A World Without Translators?

A World Without Translators ?

A translator’s work often goes unnoticed, to such an extent that the phrase “A good translation seems as though it were an originally written text” has become commonplace. However, the work of the translator is of paramount importance to all of us, despite the fact that we rarely reflect on it.

A translator’s job is far from simply interchanging words that are “equivalent” in different languages; they also bridge the gap between cultures. French writer Marcel Proust said: “The fortunate discovery of a good book can change the destiny of a soul.” Thanks to the translation of short stories and novels, many people have an infinite number of literary worlds at their disposal that they would otherwise not have access to. Perhaps this is the reason so many great writers also worked as translators.

Italian writer, Italo Calvino, reflected on translation as follows: “Without translation, I would be limited to the borders of my own country. The translator is my most important ally. It is he who introduces me to the world.” In an increasingly globalized world, it is extremely easy to conduct financial transactions between people at opposite points on the globe. However, linguistic distance still exists, and oftentimes, whether or not a business transaction is successfully carried out, depends, to a large extent, on a successful translation.

 
As for public translators, it is they who effectuate the translation of documents such as birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, curricula and court rulings, just to name a few. It is thanks to them that a person can apply for an international scholarship or obtain recognition of a court ruling that was declared abroad, for example.

The aspects of daily life that involve translation are truly innumerable. So just as a way to wrap up, we suggest that our readers take a moment to celebrate their translator friends on September 30^th, International Translation Day :).

Should translators market toward a specific goal, or should it become a daily task?

The question of marketing crops up regularly in most translators’ lives. And the question is: ‘Should translators market toward a specific goal, or should it become a daily task’?

Most translators, particularly newbies, wonder how much time should be spent on marketing. Is there a certain percentage of a translator's working day that should be spent on marketing, or should translators market themselves even when they don’t necessarily need new projects?

How Much Translation Work Is Enough?

Of course, there’s no specific answer to this question. We could tell you that if you spend between 10 and 20% of your allotted working hours marketing your translation business you’ll never want for work again, but it’s not that easy. To start with, very few translators have the right amount of work; most translators would like a little more, yet there are many translators out there who have too much work.

So, how much is enough? As with any freelance business, there never seems to be just the right amount of work – it’s either feast or famine: when we have too much work we complain that there are just not enough hours in the day and when we don’t have enough work we blame it on the economy! Because we all have a family to support and bills to pay, most translators would suggest that having a little too much work is ideal because it reduces financial stress. And perhaps we’re all workaholics as well! Of course, when things do get tight from time to time, it does mean that both you and other translators are all competing for the same work, which is not an ideal situation.

If You’re Looking for Translation Work

However, the answer to the marketing question is quite simple: if you don’t have enough translation work then you should be marketing your translation services consistently, and by this, we mean every single day! Marketing must become a part of your working day, something you continue practicing just like if you had an exercise routine. It’s not something you do once or twice a week, it’s something you do every morning before your morning coffee, or every evening before you finish work for the day. Your job is to do your research and make contact with two, three, four or more potential clients every single day.

Marketing Towards a Specific Goal

If you’re one of the lucky few who have enough translation work most of the time, and you sometimes find it necessary to turn down work, then it can be a great challenge to market towards a specific goal. Perhaps you’re looking for new clients in a certain country or a certain specialization; perhaps you’ve always wanted to translate a book. Whatever your specific goal is, aim your marketing at that target.