| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | A labour of love? Thread poster: Terry Richards
|
|---|
Simon Bruni 
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:10
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
| Why not have both? | Mar 28, 2012 |
JL01 wrote:
Talking of "love" applies to a hobby.
Others talk about a business.
There lies the difference.
Unfortunately translators have to compete with businesspeople; therein lies the problem.
Surely a love of translation combined with an astute business sense is best (which I equate to having a good product and knowing how to sell it). Sadly many players in the game usually have one or the other, not both.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:10
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Simon Bruni wrote:
......translators have to compete with businesspeople; therein lies the problem.
That's a false distinction. A professional translator *is* a business person and one's love of translation does not exclude an equal amount of love for running a business effectively and efficiently.
| | | | Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:10
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
| As I've said... | Mar 29, 2012 |
Tom in London wrote: Simon Bruni wrote:
......translators have to compete with businesspeople; therein lies the problem. That's a false distinction. A professional translator *is* a business person and one's love of translation does not exclude an equal amount of love for running a business effectively and efficiently.
That's the ideal scenario. In practice, unfortunately, it's not always the case. The big penny-pinching agencies (arguably the most successful businesses in the industry) are often populated by people who know nothing and care nothing of language but know how to build a business, market a product and squeeze their providers. Conversely there are translators who might be brilliant at translating but they struggle on the business side of things (many competent, fully qualified translators are unable to make a living). As a translator a large proportion of your time is spent engaged in the mentally demanding task of translating; it follows that others who are putting all their time and effort solely into generating business and supplying a product as cheaply as possible will have the edge.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:10
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Simon Bruni wrote:
As a translator a large proportion of your time is spent engaged in the mentally demanding task of translating; it follows that others who are putting all their time and effort solely into generating business and supplying a product as cheaply as possible will have the edge.
No again. Simon, you're still making a false distinction between (a) loving translation (b) loving business.
| | |
|
|
|
Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:10
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
| If you love both that's great for you | Mar 29, 2012 |
Tom in London wrote: Simon Bruni wrote:
As a translator a large proportion of your time is spent engaged in the mentally demanding task of translating; it follows that others who are putting all their time and effort solely into generating business and supplying a product as cheaply as possible will have the edge. No again. Simon, you're still making a false distinction between (a) loving translation (b) loving business.
There are aspects of business I enjoy too, but I don't relish them like I do translating. There's no false distinction; they are two separate skill sets that coexist in equal or, more often I would say, unequal measure. Translators are notoriously bad businesspeople, hence we are pinched, squeezed and manhandled by more glossy middlemen (you won't find lawyers, dentists or even journalists bending over so easily).
| | | | Stefano Papaleo
Italy
Local time: 08:10
Member (2005)
English to Italian
+ ...
| Of love, money, middlemen and what have you | Mar 29, 2012 |
Simon Bruni wrote:
There are aspects of business I enjoy too, but I don't relish them like I do translating. There's no false distinction; they are two separate skill sets that coexist in equal or, more often I would say, unequal measure. Translators are notoriously bad businesspeople, hence we are pinched, squeezed and manhandled by more glossy middlemen (you won't find lawyers, dentists or even journalists bending over so easily).
Actually, I think you are mixing apples with oranges here - although I get your point and understand that such comparison has been made lots of times here and elsewhere.
One key to why comparing freelance translators with lawyers, dentists or journalists is the word you wrote before them: middlemen. There is rarely such a thing in those professions. Need a lawyer? Who do you call? A lawyer or a law firm, which is made for the most of part of lawyers associated together, one of which will take your case.. no agencies, no PMs, no proofreaders, no subcontractor-chain etc.
Secondly, all 3 professions are often highly regulated by the law and - at least here in Italy - you have to take an exam to become part of the Order, Professional Society, Membership, call it as you wish, you get the drift. Rates are somehow regulated by law and such organisations; it is not a WORLDWIDE FREE MARKET as ours.
You NEED a lawyer, are obliged by law to hire one if you go to court, just as bad as you need a dentist if the pain is just unbearable etc. It's an advantage position we don't have and the numbers are way too different. They operate only on a national level and they are fewer than we are and competition is (much) less of a problem. As we say, they hold the knife by the handle... something else than sheer savvy business;)
The things are a bit different for journalists (and here it depends whether employees or freelancers) and anyway in the past few years (actually even before the web and blog manias came along) they are not so better off as we may think, esp. freelancers who are exploited more than we are, unless we are talking about the few big names in the business.
You certainly need good business skills in those areas too but the situation is way different than freelancing translation. On top of it, such professions have always been perceived as successful, prestigious etc. so they enjoy an aura of "fame/respect" that our job has never enjoyed, live with it.
AS a final note, times may be dire (relatively speaking of course) for dentists too since in the past few years some go across the border here because prices are cheaper... this happens in all the countries on the border with Eastern European countries. So here from Italy they go Slovenia, Croatia and some even to Hungary, the same do Austrians, crossing over to Slovakia and so on. It's globalization, baby;)
Loving what you do - whatever you do - always helps, haven't you ever heard people complaining about their jobs (and just not about their job conditions, we often do too, don't we?) ? Doing what one loves and getting paid for it... priceless (which is what our clients would like so much LOL!)
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » A labour of love? | 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 » |
| | Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users!
Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value
Buy now! » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
