Having it both ways? Bi-Directional Translation

Another frequent student question... Since I can translate from Language A to B, can I also translate from B to A?

My answer: Usually not. This is because because the standard in the translation industry is that we translate only into our mother tongue. You may be a very talented linguist who can translate from half a dozen source languages, but generally translators only translate into one target language - their mother tongue.

Why is this so? Because the nuances of cultural reference and idiom are extremely difficult to capture for a non-native speaker and this is picked up by the native reader, who senses something "off" in the writing, even if it is technically correct.

But I do qualify this by saying that there are rare exceptions of translators (though I'd never met one) who are able to write more than one language at mother tongue-level and therefore can translate both ways.

Having clarified this point countless times, I realized that the time had come to seek out one of these rare birds who can translate both ways. I was not interested in interviewing one of those comical characters whose frequent list postings, liberally peppered with grammatical bloopers, advertise that they translate both ways, as though this were a normal and accepted thing. Get this clear - IT IS NOT! I will re-emphasize that the industry standard is only to translate into your mother tongue.

A professional translator of standing who can and does translate both ways... this is the rare bird that interests me. My investigations led me to a few candidates:

• Michael Prawer, a veteran translator and a qualified lawyer, said that he translated "the other way" only for legal documents, since he knows that the client is not seeking idiomatic perfection but rather precision and technical knowledge. He said he would not translate any other kind of document "the other way."
• Sharon Blass, a seasoned Hebrew-English translator, said that after 36 years of immersion in Hebrew-speaking society, she feels that her Hebrew is mother-toungue level, and she is now tentatively getting up the "chutzpah" (her term) to translate "the other way."
• Another translator, who did not wished to be named, said she has many years of experience translating both ways. Yet she admits that she still feels more confident translating into her mother tongue and tries to ask a native speaker to look over her work when she translates "the other way."

I'm glad to say that I did find one translator who says she really does translate both ways with confidence. Shoshana London Sappir was born in the US and came to Israel at age 8. This is certainly no guarantee of having both languages - in fact people in this situation often end up having no mother tongue. Indeed, Shoshana admits that her English never fully developed until she got a job in English-language journalism as an adult. As a result of working hard to fix up her English in order to write professionally, Shoshana says that she now has two mother tounges and that she writes professionally in both.

Two mother tongues... that's what it takes to go both ways. Perhaps so long as we have a concept of "the other way," bi-directional translation will remain on the other side. I'll bet a human being who genuinely has two mother tongues is as rare as two mother hens' teeth. I'm assuming that all my subjects are incredibly talented linguists - make no mistake. Most translators never dream of going "the other way."

I think I might revise my answer to the question of "can I do it both ways?" I'm upgrading from "usually not" to "almost unheard-of."

Time, Money and How to have Both

Time is money...

Whether or not you credit the rather skewed existential outlook at the basis of this saying, it seems to be referring in particular to the lot of the freelance translator. This is because in our industry we usually get paid by the word. This means that our earning capacity is directly linked to how fast we can translate, or, more precisely, how fast can we translate well. (Quality should not be a casualty in this equation as this will certainly reduce your earnings in the long run.)

Therefore, it makes sense that every translator from the fresh-hatched fledgling to the seasoned pro should be constantly looking to increase their speed. This is the best ways to increase your earnings, other than searching for better clients. Yet the former is an immediate sure bet. (There are many factors that make a client "good" and their rate of pay is only one of them, so don't be too quick to neglect reliable, steady clients in favor of the promise of fabulous riches if you can just turnaround that 10,000-word doc by tomorrow 9am!)

There a many ways that you can start working faster right now. I've already mentioned a few basic translation aids in previous posts, such as online dictionaries and CATs. Another way to increase your speed will be to improve your Internet research skills. On an even more basic level, simply by improving your general computer skills, e.g. typing speed, keyboard shortcuts, you will soon start to work considerably faster.

Here's one small feature that has saved me quite a lot of time in recent weeks: Desktop Search. This allows you to do lightening-speed searches of every nook and cranny of your memory. If you wrote on a document or email years ago and need to find it, you could do some sorting in your sentbox or use the search feature in Windows Explorer. This will certainly take you 3-4 minutes, maybe more. With Desktop Search, this will take miliseconds. In fact it will probably find your old file before you've even finished typing in your keyword!

Yesterday it took me the blink of an eye to find an attachment whose name I didn't know sent to me by someone 4.5 years ago - that's two dead computers ago.

To see a demonstration of Desktop Search, click here.

Can you make a living as a translator?

As a teacher of translation, the most frequently asked question I encounter from potential students is: "Can you really make a decent living as a translator?"

As a teacher of translation, I feel very strongly that this question should be answered with caution.

My answer: "You're asking me if I can make a decent living from translation? Well, thank God, I can and do. But what about you?"

I don't know if you can make a decent living from translating or not, because that depends on you. Success as a professional translator depends your ability to perform on three essential points, as well as a host of other primary skills and qualities that will also come into play at various points in your career.

But here are the "BIG 3":

1. You produce professional quality translations
2. You can produce the above under pressure and never* miss a deadline
3. You market your services effectively

Please note that I have not written this list in order of priority. I'm not sure which is the most important because they are all critical.

Are you ready for the BIG 3? If so, an exciting new world awaits you. Please keep reading...

*Never say never, but you get the idea.

Are you a translator?

I assume that if your reading this you are. This blog is getting quite a few hits and though I have no idea who the readers are, I assume that you are translators.

"Who me?" you may ask. "I have not completed an MA in Linguistics. I have hardly any experience, except that I once translated my neighbor's favorite haiku in exchange for him mowing my lawn. But that doesn't entitle me a to call myself a translator. I don't want to mislead anyone. I'm not a real translator, just... a wannabee, an amateur, a hack, a rookie..."

If that sounds like you, I applaud your honestly. However, I have news for you... you are indeed entitled to call yourself a translator. There is no rule that states that a person may not present himself as a translator, unlike a doctor, or accountant, or lawyer, for example. If you decide that you are a translator, then you are.

The question is: what sort of translator are you?

There are plenty of awful translators out there, but I am sure that you will not be counted among them. I am fairly certain that they don't read blogs or any other materials about the art and science of translation. They generally figure that if they know two languages and how to type, they are fully qualified to inflict themselves on clients and readers everywhere.

There are many excellent professional translators. Thanks for reading! You know that, no matter how experienced and successful you are, there is always a whole world of learning still waiting to be discovered, which will benefit your professional satisfaction and standard.

Then there are plenty of inexperienced and unpolished translators out there. Are you one of those? If so, that may well be fixable. Perhaps you should go get that MA or join some sort of translation training program.

I must admit I never completed one (though I did start one). I do have a BA in Communications (with majors in languages and journalism). That strikes just the right chord on my resume. I'm not obligated to mention that the language I majored in was Thai (don't ask) even though I translate from Hebrew to English.

I built my translation career through a lot of passion, research and hard work. I cannot actually tell you how hard I sweated over my computer in the early years of my career.

I created my Translators' Training Program to give people a jump-start in the industry in three months without having to go through what I did over a period of about two years.

This week I read with interest on the Israel Translators' Association mailing list that there is an attempt to create an international standard for quality for professional translators. It will be based on BS EN 15038:2006, an EU standard. Apparently, that standard requires that translators have either:
1) formal higher education in translation (recognized degree);
2) equivalent qualification in any other subject plus a minimum of two years
of documented experience in translating;
3) over five years of documented professional experience in translating.

This standard sounds very sensible. In fact, I tell my students (who almost all have at least one academic qualification) that it will take them about two years of translation work to reach a first-rate professional standard. (I was also relieved to find out that if any of my clients find out that my major was in Thai, that I can tell them that I still qualify for the EU standard on two other counts!)

You don't need training to be a translator, but it certainly helps.

What kind of translator are you?