What does it take to be a translator? One common belief is that a translator must know a foreign language perfectly. This is important, but in fact, it is even more important to master your mother tongue. Most professional translators only translate into their mother tongue and it is crucial to be able to be an expert at manipulating it in order to convey all the intricate nuances of a document. The other useful attributes are good research skills and the ability to learn quickly in order to be able to tackle documents in different areas. A good sense of humour and excellent communication skills also essential when dealing with clients who don’t really understand the translation process, which can result in tricky situations. As for how to work in the field of translation, there are many different paths one can follow, but this is how I became a translator. What I love most about this job is the variety of it. There is no typical day for me and I get to translate all sorts of documents, from the most mundane (printer manuals) to the most interesting (the conservation of marine habitats in the Channel). If you’re thinking of becoming a translator, you might find my post Advice to a translation student interesting, especially my readers’ comments.
