Translator Rant

I just shared an article about obnoxious misconceptions people hold against photographers on G+. http://is.gd/LvTamh

Which got me to rant a bit about misconceptions and/or stereotypes people often play out on translators/interpreters (especially in Taiwan), which is a pain in the... well, it just gets people worked up... at least, it gets me worked up. And someone wanted to hear the full translator version.

I'm not sure I can come up with an itemised list, but I'd be willing to give it a go.

1. It's short, it's only one page.

Then you do it. Seriously, people, don't ever assume it's easy just because you don't know what's at work. Translating and interpreting is the constant usage of your brain, in two languages, and at the same bloody time. You see one, you think the other. Or, worse, you hear one, you speak another entirely. If you are reading an article, all you need to do is read and absorb. Translators not only have to absorb it, they have to come out with the equivalent in a different language. The shorter the text, the more concise the language, the more difficult it becomes.

2. I speak good English, I can do interpreting/translating

No. When you speak good English it only means you know enough of that one language, it doesn't mean you can activate your brain enough to simultaneously process two languages, in their social setting or in the written form. Most people think they are good in one other language and then think they can interpret, which is just... aarrrggghhh... to translate or interpret you need to know unspoken gestures, social norms, conformity in both cultures... just because you can order a portion of fish 'n chips at the chippy doesn't mean you'd do great at a international convention.

3. It should only take about 10 minutes.

Seriously? I'm not even going to rant on this one... it's a profession, let the professionals handle the time estimate... I'm not a scanner-slash-life-translate-slash-copy-machine, there's no software that can instantly word-process yet; plus, I don't read at the speed of a glance.

4. Friends work for free.

"Hey, I got a short paragraph that needs translating" Ugh, c'mon... I get paid for doing this, it's fine if I help you out once or twice, but doing so continuously is exploitation of a friendship. Especially when the paragraphs get longer and longer...

5. I can do this with software

And cause endless grieve for the poor soul that proofreads it. What software does is dissect sentences, translate the phrases it recognises and then reorganise them with an algorithm into some pattern that is commonly used. Which means more often than not complicated sentences end up as utter, utter junk, especially if your translation crosses linguistic systems.

6. The translation is a bit dull, live it up a bit.

Translation isn't re-writing. If the source text is boring, more than likely the translation isn't going to be the greatest read ever. Most translation studies focus on being truthful. You are paying me to translate, not paying me to ghost-write an article in a different language.

7. It's an easy subject.

No subject is easy. Most translators and interpreters focus on certain subject during their career because they need to be as good as the professionals of both languages. That means constantly picking up the trends on the subject, new information, new terms, new jargon, new technology if needs be. This means absorbing as much information as a constant student. As for me, I'm cursed with a short attention span so usually I take up new subject area cases, which means if you don't tell me specifics, I won't know to read up on specifics (which, BTW, really isn't recommended). So don't ever tell a translator or interpreter it's an easy assignment. The only easy ones are interpreting for cocktail parties where no one talks about business (and no, no cocktails for the interpreter; also no, not really, people ALWAYS talk about business...tell us your effing business!).

8. Recommend me a good dictionary, I want to do translation

...It's not the dictionary definition you need to know only, it's what the language has evolved into. "Sweet" could mean a taste or very satisfying, "gay" used to mean happy, then morphed into "homosexual" and now morphed into "strange". Languages are alive, they change, morph even. You need to know text lingo, interwebz lingo, professional lingo, dictionary lingo, urban lingo... it's like asking a writer to recommend a word processing software. It's insulting, really.

Ah, and now I got worked up... So I'll stop and move on to some nice art stuff... and should I think of something else, well, I guess that can wait for another rant.

end... for now...