My first translation project – Stefano’s story
Never Too Late
I am one of many people who arrived late into the world of translation. Some extremely accomplished translators have drifted into the profession almost spontaneously; they were members of other professions who, in addition to their professional expertise, had the advantage of knowing other languages very well indeed. The opposite is sometimes true as well; in my part of the world graduated translators often become language teachers.
English is my mother tongue, and usually my working language. I became a teacher first, and later took a degree course in translation. Four years later, armed with my diploma, I just could not find the ‘right’ job. Besides, I was already deeply involved in teaching. So I put my new qualifications aside and continued with the work I had learnt to love.
Ten years later the unbelievable happened: I was asked to translate a book into English. Out of the blue, if truth be told. It came about thus: my mother, well into her eighties, lived next door to one of the book’s sponsors, who mentioned that her husband was looking for a translator. Of course, my mum instantly offered my services. It was the first lead. After several interviews, and a moment of panic at the sheer volume of the project, I started work on Las Maestras de Sarmiento, by Julio Crespo. It is a bilingual book that tells the story of the teachers who, between 1869 and 1898, came to Argentina from the United States to establish teacher-training colleges. On President Sarmiento’s initiative, over sixty young women—and three men—sailed to Argentina. They encountered many dangers and difficulties, from civil warfare and yellow fever to non-existent schoolhouses and unreasoning prejudice. However, they carried out their job magnificently, bringing about changes in teaching methods and enabling well-educated Argentine girls to become independent and respected working members of their community, no mean feat in the 19th century. So, not only did I begin my second career by translating a book, but it was an engrossing, truly interesting, finely crafted, and beautifully produced book. In other words, a translator’s dream.
It was a very auspicious beginning, but for some time it seemed it would be a once-in-a-lifetime event. However, work began to trickle in, by word of mouth at first. Then I began to get inquiries from people who saw my profile on translation sites. I had missed out on a period of tremendous change in the translation industry, mostly in the IT area, and this limited me to translations of a certain type, usually carried out for end clients: fiction and nonfiction books, literary and academic articles, tourist guides, and the occasional marketing or business translation, filling in with proofreading and editing… just the type of work I would have chosen anyway.
Of course, book translations are few and far between, so they are perhaps more a source of enjoyment than of reliable income—this is why I am still active in my first profession. So here I am, a middle-aged but not too experienced translator, firmly convinced that when opportunity comes knocking one should accept the challenge. In fact, we should go in search of the work we find fulfilling, and I have met many brave people who have done just that, even in the face of global crisis.
You must have heard the old saying, “Where there’s a will there’s a way.” It may not be easy, but it is certainly worthwhile. So make up your mind and look for work you really enjoy; it’s never too late and it will make a world of difference to your life.
Links to the book:
http://www.tematika.com/libros/derecho_y_ciencias_sociales–4/historia–3/historia_argentina–1/las_maestras_de_sarmiento–467160.htm
Review in La Nación
Author Bio
Christine Walsh holds a degree in translation, and has also been a teacher of English Language and Literature in top Argentine bilingual schools for many years. She began translating in 2007, and has since had the pleasure of translating several books as well as academic and literary articles, among a variety of other texts. She is British and equally proficient in both English and Spanish; having lived in Argentina for so long she is truly bilingual and translates to and from both languages. You can find her on Linkedin and Proz.
About the author
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Very nice article, I really enjoyed it. You are really lucky to have landed such a lovely project as your first translation job. Mine wasn’t that exciting, albeit interesting. I must say that I totally agree with your statement at the end: “So make up your mind and look for work you really enjoy; it’s never too late and it will make a world of difference to your life.” Anything done with love and passion brings happiness into one’s life.
Hi Alina,
Thank you so much for your comment. We seem to share a similar professional background, though I’m probably a little less experienced.
Best of luck
¡Qué inspirador! Gracias por compartir esta historia, Christine. Ha sido excelente leerte en este momento en el que la búsqueda y la esperanza son mis motores en el plano laboral. Coincido con vos y con Alina “So make up your mind and look for work you really enjoy; it’s never too late and it will make a world of difference to your life.”
Voy a tenerla cerca: “Where there’s a will there’s a way.”
¡Trataré se conseguir el libro! Ya me dan ganas de leerlo.
Saludos cordiales.
¡Gracias, Victoria!
Creo que te gustará. El único problema es que aparentemente ya es difícil de conseguir (se publicó en el 2007), pero si estás en Buenos Aires, según me dijo el autor los editores aún tienen algunas copias. En todo caso contactame.
Cordialmente.
Querida Christine:
Me ha sorprendido usted con el pequeño texto que me ha enviado. Posee el encanto de los párrafos bien construídos, en un inglés diáfano y conciso que muestra la habilidad y tino de la autora para escribir en esa lengua. Está claro que se trata de su lengua materna.
Lo he leído con deleite y con asombro porque en algún lugar de la breve correspondencia que hemos sostenido, me ha expresado que, a pesar de sus deseos de escribir lo propio y no conformarse con ser únicamente traductora de otros, no ha podido decidirse, aunque siempre ha fantaseado con la posibilidad de escribir algo, pero no se ha lanzado a hacerlo.
Me permitiré recordarle una frase que se ha convertido en refrán y que usted acota en su breve relato: “donde hay una voluntad hay un camino”.
Con absoluto respeto le aconsejo que atienda usted a ese llamado, la literatura y sus lectores se lo agradecerán.
Atentamente,
José Armando
¡José Armando, me halaga demasiado! Creo que gran parte de mi facilidad con las lenguas proviene de mis años de experiencia docente, quizás más aún que la universidad.
No sabía que había una versión española tan similar al dicho en inglés. Es probable que tengan un origen común, pero no sé cual será. Intentaré hacerle caso y aventurarme también por ese camino
¡Muchas gracias!
Interesting, my translation career was a gift of similar serendipity. I was unemployed after the birth of my twins, and my friend who worked at a periodical offered me some typing work to do at home. Some of this was audio transcription… which was a great opening because I was able to add value by adapting the transcript to a print-ready article. But the best surprise was when I was asked to transcribe an audio lecture by a rabbi who speaks both English and Yiddish. The tape turned out to be straight Yiddish, and my friend’s boss said, “OK, type it in English.” That’s how I became a translator.
That’s amazing, Rivka! I find transcripts difficult and prefer to avoid them; my hearing’s not all that good, particularly if there’s background noise. And of course the secret probably lies in the fact that you were enterprising enough to provide that added value! I imagine you do all kinds of work by now.
Congratulations!
Dear Christine,
Congratulations on your inspiring and well written illustration of how life’s opportunities often lead us to unsought paths we may be reticent to take but that can prove to be very rewarding if we decide to be brave and embark on them with confidence and faith.
Best regards
Thank you so much, Enrique! Your comment is also very inspiring, and I really appreciate it. Mine was truly an ‘unsought path’ and I am really happy to have taken it.
Kind regards,
Christine
Chris
Te encontre en el cyberspace buscando la combinacion de catellano-ingles que necesitaba y la comprension de la tematica y el modo de pensar. Me complace agradecerte el resultado de tu trabajo con mis textos, mencionar para los lectores del blog que he solicitado tu traduccion de nuevos articulos, y congratularnos por la amistad que la colaboracion ha generado.
Tzvi Tal