| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4] > | Poll: Would you like your children to become translators? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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as other colleagues, I don't have preferences, I mean as long as they are satisfied as I am, I am happy. If translation is that field, well, I would just suggest to do it in a different country, Italian burocracy and tax system is a big problem for freelancers, in every field.
| | | | | It totally depends | Dec 4, 2009 |
I don't have any children but I've chosen "It depends" without thinking much. I'm 28 now and 2010 will be my 10th year in this profession. I still don't feel financially secure. This is a bitter fact. It isn't possible for me to know what the future will bring along. So, it would be unreasonable for me to imagine or want my prospective child to become a translator because I don't think translation is suitable for people looking for comfort and consistency in life or looking to climb up the ladde... See more I don't have any children but I've chosen "It depends" without thinking much. I'm 28 now and 2010 will be my 10th year in this profession. I still don't feel financially secure. This is a bitter fact. It isn't possible for me to know what the future will bring along. So, it would be unreasonable for me to imagine or want my prospective child to become a translator because I don't think translation is suitable for people looking for comfort and consistency in life or looking to climb up the ladders quickly. However, if I can manage to arrange a financially secure future for my child, I would definitely encourage him/her to consider translation as an interesting and challenging job option. Then, my child could translate whatever and whenever he/she liked, unlike me. ▲ Collapse
| | | | DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
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I've got no children yet, but I would like them to be good at languages (as well as other things))
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Simply because neither one is suited to it and both seem to think that what I do is mind-numbingly boring, although they have no problem spending the proceeds of it
Anyhow, my elder daughter is off to study medicine or veterinary science next year (still making her mind up between these final two choices) and the younger one belongs on the stage, if you ask me, but will probably end up in advertising/marketing or journ... See more Simply because neither one is suited to it and both seem to think that what I do is mind-numbingly boring, although they have no problem spending the proceeds of it
Anyhow, my elder daughter is off to study medicine or veterinary science next year (still making her mind up between these final two choices) and the younger one belongs on the stage, if you ask me, but will probably end up in advertising/marketing or journalism.
[Edited at 2009-12-04 10:51 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Textklick 
Local time: 18:34
German to English
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In memoriam
Ikram Mahyuddin wrote:
That so far about 35% of this poll's voters don't have children is rather suprising me. Does it mean anything?
It's gone up to 40% now! Let's see how it progresses after more peers have found time to vote!
Cheers,
Chris
| | | | Wil Hardman (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:34
Spanish to English
+ ...
In agreement with lots of you I just want them to be happy in what they do, and I say this as a father Interlangue
There are lots of positives to being a translator (own boss, free time, mentally challenging and rewarding work) but also several downsides (social isolation, relatively low income, lots of cowboys and ignorance within the industry), and for these reasons I wouldn't explicitly recommend or warn against it... See more In agreement with lots of you I just want them to be happy in what they do, and I say this as a father Interlangue
There are lots of positives to being a translator (own boss, free time, mentally challenging and rewarding work) but also several downsides (social isolation, relatively low income, lots of cowboys and ignorance within the industry), and for these reasons I wouldn't explicitly recommend or warn against it.
But if I were going to be a pushy parent, which I'm not, there are plenty of other professions I would choose for them above translation. I'd probably say a professional footballer so I could retire and live off his income ▲ Collapse
| | | | danilingua
Germany
Local time: 19:34
English to German
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| how many of us have kids anyway? | Dec 4, 2009 |
ProZ.com Staff wrote: This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Would you like your children to become translators?". This poll was originally submitted by Irène GuinezView the poll hereA forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
wouldn't that be interesting to see who juggles family AND job?
I have been a single mum forever, my kid is now 12, and getting to where we are today was definitely not a stroll along the beaches
Daniela
| | | | danilingua
Germany
Local time: 19:34
English to German
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Textklick wrote: Ikram Mahyuddin wrote:
That so far about 35% of this poll's voters don't have children is rather suprising me. Does it mean anything? It's gone up to 40% now! Let's see how it progresses after more peers have found time to vote! Cheers, Chris
what about you?
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| I picked "other" | Dec 4, 2009 |
I have three children: a lawyer, an interior architect and... a translator, but I did encourage them to become whatever they wanted. Cheers!
Teresa
| | | | Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:34
Russian to English
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In memoriam | It can be a good second income | Dec 4, 2009 |
Working for the BBC and freelance translating in my spare time, I earned enough cash to enable me to do many things I couldn't have done otherwise, and the same applies to supplementing my pension in retirement.
So if your children have the necessary interest and aptitude, but are keener on something else as a main career, this possibility is worth pointing out to them.
| | | | Valeria Fuma
Argentina
Local time: 14:34
English to Spanish
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Kata Koncz wrote:
to become whatever they want to become. If it's translation, so be it.
... just like my parents did with my sister and I. They never forced us to seek a particular career, but encouraged us in the decisions we made.
So I'd like to be as understanding with my (future) children as my parents were with me.
| | | | Αlban SHPΑTΑ
United States
Member (2008)
English to Albanian
+ ...
There will be NO human translators when my kid grows up. The evolution of machine translation is unstoppable and, sadly enough, translators themselves are contributing into preparing their own deathbed.
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| There is a bright future for translation... for those who prepare | Dec 4, 2009 |
Αlban SHPΑTΑ wrote:
There will be NO human translators when my kid grows up.
I don't quite agree. There will be translators, but those who are in business will need to have a very good preparation and education at a master or PhD level. The rise of automatic translation will not mean that translation will disappear. Someone has to do the tricky stuff a machine simply cannot and will not do, so there is always a future for translation.
| | | | Mark Nathan
France
Local time: 19:34
Member (2002)
French to English
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| They will be translators | Dec 4, 2009 |
Maybe not professionally, but translators with kids are very likely to ensure that they speak at least two languages, and so translation in some form or other will be part of their lives.
My eight year old son regularly says things like, "I guess the translation would be..." (usually humorous), or "oh dear, I don't think they had a very good translator" etc.
So even if they do not do it professionally, they will have a translator's perspective.
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 19:34
English to French
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Wil Hardman wrote: In agreement with lots of you I just want them to be happy in what they do, and I say this as a father Interlangue
I know there are good fathers, mindful, tolerant, respectful and no in the least pushy
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