| Pages in topic: [1 2 3] > | Poll: Do you think the social prestige of translators is high? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| | Silvia Barra (X) 
Italy
Local time: 18:44
English to Italian
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| No, at least in Italy and for women | Mar 9, 2010 |
In Italy the common people believe that almost everyone can do a translation: it is sufficient to have a dictionary and a PC. There are companies that prefer using an internal resource (if the person little knows the argument and the language) rather than asking for a translator.
Moreover, for women translation is considered an hobby, a way to spend some time between cooking, laundering and caring about children.
Unfortunately this is reflected by rates.
Silvia
| | | | Susanna Martoni
Italy
Local time: 18:44
Member (2009)
Spanish to Italian
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| Don't think so | Mar 9, 2010 |
In Italy like all over the world there are people who do not know many aspects of life, do not consider other jobs, are not interested in knowledge, do not care at all of anithing at all.
The most important point of view, to me and when speaking of translations, is mine (and ours!).
That's why I voted Yes.
(I know, Silvia, that there are many people who consider women and translators second-hand beings. I just pretend they do not exist. As long as I can stand...)
| | | | DianeGM
Local time: 19:44
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
+ ...
I am often asked - isn't that all done by machines/software etc nowadays? What to say ....
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Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:44
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
| Invisible entities | Mar 9, 2010 |
Our job is to be invisible, creating the illusion that the target text is not in fact a translation. As soon as the reader's attention is drawn to the translator you are doing something wrong. Inevitably this leads to our invisibility in the prestige scale. The problem is that, while real translators go unnoticed, 'mock' translators are made conspicuous by their mistranslations and poor use of language. Unfortunately this reflects on the whole industry.
Simon
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I voted no, as I am usually told/asked:
- you work when and if you want (really??? - and how can I eat regularly, pay bills...??)
- you have a lot of free time (oh sure, that's why I wake up at 6 am and work till 8 pm and sometimes - fortunately - I work on saturday mornings, and I visit my parents with my computer...)
- you are rich (ouch! maybe I can't read properly my bank balance!)
- exactly, what do you do? (my answer: without me and my ... See more I voted no, as I am usually told/asked:
- you work when and if you want (really??? - and how can I eat regularly, pay bills...??)
- you have a lot of free time (oh sure, that's why I wake up at 6 am and work till 8 pm and sometimes - fortunately - I work on saturday mornings, and I visit my parents with my computer...)
- you are rich (ouch! maybe I can't read properly my bank balance!)
- exactly, what do you do? (my answer: without me and my colleagues you couldn't read any foreign book, article, document.... you should study languages!!!)
- it is not a real job, you know the languages so there is not any effort (hey, do you think I am a living dictionary? - do you think I can type just using my brain?)
- you're lucky, you get paid for doing nothing (I usually use very bad words to reply - as far as I am concerned I decided to be a translator when I was 15, and I did all I could to become a translator, as anyone else here I think)
so after this very short list... social prestige? what is it? I do this job because I love it, and I am lucky I don't do it for my prestige, or I would need a doctor to recover from depression!!!
take care and be strong!!! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Depends what other profession we use as a point of reference | Mar 9, 2010 |
I chose neither high nor low as I don't believe that we belong to either extreme. Also I believe that translators are not homogeneous group - rather the opposite. I agree with Diane - competition with machine translation does us no favour
Cheers
Stanislaw
| | | | Claire Cox
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:44
French to English
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No, I don't think we have high "social prestige" as such, but here in the UK, at least, you're often regarded as being very clever. Gosh, you speak 2/3/4 foreign languages - you must be really brainy. But then, that's because so few people in the UK bother to learn any language other than English.... Then again, there are those (like my ex-father-in-law) who equated what I do to to being a typist - grrr!
As others have said, it really doesn't matter if you love what you do. I'm quit... See more No, I don't think we have high "social prestige" as such, but here in the UK, at least, you're often regarded as being very clever. Gosh, you speak 2/3/4 foreign languages - you must be really brainy. But then, that's because so few people in the UK bother to learn any language other than English.... Then again, there are those (like my ex-father-in-law) who equated what I do to to being a typist - grrr!
As others have said, it really doesn't matter if you love what you do. I'm quite happy working away behind the scenes. It is very satisfying, however, when you're away on holiday and you come into your own sorting out problems with bills, accommodation, incidents for your non-linguist friends. I like to think that helps to increase our prestige slightly! ▲ Collapse
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It depends on many criteria, and above all on the social context / culture.
In France, my experience is that we are highly respected, whereas in Germany, when I say I work as a translator, most people look down on me, as if they considered translation as a "minor" job. Many answer "sure, you're a French native speaker, so it must be easy for you", and many ask "why don't you rather work as a teacher?". In Germany many consider translation as a "survival job for people who find nothi... See more It depends on many criteria, and above all on the social context / culture.
In France, my experience is that we are highly respected, whereas in Germany, when I say I work as a translator, most people look down on me, as if they considered translation as a "minor" job. Many answer "sure, you're a French native speaker, so it must be easy for you", and many ask "why don't you rather work as a teacher?". In Germany many consider translation as a "survival job for people who find nothing else". ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Invisible entities 2 | Mar 9, 2010 |
I agree with Simon's opinion:
"Our job is to be invisible, creating the illusion that the target text is not in fact a translation. As soon as the reader's attention is drawn to the translator you are doing something wrong. Inevitably this leads to our invisibility in the prestige scale."
anyway I am very proud to create this illusion.
Caterina
| | | | | An underestimated profession | Mar 9, 2010 |
If translation were highly regarded, we would never hear:
"I would do this myself but I don't have time"
"It's an easy text to translate"
"We translated this ourselves, it just needs a quick check"
I know that a senior translator at a French multi-national used to answer the second statement with "I'll be the judge of that!"
| | | | | Look at you like you've two heads | Mar 9, 2010 |
Most people in Ireland have never thought of translation before. They're either interested or look at you as someone that should go out and get a proper job.
Ciaran
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| translators, no - interpreters, yes | Mar 9, 2010 |
If you wear both hats, you will find that when you announce youself as an interpreter, people prick up their ears and look at you with respect. They'll ask you if it is hard to do, whether you have interesting anecdotes or whether you have ever worked for anyone famous.....
Somehow being an interpreter equates with having a highly intelligent brain and being able to do something out of the ordinary..
Re-shoot the scene from the start and imagine the reaction when you say you are a tr... See more If you wear both hats, you will find that when you announce youself as an interpreter, people prick up their ears and look at you with respect. They'll ask you if it is hard to do, whether you have interesting anecdotes or whether you have ever worked for anyone famous.....
Somehow being an interpreter equates with having a highly intelligent brain and being able to do something out of the ordinary..
Re-shoot the scene from the start and imagine the reaction when you say you are a translator. The best you can expect is for someone to ask you what languages you speak. Mostly, you can hear the lead balloon hit the floor.
Yet, at the end of the day, the two jobs require more or less the same skills and translation requires a degree of precision that interpreters can at times get away without.... but that is another tale...
[Edited at 2010-03-09 12:48 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | yes interpreter.... | Mar 9, 2010 |
interpreters, people know. Translators seem to have the same image as writers in that 'anyone can do it.' It's not really a special skill. And the fact that you have different or flexible work hours makes people think you spend your days on vacation. OK, i often am asleep when others are awake, but I also work when most people are sleeping!
| | | | | I said yes... | Mar 9, 2010 |
I said yes just to encourage myself!
I think that some people understand our job and is interrested in it, and other just are unable to understand what a translator is...
But the most complicated thing is to make people understand our schedule, timetable, etc. because we DON'T have one... In my case, I am available 24/24 hours... and as somebody else said, I travel with my computer everywhere!
Anyway, I love my job and It would be very hard for me to work ... See more I said yes just to encourage myself!
I think that some people understand our job and is interrested in it, and other just are unable to understand what a translator is...
But the most complicated thing is to make people understand our schedule, timetable, etc. because we DON'T have one... In my case, I am available 24/24 hours... and as somebody else said, I travel with my computer everywhere!
Anyway, I love my job and It would be very hard for me to work again as an employee in an office with a boss... NO WAY!!! ▲ Collapse
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