Japanese to English translation: beginner needs some advice Thread poster: Craig Rome
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Craig Rome 
New Zealand
Local time: 18:25
Japanese to English
I have Nihongo no ryoku level 2 from about 15 years ago..and have been learning or speaking Japanese for over 25 years now...
During that time I have been working and now run my own in bound tour business for Japanese guests ( mainly )..however I was wishing to establish some other side business that can help give me flexible income when tour work is quieter..May to August...but also throughout the year...and yet keeps me working in the Japanese arena which is good for my language skills.<... See more I have Nihongo no ryoku level 2 from about 15 years ago..and have been learning or speaking Japanese for over 25 years now...
During that time I have been working and now run my own in bound tour business for Japanese guests ( mainly )..however I was wishing to establish some other side business that can help give me flexible income when tour work is quieter..May to August...but also throughout the year...and yet keeps me working in the Japanese arena which is good for my language skills.
I am based in the South Island of New Zealand..and thanks to the wonders of the internet have done the odd translation job...however my reading ability is not fantastic..but I feel I have quite a good knowledge of Kanji and a very good level of written English.
I have just received a test translation from a company and was told that I had failed...which wasnt totally a shock.....it was quite a challenging piece about earthquake research on the Nankai Trough...
They asked me to use Trados...I dont have Trados..and not sure if I want to buy the software without knowing if I have the necessary level to satisfy clients needs.....and justify the expense.
I feel it would be quite easy to say .."maybe I am not good enough"...and give up..but I feel I have a very good knowledge of the language both written and spoken, and a very broad work experience...
Should I just join up and trial offers will come..
can someone advise me where I might go from here...
as in ..further learning...on line translation study..
.........somewhere you can check your ability level...apart from the expense and trouble of doing nihongo no ryoku..
.........is it feasible to expect to get proof reading and then gain experience that way and work up to being a Japanese to English translator by joining Pro Z as a member.....
.......if you buy trados does it really lift your ability to do translations as well as speed up the process
any help or advice much appreciated
Craig Rome
[Edited at 2009-08-28 09:41 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Satasana
Finland
Local time: 09:25
English to Finnish
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| Start from the bottom, | Aug 28, 2009 |
that's what I did.
I started by proofreading (not Japanese) and slowly made my way to translations. I still do a lot of proofreading, and yes, sometimes it's worse than boring, but I take it as a learning possibility.
| | | | Katia Perry
Brazil
Local time: 03:25
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
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| If you like translating... | Aug 28, 2009 |
I think you should insist.
I have failed a few agency's tests, too. On the other hand, there are well established agencies that send me jobs very often (so, I understand that I fit their quality standards!). What I mean is that failing tests isn't indicative that you aren't a good translator.
In my experience, proz.com is a good place to start freelancing. Not only to advertise your skills, but also to change experience (through forum posts, kudoz questions, etc.).
... See more I think you should insist.
I have failed a few agency's tests, too. On the other hand, there are well established agencies that send me jobs very often (so, I understand that I fit their quality standards!). What I mean is that failing tests isn't indicative that you aren't a good translator.
In my experience, proz.com is a good place to start freelancing. Not only to advertise your skills, but also to change experience (through forum posts, kudoz questions, etc.).
Concerning Trados, I don't have it either. In fact, using such tools may help you work faster, once you are familiar with the software. But there are free options, e.g. Wordfast, that are said to work as well as Trados.
Good luck!
Katia ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Keep on trying | Aug 28, 2009 |
Hi Craig,
I haven't experience in Japanese, but startet my way using proz.com.
I prepared my standard reply which I wanted to post in my quotes on jobs and just tried to quote...
And lucky me, I got some jobs, but I must admit that economic times were different at that time. If you monitor the hundreds of quotes now received for one badly paid job...
But you should try it. Maybe specialize in tourism, as you have your tour experience.
you are in the lucky si... See more Hi Craig,
I haven't experience in Japanese, but startet my way using proz.com.
I prepared my standard reply which I wanted to post in my quotes on jobs and just tried to quote...
And lucky me, I got some jobs, but I must admit that economic times were different at that time. If you monitor the hundreds of quotes now received for one badly paid job...
But you should try it. Maybe specialize in tourism, as you have your tour experience.
you are in the lucky situation that your language pair is not as common as mine are..
And as soon as you got your first jobs well done, the rest will come almost automatically. Most of the times people will contact you directly instead of posting jobs.
Proz.com is a good start, also to get websites to register at.
I would call myself quite experienced, but even I get sample translations back with "failed". So what!
Concerning Trados: I started with Wordfast which can be downloaded for free. You can also use a translation memory (wich is essential to be effective), and it collaborates with Trados. Most of the times clients wouldn't recognize that you are not using Trados.
If your business is running you could think about bying Trados, as you are a lot more flexible and will be able to translate almost every file format.
But no need to hurry up with that.
Good luck!
Sandra ▲ Collapse
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| Consider having a Japanese partner. | Sep 29, 2009 |
Hi, Craig,
I am a new ProZ member and am currently building my profile. I think the best advice I can give to you is to share my experience of learning English and how I have made it as strong as my Japanese.
I was born in Japan, and have been in New York for over 20 years. I feel my English is as strong as my Japanese. (Honestly English has become easier for me now). The reason why I can say this is that I had a native English speaker as my partner (husband) for 10 ye... See more Hi, Craig,
I am a new ProZ member and am currently building my profile. I think the best advice I can give to you is to share my experience of learning English and how I have made it as strong as my Japanese.
I was born in Japan, and have been in New York for over 20 years. I feel my English is as strong as my Japanese. (Honestly English has become easier for me now). The reason why I can say this is that I had a native English speaker as my partner (husband) for 10 years and during those years I (forced myself to) wrote English newsletters intensively and had him correct them... It was the best English education I had ever given to myself. I had in-house editor so to speak. When it comes to language, I recommend anyone to find someone local with whom you can exchange language lessons, and WRITE your thoughts and have him/her CORRECT it. Yes, it's tedious, but is the great and sure way to advance your Japanese. You can also get help from him/her for your translation assignments. I also recommend to always think in Japanese when you are having English thoughts in your head. (well, it's all day long, right?) If you can't translate, take a note and ask your partner in the next session.
Good luck on your Japanese endeavors. Never give up your dream.
I will be happy to speak with you on the phone.
Also check the topic " If you had $1000 to establish yourself, what would you spend it on?" It is a helpful discussion on where you should spend your money when starting a business as a translator.
Warmly,
Yukiko ▲ Collapse
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