Posts Tagged ‘Vitoria’

Translation is more than words

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

- www.goihata.com
Have you ever felt you missed out on a joke even though you understood every single word of it?

Have you ever felt lost in translation?

When I was younger I used to believe that learning a foreign language was not a difficult task. Words could be memorized, I thought. I remember thinking that one day there would be no more tenses to learn and that sooner or later I would be done with grammar. Boy, was I naive! The truth is that mastering a foreign language is actually an incredibly complex task. A language is not just reduced to dictionaries and grammar books. There is much more to it than that. Mastering a foreign language is getting to know every little aspect of it. It is understanding all its nuances and subtleties. So, probably you heard someone tell a joke and you didn’t get it. Well, the truth is that in order to understand a foreign language you have to be open and embrace its culture as well. Cultural differences, for example, play a big part in understanding jokes. And so do idioms and collocations, which might sometimes get a non-native speaker quite confused. That’s why a native speaker of English won’t have problems understanding the meaning behind “101.” And when his high school buddy didn’t mince his words and told him, “You’re in desperate need of a crash course in Dating 101,” he immediately understood what his friend was getting at. He soon got the idea that he needed to know the basics of high school dating as quickly as he could. A set of simple rules he should follow in order to get a date.
Spanish English translator Pinguin
Mastering a language is much more than words, or numbers for that matter. Is is being able to see through cultural differences, to grasp the meaning of idioms and collocations and the contexts they are used. So, whenever you feel you’ve missed out on a joke, try to see what’s beyond the surface, try to see if there’s something more.

Clarisa Attademo
- www.goihata.com

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Life as translator

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

- www.goihata.com
A- “What did you say you did for a living?” asked me someone once.
B- “I’m a freelance translator,” I declared proudly.
A- “That sounds pretty glamorous. So you translate what important people say at press conferences and events and work with politicians, actors and actresses?” he added.
B- “No, that’s an interpreter. I work as a freelance translator,” I replied.
A- “And what do you do exactly?” he muttered, with an expression of total confusion on his face.
B- “I translate written documents, mainly legal and technical stuff,” I said.
A- “Oh, I see,” he exclaimed, as if showing disappointment and a complete lack of interest.

So what? Maybe being a translator is not a glamorous profession and you surely won’t make tons of money as probably a lawyer or a doctor would. But one thing’s for sure: if you’re up for a challenge, enjoy being alone for long periods of time and you don’t mind unreasonable deadlines, you’re on the right track. And let me tell you, there is something about this profession that is extremely rewarding. Once you get used to being completely isolated in front of your computer for days at a time, and you come to understand that you won’t be having any co-workers with whom to make small-talk or share a cup of coffee whenever you feel like taking a break, you’ll realize that this could even be a blessing. You might probably feel the need to make any type of contact with another human being once in a while – though I honestly don’t mind the solitude of my home or the fact that I might be considered a complete recluse – but once you’re past that, you’ll clearly understand what I’m talking about. I mean, nothing beats the luxury of being able to work in your pj’s if you want to.
English Spanish translator
And nothing can be better that arranging your own schedule: no need to set the alarm clock at unreasonable hours and no need to wait for the bus to go to work at 6.30 in the morning when it’s still dark outside. And if you’re thinking that having to endure the pressure of yet another deadline would be completely unbearable, you’ll see how that pressure will soon be part of a constant challenge that not only will you get used to, but you will also come to need. Since that is what makes this adrenaline-driven profession so alive in the first place. So what if being a freelance translator is not glamorous and you won’t become rich overnight? There is nothing like a good adrenaline rush when you’re alone late at night.
Clarisa Attademo
- www.goihata.com

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