If you have ever met anyone working in the language service industry, one of the first things you will hear about if you are interested in becoming a translator is the importance of specializing in translation. You will hear about translators who specialize in law, science, engineering, literature, medicine, marketing, and every kind of translation work in between.
Translation is such a varied industry that it only makes sense to figure out your preferred area and stick with it. Medical professionals specialize in treating specific diseases. Eye doctors focus on everything from prescription glasses to retinal repair, while heart doctors focus on treating diseases and conditions related to the heart.
Similarly, within the field of translation there are legal, medical, marketing, technical, and many other specialized translators. You first go to your general practitioner if you’re having symptoms, but no one ever thinks of a translator without a specialty.
So what does general translation even mean? A translation project could be considered to be general if the language used is standard and does not use specialized or regional vocabulary. The project would be made up of words the average person could understand without needing to consult specialized tools or resources and should reflect a contemporary writing style with everyday language. Examples of this type of writing might be translating email messages between friends, a transcript of an interview with an actor, musician, or novelist, etc. Importantly, however, you should recognize that general documents don’t really exist – every document has a certain emphasis, whether it’s a conversational style or anything else.
While this doesn’t mean that translators never have to look up anything, it does mean that they are likely to recognize most if not all of the terms in the project. This is beneficial for translators, who are able to save time and complete work more quickly as a result. It is less beneficial for translators, however, because more people can do this same work. Since the translator isn’t specialized, there is no name recognition as being an authority for a specific type of translation field.
It’s a good practice for all beginning translators to start out doing a wide variety of translation work to get a feel for the process. Then, if the translator has a background in a second area or develops a secondary specialty, focusing in that area is easy. In the meantime, the translator’s general knowledge of different subject areas is strengthened while reaffirming his or her passion and primary area of interest. This is slightly similar to a doctor who practices medicine, but later decides to attend law school and then becomes a malpractice attorney.
So what does it take to specialize in general translation work? Well, nothing, actually. That’s what’s so great about this particular area of focus. It’s perfect for beginning translators because it requires little area-specific knowledge or previous experience. It’s perfect for a new translator because he can read a wide variety of materials. Because general translation work is, well, general, it is less likely the translator will ever focus on one area too often. If the translator does find himself translating the same kinds of documents repeatedly, however, he may decide to specialize. As an example, if the translator regularly receives requests to translate legal documents, he may decide to focus on this area.
Are you an experienced translator with tips to share with newcomers to the profession? What advice would you offer someone interested in translation work but unsure what area to focus on? Let us know in the comments!
