Translation Salvation Thread poster: Simon Bruni
|
|---|
Simon Bruni 
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:13
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
Dear Colleagues
I have been a busy translator for 9 months now and every day (if I am not too busy) I pat myself on the back and thank Mr and Mrs Destiny for having placed a series of events before me which would lead me to where I am. I wonder if any of you feel the same way.
I am not getting rich and I am probably fulfilling 0% of my adolescent dreams, but my previous drifting, purposeless and mundane existence has been replaced by an Adventure. This is how I see thin... See more Dear Colleagues
I have been a busy translator for 9 months now and every day (if I am not too busy) I pat myself on the back and thank Mr and Mrs Destiny for having placed a series of events before me which would lead me to where I am. I wonder if any of you feel the same way.
I am not getting rich and I am probably fulfilling 0% of my adolescent dreams, but my previous drifting, purposeless and mundane existence has been replaced by an Adventure. This is how I see things now. An Adventure of mind-boggling puzzles, linguistic curiosities and unknown entities (such as payment); the possibilities for making (very small) fortunes, the search for perfection, and taking pride in saying “I’m a translator”. The hero of the Adventure knows that he can continuously learn and improve, and the multitude of linguistic challenges he faces are like a drug that keeps him going.
Maybe I am in my “honeymoon period” (and if so, how long does it last!?), but I hope my words are an encouragement to other adventurers embarking on the same journey, and a reminder to those that have already reaped the rewards. ▲ Collapse
| | | |
Hi, Simon
How refreshing it was to read your words today, of all days, when I'm irked about a problem I'm having with a client.
It really is an adventure, a very rewarding one, and not only in monetary terms, but also because it enriches our lives.
I would say the "honeymoon" never ends. I've been in this for 8 years, give or take a few months, and, even though today I'm annoyed at a serious... See more Hi, Simon
How refreshing it was to read your words today, of all days, when I'm irked about a problem I'm having with a client.
It really is an adventure, a very rewarding one, and not only in monetary terms, but also because it enriches our lives.
I would say the "honeymoon" never ends. I've been in this for 8 years, give or take a few months, and, even though today I'm annoyed at a serious problem, I wouldn't change what I do
Cheers! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jaroslaw Michalak
Poland
Local time: 09:13
Member (2004)
English to Polish
SITE LOCALIZER | We are lucky, aren't we? | May 19, 2006 |
The best thing is: with a little bit of luck, it will get better and better with time!
It is true that amidst payment problems, rate battles, worrying about too much (or too little) work and all that, one might forget that this profession is so interesting, satisfying and rewarding! And fun too...
Thanks for reminding me!
[Edited at 2006-05-19 23:15]
| | | | teju
Local time: 01:13
English to Spanish
+ ...
| The honeymoon doesn't end | May 20, 2006 |
At least not for me. I love my job. I wouldn't do anything else. And I've done other things. I was part of the rat race for years, in the dog-eat-dog world of advertising. Got really tired of doing good work at all hours of the day and night so someone would knock a proposal down on a whim.
How do I love my job, let me count the ways... I like the fact that we don't stop learning. I interpret full time, and translate part-time, and I often get asked why I "bother" with translation, ... See more At least not for me. I love my job. I wouldn't do anything else. And I've done other things. I was part of the rat race for years, in the dog-eat-dog world of advertising. Got really tired of doing good work at all hours of the day and night so someone would knock a proposal down on a whim.
How do I love my job, let me count the ways... I like the fact that we don't stop learning. I interpret full time, and translate part-time, and I often get asked why I "bother" with translation, when interpretation is much more lucrative. The answer is simple, because it's stimulating, because it forces me to grab a dictionary to look for terms that I would not have the time to look up when I interpret. I love dictionaries. I can't help it, I'm a word nerd, or more elegantly put, I'm a wordsmith.
I love the fact that I work from my own home most of the time, with my cat on my lap. I take a break when I want to. I go on vacation when I want to. I don't have a boss. There's something both scary and exciting about that, but the exciting part outweighs the other. You are in charge of how much or how little you work.
I also get a huge sense of satisfaction every time I finish a project, whether it's interpreting during a trial or conference, or translating a manual for a corporation, it's a labor of love. No two translators or interpreters would use the same choice of words, that's an art, my friend, it never gets old. That's one of the reasons why this website is so wonderful, it allows us to keep in touch and exchange ideas, help each other, encourage, chat when we are lonely, and write about how much we love it all, difficult clients and all. ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Daphne Wang
China
Local time: 15:13
English to Chinese
+ ...
It's really a blessing to do what you love and love what you do. And it's great to meet so many people who love translation and interpreting. Reading your posts, I see passion for life. And that inspires me.
So happy that I find Proz.com.
| | | |
teju wrote:
I can't help it, I'm a word nerd, or more elegantly put, I'm a wordsmith.
(...)
No two translators or interpreters would use the same choice of words, that's an art, my friend, it never gets old.
Simon Bruni wrote:
This is how I see things now. An Adventure of mind-boggling puzzles, linguistic curiosities and unknown entities (such as payment); the possibilities for making (very small) fortunes, the search for perfection, and taking pride in saying “I’m a translator”.
Thanks, Simon and Teju, you couldn't have expressed it better!
Have a nice week-end
| | | | Özden Arıkan
Germany
Local time: 09:13
Member
English to Turkish
+ ...
| The Happy Ever After | May 21, 2006 |
More than 20 years ago, when I was just a stupid child (at least half of this is no longer the case ) I was almost getting married to a rich banker! Only one week before the wedding, which was to take place in the PR department, I suddenly changed my mind and eloped with translation Been in honeymoon ever since, proving wrong -and many many times yet- the statist... See more
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Translation Salvation | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
| | Protemos translation business management system | Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!
The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
