Voice of experience
Time to get serious about getting better
When DeepL made its debut a few years ago, I had an opportunity to try it out against human translators. I’d been collecting examples of stylistically weak translations for a year to put together a writing workshop, and I used those. So when I say “human translators,” I mean translators who were struggling a bit.
Each workshop participant got two versions of every sentence—one by the struggling human and one by the machine. I asked them to pick which one was the best. If they thought both were bad, I said to pick the less-bad one. They picked DeepL 75% of the time.
How would you make out against DeepL?
If you participate in translator discussion groups on Facebook and other platforms, you’ll see a lot of complaining about rates. DeepL’s rate is 0 cents a word. How much extra is your work worth?
Machine translation is upending the bulk translation market in many ways. What clients used to send for translation they’re now sending for revision, which means you have to be able to take the machine output and make it better. With ChatGPT, they’re not even writing the source text themselves. I’ve seen cases where the client reproached the translator for simply revising the text and not criticizing and rectifying the logic of it. “It was written by ChatGPT,” they said. “You have to sexy it up.” How sexy are your writing skills? These are important questions.
The translator as writer
The line is blurring between translation and writing, and you have to feel comfortable doing both. You have to know about flow and rhythm. About figures of speech. About repetition and alliteration and parallel structure and all the myriad things that go into making a text enjoyable to read.Which brings me to the topic of this article. I was asked to write about the lunch ‘n’ learn sessions I give to the staff at my place of work. They’re never long—just a half hour or so—and each one addresses a style issue. We try to do at least one a month.
It’s not just for fun (although IT IS fun because we’re translators and we love talking about language). It’s to survive and thrive in today’s translation world. Along with genuine specialization, writing style is the great differentiator between you and a machine. If you’re not working every day to improve it, you may find yourself shut out.
Learn something new every day
You may think it’s a tall order to learn something new every day, but it’s not if you do it right. We have the privilege of working in a field where it’s actually normal, and we should take advantage of that. To help, I’ve gathered a few thoughts on training and put them into “rules” for making the most of your professional development opportunities.- Get feedback
I’ve been translating and writing for over 30 years and I still make sure every text I do is revised. It’s the best way to spot weaknesses. Ideally, you should have a group of people who provide feedback on your work, because everybody brings something different to the table.
- Make learning your default mode
You can learn new things without attending a workshop or taking a university course. Just read a lot and pay attention to how people write. What words do they use? In what order? In what context? Read everything, even stuff you don’t normally read. (But make a point to read really, really good writers, too.)
- Take workshops
You will learn more if you seek out formal training opportunities. With the pandemic there has been an explosion of online offerings. Take advantage of it. But not just courses that teach you how to market or invoice or network. Make sure you’re learning how to be a better translator and a better writer.
- Take workshops in your non-native language
I’ve come to believe that there’s no such thing as “training for French-to-English translators” versus “training for English-to-French translators.” It all helps. If you’re anglophone, you’ll learn things in French training classes that help you really understand the essence of French. And vice versa.
- Attend conferences
In-person conferences add a whole new dimension to your career. I’ve found that I’ve had an “aha” moment at every one I’ve attended, an insight that has made it all worthwhile. You’ll also meet other translators who may become your clients/sources of new work/revisers.
- Collect examples
Solved a tricky translation problem? Some day you’re going to try to remember it, so save it in a file now. Organize your notes however is best for you, but do something. If you revise someone else’s work, keep notes about their work too. If you have a pedagogical bent, you’ll be glad later to have material you can share with others.
Essentially, see yourself as a bilingual communicator. In today’s AI world, translation will probably be just one arrow in your quiver. Make language as a whole your field of specialty so that you have the skills and flexibility to provide the services tomorrow’s clients will need.
A certified translator, trainer, writer and published author, Grant Hamilton is the founder of Anglocom, an agency known for its premium market expertise. Today Anglocom is a division of TRSB, where Grant works as a senior linguist. In 2009, Grant received the American Translators Association’s Alicia Gordon Award for creativity in translation.
