Translation as a Profession

Book excerpt: Translation as a profession provides an in-depth analysis of the translating profession and the translation industry. The book starts with a presentation of the diversity of translations and an overview of the translation-localisation process. The second section describes the translation profession and the translators’ markets. The third section considers the process of ‘becoming’ a translator, from the moment people find out whether they have the required qualities to the moment when they set up shop or find a job, with special emphasis on how to find and hold on to clients, avoiding basic mistakes. The fourth section concentrates on the vital professional issues of costs, rates, deadlines, time to market, productivity, ethics, standards, qualification, certification, and professional recognition. The fifth section is devoted to the developments that have provoked ongoing changes in the profession and industry, such as ICT, and the impact of industrialisation, internationalisation, and globalisation. The final section is devoted to the major issues involved in translator training. A glossary is provided, together with a list of Websites for further browsing.