The Savvy Newcomer aims to serve newcomers to the translation and interpreting professions by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed content on a weekly basis. We strive to provide you with the answers to the many questions you face as a new or aspiring translator or interpreter.
Many language professionals start out doing their work “on the side” of whatever else they are doing in life. When people find out you are bilingual, you may be asked to do some volunteer interpreting to help out a friend, family member, or someone in need, or you may agree or be expected to do the occasional translation—and maybe even get paid for it. Volunteering and doing small side jobs are great ways to gain experience and improve your skills as a translator or interpreter. But in order to be a professional—whether you plan on doing this work part-time or…
Read MoreKeeping a Steady Pace: Balancing work, volunteering, and family life
By Daniela Guanipa Derek Yorek was a complete stranger until he appeared on television this year, leading the world-famous Boston Marathon at mile one. He savored his accomplishment for literally five minutes of glory; then suffered for three endless hours until he crossed the finish line. One doesn’t have to be a marathoner to know that pushing oneself to the…
Read MoreTop Five Benefits of Attending ATA’s 56th Annual Conference
By ATA’s President-Elect, David Rumsey Republished from The ATA Chronicle, June 2015, with permission from the ATA It’s that time again to start thinking about your plans for ATA’s Annual Conference. This year’s conference is being held in Miami, Florida, November 4-7, 2015. Maybe you’ve never attended, or maybe it’s been a while, but apart from the sunny weather and…
Read MoreThe Savvy Translation Blogger—Blogging Frequency, Blog Content, and Reblogs
By Catherine Christaki and David Friedman Here at the Savvy Newcomer, we often get questions from our blog readers about social media and blogging. We would like to share some answers and advice concerning some of these questions below and would like to encourage you to feel free to email us your questions anytime. Our topic of discussion today is…
Read MoreAdaptation versus Translation
By Brian Harris Reblogged from Unprofessional Translation blog with permission from the author (including the image) A book I’ve been delving into (see Sources) and an article I’m composing myself both use the terms translation and adaptation. This obliges me to consider what the differences are between the two terms. Amongst academics, the old study of translation has now been joined by a…
Read MoreAll work and no play? How to achieve balance between your freelance translation work and the rest of your life
By Tess Whitty Long and irregular work hours seem to be the norm among freelancers, but it does not have to be this way. In fact, I am a living testament and firm believer that it should not be this way! Many highly successful freelance translators do not work long or irregular hours. Instead, they have learned to manage their…
Read MoreThe story of a U.S. Intern in France
By Kimberley Hunt I’m Kimberley, currently living in Paris as an intern at a translation agency. I’m also a French translation student at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. In Paris, I translate and proofread for the company’s finance division, which means I spend a lot of time reading annual reports and frantically searching glossaries for investment fund terminology with…
Read More15 FREE Tools for Translators (and Not Only) that You Might Not Know You Need
By Flo Bejgu Reblogged from Inbox Translation blog with permission from the author (including the images) The advancements in technology have made it possible for people of different languages, traditions and customs to come into contact. As was expected, translators and interpreters quickly became essential for society, because they are the only ones who can make conversations between foreign individuals possible. Every translator…
Read MoreTake the Message and Jump!
By Christiane Nord Abstract by Jamie Hartz and Cynthia Eby A common, but dangerous, tendency in translation is to adhere too closely to the source text and miss the mark in the target culture. In this article, Dr. Christiane Nord explains the concept of “taking the message and jumping” into the target linguaculture—which is a combination of culture and language which…
Read MoreRevision and its Kin
by Jonathan Hine If you have been translating professionally for a little while, a project manager (PM) has or will ask you to revise a text that someone has translated. The PM probably will not call it “revision.” This is part of our professional practice which has more misnomers than almost anything we do. What is revision? Why isn’t it…
Read MorePromoting Your Practice in 60 Seconds or Less: Mastering the Elevator Speech
By Lillian Clementi Reblogged from ATA Chronicle with permission So I’ve made it to the networking event—I’ve even remembered to bring some business cards—and I’m starting to peek out from behind the potted plant when a friendly stranger makes eye contact and asks, “So what do you do?” Or I’ve settled into my seat at a business gathering and suddenly the moderator…
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