Poll: If you hadn't been a translator, what would you have liked to be?
Simon Cole United Kingdom Local time: 23:06 Member (2008) French to English
In a previous life ...
Jan 8
I was a scientist and technical support specialist for 24 years before being a translator.
Didn't I read somewhere that the ideal translator should spend 20 years working in a given field, spending some of that time in the 'source-language' country (to learn the language properly) before becoming a translator with specialised knowledge, living in the 'target-language' country (to keep up with current usage).
Interesting that the poll question assumes all translators are graduates from translation and language courses. It may be a bit harsh, but don't they emerge knowing a lot of theory about the source language and CAT tools, but nothing about anything they might translate?
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Muriel Vasconcellos United States Local time: 15:06 Member (2003) Spanish to English + ...
Scientist or landscape designer
Jan 8
I have become attracted to science after translating so many scientific texts, though I doubt if I would ever have found it on my own. For the last 5 years I have been studying landscape design.
The problem is, I decided I wanted to be a translator in eighth grade. Not much could have persuaded me to take another path.
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Williamson United Kingdom Local time: 23:06 Flemish to English + ...
Not quite.
Jan 8
Simon Cole wrote:
I was a scientist and technical support specialist for 24 years before being a translator.
Didn't I read somewhere that the ideal translator should spend 20 years working in a given field, spending some of that time in the 'source-language' country (to learn the language properly) before becoming a translator with specialised knowledge, living in the 'target-language' country (to keep up with current usage).
Interesting that the poll question assumes all translators are graduates from translation and language courses. It may be a bit harsh, but don't they emerge knowing a lot of theory about the source language and CAT tools, but nothing about anything they might translate?
Not quite. As far as I remember, we had some 800 hours of both source languages, more than half of which consisted of translation (medical, technical, economic) as well as some hours of interpreting basic (called traduction à vue or TAV).
For those who managed to get into interpreting, there were some 300 hours per year interpreting techniques added to the translation programme.
Add to that about 20 general courses, ranging from economics, economic geography, economic thought, banking and stock-exchanges, art, sociolinguistics, the constitution of the US and the institutions of the U.S. and the UK and a lot more... But that was long ago, when they wanted to form linguists with a good knowledge base.
[Edited at 2012-01-08 16:12 GMT]
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Isabelle Berquin United States Local time: 18:06 Member (2007) English to French + ...
I worked as a scientist for 20 years...
Jan 8
...and I do love biomedical research, but to me the reality of it was a lot of time spent writing grant proposals (with a lot of rejections) and less time doing the actual research, and that was not the least satisfying.
If I didn't have to earn a living, I'd be an artist. Now it's just a hobby.
Translation is a happy medium. I'm glad I found a niche in translation as I have always been interested in languages. I also get to use my experience in the life sciences and work from home, which simplifies family life tremendously.
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