| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Off topic: What is the turning point in your life that led you to learn different languages and translation? Thread poster: RafaLee
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Erika P (X) 
Local time: 04:27
English to Hungarian
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| when curiosity got the better of me | Aug 31, 2003 |
L. Pamela Peralta wrote:
I remember the exact moments when I learnt the word "ugly", "mischievous" etc., etc., etc. That’s how much I love words that I would remember the exact moment they came to my life.
Pamela Peralta
Dear Pamela, it's so nicely put, I've decided to frame it.
Around my 16th birthday a school friend entered my dormitory room clutching a freshly acquired Pink Floyd LP. I’d been studying compulsory Russian and English at school, but up until that point foreign languages had failed to engage my interest. It didn’t take too long to realise that in order to get the bigger picture it’s pretty unwise to hang onto a tiny piece of a jigsaw puzzle... Translation entered the scene when unexpectedly others turned to me for help, I felt flattered and happy to oblige. I actually enjoy the process of learning, so I’m planning to master more languages in the future.
| | | | Mario Marcolin
Sweden
Local time: 05:27
Member (2003)
English to Swedish
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| Same but very different | Sep 2, 2003 |
When I first read some short-stories by the Austrian writer Heimito von Doderer. These writings had this elusive quality - you think you know what he says, and still you don't; so you read it again and discover more meanings than you would expect at first.
| | | | | What brought me to translation | Sep 2, 2003 |
I was raised speaking Latvian at home and English in the "outside world." Attending Latvian school on Saturdays, we sometimes participated in translation contests, and I won one in high school. I had always eagerly awaited my grandparents' postcards from their travels, so I started studying French in high school, then switched to German. I had decided to attend a Latvian-German "Gymnasium" in Münster for a year after high school. That did it! That year in addition to living in Germany, I visite... See more I was raised speaking Latvian at home and English in the "outside world." Attending Latvian school on Saturdays, we sometimes participated in translation contests, and I won one in high school. I had always eagerly awaited my grandparents' postcards from their travels, so I started studying French in high school, then switched to German. I had decided to attend a Latvian-German "Gymnasium" in Münster for a year after high school. That did it! That year in addition to living in Germany, I visited the UK, Czechoslovakia, Belgium & Luxemburg, Poland, Latvia (at that time still in the USSR), and traveled by car down the Mediterranean coast from Monaco to Gibraltar. The traveling bug bit me, and I subsequently studied in Freiburg, Germany, for a year, taught English in St. Veit, Austria, and then spent three years working in Mainz, Germany, after graduate studies in translation. ▲ Collapse
| | | | sapxx
Ireland
Local time: 04:27
English to Italian
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| TAKE THAT (AND PARTY) | Sep 2, 2003 |
I mean, the boyband! Yep, sure it sounds a bit strange to you all, but my fellow mates, great TT fans, didn't and up to now don't know English at all, so they picked up a volunteer to translate for them. Guess who? From my D-- in English I now do it as a job, but I am certain I would have found it out anyway, probably later though, so I'm happy-chappy aqbout my friends turning me into a translator nerd! Plus I gained my man with it! ;-P
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Aurora Humarán (X)
Argentina
Local time: 00:27
English to Spanish
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| Beatles, por siempre Beatles... | Sep 2, 2003 |
1977 A.C.
I was 17 and it was almost decided I would be a: lawyer! and all of the sudden ...
I was listening to “Girl” (do you happen to remember it? Oh girl girl…girl girl…uh uh uh) and the first sentence stayed there: "Is there anybody going to listen to my story?" I thought: this is not future, neither will future nor going to+ future. This is something else that has to do with “willingness”. How would I translate this sentence? (¿Alguien tiene ganas de?...¿Ex... See more 1977 A.C.
I was 17 and it was almost decided I would be a: lawyer! and all of the sudden ...
I was listening to “Girl” (do you happen to remember it? Oh girl girl…girl girl…uh uh uh) and the first sentence stayed there: "Is there anybody going to listen to my story?" I thought: this is not future, neither will future nor going to+ future. This is something else that has to do with “willingness”. How would I translate this sentence? (¿Alguien tiene ganas de?...¿Existe/existirá alguien dispuesto a...?)
So, so...words can mean different things….
(Of course at 17 I knew what a synonym was, but I felt something magical, something that had nothing to do with tenses or grammar). It was something that had to do with language and its colors. (we all know languages have colors)
We may conclude that music seems to be an inspiring factor. Words behind sounds, words behind words...
And here I am.
Au ▲ Collapse
| | | | Eva T
English to Albanian
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| I became a mom... | Sep 2, 2003 |
and I decided to work whenever I wanted and how much I wanted. Just before that, I was working for others, now I work for myself and I am my own boss. I even get to choose my hours and what kind of work I want to do. I also love my new boss more than all the other bosses I have ever had
This was the turning point that put me into translations and I just lov... See more and I decided to work whenever I wanted and how much I wanted. Just before that, I was working for others, now I work for myself and I am my own boss. I even get to choose my hours and what kind of work I want to do. I also love my new boss more than all the other bosses I have ever had
This was the turning point that put me into translations and I just love it. By the way, I am new here at Proz and I am really enjoying it. These forums are very interesting and I find them extremely helpful in my profession. I spent lots of time today reading some of them. Wow! Very interesting. Thank you guys and gals.
Have a nice evening,
Eva ▲ Collapse
| | | | | No turning point | Sep 2, 2003 |
Actually there was not a turning point in my case. I started to study English, French and German at high school and I liked it. Then I decided to keep studying languages, but from a different, more practical viewpoint - and I came to know there was a tiny school for translators in Milan (nothing to do with huge universities). Being a translator, however, was not my childhood dream (that was being a cook - but even today, I can barely cook a decent dish of spaghetti ... See more Actually there was not a turning point in my case. I started to study English, French and German at high school and I liked it. Then I decided to keep studying languages, but from a different, more practical viewpoint - and I came to know there was a tiny school for translators in Milan (nothing to do with huge universities). Being a translator, however, was not my childhood dream (that was being a cook - but even today, I can barely cook a decent dish of spaghetti ), but then I realized that I liked it. And that's it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | le langage des fleurs | Sep 3, 2003 |
At six years old, I was allowed to purchase my own clothes. I bought a white, full-skirted summer dress printed with large squares outlined in black. Within the boxes appeared in swirling green and purple letters, "Le Langage des Fleurs".
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