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¿Se habla English? Life of a Translator

Friday, March 31, 2006

This post contains no whining (Surprise!)

I just completed a very small job for a repeat client and I am happy about that.

I also received another assignment from somebody who heard about me "on the Internet". Was he talking about my profile at ProZ.com or Translators Cafe? This blog? My official website? I should have asked, but I didn't want to appear nosy.

I should be less afraid of appearing nosy.

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Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Life in progress

I had an epiphany yesterday. Translation is my passion and what I want to do. The events that made me realize that are best kept to myself.

In the ProZ.com's forum, somebody asked about the reactions from others when they find out you are a translator. Pretty much, I get one of three reactions:

  • *blank look*

  • "Really? That's... nice."

  • A conversation that confirms that most people don't know the difference between translation and interpreting.


Among those projects that are vaguely related to translation, I have created yet another Spanish-language blog. It's called Proyecto Crochet and it is about my crocheting hobby. Its purpose is mainly to showcase my creations (can you call them yours when you merely followed the instructions in a pattern?), but I made it in Spanish to encourage myself to write in Spanish about a subject I am passionate about. As it turns out, I was surprised (not to mention horrified) to learn how limited my crocheting-related vocabulary is. I didn't know that you don't call the skeins bolas, you call them ovillos.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Membership renewal time

It is time to renew my membership at Proz.com. Oddly, I have to justify an investment on my career to myself. I am holding animated debates on my head on whether I should spend $70 dollars on the six-month membership, or $100 dollars on a year membership. A bigger up-front expense, or a worthwhile expense that will pay off?

Unfortunately, while both sides of my brain argue their valid points, they have zero presentation skills. No PowerPoint slides. No natty suits. Not even a laser pointer.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Is 'bitterwood' one word or two?

I went back to work yesterday. The mounds of snow that fell on Lincoln (and the rest of NE) are melting. Too bad, because some industrious folks have made some beautiful creations with their snow, elaborate artforms beyond a simple snowman.

Yesterday I received a break from translating e-mails when I was assigned the translation of a chart, fifty-something pages in length. It's bizarre but I love this kind of project. Time-consuming, requiring research, lengthy, unexplainable to outsiders.

Without revealing unnecessary details, some issues came up during my work:
  • Do you spell bitterwood as one word or two? Trust me, it makes a difference.

  • There's no such thing as ácido peráctico, is there?

  • How many terms are out there for quassia?



I have also been checking my profile at ProZ.com. They are implementing some changes for spring. I am not sure yet whether I like them.

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Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Snow Day 2.0

Yesterday was the beginning of spring. It was also one of the snowiest days ever. Public schools had to close. My present employer had to close. It continues until today, when even my daughter's daycare center closed for the day. Oddly enough, my dentist's office evidently managed to open, because they called me to remind me of my appointment.

And yet, somehow, thanks to the wonder of remote connections, I managed to translate some e-mail messages for colleagues. I also checked the ProZ.com's job board but came up empty-handed.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Au revoir, TRADOS 6.5

Yesterday, I opened Word, and I discovered I had two TRADOS toolbars. The old one, and the new SDL TRADOS 2006 one.

I went ahead and uninstalled the old TRADOS 6.5, the tool I used for my first translation job (an occupational health and safety manual, written in Puerto Rican Spanish). Funny, I thought it would be about as emotional as the time I packed up my belongings prior to my move to the States. However, it ended up being about as uneventful as getting rid of my child's outgrown outfits.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

SDL MultiTerm 7 is now on my computer

As you all know, last week I installed SDL TRADOS 2006 in my computer.

Yesterday, I downloaded the new version of SDL MultiTerm 7. Before installing, I had to uninstall the old version. Brr. Of course, I forgot to backup my termbases. This is not necessarily a problem, as they were developed for one-time projects.

In any case, there it is. I have the latest on translation software on my computer. Whee.

How does it compare to other CAT tools/the previous version of TRADOS? I have no clue. Stay tuned.

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Why I say "no" when I want to say "yes" to clients

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I was checking my e-mail today, and there it was. A prospective client was asking me if I was able to translate an important document. I did not feel comfortable translating the particular text, so I had to decline politely.

To protect this person's privacy, I won't go into much detail. I wish I could have said yes, but I have promised myself that I will only accept assignments when I feel confident I can do a good job in the amount of time given.

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Monday, March 13, 2006

SDL Trados 2006 has arrived!

Finally, the much anticipated SDL TRADOS 2006 has arrived.

Actually, it arrived in the middle of last week, but I was afraid to download my copy for reasons I cannot explain. It took 40 minutes of waiting, with my stomach all tied up in knots.

I still need to download the new version of MultiTerm, but I am nervous about uninstalling the old version first. Let me read those instructions again.

To be continued...

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Friday, March 10, 2006

For your reading pleasure: Essay by C.M. Mayo

In my translation work, I typically encounter form letters, employee procedures, and specialized terminology. The closest I have ever come to literary translation was the time I was asked to translate a line in a greeting card. I have nothing but admiration for literary translators who produce quality work and strive to retain the author's tone in a different language.

On that note, I found a link to an essay titled "The Essential Francisco Sosa or, Picadou's Mexico City" by C.M. Mayo, writer, poet, and translator of contemporary Mexican poetry and fiction.

Technorati tags: literary translation

Announcements for this week

A few announcements:


  1. I have signed up for Blogitive. So if you decide to join, be a dear and tell them I referred you.

  2. In order to fulfill my Blogitive obligations, I may include links to items (such as "Fish finders") that are marginally, if at all, related to translation.

  3. I will not be posting any new content until at least Monday. Hopefully, all my dear readers can wait until then. Future topic: how the new version of TRADOS is working for me.



¡Hasta luego!

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Identity crisis

Today, I answered a phone call at work from a Spanish-speaking customer. We chatted for a bit, and all of a sudden:

"So, how did you learn to speak Spanish so well?"

A brief tale of spending the first twenty-something years of my life in Puerto Rico followed.

Now, I am left wondering whether my speech sounds like that of a native Spanish speaker.

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Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas Now Online

The Real Academia Española now has an online version.

On one hand, the DPD is a great resource for language service providers, and it is very useful that the RAE is posting its content. On the other hand, it is not very user-friendly. The font size used is very small, so you may want to bring a magnifying glass or prepare to squint. The subjects are organized in a confusing way. Their search mechanism requires following certain instructions to the letter (my translation):

Nouns and adjectives that can be used in either singular or plural form must be searched in their singular form: búnker, especia, gente, políglota, etc.; those that are only used in their plural form must be searched in that form: ambages, arras, comicios, etc.


Overall, the online version has gotten me more interested in purchasing an actual hard copy.

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Monday, March 06, 2006

WebTranslators.com

I found a link to WebTranslators.com. In their own words:

WebTranslators.com is a portal for the translation & interpretation industry. We maintain a collection of useful information for language professionals including news about the industry, available tools and upcoming events.


The news are not very recent (headlines appear as though they were last updated in October 2005). However, the list of dictionaries is quite through. Who ever imagined there would be a demand for a French-Quechua dictionary?

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Sunday, March 05, 2006

The Translator's Home Companion

For fun, I did a search on Google using the phrase "translation news". The link for the Translator's Home Companion was the first to come up (www.lai.com/thc.html).

The section on news is hopelessly outdated, with the most recent posting dated July 2004. However, this section also includes links for translation organization online newsletters, such as the ATA Chronicle.

Other offerings include:


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Friday, March 03, 2006

The official SE HABLA ENGLISH banner

Fun with Google

I just translated an e-mail message for somebody at work. This kind of translation is done manually, without any DVX to help me. CAT software really spoils me.

To amuse myself, I am doing searches on Google by combining keywords such as “translation” and “stock option trading”. One would think that this search would yield bilingual sites or information about translating financial material, but the text below is representative of what I find:

One of the leading stock option trading & education services on the Internet. A great site to help you translate news and events into winning options strategies.


There is a great need for multi-lingual websites, and I hope corporations realize this. Not just because this would represent a source of work for translators such as myself, but because the financial rewards would make the initial expense worth it.

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Thursday, March 02, 2006

Between projects

I am between projects right now. Nothing to do except post bids in ProZ.com, prepare translation samples, and submit applications. Oh, and wait for the update to TRADOS I ordered. I heard it is going to take until the end of the month. How annoying.

I should be relieved I have some spare time, but I would rather have work.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Blogging vs. Translation

I would like to think that I am not a one-trick pony. In addition to posting bids for translation jobs, I am also considering becoming a writer.

I have done research on how to make money blogging. The idea of being paid to do what I currently do for free (this blog is a labor of love) is very attractive.

Translation is not a hobby for me. It's my job. I have invested in the software, I have attended workshops, I have joined professional associations, and I try to stay informed about the industry.

Blogging is, at this time, still a hobby. I am committed to blogging every day (or at least try) and to make sure I write about translation: translation news, the developments in my career, languages. At first it was difficult to write every day, and I sometimes struggle with finding a topic, but I am proud of myself for doing so for the last two months.

Hopefully, I will be able to continue doing both.

Technorati tags: translation blog, blogging

Translator Tycoon - A Game for The Future!

Have you heard of Tycoon Sim games? Think Roller Coaster Tycoon, Lemonade Tycoon 2, and my favorite, Coffee Tycoon, which I love but am too cheap to buy. Based upon my life as a translator, somebody should design a simulation game called Translator Tycoon. The objective: become a successful freelance translator.


You must submit bids and complete translation jobs. You will be offered assignments and you must decide, based upon your workload and skill level, if you are able to complete them. If you wish, you can continue your education by attending workshops, or pursue certification, which could lead to higher-paying jobs.

Your income will grow as your clients pay for jobs completed in time. Your expenses include Internet access, CAT software, membership to professional associations, phone and fax bills, etc.

As in real life, disasters can happen. Your computer dies. Your client doesn't pay you. You could even get sued! But unlike real life, you can opt out of these mishaps.

To any video game designers out there: if you ever create such a game, I demand credit, but will be satisfied with money.

Technorati tags: translation