The Translator Training Textbook By Adriana Tassini The Translator Training Textbook by Adriana Tassini © Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission by the author. Page | 2 The Translator Training Textbook by Adriana Tassini About the Author Adriana Tassini is the author of The Translator Guide, which has now been read by over 35,000 industry professionals. Adriana also founded the Certified Translation Professional (CTP) program, an industry-leading translator training and certification program. Adriana first developed the CTP designation after speaking with many translators and finding that there was no global self-paced training program available in the translation industry. She now helps manage the structure, examination, and overall resources of the CTP program. To date, Adriana has helped the CTP program to attract more than 3000 global members; and you can learn more about it at http://TranslatorCertification.com. Adriana is half Brazilian and half Italian, but she resides in Key Biscayne, Florida on the East Coast of the United States. Adriana speaks multiple languages and is a Harvard University alumna. Her background is in international relations and translation work in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Boston, Massachusetts (USA). About CTP The Certified Translation Professional (CTP) Program is a professional certification program catering to translation professionals around the world. The CTP is sponsored and was created by the Global Translation Institute in order to offer a certification program for translators which can be completed from anywhere in the world and is offered100% online. The CTP is the only designation program available online for the translation. industry. and is earned by both seasoned industry professionals as well as those looking to become a freelance or in-house corporate translator. Page | 3 The Translator Training Textbook by Adriana Tassini Acknowledgments This book could not have been written without the in-depth help from my team at the Global Translation Institute (GTI). Specifically, I would like to thank Nanette McGuinness for her help in developing some of the videos and content for this book. Legal Disclaimer No advice given or implied in this book should be considered a replacement for professional legal, insurance, business, or tax advice. Before taking any action to become a translator or to form a translation agency or business, please consult the appropriate professional. Furthermore, the laws and customs regulating translation professionals differ throughout the world. It is imperative that you thoroughly research your local, regional, and national laws and business norms before following any suggestions implied or written in this book. Page | 4 The Translator Training Textbook by Adriana Tassini Table of Contents Introduction 9 Chapter 1: What Is Translation? 11 • What Is Translation? • A Brief Overview of the History of Translation • Major Languages of the World • Language Families • Five Common Misconceptions About Translation • Conclusion • Review Questions & Answers Chapter 2: Who Are Translators? 25 • Who Are Translators? • What Personality Traits Should a Translator Have? • What Skills Does a Translator Need? • Are All Translators Bilingual? • A Translator’s Native Language • How Many Languages Should a Translator Work In? • What Are the Benefits of Being a Translator? • Is Translation Financially Rewarding? • Review Questions & Answers Chapter 3: A Career in Translation 37 • What Kinds of Projects Do Translators Work On? • Where Can Translators Be Found? • Translation vs. Interpretation • In Which Sectors Can Translation Professionals Be Found? • What Else Do Translators Do? • Benefits of Translation • Review Questions & Answers Page | 5 The Translator Training Textbook by Adriana Tassini Chapter 4: How to Translate: Tools of the Trade 49 • Nuts & Bolts: A Few Basic Terms • Types of Translation • Dictionaries and Glossaries • Computers • Machine Translation • CAT (Computer Aided/Assisted Translation) • Proofreading • What Affects Translation Speed? • Advanced Translation Topics • Review Questions & Answers Chapter 5: Learning to Be a Translator 75 • Basic Skills a Translator Must Have • Is a Translation Degree Necessary? • Translation Certification Programs • Global Translation Institute (GTI) • Institutions with Certificate or Degree Programs • A Few Other Non-Certificate Programs • The Next Step: Professional Training • Internships: Before, During, and After • Your Degree or Certificate • Review Questions & Answers Chapter 6: Finding Work as a Translator 99 • What Type of Employment Is Right for You? • Where Will You Find a Job? • Companies in the Private Sector • Governmental Agencies and Organizations • Translation Agencies • Online Resources • Two Associations to Know About • Conclusion • Review Questions & Answers Page | 6 The Translator Training Textbook by Adriana Tassini Chapter 7: Starting a Translation Business 118 • Who Becomes a Freelance Translator? • Setting Up a Business: Business 101 • Ouch! Pay Attention to Ergonomics • What Skills Does a Freelancer Need? • Specialization • What Equipment Do You Need? • How Do Translators Charge? • What Do Translators Charge? Setting Your Rates • A Few Tips on Bidding • Being Professional • An Average Week • A Word About Payment Practices • Review Questions & Answers Chapter 8: Building Your Career 141 • What to Do Next • Six Mistakes Translators Make • How to Boost Your Career • Review Questions & Answers Chapter 9: Quality and Ethics 153 • Business and Personal Ethics • Translation and Confidentiality • What Translators Do Not Do • Some Thoughts About Quality • Dealing with Organizational Terminology • Rewarding Quality: Translation Awards • Educating First-Time Clients • Tips on Hiring a Translator • Review Questions & Answers Chapter 10: Final Thoughts 191 Page | 7 The Translator Training Textbook by Adriana Tassini Chapter 11: Expert Translator Interviews__________ 195 • Carmela Reyes • Emma Ratcliffe • Ignacio Caballero • Jean Richedor • Komi Atutonu • Mamlakatoi Haidarova • Meral Badawy • Pilar Gracia • Yassir Kori • Paulo Eduardo Chapter 12: Frequently Asked Questions ................. 243 Appendix 1: 65 Translation Industry Terms ............. 286 Page | 8 The Translator Training Textbook by Adriana Tassini Introduction Seen on the Internet… A bar in Norway: LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR. Airline ticket office, Copenhagen: WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS. Hotel, Vienna: IN CASE OF FIRE, DO YOUR UTMOST TO ALARM THE HOTEL PORTER. Hotel, Bucharest: THE LIFT IS BEING FIXED FOR THE NEXT DAY. DURING THAT TIME, WE REGRET THAT YOU WILL BE UNBEARABLE. Doctor's office, Rome: SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES Laundry, Rome: LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND SPEND THE AFTERNOON HAVING A GOOD TIME. What do all these quotes have in common? Are they the punchlines for comedy skits that flopped? Maybe, but they are also examples of bad translations. Another example… Imagine a tourist takes a vacation to the nonexistent country of Noland. After a long day of seeing the incredible sights of Noland City, the Noland Statue, the Noland Memorial Dairy Farm, and the National Museum of Cheese Making and hiking through the Nolandia National Park, she and her family are starving, not to mention exhausted. When they walk into the hotel restaurant, they see the following short snack menu: yxzq riwwyw Cheese soap riwwyw qxj Pot cheese yedu otbc h lxowm Sweetened sour milk Page | 9 The Translator Training Textbook by Adriana Tassini Somewhat mystified, they nonetheless thank their lucky stars that they all adore cheese. Since they haven’t had a bite to eat all day and are feeling adventurous, they order all three items and are pleasantly surprised when the waiter brings cheese soup, Welsh rarebit (melted cheese served in a pot), and yogurt with honey. When the Nolandish restaurant owner comes out to ask the tourists how they liked the meal, he proudly tells them that his nephew recently started a business as a freelance translator and did the menu translations. The tourists can’t bring themselves to hurt his feelings by telling him how confusing the menu actually was. Although Noland doesn’t exist, our cheese-loving tourist family encountered an all too common situation, one in which a mistranslation, an amateur translation, or even a translation by a well-meaning or under-trained professional working outside their native language impedes meaning instead of enabling it. In these cases, the original message gets lost in translation. And that’s just an example of why the work of well-trained translation professionals are so important. Note: Throughout this book, you will see links to multimedia content, including videos and an audio interview with an expert translator. It is important to note that the URL links provided to these resources are case sensitive, so if you see the URL, https://translatorcertification.com/video1/ you must type that in as seen. If you try to access the video by going to https://translatorcertification.com/video1it will not work. Enjoy the book! Page | 10 The Translator Training Textbook by Adriana Tassini Chapter 1: What Is Translation? 1.1 What Is Translation? Normally, people do not think about translations unless either a translated text is incomprehensible or awful or unless they, too, are translators. In fact, the best translations are invisible. So, if the best translations