Should you become a freelance translator?
I'm a freshman in college, and I'd like to know what I should study in order to become a freelance translator.
Every once in a while, I see questions like this posed on mailing lists for translators. Sometimes people will find my blog and contact me directly with similar questions.
I think that freshman year of college isn't the right time to contemplate becoming a freelance translator. Or really any point of college. Firstly, being a translator requires subject and linguistic knowledge that take a long time to acquire. Secondly, not everyone is cut out to be a translator, or a freelancer.
If you're considering embarking on this journey, you should ask yourself three questions:
- Can I translate?
- Do I want to translate?
- Do I want to be a freelancer?
The thing is, not everybody who wants to be a translator is cut out for it. Translating seems to be one of those special talents that doesn't correlate well with intelligence. Many otherwise intelligent people with a good grasp of their "A" and "B" languages just can't seem to make a good translation.
Note that I don't mean sucking as a beginning translator. Everybody sucks at first. Lord knows I did (bear with me on the use of past tense). It's just that some people never seem to get over that hump of suckiness.
Conversely, a lot of people who could translate well choose not to. They find translation boring, or lonely, or not creative enough. They have other jobs that fully harness their abilities.
Finally, freelancing isn't for everyone. Being a freelance translator essentially means spending a lot of time by yourself, head down at the computer. Some people just can't take (1) the stress of not knowing where your next job (i.e. paycheck) is coming from; (2) the mental strain of concentrating very hard for several hours a day; and (3) the isolation of the typical freelance lifestyle.
People come and go in the freelance translation profession. The typical career life-span seems to be about two to three years. Some people find that they're not cut out to be translators (either through introspection or — more commonly — because they can't get enough work to make a living), while others get tired of the stress and isolation of being a freelancer, and opt for a more stable, social environment working in-house.
Becoming a freelance translator is such an unlikely career path that most of the ones I know fell into it. That's true in my case — I started freelancing on the side in grad school in order to pay for some medical bills, and after a couple of years decided to make a go of it full time.
This situation might be different for translators between European languages, where there are more degree courses in translation and there's more of a career path. But for my language pair (Japanese to English), it seems like just about all the freelancers I know are ex-something or others.
In conclusion, I don't want to dissuade anyone from becoming a freelance translator. In fact, because so few people are suited to being freelance translators, it can be a great career if it's right for you. It's certainly been great for me.
I'd just recommend keeping your options and your eyes open. Instead of sitting there at 18 thinking, "I'm going to study finance and Japanese and become a freelance financial translator," I'd recommend studying the finance, studying the Japanese, and getting that MBA with the goal of working in the field. Then if, at some point, you find the opportunity to do some freelance translating, go for it. Dip your toe in the pool, see if you like it — and if you don't, you'll still have a lot of career choices to fall back on.
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Good point. Ideally, translation as a professional skill (as opposed to as a way of learning a language) shouldn’t be taught until post graduate level. I reckon first degrees should be about acquiring an indepth knowledge of the source language(s) or subject of specialisation as the case may be.
Saying all that, there’s more than one way to skin a cat – and to become a translator
Hi,
I absolutely agree. But to be a good translator it is not enough to have studied a language, even combined with a specific field. You also need good knowledge of the culture of the language you translate from. Preferably, you spent several months or even years in the other country. That is absolutely necessary to get a good grasp of things as puns or hidden meaning.
Cora
@Cora
“You also need good knowledge of the culture of the language you translate from.”
I agree. A language can’t be encapsulated by grammar books and dictionaries. That’s one reason why mere college study is far from enough to prepare one as a translator.
I’m getting ready to apply to colleges and seriously thinking of getting into translation. I’m really interested in film translation and translation for magazines (cultural/arts-themed magazines, scientific topics are NOT my strong suit)
However, I’ve been told, by some pro translators/interpreters on my end that a degree in a foreign language simply assures one’s fluencu in the language, without fully immersing the student in the skill of translation (or interpreting) itself. Therefore, it IS important to complete a diploma program (or perhaps even a masters degree) in tranlsation/interpreting.
I’m interested in music and theatre and all that jazz and I’m also thinking of doing a BFA in musical theatre with a double minor in french and spanish. Now, I generally know that ppl think of BFA’s, but would it be feasible, you think, to complete that, have my theatre experience and then proceed to do a diploma program in Translation? Would they say, ‘oh, he’s versed in theatre and musical arts, minored in two top languages, in addition to which, he has a degree in translation, let’s hire him!’ or, would it be more like, ‘well….even though he has the diploma, he’s got a BFA?’ Knowing the industry and the high expectations people place on education and experience, what do you think? Aidez-moi, s’il vous plait!
@Tevin
I’d say the things that take longest to acquire are, in this order:
1. Ability to write well in the target language
2. Ability to fluently understand the source language
3. Subject matter expertise
4. Ability to translate/interpret
For 1 and 2, four years of college simply aren’t enough. They take a lifetime, so better get started now
For 3 and 4, I think something like a BFA followed by an MA in translating & interpreting might be a possibility if you want to go the academic route.
Personally, however, I’d recommend getting the BFA, and actually working in the industry for a while. That’ll give you more time to decide if you really want to be a translator, and the experience will serve you greatly should you decide to become one.
And of course, the contacts you make working in the field often become your first clients when you start translating.