| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you think that translators are respected overall? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you think that translators are respected overall?".
View the poll results »
| | | | EvaVer (X) 
Local time: 02:16
Czech to French
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| Ana Vozone
Local time: 01:16
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
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| Don't know... | Nov 8, 2016 |
I say this because I sometimes get two very different reactions from people when they know what I do: some think it is something that requires a lot of skills, discipline, courage (to be a freelancer), i.e., something that they don't think they could ever do because they lack specific edcuation/background, while there have been people who have told me they "also" want to become translators, although they have absolutely no translator skills at all: people who will say "Oh, I have nothing to do n... See more I say this because I sometimes get two very different reactions from people when they know what I do: some think it is something that requires a lot of skills, discipline, courage (to be a freelancer), i.e., something that they don't think they could ever do because they lack specific edcuation/background, while there have been people who have told me they "also" want to become translators, although they have absolutely no translator skills at all: people who will say "Oh, I have nothing to do now, I am thinking of becoming a translator to make some extra money, how do you "do" that?"...
So I do not think that everybody really appreciates/values what it takes to work as a translator.
[Edited at 2016-11-08 08:36 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Depends by whom, really! There isn’t a general clear understanding of what a translator really is and what he/she does, even in the industry: how many times have I been asked by well-known translation agencies to translate into Brazilian Portuguese? Some years ago I discovered that my work was being revised by… a Spaniard!
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inkweaver
Germany
Local time: 02:16
French to German
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| Overall? No, I don't think so... | Nov 8, 2016 |
Otherwise agencies wouldn't dare to offer 0.025 € per source word, would they? (Just to be clear about this, this is the princely offer made by a European agency for the language combination French > German.)
Then again, some translators obviously don't even respect themselves, otherwise they wouldn't accept this kind of rate and agencies like this would have long since gone out of business.
| | | | cloudhunter (X)
Germany
Local time: 02:16
English to German
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| I don't think so | Nov 8, 2016 |
I voted "other" but I'm not sure, really.
Me and my husband have been doing this for a few years now and have been able to lead a decent life. BUT. The vast majority of my family still thinks we are unemployed, actually. Working from home? Like in your own office? In your house? As if. Why don't you just admit you don't work?
Also, if we visit them (and it happens quite often since they live in my holiday house at the seaside) and work they don't get it. Well, sitting i... See more I voted "other" but I'm not sure, really.
Me and my husband have been doing this for a few years now and have been able to lead a decent life. BUT. The vast majority of my family still thinks we are unemployed, actually. Working from home? Like in your own office? In your house? As if. Why don't you just admit you don't work?
Also, if we visit them (and it happens quite often since they live in my holiday house at the seaside) and work they don't get it. Well, sitting in front of the computer is not really working, is it...
There are also people who are convinced that translating is about changing the meaning from A to B and everyone can do.
And last but not least there are the translation agencies who see you as a person, who is actually happy to be able to work for them and who can wait for their payment as long as they see fit. They tend to "forget" that this is one's means of earning the living. ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 02:16
Spanish to English
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EvaVer wrote:
where and by whom.
Indeed. I think the people who feel disrespected must be those who do most of their work for agencies rather than direct clients. Even with agencies, I've never really perceived anything resembling disdain, and working with most of them has been an okay experience. In fact, I like to think that most of not of my clients trust my judgement and opinions, and value the work I do for them - especially all those whose work subsequently gets published!
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 02:16
Member (2006)
German to English
And to be perfectly honest I do not really care.
People do not respect dustin people, but they do a good job and without them we would have a lot or rubbish laying around.
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But we might well be more respected if we wore overalls.
I noticed on holiday in Portugal that staff in the optician's wore doctor-style white coats, which lent them a certain gravitas that is sadly missing at our local Specsavers.
The big question then is what colour boilersuit we should go for?
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 20:16
English to Spanish
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| Revealing and illustrative answer | Nov 8, 2016 |
cloudhunter wrote:
I voted "other" but I'm not sure, really.
Me and my husband have been doing this for a few years now and have been able to lead a decent life. BUT. The vast majority of my family still thinks we are unemployed, actually. Working from home? Like in your own office? In your house? As if. Why don't you just admit you don't work?
Also, if we visit them (and it happens quite often since they live in my holiday house at the seaside) and work they don't get it. Well, sitting in front of the computer is not really working, is it...
There are also people who are convinced that translating is about changing the meaning from A to B and everyone can do.
And last but not least there are the translation agencies who see you as a person, who is actually happy to be able to work for them and who can wait for their payment as long as they see fit. They tend to "forget" that this is one's means of earning the living.
Thanks for this real-world take on your family and their views on your (and your husband's) profession. Perhaps it's them who need to get out of the house since many other professions and occupations are carried out in the same fashion (home office, work at a computer, etc.).
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 20:16
English to Spanish
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| Call me nitpicky… | Nov 8, 2016 |
…but whoever wrote this question hasn't had his/her morning coffee, is too 420-friendly or just watched a telenovela.
We may substitute any other occupation for “translators”, even use familial categories like uncles, grandpas, or second cousins.
A better question (out of many other options about respect) could be “What do you consider respect in your profession?”
Yet another poll question that makes me think cats are smarter than us.
... See more …but whoever wrote this question hasn't had his/her morning coffee, is too 420-friendly or just watched a telenovela.
We may substitute any other occupation for “translators”, even use familial categories like uncles, grandpas, or second cousins.
A better question (out of many other options about respect) could be “What do you consider respect in your profession?”
Yet another poll question that makes me think cats are smarter than us.
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| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 02:16
Member (2006)
German to English
| The collar makes the difference! | Nov 8, 2016 |
Chris S wrote:
But we might well be more respected if we wore overalls.
I noticed on holiday in Portugal that staff in the optician's wore doctor-style white coats, which lent them a certain gravitas that is sadly missing at our local Specsavers.
The big question then is what colour boilersuit we should go for?
Whitecollar or bluecollar that is the question?
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Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:16
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
| I quite like this poll | Nov 8, 2016 |
Mario Chavez wrote: …but whoever wrote this question hasn't had his/her morning coffee, is too 420-friendly or just watched a telenovela. We may substitute any other occupation for “translators”, even use familial categories like uncles, grandpas, or second cousins. A better question (out of many other options about respect) could be “What do you consider respect in your profession?” Yet another poll question that makes me think cats are smarter than us.
Reading this post, I'd love to know what you consider to be respect in our profession. If you don't afford it to others, then you're unlikely to receive it yourself.
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Writers who translate books are respected and admired
The others? well we are respected by our clients because they know the value of our work but generally speaking people think this is just a hobby and that eventually we will find a proper job....
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 20:16
English to Spanish
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| People can't respect what they don't know | Nov 8, 2016 |
Simon Bruni wrote: Mario Chavez wrote: …but whoever wrote this question hasn't had his/her morning coffee, is too 420-friendly or just watched a telenovela. We may substitute any other occupation for “translators”, even use familial categories like uncles, grandpas, or second cousins. A better question (out of many other options about respect) could be “What do you consider respect in your profession?” Yet another poll question that makes me think cats are smarter than us. Reading this post, I'd love to know what you consider to be respect in our profession. If you don't afford it to others, then you're unlikely to receive it yourself.
Whenever I introduce myself (because someone asks what I do for a living), I usually go beyond just naming myself a translator; I tell them precisely what I do: I write medical/technical translations and I do it with a smile. Always.
It's a long road to indirectly correct people's perception that anyone who is bilingual can translate, but it's my own PR approach.
I seldom bring up the topic of respect. We who live in a civilized society already know the basic principle of respect.
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