "other".
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Maria Silvestri
Muriel Vasconcellos
 
Edith van der Have
Edith van der Have
Netherlands
Local time: 10:13
Member (2016)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Certainly a translating SME ... Oct 5, 2018

... but with a translation diploma and a won ProZ contest, I am a real translator too and not 'just' an agronomist with some linguistic skills

Ricki Farn
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 10:13
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Translator first, then serious generalist Oct 5, 2018

I came late to translating, via a roundabout route, and although I do have some fields I take on and more or less specialise in, I am not a professional in any of them.
My original training, way back, was as a librarian - by definition a kind of generalist who knows enough about a lot of fields to send people off on the right track. I am a linguist at a pragmatic level - I seriously study my languages 'as she is spoke' in different contexts and situations. I read David Crystal, preferably
... See more
I came late to translating, via a roundabout route, and although I do have some fields I take on and more or less specialise in, I am not a professional in any of them.
My original training, way back, was as a librarian - by definition a kind of generalist who knows enough about a lot of fields to send people off on the right track. I am a linguist at a pragmatic level - I seriously study my languages 'as she is spoke' in different contexts and situations. I read David Crystal, preferably his earlier books, or Tom McArthur and Peter Trudgill, or Danish authors like Knud Sørensen and Pia Jarvad and their successors. Chomsky, Sapir-Whorf & co bore me to tears!

Subject-wise, I dreamed of medicine and came past dredging and offshore, colours and paints, child care and the health services... and have dabbled in food and catering, diets and nutrition. Glass art, tourism, museums and history have also taken up my time.

I think I would get bored if I really specialised. Maybe not if I worked in another profession, but I never really found my niche until I started translating. As a translator, I have everything at arm's length, which feels a bit unreal at times.
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Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Germany
Local time: 10:13
English to German
In memoriam
Subject matter expert who translates Oct 5, 2018

This one is obvious, I have no formal training as a translator but as a software developer. I have much more professional experience doing software development than translating.
On the other hand, I am translating not only in my core fields, I have accepted translation work in a lot of different fields, so I'm a generalist too, but I think every translator needs to be a generalist to a certain extent.


Ricki Farn
 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 04:13
German to English
+ ...
a translator Oct 6, 2018

Both sides are needed.

 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 02:13
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Oct 6, 2018

A translator with certain preferred fields and many fields that I avoid.

I have worked as a translator and editor in the public health field for more years than I care to admit. Over time I have expanded my scope to the sciences in general, including general medicine, pharmacy, biology, botany, agriculture, veterinary medicine, etc. I have also responded to requests in many other fields if I felt the texts were within my comfort zone. But I never accept legal or engineering texts or
... See more
A translator with certain preferred fields and many fields that I avoid.

I have worked as a translator and editor in the public health field for more years than I care to admit. Over time I have expanded my scope to the sciences in general, including general medicine, pharmacy, biology, botany, agriculture, veterinary medicine, etc. I have also responded to requests in many other fields if I felt the texts were within my comfort zone. But I never accept legal or engineering texts or anything that I don't feel I'm competent to handle.

Along the way, one of the sciences became my graduate major and the subject of a number of peer-reviewed publications--namely, linguistics. So I am also a professional "linguistician".
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neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 10:13
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Oct 6, 2018

A generalist translator, but with acquired expertise in several different areas. Some of my clients consider me a specialist in their fields, but I'm reluctant to describe myself as a specialist, as I see specialisation as a sort of limitation, and have always preferred to keep my options open.

 


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Poll: Which of the following do you consider yourself?






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