It’s an enormous 100 meg file, and can be downloaded => here

Translation Contacts

If you are looking to expand your client base, enclosed are a few agencies who outsource their Italian to English translations. Visit my translation-contacts page. Many, many more to come.

About this page

For the past several months, I’ve been meaning to build this page. Actually, this is one of the main reasons why I chose to move my blog in to a self-hosted site.

Fortunately, a few blog-buddies have already done quite well with this, and over thirty readers have sent me emails asking for tips on how to enter the translation industry, so I decided to upload the information into my blog for easy access.

This page is an ongoing project that will take a while to build, but this is a start.

Translations vs. Interpretations

• Translations = Written

• Interpretations = Spoken

Clients

Many translators enter the field by finding their own clients, others work for translation agencies who have important accounts and outsource the work. They pay less, but the files are very interesting, they find the clients for you and they might even keep you very, very busy.

What do do? It’s up to you. I began by searching “translation agencies” and work began to trickle-in fairly quickly. Once you grow your list of clients, the amount of work you receive will grow, as well. Proz.com has valuable contact information. I’m building a list of agencies who need Italian translators, but the file is huge (hundreds of contacts), so it’s taking me a while (but it’s coming).

Research Tools

Without a doubt, most translators are great terminology researchers, and rely on a good source of research tools. I have several wonderful dictionaries that I brought from Florence. But it’s no secret, my favorite online tools are Proz.com’s “term search” option, and wordreference.com.

CAT Tools

A lot of translators do not use CAT tools and I don’t know why. Most of my clients would not send work if it wasn’t for the fact that I work with Trados.

So, before anything, I will include a link where you can download a CAT tool. Download the file, and try translating a paragraph by following the instructions below. See how it feels…

TRADOS Instructions

Trados has many, many neat little tricks. But this is how you can get started:

• Download a working demo version of Trados => here.
• Install Trados.
• Now, copy a small Italian paragraph into a word document and save it.
• Open WORKBENCH:
  • On your computer => Start button => Trados => Translator’s Workbench
• Configure Workbench:
  • File => NEW => choose languages => create => save
    • THIS is the brains! It will remember what you type and remind you what you’ve written before if the sentences are very similar (fuzzy matches)
• Now open the Word file.
  • Do you see the arrows on the Word document toolbar?
  • If not, enable them by clicking => View => toolbar => Tw4win
  • To start translating click the down arrow labeled (open/get).
    • START TRANSLATING!!
  • After each sentence, click the double arrow labeled (Next Open Get)
    • It will take you to the next segment.
• When you’re done. Save TWO copies:
  • Usually, when you receive a file to translate, it might be named like 1234.doc
  • I save it on a separate folder for the client. Then, when I’m done translating:
  • I click “save as” (1234_bilingual)
  • Then again, “save as” (1234_English)
  • • That way I have two copies of the same file,
• Some clients will ask for the bilingual file, others just want a “clean” file.
• Don’t touch the bilingual file after you’re done translating.
  • Do you see how both languages are in the same file as you translate?
• To clean the English file:
  • Go to workbench => tools => clean up => add => 1234_English => clean up => DONE
• Open the document. Do you see how it’s only in English?

You can send your client both versions, or just one or the other. So, play around with this for a while.

• I also do a lot of localization work, so I will soon include instructions on how you can use TagEditor.
• In addition, I will add info on TMs (translation memories) and PMs (Project Managers)

SUMMARY

• (To practice, copy a small Italian paragraph into a word document)
  
• Open workbench and configure
• Open the Word document to translate
  
• Translate with Trados
  
• Save two copies of the file
  
• Make a “clean” file
  

Get comfortable with it, and let me know how it went In bocca al luppo!

CAT Tool Options:
To invest on a CAT tool or not to invest?

• When you are just getting started, you may choose to use the free Demo version of Trados, and buy the full version later.
• You may also use a free open-source CAT tool called OmegaT (you need Open Office to use this)

Remember!
Remember you
work
for yourself now!

• This is an enormous, flexible field.
• Each translator:
  • has a different background
  • works differently
  • will experience this field differently
• Clients can be near you or on the other side of the world, and they, themselves, work differently.
• Ultimately, remember you work for yourself.
  
• You get what you put in.
  
• Make it your own!

… more to come!