interpreting blogs and a new interpreting newsletter

Just came across this nice list of interpreting blogs which may interest some of our readers. And the indefatigable Nataly Kelly has just launched The Interpreter's Launch Pad, an (apparently) free newsletter on interpreting matters which looks full of extremely useful content.

How much do freelance translators actually earn?

A nice post by Corinne McKay on her blog Thoughts on Translation about how much freelance translators actually earn, and how we gauge whether it's 'enough'. A good discussion in the comments, though it's a tad dispiriting to hear the 'things will never be as good for the new generation' shtick... Luckily, people have been saying that for so many thousands of years that I think we can treat it with gentle scepticism. 

Practical hints and tips for translators

Behold, some accumulated links to hints and tips from the translation profession which may be of interest to readers.

On responding to enquiries from potential clients, see here. Here's a post on what rates to charge with some good advice; it focuses on Japanese to English translation but advice is valid for other language pairs too. There is a simple, free translation price calculator gizmo for download here. You might also be interested in this very good blog post on translation rates. Corinne McKay's blog generally has useful thoughts on the translation industry (see also her post on how to be a better proofreader and her freelance best practices checklist). More hints and tips on marketing, quoting and other matters at the NakedTranslations blog here.

There's a lot of information out there to help translators who are starting out (too much, in fact); you can get a start from the careers in translation tag on this blog which lists job and placement opportunities as well as advice on good practice and links to practical hints and tips available on the web.

For anyone wondering whether they are too young or too old to make it as a translator, have a look at this. Judy and Dagmar Jenner at TranslationTimes have a nice post with advice for people wondering whether the translation profession is right for them. 

English as she is spoke

I was just talking earlier about the resources the web offers for translation companies and translators promoting their services. Many translators blog to raise their profile and to contribute to their professional community. Some translators have elaborate websites (personal favourites include Linda Hoaglund's website and Roberto Crivello's site). I just came across another good website belonging to the Italian to English translator Wendell Ricketts of No Peanuts fame.

WR is waging a valiant rearguard action against translation into the second language. I especially enjoyed his collection of sins against English: Traducese (essentially an unfamiliarity with standard terms and collocations); Inglisc (a selection of translations from Italian to English produced by non-native speakers of English), similar hybrids 'Egliano', 'Italiese' and the international category Doesn't matter as long as it's cheap, which takes aim at 'translators' who charge clients for unedited work done using free translation software.

Fun reading for all the family. The question of translation into the second language is a fairly hot potato in translation circles. There's a clear need for client education in a market where translations into the second language are common even though there's no perceptible shortage of qualified native-English-speaking translators. In some language pairs, though, there is a shortage of such translators, and in that case creative compromises are made and specific working practices adopted. Of course quality control is always important.

I don't agree with WR that it is never possible to translate into an acquired language - I have known too many gifted translators translating out of their 'mother tongue' for that (well, at least two). I do agree that it is impossible to translate competently, for publication, into a language of which you do not have native-standard mastery of written expression. Unless your written English (or French, or German) is indistinguishable from that of a professional writer who is also a native speaker, you shouldn't be translating into the language for publication. (By 'publication' I mean anything that will be seen by the public, shareholders, customers, clients etc.). (Hint: almost nobody writes in their second language as well as they write in their first, with a very few honourable exceptions of the order of Samuel Beckett).

So WR's website is an entertainment and a cautionary tale in one.

How to be a better proofreader

Corinne McKay just posted a very nice snippet on how to be a better proofreader with some excellent tips (e.g. always proofread in a different format). One other suggestion I read recently (can't alas remember where) was to proofread a text in a different font - maybe worth trying out!

cartoons about translation

This gem is from a very cute blog with cartoons about translation (http://mox.ingenierotraductor.com/) with much appreciation!

some good links

Just came across the Polyglot Blog, a useful-looking blog with lots of links and resources. See the Lost in Babel resources site and an excellent response to the question 'What does it take to become a freelance translator?' I get asked a lot how many words a translator can translate in a day: the answer is here.