How to Become a Translator Part 2
So you’ve honed your writing skills, you’ve read libraries full of books in the source language and now you’re ready to start translating. You’ve already done millions of mental translations in your head, so it should be a breeze now, right? Almost. You will of course learn as you translate, but arming yourself with a few tools beforehand will benefit you greatly down the road. This week I’m going to discuss three different types of online translation resources that will serve you well as a professional translator. Babel fish is not one of them.
1. Online Dictionaries- There are a million different online dictionaries and glossaries out there, and they run the gamut from pie-baking to 14th Century Naval terms. One useful site is wordreference, which features a message board for more in depth discussions, but take a look around the web and see which ones are best for you.
2. Forums- Can’t find what you’re looking for in the dictionary? Ask a fellow translator on a translation forum. English Spanish Translator Org has lots of information and helpful members.
3. Google- Apart from being your gateway to information on any topic you could possibly need to translate, Google is also a good tool for “sounding out phrases” by searching for different word combinations and orders to see what has the most hits. It’s definitely not a science, but when you are trying to figure out if you say “Precursor B acute lymphoblastic lymphoma” or “Acute precursor B lymphoblastic lymphoma,” it can be a big help.
Learning Spanish is not so hard, especially now, when you find all kind of “learn spanish” DVD’s.
Learning Spanish is not so hard, especially now, when you find all kind of “learn spanish” DVD’s.