Re: OT: Translation (was Re: Spanish translation needed)

On 1/3/07, Eric Christopherson <rakko@...> wrote:
> This reminds me -- does anyone on this list do translation for money?
> What are your experiences with it? I would somewhat like to do
> English/Spanish translation (since I have this Spanish degree I'm
> doing nothing with), but from people I've talked to it sounds like it
> might not be something I could support myself on. Still, I'd like to
> know how to go about getting into it,
Get a degree.

TTBOMK, there are specific degrees in translating, and I imagine that
for serious jobs, you'd need specific job-related (i.e. translating)
credentials, not just generic language-related ones.

Just knowing a language is not enough to translate into or out of it, I think.

Also, I believe that it's considered best practice to translate into
one's native language only, not into any other language one may have
learned (those are fine as source languages, but not as target
language).

Unless you really have native-like fluency with idiom, fine shades of
meaning, and a broad vocabulary, then perhaps... but in general, no.

If you use LiveJournal, the "interlingual" community may be a place to
ask; it's intended to be a gathering-place for professional
translators and interpreters, though it's rather low-volume.

Which reminds me: translating and interpreting are also two different
skill-sets, and someone who's good at one may not be good at the
other. So you'd also need to decide whether you want to translate
(written documents) or interpret (spoken words).

Cheers,
--
Philip Newton <philip.newton@...>