Translation Industry and Career Information Kim Vitray Operations
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Translation — Industry and Career Information Kim Vitray, Operations Manager Ralph Mc. Elroy Translation Company Austin, Texas
Ralph Mc. Elroy Translation Company • In business since 1968 • One of the top 5 largest single-headquarters companies (12 -15 million words/year, 40 employees, 100+ regular contract translators) • Primarily Japanese, German, Chinese, Dutch, French, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish • Technical translations (legal, scientific, medical) and web site localization Ralph mcelroy translation company
Translator Statistics Source: 2003 ATA T&I Services Survey • • • 31% were born in the U. S. 31% are accredited by ATA 45% are full-time independent contractors 59% have master’s degree or higher 23% have 0 -5 years experience Ralph mcelroy translation company
Definition of Translation Source: The Translator’s Handbook • Translation — “Rendition close enough to the original not to alter any of its meaning, full enough not to omit any detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant, and elegant enough to provide at least some of the stylistic character of the original text” Ralph mcelroy translation company
10 Requisites for Professional Translators Source: The Translator’s Handbook • Have thorough knowledge of both source and target languages — vocabulary equivalent to university education • Be “at home” in both cultures • Keep up with growth and changes in languages and subject matters Ralph mcelroy translation company
10 Requisites for Professional Translators • Translate from another language into your native language • Translate in more than one area of knowledge • Have facility for writing, quickly and accurately • Develop good speed Ralph mcelroy translation company
10 Requisites for Professional Translators • Develop research skills and ability to acquire and use references • Use the latest technological developments • Realize certain languages are in high demand Ralph mcelroy translation company
Being in Business for Yourself • • • Résumé and cards Rate range and subject specialties Professional business materials Equipment, tools, and resources Recordkeeping and taxes, insurance Marketing and networking Ralph mcelroy translation company
Translating for an Agency • Pros – they handle clients – steadier flow of work • Cons – less independence – less money Ralph mcelroy translation company
Getting Started with an Agency • Testing • Confidentiality contract and independent contractor statement • Translator instruction manual, instruction sheet, and templates • “Beginner’s” rate • Close review of first jobs Ralph mcelroy translation company
Understanding Agencies • • • Processes Schedules Formatting Quality Communication Type of work Ralph mcelroy translation company
Top 10 Traits of an Ideal Translator • Format your résumé so that pertinent points can be easily noted – native language – language pairs – years of experience – subject matter specializations – representative types of projects Ralph mcelroy translation company
Top 10 Traits of an Ideal Translator • Be accessible — check fax, e-mail, and voice messages frequently • Say "no" when necessary — but be open to workable solutions • Say "yes" to a nuisance job every now and then • Give advance notice of looming disaster and bring up problems Ralph mcelroy translation company
Top 10 Traits of an Ideal Translator • Express your preferences – what you enjoy most – what you hate – what dictionaries you have – how you prefer to receive work, get messages – if you always or never work on weekends – if you routinely work through the night so please don't call before noon…anything! Ralph mcelroy translation company
Top 10 Traits of an Ideal Translator • Miss only one deadline per job • Keep up with the industry • Teach your client — if you find yourself mentally listing all the things you wish your client knew, go ahead and offer some education • Turn in jobs early! Ralph mcelroy translation company
Freelance Translating • Pros – lot of independence – more money • Cons – developing and maintaining clientele – maintaining steady work flow Ralph mcelroy translation company
Types of Employers • • • Law firms Corporations Federal, state, and local government Major organizations Publishers Ralph mcelroy translation company
Common Misconceptions Source: The Translator’s Handbook • Anyone with two years of high school language, or who lived in another country for three years during early childhood, or who can type in a foreign language, can translate • Translators can translate both ways just as easily Ralph mcelroy translation company
Common Misconceptions • A good translator doesn’t need any reference literature • A good translator gets it right the first time, without any editing or proofreading • Translators will soon be replaced by computers Ralph mcelroy translation company
Common Misconceptions • A 100 -page technical manual that took four months and three persons to write can be translated by one translator in two days • Translating is just replacing each word in the source language with the same word in the target language • Spanish is Spanish, all around the world Ralph mcelroy translation company
Computer-Aided Translation (CAT) • Translation memory or terminology management tools that aid the human translator in producing applicable kinds of work better, faster, cheaper, easier • Required by some agencies and end-user clients Ralph mcelroy translation company
Computer-Aided Translation • Requisites – electronic file – consistently and well written – sufficient length – repetitive content and/or developed glossary OR job that will be updated • Star Transit, Trados, déjà vu, SDLX Ralph mcelroy translation company
Interpreting — Required Skills Source: The Translator’s Handbook • Exceptional articulation • High comfort level speaking in front of an audience • Complete ease in both languages • Ability to listen, remember, and summarize • Subject area knowledge and experience Ralph mcelroy translation company
Interpreting — Required Skills • Good people skills – pleasing personality – professional appearance – good manners – patience – social savvy – good sense of humor Ralph mcelroy translation company
Types of Interpreting • Consecutive — negotiations, social services, court • Escort — government related • Phone (OPI) — customer service, 911 • Simultaneous — conferences (requires equipment) • Sight — documents done on the spot Ralph mcelroy translation company
Interpreter Certification • U. S. Federal Court • Spanish, Haitian Creole, Navajo • National Center for Interpretation Testing, Research, and Policy, University of Arizona • Proficiency level is 14+ years formal education in both languages • Some states Ralph mcelroy translation company
Training Programs • Austin (Texas) Community College • University of Texas at El Paso • Localization Institute (www. localizationinstitute. com) • Monterey Institute, California • Bellevue College, Seattle • New York University Ralph mcelroy translation company
American Translators Association • • • Over 9, 000 members Conference Accreditation www. atanet. org Chronicle & directory $120 membership fee Ralph mcelroy translation company
National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators • • • 900 members Conference www. najit. org Proteus & directory $95 membership fee Ralph mcelroy translation company
Resources • The Translator’s Handbook by Morry Sofer • A Practical Guide to Localization by Bert Esselink • Multi. Lingual Computing & Technology • FLEFO (Compu. Serve Foreign Language Forum) Ralph mcelroy translation company
Resources • Web sites – www. accurapid. com/journal – www. lai. com/companion. html – www. transref. org – dictionaries & glossaries Ralph mcelroy translation company
Ralph Mc. Elroy Translation Co. 910 West Ave. Austin, TX 78701 phone 472 -6753 fax 472 -4591 www. mcelroytranslation. com