Translation & Interpretationas a Profession

Presented by CHICATAThe Chicago Area

Translators & Interpreters Association

Language Skills More than just bilingual Formal language training Residence in source language country Accreditation (offered by various bodies e.g.

ATA, State Dept., court system)

Subject Area Knowledge

Formal training

Self-education

Experience!!

Translators Interpreters

Work into native language

Need excellent writing skills in TL, excellent compre-hension of SL

Need knowledge of subject matter

Can work in both directions (F<>E)

Need good public speaking skills

Consecutive vs. simultaneous

Types of Translation

Gist/FYI - summary, general meaning

Inbound - within the organization, for informational purposes

Outbound - external to organization, detail and meaning important

Types of Interpretation

Consecutive

Simultaneous

Escort

Proof Edit

The Process of Translation

Terminology research

Subject matter research

Translate

--The TEP Process--

Sentence structure

Readability

Check spelling, grammar, tables, charts, graphs

Completeness

Working as Freelancer(aka Independent Contractor)

Flexibility Variety Highly competitive Continual self-marketing Peaks & valleys in income Tax issues

Working In-house

INDUSTRY Steady work but

income capped Gain translation

experience Gain subject area

knowledge Office politics

TRANSLATION CO. Project coordination,

editing, proofreading Interface between

client and translator Exposure to all

aspects of T&I industry

How to Find Work

Translation-specific résumé For freelance work, mainly via Internet

(see sites in handout) Research the exports, major industries

in your SL countries Working with direct clients = lots of

client education!

Working with Agencies

Samples and “test” translations See the job before you agree to it Establish rate & deadline up front Details: Reproduce charts, tables?

Format exactly as original? Provide glossary?

Ask for feedback, editor’s comments

How Much Can I Earn?

Paid by the word in U.S.; other countries often pay by line or page

Rates subject to supply & demand, language combo (JCK vs. FIGS)

Rates can vary according to difficulty, deadline, size of project

Freelancing & Home Office

Equipment: computer, fax, e-mail are essential; scanner, CAT tools optional, depending on specialization

Business cards, letterhead, separate fax and phone lines (all good for establishing the legitimacy of your biz to the IRS)

Machine Translation and Computer-Aided Translation Will never replace human translators... …but do have a place in the industry Good for gist translations MT requires post-editing

Networking

National groups: ATA, TTIG, NAJIT Local groups: CHICATA, MICATA Professional organizations in your

specialty(ies) Volunteer work

Resources

Internet Print CD-ROM Miscellaneous: your own collection of

material in both SL and TL (e.g. from industry journals in your specialization)