Thread: A field in Translation

Hello everybody. I'm currently studying at the University of World Languages and International Relations. In future I plan on becoming a translator. My native language is russian. So I want to ask a question about how do you think which field in translation nowadays is the most popular and worth digging and investigating it. I happened to find out that a general english is not really useful when it comes to work as a translator and you have to pick a sphere where you will be good at, because only this way you can find a high-paid job.

probably anything technical: science, engineering, medicine, law. There are translators' forums around.

Originally Posted by sperk

probably anything technical: science, engineering, medicine, law. There are translators' forums around.

I disagree. To make a good translation of scientific (or any other specialized) text usually a professional scientist is more preferrable than a professional translator. It means that your special knowledge should be stronger than linguistic one. IMHO for the pure professional translator best areas are:
- simultaneous translation;
- fiction literature;
- general newspapers and journals.

Originally Posted by it-ogo

- fiction literature;

Good advice. Fiction literature translators are (sadly) some kind of lower life forms among translators. They are very low-payed. Say, a good translator in the auto or oil fild earns sometimes 10 times more per page (surely, you'll need to work on understending the specifics, and you should actually understand what you're translating).
Simultaneous translation is payed well too, but it requires nerves of steel, good endurance (literally) and an ability to think on your feet.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Fiction literature translators are (sadly) some kind of lower life forms among translators. They are very low-payed.

I have no Idea about wages and mentioned areas where professional translators are really needed in my experience and feeling.

Good translation of a fiction literature really needs high qualification.

I've been working as a freelance translator for seven years already. For the most part, my work consisted of various instrtuctions, manuals, contracts and other legal stuff. Lots and lots of very boring stuff. The most difficult thing I find in my work is the fact that 80% of English texts I had to translate were written by non-native speakers. And many authors weren't very proficient in English. It's great when you understand how this or that machine works and you can express it in your own words, but when you have no idea what this equipment does and what for, you're in trouble.
I would advise to stick to legal texts (contracts, charters, minutes, etc.). It would be simplier than translating technical docs for some digital rheometer.

ive been freelancing for about the past year and a half and will not be doing it for much longer. for the most part, the work is not well paid (by english standards and often by russian standards ) and it is boring as hell. ive browsed other translation jobs on hh.ru and other places and the salaries are laughable. i cant understand how people live or raise a family when they're busting their bal@s translating for peanuts.
yeah there's good money in oil fields and stuff, but if you've not put in some time in oil companies/seen experienced the equipment to even have a half a clue what an employer would need and will end up doing a bad job.
ive heard of some people translating and interpreting in companies for 100,000 py a month, but that's more the exception than the rule.
if you can make a go of it, best of luck but лично, im gonna be more than happy to wash my hands of it once and for all

I've never considered it as a primary occupation. It adds some extra money to your budget, but it cannot fully support you. I only take translations when I need a new mobile phone or something like that.