Poll: In how many language pairs do you work?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Aug 11, 2019

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "In how many language pairs do you work?".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 17:20
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
4 Aug 11, 2019

I work in four language pairs. I translate from English, French, Spanish and Italian (in this order amount-wise) exclusively into my native language: European Portuguese. Nowadays the majority of my work (+/- 80%) is in one combination (EN-PT), though some years ago there was a kind of balance among language pairs. Over the years I have noticed a big shift: when I started out some 40 years ago the demand for other languages (French, in the first place) was much higher. For instance, last year I ... See more
I work in four language pairs. I translate from English, French, Spanish and Italian (in this order amount-wise) exclusively into my native language: European Portuguese. Nowadays the majority of my work (+/- 80%) is in one combination (EN-PT), though some years ago there was a kind of balance among language pairs. Over the years I have noticed a big shift: when I started out some 40 years ago the demand for other languages (French, in the first place) was much higher. For instance, last year I had next to no work (9,327 words) in IT-PT...Collapse


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 18:20
Spanish to English
+ ...
Two Aug 11, 2019

I translate ES-En and FR-EN. However, in the past decade or so, I've only had a few translations from French and the texts were short and unchallenging.

One of my clients has an online platform for translating software strings, and sometimes the odd thing will appear in languages like Portuguese or Italian, and I usually have a go at them as well, if I think I am able, as I usually know the context and if I can do it, I will.


 
Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 18:20
Member (2016)
English to German
1 / other Aug 11, 2019

I only really work from English to German.

But in my main fields of work (games / subtitles), a lot of content from different countries gets localized into English first, before the English copy gets translated into other target languages.
So I have been translating many projects originating in various languages (Turkish, Farsi, Hindi, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, French, etc.) into German -- all via English as a pivot language.
The English trans
... See more
I only really work from English to German.

But in my main fields of work (games / subtitles), a lot of content from different countries gets localized into English first, before the English copy gets translated into other target languages.
So I have been translating many projects originating in various languages (Turkish, Farsi, Hindi, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, French, etc.) into German -- all via English as a pivot language.
The English translations I get are sometimes lacking in quality, so I have to pay a lot of attention to continuity and other factors, and oftentimes I have to get creative. For this reason, one of my selling points is that my translations make at least as much sense as the source text.
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Kay-Viktor Stegemann
 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 18:20
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
One or two Aug 11, 2019

I practically only translate from Danish into English now. I have translated a fair amount from Swedish and Norwegian, and I still edit texts translated from Norwegian for a good client. She occasionally sends texts for translation from Norwegian too, and if I can, I take them on. I hardly ever translate from Swedish these days.

 
Elizabeth Tamblin
Elizabeth Tamblin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:20
French to English
One Aug 11, 2019

French to English.

 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 12:20
German to English
+ ...
two Aug 12, 2019

I am certified in German to English and French to English.

 
Lincoln Hui
Lincoln Hui  Identity Verified
Hong Kong
Local time: 01:20
Member
Chinese to English
+ ...
4 Aug 12, 2019

3 source, 2 target.

 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 10:20
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Two-plus Aug 12, 2019

My main combinations are Spanish-English and Portuguese-English. I worked in two international organizations that required translators to also be able to translate from French, and I have done that as well. In addition, I do a lot of editing of original English. In my job log I have a column for source language: S, P, or E. No F any more. Most years (but not always), S tends to predominate, followed by P, and then E, in that order. I would prefer to do more work from Portuguese, as it always rem... See more
My main combinations are Spanish-English and Portuguese-English. I worked in two international organizations that required translators to also be able to translate from French, and I have done that as well. In addition, I do a lot of editing of original English. In my job log I have a column for source language: S, P, or E. No F any more. Most years (but not always), S tends to predominate, followed by P, and then E, in that order. I would prefer to do more work from Portuguese, as it always reminds me of my life with my husband.

I've been asked to work into Portuguese, but I insist on working into my native language except in the most informal situations.
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Adam Warren
Adam Warren  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 18:20
Member (2005)
French to English
Mainly French into English, but... Aug 12, 2019

... like other colleagues no doubt, I have occasionally been pressed into service on short assignments in other European-language pairs - German, Spanish and Italian into English: there was no-one else around, and the work was in one of my specialist fields. I remember among others a one-page German document on tax - interesting going!

I actually only draft in UK English, but clients often wish me to handle work into US English. In such cases, I offer to spell the delivered draft in
... See more
... like other colleagues no doubt, I have occasionally been pressed into service on short assignments in other European-language pairs - German, Spanish and Italian into English: there was no-one else around, and the work was in one of my specialist fields. I remember among others a one-page German document on tax - interesting going!

I actually only draft in UK English, but clients often wish me to handle work into US English. In such cases, I offer to spell the delivered draft in US, and ask the client to indemnify me against end-client claims relating to dialect.

In this connection, it is wise to keep careful record of exchanges with clients concerning an assignment, and for the purpose, my job folder set includes a 'Management' folder. Retaining proof avoids misunderstanding and conflict.

[Edited at 2019-08-12 06:40 GMT]
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Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
One and a bit Aug 12, 2019

Danish, Norwegian and Swedish are effectively the same language for translation purposes

Jorge Payan
Júio César Pereira da Silva
Michele Fauble
 
Júio César Pereira da Silva
Júio César Pereira da Silva
Japan
Local time: 02:20
Japanese to Portuguese
+ ...
3 pairs Aug 12, 2019

English -> Brazilian Portuguese
Japanese -> Brazilian Portuguese
German ->Brazilian Portuguese


 
Angie Garbarino
Angie Garbarino  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:20
Member (2003)
French to Italian
+ ...
4 Aug 12, 2019

English, French, Spanish, Dutch into Italian

 
Michele Fauble
Michele Fauble  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 10:20
Member (2006)
Norwegian to English
+ ...
Scandinavian Aug 12, 2019

Chris S wrote:

Danish, Norwegian and Swedish are effectively the same language for translation purposes


Helt enig. (“totally agree” in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish)


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 18:20
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Ja, det er rart... Aug 14, 2019

Perhaps with tongue in cheek as usual
Chris S wrote:

Danish, Norwegian and Swedish are effectively the same language for translation purposes


… apart from the false friends!

My heading means ´Yes, that's nice´ in Danish, but quite the opposite in Norwegian.
There are others.
I tread carefully or turn down jobs where it may be critical, but I admit that my comprehensive Danish dictionaries are a very useful supplement to the somewhat sparser Norwegian ones I have.

When we carefully distinguish between different varieties of English or Portuguese or Spanish, I would prefer not to lump the three Scandinavian languages under one.


 


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Poll: In how many language pairs do you work?






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