Week Six Reflection and Analysis: Summary
As professional translators, we answer questions often, and many times, the questions have no simple answers. In this forum, I will post frequency asked questions each week, and open comments for translators to reflect based on their experience in the language, as a translator or as student of the language and the trade of document translation and voice interpretation.
Week 6: April 22, 2020: Summary and Reflection
Question 6 (Week 6): What are some of the most important factors to consider when working as a translator or interpreter? How can translators and interpreters avoid errors and provide higher quality translations and interpretations? What is the most important lesson you have learned about translation? If you were able to offer one item of advice for future translators, what would it be?
I think some factors are confidence, skill and preparedness. Those are key if you want to have a good career from it. I feel like one can less errors if you review your work. The more you look over it the more mistakes youll be able to find. It is important to just do the research so your work can be the very best of your ability. The most important lesson I learned was that most of your work should be kept confidential. My piece of advice would be to not become one just because you know another language. Its not as easy as it seems. Learn your other language well and review your work.
Some important factors to consider when working as a translator or interpreter is speed and accuracy. If you are an interpreter you have to be accurate , fast, and sometimes prepared with notes if you know the topic beforehand. If you are a translator accuracy and speed is also important. You do not have to be one hundred percent accurate but you have to translate the message to the best of your abilities. Speed is important because as a translator you get paid by the work you do not by the hour so the faster you are while being accurate at the same time, the more successful you will be. The best way to avoid errors is to be well prepared and practice. Be familiar with the topics you are translating or interpreting in. One of the most important lessons I have learned in translating is that it really is not that easy. There is also not a single correct way to translate a document because there can be a thousand different translations and they can all work. Some advice I would tell future translators is that do work you are good at. If you are good at translating from Spanish to English than from English to Spanish stick to your strengths. You will be faster and more accurate.
I think the ethical aspect of interpreting and translating is the most important thing. It’s normal for a nonnative speaker to rearrange words and phrases into their vocabulary and grammar set. It becomes an issue when the meaning of the original author or speaker is lost or distorted. Translators and interpreters must understand that when their translations and interpretations aren’t high quality, it has an impact on the lives and sometimes the health of others. The stakes are very high and it must be taken seriously.
Translators and interpreters can avoid errors by continuing to seek knowledge in their profession and proficiency in their target language. Imposter syndrome is real inside the world of translation and interpretation. The last thing anyone wants is to be accused that they aren’t as proficient in a language as they say they are. This leads people to give poor interpretations, not out of malice, but pride. The reality is, it’s simply not feasible for a nonnative speaker to know every word of another language and by committing ourselves to the professions of translation and interpretation, we’re welcoming the challenge of being lifelong learners. They say the average college educated, native speaker has a vocabulary of about 20,000 – 30,000 words. Putting that into perspective, someone is generally considered fluent if they possess a vocabulary of 10,000+.
The scenario described above is the most important thing I’ve learned about translating and interpreting. I’ve been very blessed to work with families and individuals who are infinitely patient and kind. I’ve always felt that I could be honest about my abilities as a Spanish speaker, and ask for clarity when I’m not understanding. We must remain open minded, unbiased, and patient to be effective communicators in any medium.
My advice for future translators is to be honest about your abilities, keep learning your craft, and ask for clarity when you need it. It’s better to lose a little face and ask for clarity, than to provide an inaccurate translation that has a negative impact on someone else’s life.
Being that there are potential translators/interpreters out there learning their language to translate and interpret, there is ethics and the legality of translating to clients or anyone who needs help for translating or interpreting. I can only say that errors help you learn to avoid the later mistakes in the future. Everyone will have different ways of translating, but the goal is to have minimal mistakes and have an accurate translation that helps the client and whoever else will need to understand the document or any form of writing in the target language. This will help guarantee the message of the document is the same in the source and target language. I was able to take away the issues of translation into consideration since usually, I haven’t thought much of the confidentiality issues ay translator or interpreter can have. However, it is helpful to understand the now and continue fixing on that issue as I continue translating for others. The only thing I can say on advice, figure your strengths out, it is better to know what you are best capable of than what you haven’t done yet. Although, you can always learn and strengthen the weaknesses in your skills for speaking or writing.
Some of the most important factors to consider when working as a translator or interpreter is to remember ethical issues might rise up. Just be honest and ethical about your job and things should be fine. Remember everyone translates differently but that doesn’t mean you are wrong. A way translators and interpreters can avoid errors is by having with them a notepad and just writing down key words of what the person is saying so when it time for them to interpret they know. Writing down the main points can be useful so they won’t forget what was said. Also, doing research on where the person whom they are interpreting for is from just in case they have different slang they know how to go about it. You have to consider the target audience and dialect that’s better for them. A very important lesson I’ve learned about translation is when translating documents, you don’t have to translate word for word, as long as you get the main point is across then you should be fine. There are different ways to write certain things so don’t beat yourself up because yours does not look like someone else’s. Also, to be sure to use the correct term since some words have double meaning or can be slang for something else, just do your best at translating it. My piece of advice would be to don’t try so hard to be certified. In the end, it is not that useful unless you’re trying to work in courts. Instead, get knowledge in the area you want to work and it should be just fine. Also, when translating don’t forget to also translate the stamps/seals.