| A témához tartozó oldalak: < [1 2 3] > | Poll: Do you have a license, certificate or degree in a profession outside of translation/interpretation? Téma indítója: ProZ.com Staff
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Mark Thompson 
Brazília
Local time: 04:32
ProZ.com-tag
portugál - angol
Had to do the Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults prior to moving to Brazil as I was a police detective in the UK prior to that, and couldn`t have got a similar job here due to not being a Brazilian citizen.
It was through teaching English here that I came into contact with translation/interpreting and the rest, as they say, is history.....
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I studied english literature and film, Bachelor's degree.Then a few years later, took a graduate course in Journalism, 1 year diploma program.
I had thought of taking a translation graduate diploma program but decided against it. I think my years working in journalism have been a big bonus, probably more than Translation theory. I do believe that translation degrees are probably best if you want to translate books, but I think that having degrees in other areas has more advantages, ... See more I studied english literature and film, Bachelor's degree.Then a few years later, took a graduate course in Journalism, 1 year diploma program.
I had thought of taking a translation graduate diploma program but decided against it. I think my years working in journalism have been a big bonus, probably more than Translation theory. I do believe that translation degrees are probably best if you want to translate books, but I think that having degrees in other areas has more advantages, you bring your knowledge into your translation.
In my case, good writing skills, knowledge of my native language and of a wide variety of subject areas has been beneficial, especially for things like websites, marketing, etc. One client complained that too often, his websites are translated with CAT tools by translators with degrees and he isn't satisfied- he said they just sound translated.
I know a few other translators who come from journalism as well, many of them, like me, finding there is more work, more money and more freedom, whether you work for others or have your own business. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | So-called Information Science when that largely meant librarianship | Jun 7, 2012 |
It was a B Sc aimed at academic and industrial libraries of science and technology, building up and using databases of factual information - and in the early 1970s these were manual. My first real job included a project to build up an on-line database - very tricky and experimental!
Normally we used index cards... with a reference to where on the shelves (or in cellars and 'stacks') you could find a physical copy of the document, and sometimes with an abstract or short reference des... See more It was a B Sc aimed at academic and industrial libraries of science and technology, building up and using databases of factual information - and in the early 1970s these were manual. My first real job included a project to build up an on-line database - very tricky and experimental!
Normally we used index cards... with a reference to where on the shelves (or in cellars and 'stacks') you could find a physical copy of the document, and sometimes with an abstract or short reference description of the document.
Or references to which libraries had a copy, if your own did not have space for them all...
That degree is still surprisingly useful, because it included some technical German and a lot about 'propagation of information' - i.e. matching the material, form, style etc. to the reader. Schoolchildren, professors, industrialists, experts, amateurs, Joe Public...
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The translation diplomas I have acquired since from Danish universities have also been very useful, designed for people who were already well on the way to real-life translation. There was a little text analysis, examining different genres and contexts, register and style, how academic papers are built up in sections, how to write abstracts...
How legal documents work, comparative Law... Medical Latin and how to pass on the information to the patient...
I don't have the patience for a lot of theoretical linguistics, though I do occasionally read the odd article or chapter on holiday and at weekends, if it is interestingly presented.
But on the whole I think language is too complex for neat theories, and the empirical methods in the University of Life are the best!
Go and listen to the natives in different situations, read their books, manuals and newspapers and watch their TV...
Happy translating! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | BA in translation and certificate in civil engineering (two-year school) | Jun 7, 2012 |
Both were very useful.
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wonita (X)
Kína
Local time: 03:32
| Certified tourist guide in Germany | Jun 7, 2012 |
am I.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 03:32
angol - spanyol
+ ...
| A technical degree | Jun 7, 2012 |
I was awarded a CDIA+ and ECM Practitioner Certificate by the AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management) in 2009.
| | | | | Yes - Real Estate | Jun 7, 2012 |
I do not believe a degree should be a requirement in translation. My firm belief is that working in a specific field allows the translator to be familiar with its terminology and therefore, deliver very accurate translations. As a specialist in real estate, I certainly am more acquainted with construction and design related terminology thant someone who hold a translation degree. It all boils down to mastery of the language and specialization.
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Julian Holmes wrote:
Hmmm. I'm also interested in what a "degree in a profession" is.
Yep! And I would also be interested in the discussion about what a profession is (by definition/in itself)...
[Edited at 2012-06-07 16:10 GMT]
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 03:32
angol - spanyol
+ ...
| Specialized terminology is fine, but... | Jun 7, 2012 |
Mireill wrote:
I do not believe a degree should be a requirement in translation. My firm belief is that working in a specific field allows the translator to be familiar with its terminology and therefore, deliver very accurate translations. As a specialist in real estate, I certainly am more acquainted with construction and design related terminology thant someone who hold a translation degree. It all boils down to mastery of the language and specialization.
...excellent writing skills are paramount in any case.
Reading comments by Neilmac, Mireill and others, I sense that there is a disconnect among translators who don't have a translation degree. Sometimes this disapproval of translation degrees is understandable due to a bad experience in college, and sometimes this disconnect is due to an incomplete understanding of what translation studies can do for the translator in real life.
Instead of pooh poohing translation programs or degrees, I invite our skeptics to find out more from different sources.
And excellent translators don't need a specific degree in anything, as long as they are very good writers in their working languages, curious about the world and aim to learn about any specific field.
| | | | neilmac
Spanyolország
Local time: 09:32
spanyol - angol
+ ...
Julian Holmes wrote: @Tony Baldwin Great post and excellent read. Proof that old-fashioned hard work and dedication will produce the right results without formal certification whatever you want to do if you're highly motivated (liked the motivation for studying French. Improved my Japanese tremendously, too  ). Looking forward to more raw posts like this!
Thank goodness! What a relief to find out there are many other working translators in similar circumstances.
A friend/colleague is currently doing a Master in Spanish philology and the grammar stuff she talks to me about is also all way over my head... I was beginning to think it was just me, or perhaps encroaching senility!
| | | | Ty Kendall
Egyesült Királyság
Local time: 08:32
héber - angol
| Yes, but does it matter? | Jun 7, 2012 |
A BA in Linguistics & Teaching English (and a CertTESOL)
I think we live in a world (especially in the Anglo-Saxonosphere) where nobody believes you can do anything unless you have a nice glossy certificate "proving" you can (although it doesn't actually 'prove' anything - there were people in my graduating class who I definitely wouldn't call "linguists").
In addition, because my source language isn't one of the Titans, it wasn't really possible for me in earlier year... See more A BA in Linguistics & Teaching English (and a CertTESOL)
I think we live in a world (especially in the Anglo-Saxonosphere) where nobody believes you can do anything unless you have a nice glossy certificate "proving" you can (although it doesn't actually 'prove' anything - there were people in my graduating class who I definitely wouldn't call "linguists").
In addition, because my source language isn't one of the Titans, it wasn't really possible for me in earlier years to take it down the academic route and moving to London was not an option (still not because I hate the place). However, I have lived the language for many many years and had yearrrrrs of private tuition from adolescence till adulthood (20s), equating to far more quality contact time than had I done a 4 year BA in it at a university. That said, I am still considering an MA in Hebrew at some point in the future, but not for anything remotely career-related, merely for my own edification/fulfilment....I'm well aware it won't make one iota of difference to my translation work whether I have one more certificate in a folder none of my clients ever see anyway.
[Edited at 2012-06-07 17:43 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ty Kendall
Egyesült Királyság
Local time: 08:32
héber - angol
| Wrong time to pause | Jun 7, 2012 |
Lucia Colombino wrote:
and I practiced the law as a criminal
Am I the only one who read it this way at first
Lucia Colombino wrote:
and I practiced the law as a criminal (and family) lawyer
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Ty Kendall
Egyesült Királyság
Local time: 08:32
héber - angol
Anthony Baldwin wrote: I studied French because I thought it would get me laid. Kept studying because I liked it.
I actually LOL'd at this....Also, it's no coincidence that my Modern Greek was revived and progressed significantly during my time at university (a university full of Cypriots & Greeks).
| | | | Rolf Kern
Svájc
Local time: 09:33
angol - német
+ ...
Az Ő emlékére:
...a degree in Engineering and practical experience in business e.g. as a Sales Manager. This is all you need for good translations in these fields, if you have a flair for languages and live in a country with one of your source language as an official language and the other one spoken in one of the local companies you worked with. Forget any language education that might be of value in the fields of technology or business.
Rolf
[Bearbeitet am 2012-06-07 18:34 GMT]
| | | | | Degree in languages | Jun 7, 2012 |
I seem to have interpreted the question differently to a lot of people. I have a BA in French and German, but I answered "no" as I didn't consider this to be a "profession" as such.
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