Self Employed Translators Handbook

Full text

(1)THE SELF-EMPLOYED TRANSLATOR’S GUIDE Dr Wolfgang Frick.

(2)

(3) THE SELF-EMPLOYED TRANSLATOR’S GUIDE Dr Wolfgang Frick.

(4) The Self-Employed Translator’s Guide (first edition 2008) Cover designed by Harley Valerius First published 2009 Text copyright © 2008 National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this book are those of the author and are purely of an advisory nature. NAATI takes no responsibility for how users of this book may rely on the information provided. DISCLAIMER All reasonable care has been taken in compiling this guide. It is intended for translators who are setting up their own business at home. It guides readers through some basic steps and warns them of pitfalls. The occasional repetition serves to reinforce a point made earlier. Experienced translators who have been in business for a while may still be able to gather some useful information from this guide. It does not claim to have answers for all the situations translators may encounter during their career. Helpful suggestions on how to improve this publication will be welcomed by NAATI for it is acknowledged that every first edition has room for improvement. Information contained in this guide is current at the date of publication, however with technology moving at a rapid pace the guide will require updating from time to time. Readers are advised that NAATI and the contributors and writers of this publication will therefore not be held liable for any commercial decision readers may take, based solely on the grounds of advice offered in this guide. Any decisions and/or actions taken by translators will always remain their own responsibility. In case of doubt regarding the content of this guide or the advice given in it, translators are advised to consult additional sources, confer with their peers or seek help from professional associations, such as AUSIT and others. Where this guide contains information from outside sources, these have been duly acknowledged and NAATI’s thanks go to the contributors. Lastly, please note that this guide was written in the main for Australian-based translators..

(5) About the Author Dr. Wolfgang Frick enjoyed a 33 year airline career before becoming a university lecturer and understands the need for plain language when trying to get a message across successfully. He has been associated with the interpreting/translating profession for over 50 years as an active language practitioner. He has lectured on the topic of interpreting and translating at tertiary level for twenty years and is a frequent workshop presenter for NAATI. Dr. Frick is a native speaker of German, but is equally at home in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Indonesian and Malay. He was educated at secondary and tertiary level in Austria, the U.S.A., Australia, Egypt, China and Indonesia. He was the former Head of Department for the Interpreting/Translating degree program at Edith Cowan University, and until recently was a lecturer for the School of Language and Literature at Edith Cowan and Murdoch Universities. He has also held the position of Chair of NAATI Board position twice, most recently in the 2001 – 2003 period and was the inaugural Chair when NAATI was first established. Dr Frick continues to be involved with NAATI via the Regional Advisory Committee..

(6) Contents Introduction. 1. Chapter 1 - Prerequisites for Translators. 3. 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6. 3 3 4 5 5 5. Fluency in at Least Two Languages Academic Qualifications NAATI Accreditation Observation of the Professional Code of Ethics Membership of a Professional Association/Society/Institute Awareness of Translators’ Rights and Obligations. Chapter 2 - Language, Cross-cultural and Special Skills 2.1 Language and Translation Skills in both Source and Target Language 2.2 Cross-cultural Knowledge and Skills 2.3 A Good General Knowledge 2.4 Detailed Knowledge in Areas of Specialisation (e.g. Medicine, Law, Science, Technology, et al). 9 9 11 11 11. Chapter 3 - Other Skill Requirements 3.1 Keyboard and Computer Skills 3.2 Methodology Skills 3.3 Time Management (Prioritising) Skills 3.4 Communication and Public Relations Skills 3.5 Research Skills (Library Skills and Net-surfing Skills) 3.6 Proofreading Skills 3.7 Accounting Skills 3.8 Marketing Skills. 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19. Chapter 4 - Equipment and Helpful Tools 4.1 PC or Laptop with ADSL (Broadband Internet Connection), E-mail and Fax Facilities 4.2 Laser Printer 4.3 Flatbed Scanner 4.4 Photocopier 4.5 Fax Machine 4.6 Fixed Telephone Line and/or Mobile Phone 4.7 Magnifying Glass or Plastic Magnifying Sheets 4.8 Old Fashioned Golf Ball Typewriter for Completion of Non-electronic Forms 4.9 CAT, TM, Localisation, Word Count and Code-Converter Software Tools 4.10 Translation Management and Accounting Software 4.11 Anti-virus, Spyware and Malware Protection Software 4.12 Voice Input or Dictation Software and Voice Readers 4.13 Translation Templates. 23 23 23 23 24 24 24 25 25 25 27 27 27 27.

(7) Chapter 5 - Dictionaries 5.1 Monolingual Dictionaries in your Working Languages 5.2 Thesauruses in your Working Languages 5.3 Bi-lingual Dictionaries in Working Languages 5.4 Specialised Bi-lingual Dictionaries in the Languages and Subject Areas in which you. Undertake Translation e.g. Medical, Legal, Technical Dictionaries 5.5 Computer-based Dictionaries 5.6 Web-based Online Dictionaries 5.7 Hand-held Electronic Dictionaries. 29 29 29 29. Chapter 6 - Reference Tools 6.1 A Well Indexed World Atlas 6.2 One or Several Encyclopaedias in your Working Languages 6.3 Subject-related Reference Books and Materials. 33 33 33 33. Chapter 7 - Requirements for Working from Home via the Internet 7.1 Adequate Computer Resident Anti-virus, Anti-spyware and Anti-malware, Ad-aware,. Firewall and General Internet Security Protection 7.2 An Optional Personal Website or Work-related E-mail Address 7.3 A Reliable Internet Service Provider (ISP) 7.4 Local and International Internet-based Clientele 7.5 Secure Electronic Payment and Banking Facilities 7.6 Essential Work-related Computer Software. 35. Chapter 8 - Machine Translation (MT) 8.1 The Concept 8.2 Available Tools. 39 39 39. Chapter 9 - Areas of Specialisation 9.1 Medical Translation 9.2 Technical - Scientific Translation 9.3 Legal Translation 9.4 Literary Translation 9.5 Business (Commercial) Translation 9.6 Interpreting. 41 41 41 41 42 43 44. 29 29 30 30. 35 35 36 36 36 36.

(8) Contents Appendices. 47. Index: a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i) j) k) l). Model Contract (by Courtesy of ATA) Sample Cost Estimate, Charges Calculation and Securing the Job Sample Invoice Glossary of Acronyms and Other Terms Bibliography of Print Materials Relating to Translation Bibliography of Internet Resources CAT Tools Available for Download from the Internet Translation Agencies Offering Work on the Internet e-Pay via the Internet Dictionaries and Glossaries Available on the Internet Logical Steps in Tackling a Translation Useful Conversion Tables • Large Numbers • Roman Numerals • Important Measurements. 48 52 53 54 56 58 59 59 59 60 60 60 60 61 61.

(9) Introduction In this our present 21st century, a considerable number of translators all over the world are working from home. This often means that translators are not contracted to work solely for a single company or organisation, but that they are able to choose their clients. Self-employed translators, who operate a small home-based business, need to provide their own equipment, dictionaries and reference materials and take full responsibility for managing their own business affairs. This means that they will need to advertise their services and special skills as a translator in the languages in which they hold educational qualifications or in which they are accredited by the relevant national accreditation or licensing authority. In Australia the accreditation authority is NAATI. Translators also frequently choose to belong to professional associations, societies or institutes, which have been established in many countries around the world, in order to regulate, promote and advocate for the translating profession. In Australia, Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators Incorporated (AUSIT) operates in all states and territories. Translators pledge to abide by a Code of Ethics, promulgated by these professional associations and can turn to these associations when seeking help, advice or the resolution of disputes. Translators who are self–employed and manage their own accounts are advised to take out professional insurance cover (sometimes available through the professional associations). In Australia translators may also obtain an Australian Business Number (ABN). This is an 11 digit identification number, which is used by businesses dealing with other businesses. You are well advised to register for an ABN to put on your invoices, as businesses, which owe you money, may otherwise withhold 46.5% under Pay As you Go (PAYG) taxation of the payment to you. It is true that registering for an ABN is not compulsory, but consider the above and furthermore the fact that businesses with a turnover of $50,000 require an ABN so they can register for Goods and Service Tax (GST), in order to claim GST credits for the GST component, paid on goods or services for their business. If you undertake translations as an employee of a company or if you are a small freelancer or self-funded retiree, you may not need an ABN. You will simply continue to use your tax file number when reporting your annual income to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The matter of GST in turn is a complex one and cannot be covered in this guide. You must therefore inform yourself thoroughly by visiting the website of the ATO under the URL http://www.ato.gov.au and taking your own professional advice. There you will also find detailed information on the ABN and can find information pertaining to your personal circumstances The majority of modern translators work with personal computers that are linked to the Internet. Translators are therefore able to register their names and qualifications with translation agencies worldwide. Sometimes a small fee may be payable for a service, which allows translators to bid for any translation work on offer on these websites. For translators in Australia, the time difference between both Europe and the United States works to their advantage and makes them more competitive in the global market place. However, rates of pay for translators are often considerably lower in overseas countries. This brief guide attempts to point translators wishing to establish a home-based business in the right direction. It makes no claim to be a panacea or to answer every question translators may have. However, it will tell self-employed translators about some of the essential equipment and steps required in setting up a translation business at home. It is hoped that the hints given in the following chapters may therefore prove beneficial to self-employed translators and will encourage them to widen their horizon by undertaking further professional training and personal research with the help of the Internet. The World Wide Web will assist translators with their endeavour of keeping up-to-date with the many neologisms of the ever changing languages and introduce them to some of the new technology applying to the field of translation.. .

(10) 1. CHAPTER ONE PREREQUISITES. .

(11) CHAPTER 1 - Prerequisites 1.1 Fluency in at Least Two Languages In order to work as a professional translator one needs to be absolutely fluent in at least two languages. Fluency in the case of translators relates to written rather than oral language skills. Thus, vocabulary, spelling and grammar rules are required to be near perfect in both the source and target language. The language from which one translates is generally referred to as the Source Language (SL). The language into which one translates is known as the Target Language (TL). Translators must possess excellent written skills in the target language, the target text needing to reflect the original style of the material in the source language. Fluency in a language requires translators to fully comprehend the source language text that is to be translated both at the level of content (what the text is all about) and at the linguistic level (semantics, syntactic structures, grammatical features, such as noun cases, correct verb tenses, etc). Many people working as translators hold at least a bachelor’s (e.g. BA) degree in the target language and quite a number also have Master’s (e.g. MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (e.g. PhD) degrees. However, academic qualifications and mere bilingualism alone are not necessarily enough to make a good translator. Translation requires training, extensive practice and dedication to the job. Translators who overestimate their linguistic and translating skills are likely to produce inferior translations. They will most likely be unsuccessful in securing repeat work and will therefore not last long in the translation business. It must be mentioned however, that at times, individuals who lack patience working as translators may in fact make good interpreters. The two skills, although similar, require different abilities and training. The guide will include a short paragraph on interpreting under point (f) of the ‘areas of specialisation’ chapter (page 49). It is very important that translators, who do not hold formal academic or other qualifications in translating, undergo skills training. This not only applies to language skills, but more and more to computer literacy and the thorough knowledge of computer-aided translation (CAT) tools. Translator training in Australia is available at some TAFE colleges and universities in all states and territories and in an abridged format in regular workshops run by NAATI and the professional associations such as AUSIT, WAITI and others. For Australian translators who hold no formal accreditation and seek to gain it by means of sitting a test, NAATI runs test preparation workshops in all states and territories which focus preparing for the test and, to a limited extent, on translation skills and the code of ethics. It is advisable to attend one of these workshops prior to sitting the NAATI professional translator test which, when successfully completed, will lead to accreditation as a professional translator. The NAATI website (www.naati.com.au) or the NAATI state and territory offices can provide prospective test candidates with detailed information about test preparation workshops, requirements and fees. Other countries around the world provide similar testing and accreditation facilities and readers of this guide, who live outside Australia, may wish to conduct a web search in order to find the required information relating to their own country. 1.2 Academic Qualifications In Australia and in many countries around the globe tertiary institutions run special degree, diploma or graduate diploma courses for the training of translators. These courses generally lead to academic qualifications in translating or applied linguistics. You can check such course availability on the Internet by simply searching under ‘translator courses’ or ‘translator training’ and will find up to 100 web pages listing such training courses. Some institutions even offer diplomas for Internetbased translator training courses. These need to be carefully checked for their quality and recognition in the country in which translators wish to practice. Individuals who join translator training courses at the basic level are mostly bilinguals who already possess advanced language skills in two or more languages, or students who have completed a bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma course in language studies or who have studied a Language Other Than English (LOTE) to an advanced level at a TAFE college. .

(12) Translator training courses in Australia, which have NAATI approval, are listed on the NAATI web site. University and TAFE courses, approved by NAATI, generally administer end of course tests that are equivalent to the translator tests administered by NAATI. In some instances the final course examinations undertaken by students after completion of their university or TAFE courses in Australia may even exceed the NAATI requirements as to their degree of difficulty and therefore prepare candidates well for a future career as translators. A successful pass in training courses, which are NAATI accredited, may lead to automatic NAATI accreditation, without having to sit an additional NAATI translator test. If intending to undertake such translator training courses, prospective enrollees should first enquire with the relevant educational establishments, in order to ascertain, whether NAATI accreditation at a given level is available upon completion of such a training course. NAATIapproved courses are listed on the NAATI website. To become an efficient translator, some formal language training and ongoing practice are required. Practicing translators will usually maintain their language skills, update their general knowledge and acquire new skills, by attending workshops and by reading books specialising in translation (see references in appendix). Any new skills acquired will most likely focus to a greater extent on the efficient use of the latest computer-based software tools used by translators working for the growing ‘localisation’ industry (this means, inter alia, the marketing of local products and services in the local market places worldwide) . The chapters on computer-aided translations (CAT) tools and machine translations (MT) discuss a number of software programs with which translators need to become familiar, if they wish to work on and via the Internet. More information can also be found on subject specific web sites and their hot links. 1.3 NAATI Accreditation NAATI accreditation, as already mentioned, is acquired by one of three methods. The first is by successfully passing a NAATI test at the professional translator level. Successful candidates are then issued with a NAATI accreditation certificate as a translator in the given language(s) at the given direction (from or into English). This is valid for the period endorsed on it. Proof of continued professional practice may be required before any such accreditation can be renewed. Aspiring translators, who feel confident enough to sit for a NAATI translator test, should undertake some formal training or at least peruse the translations made available in the sample test kits that can be purchased from regional NAATI state offices, together with the latest copy of the Candidates’ Manual. Failure rates in NAATI tests are relatively high, as candidates sitting for tests frequently tend to overestimate their translation skills. As already mentioned, translation skills differ greatly from mere bilingual skills and not every bilingual person automatically makes a good translator without having undergone adequate training and translation practice. The second method of accreditation is by successfully completing a NAATI approved course, as mentioned under the previous heading. The third method of accreditation entails the possible recognition of overseas qualifications in translation studies. These must first be assessed and approved by NAATI. Proof of fluency in English and translation experience also need to be proven by persons seeking NAATI recognition of overseas qualifications. It needs mentioning, however, that not all overseas qualifications automatically qualify for recognition and aspiring translators, who find themselves in these circumstances, still have to undergo NAATI testing, in order to receive accreditation as professional translators seeking to practice in Australia. Government authorities, for which translators plan to work, generally require proof of NAATI accreditation at the professional level frequently demand that translations bear the translator’s NAATI stamp which contains the NAATI accreditation number. In this context it is worth mentioning that countries such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States and most European countries have their own systems of accrediting and/or licensing translators. Details may be gained from the relevant Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), American Translators Association (ATA) etc web sites. Translators working on the Internet will generally have to comply with the individual regulations of the country and agency for which the translations are needed. This may not be unduly demanding but the translator will need to know the requirements. Requirements can be clarified by conducting an Internet search or by discussing the issue with the Internet client for whom a specific translation is undertaken. .

(13) Web-based translation companies frequently require translators to undergo further testing and to provide testimonials when listing their names for job allocations. Be aware that this may be a prerequisite before you are allowed to bid for any of the translation jobs that are listed on the web sites of those translation companies (a few of them are listed in the appendix in order to get you started). 1.4 Observation of the Professional Code of Ethics As with any profession, translators also need to abide by a professional code of ethics. Professional translator associations around the world publish their individual codes of ethics and expect members to strictly abide by them. In Australia, the largest professional translator/interpreter association/society is AUSIT. A compilation of the various Australian codes of ethics has been published by NAATI and may be purchased from a NAATI state or territory office. The addresses are listed in the local phone directory and on the NAATI web site. Some of the major points in a code of ethics for translators are: accuracy, confidentiality, competence, impartiality, conflict of interest and professional conduct. All of those points are self-evident as translators must work accurately. They may neither add to a given text, nor may they leave out anything which is contained in the source language text. All work that translators undertake must remain confidential. Whatever knowledge translators gain from a given text must not be shared with any third party, unless one is compelled to do so by law. Similarly, where a conflict of interest exists it must be fully disclosed to the client or the translation rejected for this reason. Lastly, professional conduct means, inter alia, that translators should treat colleagues with respect and fairness and not malign them or make unjustified criticism of their work. 1.5 Membership of a Professional Association/Society/Institute Translators may choose to become members of their local translator association, society or institute. In Australia AUSIT is currently the only society with a nation-wide representation and membership. It, like other organisations that represent translators in Australia and around the world, promulgates its own ‘Code of Ethics’ by which members must abide. AUSIT also conducts training courses to keep translators up-to-date about the changing work environment, the latest technology relating to translation, professional, legal and other issues. AUSIT recommends commensurate rates that translators may wish to charge for their work, it monitors the ethical conduct of its members and, if within its powers, tries to intercede in disputes pertaining to the translation industry. AUSIT also liaises with NAATI on testing and accreditation issues and seeks to promote translation as a recognised profession in Australia. Other organisations representing translators in this country (e.g. WAITI, PAIT et al.) and overseas, have similar, if not identical, aims to those of AUSIT. 1.6 Awareness of Translators’ Rights and Obligations Copyright issues: Translators and interpreters in Australia and elsewhere in the world have certain rights and obligations. One of these rights is to have one’s intellectual work recognised. A translation constitutes intellectual property and is thus encompassed by intellectual property rights. These rights, if not otherwise agreed upon or contracted, remain with the translator. However, translators cannot simply go ahead and translate a literary or other text without first obtaining the author’s and/or the publisher’s consent (i.e. the consent of the holder of the copyright for the original work). Be warned, the issue of copyright is a contentious one when it comes to translations that are to be published. Translators who think that they are the holders of copyright of their translation may find that in a majority of cases, the client who commissioned the translation retains the copyright for both the original and the translated text. Some sources argue that translators are remunerated for their translation work and cannot use or market a completed translation in any other way. Self-employed translators are therefore advised to carefully study their translation contracts and to discuss the issue of translation copyright with their clients. .

(14) They may request that their name as translator be mentioned on the title page, as is common with book publications. Under no circumstances should you enter into formal disputes over copyright without further advice. Litigation is expensive and generally futile, so you are urged to always err on the side of caution. The obligation to translate accurately Translators are under obligation to always translate accurately. They must not deliberately leave out any information (words), nor are they permitted to deliberately add anything to a translated text which is not contained in the source language original text. Whilst this is already a requirement, as stipulated in the Code of Ethics under ‘accuracy’, the deliberate distortion of meaning could expose translators to various forms of litigation. In Australia clients may seek redress and financial compensation under the provisions of the law of tort relating to ‘duty of care, neglect and misrepresentation’. If a document which is to be used or presented in a court of law appears to have been deliberately mistranslated, perjury may have been committed. This is a criminal offence punishable by law, which may result in imprisonment. Given the above facts, it is most important that translators are meticulous in every aspect of their translation work. The obligation to exercise proper duty of care As hinted above, translators also owe their clients a ‘duty of care’, in the same manner as doctors owe a duty of care to their patients. This means that the client deserves to receive an accurate translation which has been carefully proof read to ascertain that it is free from errors. If a timeline has been agreed upon, then punctuality too is vital. A translation promised to the client for a certain day and hour must reach the client precisely at that time. If translators fail to exercise proper duty of care, they may run the risk of being sued (civil proceedings) by their client. This means that a client could seek compensation for financial losses incurred due to the translation arriving late or lacking in quality (e.g. many spelling and punctuation errors, due to poor proofreading or the lack thereof), thus making it unpublishable. Negligence If translators fail to exercise proper duty of care they may be accused of gross professional negligence and in this case too, a client may seek financial compensation under the law of tort, for any losses incurred. Translators must therefore practice time management skills and train themselves to work with maximum accuracy at all times. Misrepresentation Translators should always ensure that they first view the text to be translated before they contract to undertake the translation assignment. The reason for this is that not all translators are competent in all areas of specialised translation. Thus, a medical or legal translator may be out of their depth with a technical/scientific translation and vice versa. To accept the technical text and then deliver a far from satisfactory translation means that the translators involved have misrepresented their translation skills. This too falls under the law of tort and can expose translators to legal action against them instigated by their client under tort. Here again, the client may seek compensation for the fact that for example, the translation of the operating instructions for a certain piece of machinery was not accurate enough to allow for the safe operation of that machinery. The translator has therefore misrepresented the skill level. Contract Issues It is always advisable to have some form of agreement or formal contract with a client before undertaking a translation. Depending on the type of client, the contract may be one formulated by the translator, which the client signs or a contract prepared by the client, which the translator signs. Both types of contracts contain elements that are legally binding on both parties. Legal remedies can be sought through civil proceedings in a relevant court, under the relevant provisions of the law of contract. Realise that contracts can be both oral and in writing. Where no fee or payment for the translation has been agreed upon, a vital element is missing in your contract and arguably such an agreement does not constitute a valid contract. Thus, translators could be in breach of contract if they did not deliver an important translation on time. A breach of contract occurs where one or several of the conditions agreed upon in the contract have not been met by one of the parties to the .

(15) contract. Clients, who in turn signed a translator’s contract can also be in breach of contract on a number of points. A sample translator’s contract can be found in the appendix and translators are strongly advised to study it carefully and use it as a basis for drawing up their own contracts relevant to their particular needs. Please be aware that once translators hand over a completed translation without any adequate surety, (either a watertight contract or an up-front monetary deposit for the translation work to be carried out) they will find it very difficult to obtain or enforce payment for their many hours of work. A translation is the most perishable commodity. It cannot be stored for resale at a later date or resold to another buyer, even at a discount. It is simply a unique product, destined for the one buyer, namely the client who commissioned the translation in the first place. Translators who do not protect their interests, or who fall for such schemes as the provision of a 20 page sample translation to an unknown internet client, are not savvy enough to operate their own business successfully. Similar scams on the Internet that await trusty, unwary translators, often laud a translator’s qualifications and skills, which were found on the translator’s personal website. Often scam e-mails to the translator promise considerable, well-remunerated translation work. These e-mails may even ask a translator to complete a sham contract, which requests the translator’s banking or credit card details, so that regular and speedy payments can be made. The trusting translator, who has failed to thoroughly check the credentials of the fictitious client or bogus agency, may well find that not all that glistens is gold. A hefty credit card debit suddenly appearing from a seemingly unknown source may have you guessing and will cause inconvenient hassles with your bank. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is not true. Most reputable clients and agencies will disclose all their details, which you should then check carefully, before submitting your personal details. The moral of this tale is that even a seemingly fantastic offer and watertight contract need careful consideration and checking. Translators are a vulnerable group of professionals who are as yet not adequately protected, unless they take out professional insurance cover at possibly forbiddingly high premiums. Be warned those premiums may often well exceed the amount a self-employed translator could be expected to earn in a whole year when working from home. All the foregone warnings are not meant to discourage you from setting up your own home-based business. They are simply issued to alert you of the many hidden traps into which translators may fall, if they are unaware of them.. .

(16) 2. CHAPTER TWO LANGUAGE, CROSS-CULTURAL AND SPECIFIC SKILLS. .

(17) CHAPTER 2 - Language, Cross-Cultural and Special Skills 2.1 Language and Translation Skills in both Source and Target Language Translators require native fluency in both the source and target language. This means that they will constantly use both languages and are thus familiar with any language changes, which occur on a regular basis. Languages are a living thing. They do not stand still or become fossilised. Therefore, translators who do not use both languages in their written form on a regular basis may find that they are no longer up-to-date with the many neologisms (new words) that enter a language almost daily. Who, only a generation ago, would ever have heard of a ‘mobile phone’, also known as ‘cell phone’ in the U.S. and some other countries and as ‘handy’ in the German-speaking countries? The word to send an SMS message on a mobile phone has even generated a new verb in the German language, namely ‘simsen’ (SMSing). This goes to illustrate how necessary it is to keep language skills up-to-date. Nowadays, with the aid of the Internet, this represents no major obstacle, as one can read newspapers on line in all of the worlds most commonly used languages. This is, in fact, a highly recommended way for maintaining and brushing up your language and cross-cultural skills. A question that is frequently being asked about translation is, whether bilingual people automatically make good translators as well? This question can only be answered with an emphatic “no”. People and their skills do differ. Some people have the gift of the gab and good public relations skills and they may prefer to work as interpreters, rather than be sitting over many reference books in front of a computer working as translators. If that is you, then you should read the short notes about interpreting included in this guide. Translation Methodology For the benefit of readers of all skills levels, I will briefly describe the way in which translators may wish to tackle a translation job. 1.. When accepting a text for translation, translators must carefully read the text to be translated in order to fully understand the content and meaning of the source language text.. 2.. Translators must also ensure that they comprehend the semantic meaning and grammatical structures of the source language text (these include syntax, verb tenses, punctuation etc.). 3.. Given that 1 and 2 present no difficulty to the translator, the translator may proceed with the transfer of meaning into the target language. Some linguists use the term of re-encoding. If we use this terminology, then points 1 and 2 would involve a decoding process, whilst 3 involves the re-encoding of both the inherent meaning and grammatical structures of the source language text in the target language. N.B. While this sounds very simple, it can present real problems at times, especially when one translates from languages whose grammatical structures differ greatly from those of the target language. In this context one only has to think of verb tenses or elements of time and space (e.g. in English and Chinese.). 4.. During the next step, translators will carefully check the target language (TL) text for accuracy. This is to ensure that all the meaning has been correctly transferred to the target language (TL) and that no omissions from the source language (SL) text or additions to the target language (TL) text are evident. Some checking/researching of specialist terms may be necessary. Yet another step involves additional proofreading. This serves to ensure that spelling and grammar are accurate and that the translated text reads as if it had originally been written in the target language. This means that the TL text is not recognisable as a translation which may occur due to Source Language Interference (SLI). This will at times become evident in your initial draft translations. Source language interference (SLI) is characterised by certain language-specific features, such as idiomatic expressions, metaphors, similes or grammatical structures of the source language being unwittingly transferred into the target language. Source language interference (SLI) is characterised by certain language-specific features, such as idiomatic expressions, metaphors, similes or grammatical structures of the source language being unwittingly transferred into the target language. For example, in English, when we are hungry, we may say “I am ravenous” or “I am so hungry, I could eat .

(18) a horse” or “I am famished”. A translator who translates similar expressions from another language may unwittingly translate literally, without affecting a cultural transfer. An example of this would be, “I am hungry as a bear” from the German “ich haben einen Baerenhunger” or “I am hungry as a wolf” from Italian “fame d’un lupo” or French “faim d’un loup”. These examples perhaps best illustrate one particular type of source language interference. Other examples are transfers of syntactical structures from “Source to Target Language”. For instance the Chinese sentence rendered in pinyin phonetics “wo zuotian lai” is inadvertently transferred into “I yesterday came”, which of course reflects the wrong syntax in English. Tenses too can at times cause source language interference (SLI). All readers would have read copies of user manuals that come with kitchen appliances, cameras, cars etc that have been manufactured in a non-English-speaking country. Such manuals abound with source language interference and can best illustrate what the writer is trying to explain above. 5.. An example of source language interference (SLI) that is frequently spotted in translations is the transfer of infinitive constructions from German into English, instead of adopting the use of the gerund, which is required in English. Translators from Asian languages find it difficult to determine whether a direct or indirect article precedes the noun in English. The article is therefore simply left out, which makes the English text difficult to understand. Careful proof reading and editing of all your translations will help locating and eliminating such errors. Engaging another person as a proof reader can also prove to be helpful.. 6.. Lastly, once you are certain that your translation is error free and as polished as can be you will submit it to your client expecting to be paid for the work. At this stage most translators will undertake a word count, either of the source or target language text, depending on the client’s requirements and your agreement. Whilst translators would in most cases prefer a target language word count, clients generally demand that translation charges be assessed on the word count of the source language text that was originally supplied for the translation. In the case of character based languages, this will require clarification with your client as it could disadvantage you greatly. If a source language text can be read into the computer memory by scanning, for instance, one may simply open the file under the Microsoft Word version installed on the computer, go into the tools menu and click on word count. The word count arrived at (provided it is not a character-based script) is then simply multiplied with the charge a translator applies per hundred words. The sum is then divided by 100 in order to arrive at the relevant charge. Where GST or VAT taxes need to be added, if you are not solely a sub-contractor, this must be shown separately on your invoice (refer to the sample invoice shown in the appendix). Please note that translators may be applying bulk rates, where they are handling a large translation, such as a book. In this case it is customary to estimate the time it will take to translate a 500 page book with an average of 300 words per page. Translators may then equate the hourly cost (e.g. $40 per hour) to their translation capacity (e.g. 3 pages = 900 words per hour). Daily hours of work are 5-6. Translating can be a very fatiguing task and very few translators can work 8 hours straight. Thus, in this example a translator would need 167 hours to complete the task and would earn $6680. Working at a pace of 5 hours per day, this task would take 33 ½ days to complete. Some clients may even impose tighter deadlines upon you. Therefore, let me issue a warning to the uninitiated. If you commit yourself to a tight deadline, you are bound to come unstuck in one way or another. Firstly, you are fully committed and cannot accept other translation work. This could mean that you may perhaps be alienating some of your other regular clients. Secondly, you must always allow for any unforeseen circumstances, such as health problems, family commitments, computer crashes, research delays and the like. Therefore, tight deadlines agreed upon can lead to problems. Be realistic and say that you can, at best, work 3 hours per day on this large project. Check if your client will accept a 60+ day deadline and if so, include this in your contract so that there can be no disputes after the event. If you complete the translation earlier than contracted, your client will of course be pleased and may offer you more business. In order to protect yourself it is therefore always best to give the worst case scenario. The timeframe you are allowing for the task 10.

(19) must be commensurate with your skills level and your anticipated overall workload. When projecting your timeline do not forget that proofreading with large jobs is a very time consuming task. In addition, when translating a literary text you must also ensure that you are competent of faithfully transferring stylistic and other features inherent in the author’s original work. Thus, given all the facts, even a 60+ day deadline may put you under considerable pressure. However, no two translators are alike in their work habits and this guideline may therefore not apply to you fully. Nonetheless, it will serve as a warning not to overestimate your translating capacity. If you have accepted a translation, proceed methodically and follow the logical steps, reiterated in the appendix (refer to ‘Translation Steps’). There may be time when you consider collaboration 2.2 Cross-cultural Knowledge and Skills Another vital requirement for self–employed translators is a sound cross-cultural knowledge of both the source and target language cultures. Language teachers often focus solely on language teaching and forget to teach students about the culture of the country or countries whose language they teach. This cross-cultural understanding also means that translators need to find target language equivalents for language specific idiomatic expressions, proverbs, metaphors, similes and more. The Chinese expression “he wears a green hat” would make no sense if translated too literally into English. The translator must understand the cultural meaning of this expression and will seek to transfer its actual meaning of “his wife is cheating on him” into the target language. When rendered into German, the translator would no doubt choose to write “sie setzt ihm Hörner auf” which in turn retranslates as “she is putting horns on his head”. Italians too use the same idiomatic expression. Being very hungry on the other hand can involve different animals in various languages. The Germans speak of having the appetite of a “bear”, the English of a “raven”, the French and Italians of a “wolf”. Here again, the translator must adapt the translation to the correct expression used in the target language culture. As can be seen from the above examples, translators must be able to demonstrate an intimate knowledge of the cultural aspects of language in order to correctly transfer source language meaning into the target language. 2.3 A Good General Knowledge Translators who are not working in specialised areas, such as law, health, and commerce need to have a broad general knowledge across a wide range of subjects. A translator may have to translate a financial report or a company balance sheet one day, while the next day the same translator may have to translate the operating manual for a special piece of mining equipment. Frequently, translators may even come across errors in the source language text, e.g. an amount or a date which has been wrongly transposed. In each case, the translator needs to clarify the perceived error with the client or the translation agency. Translators cannot take it upon themselves to make corrections to a source language text no matter how obvious the detected error may be. Remember, a translator must faithfully translate everything contained in the source language text without adding, deleting or changing anything. Translators are not responsible for errors contained in the source language texts supplied to them for translation. However, the duty of care owed to their client requires them to point out such errors detected in the source language text. If translators find that despite their broad general knowledge they cannot cope with an assigned translation they should immediately advise their client and seek to withdraw from the contract. They can of course suggest to their client that a colleague, who is highly competent in undertaking translation in the specific subject area, take over the translation. In this way translators continue to maintain a good working relationship with a particular client or agency. 2.4 Detailed Knowledge in Areas of Specialisation (e.g. Medicine, Law, Science, Technology, et al.) Translators who wish to specialise in a certain area such as medicine, law, science and technology must have a well-founded knowledge in that specialised field and possess the necessary vocabulary in both the source and target language. A medical translator needs to be familiar with how the human body, its organs, skeletal and nervous systems function. In addition, they need to be familiar with the medical and pharmacological terminology in both the source and target language. Ideally, such translators will already have a special interest in the given subject area, which therefore acts as an incentive for undertaking additional bilingual studies and research in the specialised field. 11.

(20) In addition, specialised translators will have at their fingertips a collection of subject specific dictionaries and reference materials, as well as access to the Internet. There are some translator training courses at tertiary institutions around the world which have courses that will allow translators to focus on one of the above-mentioned subject areas. Many translators, however, undertake their own private studies and research in order to qualify in the chosen area of specialisation. Accuracy in the translation of specialised texts is absolutely vital. Medical reports, legal documents or scientific papers must not contain any errors. The consequences of an inaccurate translation could have disastrous effects. Specialised translators even more so than the general translators require an eye for detail, work with the utmost degree of accuracy and possess the ability to extract the appropriate target language terminology from the reference materials available to them. As our world gets smaller and smaller, thanks to sophisticated communication tools, the need for standardised terminology across languages increases and large organisations, companies (e.g. Microsoft), government institutions and world bodies such as the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) create their own terminology lists or term banks. Internationally, translation-oriented ‘terminography’ can be accessed via the Internet and has been allocated the international standard ISO 12616. If translators still have difficulty in finding a semantic equivalent for a specific term, simply because that term has not yet been added to a term bank or dictionary, parallel reading on the Internet will assist the translator in finding an equivalent term in the target language. Parallel reading simply means reading about a specific souce language subject or a given product in the target language on the Internet. Using a search engine, the translator will be able to locate a product, for instance, which is described in the target language. The translator can thus extract any required target language terms that are required for the translation at hand. Translators will often find that even the latest edition of a dictionary, be it in print or electronic format, cannot keep up with modern terminology, which is created on an almost daily basis. It is therefore prudent that translators, who work in a specialised field, keep track of new words by entering them into their own computer-based terminology bank, as soon as they come across them. Often a hand-held electronic dictionary will prove very useful. This allows translators to look up words and even enter new words. An electronic dictionary can easily be carried around and can be accessed when a computer or printed dictionary are not available.. 12.

(21) 13.

(22) 3. CHAPTER THREE OTHER SKILL REQUIREMENTS. 14.

(23) CHAPTER 3 - Other Skill Requirements 3.1 Keyboard and Computer Skills Translators need to be computer literate and familiar with Microsoft Office Tools, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Other software programs with which translators frequently come in contact are Adobe Acrobat and the various Internet browsers and e-mail programs. Make sure that you can work with all these programs. Most programs are self-explanatory and incorporate a “help” mode, generally represented by a question mark in the top right-hand corner of the computer screen. Translators, when receiving a source language text for translation, usually need to adhere to the source language formatting of the text when typing the translation. This is particularly important when translating certificates, e.g. school and university certificates, employment certificates, medical reports, account statements and more. It allows a monolingual person that is reading your translation to compare the layout of the original document with that of the translated document. It may be that the translator has to recreate a form if this has only been supplied in scanned or faxed form. This generally avoids any queries on the part of the client. Translators worldwide work with modern computers, word processors and other computer programs. They use templates for repetitive translations of documents, such as birth certificates. These templates are set out to extract the vital information from a source language document and generally satisfy a client’s or authority’s needs, unless a word for word translation is requested. By vital information we mean the extraction of the birth date, instead of the whole convoluted text which may read: “in the year of Our Lord onethousandeighthundredandninetyeig ht on the sixth Sabbath of the month of the wholesome month of September, being the 19th day of this harvest month, was born a female child to the married couple…” Personal computers facilitate the handling of translations, they allow for the direct importation of the source language text supplied by the client. If the source language text happens to be in Microsoft Word ‘.doc’ format already, it requires no conversion and the translator may proceed with the translation by entering the target language text directly beneath or above the source language text. The next step consists of deleting the source language text, after carefully comparing the translated sentence with the source language original in order to ensure accuracy. It bears mentioning, however, that translators should always work with a copy of the source language text, after first saving the original source language text to the computer hard disk or an external storage device. This allows them to refer back to the original text at any time. Translators are expected to master cutting, pasting and formatting skills when working with Microsoft Word software. Some countries may produce their own language-specific software; however, all programs are now compatible with Microsoft Word, thus allowing the importation of non-Roman alphabet characters into a document. This enables translators to complete the required word processing tasks. Translators who need to produce translations in a number of languages which do not use the Roman alphabet can either download the required font types in their working languages from the Microsoft web site or purchase specially developed word processing software (such as Universal World) that features keyboards in the non alphabet-based languages. Translators who possess poor keyboard skills or do not know how to touch type can teach themselves by downloading a suitable touchtyping program from the Internet. Those translators, who simply need to increase their typing speed, will find similar downloadable programs on the Internet or at their local computer software shop. Translators, who are in need of improving their general computing skills can attend special courses at colleges or universities. They can also be taught to use any of those programs in which they require advanced computing skills e.g. Outlook Express, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop and others. Most younger translators are already highly computer literate and have been exposed to many of the said computer programs during their primary, secondary and tertiary education. Translators may also need to familiarise themselves with desktop publishing programs and data formats, such as HTML and SGML. They may need to learn about computer-aided translation tools, localisation tools, terminology administration tools amongst others, as advanced translation technology progresses rapidly. Computer-aided translation tools and their functions will be discussed in a subsequent chapter. 15.

(24) 3.2 Methodology Skills Although methodology, i.e. the manner of methodically undertaking a translation step by step, may differ from translator to translator, it is important that translators adapt a methodical approach to their work. Ways of tackling a given translation have already been suggested in the ‘translation skills’ chapter and have been reiterated in the appendix. However, with the advent of more and more computer-aided translation facilities abounding in cyber space the methodology translators apply will doubtlessly change in the not too distant future. It is for this reason that modern translators need to also familiarise themselves with the functions and capabilities of computer-aided translation tools, translation memory, terminology banks, machine translation and many others. 3.3 Time Management (Prioritising) Skills “Time is money” is an old adage. Translators are under constant time pressure and time management is therefore essential. We live in the communication age, where modern communication tools allow for faster and more efficient communication, than was possible only a short time ago. Today’s translators work with and on the Internet to a large extent and web-based companies and translation agencies put time pressure on them. No longer is it the translators who determine how long a translation may take, but rather the clients, who fax or e-mail translations requesting a return within a stipulated period of time. Time pressures mean that translators require a high degree of self-discipline and, above all, time-management skills. They will need to prioritise their work in order to meet the tight deadlines set and will increasingly need to work with computer-aided translation) tools and client – specific translation memories. While such tools may act as time-savers, the opposite may also prove to be the case, if translators do not completely familiarise themselves with all the useful, often complex, but not absolutely necessary functions of these CAT tools. Translators whose business grows to the extent that they start their own translation service or translation agency will find that time management becomes even more essential for them. If the agency is run by a single person, who also performs a large amount of the translation work, the following advice may prove to be useful. Agency staff will find that most of the morning and part of the afternoon is taken up with phone calls and client liaison. At the same time, new translation jobs arrive via fax and e-mail. Completed jobs need to be invoiced and sent off to clients and detailed records need to be kept on the movement and processing of each job. How then is it possible for a single person to perform all these duties alone and at once? The answer to this question is that it is not possible, unless, of course, strict time and job management strategies are applied. Self-employed translators will find that they may have some spare time in the early morning, prior to the opening of corporate offices and again in the late afternoon, when most company offices are closing for the day. Here is one possible way of making good use of this spare time. The morning hours are best used for completing job invoices, updating accounts and preparing completed translations and invoices for mailing to the clients. The processing of translations and the above actions must be carefully recorded, either in a desktop logbook or on a computer spreadsheet. Computer-based templates may be used for the completing of invoices, whereby it needs mentioning that some computer-resident accounting programs can self-generate client invoices, provided the necessary information is accessible to the program. Once the described morning tasks are completed, the phone will start ringing and the fax machine and e-mail client will spit out new jobs. Time permitting, these new jobs should be entered in the logbook (spreadsheet) immediately and the time recorded when they are outsourced to qualified/accredited translators.. 16.

(25) Subcontracting translators must be told how much they will be paid for the translation forwarded to them. This task is best carried out in the late afternoon or perhaps after office closure (in the case of agencies). By following the described, or a similar work pattern, self-employed translators, who also run an agency, will be able to cope. The self-employed translator’s own translation work may well have to be done before and after office hours. While translators will wok in different ways, attention to work management and organisation are fundamental to a successful business. 3.4 Communication and Public Relations Skills Self-employed translators need to be good communicators, who generally undertake their own public relations work, advertising their services in the yellow pages of the phone book, in the NAATI translator directory and on the many translator websites of the Internet. They need to negotiate with clients on the telephone and by e-mail and need to be polite and well-informed about the many varied tasks freelance translators are required to perform. If they promise to complete a translation by a certain deadline, they must absolutely adhere to it, if they do not want to lose their clients. Many translators decide to create their own web page on which they advertise their services and solicit business. Translators are their own public relations agents and the prompt answering of all written, telephone and e-mail enquiries that are received is a prime requirement of good public relations. Never argue with a client. With difficult clients use the, “yes, but” approach, in order not to lose their business e.g. ”yes, I can see your point, but…” or: “I tend to agree with you except for …”or: “Yes, from where you are, it looks like that, but may I explain that in fact …”, etc. Always be careful not to make rash statements or to give promises you cannot keep. Do not allow yourself to be cornered by a client by agreeing to a tight deadline, which you know you are unlikely to meet. Do realise that there will always be some unforeseen events that crop up. It is better, therefore, that you surprise a client with an early delivery of a translation, rather than making excuses regarding a delay, which you had not anticipated. Remember, a self-employed translator runs a small business and happy clients will remain your clients. An unhappy client will be your worst public relations enemy, whilst a happy client will do the public relations and advertising for you, when recommending you to other people. It is only good publicity that you seek! Also, make sure that your regular clients are familiar with the rates you charge. Charges are generally made for 100 words or characters, translated from the source language. Some web-based agencies may request quotes per word, while others may require specific quotes to be given in either Euro or U.S. dollars. In these cases, Australian–based translators need to consider the ever fluctuating exchange rates and must not short change themselves when quoting. The chapter on accounting will deal with the assessment of charges and the manner in which you invoice your clients and keep track of their payments. Banking and taxation matters will be touched upon briefly. 3.5 Research Skills (Library Skills and Net-surfing Skills) Although translators need excellent language, cross-cultural skills and general knowledge skills, their specialised knowledge in certain areas may be limited, for they cannot be ‘jacks of all trades’. It is for this reason that translators need to possess good research skills. Whilst in the past, libraries and personal reference materials provided the answers to most questions, it is now largely the Internet to which translators turn for help. With the advances in technology your mobile 3G iPhone or Blackberry device too can also assist you in the research task by calling up the respective website on the Internet with the help of search engines, such as Google and others. This allows translators to simply enter a key word, and the web browser will take them to a dedicated website, where they can find the required information displayed on screen, ready to be downloaded and saved on your PC hard drive or mobile device for future reference. If translators are unfamiliar with a certain subject, which forms part of their translation assignment, they are also able to find subject-related texts on the Internet for parallel reading in both the source and target language. Translators, who are required to translate patent specifications about a modern piece of machinery, can thus gain a clearer picture about how a certain machine is constructed and how it operates. 17.

(26) By being able to undertake such background reading on the Internet, translators can familiarise themselves with the technical terms in both the source and target languages and at the same time compile a computer-based terminology list. This can be achieved by simply creating a table with two columns and as many lines as required and then sort each column in alphabetical order in turn, thus creating two separate alphabetical glossaries. One will be in the source language and the other in the target language. This method, of course, works only with languages based on the Roman alphabet. If this seems to be too tedious a task, then translators will find that many bilingual and multi-lingual glossaries can already be found on websites, such as that of Microsoft and Eurodictautom. With skilful web browsing many other useful subject-specific glossaries can be found for free downloading to your PC. A great number of specialised language dictionaries are also available on the Web that makes the task of translating less cumbersome. 3.6 Proofreading Skills Once translators have completed a translation, they should immediately check for any omissions that may have occurred during the transfer from the source language text to the target language. The translated text is best left aside for some 24 hours, if the translator has the time. The reason for this, as explained earlier, is the fact that even very experienced translators will have to cope with source language interference. This occurs, when source language grammar patterns and idioms are accidentally transferred into the target language. By proofreading a translated text the following day, translators should imagine that the text, when read in the target language, should in fact read as if it had originally been written in that language. In this way, source language interference is easier to detect, for the translated text may in fact not read like an original source language text and translators will thus be able to pick up elements of source language interference. These may consist of wrong semantic choice, grammatical errors such as incorrect tense or syntax and unidiomatic use of the target language etc. The errors, so detected, can be instantly corrected, if proofreading has been undertaken on the PC’s monitor screen. Some translators, however, due to eyesight problems, caused by the glare of the computer screen, find it difficult to proofread texts on screen and prefer to have a hard copy in front of them. If this occurs, translators proceed by simply highlighting any spelling or specific source language interference errors with a coloured pen or highlighter. They then undertake the required on-screen corrections by referring to the corrected hard copy of the translated text. When working with a word processor, recurring errors can be easily located on screen using Microsoft Word’s ‘find’ function. One example of this would be, if a certain spelling error or a juxtaposed number or date, which incorrectly appears in the translation, requires correction. Another example would be, if a certain word or technical term is used on a number of occasions in the text and has to be replaced by a more appropriate term during the proofreading process. Punctuation errors also need correcting during the proofing process. Be warned however, that the use of a spell checker alone may prove to be a trap. The reason for this is that the spell checker will not pick up errors regarding the plural of nouns or the use of wrong verb tenses. Nonetheless, translators will find, that the more proofreading they undertake, the more skilled they become. A proof reader must read every single word the way it was actually typed and not the way one assumes it should read in a given context. Polishing translations can be a very time-consuming task and it is therefore advisable to work with maximum accuracy during the original translation process. This is achievable by simply editing the translation after every translated sentence or paragraph (checking for omissions, spelling and grammatical errors etc. and making the corrections immediately). 3.7 Accounting Skills To keep strict records and accounts is vital for translators. There are, of course, translators, who undertake translation after translation, which they then promptly e-mail or post off to their clients. Such translators often claim that they find no time to do their accounts. They shun record-keeping or accounting and live in the hope that their clients will eventually put a cheque in the mail. In other words, they leave it to their clients to worry about payment. Ask yourself, if you might be one of these charitable translators? Even though you may be working from home as a freelance translator, you are still required to keep strict records for taxation 18.

(27) purposes. Translators working from home may in fact be eligible to deduct the costs for a home office and furnishings and any translation related expenses, such as stationery, computers, printers, fax machines, telephone and other related expenses, all solely incurred for the earning of an income derived from translation activities. For the purpose of record-keeping you can use a simple spreadsheet or an accounting program such as Quicken or QuickBooks. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) also offers free downloadable software (‘e-Record’). If you have had no prior experience in record keeping or accountancy, it is suggested that you start by invoicing your clients in the following manner. Firstly, you need to assess your charges. This, as mentioned previously, is done by means of a word count. Let us assume you use a target language word count. This is easily obtainable by clicking first on your tools menu at the top of your task bar in the version of your Microsoft Word program and then on word count. If you have quoted your client a per word rate, you will simply multiply the number of words by this rate. If in turn you have quoted a rate per 100 words, you will need to divide the final sum by 100 to arrive at the correct amount you need to charge. If you are registered for GST (or VAT in Britain), you must add this amount to your charges under a separate column. In this regard it may be remarked that few if any freelance translators in Australia would exceed the 50K income mark that would require GST registration and paying provisional tax on a monthly or quarterly basis. As regards your business letterheads and invoices, you may wish to produce your own templates, or you can use one of the many already provided on your PC by Microsoft or by the accounting program installed on it. The idea is to keep your invoice simple. Therefore, the template shown in the appendix may give you some idea as to how to design your own invoice format. Most accounting packages do this easily. 3.8 Marketing Skills Translators, who work privately from home, need to let others know that they are available to undertake translation work. This can be achieved in a number of ways and may very well be referred to as advertising or marketing your skills. One of the cheapest ways to draw attention to your services is to add your name to a number of translator lists found on the Internet. For instance, in Australia if you are already a NAATI-accredited translator you are offered the opportunity to have your name listed in the electronic NAATI directory, which is frequently referred to by clients seeking translators who are situated in a certain state, town and suburb. A small administration fee is charged by NAATI for this useful and recommended listing service. Members of AUSIT (the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators) may also have their details listed on its translator/interpreter listing online. If you seek to register your name with other translation-related organisations you can simply type into your search engine the words “translation agencies” or “translators wanted” and then proceed to selecting the one that appeals to you from their webpage content. Some of these agencies may charge you a small annual or once only membership fee that will allow you to bid for jobs that are listed on their web pages in the language in which you are NAATI accredited. Bidding simply means that you register your interest to undertake a given translation task by quoting the fee you intend to charge. Australian rates are generally quoted per hundred words and may currently vary from 15 to 20 dollars plus, whilst rates in Europe are generally quoted per word and vary from as little as 5 cents to 15 cents. The U.S.A. and Canada also generally quote per word. The cheapest rates are offered by translators in the former Eastern block countries and in China. When marketing your services, indicate your turnaround rate per job (the time taken to complete a translation from receiving to delivering it). Deadlines are frequently imposed by agencies and clients and you must make sure that you can meet them, when bidding for a job. Payment for your work is usually made by electronic transfer to your nominated account, such as e-pay. You need to ensure that you are registered for this service and that all your virus and “Malware” protections are up-to-date. Also be very cautious as to whom you entrust any personal information, account and banking details. White collar crime on the Internet is rampant and generally hits those people who do not adequately protect themselves and their computers. Added exposure to the public is of course possible and in recent years, quite a number of translators have opted to set up their own web sites on the Internet, in order to market their skills and services to the whole world. Given the easy availability of web page authoring software, this no longer presents a problem for translators who may have no HTML program knowledge or skills.. 19.

(28) It is simply a matter of following the prompts that appear on the authoring software and clicking on the relevant buttons. You can even import a recent photograph of yourself and post a short CV, if you wish to do so. Most important, however, is that you list your NAATI-accredited languages and the language direction and subject areas, software programs and computer languages (encodings) that you are familiar with and can handle. It is important that you state your qualifications and accreditations accurately, as failing to do so may bring you in conflict with the profession’s code of ethics and even the law. Under the law of tort you could easily be accused of misrepresentation and a client could take legal action against you. (Refer to the paragraph on translator’s rights and obligations). If you have your own webpage, which will generally be hosted by your ISP, you must of course be connected to the Internet on a permanent basis via an ADSL (broadband) connection. For this, you do not need a separate telephone line. The line splitter installed on your telephone line and the modem will take care of that and will allow you to make and receive private phone calls on your fixed line, while working on the Internet at the same time. Once ultra-fast broadband connections (ADSL 2 and beyond) become available it is recommended that you aim at setting up your own website, in order to increase your exposure and boost business. It is not advisable (nor permissible) to undertake targeted e-mailing to web addresses of hundreds of prospective clients. This practice, known as spamming (or spam mail), has been outlawed in most countries. You will find that once your name is listed on a number of translation sites, you will receive an adequate number of translations that will keep you busy. (Ensure first of all that you will be paid as well!) Once you have provided clients with a number of satisfactory translations, you will find that they may wish to contact you directly for any future work. Many of the agencies, listed on the World Wide Web, make their money from annual membership fees and from accepting advertising (i.e. featuring banner advertising on their websites). Thus, clients will most likely pay you directly via e-pay or by other means, without you or your client having to involve the respective agency, let alone having to pay commission to it.. 20.

(29) 21.

(30) 4. CHAPTER FOUR EQUIPMENT AND HELPFUL TOOLS. 22.

No results found