| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | Poll: Would you still be a translator without the aid of the Internet & PC? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| Other - interpreting | Aug 26, 2008 |
I'm mainly an interpreter, and translate only occasionally, so I voted "other".
If the internet were gone, I would still translate occasionally, as I now do, but if PC were gone as well - then I can only say, as Amy did, "No way!" I would simply interpret 100% of my time (which would not be much of a change).
I remember times years ago in what back then was Soviet Union. I was a new mother and tried to make some money at home by typing on a monstrosity of a typewriter... See more I'm mainly an interpreter, and translate only occasionally, so I voted "other".
If the internet were gone, I would still translate occasionally, as I now do, but if PC were gone as well - then I can only say, as Amy did, "No way!" I would simply interpret 100% of my time (which would not be much of a change).
I remember times years ago in what back then was Soviet Union. I was a new mother and tried to make some money at home by typing on a monstrosity of a typewriter without a "correct" key. Makes me shiver when I think about it... no. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Balasubramaniam L. 
India
Local time: 21:55
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
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SITE LOCALIZER | Yes, but would not have made it my career then | Aug 26, 2008 |
I have been translating into Hindi before the PC hit the scene in India in a big way sometime in the 1980s. The first PC I bought cost Rs. 25,000. It ran on DOS and had a black and white screen and I think 16MB of RAM. Earlier I had been using an electronic bilingual (English, Hindi) typewriter with 16K of memory that cost a whopping Rs. 35,000. It had two daisy wheels, one for English and one for Hindi. To type in either language, you had to insert the correct daisy wheel. I finally sold it for... See more I have been translating into Hindi before the PC hit the scene in India in a big way sometime in the 1980s. The first PC I bought cost Rs. 25,000. It ran on DOS and had a black and white screen and I think 16MB of RAM. Earlier I had been using an electronic bilingual (English, Hindi) typewriter with 16K of memory that cost a whopping Rs. 35,000. It had two daisy wheels, one for English and one for Hindi. To type in either language, you had to insert the correct daisy wheel. I finally sold it for Rs. 5,000 after I got the PC.
Before that I had a remington portable Hindi typewriter.
I have also translated and written (original stuff) with the age-old pen-and-paper method. Regretfully, I am not ancient enough to have had the opportunity to try the stylus/clay-tablet method of translation mentioned by others on this thread!
I took up translation as a profession only when the Internet became reliable and cheap enough and I happened to discover proz.com. I cannot think how I would have got the jobs from the four corners of the world and submitted the translations if there had been no PC or the Internet. I progressed from a phone-based dial-up connection to broadband. Today I have two broadband connections to the internet from two different service providers, to increase redundancy.
If there had been no internet, I would have been doing something else to earn a living and doing translation only for pleasure or as a public service.
[2008-08-26 03:29 पर संपादन हुआ] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Miet Ooms
Belgium
Local time: 18:25
German to Dutch
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| Old, but not old-fashioned | Aug 26, 2008 |
I am one of the computer-generation: I learned to work on the computer and on internet during my university studies. But I learned to type on an electrical typewriter, so I know the both. Translator is a very old profession, even the monks in the Middle Ages were translators (Greek into Latin), but no one expected them to finish a translation in one day and to send it on the same day to the other end of Europe. What I mean is this: the profession is old, but together with broad technical possibi... See more I am one of the computer-generation: I learned to work on the computer and on internet during my university studies. But I learned to type on an electrical typewriter, so I know the both. Translator is a very old profession, even the monks in the Middle Ages were translators (Greek into Latin), but no one expected them to finish a translation in one day and to send it on the same day to the other end of Europe. What I mean is this: the profession is old, but together with broad technical possibilities, the expectations are changed. You can finish and deliver a translation much faster then twenty years ago, but the client knows and wants it too.
And for the answer, unlike the fact I never translated in the pre-internet-period, it's a profound yes! ▲ Collapse
| | | | savaria (X)
Hungary
Local time: 18:25
English to Hungarian
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| No,definitely not...not any more...that time is over by now | Aug 26, 2008 |
Well,without the computer no...I could not imagine myself writing any translations by hand,or by a typewriter...it is awfully time-consuming,and it would definitely not worth it any more,especially not if the expectations remained the same as they are today.
And I could not possibly manage without the Internet either,as the Internet is the most updated dictionary in itself.It is the most reliable source of information,provided that you know which www sources to consider as reliable... See more Well,without the computer no...I could not imagine myself writing any translations by hand,or by a typewriter...it is awfully time-consuming,and it would definitely not worth it any more,especially not if the expectations remained the same as they are today.
And I could not possibly manage without the Internet either,as the Internet is the most updated dictionary in itself.It is the most reliable source of information,provided that you know which www sources to consider as reliable and which to be forgotten. ▲ Collapse
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| The good old days | Aug 26, 2008 |
Like Jack, Henry, Will, and Jenny, I worked almost half my career without these tools.
And guess what!?! The deadlines were just as tight, and we delivered the same amount of work. The difference was that those of us who typed our translations expended a lot more energy. It was very intense. I clearly remember banging out a translation at the rate of 1,000 words an hour on a manual typewriter. And I was not the only one; other translators working for the same client were even faster... See more Like Jack, Henry, Will, and Jenny, I worked almost half my career without these tools.
And guess what!?! The deadlines were just as tight, and we delivered the same amount of work. The difference was that those of us who typed our translations expended a lot more energy. It was very intense. I clearly remember banging out a translation at the rate of 1,000 words an hour on a manual typewriter. And I was not the only one; other translators working for the same client were even faster.
Those who couldn't (or refused to) type kept a bevy of transcribers in business. Some colleagues who dictated their work put up vehement opposition to computers because they would have to change their mode of operation and learn how to type.
I think the ratio of in-house translators was probably higher: we tended to learn our area(s) of specialization and memorize our terminology. We kept shoeboxes full of 3x5 cards recording the tricky terms and our favorite translations.
Another thing to remember is that our clients had no use or need for digital files. Translations got retyped in typing pools. Our job was to deliver double-spaced copy - or triple-spaced if someone was going to review it.
Bottom line: The good old days weren't so bad - just different.
[Edited at 2008-08-26 09:16] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Textklick
Local time: 17:25
German to English
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In memoriam | Think of it as a new business opportunity | Aug 26, 2008 |
Sundar Gopalakrishnan wrote:
No need for PC and Internet. If you have pen and paper, you could become a translator.
Thanks for the idea. It has prompted me to take action to boost biz.
| | | | | Interpetation | Aug 26, 2008 |
M. Ali Bayraktar wrote: Jenny Forbes wrote:
Of course I'd still translate without them, but I'd certainly miss their convenience and speed. Sorry, but I am really wondering; What kind of works can still be translated without PC? I really can't imagine anything, so I am asking this question.
I (and I think most other posters) interpreted the question as "would you still be a translator if the internet and PC hadn't been invented", so obviously we would all be in the same boat. It's clear that with the possible exception of some very limited markets and locations, anyone without a PC and the internet competing against other translators who did use them would find it very hard to survive.
[Edited at 2008-08-26 11:47]
| | | | | probably not | Aug 26, 2008 |
I think Marie-Hélène mentioned that she came to translation by the back door from another career, and that's the same for me. I doubt I would have made the shift to translation living in a pre-Internet/pre-PC time. It was only by starting to use online translator's resources (such as Proz!) during my days as an English-language editor specializing in Latin Americanist texts and working with Spanish-speaking authors (as well as the occasional Spanish-language text) that I became exposed to the ... See more I think Marie-Hélène mentioned that she came to translation by the back door from another career, and that's the same for me. I doubt I would have made the shift to translation living in a pre-Internet/pre-PC time. It was only by starting to use online translator's resources (such as Proz!) during my days as an English-language editor specializing in Latin Americanist texts and working with Spanish-speaking authors (as well as the occasional Spanish-language text) that I became exposed to the wonderful world of freelance translation.
Beyond that, at least what I perceive to be the accouterments of running a freelance business in the pre-Internet/pre-PC days would have also made it an unappealing choice for me. At least, that's how I imagine it--that it must have been more difficult to get established and find clients, etc. Perhaps I'm wrong about that--back in the olden days, did most freelancers just hook up with a few good agencies (and if you were decent, the work came to you), or did you have to hunt down your own direct clients with clubs and hand axes?
[Edited at 2008-08-26 14:28] ▲ Collapse
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Angela Dickson (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:25
French to English
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I do know one translator who works without a computer - I estimate that he's in his seventies, and has just kept using his old methods. I imagine his clients wish to retain his expertise. I know several translators who have picked up computer skills very late in life, so it's not just a matter of age!
| | | | Erzsébet Czopyk
Hungary
Local time: 18:25
Member (2006)
Russian to Hungarian
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | I would translate ... | Aug 27, 2008 |
jccantrell wrote:
I became a translator in the mid-70's, before PCs and the internet. Dictated onto tape, had it transcribed and then edited (slightly) and delivered.
Primitive, but the best there was then.
Things are better now. Editing is much simpler and the texts can be more consistent.
Now I dictate onto the PC, edit it more extensively as required, do more research. All in all, I can now offer a better product due to the technology.
Enjoyed the job then, still enjoy it.
Started in 1992, without PC, with typewriter. Slower, but with the same head/brain.
Things changed a lot, tools are better, prices available, everything is faster.
My hair become slowly grey, the brain is slower, but with experience and modern technology the final product is better now.
but if I was alone on an island, I would translate even on a piece of rock writing with a piece of carbon
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 18:25
English to French
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Needing (much) more time to check and confirm things without the Internet, I'm not sure I still could make a (decent) living.
| | | | | Most definitely | Aug 27, 2008 |
I think that Textklick's response to the ambivalent wording of this question clearly illustrates lateral thinking and vision and I am tempted to follow suit with his concept.
[Edited at 2008-08-27 11:11]
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Gabriel Csaba
Argentina
Local time: 13:25
English to Spanish
+ ...
I wouldn't even leave my bed without the aid of the Internet & PC!
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