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Why do i love translating? Thread poster: babycheeks
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babycheeks 
Local time: 23:32
English to Albanian
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The first time i ever interpreted was when i was only 12 years old and i only knew a little bit of English. Being born in a comunist country I had never heard the expression"God bless you" in Albanian so when one of our guests used it i had to adopt it in albanian to explain it to my family. It was during this interpreting experience that i realized how much i wanted to help people understand each other.
Why do you love this profession?
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Clarisa Moraña
United States
Local time: 16:32
Member (2002)
English to Spanish
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| For many reasons. | Jun 3, 2006 |
I remember being told a long time ago that the word "promise" had different meanings according to differente peoples. In many regions a "promise" could be broken and nothing happened (I mean, it was only a "minor fault" for the person who broke the promise). For other peoples, to break a promise was something unforgivable.
That was a very important discovery for me. And I wanted to know about other peoples and other languages.
And I enjoy every time I translate because I thi... See more I remember being told a long time ago that the word "promise" had different meanings according to differente peoples. In many regions a "promise" could be broken and nothing happened (I mean, it was only a "minor fault" for the person who broke the promise). For other peoples, to break a promise was something unforgivable.
That was a very important discovery for me. And I wanted to know about other peoples and other languages.
And I enjoy every time I translate because I think that someone will be able to read a text otherwise impossible to be read, and I don't mind if it is a handbook, a news item or a book.
Regards
Clarisa ▲ Collapse
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Mats Wiman
Sweden
Local time: 23:32
Member (2000)
German to Swedish
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In memoriam | Chiselling out sentences | Jun 3, 2006 |
teaches you something all the time and enriches your understanding of what people say:
New meanings
New facets
New nuances
This never ending discovery tour envigorates your brain and your senses and makes every day worth living
[Edited at 2006-06-04 03:41]
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Silvina Matheu
Argentina
Local time: 18:32
Member
English to Spanish
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| Feel the same | Jun 3, 2006 |
Mats Wiman wrote:
teaches you something all the time and enriches you understanding of what people say:
New meanings
New facets
New nuances
This never ending discovery tour envigorates your brain and your senses and makes every day worth living
Couldn't describe it better.
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babycheeks
Local time: 23:32
English to Albanian
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TOPIC STARTER | "promise", a good example... | Jun 3, 2006 |
Clarisa,
You mentioned a very interesting word: "promise". This word has different meaning for different cultures. "Promise" is translated "besë" in albanian. The Albanian culture treats this word, or should i say the notion it implies, as holy. There is a very old Albanian tale that shows what power carries this word to an albanian man named Kostandin. Kostandin had a young sister, Doruntina, who got married in a very far away country. The day she got married Kostandin promised ... See more Clarisa,
You mentioned a very interesting word: "promise". This word has different meaning for different cultures. "Promise" is translated "besë" in albanian. The Albanian culture treats this word, or should i say the notion it implies, as holy. There is a very old Albanian tale that shows what power carries this word to an albanian man named Kostandin. Kostandin had a young sister, Doruntina, who got married in a very far away country. The day she got married Kostandin promised his younger sister that in three years he would bring her back to their mother. In the following year Konstandin and his brothers (11 brothers), had to go to war to protect their country. It so happened that all of the brothers, to include Konstandin, died in the war. Poor old mother has nobody left to even talk to. Every time she goes by Konstandin's grave, she cries and calls his name outloud, reminding him of his broken promise. On the night of excatly three years since Doruntina's wedding day, Konstandin rises up from his grave and he travels 7 days and 7 nights to his sister's house.
He tells his sister he doesn't have time to come in or even greet his brother in law. So Doruntina leaves a note to her husband and off they are in their journey back.
When they finally make it to the house Konstandin leaves his sister at the gate and tells her to go in first. He then goes back to his grave to rest in peace, having fullfilled his promise.
Amazing, isn't it? ▲ Collapse
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Krys Williams
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:32
Member (2003)
Polish to English
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| It doesn't feel like work | Jun 3, 2006 |
I enjoy translating because most of the time it feels more like playing a game or doing a cryptic crossword than like working. Although I "work" far longer hours than I ever did before, the stress I felt in the bad old days when I was employed as a scientist has gone. Of course, the freedom and flexibility of working from home helps too, since I can take time off and have holidays away as often as I like.
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| Translation is art | Jun 4, 2006 |
I feel translation as a kind of art, when I translate I feel happy, I really feel as a bridge for ideas from a language to another.......
No, not just a bridge, more than this, a bridge is static, we are alive and active, according to the Latin root of "translate" we act as carriers across bridges (bridges from a languange to another)
It is my job, but I could also do it for free if necessary, when I can't translate I feel sad, ( like a musician who can't play)
... See more I feel translation as a kind of art, when I translate I feel happy, I really feel as a bridge for ideas from a language to another.......
No, not just a bridge, more than this, a bridge is static, we are alive and active, according to the Latin root of "translate" we act as carriers across bridges (bridges from a languange to another)
It is my job, but I could also do it for free if necessary, when I can't translate I feel sad, ( like a musician who can't play)
I am sure that most of us have the same feeling I have, even if I know that someone (not the majority) translates just to earn money, and judges fellows translators who don't act as he/she does or would like to do.
Well money is important I know, but I couldnt do this job just for money.
As I have written in my profile "Fallen in love with languages" and this is what I am
Bye bye
Angio ▲ Collapse
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| Beautiful story! | Jun 5, 2006 |
Thanks.
babycheeks wrote:
Clarisa,
You mentioned a very interesting word: "promise". This word has different meaning for different cultures. "Promise" is translated "besë" in albanian. The Albanian culture treats this word, or should i say the notion it implies, as holy. There is a very old Albanian tale that shows what power carries this word to an albanian man named Kostandin. Kostandin had a young sister, Doruntina, who got married in a very far away country. The day she got married Kostandin promised his younger sister that in three years he would bring her back to their mother. In the following year Konstandin and his brothers (11 brothers), had to go to war to protect their country. It so happened that all of the brothers, to include Konstandin, died in the war. Poor old mother has nobody left to even talk to. Every time she goes by Konstandin's grave, she cries and calls his name outloud, reminding him of his broken promise. On the night of excatly three years since Doruntina's wedding day, Konstandin rises up from his grave and he travels 7 days and 7 nights to his sister's house.
He tells his sister he doesn't have time to come in or even greet his brother in law. So Doruntina leaves a note to her husband and off they are in their journey back.
When they finally make it to the house Konstandin leaves his sister at the gate and tells her to go in first. He then goes back to his grave to rest in peace, having fullfilled his promise.
Amazing, isn't it?
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| Agree with Krys | Jun 5, 2006 |
Every time I translate Chinese to English, I feel the same way (yes, I confess to this "perverse" like for translating into this foreign language instead of the other way round). I feel I am doing some creative job and this feeling is great.
Krys Bottrill wrote:
I enjoy translating because most of the time it feels more like playing a game or doing a cryptic crossword than like working.
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| Same feeling :) | Jun 5, 2006 |
Shaojie Huang wrote:Every time I translate Chinese to English, I feel the same way (yes, I confess to this "perverse" like for translating into this foreign language instead of the other way round). I feel I am doing some creative job and this feeling is great
When I translate into English (foreign language)
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| Helping people to understand each other | Jun 7, 2006 |
To me, it's about being a mobile link in a chain - every time a chain is broken, I get inbetween and the chain is fixed. It's good to know that I was able to help these people get their messages across.
Also, something I did not expect but was happy to discover on the way is the HUGE amounts of knowledge that you get from translating. Every time I translate something, I learn something new. Not just about language, but about a gazillion trades, technologies, philosophies, laws, cult... See more To me, it's about being a mobile link in a chain - every time a chain is broken, I get inbetween and the chain is fixed. It's good to know that I was able to help these people get their messages across.
Also, something I did not expect but was happy to discover on the way is the HUGE amounts of knowledge that you get from translating. Every time I translate something, I learn something new. Not just about language, but about a gazillion trades, technologies, philosophies, laws, cultures... It's funny, when I was younger, I always thought the best profession for me would be - professional student! I wanted to never work and spend my life going to school - and museums and other places where people learn. By accident, I got to do just that - through translation! ▲ Collapse
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I started translating when I wanted to understand songtexts better and make my friends understand them. Now I'm sometimes getting on their nerves..."Don't translate EVERYTHING!"
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Majlinda, The Story about Konstandin and Doruntina is a great story. Do you happen to have the whole story translated. I would love to read it to my boys. Thanks, Anna
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| translations | Jan 14, 2007 |
I started to study translation few years ago.I wasn't sure if this is something for me till last year.I went to England as an au-pair and I met many polish people that couldn't speak english at all.They asked me for help,to translate sth for them or to ask sb for sth!Then I fell in love with translation!I am so proud of it.
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Milton Guo
China
Local time: 05:32
English to Chinese
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| Freedom-giver | Mar 4, 2008 |
Just like most of you, I loved building a bridge across different languages and cultures at the beginning, but now the main reason for me is translation can give me the freedom, away from the 9-5 grind in a tiny office, away from the worries of being late for work.....
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