| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: If you offer both interpreting and translation services, which do you enjoy more? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If you offer both interpreting and translation services, which do you enjoy more?".
This poll was originally submitted by Mikhail Kropotov. View the poll results »
| | | | Randa Farhat 
Lebanon
Local time: 10:17
English to Arabic
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| Two different skills | Feb 24, 2013 |
From my personal professional experience I realized early on that these require two different skills and opted to focus on one. I enjoyed translation much more and focused on developing my writing style that I no longer offered inerpreting services.
Some are able to work on the two domains and develop their both skills equally.
Best,
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 09:17
Spanish to English
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As Randa notes, they are different skills. I rarely do interpreting any more, since it usually involves travelling. Nowadays I only do it for my regular clients when asked and even then I usually try to pass them on to someone else. I find it more stressful, particularly simultaneous intrerpreting, and I think you really need to be interpreting regularly to keep your abilities honed.
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 16:17
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
They are completely different -- for me, that is. I have never been really happy doing both at the same time, which is why I opted to stick to just translation. Maybe this is a throwback to my Latin and Greek upbringing at grammar school. There's no call for classical Greek interpreters these days. 
However, I am very interested in how you can successfully achieve both and would welcome comments from those who can s... See more They are completely different -- for me, that is. I have never been really happy doing both at the same time, which is why I opted to stick to just translation. Maybe this is a throwback to my Latin and Greek upbringing at grammar school. There's no call for classical Greek interpreters these days.
However, I am very interested in how you can successfully achieve both and would welcome comments from those who can seamlessly manage this.
Small edit
[Edited at 2013-02-24 22:45 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Chun Un
Macau
Member (2007)
English to Chinese
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As I sometimes tell my friends, you must be a perfectionist to be a good translator but you mustn't be a perfectionist to be a good interpreter (especially an SI). In reality, I am a perfectionist as a translator (or perhaps as a person in general) but I tend to suppress my perfectionist urges when I am interpreting. So I suppose it takes a schizophrenic personality to do both and enjoy both!  That said, to take on occasional inte... See more As I sometimes tell my friends, you must be a perfectionist to be a good translator but you mustn't be a perfectionist to be a good interpreter (especially an SI). In reality, I am a perfectionist as a translator (or perhaps as a person in general) but I tend to suppress my perfectionist urges when I am interpreting. So I suppose it takes a schizophrenic personality to do both and enjoy both! That said, to take on occasional interpreting jobs is a good change of pace in a sedentary and often lonely life of a translator... Plus I have been in places or situations where I would have never had if I were not an interpreter.
[Edited at 2013-02-24 09:15 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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I opted to stick to just translation. I am usually quite good with written words, but somehow I struggle with spoken words…
| | | | | I offer both and I prefer interpreting... | Feb 24, 2013 |
...but there is not enough work as an interpreter, so I have to keep on working as a translator, which is much more boring.
| | | | Diana Coada (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:17
Portuguese to English
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| Interpreting. I love it! | Feb 24, 2013 |
Maybe I have a short attention span or maybe I just get easily bored. So I guess interpreting is much more suited for me, as translation gets boring after an hour or two.
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Andrea Munhoz
Brazil
Local time: 04:17
Portuguese to English
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| Life's Changed | Feb 24, 2013 |
I started my career as a teacher and interpreter in 1999. After the second year, I also started translating professionally. But then, 7 years ago, I moved to a small town in the country side, where being a translator is far more profitable. I still offer and enjoy all the skills I mentioned though.
| | | | | Interpreting | Feb 24, 2013 |
Interpreting of course! Translation can be so boring and frustrating! I regularly work as an interpreter (70% of my income in the language industry) and you have the chance to meet new people, be invited to parties, learn different things, keep your spoken language skills active, work with great colleagues, make new friends, visit factories, travel throughout Europe, visit new places (in just a few hours) ... I've been translating professionally since 2004 and I don't really like sitting by the ... See more Interpreting of course! Translation can be so boring and frustrating! I regularly work as an interpreter (70% of my income in the language industry) and you have the chance to meet new people, be invited to parties, learn different things, keep your spoken language skills active, work with great colleagues, make new friends, visit factories, travel throughout Europe, visit new places (in just a few hours) ... I've been translating professionally since 2004 and I don't really like sitting by the computer on my own for days, it's like being buried alive! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 08:17
Member (2007)
English
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| boredom versus stress? | Feb 24, 2013 |
A few people here have classed translating as boring at times. I suppose you could see it that way, it certainly isn't hugely interesting 100% of the time at any rate. But I found interpreting altogether too stressful, so I'm happy to accept a slight boredom factor.
I only did a few interpreting assignments, but the last one was a three-hour meeting between a Dutch agricultural sales rep, speaking in fluent English, and a local French nursery owner who wanted to buy a whole load of... See more A few people here have classed translating as boring at times. I suppose you could see it that way, it certainly isn't hugely interesting 100% of the time at any rate. But I found interpreting altogether too stressful, so I'm happy to accept a slight boredom factor.
I only did a few interpreting assignments, but the last one was a three-hour meeting between a Dutch agricultural sales rep, speaking in fluent English, and a local French nursery owner who wanted to buy a whole load of expensive equipment. Discussions went back and forth, getting more technical by the minute and with money amounts in many thousands of euros mentioned all the time. I was so stressed out at the end of that three hours! I was sure I'd turned 300,000 into 30,000 or some such awful mistake. And their very nice surprise invitation to lunch in a top local hotel (not only paid for but the hours paid for, with only social chatting, they assured me) was unthinkable: I couldn't have eaten a thing the way my stomach was churning with the stress of it all. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Is translation boring? | Feb 24, 2013 |
Fortunately, we are all different! After almost 30 years as full-time translator I still have fun… Stressful and mind challenging yes! But boring? Never!
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| Stress vs boredom vs more money | Feb 24, 2013 |
Yes, interpreting is more stressful, in certain ways, than translating, but I make more money in a day as an interpreter than in a day as a translator. If I had enough assignments as an interpreter I would need to work only half of the time to make the same amount of money I usually make as a translator...And do we want to talk about all the goodies I receive from just walking into exhibitions or working for companies which treat their interpreter so well to give them one of their (spendy!) prod... See more Yes, interpreting is more stressful, in certain ways, than translating, but I make more money in a day as an interpreter than in a day as a translator. If I had enough assignments as an interpreter I would need to work only half of the time to make the same amount of money I usually make as a translator...And do we want to talk about all the goodies I receive from just walking into exhibitions or working for companies which treat their interpreter so well to give them one of their (spendy!) products every time they hire them? And nice hotels, trips, places, meals... So there
[Modificato alle 2013-02-24 15:47 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tatty
Local time: 09:17
Spanish to English
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| Interpreting training | Feb 24, 2013 |
Interpreting is a stressful activity if you are not properly trained. It certainly is tiring though...
| | | | Marie Jackson
Netherlands
Local time: 09:17
German to English
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| Stress vs boredom | Feb 24, 2013 |
Lots of interesting points being made here. I personally much prefer interpreting, and I've noticed that the stress vs. boredom issue is essentially is a mark of two different kinds of people. The things I find boring about translation, my translator friends adore, and whilst my translator friends hate the thought of the stress of interpreting, I just love the adrenaline and perform much better in an interpreting scenario as a result.
For me, interpreting just has an edge I don't g... See more Lots of interesting points being made here. I personally much prefer interpreting, and I've noticed that the stress vs. boredom issue is essentially is a mark of two different kinds of people. The things I find boring about translation, my translator friends adore, and whilst my translator friends hate the thought of the stress of interpreting, I just love the adrenaline and perform much better in an interpreting scenario as a result.
For me, interpreting just has an edge I don't get from translation. I like variety though, so I enjoy offering both services and do CPD that helps me improve both skill sets independently. Sometimes the 'downtime' I get from translation is nice, too. Since it's harder to make a living from just interpreting, I expect I will always offer both services, but I do hope to increase the amount of interpreting I do in the future whilst reducing the amount of translation, simply because I enjoy interpreting so much more.
This was a really interesting question and it's nice to see that there are those who feel the same way about their work as I do! ▲ Collapse
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