| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Do people lose interest when you say "I'm a translator"? Thread poster: Tom in London
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:58
Member (2008)
Italian to English
I've noticed this.
Somehow translators don't seem to be thought of as interesting people.
[Edited at 2023-12-06 09:49 GMT]
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Tom in London wrote:
I've noticed this.
Somehow translators don't seem to be thought of as interesting people.
[Edited at 2023-12-06 09:49 GMT]
I think it's more likely that they don't know much about the translation profession and just don't know what to ask next. Most people don't care what you do for a living, they are just trying to be polite and keep a conversation going.
| | | | Dan Lucas 
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:58
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Would it not depend on pair/area? | Dec 6, 2023 |
My language pair (JA-EN) is considered exotic and the area in which I work is complex (investments/finance). In most cases the other person tends to raise their eyebrows, which I think is simply because the combination is so far from their own experience that it sounds slightly intimidating, leading in turn to them struggling to think of a way to continue the conversation.
However, if I were to say that I translate the works of XX, where XX is a famous European writer whose name is ... See more My language pair (JA-EN) is considered exotic and the area in which I work is complex (investments/finance). In most cases the other person tends to raise their eyebrows, which I think is simply because the combination is so far from their own experience that it sounds slightly intimidating, leading in turn to them struggling to think of a way to continue the conversation.
However, if I were to say that I translate the works of XX, where XX is a famous European writer whose name is familiar to the ears of most educated people, I would imagine they would be interested, impressed, and find the small talk easier.
I suppose that in most professions practitioners run the gamut from people who are just going through the motions with minimal interest and ability, to those who are tremendously competent, give everything they have and become giants in their field. Translation probably has a broader spectrum of outcomes than most due to the lack of barriers to entry.
Regards,
Dan ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Lose interest? | Dec 6, 2023 |
I'm not sure if people find me interesting or not. Anyway, I didn’t start my career as a translator, I only started translating in my early 40s and I suppose people found me as interesting then as before…
[Edited at 2023-12-06 11:46 GMT]
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| It's the way you tell 'em | Dec 6, 2023 |
Surely it's on us to make it sound interesting?
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 00:58
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
I haven't noticed the loss of interest. Some comments/things I came across in the past:
- How many languages can you speak?
- Yes, but don't you have a real job?
- I learn (language name) on Duolingo and can probably speak it better than you.
- Why would anyone need a professional for English, everybody can speak English (said by a non-native speaker with very poor English).
- She (their wife, sister, friend) can speak English perfectly, then they bring her a... See more I haven't noticed the loss of interest. Some comments/things I came across in the past:
- How many languages can you speak?
- Yes, but don't you have a real job?
- I learn (language name) on Duolingo and can probably speak it better than you.
- Why would anyone need a professional for English, everybody can speak English (said by a non-native speaker with very poor English).
- She (their wife, sister, friend) can speak English perfectly, then they bring her and she hardly can stitch one simple sentence in English.
- Language is very important, but what is your profession or professional skill?
- I speak English perfectly, can you guide me where I can find translation jobs? (this is the most common one, uttered by non-native speakers from various countries).
[Edited at 2023-12-06 13:20 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Translators are not interesting | Dec 6, 2023 |
The only people who don't immediately lose interest when I say "I'm a translator" are those who reply "I did some translation myself".
It's me who loses interest.
Philippe
| | | | Erwin van Wouw
Netherlands
Local time: 00:58
Member (2010)
English to Dutch
| Losing interest is one thing | Dec 6, 2023 |
An architect who works in the building I'm in once asked me outright why I chose this profession because he couldn't think of anything more boring.
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Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 00:58
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
| Of course they do | Dec 6, 2023 |
The process of translation is boring in the eyes of many. And on top of that we only reproduce ideas and thoughts of other people that aren't even our own. That's twice boring.
But I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm not in the translation business to be found cool or whatever. I just like very much the fact that I'm able to earn money by doing something I really like.
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Tom in London wrote:
Somehow translators don't seem to be thought of as interesting people.
[Edited at 2023-12-06 09:49 GMT]
I am not interested in what people think of me. I am only interested in the rare perks of the freelance translator profession: above-average income AND independence. Many jobs have one of the perks, but very few have both of them.
| | | | Jessica Noyes
United States
Local time: 18:58
Member
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Make it interesting | Dec 6, 2023 |
Most people immediately think that I'm translating literature or poetry. What I do to set them straight is immediately tell them, keeping anonymity, what I'm working on right now. I point out why this particular material needs a human translator and also give a quirky little fact about the current project. Then I ask them what they do.
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 00:58
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Younger people | Dec 6, 2023 |
Jessica Noyes wrote:
Most people immediately think that I'm translating literature or poetry. What I do to set them straight is immediately tell them, keeping anonymity, what I'm working on right now. I point out why this particular material needs a human translator and also give a quirky little fact about the current project. Then I ask them what they do.
Younger people usually ask me whether I translate movies, video games and cartoons and how that's so "cool". Little do they know how poorly those are paid.
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Becca Resnik
United States
Local time: 18:58
Member
German to English
+ ...
| Opposite experience | Dec 6, 2023 |
Very rarely do I encounter people who are anything but intrigued, impressed, and inquisitive when I tell them I am a translator. I'm surprised to see the responses here and suspect that my experience is due in part to my US location, as many in this country don't even realize there's such a profession as translation. Part of this could also be where I meet many of the people I have these ice-breaker conversations with. My hobbies are very athletic, and people usually think I'm in my mid-20s. Hen... See more Very rarely do I encounter people who are anything but intrigued, impressed, and inquisitive when I tell them I am a translator. I'm surprised to see the responses here and suspect that my experience is due in part to my US location, as many in this country don't even realize there's such a profession as translation. Part of this could also be where I meet many of the people I have these ice-breaker conversations with. My hobbies are very athletic, and people usually think I'm in my mid-20s. Hence, nobody anticipates anything remotely close to what I do in response to, "So what do you do for a living?"
(Edited for linguistic clarity)
[Edited at 2023-12-06 15:28 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | kd42
Estonia
Local time: 01:58
English to Russian
Lingua 5B wrote:
...
- How many languages can you speak?
- Yes, but don't you have a real job?
- ...
In the USSR the first question would be -- Can you swear really rudely in English? Please, please do!!!
| | | | | This isn't a criterion | Dec 7, 2023 |
If a person is interested in having anything to do with me, it won't matter if I tell them what I do for a living (plus, I can also say I'm a translation editor because it's true and sounds more weighty). As an introvert, I don't open my heart to everyone like it's nothing, but if I do, I have no problem finding interesting things to talk about for hours and hours. Like that time when I was playing ping pong with a guy and kept driving the conversation in completely random ways bordering on absu... See more If a person is interested in having anything to do with me, it won't matter if I tell them what I do for a living (plus, I can also say I'm a translation editor because it's true and sounds more weighty). As an introvert, I don't open my heart to everyone like it's nothing, but if I do, I have no problem finding interesting things to talk about for hours and hours. Like that time when I was playing ping pong with a guy and kept driving the conversation in completely random ways bordering on absurdity but it was still fun. Or the time me and my girlfriend were sitting in a restaurant and talking in English to impress others and I was faking an Indian accent (which I used to be good at). Or the time I was sitting an olympiad during high school years and met a guy I used to play volleyball with and we went home together and kept talking about all sorts of things. Or the time I spent a few days with a girl (not my girlfriend) going places and never getting tired of each other (she once wrote me that translation was my thing because I'm a genius: the second part of it is certainly an exaggeration, but it still goes to show that stereotypes about translators are no more than stereotypes). Russians don't do small talk. There's a whole world of bigger things you can talk about. Long ago, when I was working in a casino, a client told me I was supposed to be part of a cult, going from door to door and preaching, because people would keep buying it. Another one told me that I wouldn't die my own death. Good to know ▲ Collapse
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