Eu, a tradução e a área da saúde: uma história de amor

Posted in Translated post by Carol's Adventures in Translation

Bem-vindos! Sei que ando em falta com vocês, mas espero conseguir me redimir com esta novidade! É com imenso prazer que lanço uma parceria do blog com o grupo de pesquisa de tradução da UTFPR e a queridíssima Profa. Silvana Ayub!

O projeto de pesquisa “Traduzindo a tradução” é conduzido pelo grupo de pesquisa TradLin (Tradução e Línguas) da UTFPR, sob orientação da Profa. Silvana Ayub, e conta com licenciandos em letras português e inglês que se interessam pelo universo tradutório. Seu objetivo é oportunizar aos alunos a prática tradutória por meio de textos que envolvem questões sobre a profissão, o profissional tradutor e suas escolhas, decisões, ações e competências. Todo o material traduzido é constituído por textos publicados aqui no blog, selecionados e gentilmente cedidos pela Caroline Alberoni. As atividades práticas enfatizam o emprego e análise de estratégias tradutórias, registro de protocolos verbais, proofreading, estudos e análise sobre o processo de produção textual e representações culturais. Os resultados práticos envolvem encontros anuais, locais, para falar de tradução e muita gente que se descobre apaixonada pela área!

Neste mês de abril, publicarei duas traduções da aluna Gabriella Strapasson, a primeira, hoje, da convidada Carolina Ventura, Me, my translations and the Public Health field: a love story, e a segunda, em alguns dias. Também teremos mais duas traduções nos meses de maio e junho.

Espero que gostem!

Agradeço imensamente à Profa. Silvana Ayub a honra de fazer parte desse projeto de pesquisa e a tradução das publicações do inglês para o português.

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Antes de mais nada, gostaria de agradecer à minha amiga e colega tradutora Caroline Alberoni pela oportunidade de compartilhar minha experiência com vocês. Esta é a primeira vez que faço algo desse tipo e posso dizer que estou curtindo cada momento, pois ESCREVER em vez de TRADUZIR é muito bom para dar uma variada no trabalho.

Decidi ser tradutora quando tinha 20 anos. Em 1991, no primeiro ano do curso de graduação em biologia da Universidade de São Paulo (USP), compreendi o motivo de estar tão descontente desde o início do curso: eu tinha feito a escolha errada.

Eu não queria ser bióloga. Eu queria estudar línguas. Na verdade, queria continuar estudando inglês como fiz nos últimos dez anos em uma escola particular de idiomas. Mas não queria ser professora e, sim, tradutora. Então, larguei o curso de biologia e, em 1992, comecei a graduação em Língua Inglesa e Literatura na PUC-SP. Me formei em tradução e, nesses 20 anos de trabalho, nunca mais tive dúvidas a respeito dessa minha decisão.

Posso dizer que escolhi a minha carreira, mas o campo de especialização me escolheu. No primeiro ano da faculdade, meu pai, professor do departamento de saúde da USP, perguntou se eu poderia traduzir para o inglês o artigo de uma colega professora para publicação em uma revista internacional.

Aceitei o desafio, a autora gostou do resultado e então ela e meu pai começaram a me indicar sempre que uma oportunidade surgia. Dizem que indicação boca a boca é mais eficiente do que propaganda, e eu concordo plenamente.

O interessante é que, desde o começo da carreira, a direção da tradução também me escolheu: 99% das traduções que faço são do português para o inglês e 1% do inglês para o português.

Portanto, traduzo artigos acadêmicos da área da saúde do português para o inglês há 20 anos. Você deve se perguntar: “Você não se cansa?”. Não!

Dentro dessa área, você traduz um artigo a respeito da mortalidade perinatal nos hospitais de São Paulo em um dia, noutro, um estudo sobre o tratamento da malária em mulheres grávidas da região amazônica e, no final da semana, outro artigo acerca das contribuições da medicina antroposófica para a integralidade da formação médica.

Além de aprimorar o conhecimento sobre um tema que me interessa (afinal de contas, não teria escolhido biologia se não gostasse de ciências da saúde), gosto de contribuir para a visibilidade internacional da pesquisa brasileira. Gosto de imaginar o papel que desempenho quando artigos sobre as conquistas (e também os fracassos) do Brasil na área da saúde são publicados em revistas internacionais.

Traduzo também outros tipos de textos, principalmente nas áreas de educação, linguística aplicada, comunicação e administração. Essa variedade de assuntos faz com que não me sinta entediada, porém, nada me dá mais prazer do que traduzir um artigo da área da saúde.

Quando trabalho com textos de outras áreas, passo muito tempo pesquisando antes de começar a traduzir, mas quando traduzo um texto sobre saúde, tudo o que faço é sentar, ligar o computador e traduzir! Presto serviços para dois tipos de clientes, sempre como freelancer: pessoas que desejam enviar seus artigos para publicação em revistas internacionais e revistas científicas que têm suas próprias equipes de tradutores.

Nos últimos anos, tenho trabalhado regularmente para seis revistas brasileiras, nos seguintes temas: saúde, educação e comunicação; enfermagem; saúde e atividade física; crescimento e desenvolvimento humano; administração de empresas; e, cidades e metrópoles brasileiras. O pagamento é feito de três maneiras: os autores dos artigos me pagam diretamente pela tradução; a revista é bilíngue e paga pelas traduções; a revista e o autor pagam 50% do custo cada. Infelizmente, os pagamentos feitos pela instituição responsável pelas revistas podem levar muito mais tempo do que o esperado. Mas, quem disse que seria sempre um mar de rosas?

Se eu uso algumas ferramenta CAT? Até agora, não! Como esse é um assunto atual, me sinto na obrigação de abordá-lo.

Já fiz alguns cursos, porém, não as utilizo porque traduzir artigos implica em respeitar o estilo acadêmico, o estilo da área (por exemplo, artigos da área da saúde são escritos de uma maneira diferente daqueles da linguística aplicada, tantos em relação ao estilo quanto de jargão) e, ainda, o estilo idiossincrático do autor. Dentro desse contexto, penso que as ferramentas CAT não sejam muito úteis.

Além disso, meus serviços não são contratados por agências, ou seja, não preciso entregar memórias de tradução, nem nada similar. Perguntei para alguns colegas que trabalham comigo nessas revistas e eles também não acreditam que seja necessário usar essas ferramentas. Nenhum cliente nos pediu para traduzir seus artigos usando o TRADOS ou memoQ. Por enquanto, nosso trabalho pode continuar a ser como o de um “artesão das palavras” e acredito que o Google Tradutor não substituirá nosso trabalho tão cedo. É claro, a necessidade é a mãe das invenções e é mais do que provável que logo tenhamos que nos adaptar a essa nova realidade.

Bem, essa é a “história de amor” que eu queria compartilhar com vocês! Espero que tenham gostado e fiquem à vontade para postar qualquer dúvida ou comentário.

Sobre a tradutora
Gabriella Strapasson é formada em Licenciatura em Letras Português/Inglês (UTFPR). Trabalha como tradutora in-house há seis meses com o par inglês > português e também é professora de inglês. Faz pós-graduação em Tradução de Inglês na Estácio de Sá e está se especializando nas áreas de Finanças, TI e Jurídica. É integrante do TradLin – UTFPR, um grupo de pesquisa sobre Estudos da Tradução. Reside em Curitiba-PR e pode ser encontrada no Facebook e LinkedIn.

11Apr2017

Guest post: Sindicato dos Tradutores

Posted in Guest post by Carol's Adventures in Translation

Sejam bem-vindos de volta à nossa série de publicações convidadas!

Hoje, tenho a honra de receber a queridíssima, fina e elegantérrima Liane Lazoski, atual presidente do Sintra (Sindicato Nacional dos Tradutores), uma profissional que admiro muito.

Seja bem-vinda, Liane!

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Por que devo me filiar ao Sintra?

– O Sintra é a única entidade com poder para representar TODOS os tradutores e intérpretes, no âmbito Executivo, Legislativo e Judiciário, nas questões relacionadas à profissão, inclusive valores, licitações, reivindicações fiscais.

– O Sintra cuida dos profissionais da tradução que trabalham com carteira assinada, e tem uma sala própria para analisar e homologar as rescisões trabalhistas.

– O Sintra é mais um braço para amparar tradutores e intérpretes em todas as situações em que o profissional precisa de um terceiro competente para reivindicar seus direitos.

– O Sintra tem sede própria, bem localizada, e está preparado para receber seus membros sempre que ele precisar de um local comercial nas suas situações profissionais, inclusive um espaço tranquilo para trabalhar, com wi-fi, telefone, café e água.

– O Sintra tem uma assessoria jurídica disposta a ajudar a encontrar soluções para os impasses oficiais que possa vir a enfrentar.

– O Sintra tem um site ativo, com banco de dados de tradutores e intérpretes, ao qual o associado tem automaticamente acesso no ato da sua inscrição.

– O Sintra está atuando nas universidades, oferecendo a primeira anuidade gratuita a todos os formandos em letras e tradução. Com essa iniciativa, pretende robustecer o quadro de associados, para que o sindicato tenha mais força e voz junto às autoridades governamentais.

– O Sintra oferece descontos nos cursos da Estácio, CCE PUC-Rio e Livraria Leonardo Da Vinci. E vem mais por aí!

– O Sintra é o braço político do tradutor/intérprete e, na medida do possível, se faz presente em eventos da categoria.

O SINDICATO É SEU. VENHA E OCUPE O SEU LUGAR.

Sintra (Sindicato Nacional dos Tradutores e Intérpretes)
Endereço: Rua da Quitanda 194 – sala 708, Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Telefone: (21) 2253-1616

Eu sou filiada. E você, está esperando o quê para se filiar? Sem o apoio dos filiados, o sindicato não tem como defender nossos direitos. Depois não adianta reclamar…

Sobre a autora
Liane Lazoski é a atual presidente do Sintra. Foi presidente da Abrates (Associação Brasileira de Tradutores e Intérpretes) nos dois últimos mandatos (2012 a 2016). É fundadora e editora na Lazoski, Beninatto e Cia. Ltda. desde 1983, que chegou a ser uma das dez maiores empresas de tradução do Brasil. Liane é tradutora de inglês (certificada pela Abrates) e espanhol.

13Mar2017

Guest post: Trabalho com agências

Posted in Guest post by Carol's Adventures in Translation

Sejam bem-vindos de volta à nossa série de convidados!

Hoje recebemos a Gisley Rabello Ferreira, fundadora da Wordlink Traduções e membro do Comitê de Administração do Programa de Mentoria da Abrates.

Bem-vinda, Gisley!

Source: Unsplash

Nossos clientes: como anda o relacionamento entre LSPs e agências globais de tradução

Uma das principais dúvidas do tradutor profissional é: devo trabalhar para clientes diretos ou agências de tradução? Sem dúvida, trabalhar para clientes diretos é mais lucrativo, mas muitas vezes pode significar ter que realizar mais tarefas fora do escopo da tradução propriamente dita: orçamento, preparação de arquivos, DTP (diagramação e formatação), revisão final, entre outras. As agências pagam menos, mas, realiza todas as tarefas colaterais do projeto, e o tradutor pode se concentrar em seu maior talento: traduzir. Nas duas situações, há prós e contras, e cabe a cada profissional priorizar o tipo de cliente a que se adapta melhor. Assim, é preciso entender quem são nossos clientes, o papel deles na cadeia de fornecimento do mercado e onde nós, fornecedores linguísticos, nos colocamos nessa cadeia.

Trocando em miúdos, no mercado de tradução, há dois principais tipos de clientes: os clientes diretos e as agências de tradução. Os clientes diretos são pessoas físicas ou empresas que contratam profissionais independentes ou empresas e agências de tradução para projetos de tradução. As agências de tradução podem ser empresas globais, que atuam com inúmeros idiomas e têm escritórios em vários países, ou pequenas empresas de tradução, que trabalham com um número limitado de idiomas e prestam serviços tanto para clientes diretos quanto para agências globais. Mas, como assim? Agências que trabalham com agências? Complicado? Nem tanto. As agências pequenas, além de serem clientes dos tradutores independentes, são também fornecedores linguísticos para clientes diretos e agências globais, o que as coloca nas duas posições do mercado: contratante (agência) e contratado (LSP, language services provider).

As pequenas empresas/agências de tradução são estruturadas de modo a atender muito bem tanto a clientes diretos quanto a agências de tradução globais. Aos clientes diretos, elas dão todo o suporte necessário em projetos de tradução completos (desde o orçamento detalhado até o produto finalizado, seja ele um website, um vídeo legendado ou um simples documento), já que têm uma carteira de colaboradores diversificada, contando com colaboradores de tradução, revisão, editoração, legendagem, entre outros. Para agências de tradução globais, essas empresas fornecem o que chamamos de TEP (translation, editing, proofreading), que nada mais é do que a tradução revisada e verificada em seu formato final: três etapas do processo garantidas por um único fornecedor, além de uma infraestrutura de gerenciamento de projetos e qualidade personalizada.

Qual é a vantagem para as agências globais em se relacionarem com pequenas empresas fornecedoras de tradução? Apesar de as agências globais contarem com muitos profissionais independentes de tradução e revisão para seus fluxos de trabalho em projetos de tradução, contratando-os como tradutores, revisores, especialistas em controle de qualidade, líderes de projeto e muitas outras funções, elas contam também com as pequenas agências de traduções baseadas nos países onde se fala a língua-alvo contratada. O papel dessas pequenas empresas como LSPs é, além de fornecer TEP, dar apoio de infraestrutura e fluxo de trabalho, principalmente em projetos de contas grandiosas, para os quais é difícil conseguir tantos recursos com o perfil específico da conta e gerenciar um controle de qualidade eficiente. As pequenas agências de tradução então atuam como parceiras das agências globais, auxiliando na formação e no treinamento de equipes de tradução e revisão, controlando a qualidade com um profissional fixo para aplicar LQAs, gerenciar glossários, tirar dúvidas da equipe, servir de intermediário entre cliente e tradutores etc. e contando com uma equipe de gerentes de projetos dedicados especialmente aos trabalhos dessas contas.

Mas, para as pequenas agências, é vantagem ter esses clientes? Se a agência global pagar o preço justo para essa parceria tão importante e complexa, vale. Como sabemos, no Brasil temos uma carga tributária muito grande para pessoas jurídicas. Isso é um fator que não chega a impedir, mas que torna bem complexa a contratação de funcionários para desempenhar algumas funções que requerem um comprometimento maior com o trabalho. Trabalhar com profissionais independentes (ou freelancers, como muitos gostam de chamar) para essas funções é uma saída, mas, como esses profissionais têm inúmeros clientes, fica complicado exigir um compromisso de quase exclusividade. Ainda assim, é vantagem trabalhar com agências globais, não só pela receita, mas também pela oportunidade de aprender cada vez mais sobre as mais novas ferramentas e tendências do mercado. Dependendo da parceria que as empresas de tradução têm com as agências globais, seus funcionários e colaboradores recebem treinamento, lidam com os seus clientes diretos em algumas tarefas e até viajam para outros países para testar produtos e realizar projetos específicos. Por outro lado, pode ser difícil para a pequena empresa lidar com os volumes desse tipo de cliente, pois manter uma carteira de colaboradores disponíveis é um desafio. E, em geral, as agências globais especificam volumes mínimos semanais em contrato, então, é preciso se preparar bem para cumprir o combinado, aliando prazo e qualidade.

Para o tradutor independente, ter uma pequena agência de tradução como cliente é trabalhar com profissionais que, acima de tudo, entendem perfeitamente o papel dos tradutores e as dificuldades que eles têm em projetos específicos. É a chance de trabalhar com quem também já passou e passa por essas dificuldades e provavelmente já tem soluções para algumas delas. E, se não tem, certamente vai se esforçar para buscá-las, pois o seu objetivo é o mesmo que o do tradutor: manter o cliente feliz.

No frigir dos ovos, a verdade é só uma: estamos todos no mesmo barco. Assim, precisamos todos – tradutores, revisores, agências – deixar os preconceitos de lado e tentar manter uma relação saudável, sempre com muito diálogo sobre o papel de cada parte nesse relacionamento e sobre tarifas, o verdadeiro tabu entre nós. Tenhamos em mente que nossos objetivos são iguais, portanto, se tivermos uma boa convivência, todos lucramos, tanto em receita quanto em conhecimentos. Para chegar a esse ponto, é preciso refletir bastante sobre o que cada parte representa no mercado e procurar enxergar e, principalmente, praticar parcerias nessas relações, em vez de concorrências.

Sobre a autora
Gisley Rabello Ferreira é tradutora, revisora, transcreator e especialista em controle de qualidade nos pares inglês > português brasileiro e espanhol > português brasileiro, principalmente para as seguintes áreas: TI, técnica, comercial, e-learning, localização, saúde e beleza, marketing. É falante nativa de português brasileiro e tem vasta experiência com a língua inglesa e espanhola. É bacharel e licenciada em inglês e literaturas americana e inglesa (UERJ), com pós-graduação em tradução nos idiomas inglês e português (PUC-RJ), e bacharel em espanhol e português e suas respectivas literaturas (UERJ). Atuou de 1990 a 2000 no mercado como tradutora interna em multinacionais americanas do setor de TI e como freelancer em projetos de setores variados para várias agências nacionais. Em abril de 2001, fundou a Wordlink Traduções e ampliou sua área de atuação, passando a oferecer pacotes completos de soluções linguísticas, utilizando as ferramentas e os aplicativos mais modernos do mercado, para clientes nacionais e internacionais. Hoje, também atua como gerente de projetos sênior, além de supervisionar toda a equipe da empresa.

2Mar2017

Greatest Women in Translation: Diane Grosklaus Whitty

Posted in Interview series by Carol's Adventures in Translation

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Welcome back to our Greatest Women in Translation interview series!

Please welcome this month’s interviewee, Diane Grosklaus Whitty, nominated by Kim Olson.

Created with Canva.

1. How did you get into translation? And what was the importance of co-translating a book by Mário Quintana, a well-known Brazilian author (and also translator), in your early translation years?

I drifted into translation much as I drifted into a 23-year residency in Brazil, cutting short vague plans to pursue an academic career in psycholinguistics. About two years into my ex-pat life, I started committing translations. I say ”committing” because I had no business tackling the task at that point. But it was 1978 and I was a native English speaker in a high-demand market, long before email, the internet, or even personal computers (I used a manual typewriter back then). Today I realize I got very lucky with Mário Quintana’s book: lucky to have been given the assignment and lucky that it didn’t present any major translation challenges, for which I would not have been prepared. Prime rule for a translator: know what you don’t know. I caught on to that over the years, as I took short courses and attended seminars in translation, and as experience hit me aside the head every once in a while. My four-year stint as in-house translator and interpreter for the Australian Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro (1982-86) was a period of intense on-the-job training. By the time the Australian government closed the consulate, I was ready to take the plunge as a full-time free-lancer.

2 The first thing that struck my attention when researching about you to create your questions was the quality of the detailed information one can find on your website, especially your vast portfolio. How important do you think it is for a translator to showcase their portfolio?

I don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all formula. If you’re a new translator starting out and don’t have much of a portfolio, spending time and money on a website might not be as important as investing in ATA certification or a new CAT tool. In my case, however, while I don’t have a degree in translation or a master’s in, say, public health, what I do have is vast experience – more years than I actually advertise! So my site serves to showcase my work in a way a resume never would. I actually created it just a year ago. I source over half of my income from direct clients in Brazil and when the real plummeted in late 2015/early 2016, I pulled back from the Brazilian market for a while and devoted my extra time to designing the site. I’ve gotten little traffic through it (half a dozen certified document translations), but I think it serves its other purpose well. I should point out that only about 10% of my work is for agencies; busy PMs want a neat and tidy resume to tuck away in their virtual file cabinet plus a list of the CAT tools you work with; they won’t take the time to visit a website. But here’s an example of how it works with my direct clients: I was approached last fall by a publisher about a non-fiction book on Zika. In my email reply to her query, I highlighted relevant jobs from my portfolio and pointed the editor to my website, where she could also look at samples of my work in the ”snippets” tab. I can’t confirm that the website made any difference in the fact that I landed the assignment (my current favorite-ever), but having the information neatly laid out somehow made it easier to pitch my skills.

At the same time, whether you want to showcase your portfolio or not, I feel it’s important to maintain one. For years, I used to do this in a simple Word file, plugging the raw data into a table hidden inside a folder on my desktop. The website transformed a dreary act of record-keeping into the chance to see the efforts of my labor on display.

3. You mention your all-time favorite escort interpreting assignment was working for the Australian delegation at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. Could you tell us a bit what it was like and why you enjoyed doing it?

I think translators and interpreters are insatiably curious, and this particular assignment gave me glimpses into slices of the world to which I would otherwise not be privy. I sat in while the shadow minister for the environment – a devout Catholic – engaged in an hour-long private conversation with an elderly priest who had been a militant under the dictatorship; I also interpreted for the then-minister of the environment, whose appointments included meeting with a group of street children who were learning sustainable crafts. I was actually a “girl Friday” for the 40 or so members of the delegation, untangling logistic snarls, giving lessons in local culture, and accompanying groups through exhibits and sometimes just around town. Perhaps what I loved most was never knowing which of my language or cultural competency skills might come into play. And the Earth Summit was history – who doesn’t enjoy watching it unfold?

4. Besides having an amazing portfolio, you also showcase some great testimonials, such as “You are like Romário in Brazil. Nobody can replace you,” by a filmmaker, and “you choose the words as I choose the notes when I write an arrangement, very carefully,” by a jazz saxophonist and flautist. Do you think having testimonials help build trust with our potential clients and make them choose us?

Yes, definitely. In a world where ”e-meeting” has become the norm, and where scams are a constant plague, I think testimonials help legitimize your claims and add a personal touch. I’ve drawn most of the testimonials from email exchanges with clients (with their permission), and I have two criteria in mind when deciding what to post. First, I want the comments to mention the qualities and skills that I feel I bring to the job. Second, since the bulk of my work is for direct clients, I give top billing to recognizable names in a given field. So if a scholar or publisher contacts me about a potential job, I can direct them to my site, where they will often recognize a name or two, by reputation or even personally (Brazilian academia is a small world). It helped that I had horded positive feedback over the years in a special file. I recommend it for those days when a job, or a client, has you tearing your hair out and wondering why you ever decided to be a translator – you can take a stroll down memory lane and re-visit some of the clients who make your job a pleasure.

5. Besides having a thorough website not many freelance translators have, you also have a Facebook page, something else not all freelance translators have either (not to mention a rather active ProZ.com profile). And you do share some interesting articles there. How important do you think it is, for freelance translators, to be online?

I don’t consciously seek to maintain an active online presence. In fact, I’m not really a big fan of social media. I created my professional FB page on a whim, but then I found that it forces me to pull my head out of my work and have a little fun. When I left Brazil and returned to the Midwest, in 1999, I started my own little email newsletter for my clients back in Brazil, called ”News of North and South” (a nod to Elizabeth Bishop). It wasn’t focused on translation but on news that might be of interest to my clients – Caetano Veloso’s show in Chicago, my experience with ”return-to-my-native-culture shock,” a US report about something happening in Brazil. It was my excuse to send clients an email and remind them I existed, without directly nagging them for work. I’ve discovered that my FB page works much the same way. I post about translation, language in general, Brazilian literature in translation… and try to keep it light and entertaining. And since it’s FB, I also use it to advertise my accomplishments and pat myself on the back. I automatically repost to my personal FB page, because many of my FB friends are also longtime clients. I can’t say the rewards are all that tangible, but the investment is minimal. Over the years, I’ve learned that big rewards can come from tiny investments.

7. Now it is your turn. Who do you nominate to be our next interviewee?

I would like to nominate Alison Entrekin, a force in bringing new voices in Brazilian literature to the world stage. Alison has three skills I greatly admire: a matchless talent for reproducing the Brazilian reader’s experience in English (a way of looking at translation that I’ve learned from her), utmost grace in crafting English prose, and an ability to reflect on the translation process itself – reflections that she generously shares with her colleagues, much to our good fortune.

It was a pleasure to e-meet you, Diane, and to get to know a bit more about you. I really appreciate your taking the time to kindly answer my questions. 🙂

20Feb2017

All the amazing things

Posted in Monthly post by Carol's Adventures in Translation

Photo by Chris Lawton, courtesy of Unsplash

One of these days, I came across a documentary on HBO called Every Brilliant Thing, where a young boy tries to cure his mother’s depression by creating a list of the best things in the world. The list includes items such as “ice cream” and “Star Trek.” I liked the idea, especially because I have been trying (really hard) to stop focusing on bad things, complaining and gossiping; and it instead focuses on good things. I am well aware of the fact that it is easier to focus on the negativity. Take, for example, how people criticize more than praise others. Try scrolling down your Facebook page and count the positive x negative posts. Focusing on the positivity takes effort; it is not as easy and natural as being negative.

Therefore, I decided to go the extra mile and, instead of losing my time and sanity scrolling down my social media channels, taking the time to compile a list of all the good things in my life. Here it is:

Sleeping.
Sleeping on the couch watching TV on the weekend.
Remaining on bed doing nothing for a while after naturally waking up with no alarm on the weekend.
My bed.
Weekends.
Massage.
Feet massage.
Face massage.
Carefully smearing moisturizer on my feet after taking a shower at the end of the day.
Child smile and/or laughter.
Drinking water when I am really thirsty.
Taking a day off in the middle of the week to do something really nice.
Taking a cold shower when it is really hot.
Taking a nice shower after exercising a lot at the gym.
Manicure.
Pedicure.
Having my hair washed at the hairdresser’s.
A nice, frank in-person conversation with that dear friend you have not seen for a long time.
Routine.
Staying at nice hotels.
Nice hotel breakfast.
Sunset.
Beach.
The sound of the waves at the beach.
Sunbathing.
Fresh coconut water.
The smell of a new book.
The smell of new clothes.
The smell of nicely clean bed sheets.
Wearing new clothes for the first time.
Vacation.
Clouds.
Sky.
Flying.
Dressing up.
Laughing until crying.
Dancing.
Singing along to live music I really like.
The mixed feeling of emotions that include exhaustion and mission accomplished after a hard workout. (Someone must create a word for it!)
London.
Guinness.
Having a pint of Guinness at an English pub.
Cinema.
Watching a movie (at the cinema or at home) eating popcorn.
Tight hugs.
Some people’s smiles.
My birthday.
Being pampered on my birthday.
Presents.
Getting something I really wanted or love without expecting.
Listening to a Brit talk.
Reading a good book.
Stretching out.
Receiving a visit.
Traveling.
Talking about life.
Receiving a handwritten letter.
Writing hand-written letters.
Receiving things from the postman, especially when unexpected.
Eating.
Visiting a new place for the first time.
Watching movies that make me laugh, cry and/or reflect.
The smell of coffee.
Cheese.
When my 3-year-old nephew/godson says “dindá” (dinda is an affectionate way of saying godmother in Portuguese, especially by children).
Piano music.
Eating out.
Trying new things.
Autumn leaves.
Great views.
Knowing I do not have to wake up early the next day.
English scones with cream and jam.
Popcorn.
Having a hot drink in a cozy, warm place when it is really cold.
Having a really cold beer when it is scorching hot.
Friends.
Family.
My cousins.
Friendly, smiley unknown people.
Violin music.
Living by myself.
Silence.
Chocolate and all its forms.
Walking barefoot after cleaning the house.
Wearing PJs.
Traveling by myself.
Eating out.
Watching Friends.
Watermelon.
Finally (unexpectedly) finding something I have been looking for for a while.
Prosecco.
Alice in Wonderland.
Freedom: being able to do whatever I want whenever I want.
Christmas.
New Year.
My sister’s chocolate cake.
Meeting new people.
Learning something new.
When people I love and care about are happy.
My own and very company.

I could easily go on with my list, and I will certainly try to keep it growing, but you got the idea.

What do you think of my list? Is there anything that you also enjoy? Would you add anything to it? I would love to hear your thoughts. And should you feel like writing one of your own, please let me know somehow (ping back to this post, tag me and/or use the hashtag #AllAmazingThings). Sometimes we forget some amazing things in our lives, taking them for granted, so it is good to become aware of them again. 🙂

15Feb2017

How to become the world’s most translated author

Posted in Sponsored post by Carol's Adventures in Translation

Image provided by the author

Becoming the world’s most translated author is no easy feat. Many of those in UNESCO’s Index Translationum list of the top 20 most translated authors have held a place in the list for some years. Or decades. Or, in the case of William Shakespeare, centuries. But that doesn’t mean that the list isn’t open to new entrants. Danielle Steel and Stephen King are both within the top ten, giving hope to those still writing away in the hope of making it big enough to need to engage an army of professional translators to spread their novels around the world.

The Index Translationum reveals some interesting information about those whose works have been translated more than any other authors’ in the world. Here we drill down into the detail in search of the winning formula for becoming the world’s most translated author.

Clearly, being an incredibly talented writer is the most important element behind making it onto the Index Translationum list, but analysis of the other factors reveals some interesting results. When it comes to becoming one of the world’s most translated authors, less is definitely not more. All of those on the list are (or were) prolific writers. The most recent entrants have all written dozens of novels, with Danielle Steel being known for writing up to five novels at a time.

Language is also a key factor. Of the top 20 most translated authors, English was (or still is) the language used by nine of them. French comes next, with four authors writing in French, followed by Russian and German with two authors each.

Gender is also relevant. Of the top 20 authors, only six are female. While the literary world has become far less dominated by men – in particular over the last 50 or so years – there are still many countries where women are not encouraged not to become authors (or are forbidden from doing so altogether). Given these facts, that four of the top ten most translated authors are women is actually very encouraging. Men might still have the edge, but the ‘fairer sex’ is catching up fast.

Subject matter is the final important element when it comes to the criteria for making it onto UNCESCO’s list. Six of those in the top 20 wrote books for children, while five chose murder/mystery/suspense as their genre (including the author at the very top of the list, Agatha Christie). Other genres in the top 20 were as varied as religion, romance and politics.

Image provided by the author

Based on these fascinating insights, it’s possible to identify the key characteristics of the winning formula for becoming the world’s most translated author. If you’re a man who’s writing dozens of murder/mystery fairy tales in English, you might just be in with a chance!

About the author
Louise Taylor is a freelance writer who writes for the Tomedes Blog.

10Feb2017

Guest post: On hard skills

Posted in Guest post by Carol's Adventures in Translation

Welcome back to our guest series! It is with a great pleasure that I introduce you to this month’s guest, Paula Arturo. I love all her writings and was thrilled when she accepted my invitation to write here.

Welcome, Paula!

Image provided by the author.

While professional translators and interpreters know better, the painful truth is that many of us have that special clueless someone in our circle of friends, family, and acquaintances who seems to think all it takes to be a language professional is to pass a Cambridge exam or spend a summer abroad learning a second language. Though this misconception may appear to be quite widespread, it’s not a belief that is commonly held by high-end translation buyers, such as international organizations, financial institutions or high-stakes financial players; and by that, what I mean is that clients with deep pockets and experience working with translators are usually already aware of the risks of using non-professionals and the benefits of having someone with the right qualifications and experience on their team.

Many young new language professionals aspire to work for such clients, and kudos to them! If you’re a newbie and you’ve already figured out that the bulk market is essentially a race to the bottom, more power to you. The problem is, however, that you might have some misconceptions about what it takes to work for high-end clients. This is so because most workshops, conference sessions, blog posts, and CPD opportunities focus so much on soft skills that people can be misled into thinking that all you need to be a translator or interpreter is a friendly face and emotional intelligence. While soft skills can help land new clients, keeping them and making it to the top of the food chain is an entirely different story.

If you don’t have the necessary hard skills to deliver results, clients won’t be returning or recommending you to anyone else. No matter how much marketing you do or how SEO savvy you are, hard skills are essentially what marks the difference between one hit wonders and multiplatinum holders. So where to begin?

1) Get a mentor, not a guru. We all have role models, i.e. people we look up to and whose accomplishments we want to emulate. Find that person and try to get them to be your mentor. Mentors don’t just pass down knowledge and skills, they also provide professional socialization and guidance to help you get started on the right foot.

2) Work with a reviewer. We all learn from others, and having a reviewer is key to improving the way we look at, interpret, and rewrite our translations. Reviewers challenge your linguistic choices and force you to rethink them or improve the quality of your work. You can’t possibly learn and do better if nobody’s marking your errors, and becoming an exceptional translator means being open to constructive criticism and change.

3) Become an expert. Your subject-matter expertise must be on a par with that of your client. If you can’t hold a conversation with a subject-matter expert in your desired area of specialization, you’re not ready to handle high stakes work. Of course, there may be a difference in the degree of subject-matter knowledge and expertise between you and your client, especially if you come directly from the field of translation and not from your client’s field, but you should still know enough about the subject-matter to talk about it intelligently and know the right questions to ask.

4) Read, read, read, and then read some more! This should be a given. A translator who isn’t an avid reader cannot possibly acquire enough general, background, and specialist knowledge to correctly understand the subtleties and nuances in certain types of texts.

5) Never stop working on your writing skills. Colombian Nobel laureate Gabriel García Marquez once said in an interview he would sometimes have to force himself to set his texts down and stop making corrections to them or he would never send anything to his publisher. Franz Kafka was constantly correcting course and was known to destroy his work out of dissatisfaction with his own writing. Translators have to be exceptionally good writers, and that is a life-long pursuit.

Of course, this is not a comprehensive list, just a start. The takeaway here is that if you aspire to sit at the cool kids’ table you’re going to have to achieve mastery in your craft. So, the next time you choose sessions at a conference, sign up for CPD, or otherwise invest in your training and education, ask yourself this: Am I maintaining a healthy balance between soft and hard skills? Or better yet, am I focusing on hard skills as much as I should be?

Great tips, Paula! I totally agree with you. It takes a combination of well-mastered hard and soft skills to be a professional translator/interpreter. Thank you so much for accepting my invitation and kindly taking the time to write such great advice to our readers! It is a pleasure to welcome you here.

About the author
Paula Arturo is a lawyer, translator, and former law professor. She is a co-director of Translating Lawyers, a boutique firm specializing in legal translation by lawyers for lawyers. Throughout her fifteen-year career, in addition to various legal and financial documents, she has also translated several highly technical law books and publications in major international journals for high-profile authors, including several Nobel Prize Laureates and renowned jurists. She is currently a member of the American Translators Association’s Ethics Committee, the ATA Literary Division’s Leadership Council, and Member of the Public Policies Forum of the Supreme Court of Argentina.

2Feb2017

Greatest Women in Translation: Kim Olson

Posted in Interview series by Carol's Adventures in Translation

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Welcome back to our interview series!

Please welcome this month’s interviewee, Kim Olson, nominated by Doris M. Schraft.

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1. What’s your connection with Brazil and Brazilian Portuguese?

The connection goes back a long way! Where I grew up, public schools began to introduce foreign languages (French or Spanish) to students in the 4^th grade. I had a Spanish class a few days a week and was hooked. I had a vivacious teacher who would turn our practice of naming objects and colors into games of catch, and who stealthily prepared us to surprise our regular teacher by teaching us how to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish. In high school, I added German and was blessed to have another marvelous teacher who brought culture and language to life. During that time, I was also involved in activities that brought together a number of foreign students participating in exchange programs such as AFS and Rotary Exchange, Brazilians among them. That was my first exposure to Portuguese and Brazilians.

I knew at that time that I wanted to study languages, but wasn’t quite sure what it would lead me to afterwards (I really could have benefited from ATA’s school outreach program!). My desire to be in a more international setting led me to Georgetown University in Washington, DC where I entered as a Spanish major. A meeting with the assistant dean of the School of Languages and Linguistics the summer before college got me thinking about studying Portuguese “as a way to open up more of South America.” Portuguese had not been a language offered in my school system, but I’d gotten a notion of it from meeting Brazilian students. When it came time to register for classes, I selected both Spanish and Portuguese, making the decision to leave German for a time. By my second semester, I’d officially changed my major to Portuguese and was pursuing a minor in Latin American Area Studies. Language majors were encouraged to study abroad and I was able to do so during my junior year as an International Student Exchange Program participant to PUC/RJ. After completing studies at Georgetown, I was determined to get back to Brazil and decided the best way to do that would be to go back to PUC/RJ and obtain a degree in translation.

2. After holding two undergraduate degrees in Languages/Translation, you moved to International Business for an MBA. Why did you decide to change areas?

I saw this less as a change in area and more as an expanded scope of potential activities. When I returned to the U.S. after PUC, I looked for a job in Washington, DC, seeking a job in which I could use my language skills. I eventually took a support position in the Latin America and Caribbean Investment Department at the International Finance Corporation, the private-sector arm of the World Bank. I was very intrigued by the work performed there, but my non-business background proved to be somewhat of a barrier. That’s when I decided to pursue an MBA at nearby George Washington University. I earned my degree over a four-year period as I continued to work full-time and translate on the side. By the time I finished, the entrepreneurial side of business school had taken firm hold and before long, I set out to run my own business. That of course involved translation.

3. When asked where I could find more information about you, you provided me with your ProZ.com profile, as well as your LinkedIn profile. Do you think having a ProZ.com profile helps getting projects and clients? Have you ever landed any project/client through ProZ.com?

As a freelancer, I have to create as many possible channels as I can for obtaining potential clients. The process of setting up my profile, selecting particular ways to describe my work and sorting through sample translations for posting helped me think through how I want to be perceived. Early on, I was diligent about checking the site daily and got a few projects. One turned out to be quite interesting – selecting snippets of audio in Portuguese to be used for language teaching purposes. That project lasted almost a year and made for a nice change of pace from straight translation.

4. I could not help but notice that you got your ATA certification in the same year I was born. That makes me feel like a baby and a complete amateur compared to your vast and rich experience in translation. What were your greatest learnings in all those years of experience that you feel are worth sharing with translation babies like myself? 🙂

In the process of learning a foreign language, we all know that you have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone and risk sounding slightly ridiculous as you practice vocabulary, string together what you hope will be grammatically-correct sentences and hone your accent. That willingness over time translates(!) into taking chances in the professional realm, often in the form of assignments. I don’t mean straying from your languages or areas of expertise, but rather, keeping an open mind when potential projects present themselves to you. This willingness to take a chance can lead to some fascinating assignments that in turn help you build more confidence as you diversify your abilities and gain experience.

Along with this willingness, I’ve also learned to embrace what appear to be new directions. I’ve learned to follow what sparks my interest, investing in it intellectually and otherwise. It’s only been in the past 10 years that my focus has moved more towards the sciences, for example.

Another thing I’ve found that is also related to stepping out of the comfort zone is that I should not be shy or reluctant about engaging with colleagues. They are my greatest resources for ideas and solutions. Sometimes those solutions involve joining together to tackle a large project.

5. What have you learned so far with your experience leading a team of translators in producing the online English version of a monthly magazine published by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)?

This initial point is not new, and is reinforced as each month passes. My colleagues are incredible sources of wisdom, solutions and inspiration. I have become a better translator because of what I have learned from them.

I’ve also realized that

I truly enjoy the process involved in producing a high-quality translation product that allows the client to showcase its work.

I thrive on the attention to detail involved in project management and I love editing the pieces and helping to finesse the articles. I’ve learned, too, that I really enjoy the variety of articles that come across my desk. Many of the subjects have sparked a desire to learn even more.

The main thing I’ve learned, though, is that success can be found in many places.

A challenging request from a client might just set you on a path to something fun and rewarding.

6. ATA 57 was the first time you attended an ATA Conference as a speaker. How was the experience? What are the benefits, in your opinion, of presenting at a conference?

I attended my first ATA Conference in 1989 and remember being amazed at the level of knowledge and expertise people had and were willing to share. After many years of attending conferences, I reached a point where I finally thought I had something to offer as well. By then, I’d been leading the incredibly talented translators on the FAPESP project for nearly four years. It was a measure of success that I felt was worthy of talking about.

I found the experience itself to very rewarding (despite my more-than-anticipated nervousness). Again, the process of preparing my presentation helped me focus on key points. My session was quite well-attended and people seemed genuinely interested in my experience. That interest and eagerness to learn more from me and my experience was extremely gratifying.

7. Now it is your turn. Who do you nominate to be our next interviewee?

I would like to nominate Diane Grosklaus Whitty. I met Diane when she became part of the current project team and we have worked together on other projects as well. I’m allowed to marvel at her beautifully rendered translations and reap the benefit of her painstaking and thorough subject-matter research on a regular basis. She inspires me!

I loved reading your answers, Kim! Thank you so much for kindly accepting Doris’ nomination and my invitation! It was a pleasure e-meeting you and getting to know a bit more about you.

16Jan2017

Why Datasheet Is Not Enough for Today’s Freelancer

Posted in Sponsored post by Carol's Adventures in Translation

Image provided by the author.

As a freelancer or a small company, your business is closely connected with computers. You receive and fulfill various orders from different clients; your business is prosperous, it grows, and as you gain experience, the amount of orders gradually increases.

You have to find a way to keep records about your tasks, because you have to know exact sums and the currency of payments received, the client who sent it, the files to be delivered, the deadline, etc. This work can be tedious, and, what is even worse, it diverts you from performing your skilled work, as it is not directly connected with the creative/productive side of your business.

At the first stages of your business, an ordinary Excel sheet is entirely sufficient for that. But the more orders you have, the more time you need to spend on accounting. Furthermore, as everyone knows, losing time means losing money. And one day you find that you forget to issue an invoice and a client has not paid you for six months, or you miss a deadline, or you do not remember a contact’s email or phone number, or a client complains about a project you performed a year ago, but you cannot even recall what that project was about, and so on.

In this moment, you try to find a program or a service which can save you from these accounting tribulations. But the first links provided by Google may dissatisfy you, as they can lead to huge and expensive TMS’s. For you, they look like a Ferrari or an Alfa Romeo, when what you need is a Smartcar.

Here is where Protemos comes in handy. It allows you to significantly reduce the amount of time you spend on drudging accounting. It is a solution specifically designed to simplify your business.

Protemos is an online tool. To be more exact, it is a so-called ‘SaaS’ (Software as a Service). That is what determines its advantages. Since full-time internet access is a must in today’s globalized, digital world, ‘onlineness’ is its main benefit. With Protemos, you are not limited by which device or OS you use, or hindered by their file storage and retrieval. On the contrary, you can receive incoming files on your home Windows PC, create a Protemos project on your Android tablet, perform the task on your iMac and then deliver the processed files from your iPhone. All you need is a browser and an Internet connection.

Protemos does all the monotonous tasks for you. It automates the routine actions, reminds you about the assignments and deadlines, stores information about your clients (and possibly vendors) and keeps financial records about costs and revenues.

Yet, it is very simple: you do not need to take a two-week course to learn it. Its intuitive interface lets you get started in no time. All you have to do is create an account and enter data about your clients and/or vendors.

Here is how Protemos looks on a usual laptop screen:

Image provided by the author.

And here it is on a standard 5.5″ Android smartphone screen:

Image provided by the author.

Of course, smaller mobile screens do not provide the same seamless experience as PCs. Not all the items fit on the screen and you have to scroll the page to find the option you need. But the main actions are still possible, so you can, for example, accept or deliver urgent files on a smartphone, even when you sit on a bench in a park.

The structure of an ordinary project is straightforward:

Receiving files (and possibly creating a quote, if you do not use/have a set price for a client)
Creating a project (or converting the existing quote into a project)
Uploading incoming files to ‘project input’
Fulfilling a task (or assigning it to a vendor)
Uploading ready (or received from a vendor) files to ‘project output’
Closing a project
Issuing invoice(s)

At any moment you can add files, create new jobs, reopen a closed project, and much more. Protemos is highly customizable, because, from the very beginning, it has been developed with flexibility in mind.

The next benefit is pricing. Compared to other systems, Protemos’ rates are very competitive: you will not have to work for it. Also Protemos allow you to receive a referral bonus for involving new users.

And last but not least: Protemos is developing very quickly. New features appear regularly. Some enhancements introduce new features, while others are intended to simplify the interface. The developers readily respond to user’s requests and implement changes in the following builds.

Thus, the main aim of Protemos is to streamline your work processes and free you from boring, routine tasks, so you can spare more time focusing on what is more interesting and profitable for you.

About the author
Over 16-year career in translation Volodymyr Kukharenko advanced from a freelancer to CEO of translation agency and founder of software company. He managed all types of tasks associated with language production: translating and self-training as a freelancer, editing and teaching as an editor, managing the pipeline as a PM. In 2010 he co-founded Technolex Translation Studio and led the company to its current leading positions on Ukrainian market. Having the deep knowledge of the processes in the translation companies and the translation industry as a whole, in 2014 he created Protemos, a software startup to create the new tools for the translation industry which he was missing on his previous positions. By now, the company have released 3 tools: ChangeTracker, Protemos and TQAuditor, and thousands of users are already using them.

10Jan2017

Guest post: Terminology for translators

Posted in Guest post by Carol's Adventures in Translation

Welcome back to our guest post series! Hope you are all having a great start of the year so far. Mine has officially started this week. I mean, I have been working non-stop, but my mind is set to a new year only after my birthday, so here I am, putting my resolutions into practice with the greatest determination possible.

Enough of me, let’s welcome our first guest of 2017, Patricia Brenes.

Welcome, Patricia!

Source: Unsplash, by Mark Solarski

Terminology as an added value to your Resume

More and more translators are starting to realize that they just can’t keep writing job description resumes, but rather value-added resumes, which means they need to find new ways to set themselves apart from the competition.

A little over two years ago, I started writing my blog on Terminology, In My Own Terms. Since then, I have received many messages from translators who say it had not occurred to them that Terminology could be a way to advance their careers. So what is all the hype? In the past years, the four blogs that actively talk about Terminology (see list below) have ranked among the 10 top language professional blogs in bab.la’s annual competition, a clear indication of an increased interest in Terminology.

Experts agree that learning about Terminology is key to a successful translation career. During Proz’s 2015 Virtual Conference, Jim Wardell, an experienced German to English translator, indicated that “Terminology is excruciatingly important, getting it right and being fanatical about Terminology, […] is what sets you, as a translator, apart from all the others who don’t do their homework, and that’s what makes your translations shine”. Also, according to Rodolfo Maslias, Head of the Terminology Coordination Unit (TermCoord) at the European Parliament “Terminology is an excellent choice for […] a specialization for linguists.”

As Terminology continues to get more and more attention, I believe new training opportunities will open up. So if you don’t know where to start, the first step is to stay informed and up-to-date. Subscribe to these blogs: TermCoord’s blog is updated daily with the latest events and activities. WordLo by Maria Pia Montoro offers interesting insights on Terminology and a comprehensive list of terminology tools and systems. Terminologia etc by Licia Corbolante is in Italian and although I don’t know much Italian, I find her posts brilliantly written with short and sweet practical cases of terminology. In My Own Terms explains theory in easy terms for beginners and offers, among others, a collection of posts called “Basic Course on Terminology”. There is also an inactive blog which provides useful cases on terminology management that I visit regularly: BIK Terminology, by renowned terminologist Barbara Inge Karsch.

Once you get a better idea of what terminology can do for you, you have more formal options, such as TermNet’s certification for Terminology Managers. They offer a basic and an advanced online course every year, as well as the School of Terminology, a one-week workshop that also allows you to get certified in-site (usually in Germany or Vienna). The Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona offers a Master’s in Terminology in English or Spanish, with the possibility of taking the courses separately, in case you can’t sign up for the full Master’s right away. You may also want to download the Telegram app and follow TeleTermino, a channel that teaches the basic building blocks of Terminology to beginners and other interested individuals.

There are also videos that introduce Terminology in various forms presented by renowned terminologists. You can also keep up to date by following the major players of Terminology in social media. Lastly, you can learn from the experts by reading the collection of interviews by TermCoord called “Why is Terminology your Passion?”. I think this is a great way to learn about the different roles that terminologists play around the world.

Don’t underestimate the power of Terminology. Offering terminology management to your clients will put you on the right track to a successful career. As expert terminologist Michael Beijer puts it: “Translation and Terminology are inextricably intertwined. Translating is the easy part as it comes naturally to you, but it is the terminology that trips you off.” So you should not only know how to manage terminology efficiently but also get more involved in the Terminology world to keep track of the latest trends. Let the Terminology bug bite you!

Thank you so much for accepting my invitation and taking the time to write to my blog, Patricia! It was an honor hosting you! I thought it was particularly interesting to learn about the Telegram’s terminology channel. Thanks for all the amazing tips!

About the author
Patricia Brenes is the owner of the blog inmyownterms.com. Originally from Costa Rica, she moved to Washington in 2000 to work for the Inter-American Development Bank. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Specialized Translation at the Universitat de Vic in Barcelona. She also has a Terminology Manager certification (ECQA) from TermNet. Her blog collects useful information on theory and practice, as well as infographics, biographies, interviews, tools and much more.