Here’s a quick burst of inspiration for beginning and aspiring translators. I haven’t been a translation beginner for a long time, but over the past couple of years I’ve had the urge to learn a new musical instrument. I played piano for lots of years as a kid (but never loved it) and then I played a little recorder when we lived in Boston. A few months ago, we went to a lute concert and I was completely hooked: what a cool instrument. Plus it’s portable, unique, and lends itself to playing with other people. So, as my end of year bonus, I got myself a lute and lute lessons.
But first, I stressed out. I’m 42, I’m not a naturally gifted musician, I don’t really improvise or play by ear, I’ve never played a string instrument, and on and on. And then, a translator friend who’s a very accomplished recorder player said this: Look; every musician was once a beginner. No matter how good they are now, they once picked up that instrument for the first time and gave it a shot. So why not you? And that struck me as very simple but very profound: right, why not me?
Flash forward a few months, and now I can actually play the lute a little. Better yet, I love it. It is seriously fun and a really great outlet when you’ve been reading and writing all day. So then, my recorder-playing translator friend suggests that I go play some duets with a friend of hers who plays the viola da gamba. Sounds fun, but again I stress out. I get to the friend’s house with my lute, and immediately start explaining my real and perceived deficiencies (I’ve had five lute lessons, I’m not a naturally gifted musician, I can’t play by ear…stop me if you’ve heard this before). And the friend laughs, and says that she’s been playing viola da gamba for thirtysomething years, and she doesn’t improvise or play by ear, and she enjoys encouraging beginners, so let’s just get out some easy music and try it, and have some fun. And guess what, I could actually sort of play a super easy duet with her and have it sound like music, and it was really fun.
So here’s the takeaway for translators: every single person in this industry was once a beginner. Even if today, someone like Chris Durban is (as I call her, much to her chagrin) the Michael Jordan of freelance translators, she once sat down to do her first translation, to see if she was any good at it. Even the Officers and Board of ATA once walked into their first ATA conference and thought “Maybe I’ll just head for the exit rather than face this crowd of strangers.” If the “big names” in the industry can make it, why not you?
PS: If you’ve never encountered a lute before, here’s what it looks like! This is me playing “The Holly and the Ivy” at our Christmas Eve house concert.
Such a good reminder for everyone! This year, one of my unofficial goals is to make myself uncomfortable at least once a week by trying something new for my business. I’ll never get a handle on sales techniques or talking with direct clients if I never get started!
Thanks Carolyn! Totally true: if you chip away at your goals, things might improve slowly, but they will improve. Whereas if you do nothing (and I include myself in that too, in certain areas!), things never improve. Let me know how it goes!
So far, it’s going well! Getting a bit more business, and doing a bit of presenting. Once you get started moving outside the comfort zone, momentum takes over quickly.
Thanks for the encouragement, if everything was that easy I suppose everyone would do it.
Thanks Peggy, that’s true too! My daughter does judo, and she has a saying above her desk, “All things are hard before they are easy.” For her it applies to judo, but I think it applies to other things too!
I don’t think I can hear your reminder enough. For me, the business part of translation is my “lute.” This is the time in January when the bloom is already beginning to come off of the rose of my exuberant intentions for the year. And as I read the blogs of experienced translators and come across people who are ATA-certified, who speak two or three languages and translate both into AND out of them, and who blog, tweet, and have “Klout,” I feel left behind before I’ve even started. So, thanks for reminding all of us novices that everyone has had a first day. And now back to my business plan!
Thank you very much for this post. I am in the career transition phase and it is very difficult. Along with a full time job, I am working towards becoming a freelance translator ( exams, Ma, etc) and I just got a (volunteering) translation job for a charity. It is very daunting and it is good to be reminded that everyone else had to start somewhere, somehow as I am now.
Thank you
Lily
As a beginner I would like to thank your for this post! Most of the times we need some encouraging and inspirational words to keep on struggling 🙂
Good reminder! I read somewhere that in China, struggling to master a subject is seen as a positive thing because it is evidence of desirable qualities such as determination and discipline, which are necessary for success in life. A refreshing view in our “instant” culture.
Thats an impressive story!
An excellent reminder for anyone attempting to start anything new! Thanks for sharing your personal experiences, it’s nice to know that when we are struggling, it is never a unique position!
I am not a beginner in its strictest sense (I already have 2 years in t&i) but I am new to all of this branding and marketing and networking which is foundamental in this profession.
I’ll try to remember this next time I try to approach a new client in a fari/conference.
Great post!
The lute is such a beautiful instrument. Must be a tough one to learn, though. Hang in there!
Thanks for sharing this post, this really help as sometimes we feel like we are not that great or when we see experienced translators we say how ever we can reach this level of experience…
Hi Corinne,
Thanks so much for all of your guidance and inspiring words. In 2010 I graduated with a BA in Spanish and have always wanted to work as a translator. I have picked up a few translation assignments here and there, yet I don’t have any formal education in translation. How necessary do you feel it is to pursue a certificate or degree to add credibility to one’s name?
-Stacy McQueary
This. This post is very touching, thank you.
I don’t consider myself a beginner at translation, but there are always new skills to learn. This post goes straight on my fridge!
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Karolina Karczmarek-Giel
Office Assistant
wantwords.co.uk
Everyone was a beginner once, but the translation ‘industry’ wasn’t the same place 20-30 years ago or even 15 years ago. Every era has its own problems and challenges, So, today’s beginners can’t say today’s established folks hadn’t had theirs; however, people who started, say, 20 years ago weren’t facing this ugly thing. (As much as they may have suffered a rude awakening in the meantime.) Plus, it’s probably important to note the difference between experience or lack of it in translation and experience or lack of it in a running a freelance translation practice. There are some great, experienced translators with almost nil business skills, and there are some well-to-do translators who aren’t even that good.