• Nem Talált Eredményt

PART 1: THE MODERN TRANSLATOR’S PROFILE

3. Conclusion

The description of the six competences emphasizes the fact that a good command of languages is just one of the competences a translator needs in order to be able to operate successfully. The translator is an entrepreneur who knows their place in the market, the opportunities and how to run their business. Smooth communication, networking, negotiating and bargaining skills are crucial. Business contacts should be cultivated, and the translator should maintain a good reputation and continuously promote their services. The translator should be aware of the rights and obligations connected to the profession.

The translator is a linguist who is not content to have just a C1 level in their foreign language(s) but rather goes on reading, collecting information and learning new things with passion in order to gain more knowledge and understand the differences between the cultures of their mother tongue and foreign language(s). If questions arise, the translator undertakes research, and uses their acquaintances’

knowledge, too, in order to find the answer.

The translator is an expert whose linguistic and thematic knowledge in several languages and subjects goes beyond the average. They make informed decisions when creating the target language text, collect knowledge and information and are able to store and retrieve it in a systematic way. The translator belongs to a professional community whose members help one another’s work and learn from one another. Their competences are dynamic, they follow the changes in the translation profession, languages and the world and are open to trying something new. The translator is willing to invest time and money in trainings and conferences.

The translator is a technician although many translators consider this role to be the one they can identify with least. They should devote time and energy to acquiring the use of CAT tools and be able to manage different editing and search programmes, online databases and dictionaries. The translator’s various roles might suggest that the modern translator should have extraordinary abilities, but this is certainly not the case. One of the peculiarities of the profession is that the translator should show confidence in a number of different areas, but all of the skills listed above can be learnt. So the translator is a versatile rather than extraordinary being. In this versatility, some facets may be stronger than others, but still the translator can keep their balance in a fast moving, unpredictable world.

References

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Source/Framework_EN.pdf, last accessed on 14 July 2015.

Gambier, Y. (EMT Expert Group). 2009. Competences for professional translators, experts in multilingual and multimedia communication. http://ec.europa.

eu/dgs/translation/programmes/emt/key_documents/emt_competences_

translators_en.pdf, last accessed on 21 May 2015.

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&gl=hu, last accessed on 20 May 2015.

(EMT Expert Group), 2013. The EMT Translator Trainer Profile. Competences of the trainer in translation. http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/programmes/emt/

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Kussmaul, P. 2015. Training the Translator. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Pagnoulle, C. 1993. Creativity in Non-Literary Translation. Perspectives: Studies in Translatology 1: 79–90.

Pym, A., Grin, F., Sfreddo, C. & Chan, A. L. J. 2012. The Status of the Translation Profession in the European Union. Studies on translation and multilingualism.

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Melinda Szondy

E-mail: melinda.szondy@language-bistro.com

1. Roles of a translator

Translators usually aim at working as in-house translators at a large company, organisation or very often at a translation agency. They envisage a stable and safe workplace where they can make good use of their knowledge and specialisation acquired during their years of learning and where they can count on valuable support and guaranteed salaries. However, it is often the case that after a short period of great hopes they turn towards the idea of freelancing as a translator.

Nowadays corporate organisation strategies and expectations regarding high efficiency force companies to solve translation tasks through outsourcing. The number of companies and organisations where it is economically feasible to have their own translation department is quite limited.

Even translation agencies tend to work less and less with in-house translators and only for their major language combinations. It is critical to be able to guarantee a high level of efficiency during working hours. A job as a translator in one of the various EU institutions can result in a very challenging and interesting professional career, too.

However, in this article, I focus on freelance translators, their career opportunities being equally interesting and challenging. All the experience and knowledge gained as a freelance translator most certainly add to an in-house career, as well. For the sake of simplicity I use the term translators hereinafter.

Let me stress that I am not going to write about any aspects of literal translation as that requires a different attitude, key aspects being very different from those of technical translations.

Before going into detail first of all I need to point out that nowadays translators need to have good general knowledge and sometimes even expertise in various areas, not just the strictly speaking linguistic process of conveying a message from one language to another. Besides being masters of the translation craft freelance

translators juggle the roles of accountants, IT professionals, debt collectors and project managers and very often even lawyers, doctors or electrical engineers in one person. As their years of experience increase, their resistance to performing these roles decreases, as it becomes clear that these help freelancers cope with the challenges. These additional activities help them develop a  good service oriented attitude that enables them to gain new clients and maintain a lasting and prosperous business relationship with them.

In document The Modern Translator and Interpreter (Pldal 27-31)