| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Are translators born or made? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
| There's a place in this world for every raw gem | Jul 5 |
I think that people in general are raw gems from the outset. A diamond can never be an emerald, no matter how much it is reworked. Might be a bit too abstract of a comparison but it is Friday.
Edit: What I meant to say is that people are born with certain traits and talents. Not everyone is born to be a translator or a singer or a doctor. But it certainly takes work to turn any talents and qualities into applicable skills.
| | | |
You might love the job but it takes practice too
| | | | Aitor Salaberria 
Spain
Local time: 21:12
Member (2023)
English to Basque
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
I truly hope they're born just like any other human being.
| | | | IrinaN
United States
Local time: 14:12
English to Russian
+ ...
Aitor Salaberria wrote:
I truly hope they're born just like any other human being.
However, in the AT/MT world they might as well hatch and just learn to use their beaks to push the keys.
| | |
|
|
|
Kylie Kirkpatrick
United States
Local time: 15:12
Member (Apr 2024)
American Sign Language to English
+ ...
| Family and Friends are not interpreters | Jul 5 |
I see this phenomena often as ASL is a "newer" language that is ripe with community and culture. Years ago, children were relied upon to interpret for the parents, even sons interpreting women's health appointment for their moms! One caveat I can apprieaciet, is the consumer having the option to have a family interpret for them, if there isn't a legal reason to why they may not (court, surgery, driving test, etc.) - we have to be so careful to not offend, take over, and presume anything in order... See more I see this phenomena often as ASL is a "newer" language that is ripe with community and culture. Years ago, children were relied upon to interpret for the parents, even sons interpreting women's health appointment for their moms! One caveat I can apprieaciet, is the consumer having the option to have a family interpret for them, if there isn't a legal reason to why they may not (court, surgery, driving test, etc.) - we have to be so careful to not offend, take over, and presume anything in order to empower our clients/consumers to control their appointments, etc.
It takes YEARS to become a credentialed ASL interpreter, and are required to complete CEUs in order to keep up with changes, amendments, edits, etc. How many times has someone said, "Oh...I have always wanted to ____insert language" or "I took ____insert language in college but if you don't use it you lose it!" or "How long did it take you to learn?"
Our industry has a high number of early burn out... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kylie Kirkpatrick
United States
Local time: 15:12
Member (Apr 2024)
American Sign Language to English
+ ...
Aitor Salaberria wrote:
I truly hope they're born just like any other human being.
Just like lawyers and doctors, we have professional training and academic requirements...
| | | | jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 15:12
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| Good literary translators are born | Jul 5 |
Technical translation is a craft that everybody can learn, so a technical translator is made.
Good literary translators, like good writers, are born, and most people would never be made a good literary translator.
| | | |
jyuan_us wrote:
Technical translation is a craft that everybody can learn, so a technical translator is made.
Good literary translators, like good writers, are born, and most people would never be made a good literary translator.
I don't think this is true. Technical and literary translation are both a mix of learned skills and natural aptitude.
Most people would never be able to learn to become a good technical translator.
| | |
|
|
|
jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 15:12
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| Viewed from another perspective | Jul 5 |
Most translators can achieve excellence in translation in their chosen fields of technology, if they work hard enough. Most translators would never achieve excellence in literary translations, no matter how hard they work.
| | | |
jyuan_us wrote:
Most translators can achieve excellence in translation in their chosen fields of technology, if they work hard enough. Most translators would never achieve excellence in literary translations, no matter how hard they work.
I've seen enough terrible technical translations to doubt that that is true, but in any case you are saying something very different here to your original statement, which was that *everybody* can learn to be a technical translator. This would mean that you could take an average person off the street and - given enough training - turn them into an excellent technical translator. I just don't think this is true. You need to have a range of aptitudes in the first place, and the job would drive most people mad.
We need to stop talking as if technical translation is easy - it is actually very difficult to do well.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 21:12
French to English
For those you saying "born", how many of you were born bi or trilingual?
Some of us had a natural flair for languages - I got top marks in English French German without even trying - but we all know of bilinguals who can't translate. Rather like most musicians have a very good ear and even perfect pitch but wouldn't know how to tune a piano.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 21:12
French to English
Kylie Kirkpatrick wrote:
Aitor Salaberria wrote:
I truly hope they're born just like any other human being.
Just like lawyers and doctors, we have professional training and academic requirements...
I think Aitor means born rather than cloned...
| | |
|
|
|
Kay Denney wrote:
Some of us had a natural flair for languages - I got top marks in English French German without even trying - but we all know of bilinguals who can't translate. Rather like most musicians have a very good ear and even perfect pitch but wouldn't know how to tune a piano.
Surely the piano tuners of the translation world would be the people who write the software we use?
The client provides the sheet music, and I am the wild-haired concert pianist who creates the magic.
| | | | | Forget about that.... | Jul 6 |
Kylie Kirkpatrick wrote:
Just like lawyers and doctors, we have professional training and academic requirements...
...because in my (German) experience, it is all about relationships and who knows (and likes or likes not) who. And yes, especially in technical translations, because it is all so easy, just exchange the terms and there you go, right? Oh yes, and in patents, too.
[Bearbeitet am 2024-07-06 18:29 GMT]
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [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 » Poll: Are translators born or made? | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
| | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
