Working as a translator/interpreter

[MMM]

I would move to Japan to learn Japanese better (it's the best way, for sure), but I wouldn't move there to become a translator.

If you are a native English speaker, you will be translating mostly J to E. Japanese publishers in Japan don't publish books/manga/etc. into English. That is done by overseas publishers that buy the rights and then translate the stuff...usually "locally", but not necessarily.

I did do work for the Tokyo Metro Government translating part of their website into English for foreigners living in Tokyo, but that kind of work is (obviously) not very steady.

[pandayanyan]

Is that the same for translation in the language form? Like a personal translator? or does that only apply to text translators?

I did do work for the Tokyo Metro Government translating part of their website into English for foreigners living in Tokyo, but that kind of work is (obviously) not very steady.

With software (i.e. google and whatnot) that translates sites for you do you think this will become phased out as a viable option for careers?

[Hatredcopter]

When I studied abroad in Nagoya last year I had to take an internship as part of my school's major requirements. I worked at a law firm doing various things. I translated some of the more simple documents in J to E (letterheads, cover sheets, things of that sort.) I also made phone calls to some of our English-speaking clientele. While I worked there I got a chance to meet a number of different foreigners working in Japan (many of whom were involved in translation).

What I've learned is that most of the money lies within patent translation, as well as medical and other legal documents. Engineering/sciences also garners a fair amount. Sadly for you aspiring manga translators, the market is rather small. Most manga translation occurs in the US, and there aren't many positions to begin with.

Although in-house wages are pretty modest, you can make a killing as a freelancer in Japan (easily 6 figure annually). However, there are also a few disadvantages. The first being it's difficult to get clients as a freelancer when you first start out. Most companies always go back to the same translators if they can. Therefor, its almost required that you start out as an in-house translator in Japan before it's viable to move on to freelance. I've also heard that freelancing can be a bit of a feast or famine thing. You can make a load of cash one month, and then not a whole lot at all the next. It all depends on the hours you work, the clients you get, and the price-per-word you work on.

Bottom line is, being a freelance translator is kinda like being a day trader. You usually work long hours, it's tough to start out, but you can also make a pretty big wad of money too. It's something I'd like to try after working a few years on the JET program.

Anyhow, that's my two cents!

[MMM]

Originally Posted by pandayanyan

Is that the same for translation in the language form? Like a personal translator? or does that only apply to text translators?


With software (i.e. google and whatnot) that translates sites for you do you think this will become phased out as a viable option for careers?

Here's a piece of text taken from CNN (about Britney Spears).

"More profoundly, in an age where skinny models and skeletal actresses are under scrutiny for the message they're sending young girls, what does it say that we're excoriating a young woman for a little thickness in her middle? "

Here's is the translation I got back from Babelfish:

"深く、私達が彼女の中間の少し厚さのための若い女性� �excoriating と細いモデルおよび骨格女優が若い女の子を送っている メッセージのための精査の下にある年齢で、何言うか。 "

Now let's put that back into English:

"It is deep, excoriating with the age which is under careful inspection for the message which sends the girl the thin model and skeletal actress it is young, what it is the woman where we her center for thickness are a little young?"

Machine translation (as it is called) will never work for Japanese to English and vice-versa. It has to be done by a person, so to answer your question, no, I am not worried at all. Sure, it got some words right...but does that bottom sentence mean ANYTHING to you?

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Hatredcopter

When I studied abroad in Nagoya last year I had to take an internship as part of my school's major requirements. I worked at a law firm doing various things. I translated some of the more simple documents in J to E (letterheads, cover sheets, things of that sort.) I also made phone calls to some of our English-speaking clientele. While I worked there I got a chance to meet a number of different foreigners working in Japan (many of whom were involved in translation).

What I've learned is that most of the money lies within patent translation, as well as medical and other legal documents. Engineering/sciences also garners a fair amount. Sadly for you aspiring manga translators, the market is rather small. Most manga translation occurs in the US, and there aren't many positions to begin with.

Although in-house wages are pretty modest, you can make a killing as a freelancer in Japan (easily 6 figure annually). However, there are also a few disadvantages. The first being it's difficult to get clients as a freelancer when you first start out. Most companies always go back to the same translators if they can. Therefor, its almost required that you start out as an in-house translator in Japan before it's viable to move on to freelance. I've also heard that freelancing can be a bit of a feast or famine thing. You can make a load of cash one month, and then not a whole lot at all the next. It all depends on the hours you work, the clients you get, and the price-per-word you work on.

Bottom line is, being a freelance translator is kinda like being a day trader. You usually work long hours, it's tough to start out, but you can also make a pretty big wad of money too. It's something I'd like to try after working a few years on the JET program.

Anyhow, that's my two cents!

I think that is a pretty accurate assessment. Especially in Japan, the creative end will be harder.

(Not to toot my own horn), but I recently sat on a panel of translators at an Anime convention. A lot of the people who came to the panel want to do manga translation (of which I have only done a little) and the translators all were freelance, but we were connected in that we all did work for the host of the panel. (I hope that makes sense). People asked about how to get "in" and the host said. "Our company releases about 70 to 80 manga volumes a year. The four people on this panel could pretty easily do all those translations... so it is like there is a burning need to find a ton of new translation talent" (at least for that company).

[pandayanyan]

Originally Posted by MMM

Here's a piece of text taken from CNN (about Britney Spears).

"More profoundly, in an age where skinny models and skeletal actresses are under scrutiny for the message they're sending young girls, what does it say that we're excoriating a young woman for a little thickness in her middle? "

Here's is the translation I got back from Babelfish:

"深く、私達が彼女の中間の少し厚さのための若い女性� �excoriating と細いモデルおよび骨格女優が若い女の子を送っている メッセージのための精査の下にある年齢で、何言うか。 "

Now let's put that back into English:

"It is deep, excoriating with the age which is under careful inspection for the message which sends the girl the thin model and skeletal actress it is young, what it is the woman where we her center for thickness are a little young?"

Machine translation (as it is called) will never work for Japanese to English and vice-versa. It has to be done by a person, so to answer your question, no, I am not worried at all. Sure, it got some words right...but does that bottom sentence mean ANYTHING to you?

ROFL... Ok you make a VERY good point! HA HA I fully understand.

[MMM]

And to answer your other question... a translator does text translations, and an interpretor does spoken interpretation... not a lot of people know the difference.

And one more thing...(sorry to bring it up again) your sig should be "kAwaii" not "kUwaii"

[pandayanyan]

A

nd one more thing...(sorry to bring it up again) your sig should be "kAwaii" not "kUwaii"

thank you for the correction. I would rather be told im wrong than parade around like a fool. ha ha. how is that?

[MMM]

Originally Posted by pandayanyan

thank you for the correction. I would rather be told im wrong than parade around like a fool. ha ha. how is that?

Me too!

If my zipper is open or I have a piece of food in my hair...TELL ME!

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by MMM

I did do work for the Tokyo Metro Government translating part of their website into English for foreigners living in Tokyo, but that kind of work is (obviously) not very steady.

That reminds me...
I translated a bunch of garbage disposal pamphlets for our area.
I did it for very little money, thinking it would be a good example for a sort of portfolio.

Unfortunately the office TOTALLY screwed it up. For some horrible and mysterious reason, they decided that for any part that didn`t fit perfectly in the box, they could just randomly remove words to make it fit.

*sigh*