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Poll: Were any of these subjects present in your higher education as a translator ?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
Robert Rietvelt
Robert Rietvelt  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:11
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
Were any of these subjects present in your higher education as a translator ? Apr 14, 2021



[Edited at 2021-04-14 09:20 GMT]


 
Iwona Budzynska MCIL
Iwona Budzynska MCIL
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:11
English to Polish
+ ...
All OF THE ABOVE Apr 14, 2021

I studied Translation as my first degree a few years ago and we covered all of the above. I now study for an MA in Conference Interpreting and it goes even further: anything you need to know from marketing on LinkedIn, Twitter to writing emails, having professional photos to brand yourself and so on. We have a special module dedicated to it all. Fantastic course!

Gerard Barry
expressisverbis
 
Justin Peterson
Justin Peterson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 18:11
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
Liberal Arts Graduate ... Turned Out Not to Be Useless Apr 15, 2021

No. I studied History, at a liberal arts college. I've never taken any course in Translation, per se.
After some twists and turns, I ended up getting a Master's in Spanish, but, feared that my liberal arts education had been a waste of time. I taught college-level Spanish, but it pained me to think that I could've just studied Spanish in college, and nothing else, if that's what I was going to do - personal enrichment aside.
Twists and turns of life, I end up being a translator, an
... See more
No. I studied History, at a liberal arts college. I've never taken any course in Translation, per se.
After some twists and turns, I ended up getting a Master's in Spanish, but, feared that my liberal arts education had been a waste of time. I taught college-level Spanish, but it pained me to think that I could've just studied Spanish in college, and nothing else, if that's what I was going to do - personal enrichment aside.
Twists and turns of life, I end up being a translator, and ... my liberal arts education (Philosophy, Religion, History, English...) has proven INDISPENSABLE when translating texts on things like the history of western law, even novels, and in a whole range of areas where I understand concepts I would not had I had a more specialized education.
In this regard, translation has been a godsend, as it has allowed me to utilize my education in a way I never had before, which is very gratifying.
I once had a client ask me "How do you know about this stuff?" "I studied a lot of Philosophy in college" I never thought it would come in handy

Nota bene: As an American expat, I have found that, ironically, many Europeans have the perception that American colleges are too mercantile and specialized, overlooking a comprehensive education in the Humanities. My experience is precisely the opposite. Here in Spain college students specialize in one area from Year 1 of college, which I still have not wrapped my head around.
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Gerard Barry
P.L.F. Persio
expressisverbis
 
Lenka Červená
Lenka Červená  Identity Verified
Czech Republic
Local time: 18:11
Member (2014)
English to Czech
+ ...
Were any of these subjects present in your higher education as a translator? Apr 18, 2021

No. But most probably it should.

Gerard Barry
Tom in London
P.L.F. Persio
expressisverbis
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:11
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Why is everybody expected to have a degree these days? Apr 18, 2021

Why is everybody expected to have a degree these days?

Nurses, chefs, police officers..... they're all expected to do a degree course before they actually do any practical nursing, cooking, policing, etc. It's ridiculous.

I have never studied translation but I'm a damn good translator. What counts is a good general education, a high level of literacy in your target (native) language, full mastery of your source language, and plenty of practical experience actually tran
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Why is everybody expected to have a degree these days?

Nurses, chefs, police officers..... they're all expected to do a degree course before they actually do any practical nursing, cooking, policing, etc. It's ridiculous.

I have never studied translation but I'm a damn good translator. What counts is a good general education, a high level of literacy in your target (native) language, full mastery of your source language, and plenty of practical experience actually translating.

Time spent at a university trying to get an academic degree in translation is time wasted, when you could be spending that time gaining practical experience. Clients don't care about academic qualifications; they're looking for experience, professionalism, and competence.

[Edited at 2021-04-18 14:35 GMT]
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P.L.F. Persio
Hailemichael Melaku
Christopher Schröder
Kaspars Melkis
neilmac
Jorge Payan
Mervyn Henderson (X)
 
expressisverbis
expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 17:11
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Answering the poll and a question: Apr 18, 2021

Tom in London wrote:

I have never studied translation but I'm a damn good translator.
Time spent at a university trying to get an academic degree in translation is time wasted, when you could be spending that time gaining practical experience.

[Edited at 2021-04-18 14:35 GMT]


Question:
If you've never studied translation at University, how do you know it's time wasted? University degrees exist for a reason.
I'm sure there are other 'damn good translators' apart from you, who did a degree course in Translation or in other different areas. I'm sure we can find a few of them here.

Answering the poll:
My University translation course did not include those subjects.
However, in a specialisation course I took afterwards, Project Management was part of the subjects of that course.
In my case, having a BA (Modern Languages and Literature - Portuguese and French Studies) was quite rewarding and I've never wasted time during my University studies.
I started working in 1997 and studied and worked at the same time, so I gained real world experience both within and outside my degree.
This way I was able to pay for my studies and, at the same time, gain more legal knowledge and experience.
Also, I had the pleasure of meeting wonderful people, but I also had the misfortune of meeting unpleasant ones along the way.


[Edited at 2021-04-18 15:57 GMT]


Ludovicap
Rachel Waddington
Christopher Schröder
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Matthias Brombach
Thomas T. Frost
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
I don’t disagree but... Apr 19, 2021

Tom in London wrote:
I have never studied translation but I'm a damn good translator. What counts is a good general education, a high level of literacy in your target (native) language, full mastery of your source language, and plenty of practical experience actually translating.


Maybe if you’d had some formal translation training, you wouldn’t have had to spend a decade or more railing against pointless CAT tools before converting, and been a more efficient and maybe even a better translator all that time?


Mervyn Henderson (X)
expressisverbis
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Robert Rietvelt
Robert Rietvelt  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:11
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
'I'm a damn good translator' Apr 20, 2021

Tom in London wrote:

I have never studied translation but I'm a damn good translator.


Dear Tom, sorry to ask, but don't you think this 'claim' is a bit presumptuous? You are entitled to your own opinion, but I wouldn't dare to say that about myself in public. I leave that for others to decide.

Furthermore, how do we know this claim is true? Never saw any evidence of it, or is there another platform somewhere out there where you share your work?

All I want to say is that in this case a bit more modesty would suit you.

PS) No insult meant.

[Edited at 2021-04-20 11:13 GMT]


Thomas T. Frost
 
P.L.F. Persio
P.L.F. Persio  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 18:11
Member (2010)
English to Italian
+ ...
@Robert, a bit OT Apr 20, 2021

May I step in? Tom doesn't need me to be either his defence lawyer, nor to speak on his behalf, but I wish to articulate my thoughts about the point you made.

In my opinion, once you reach a certain age, and a certain amount of professional experience, there's really no point in false modesty. You are perfectly aware of your own limitations by now, which also implies being aware of what you can actually do.

For what I know about Tom, his command of his native English is
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May I step in? Tom doesn't need me to be either his defence lawyer, nor to speak on his behalf, but I wish to articulate my thoughts about the point you made.

In my opinion, once you reach a certain age, and a certain amount of professional experience, there's really no point in false modesty. You are perfectly aware of your own limitations by now, which also implies being aware of what you can actually do.

For what I know about Tom, his command of his native English is second to none, and he masters Italian – his working language – at an exceptionally high level, I'd say he can pass for a native speaker of my language.
His answers on the IT>EN Kudoz section are invariably brilliant, well thought-of, and show someone who knows what is doing and has a wealth of experience in translation.

If someone said they're the best translators in the world, we could well reply Doe maar gewoon! but it's not the case here.
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Christopher Schröder
Tom in London
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Matthias Brombach
Zibow Retailleau
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
The best translater in the world Apr 20, 2021

So it’s about time this was settled once and for all. Who actually is the best?

We need to finally crown a King or Queen of Translation that can be jury and judge on every translation related-topic.

I would humbly like to nominate Myself. I’m not so concieted that I would claim to be better than anybody else, but I do know for a fact that nobody else is anywhere near as good as what I am, so my hands are tied.

Comisserations in advance to my fellow Comp
... See more
So it’s about time this was settled once and for all. Who actually is the best?

We need to finally crown a King or Queen of Translation that can be jury and judge on every translation related-topic.

I would humbly like to nominate Myself. I’m not so concieted that I would claim to be better than anybody else, but I do know for a fact that nobody else is anywhere near as good as what I am, so my hands are tied.

Comisserations in advance to my fellow Competitors.
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Mervyn Henderson (X)
P.L.F. Persio
Thomas T. Frost
Zibow Retailleau
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:11
Member (2008)
Italian to English
invariably brilliant Apr 20, 2021

P.L.F.Persio wrote:

.... there's really no point in false modesty..... his command of his native English is second to none, and he masters Italian – his working language – at an exceptionally high level, I'd say he can pass for a native speaker of my language.
His answers on the IT>EN Kudoz section are invariably brilliant, well thought-of, and show someone who knows what is doing and has a wealth of experience in translation.Doe maar gewoon! but it's not the case here.



Ci sposiamo?


Mervyn Henderson (X)
P.L.F. Persio
Christopher Schröder
 
P.L.F. Persio
P.L.F. Persio  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 18:11
Member (2010)
English to Italian
+ ...
You know, Tom ... Apr 20, 2021

Tom in London wrote:

Ci sposiamo?


... I was actually expecting our resident naughty boys – Chris & Mervyn – to say something along the lines of "Take a room, you two!", but here you are, wishing to make an honest woman out of me.

Once bigamy will not be frowned upon anymore, I'll get back to you, Tom.

[Edited at 2021-04-20 13:44 GMT]


Mervyn Henderson (X)
Christopher Schröder
Zibow Retailleau
 
polyglot45
polyglot45
English to French
+ ...
Comments from a top translator (other people's words) Apr 20, 2021

I am sick to the back teeth of people denigrating translation studies on a blanket basis. In fact, as with all studies, there are good courses, bad courses and mediocre courses and it is nonsense to dismiss them all in one fell swoop.

Many moons ago, I did a fledgling Master’s degree course. It would class today as mediocre in that it was not long enough and therefore not complete enough. But times have changed and students, especially in some countries, now have access to some ex
... See more
I am sick to the back teeth of people denigrating translation studies on a blanket basis. In fact, as with all studies, there are good courses, bad courses and mediocre courses and it is nonsense to dismiss them all in one fell swoop.

Many moons ago, I did a fledgling Master’s degree course. It would class today as mediocre in that it was not long enough and therefore not complete enough. But times have changed and students, especially in some countries, now have access to some excellent courses.

Good courses comprise a large number of different elements: translation exercises as such, lectures and assignments on specialist subjects (law, finance, etc.), introductions to translation software with tips from professionals on how to use it, the pitfalls and dangers to be avoided, courses on good style and proper use of students' native language, projects (for individuals or groups), vivas on project work with language-related conclusions, introductions to the market (positions available, options such as freelance, etc.), networking and, much, much more. In addition, students have to go on internships involving translation if this is their chosen ultimate goal.

As a general rule, since there is a selection process on entry and exit from these courses, students are well-placed on the job market. They tend to be the people recruited into international organisations or firms. They have a head-start and it tends to pay off. Many work as salaried staff and, if later they go freelance, they already have contacts and potential clients up their sleeves. On a shrinking market, they are the survivors.

At the other end of the scale, we have all these translation “wanabees” who think that anyone with a modicum of language knowledge can be a translator. Some may survive, others fail dismally and still others, far more rarely, flourish. They will, however, usually figure among the bottom-feeders.

The other type of more successful profile is people with specialist knowledge of a particular field (medical, legal, finance, technical, etc.) who, with sufficient language knowledge, thrive because of their subject-related skills. It remains important that they should sufficiently master their source language(s), however good their technical skills. This is not always the case.

Translation courses should not only be about translation per se; They should also involve all the associated skills needed to make a go of the profession. A lot will be learned from actual practice but having qualifications gives you a leg-up into jobs and a chance to rub up against more experienced translators who can act as mentors.

I consider myself to be a highly qualified, successful professional. I only work for direct clients, who come to me through recommendation, by word of mouth and then come back again. I am, however, fully conscious that I owe a lot of my success to the fact that I had paper qualifications and the chance to work in international teams while cutting my teeth. Don’t knock the proper Master’s degree courses offered by well-reputed educational establishments. Remember that the best people rarely show up on sites like this. Don’t draw conclusions from what you see here. There is a whole other more successful, better qualified population out there doing an excellent job.

And, despite the many plaudits I may receive on a regular basis, I would never and will never brag about my skills. I prefer to let my work speak for me.
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expressisverbis
Thomas T. Frost
Christopher Schröder
Rachel Waddington
 
Matthias Brombach
Matthias Brombach  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 18:11
Member (2007)
Dutch to German
+ ...
I'm out ... Apr 20, 2021

P.L.F.Persio wrote:

Tom in London wrote:

Ci sposiamo?


... I was actually expecting our resident naughty boys – Chris & Mervyn – to say something along the lines of "Take a room, you two!", but here you are, wishing to make an honest woman out of me.

Once bigamy will not be frowned upon anymore, I'll come back to you, Tom.


... too much harmony here ...


Mervyn Henderson (X)
P.L.F. Persio
Barbara Carrara
Christopher Schröder
 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Mervyn Henderson (X)  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 18:11
Spanish to English
+ ...
Tom Apr 20, 2021

I'm not speaking to Tom, PLF. He called me a child, and I'll never, ever speak to him again because he's a big nasty bully. And I'll tell teacher next time.

P.L.F. Persio
Christopher Schröder
Zibow Retailleau
 
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Poll: Were any of these subjects present in your higher education as a translator ?






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