| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Poll: Do you see yourself translating your whole life? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you see yourself translating your whole life?".
This poll was originally submitted by Alan Corbo
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new p... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you see yourself translating your whole life?".
This poll was originally submitted by Alan Corbo
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I plan to do so, but | Mar 4, 2009 |
I'm not sure if I could. I never plan that far ahead.
| | | | Oleg Osipov 
Russian Federation
Local time: 17:45
English to Russian
+ ...
Yes, that's what I've been doing for years actually.
| | | | Laureana Pavon
Uruguay
Local time: 11:45
Member (2007)
English to Spanish
+ ...
MODERATOR
I decided to become a translator while still a teenager, and have stuck to this decision for more than 20 years.
There have been some ups and downs, but I am completely satisfied with my chosen profession. I've always been a freelance translator/interpreter, and this has allowed me to do so many things that would have not been possible if I had had a 9 to 5 job.
[Edited at 2009-03-04 13:27 GMT]
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| Yes until the robots take over | Mar 4, 2009 |
However, I can imagine myself becoming more of an "administrator" and "reviser" of machine translations in 15-20 years, with true translation work becoming rather thin on the ground. I think we are about to see some astonishing progress (to our economic detriment) when Google Translation Centre and the like get going.
[Edited at 2009-03-04 13:51 GMT]
| | | | sarandor
United States
Local time: 10:45
English to Russian
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| Good question! | Mar 4, 2009 |
I came into freelancing not because I always wanted to be a freelancer, but because I was stuck (and still am) in Appalachia, which is one of the most economically depressed regions of the United States - with high unemployment rates. But my husband has a great job here, so it's been keeping us in this region. When I started working as a freelance translator, I thought,"Hey, it's not bad!" It's a rewarding career in so many ways that I can see myself doing it for a long run. It's assuring to rea... See more I came into freelancing not because I always wanted to be a freelancer, but because I was stuck (and still am) in Appalachia, which is one of the most economically depressed regions of the United States - with high unemployment rates. But my husband has a great job here, so it's been keeping us in this region. When I started working as a freelance translator, I thought,"Hey, it's not bad!" It's a rewarding career in so many ways that I can see myself doing it for a long run. It's assuring to read comments from experienced long-time translators, like Laureana. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | restless soul | Mar 4, 2009 |
On the one hand, I love this line of work probably more than anything I've ever done before. On the other hand, I've had 3 fairly distinct lines of work in the past 20 years, so it's difficult for me to imagine doing essentially the same thing for the next 20. Ten years from now I can definitely see myself transitioning back toward work that involves more contact with humans and less contact with words.
If I'm still living in the Washington DC area, for example, it might be interes... See more On the one hand, I love this line of work probably more than anything I've ever done before. On the other hand, I've had 3 fairly distinct lines of work in the past 20 years, so it's difficult for me to imagine doing essentially the same thing for the next 20. Ten years from now I can definitely see myself transitioning back toward work that involves more contact with humans and less contact with words.
If I'm still living in the Washington DC area, for example, it might be interesting to work for a development agency that would make use of my literary and language skills, cultural training, and vast knowledge of plumbing parts. As is evidenced in my recollection of this quote from James Joyce on the grandeur that was Rome:
"What was their civilization? Vast, I allow: but vile. Cloacae: sewers. The Jews in the wilderness and on the mountaintop said: It is meet to be here. Let us build an altar to Jehovah. The Roman, like the Englishman who follows in his footsteps, brought to every new shore on which he set his foot (on our shore he never set it) only his cloacal obsession. He gazed about him in his toga and he said: It is meet to be here. Let us construct a watercloset." ▲ Collapse
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I can't imagine leaving the activity altogether ever - even if I were to stop doing it professionally, virtually ever piece of writing I set eyes on I mentally start to translate. Very difficult habit to get out of! Besides, despite any amount of complaining I may do, I love translating!
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John Cutler
Spain
Local time: 16:45
Spanish to English
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| Maybe, maybe not... | Mar 4, 2009 |
When I first read the question, the image that came to my mind was of me pulling the petals off a daisy one at a time and saying, "Maybe, maybe not, maybe, maybe not..."
Don't get me wrong, I like translating and make a good living at it, but if something more profitable or interesting came along, I'd certainly consider it.
I already have a part time job/hobby of working as a tour guide at some nearby Roman ruins. I enjoy being outdoors, meeting new people and I love hi... See more When I first read the question, the image that came to my mind was of me pulling the petals off a daisy one at a time and saying, "Maybe, maybe not, maybe, maybe not..."
Don't get me wrong, I like translating and make a good living at it, but if something more profitable or interesting came along, I'd certainly consider it.
I already have a part time job/hobby of working as a tour guide at some nearby Roman ruins. I enjoy being outdoors, meeting new people and I love history and archeology. If it only paid better, I'd be more than willing to consider being a guide as a fulltime profession and relegating translating to the part time realm. ▲ Collapse
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I don't know.
I would be happy to, but if translation appears to become a too badly paid job or if machines happen to beat humans in translating, I would be fully glad to do something else too. I have quite a lot of hobbies or interests that I could turn into a job, maybe after some additional training. But I think I'll remain my own boss in any case
| | | | Amy Duncan (X)
Brazil
Local time: 11:45
Portuguese to English
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| A very interesting question for me... | Mar 4, 2009 |
I'm already well past retirement age, but I always see new things on the horizon. I have worked in many different areas over the years...a Head Start teacher, seamstress, short order cook, musician, journalist, security guard, gardener, artists' model, secretary (there are others, but I can't remember them at the moment). Translation is just one out of many things I have done. I do enjoy it, though, and it has given me more freedom than most jobs, but in my heart I'm a musician and will always b... See more I'm already well past retirement age, but I always see new things on the horizon. I have worked in many different areas over the years...a Head Start teacher, seamstress, short order cook, musician, journalist, security guard, gardener, artists' model, secretary (there are others, but I can't remember them at the moment). Translation is just one out of many things I have done. I do enjoy it, though, and it has given me more freedom than most jobs, but in my heart I'm a musician and will always be one. The problem is trying to earn a living with a 10-piece band...lol.
Actually, I see myself continuing to do translations and having it support my music "habit," at least for the time being. At the moment I'm working like a little doggy to save money to record a second CD. So these two careers seem to fit together quite nicely. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Xanthippe
France
Local time: 16:45
Member (2008)
Italian to French
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SITE LOCALIZER
I hope so, but, I really don't know. It depends of the future of the translation activity.
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Until I win the lottery! Then I'll play computer games
| | | | Alice Bootman
United States
Local time: 09:45
Spanish to English
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| Yes, of course. Unless... | Mar 4, 2009 |
Unless one of my husband's business ideas takes off and he desperately needs my help.
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...provided that I take good care of my eyes and back, that I am able to make the effort to have a social life and that it keeps paying for the bills as it does now. Otherwise, I may eventually look for a day job, but so far, I don't have a reason to do that, and I am happy enough doing what I do to consider that the grass is greener on this side of the fence.
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