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Poll: Do you consider yourself to be an excellent translator? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you consider yourself to be an excellent translator?".
This poll was originally submitted by Maria Bellido. View the poll results »
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Patricia Charnet
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:15
Member (2009)
English to French
| No but I'm working on it | Apr 10, 2012 |
despite how much experience you've got, you can always improve - being a translator is a perpetual self improvement course in one's life
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 03:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
| No, but am on the case | Apr 10, 2012 |
I instantly voted "Other" but should have gone for "No, but working on it...".
It depends how you define excellence.
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Amandine Added 
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:15
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
| working on it... | Apr 10, 2012 |
Well I consider I'm not that bad or I would not do the job ! However, every single time I give a look to an old translation looking for something, I'm always like.... mmmhhhh it sounds obvious now but I should have used that word, or not that one...
But with time I feel I'm getting better so maybe someday i'll be "humble" enough) to say, yes I am excellent !
However who would not say it when asked by a client: but ar... See more Well I consider I'm not that bad or I would not do the job ! However, every single time I give a look to an old translation looking for something, I'm always like.... mmmhhhh it sounds obvious now but I should have used that word, or not that one...
But with time I feel I'm getting better so maybe someday i'll be "humble" enough) to say, yes I am excellent !
However who would not say it when asked by a client: but are you a good translator ?))) ▲ Collapse
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 03:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
Mamande wrote:
Well I consider I'm not that bad or I would not do the job ! However, every single time I give a look to an old translation looking for something, I'm always like.... mmmhhhh it sounds obvious now but I should have used that word, or not that one...
If I had to define excellence, the ability and willingness to go over old translations with a critical eye with a view to improving current or future works would be one important criterion. For example, I often have difficulty in sloughing off extraneous parts of the original texts (in my case, they are in Spanish, which I find tends to be comparatively long-winded).
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Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:15
Hebrew to English
...is in short supply these days, Narcissus would be proud. Whatever happened to a healthy dose of self-deprecation?
"...when you get overconfident, that's when something snaps up and bites you."
Neil Armstrong
I prefer to look at myself and my abilities as an "unfinished product" still at the research and development stages. I think there are inherent dangers in overestimating yourself, even if you happen to be fantastically talented or gifted.
Of course, t... See more ...is in short supply these days, Narcissus would be proud. Whatever happened to a healthy dose of self-deprecation?
"...when you get overconfident, that's when something snaps up and bites you."
Neil Armstrong
I prefer to look at myself and my abilities as an "unfinished product" still at the research and development stages. I think there are inherent dangers in overestimating yourself, even if you happen to be fantastically talented or gifted.
Of course, this is how I "consider myself" (reading the question: "do you consider yourself").
How you "sell" yourself and your abilities to your clients is another thing altogether (this is when you'd expect modesty to go out the nearest window).
[Edited at 2012-04-10 09:30 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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| I have my moments... | Apr 10, 2012 |
Sometimes excellency consists of knowing when to apply what someone else has taught you, and I have had some excellent teachers along the way.
So I'm working on it too.
It's a balancing act - aiming high, but not taking on more than you can handle well.
And yes, looking back and looking for ways to improve all the time.
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Excellent? No! Overconfidence is a killer! I always do my best, but the more translating I do, the more I realise just how much there is to learn...
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Helen Hagon
Local time: 02:15
Member (2011)
Russian to English
+ ...
| Lifelong learning | Apr 10, 2012 |
Of course, I tell potential customers that I am an excellent translator. In practice, though, I am learning all the time. I will never achieve perfection, but that won't stop me trying.
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Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:15
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
I don't see the point in being modest for modesty's sake. I don't think there's any harm in patting yourself on the back once in a while for a job excellently done. If I couldn't produce excellent work I wouldn't be in this business, and that doesn't mean I'm not aware of my many faults and constantly striving to improve. To me excellence doesn't mean knowing everything, it means producing excellent work and always trying to learn and improve.
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Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 10:15
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| On the way there...it's a long haul! | Apr 10, 2012 |
I consider myself a rough stone that needs continual polishing.
I do give myself a pat on the back occasionally -- when I win a big contract, at the end of a good month, get the rare "Thank you for a great job!" from a client, or add something worthy of mention to my CV.
Otherwise, it's slog, slog, slog and a lifelong commitment to self improvement.
I think I'll call myself "excellent" when I don't... See more I consider myself a rough stone that needs continual polishing.
I do give myself a pat on the back occasionally -- when I win a big contract, at the end of a good month, get the rare "Thank you for a great job!" from a client, or add something worthy of mention to my CV.
Otherwise, it's slog, slog, slog and a lifelong commitment to self improvement.
I think I'll call myself "excellent" when I don't have to slave over a hot mouse for a decent living. 
Happy translating! ▲ Collapse
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Parrot
Spain
Local time: 03:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
| There's always room at the top! | Apr 10, 2012 |
(Have you ever noticed "requirements" are always a minimum?)
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Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:15
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
Julian Holmes wrote:
I think I'll call myself "excellent" when I don't have to slave over a hot mouse for a decent living.
You are too modest, Julian; this sentence alone proves you are an excellent linguist
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I think I'm good but I am now editing someone else's translation and they are REALLY good. As long as I can learn from someone else I can't quite call myself excellent.
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