Interview with Mami, Translator from English to Japanese: First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? When I was working at a Japanese community newspaper in Vancouver, I had a few occasions to translate English articles to Japanese. Since I enjoyed this experience so much, I started to see becoming a translator as my next step, and so I took a translation introductory course. During the course, my nascent interest transformed to determination that I should pursue this career and do further studies. How different is being a translator/interpreter from what you had expected? To do English to Japanese translation requires a higher level of Japanese writing skill and wider knowledge of Japanese vocabulary than I have ever expected. Also, translators have to be very detailed-oriented. What is, according to you, the best way to learn a foreign language? How did you learn your languages? Read a lot, whatever interests you. I am reading news on the internet, a few magazines, and books in my fields of interests. What are the challenges of being a translator/interpreter? What are the perks? Not to make mistranslations is challenging for me. Even though it might sound basic, the definition of words is so different between fields and this is not simple, but very important. Therefore, I am always doing in-depth research about the topics I work on. Also, I am trying hard to make the resulting text look natural, using adequate style and wording...
Interview with Jian, Translator from English to Chinese (Mandarin): First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? I started to work as a freelance translator since 2002. I fell in love with this self-employment style almost since day one. I do have considered doing other things, but only for couple days, then I’ll be back to translation work again. What is, according to you, the best way to learn a foreign language? How did you learn your languages? You have to start to learn a foreign language from a early age, the early the better. What are the challenges of being a translator/interpreter? What are the perks? To discipline yourself and make your house like an office. Thank you very...
Interview with Bryan, Translator from English to Korean: First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? Well, it must have been my new year’s resolution for the year 2010, trying to make the most of who I am and what I have been doing in my life, embracing and affirming who I am and how I have lived my life. Since I came to Canada, I had been struggling with my strange new language called English for quite a few years and it dawned on me that I can actually make use of that experience and the result of my long struggle. And I think I made a good decision. And I must confess that translation is still my part time job, although I like it very much and I think I am getting better and better in what I am doing. I have other jobs that I cherish with all my heart. I guess I believe in killing two birds with a stone. (Only figuratively, of course. As a vegetarian, I am strongly opposed to killing any bird or any animal for that matter.) And so far, translation has been one of the two (or three?) birds. And I love all my dead birds. How different is being a translator/interpreter from what you had expected? Well, I found translation involves more than just language skill: time management, marketing skill, computer skill, and a bunch of software. What is, according to...
Interview with Louis-Benoit, Translator from English and Spanish to French: First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? During my studies I have always been giving a lot importance to grammar, rules of citation and style guidelines, proper translation of specific terms, and best ways to develop ideas in my essays. I might was focusing a little too much on it…I’m not sure I always had much better marks because this part of my essays were really faultless. 6 months ago, after a semester in a Master program of Urban Planning I realised the job I already had in translation was definitely the best fit to my personality and abilities. So I decided to get a professional accreditation and really make my living with my passion for languages. How different is being a translator/interpreter from what you had expected? I had no idea CAT tools were so important in the translation industry. What is, according to you, the best way to learn a foreign language? How did you learn your languages? I think doing an immersion is something very important to learn a foreign language. This is what I did to learn Spanish when I was a teen. I stayed 6 months in Costa Rica, living with a local family who didn’t speak a word at all of English or French. Only after 2 months, I was feeling very comfortable speaking Spanish but, I knew I was still making a lot of...
What is Language Interpretation? Language interpretation – the process of “translat[ing] orally or into sign language the words of a person speaking a different language”[1] – is a field too often confused with translation. As its name indicates, “interpretation” is the action of explaining the meaning of something. Indeed, an interpreter needs to convey information from one language to another – and from one person to another – very quickly, without being able to carry out any terminology research, and this process can be done by explaining what the speaker said rather than by translating verbatim. Simultaneous or Consecutive? Within the field of interpretation, it is important to make the distinction between two branches: simultaneous and consecutive interpretation. In consecutive interpretation, the interpreter listens to the speech while taking notes and renders his or her translation a few seconds later. This type of interpretation requires special note-taking skills. In simultaneous interpretation, the interpreter listens to the speaker with headphones and renders his or her translation at the same time. It is usually a more popular type of interpretation during large-scale meetings and conferences, and requires a high level of skill from the interpreter. How Does It Work? Rapidity and accuracy are mandatory in interpretation, and a mistake can have dramatic effect; whether it be in court interpretation or politics. This accuracy cannot be achieved unless interpreters work in a group, so they usually work in teams of two, taking turns every 20 minutes. A prime example of how hard interpreting can be occurred at the UN general assembly that was held in New York in September 2009. During this...
Foreign language translation is the process of transforming a written text from one language into another language. However, it is not a simple conversion; often cultural subtleties have to be taken into account. Translation is not only about languages, it is about people, history, culture, ethics, and much more. A translator has to be knowledgeable in all these fields and has to be willing to carry out research for each new translation he or she receives. A freelance translator is a translator that works from his/her own office – often in his/her home – and translates documents sent to him/her by translation agencies or clients. This type of work allows them to be independent and in charge of their own workload and schedule. Read on to be introduced to some of our translators and learn more about them! {showhide titlebottom2=”true” title=”Spanish l English l Canadian French Translator” changetitle=”Close” template=”rounded-content,arrow-orange”} Spanish | English | Canadian French Translator Name: Louis-Benoit Job title: Translator Native Language: French Language Pair(s): English to French, Spanish to French Country of Residence: Canada Specialization(s): Politics and Economics Working with LingoStar since: 2009 Favourite quote: “Utopia lies at the horizon. When I draw nearer by two steps, it retreats two steps. If I proceed ten steps forward, it swiftly slips ten steps ahead. No matter how far I go, I can never reach it. What, then, is the purpose of utopia? It is to cause us to advance.” –Eduardo Galeano Click here to read our French translator Louis-Benoit’s interview! {/showhide} {showhide titlebottom2=”true” title=”Italian l French l English Translator” changetitle=”Close” template=”rounded-content,arrow-orange”} Italian | French | English Translator Name: Sharon Job title: Translator/reviser Native Language: English Language Pair(s): Italian...
