Employment in translation Thread poster: MarianaPerei (X)
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MarianaPerei (X)
Portugal
Local time: 02:12
English to Portuguese
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I'm currently studying to be a translator (English -> Portuguese, Spanish -> Portuguese) and, even though I really like my course, I have many friends who say that I should really worry about unemployment in translation. At first I didn't pay them much attention but the truth is that I sometimes worry about not having a job in translation. They say that technology is developing and online translators will end up being as good as human translators (I highly doubt that is possible, because we need... See more I'm currently studying to be a translator (English -> Portuguese, Spanish -> Portuguese) and, even though I really like my course, I have many friends who say that I should really worry about unemployment in translation. At first I didn't pay them much attention but the truth is that I sometimes worry about not having a job in translation. They say that technology is developing and online translators will end up being as good as human translators (I highly doubt that is possible, because we need to adapt words to the context in which they appear, which is not something a computer can do for now).
Can you tell me about your experience as a translator? Was it very difficult for you to find a job? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this career? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Claudia Brauer 
United States
Local time: 21:12
Member (2011)
English to Spanish
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| The future is bright for translators and interpreters | Jan 6, 2012 |
Translators and interpreters are in high demand in the Global Village of the 21st Century. Employment is projected to increase 22% (above average for other careers). As international commerce increases and the interaction of individuals from different parts of the world grows – exponentially – translators and interpreters are every day more in demand. A recent market study identified interpretation as a “high-growth, high-pay profession”.
I recommend you read a listen to a p... See more Translators and interpreters are in high demand in the Global Village of the 21st Century. Employment is projected to increase 22% (above average for other careers). As international commerce increases and the interaction of individuals from different parts of the world grows – exponentially – translators and interpreters are every day more in demand. A recent market study identified interpretation as a “high-growth, high-pay profession”.
I recommend you read a listen to a podcast interview by ProZ.com with Hassan Sawaf, Chief Scientist for SAIC Linguistics, on Machine Translation and the future of human translators. Links follow.
http://blogproz.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/proz-com-podcast-2011-12-16.mp3
or
http://blogproz.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/podcast-interview-with-hassan-sawaf-chief-scientist-for-saic-linguistics-on-machine-translation-and-the-future-of-human-translators/
My comment to that blog follows, which directly refers to your question:
"Thank you, Romina, for an excellent interview. Hassan provides a very important view on one of the most important topics for our profession: kind of our survival as a species. For me, there are several important conclusions. One, that no matter how fast the technology may develop machine translation, translators and interpreters will still be needed. My spinoff to this would be, yes, we will be needed, IF we adapt to the NEW needs. This means that there will be no need for the mechanical part of translation, i.e., the initial conversion of “words” or “terms” from a source language into “words” or “terms” in a target language. Moreover, I agree with Hassan when he says that there are many “domains” where machine translation – as its quality is improved – will be able to totally replace translators (short business messages and repetitive content information). However, the translator/interpreter will continue to be needed to “make sense” of this mechanically translated input in certain areas of human endeavor. Hassan mentions marketing as an example, where the “content” of the ideas behind the words is what really needs translation, and machine translation is not yet capable of translating content and underlying nuances. Hassan also mentions the very important issue of the permanent nature of change in language and how any machine needs the human input to be able to “learn” about the changing meaning of words in context. Very interesting and uplifting article by someone who has serious knowledge on the topic. Thank you." ▲ Collapse
| | | | | No harm in having a plan B | Jan 6, 2012 |
I can't see human translators being replaced completely at any point in the near future, but on the other hand, since you're still studying and you still have some time to make up your mind, I think it may be wise to study another subject at some level or other - either as part of your current course, if that's possible, or after you graduate. This could help you in two ways. First, if you decide to pursue translation as a career and succeed in finding work, it will help you to take on specializ... See more I can't see human translators being replaced completely at any point in the near future, but on the other hand, since you're still studying and you still have some time to make up your mind, I think it may be wise to study another subject at some level or other - either as part of your current course, if that's possible, or after you graduate. This could help you in two ways. First, if you decide to pursue translation as a career and succeed in finding work, it will help you to take on specialized texts in the relevant field. Secondly, if you struggle to find translation work, it may help you find a job in that field, be it business, law or whatever, so you'll have something else to fall back on. This is what I would do if I were in your position. ▲ Collapse
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