| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9] > | Poll: What was your first translation project about? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
| Yes, I remember :) | Feb 10, 2016 |
The end client was a technology giant and the text was:
A: yes B: no
A: yes B: no
A: yes B: no
A: yes B: no
A: yes B: no
The questions had been already translated.
I got 15 EUR for that and that was my monthly income that month, but I was really happy (although it was by no means comparable to the money I had been earning in my previous career) because it made me hope that I might make it.
It turned out much much better than ... See more The end client was a technology giant and the text was:
A: yes B: no
A: yes B: no
A: yes B: no
A: yes B: no
A: yes B: no
The questions had been already translated.
I got 15 EUR for that and that was my monthly income that month, but I was really happy (although it was by no means comparable to the money I had been earning in my previous career) because it made me hope that I might make it.
It turned out much much better than I had hoped and I am really more proud for establishing myself as a translator from scratch (no relevant studies, no mentor, no translator-friends, no clue) than for any other achievement. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Natalia Pedrosa
Spain
Local time: 01:48
Member (2012)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| A contract for a shipping company | Feb 10, 2016 |
My first translation was that, we did it between a university friend of mine and me. We were very proud of the result and went for a take-away pizza which we ate with delight. We never had any more news from the outsourcer in question, but it was fun alright.
Cheers!
N.
| | | | DorothyX (X)
France
Local time: 01:48
A 100 pages report about the telecommunications industry in my country, straight for the relevant ministry in the country where I live. And yes, it was from A into B, which was quite normal at that time. They were very happy and I got paid within a fortnight. For years and years I only worked for direct clients (ministries, legal departments), and only since six or seven years for some good translation agencies.
| | | | | I had a connection | Feb 10, 2016 |
I was an administrative secretary at a casemanagement agency for the developmentally disabled, and one of our clients needed a psych evaluation of one of their new residents translated from Spanish to English. I did the translation on the agency's brand-spanking-new Selectric III (with my boss's permission) over several lunch hours and earned enough to go out for a nice dinner with my husband.
What's a Selectric III, you say?
Well, way back before there were computers ... See more I was an administrative secretary at a casemanagement agency for the developmentally disabled, and one of our clients needed a psych evaluation of one of their new residents translated from Spanish to English. I did the translation on the agency's brand-spanking-new Selectric III (with my boss's permission) over several lunch hours and earned enough to go out for a nice dinner with my husband.
What's a Selectric III, you say?
Well, way back before there were computers smaller than rooms, people used these devices called "self-correcting typewriters", and we secretaries thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread (and don't ask about that, okay?). ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Gudrun Maydorn (X) 
Germany
Local time: 01:48
English to German
+ ...
I was working in the after sales service department of a mechanical engineering company and was asked to translate the instructions on how to replace a spare part in a machine. I was about 20 at the time and I have been fascinated by mechanical engineering ever since.
My first job as a freelancer was also mechanical, it concerned medical rehabilitation equipment.
[Bearbeitet am 2016-02-10 20:08 GMT]
| | | | Chié_JP
Japan
Local time: 08:48
Member (2013)
English to Japanese
+ ...
| I got to cherish them more! | Feb 10, 2016 |
A major securities firm finance system manual and agreement as in house (not even a translator),
a contract reading then revise of form 10K as full time in house translator,
and as freelancer it was either a diploma, a syllabus or a government material.
From direct client it was a hymn. It is amazing that many of you get memorable, very rare and interesting job from very first step. Many documents are memorable and I got to cherish them more!
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 20:48
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| Pre-School Education | Feb 10, 2016 |
Back in 1987, when the only references we had were the old paper dictionaries and very rare colleagues to give us a hand, communication only by telephone or personally (good old times, but not for translators!), I had my first job. A summary of the scheduled events of an UN-WOPE meeting in Brasilia. I had a tough time with some terms and with the client. I ended up discussing with him and telling him to go to hell.
One term I'll never forget was the "creche" (daycare in PT). I could... See more Back in 1987, when the only references we had were the old paper dictionaries and very rare colleagues to give us a hand, communication only by telephone or personally (good old times, but not for translators!), I had my first job. A summary of the scheduled events of an UN-WOPE meeting in Brasilia. I had a tough time with some terms and with the client. I ended up discussing with him and telling him to go to hell.
One term I'll never forget was the "creche" (daycare in PT). I couldn't find it on any dictionary, and nobody knew it. I even went to the library to search this and other terms.
Then I translated it as "homes for children care" with a foot note explaining how it worked in Brazil.
The mentally-sick client made me change them all to "kindergarten". I told him that was something else, and the translation would be incorrect. He insisted, and I took my name off the paper. Then he asked me why I did that, and I told him: "there is no way on earth I will hand in a translation with my name on it translating "creche" as "kindergarten". Got my money and went away for good.
[Edited at 2016-02-11 00:03 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 20:48
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
It's really amazing how people use the quick polls and other forums. Most first jobs mentioned here were large and important documents. Most people started as experts with an important demand, not with a small document, for a low price and an unknown client, which would be a lot more plausible (and believable).
| | |
|
|
|
Andy Watkinson
Spain
Local time: 01:48
Member
Catalan to English
+ ...
| Knitting patterns....(into Spanish) | Feb 11, 2016 |
.....for a Spanish women's magazine, c. 1979.
"Knit one, purl one."
It's a pity that garter stitches, stockinettes and single ribs never seem to crop up in Issuances of Subordinated Debentures for some reason.
What a waste.
So much for recycling knowledge.
| | | |
My first PAID translation was a chapter of a scientific textbook on social work. However, I forgot the book title and its content after 20 years!
| | | |
Mario Freitas wrote:
It's really amazing how people use the quick polls and other forums. Most first jobs mentioned here were large and important documents. Most people started as experts with an important demand, not with a small document, for a low price and an unknown client, which would be a lot more plausible (and believable).
My first PAID translation was only worth IDR 700/ page or, in another words, USD 0.001/ word! It was 20 years ago in August 1996 (I forgot the date, but I still remember month, year, place, and surrounding situation).
I don't believe if a newbie translator was trusted with an important International document at high rate. Impossible!
[Edited at 2016-02-11 06:10 GMT]
| | | | 564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 01:48
Danish to English
+ ...
| Slightly offensive moderator comment | Feb 11, 2016 |
Mario Freitas wrote:
It's really amazing how people use the quick polls and other forums. Most first jobs mentioned here were large and important documents. Most people started as experts with an important demand, not with a small document, for a low price and an unknown client, which would be a lot more plausible (and believable).
Are you suggesting that we are all fibbing here to make ourselves stand out more favourably? Why is it so hard to believe that people have actually started their professional lives doing professional jobs? Could it not be, rather, that the people who answered the poll are actually professional, well-educated people, capable of undertaking difficult jobs even at the beginning of our careers?
For once, this is an interesting poll, instead of the same-old, same-old questions being asked over and over again, and then you mock us for answering honestly, sharing a bit of our very different stories...
| | |
|
|
|
| | Nigel Greenwood (X)
Spain
Local time: 01:48
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Technical - Electronic payment systems | Feb 11, 2016 |
It was about the installation and programming of electronic payment systems. It was very large and complicated -my engineering background and diploma is metallurgy- and yes I did get paid for it.
Have a great day.
| | | | | The question is about a translation PROJECT | Feb 11, 2016 |
Mario Freitas wrote:
It's really amazing how people use the quick polls and other forums. Most first jobs mentioned here were large and important documents. Most people started as experts with an important demand, not with a small document, for a low price and an unknown client, which would be a lot more plausible (and believable).
What would you expect, Mario? Something to the tune of...
My first translation PROJECT was when my next-door neighbor received the visit of an aunt from Eastern Slobovia, who didn't speak any other language than Sloboviak. I don't speak it, however I learned to speak Slawik with Grandma, which is pretty close. As I was on vacation from school, I spent the entire month with them, as some kind of interpreter, being taken sightseeing everywhere. It was fun!"
Some people here studied languages, and then translation, so they were supposedly ready to undertake a first translation PROJECT. Others were working in some field of human knowledge using two languages already, when a colleague asked about having something translated, and they agreed to do it.
Translation is a mostly deregulated profession, so a person can gradually move in from some other endeavor... or simply start studying for it from the outset.
I always draw parallels between translation and photography. In the ancient days when one had to go to a photographer to get pictures taken for documents, I went to a rather famous photographer's studio here in Sao Paulo, just because I lived close by. At that time I was already a keen amateur photographer (my other major duty, industrial photography at the same company where I began translating professionally). I had a chat with the man there, and he told me his story: "Beware... I was a keen amateur photographer like you, I was studying the first year of civil engineering in Budapest when WWII broke, and the Nazis stomped in. My family was so fortunate that we managed to flee from the country. When we got here, I borrowed a camera, got some work, made some cash, got more work... and the rest is history. Before I learned enough of the language, my photo studio was booming. So here I am."
Compare that with a fully regulated profession, like medicine.
My inseparable pal from our teen years is today an award-winning retired oncologist in the USA. When it happened, as a young student, he told me about his very first surgery (a PROJECT!) at med school... which he performed on a dog! On the very night after he had done it, he dreamed about having sewn all the beast's genitals inside, so taking a leak would not be possible. He woke up at 3:00 AM, got in his car, drove to the school, probably had to explain to the night watchman the reason for his untimely visit, and checked the 'patient': It was a female, and she was doing fine!
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: What was your first translation project about? | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
| | Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users!
Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value
Buy now! » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
