Comments on: My background before becoming a location-independent freelance translator http://www.fluentin3months.com/how-i-became-a-location-independent-freelance-translator-part-1-background/ Unconventional language hacking tips from Benny the Irish polyglot; travelling the world to learn languages to fluency and beyond! Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: GlobalButterfly http://www.fluentin3months.com/how-i-became-a-location-independent-freelance-translator-part-1-background/comment-page-1/#comment-5469 GlobalButterfly Mon, 29 Mar 2010 08:11:35 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=440#comment-5469 You have such a fascinating life...can't wait to meet in person and hear more about it! :) You have such a fascinating life…can't wait to meet in person and hear more about it! :)

]]> By: benny http://www.fluentin3months.com/how-i-became-a-location-independent-freelance-translator-part-1-background/comment-page-1/#comment-903 benny Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:44:30 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=440#comment-903 Hi Bailint! I <b>only</b> translate to English and all professional translators AND interpreters only translate to their native language, or they are perfectly bilingual (usually due to growing up with two languages, rarely learning it as an adult). I would never translate to a non-English language, no matter how good I get (and my next 3-month mission will be specifically about that) I will never compare to an actual native and there will always be subtleties of the language I won't be able to produce. Reading it is ok because I can research terminology that I'm not aware of, but I can only write in the language that I know best and I recommend you avoid all thoughts of doing otherwise. Even if your English were absolutely perfect it would be dreadfully hard to convince someone to give you work; I get work to English because I was born in Ireland. Non-native translators will have a tougher time finding clients for professional confidence reasons. Interpreting is definitely NOT easier!!! Especially from this point of view. You absolutely cannot interpret into a language that you do not absolutely master. Because of the pressure to translate immediately in your head, rather than taking the time to think about it like us translators can do, interpreting is much harder. This post doesn't discuss the important points in your question; I'll be talking about it in more detail in the next post and you'll get a better idea of what I mean about who can and can't be a translator. I will write what people can do, but I definitely have to give a warning that it is MUCH harder than most people think and you can't casually start a career as a translator ;) Hi Bailint! I only translate to English and all professional translators AND interpreters only translate to their native language, or they are perfectly bilingual (usually due to growing up with two languages, rarely learning it as an adult). I would never translate to a non-English language, no matter how good I get (and my next 3-month mission will be specifically about that) I will never compare to an actual native and there will always be subtleties of the language I won’t be able to produce. Reading it is ok because I can research terminology that I’m not aware of, but I can only write in the language that I know best and I recommend you avoid all thoughts of doing otherwise. Even if your English were absolutely perfect it would be dreadfully hard to convince someone to give you work; I get work to English because I was born in Ireland. Non-native translators will have a tougher time finding clients for professional confidence reasons.
Interpreting is definitely NOT easier!!! Especially from this point of view. You absolutely cannot interpret into a language that you do not absolutely master. Because of the pressure to translate immediately in your head, rather than taking the time to think about it like us translators can do, interpreting is much harder.

This post doesn’t discuss the important points in your question; I’ll be talking about it in more detail in the next post and you’ll get a better idea of what I mean about who can and can’t be a translator. I will write what people can do, but I definitely have to give a warning that it is MUCH harder than most people think and you can’t casually start a career as a translator ;)

]]> By: benny http://www.fluentin3months.com/how-i-became-a-location-independent-freelance-translator-part-1-background/comment-page-1/#comment-7889 benny Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:44:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=440#comment-7889 Hi Bailint! I <b>only</b> translate to English and all professional translators AND interpreters only translate to their native language, or they are perfectly bilingual (usually due to growing up with two languages, rarely learning it as an adult). I would never translate to a non-English language, no matter how good I get (and my next 3-month mission will be specifically about that) I will never compare to an actual native and there will always be subtleties of the language I won't be able to produce. Reading it is ok because I can research terminology that I'm not aware of, but I can only write in the language that I know best and I recommend you avoid all thoughts of doing otherwise. Even if your English were absolutely perfect it would be dreadfully hard to convince someone to give you work; I get work to English because I was born in Ireland. Non-native translators will have a tougher time finding clients for professional confidence reasons. Interpreting is definitely NOT easier!!! Especially from this point of view. You absolutely cannot interpret into a language that you do not absolutely master. Because of the pressure to translate immediately in your head, rather than taking the time to think about it like us translators can do, interpreting is much harder. This post doesn't discuss the important points in your question; I'll be talking about it in more detail in the next post and you'll get a better idea of what I mean about who can and can't be a translator. I will write what people can do, but I definitely have to give a warning that it is MUCH harder than most people think and you can't casually start a career as a translator ;) Hi Bailint! I only translate to English and all professional translators AND interpreters only translate to their native language, or they are perfectly bilingual (usually due to growing up with two languages, rarely learning it as an adult). I would never translate to a non-English language, no matter how good I get (and my next 3-month mission will be specifically about that) I will never compare to an actual native and there will always be subtleties of the language I won’t be able to produce. Reading it is ok because I can research terminology that I’m not aware of, but I can only write in the language that I know best and I recommend you avoid all thoughts of doing otherwise. Even if your English were absolutely perfect it would be dreadfully hard to convince someone to give you work; I get work to English because I was born in Ireland. Non-native translators will have a tougher time finding clients for professional confidence reasons.
Interpreting is definitely NOT easier!!! Especially from this point of view. You absolutely cannot interpret into a language that you do not absolutely master. Because of the pressure to translate immediately in your head, rather than taking the time to think about it like us translators can do, interpreting is much harder.

This post doesn’t discuss the important points in your question; I’ll be talking about it in more detail in the next post and you’ll get a better idea of what I mean about who can and can’t be a translator. I will write what people can do, but I definitely have to give a warning that it is MUCH harder than most people think and you can’t casually start a career as a translator ;)

]]> By: balint http://www.fluentin3months.com/how-i-became-a-location-independent-freelance-translator-part-1-background/comment-page-1/#comment-896 balint Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:14:20 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=440#comment-896 I really enjoy your writings. :D Considering you are a beginner blogger (as you put it), you write really well! :D Just a question: you "only" translate to English, right? Would that be possible for you to translate from English to one of your other language? Or you should be a native to do that? I'm just asking and just want to find out if it's worth it to go to this direction (If some day I want to translate to English). Or maybe interpreting is "easier" from this point of view - since you don't have to be a native to interpret from one language to another. I assume you speak Spanish that well that you could be a professional interpreter - that's why I'm thinking of passing an interpreting exam. But who knows. :D .-= balint´s last blog ..<a href="http://otevotnyelv.blog.hu/2009/08/25/osszefoglalo_33_34_het" rel="nofollow">Összefoglaló - 33-34. hét</a> =-. I really enjoy your writings. :D Considering you are a beginner blogger (as you put it), you write really well! :D
Just a question: you “only” translate to English, right? Would that be possible for you to translate from English to one of your other language? Or you should be a native to do that? I’m just asking and just want to find out if it’s worth it to go to this direction (If some day I want to translate to English).
Or maybe interpreting is “easier” from this point of view – since you don’t have to be a native to interpret from one language to another. I assume you speak Spanish that well that you could be a professional interpreter – that’s why I’m thinking of passing an interpreting exam. But who knows. :D
.-= balint´s last blog ..Összefoglaló – 33-34. hét =-.

]]> By: balint http://www.fluentin3months.com/how-i-became-a-location-independent-freelance-translator-part-1-background/comment-page-1/#comment-7888 balint Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:14:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=440#comment-7888 I really enjoy your writings. :D Considering you are a beginner blogger (as you put it), you write really well! :D Just a question: you "only" translate to English, right? Would that be possible for you to translate from English to one of your other language? Or you should be a native to do that? I'm just asking and just want to find out if it's worth it to go to this direction (If some day I want to translate to English). Or maybe interpreting is "easier" from this point of view - since you don't have to be a native to interpret from one language to another. I assume you speak Spanish that well that you could be a professional interpreter - that's why I'm thinking of passing an interpreting exam. But who knows. :D .-= balint´s last blog ..<a href="http://otevotnyelv.blog.hu/2009/08/25/osszefoglalo_33_34_het" rel="nofollow">Összefoglaló - 33-34. hét</a> =-. I really enjoy your writings. :D Considering you are a beginner blogger (as you put it), you write really well! :D
Just a question: you “only” translate to English, right? Would that be possible for you to translate from English to one of your other language? Or you should be a native to do that? I’m just asking and just want to find out if it’s worth it to go to this direction (If some day I want to translate to English).
Or maybe interpreting is “easier” from this point of view – since you don’t have to be a native to interpret from one language to another. I assume you speak Spanish that well that you could be a professional interpreter – that’s why I’m thinking of passing an interpreting exam. But who knows. :D
.-= balint´s last blog ..Összefoglaló – 33-34. hét =-.

]]> By: Andrew Machado http://www.fluentin3months.com/how-i-became-a-location-independent-freelance-translator-part-1-background/comment-page-1/#comment-893 Andrew Machado Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:56:43 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=440#comment-893 Great post using Apture. Let us know if there is anything we can help out at support at apture dot com. Also feel free to poke around our blog for Tips & Tricks on how to get the most out of Apture. http://blog.apture.com .-= Andrew Machado´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheAptureBlog/~3/3VvU6djj3bU/" rel="nofollow">Do You Want To See Apture at SXSW…please vote!</a> =-. Great post using Apture. Let us know if there is anything we can help out at support at apture dot com.

Also feel free to poke around our blog for Tips & Tricks on how to get the most out of Apture. http://blog.apture.com
.-= Andrew Machado´s last blog ..Do You Want To See Apture at SXSW…please vote! =-.

]]> By: Andrew Machado http://www.fluentin3months.com/how-i-became-a-location-independent-freelance-translator-part-1-background/comment-page-1/#comment-7887 Andrew Machado Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:56:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=440#comment-7887 Great post using Apture. Let us know if there is anything we can help out at support at apture dot com. Also feel free to poke around our blog for Tips & Tricks on how to get the most out of Apture. http://blog.apture.com .-= Andrew Machado´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheAptureBlog/~3/3VvU6djj3bU/" rel="nofollow">Do You Want To See Apture at SXSW…please vote!</a> =-. Great post using Apture. Let us know if there is anything we can help out at support at apture dot com.

Also feel free to poke around our blog for Tips & Tricks on how to get the most out of Apture. http://blog.apture.com
.-= Andrew Machado´s last blog ..Do You Want To See Apture at SXSW…please vote! =-.

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