| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: When you tell someone who's not in the business that you're a translator, how do they react? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
Alexandranow 
Romania
Local time: 11:23
Romanian to English
+ ...
Teresa Borges wrote: Julian Holmes wrote: I have learnt that telling people at parties that you're a technical translator is not sexy at all and will not get you a babe on each arm. Sigh  Let’s unite the genders and say that the same goes for the other sex…
Maybe depends for whom. Since I made few technical translations, I would find a person doing these very interesting...The point is they really do not know what is all about. But at parties please talk about else, they are for fun, not work.
| | | | | "Which languages?" | Nov 11, 2012 |
This is the standard reaction.
Pay attention to the plural - as if one language wasn't enough! Since I offer two language pairs, I am happy to fit into the "languages" category.
Sometimes they would also ask for the fields.
| | | | telefpro
Local time: 13:53
Portuguese to English
+ ...
| notinh much in India | Nov 11, 2012 |
here in India translators could be considered just above a clerk
[Edited at 2012-11-11 22:19 GMT]
| | | |
Let's take my neighbors, for instance (otherwise nice people). Their first reaction a few years ago was "Oh, really, how interesting! Do you translate from all the languages?" (nope, just one, just written, just science). Since then, every two months or so: "Hi! How are you? Have you managed to find a job?"
Next time I'm going to answer: "Nope, but I've managed to find a cute sheik on the Internet, disgustingly rich and crazy about paying my bills" ... See more Let's take my neighbors, for instance (otherwise nice people). Their first reaction a few years ago was "Oh, really, how interesting! Do you translate from all the languages?" (nope, just one, just written, just science). Since then, every two months or so: "Hi! How are you? Have you managed to find a job?"
Next time I'm going to answer: "Nope, but I've managed to find a cute sheik on the Internet, disgustingly rich and crazy about paying my bills" ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Allison Wright (X)
Portugal
Local time: 09:23
It depends on the person's nationality, level of education, and their interest in language and different cultures generally. Mostly I get the feeling that what is really going through their minds is, "Well just looking at how odd she is, she had to come up with something weird, didn't she?"
I am amused, though.
My immediate neighbour is Portuguese, comes from some little village in the north somewhere, and has not displayed any evidence of having received much education... See more It depends on the person's nationality, level of education, and their interest in language and different cultures generally. Mostly I get the feeling that what is really going through their minds is, "Well just looking at how odd she is, she had to come up with something weird, didn't she?"
I am amused, though.
My immediate neighbour is Portuguese, comes from some little village in the north somewhere, and has not displayed any evidence of having received much education at all in the two years I have known her.
I know for a fact that she would not understand the Portuguese texts I normally translate because last year she was keen to explain to me how to fill in the census form (and explain to me what a census was). I assured her that none of this was necessary, since being more than twice her age, I had participated in a number of censuses in my time, and indeed, I had read the form in question and understood everything it contained. She did not believe me, because although I can adequately convey my thoughts and opinions in Portuguese and read fairly fluently, she still thinks I speak too slowly to really know what is going on!
She is also very nosy and has tried without success to find out what rental I pay to our common landlord. During a recent government-led exercise to regularise lease arrangements so that landlords pay taxes on rental income (and taxpayer can claim deductions on rental paid), she attempted again unsuccessfully to find out what my arrangement was with the landlord.
Then she made me laugh. She told me that she had a lease inside her apartment, which her husband was yet to sign, and asked me whether I wanted to see it, because "it explained everything". I responded that I did not need to see her lease because I knew very well what a lease was. At this point, she did not believe me, because I am, after all, a "stupid foreigner". I went on to tell her (still smiling to myself) that only had I drafted many a lease and numerous other types of contracts in English (and listed the types for her benefit), but I had also translated more contracts in my life than I cared to remember from French and German into English. She remained incredulous.
She still has no idea what I do (although she is as nosy as one could possibly be). I had better not show her that big book I did. She might think I am lying. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | British reaction: [wan smile] vs. Dutch reaction: ‘I have work for you’ | Nov 13, 2012 |
Never had a flicker of interest in what being a translator was all about while I was still in Britain. It was “Aha” or “Mhm” every time for eight years.
But now I’m in the Netherlands, I find at least half of people reply with, “My colleague/husband/aunt runs a small business and they could use you to translate …” Sadly, what follows is nearly always website localization into French and German; 90% of Dutch small businesses have botched the English website themselves... See more Never had a flicker of interest in what being a translator was all about while I was still in Britain. It was “Aha” or “Mhm” every time for eight years.
But now I’m in the Netherlands, I find at least half of people reply with, “My colleague/husband/aunt runs a small business and they could use you to translate …” Sadly, what follows is nearly always website localization into French and German; 90% of Dutch small businesses have botched the English website themselves and see no reason to get it even checked for money, let alone translated afresh. But it’s still a far more welcome reaction than back home.
The most endearing Dutch reaction thus far was uttered in my absence by a colleague of my wife’s: “A translator! Now, you don’t come across one of those every day.” ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: When you tell someone who's not in the business that you're a translator, how do they react? | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
| | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
