| Pages in topic: [1 2 3 4] > | Hi. I am new registered to this site Thread poster: Maria Elena Santa
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Could anyone pls explain a little how it works. I have heart that important language industry companies advertise their products on this site.
Thanks in advance
[Edited at 2012-07-02 15:49 GMT]
| | | | Sheila Wilson 
Spain
Local time: 09:48
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Welcome, Marelyne | Jul 5, 2012 |
A warm welcome to ProZ.com and I hope you find lots of interesting things here.
You've asked a very big question here, that has many answers as the site can be used in various ways, depending on your requirements. Of course, it's mainly for professional freelance translators, but anyone with an interest in languages can find things of interest here. A freelancer will be able to network with peers, maybe find jobs, giv... See more A warm welcome to ProZ.com and I hope you find lots of interesting things here.
You've asked a very big question here, that has many answers as the site can be used in various ways, depending on your requirements. Of course, it's mainly for professional freelance translators, but anyone with an interest in languages can find things of interest here. A freelancer will be able to network with peers, maybe find jobs, give/get advice in the forums and in the KudoZ area (translations of difficult terms). KudoZ can be very interesting to any speaker of two or more languages, and input to it is not restricted to professional translators (although the context of the term is hyper-important to a translator - they don't normally need a dictionary definition). Some of the forums are also of interest to non-translators e.g. the language studies forum.
I imagine that you are in the second category - a multilingual person with experience living and working in various countries, using several languages, but perhaps not a translator? Is that about right or have I read your CV and profile wrongly? I think perhaps we need to know a little more about what you'd like the site to be able to do for you; then we can let you know if you're likely to find what you're looking for!
As for "products", I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that. Certainly there are interesting offers on CAT tools, project management tools etc here.
Sheila ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michele Fauble
United States
Local time: 01:48
Member (2006)
Norwegian to English
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| Importance of credibility | Jul 5, 2012 |
If you are looking for translation jobs, credibility is very important. You list 10 working language pairs, some of which are between two non-native languages. You also list two native languages, which have received a black and grey icon, i.e. not confirmed. See this discussion about native language... See more If you are looking for translation jobs, credibility is very important. You list 10 working language pairs, some of which are between two non-native languages. You also list two native languages, which have received a black and grey icon, i.e. not confirmed. See this discussion about native language verification.
http://www.proz.com/forum/prozcom_suggestions/227485-should_“native_language”_claims_be_verified-page45.html
[Edited at 2012-07-05 18:16 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Trevor Chichester
United States
Local time: 04:48
Member (2012)
German to English
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| Completely agree! | Jul 5, 2012 |
Indeed, as Ms. Fauble stated....credibility is huge. Listing 10 working pairs can be a red flag in the translation industry. Any translator worth their salt works INTO their native language ONLY. It is incredibly rare for someone to be a truly dual native translator.
[Edited at 2012-07-05 19:36 GMT]
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 09:48
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Don't look at that thread! | Jul 5, 2012 |
No really guys, I don't think a newbie here really wants nor needs to wade through 670 (and counting!) posts about the subject!
I got the impression that Marelyne wasn't necessarily a translator and didn't aspire to being one. If you ARE wanting to translate, Marelyne, then you should go to the "Getting Established" forum and start working your way through it. You should also attend the free webinar(s) given by Lucia (see Educatiion tab), visit the Site Guidance Centre (see About) a... See more No really guys, I don't think a newbie here really wants nor needs to wade through 670 (and counting!) posts about the subject!
I got the impression that Marelyne wasn't necessarily a translator and didn't aspire to being one. If you ARE wanting to translate, Marelyne, then you should go to the "Getting Established" forum and start working your way through it. You should also attend the free webinar(s) given by Lucia (see Educatiion tab), visit the Site Guidance Centre (see About) and have a look at the Wiki articles about marketing, starting with the one on CVs (also to be found under Education).
But just to get you started, yes, we only record one native language unless we really can say we are native in two (this does NOT mean the same as proficient and is really quite rare); we only normally translate into our native language(s) although in very exceptional circumstances we may translate in the reverse pair; no professional translator should ever translate between two non-native languages; we only provide the services we can really do well i.e. you would normally start with translating simple texts and only add subtitling, voiceovers etc as you acquire the very special skills. Of course, translating straightforward texts also requires skills that many bilingual people simply do not have.
Anyway, good luck with whatever you are hoping to do and feel free to ask more questions.
Sheila ▲ Collapse
| | | | Maria Elena Santa
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:48
Romanian to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Hi Sheila.
Thank you for your reply.
I know that I would like to work as a translator.
So I registered this website because I wanted to gather some information and maybe some experience.
I used to make a lot of translations from English to Italian and vice versa, English to German and vice versa etc. during my studies at the college in Italy.
Next year I want to start an MA in Translation at Imperial College in London.
Michele Fauble said ... See more Hi Sheila.
Thank you for your reply.
I know that I would like to work as a translator.
So I registered this website because I wanted to gather some information and maybe some experience.
I used to make a lot of translations from English to Italian and vice versa, English to German and vice versa etc. during my studies at the college in Italy.
Next year I want to start an MA in Translation at Imperial College in London.
Michele Fauble said something about a black and grey icon:`You also list two native languages, which have received a black and grey icon, i.e. not confirmed.`
Romanian is my mother tongue but I am fluent in English and Italian. So I wrote on my profile English and Romanian as two native languages, is that all right? But I did not receive any icon. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jenn Mercer
United States
Local time: 04:48
Member (2009)
French to English
| mother tongue | Jul 5, 2012 |
marelyne wrote:
Hi Sheila.
Thank you for your reply.
I know that I would like to work as a translator.
So I registered this website because I wanted to gather some information and maybe some experience.
I used to make a lot of translations from English to Italian and vice versa, English to German and vice versa etc. during my studies at the college in Italy.
Next year I want to start an MA in Translation at Imperial College in London.
Michele Fauble said something about a black and grey icon:`You also list two native languages, which have received a black and grey icon, i.e. not confirmed.`
Romanian is my mother tongue but I am fluent in English and Italian. So I wrote on my profile English and Romanian as two native languages, is that all right? But I did not receive any icon.
If Romanian is your mother tongue, that is your ONLY native language. Being fluent is not the same thing.
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 09:48
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| ProZ don't confirm 2 native languages at present | Jul 5, 2012 |
marelyne wrote:
I used to make a lot of translations from English to Italian and vice versa, English to German and vice versa etc. during my studies at the college in Italy.
This is normal practice when learning languages at a high level, Marelyse, to ensure that you can express yourself in writing in all your languages. Expressing yourself in foreign languages is something that translators have to do, too, when preparing quotes and communicating with clients. So, it's good that you have been learning that.
Romanian is my mother tongue but I am fluent in English and Italian.
In that case, you have one native language: Romanian. If you remove English then you will no doubt find that the "N" following your native language is given a yellow circle, confirming that you are confirmed as a Romanian native-speaker.
When you start translating professionally, you should normally (as I said before, some exceptions are to be found) translate only into Romanian. It looks as though you will be capable of translating from English, Italian and German, as your CV says you are fluent in all those languages. Certainly enough for you to find plenty of work I would imagine, though I know nothing about those language pairs.
When a client asks you to translate their text into Romanian, they aren't simply looking for a text that people will understand (as your tutors are looking for when they ask for translations into Italian and English). They expect you to produce an absolutely faultless text. I'm sure you can do that in Romanian, but not in English. I won't point out your errors - I'm sure that wouldn't serve a useful purpose.
It's good to hear that you're going to do an MA in translation - it's very important for young people to have relevant qualifications today. But bear in mind that the tuition will probably be highly theoretical. When you start as a translator you will need to know about business practices and you will need to be able to run a (very small) business. These are areas where ProZ.com can be very useful, though you will still need some training in the specifics of running a business in your chosen country. Marketing, too, is something that needs to be learnt.
No chance of you being bored in the near future, then!
Sheila
edited to mention icons
[Edited at 2012-07-05 22:56 GMT]
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| I second Jenn on this one | Jul 5, 2012 |
marelyne wrote:
Romanian is my mother tongue but I am fluent in English and Italian. So I wrote on my profile English and Romanian as two native languages, is that all right?
Welcome to ProZ, Maria Elena! And welcome to your lesson #1 that you have received from Jenn. If I may judge, as a non-native speaker of English and with all due respect, your posts don't read as if they were written by a native speaker of English (neither do mine, BTW). That's why you shouldn't list English among your target languages.
To give you an example: Czech and Slovak are two languages that are very similar to each other. Czechs and Slovaks understand each other without any difficulties. The differences are by far not as great as between e.g. Hochdeutsch and Süddeutsch. In the Czechoslovak era (i.e. between 1918 and 1993, excluding WWII), people were raised to be practically bilingual: radio and TV broadcasts were bilingual, some newspapers too, and both Czech and Slovak were the official languages in former Czechoslovakia.
I was raised in this bilingual world as well. Yet, although my Slovak is very good, close to excellent I would say, it's not listed among my target languages, simply because I feel that my first language is Czech. I hope you get the idea?
Another piece of advice: it's always a good idea to start with your profile, i.e. filling in as much information as possible, providing some translation samples and credentials (if you have any) etc. The good clients are inquisitive and want to get a clear and complex picture of a translator before hiring him/her.
Anyways, have a great time here at ProZ!
[Upraveno: 2012-07-05 23:15 GMT]
| | | | Trevor Chichester
United States
Local time: 04:48
Member (2012)
German to English
+ ...
| Listen to Stanislav | Jul 6, 2012 |
Excellent comparison, Stanislav!
| | | | Timote Suladze
Russian Federation
Local time: 12:48
Italian to Russian
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| I absolutely disagree! | Jul 6, 2012 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
When you start translating professionally, you should normally (as I said before, some exceptions are to be found) translate only into Romanian.
Stanislav Pokorny wrote:
If I may judge, as a non-native speaker of English and with all due respect, your posts don't read as if they were written by a native speaker of English (neither do mine, BTW). That's why you shouldn't list English among your target languages.
Each of translator must be able to translate both into and from ist own native languarge. In case of translation from its native languarge a text must be controlled by a person whose native languarge is the target languarge of this translation.
I do the same when translate from russian into italian, my translation is controlled by my italian collegue who works like italian/russian translator.
In Russia no one deals with a translator who translate only into its native languarge. Moreover! I know some russian translators who translate from English into italian or spanish and viceversa.
p.s. Sorry for my English, I am only italian/russian translator and interpreter.
[Редактировалось 2012-07-06 01:25 GMT]
| | | | avsie (X)
Local time: 10:48
English to French
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Timote Suladze wrote:
Each of translator must be able to translate both into and from ist own native languarge. In case of translation from its native languarge a text must be controlled by a person whose native languarge is the target languarge of this translation.
Why "must" a translator be able to translate both into and FROM his native language? I agree that the review of a native speaker is necessary when translating into a non-native language, but since when is it an obligation to translate in both directions?
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Timote Suladze
Russian Federation
Local time: 12:48
Italian to Russian
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Marie-Claude Falardeau wrote:
Why "must" a translator be able to translate both into and FROM his native language? I agree that the review of a native speaker is necessary when translating into a non-native language, but since when is it an obligation to translate in both directions?
For example it's obligatory requirement of russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for each translator and interpreter who works there. The same is for simultaneous interpreters.
As I said no client will be collaborate with a translator or interpreter who is not able to translate into his not-native languarge.
[Редактировалось 2012-07-06 04:29 GMT]
| | | | avsie (X)
Local time: 10:48
English to French
+ ...
| Tell that to my clients, then... | Jul 6, 2012 |
Tell that to my clients, and to my employer of 9 years. They shouldn't have ever collaborated with me or hired me in the first place! I hope you won't contact them, because I wouldn't want to lose my job...
Requirements for government organizations are not standard requirements. You cannot draw conclusions about what a translator 'must' do from one single organization and apply it to the whole translation/localization/... See more Tell that to my clients, and to my employer of 9 years. They shouldn't have ever collaborated with me or hired me in the first place! I hope you won't contact them, because I wouldn't want to lose my job...
Requirements for government organizations are not standard requirements. You cannot draw conclusions about what a translator 'must' do from one single organization and apply it to the whole translation/localization/interpreting industry!
If you have time, you can go and read this thread... ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Couldn't disagree more | Jul 6, 2012 |
Timote Suladze wrote:
Each of translator must be able to translate both into and from ist own native languarge.
I would say that each translator must have a certain degree of knowledge of the source language(s), excellent knowledge of his/her mother tongue and excellent reading and communication skills. But why on Earth would I want to assign a German > Italian translation to a Romanian translator?
In case of translation from its native languarge a text must be controlled by a person whose native languarge is the target languarge of this translation.
Of course, that's the only way to go if you're translating "the wrong direction". I do that once or twice a year, when the client is really, really persistent with his/her requirement. But even this is very dangerous: if you make a factual mistake, i.e. a mistake in meaning, the native proofreader may not spot it and you will end up being sued by somebody whose arm was chopped off by a machine you translated the manual for.
In Russia no one deals with a translator who translate only into its native languarge.
Okay, if that's the situation on the Russian market, it's your business how you deal with it. But the situation elsewhere may be – and as you can read in other forums – is different.
Moreover! I know some russian translators who translate from English into italian or spanish and viceversa.
Twisted world, IMO. At least I know now why I can't understand some manuals.
[Upraveno: 2012-07-06 07:57 GMT]
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