FAQs
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I'm a student in the translation program at the University of Chicago, member of the American Translators Association, and am involved with that organization's local chapters as well. I attended the American Translators Association conference in November and participated in workshops to improve both my written and technical translation skills.
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
Be as specific as possible about the translation's audience, and get a sense of how the translator writes. Make sure the translator only translates into their native language or languages - it's the industry standard.
- What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?
Translators collaborate a lot. I'm reading an email thread right now where French-to-English translators are debating how to translate a job title into English. The title has a straightforward literal translation, but no English-speaking company would ever use it. The translator who started the thread wants native French speakers to provide cultural context for understanding the job's functions, and native English speakers to offer thoughts on how best to capture said context in English. This sort of collaboration is the best line of defense against mistranslations.