| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Which of the following do you find more rewarding? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Which of the following do you find more rewarding?".
This poll was originally submitted by Elisabete Cunha. View the poll results »
| | | | Williamson 
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:15
Flemish to English
+ ...
| Interpreting | Dec 25, 2011 |
For the following reasons:
1. It is the jewel on the crown of the language professions. You have to know both your A-language and your B/Cs to a higher level than a translator. No google, no dictionaries available. All must be in your head. It requires a higher cognant language level than a translator and an interpreter must be able to handle stress.
2. You do not sit alone behind a computer screen day in day out.
3. You get to meet interesting people and s... See more For the following reasons:
1. It is the jewel on the crown of the language professions. You have to know both your A-language and your B/Cs to a higher level than a translator. No google, no dictionaries available. All must be in your head. It requires a higher cognant language level than a translator and an interpreter must be able to handle stress.
2. You do not sit alone behind a computer screen day in day out.
3. You get to meet interesting people and see interesting places.
4. No discussions about fuzzies, repetitions or other such weird inventions.If an interpreter repeats the same exact sentence or part of a sentence ten times, nobody in his/her right mind will ask the interpreter for a discount.
5. No big discussions about rates.
6. Not such a big offer, not many overnight conference interpreters-training and education is required.
7. Pays better and on time or even earlier.
8. When the day is done, work is done.
vs: Translation
1. Use of tools.
2. Many overnight translators, some with a passive knowledge of their C-language.
3. Sitting behind a computer-screen the whole day or part of the night.
4. Trados-discounts and other volume -discounts.
5. Penny-pinching
6. Chasing payments.
7. Work is never done.
8. Get boring after a while;
9. No career-ladder (exception: national and international institutions). ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
It's what I do best. The rest are "extras"or (ho ho ho) "added value services"....
| | | | Angus Stewart
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:15
Member (2011)
French to English
+ ...
| Also translation | Dec 25, 2011 |
neilmac wrote:
It's what I do best....
Well and succinctly said Neil.
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Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 11:15
English to French
+ ...
That's where and when you get to go deepest into a subject
| | | | m_temmer
Local time: 03:15
English to Dutch
+ ...
In most cases proofreading/editing is correcting bad translations of translators that don't know what they're doing and should actually be looking for another job. I hardly find that rewarding...
I'd rather just translate.
| | | | | Also translation | Dec 25, 2011 |
neilmac wrote:
It's what I do best.
I mean rewarding in the monetary sense as well as in the satisfying sense. Revision/proofreding takes as much, if not more, time as translating. I prefer to spend my time translating...
[Edited at 2011-12-25 12:19 GMT]
| | | | | More than one option: all-inclusive video work | Dec 25, 2011 |
Some colleagues - and outsourcers alike - consider it a bit daunting, however the most rewarding type of work for me is to get an entire (usually training, but also institutional or product launch) video program - and sometimes also OHD/PPT slides - all translated and packed into one interactive DVD.
This may include any or all of the following (not necessarily in this order):
- translating the video for dubbing and/or subtitlin
... See more Some colleagues - and outsourcers alike - consider it a bit daunting, however the most rewarding type of work for me is to get an entire (usually training, but also institutional or product launch) video program - and sometimes also OHD/PPT slides - all translated and packed into one interactive DVD.
This may include any or all of the following (not necessarily in this order):
- translating the video for dubbing and/or subtitling;
- outsourcing the dubbing and later mixing and assembling the audio track
- spotting and burning subtitles;
- editing video to replace charts and other screens with their translations, often redesigned;
- creating menus and screens based on translated PPT/OHD slides; and
- the cherry on the top: bundling it all together with flexible and seamless interactivity on a DVD.
Such a project may also require the translation and DTP of support materials on paper or PDF, such as leader's guides, workbooks, handouts, etc.
I find it rewarding, because it involves dismantling an entire package, translating it, and then reassembling an entirely new thing in another language, while preserving all the content. ▲ Collapse
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 05:15
English to Spanish
+ ...
| I delight in translation and desktop publishing | Dec 25, 2011 |
Translation is my opportunity to write with elegance, flair when warranted, precision and concision. Because I care about the visual aspects of my translations, I also enjoy doing desktop publishing and tweaking the accompanying graphics.
More than wordsmiths, we are information sculptors.
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 05:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Best and worst | Dec 25, 2011 |
Best:
Translation of text that was well-written in source language and that involves interesting subject matter.
Okay, but more challenging:
Translation of poorly written text requiring considerable "editing" as part of the translation process.
Worst:
Editing of English-language texts written by non-natives with fundamentally deficient knowledge of English, and poor writing skills generally. (Such work makes me feel like I am grading the papers of midd... See more Best:
Translation of text that was well-written in source language and that involves interesting subject matter.
Okay, but more challenging:
Translation of poorly written text requiring considerable "editing" as part of the translation process.
Worst:
Editing of English-language texts written by non-natives with fundamentally deficient knowledge of English, and poor writing skills generally. (Such work makes me feel like I am grading the papers of middle-schoolers....)
[Edited at 2011-12-25 14:17 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Editing/proofreading frustrate me | Dec 25, 2011 |
Michaël said it well.
In most cases, editing/proofreading just make me angry and frustrated, and so these days I totally reject such jobs.
I have enough translating, so don't need them, even as "extra value jobs".
Luckily, my better half is studying now to become Editor - at least someone under our roof could then offer this service...
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 18:15
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| The hardest and most rewarding work is ... | Dec 25, 2011 |
... editing your own work
If you want to, you can edit others' translations. Sure, you can see how poor their work is and do all the necessary edits to make the work presentable. If the translation is a linguistic minefield, then you have a lot of defusing to do.
If you're very lucky, however, you'll come across work that is a work of art and a joy to read. Sadly, the last one was over 20 years ago from a deaf(!... See more ... editing your own work
If you want to, you can edit others' translations. Sure, you can see how poor their work is and do all the necessary edits to make the work presentable. If the translation is a linguistic minefield, then you have a lot of defusing to do.
If you're very lucky, however, you'll come across work that is a work of art and a joy to read. Sadly, the last one was over 20 years ago from a deaf(!) Japanese translator - one of the most beautiful pieces of translated English I've ever come across. Sigh ...
Now, translators, the hard question.
Can you sit back, objectively edit your own work and produce a translation that at once reflects the intent of the source text and is a great read?
If you can, then you'll be able to make the leap of faith from "good" to "great."
In this respect, I do recommend occasionally editing and reviewing others' work. This will give you the insight to be tough with yourself, embrace a bigger picture and strive for greater goals.
"It all gets clearer and the burden is lifted when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. All that remains afterwards is what you know."
Happy translating! ▲ Collapse
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I guess translating, but not like I have a choice anyway. I like interpretation, but the jobs are too few and far between, usually once or twice in a year. Not interested in proofreading projects, same goes for the rest of the list.
| | | | | neck and neck | Dec 25, 2011 |
translation and proofreading... I love working in the two languages. But I was a journalist and writer before turning full time to translation and editing. I love the editing process and getting to put those skills to good use.
| | | | m_temmer
Local time: 03:15
English to Dutch
+ ...
| translation is really not that bad | Dec 26, 2011 |
Williamson wrote:
For the following reasons:
1. It is the jewel on the crown of the language professions. ...
8. When the day is done, work is done.
vs: Translation
1. Use of tools
...
9. No career-ladder (exception: national and international institutions).
I don't agree with the way you present things. It all comes down to finding decent customers, just like you need to find decent customers as an interpreter too.
I have a better life and make more money as a translator than when I was still interpreting. The interpretation market in Belgium is very competitive.
And translators should know their languages as well as interpreters. Only rarely can an interpreter work into foreign languages and deliver the same high quality as when working into his or her mother tongue. The same goes for translators. All too often, people overestimate their capabilities. It's not because an interpreters works into a foreign language, that he is actually doing a good job like a native speaker...
(and I'm not directing this to you personally, you may be perfectly bilingual, I'm just saying this in general, based on my experience).
As long as we do a good job, I think translation and interpretation are as rewarding. What one experiences as satisfying is very subjective.
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