Random Flavors of Pocky #06: The Translator (Not to be confused with “The Decider”)
My chosen profession, for many years now, has been translation. I specialize in Japanese to English translation, and generally work on entertainment media. This means that I can say, with a straight face, that I read comics, watch cartoons, and play games for a living. Granted, there are many other aspects to the job as well, but explaining it all ends up taking way too much time.
The main reason I’m writing this article is to give some quick advice to any future translators out there, and explain a few principles.
First, keep in mind the distinction between “translation” and “interpretation.”
Translating is taking pre-recorded media, be it text, pictures, audio, or video in one language and conveying it in another in the same form. This is where you get subtitles for anime and movies, novel and comic adaptations, etc.
Interpreting is conveying what is being said, right then and there, from the origin language into the target language. This is what the people who work with diplomats, businessmen and the like do at meetings and such.
Between the two, I’ve always found interpreting to be harder because it’s immediate, and there’s no room to back up. Once something is said, it’s hard to backpedal and say “oops.”
Why do I bring this up? Because while most translators can interpret, and most interpreters can translate, most people in our industry choose one or the other to focus on. They are NOT the same, and it’s better in many people’s opinion to specialize.
Now, the advice. For the sake of brevity, I’ll assume you have a reasonable amount of skill in the two languages you’re working with. (If you don’t – you’re in the wrong industry)
First, if you want to be a translator, be prepared to learn about anything and everything. Unless you become a very specific type of translator (medical documents, for example), you will generally end up covering a variety of topics. While the internet makes on-the-fly research much easier, it’s never a bad idea to learn whatever you can whenever you can. It might come in handy.
Second, and this should be obvious, but is often not, practice. A lot. Even when you’re a “pro” and don’t think you need it any more. In lulls between jobs, read a novel in your source (i.e. the language you usually translate from) language. Watch some TV or a movie. Whatever you do, though, do it with the mind set of “how would I translate this?” You don’t have to take notes, but it can help.
Third, proofread, proofread, proofread. Unless you’re on an extreme rush job (which can happen), go back and reread your work. Typos happen. So do missed words and lines. And sometimes you’ll find that a section you’ve done could use a little polish. It rarely hurts to reread your own work. Having a friend who’s willing to help is good, too.
Finally, know the culture of both of your languages. While you don’t have to be an absolute expert, it’s good to know modern trends, recent slang, and the history of the places your languages originate in. This will come especially handy in entertainment media translation, where you’ll have to, at the very least, explain a joke or reference made in the original document/media. Again, while you can look it up, it’s easier and better to know what’s going on yourself.
If people like this enough, I will probably write a bit more about translation, and interpreting, too. (I have indeed done both, and I lean more towards translation.)
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