Qualities of a Good Translator

Qualities of a Good Translator

There are thousands of fields in the world, and in each industry, hundreds of thousands of people work, but when you search the experts of a field, you will find out that they are a few. Many people can be heart surgeons, but there will be a few who are the most famous heart surgeons in their country or even in the whole world. Many students enter debate competitions, but only a few get chosen to represent their country in international tournaments. Everyone has a passion or a job that they give their hundred percent effort to, but not everyone becomes world-famous in what they do. The translation industry’s primary services for a diverse range of clients worldwide are translation and interpreting.

1. Necessary Qualification:

Many people enter the world of translation thinking that they don’t need proper education for the field they have chosen. When in truth, translation is just like any other creative subject. Just because you know, two languages don’t mean you can translate them without any problems.

A good translator has the necessary qualification, and it shows in the quality of translation.

2. Reading Habit:

Translation involves words, and someone who doesn’t have a good reading habit will not be able to succeed at interpreting languages. A good interpreter has an extensive reading habit and spends a considerable amount of time reading every week.

Interpreters don’t read books only to improve their knowledge but also to improve their grasp on both languages they know.

3. Passion for their Work:

Anyone who doesn’t feel passionate about what they do will always feel miserable. There are a lot of people in this world who are always complaining about their jobs, not because they don’t pay well, but because they don’t bring them any satisfaction and the reason behind that is, they don’t love their jobs. When people do what they love, they feel at ease.

The translation is a complicated task that requires complete attention and focus of the mind. But if you are not interested in it, it will be difficult for you to focus on it. If someone is passionate about interpretation, they will continue working to improve their skills and become great at what they do.

4. Extensive Vocabulary:

Someone who has to look words up in the dictionary repeatedly while working is not a good interpreter. A good translator has an extensive vocabulary and can finish a project without having to open the dictionary once. Translators read newspapers in different languages to improve their vocabulary and consume media in the vernaculars they interpret.

5. Constant Learning:

The world is moving very quickly, and with changing trends, things are also changing in languages and translation. New words are being created by the internet every day. There are expressions that older people don’t understand, but the younger generation can’t complete their conversation without. A good translator is someone who never stops the learning process. They are constantly learning about these new words and expressions to continue improving their work and keep their interpretations a hundred percent accurate.

6. Accuracy:

Someone who is not good at their job will not be able to provide their clients with good quality translations. But a good interpreter is someone whose work is always accurate. A high accuracy rate separates a good translator from someone who knows nothing about their work. Good interpreters are constantly striving to improve their work and ensure that their accuracy rate never drops down.

Time management

Most translators work from home or take private orders as freelancers, so the ability to organize their working time is indispensable. Time is money, so you need to learn how to stick to a consistent work schedule. Try to arrange your workspace inside your home and limit distractions while you work, but include 10-15 minute breaks on Facebook. There are many programs you can download to help you organize your time better, so choose the one that suits you best.

You need a lot of practice to become a good translator. But learn these seven skills, and you’ll be a great translator! Learn to evaluate yourself objectively and never think that you have nothing left to improve. It’s a challenging job where you have to change your style and be “reborn” almost every time you start a new project. But it brings a lot of pleasure when you get positive feedback from customers and when business flourishes.

Specialized Knowledge

You can’t translate something unless you have advanced language knowledge of it. Most translators also specialize in at least one professional area. And that’s a smart move, as it will increase the number of projects you can work on, as well as the fees you can earn. From medicine to IT, from law to biotechnology, having the ability to understand specialized vocabulary within a language is vital. Not everyone can translate notarial deeds, technical texts, or scientific reports.

Possessing a degree or certification in a particular field will give you access to top-tier clients and make you an authority in the area. This will lead to a flourishing business and an overflowing mailbox! What a nice challenge!

Cultural Knowledge

As a translator, you often have to deal with cultural barriers between two different countries. You will probably learn this during language acquisition, although cultural competence is something that dictionaries do not teach.

To put all your energy into translation, especially where localization and creative adaptation techniques are required, you need to be culturally competent. You must be able to coordinate the translation with the audience that will read it.

Cultural competence will not only improve your skills as an interpreter but will also help you work with people from different cultures and social groups. You will learn to distinguish the factors that determine human behavior and become a better project manager. In addition, you will have more friends from completely different walks of life for target cultures.

Computer skills

As clients increasingly require translations to be placed directly on their website or through their internal applications, you need to constantly develop your computer skills. If you are working on a large project, using translation memories and glossaries will increase your efficiency.

Invest in a decent computer with the latest versions of the programs you frequently use, such as Word and Excel. It will also be precious to invest in the best Internet connection, especially if you need to receive online calls from your customers. Learning to search online and the best resources to help you understand the translation projects you are working on.

Other Qualities of a Good Translator

Most professional translators work independently on a specialized translation project in the target language. So, a good translator will have to efficiently operate and motivate themselves when working alone on a target audience. A good translator should have excellent writing skills. Research skills tie into this. When someone works independently, they won’t necessarily be able to rely on others to find information and answers. This also requires a level of initiative. If a translator struggles to motivate themselves when working alone, they may struggle with accurate translation. Because they must be able to portray the spirit of the work being translated, whether it’s a legal document, a marketing campaign, or a novel, translators are frequently outstanding writers. Given that English is the source language, the translator must have a near-native knowledge of the English language.

A professional translator will know which strategy to take and will tailor their writing style to the various projects on which they work. The easiest way to develop writing skills is by reading as much as possible. Professional ethics, such as protecting client confidentiality and adhering to industry best practices, are also required of translators. Paired with these qualities, good translators need to have common sense. If something has been translated but doesn’t make sense or doesn’t have the same spirit and intention as the original content, they must pick up on this. It goes hand in hand with attention to detail. But rather than translating something word for word, they must have the common sense to make adjustments for the flow and benefit of the content. Furthermore, because businesses have access to a pool of translators, they can provide more specialized services in your field.