Vocation, vexation, vacation: how do you see translation?
Thread poster: Andrew Morris
Andrew Morris
Andrew Morris
Local time: 18:07
ProZ.com team
Jan 24, 2020

Much ink is spilled over the idea of having "found your passion", "discovered your purpose", "fulfilled your potential", "achieved ikigai" (Google it, if you're not familiar with this Japanese term?)

Does translation represent a vocation for you? Something you were born to do... even "called" to do (as the etymology of the word implies)? Do you feel a sense of mission, helping people around the world understand whatever it is you're translating?

Are you "building
... See more
Much ink is spilled over the idea of having "found your passion", "discovered your purpose", "fulfilled your potential", "achieved ikigai" (Google it, if you're not familiar with this Japanese term?)

Does translation represent a vocation for you? Something you were born to do... even "called" to do (as the etymology of the word implies)? Do you feel a sense of mission, helping people around the world understand whatever it is you're translating?

Are you "building bridges", to cite an other frequently used metaphor?

Or is all that just hot air, and what you're basically doing is getting enough words translated to pay the bills?

Do you enjoy it so much it doesn't feel like work at all? Or are you bored half the time, wading through piles of endless verbiage?

Do you skip or crawl towards your computer?

Or do you possibly feel all of these things in a single week?

Or even a day?

And whatever your answer is today, has that changed over time?
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Laurent Mercky
 
Laurent Mercky
Laurent Mercky
France
Local time: 18:07
Chinese to French
+ ...
money money money Jan 24, 2020

Hi there

Translation is not a passion, but a way to earn money.
And I'm good at that: more, I love to make business with the Asian World.
But if I'm not working, I feel bored very easily.
Oh and BTW, bretzels are excellent as snacks when working ^^


 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
No "pure" translators/interpreters Jan 24, 2020

Andrew, you may already know my (unpopular) vision, yet once again:

I strongly believe
there're should be only (1) in-demand specialists in real [non-translation] fields with (2) business awareness and (3) foreign languages skills to run the biz abroad.


It answers it all for me)


 
Andrew Morris
Andrew Morris
Local time: 18:07
ProZ.com team
TOPIC STARTER
Snacktastic Jan 24, 2020

Laurent, that's great! I don't think a right answer exists of course. In my own career I've gone from total passion to "it's just a job" (and back again on some days).

I think it's important to have passion for SOMETHING in life, although I no longer think that has to come exclusively from your work. Could be kite flying or learning languages or just your family.

Enjoy those snacks.


Laurent Mercky
 
Andrew Morris
Andrew Morris
Local time: 18:07
ProZ.com team
TOPIC STARTER
Popular schmopular Jan 24, 2020

DZiW wrote:

Andrew, you may already know my (unpopular) vision, yet once again:
It answers it all for me)


Who needs popularity? I'm all for people saying whatever they think. It's HOW they say it that often makes it appropriate or inappropriate.

As for your vision, it's one thing to think what should be the case, another to embrace reality.

I too have high standards, but apply them first and foremost to my own work. What others do is up to them.


DZiW (X)
Laura Kingdon
 


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Vocation, vexation, vacation: how do you see translation?







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