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Poll: What skill do you believe is the most important for succeeding as a freelance translator?
Autor de la hebra: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
PERSONAL DEL SITIO
Feb 10, 2014

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What skill do you believe is the most important for succeeding as a freelance translator?".

This poll was originally submitted by Rodrigo Gaion. View the poll results »



 
neilmac
neilmac
España
Local time: 08:57
español al inglés
+ ...
Other Feb 10, 2014

IMHO we are missing the option "All (or most) of the above".

 
Noura Tawil
Noura Tawil  Identity Verified
Siria
Local time: 09:57
Miembro 2013
inglés al árabe
Other Feb 10, 2014

The poll misses THE most important skill for a translator.

 
Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
Reino Unido
Local time: 07:57
ruso al inglés
+ ...
In Memoriam
Other Feb 10, 2014

Thorough knowledge of source and target languages.

 
Britt Laux
Britt Laux  Identity Verified
Local time: 08:57
alemán al noruego
+ ...
Other Feb 10, 2014

I agree with Noura, and I also miss accuracy, reliability and accessibility

 
Claire Cox
Claire Cox
Reino Unido
Local time: 07:57
francés al inglés
+ ...
Is it me? Feb 10, 2014

... but surely the most important skill of all is the ability to translate well..... (by no means always a given)

 
Giovanna Alessandra Meloni
Giovanna Alessandra Meloni  Identity Verified
Italia
Local time: 08:57
español al italiano
+ ...
LOCALIZADOR DEL SITIO
Other Feb 10, 2014

The poll misses many important skills for a translator, moreover, as neilmac wrote, I think it misses the option "All (or most) of the above".

 
564354352 (X)
564354352 (X)  Identity Verified
Dinamarca
Local time: 08:57
danés al inglés
+ ...
Other - Excellent language skills Feb 10, 2014



 
Noura Tawil
Noura Tawil  Identity Verified
Siria
Local time: 09:57
Miembro 2013
inglés al árabe
Bingo! Feb 10, 2014

Jack Doughty wrote:

Thorough knowledge of source and target languages.


 
Helen Hagon
Helen Hagon  Identity Verified
Local time: 07:57
Miembro 2011
ruso al inglés
+ ...
Persistence and determination Feb 10, 2014

While all the other qualities are very important, and I wouldn't recommend anyone try to be a translator without first-class language skills, you will not be successful as a freelancer unless you have the persistence and determination to go out there and find the right work for you. You have to be able to overcome the many obstacles in the way and not be deterred when things go wrong.

 
Diana Coada (X)
Diana Coada (X)  Identity Verified
Reino Unido
Local time: 07:57
portugués al inglés
+ ...
Other Feb 10, 2014

Thorough language knowledge is a pre-requisite. So I would say that in this day and age, marketing and business skills are crucial.


Helen Hagon wrote:
While all the other qualities are very important, and I wouldn't recommend anyone try to be a translator without first-class language skills, you will not be successful as a freelancer unless you have the persistence and determination to go out there and find the right work for you.


[Edited at 2014-02-10 16:13 GMT]


 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
Estados Unidos
Local time: 23:57
Miembro 2003
español al inglés
+ ...
Other: knowledge Feb 10, 2014

That was my first reaction: knowledge of the two languages and knowledge of the subject matter.

Then comes skill at resolving the lexical and syntactic differences between the two languages.

Then comes good writing style.

I find it quite surprising that these were left out. IMO, everything else is secondary. With only the other attributes listed:

organization
good communication with clients
patience
speed
memory
... See more
That was my first reaction: knowledge of the two languages and knowledge of the subject matter.

Then comes skill at resolving the lexical and syntactic differences between the two languages.

Then comes good writing style.

I find it quite surprising that these were left out. IMO, everything else is secondary. With only the other attributes listed:

organization
good communication with clients
patience
speed
memory

the Emperor would have no clothes.
Collapse


 
Noura Tawil
Noura Tawil  Identity Verified
Siria
Local time: 09:57
Miembro 2013
inglés al árabe
this.. Feb 10, 2014

Diana Coada, PGDip DPSI NRPSI wrote:

Thorough language knowledge is a pre-requisite.]


That's what one would think, but paying a visit to the Kudoz section reveals terrifying "linguistic" findings about seemingly good translators who DO receive jobs!


 
Andrea Jarmuschewski
Andrea Jarmuschewski  Identity Verified
Francia
Local time: 08:57
Miembro 2007
francés al alemán
+ ...
Exactly Feb 10, 2014

Jack Doughty wrote:

Thorough knowledge of source and target languages.


Exactly.


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 07:57
Miembro 2007
inglés al portugués
+ ...
Spot on! Feb 10, 2014

Jack Doughty wrote:

Thorough knowledge of source and target languages.


 
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Poll: What skill do you believe is the most important for succeeding as a freelance translator?






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