Translation — Industry and Career Information Kim Vitray, Operations Manager Ralph McElroy Translation Company Austin, Texas

Translation — Industry andCareer Information

Kim Vitray, Operations ManagerRalph McElroy Translation CompanyAustin, Texas

Ralph mcelroy translation company

Ralph McElroy Translation Company• In business since 1968• One of the top 5 largest single-

headquarters companies (12-15 million words/year, 40 employees, 100+ regular contract translators)

• Primarily Japanese, German, Chinese, Dutch, French, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

• Technical translations (legal, scientific, medical) and web site localization


Translator Statistics

• 31% were born in the U.S.• 31% are accredited by ATA• 45% are full-time independent

contractors• 59% have master’s degree or

higher• 23% have 0-5 years experience

Source: 2003 ATA T&I Services Survey


Definition of Translation

• Translation — “Rendition close enough to the original not to alter any of its meaning, full enough not to omit any detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant, and elegant enough to provide at least some of the stylistic character of the original text”

Source: The Translator’s Handbook


10 Requisites for Professional Translators• Have thorough knowledge of both

source and target languages — vocabulary equivalent to university education

• Be “at home” in both cultures• Keep up with growth and changes

in languages and subject matters



10 Requisites for Professional Translators• Translate from another language

into your native language• Translate in more than one area of

knowledge• Have facility for writing, quickly

and accurately• Develop good speed


10 Requisites for Professional Translators• Develop research skills and ability

to acquire and use references• Use the latest technological

developments• Realize certain languages are in

high demand


Being in Business for Yourself• Résumé and cards• Rate range and subject specialties• Professional business materials• Equipment, tools, and resources• Recordkeeping and taxes,

insurance• Marketing and networking


Translating for an Agency

• Pros– they handle clients– steadier flow of work

• Cons– less independence– less money


Getting Started with an Agency• Testing• Confidentiality contract and

independent contractor statement• Translator instruction manual,

instruction sheet, and templates• “Beginner’s” rate• Close review of first jobs


Understanding Agencies

• Processes• Schedules• Formatting• Quality• Communication• Type of work


Top 10 Traits of an Ideal Translator• Format your résumé so that

pertinent points can be easily noted– native language– language pairs– years of experience – subject matter specializations– representative types of projects


Top 10 Traits of an Ideal Translator• Be accessible — check fax, e-mail,

and voice messages frequently• Say "no" when necessary — but be

open to workable solutions• Say "yes" to a nuisance job every

now and then• Give advance notice of looming

disaster and bring up problems


Top 10 Traits of an Ideal Translator• Express your preferences

– what you enjoy most– what you hate– what dictionaries you have– how you prefer to receive work, get

messages– if you always or never work on weekends– if you routinely work through the night so

please don't call before noon…anything!


Top 10 Traits of an Ideal Translator• Miss only one deadline per job• Keep up with the industry• Teach your client — if you find

yourself mentally listing all the things you wish your client knew, go ahead and offer some education

• Turn in jobs early!


Freelance Translating

• Pros– lot of independence– more money

• Cons– developing and maintaining clientele– maintaining steady work flow


Types of Employers

• Law firms• Corporations• Federal, state, and local

government• Major organizations• Publishers


Common Misconceptions

• Anyone with two years of high school language, or who lived in another country for three years during early childhood, or who can type in a foreign language, can translate

• Translators can translate both ways just as easily




• A good translator doesn’t need any reference literature

• A good translator gets it right the first time, without any editing or proofreading

• Translators will soon be replaced by computers



• A 100-page technical manual that took four months and three persons to write can be translated by one translator in two days

• Translating is just replacing each word in the source language with the same word in the target language

• Spanish is Spanish, all around the world


Computer-Aided Translation (CAT)• Translation memory or terminology

management tools that aid the human translator in producing applicable kinds of work better, faster, cheaper, easier

• Required by some agencies and end-user clients


Computer-Aided Translation• Requisites

– electronic file– consistently and well written– sufficient length– repetitive content and/or developed

glossary OR job that will be updated

• Star Transit, Trados, déjà vu, SDLX


Interpreting — Required Skills• Exceptional articulation• High comfort level speaking in front

of an audience• Complete ease in both languages• Ability to listen, remember, and

summarize• Subject area knowledge and

experience



Interpreting — Required Skills• Good people skills

– pleasing personality– professional appearance– good manners– patience– social savvy– good sense of humor


Types of Interpreting

• Consecutive — negotiations, social services, court

• Escort — government related• Phone (OPI) — customer service, 911• Simultaneous — conferences (requires

equipment)• Sight — documents done on the spot


Interpreter Certification

• U.S. Federal Court• Spanish, Haitian Creole, Navajo• National Center for Interpretation

Testing, Research, and Policy, University of Arizona

• Proficiency level is 14+ years formal education in both languages

• Some states


Training Programs• Austin (Texas) Community College• University of Texas at El Paso• Localization Institute

(www.localizationinstitute.com)• Monterey Institute, California • Bellevue College, Seattle• New York University


American Translators Association• Over 9,000 members• Conference• Accreditation• www.atanet.org• Chronicle & directory• $120 membership fee


National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators• 900 members• Conference• www.najit.org• Proteus & directory• $95 membership fee


Resources• The Translator’s Handbook by Morry

Sofer• A Practical Guide to Localization by

Bert Esselink• MultiLingual Computing &

Technology• FLEFO (CompuServe Foreign

Language Forum)


Resources

• Web sites– www.accurapid.com/journal– www.lai.com/companion.html– www.transref.org– dictionaries & glossaries

910 West Ave.Austin, TX 78701phone 472-6753

fax 472-4591www.mcelroytranslation.com

Ralph McElroy Translation Co.

Documents

Translation — Industry and Career Information Kim Vitray, Operations Manager Ralph McElroy Translation Company Austin, Texas