The job of a translator alone, but with many colleagues
Talking and chatting with those colleagues is also the biggest way to relieve stress. I also have close colleagues that I can meet regularly to share my concerns and opinions about work.
They are friends who met at an entrance exam school when preparing for the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation, but now they are colleagues in the same industry and have a very strong relationship. Enjoying the autumn weather in the last week of October LATTE, SANTA We talked with two translators about translation and translation PM.
Dana
How are you? How is work these days?
LATTE
It's always similar, but I think it's quite a bit better than September. There wasn't much in September, but now I'm translating web novels and webtoons, and technical translations have increased by one recently.
Santa
Still, I tend to work on a regular basis. Many of the text topics are coronavirus, and there are also many texts such as the “Smart OO White Paper.”
Dana
It's all done through a translation company, right?
Santa
Strangely enough, everything I'm doing now was received from a friend. Right now, I don't work with translation companies, but I usually get requests from translation companies anyway.
LATTE
I do everything through a translation company. There are three places in total.
Dana
I also often secretly come in through friends. A friend who is a native speaker re-introduces her work to me, and there are also cases where a friend from a general company asks for it. Still, it's actually easier to do things like managing translation projects and paying translation fees through a translation company.
Dana
We just graduated from graduate school and are working as freelance translators in earnest. How about working for a translation company? I actually thought there were quite a few things to worry about other than translation.
LATTE
There are so many things I need to pack other than real translation. I also get in touch with PM frequently. Still, isn't it reassuring to think that there is someone who can take care of you? Also, there are some PMs that actively help with translation. Freelancers often have to work on weekends like weekdays, but that doesn't mean they can work all 7 days a week. I was very grateful to the PMs for thinking about this kind of common sense. Not long ago, when the Chuseok holiday was just around the corner, there was a PM who first asked if it was possible to work during the Chuseok holiday, and then adjusted the volume. It's possible because we've been working together for quite a long time, and trust has built up, but I think we've been doing it since we first worked together because of this kind of careful consideration.
Santa
That's right. It seems obvious, but since there are many places that don't care, I really want to continue working with a caring company. Even a word, “Thank you.” If you make a request, you'll become more attached to that project. We are people too, so praise and respect can only make us feel good.
DANA, LATTE
That's right.
Santa
Also, I personally think the best thing about working with a translation company is that they have a system. There is a professional manager called PM, so even when you ask a translator, they can tell you things like announcements and precautions. However, when a regular company makes a direct request, they often don't know what to tell the translator because that person doesn't specialize in translation management. Therefore, they only tell me the original text and delivery date, so there are cases where I have to ask additional questions. Also, sometimes, when an individual makes a request, they ask for something like a simple translation to change one address into a foreign language (usually close friends do...), and they often just ask them to do it for free because it's only a few characters long. At least when it comes to translation companies, this doesn't happen.
LATTE
Right, right. So you have to set a minimum rate. It doesn't matter how many characters are there in one letter, how long is ten letters, and so on.
Dana
That's right. Apparently, PMs at translation companies know basic things about the job of translation, so it's easy to communicate.
Dana
Have you ever had a hard time working with a translation company?
Santa
Actually, translators and PMs are a kind of peer concept, right? But I also think some PMs are cool. Basically, these people treat themselves as translators. I think that's because translators get translation fees from translation companies anyway. It's really hard to work with someone I think has this kind of relationship. My pride was hurt a lot too. I don't think translators are superior, but that doesn't mean they're in a position to be ignored.
Dana
That's right. I don't want to be treated in any way, but I want them to have some respect.
LATTE
I had a PM that I contacted too often. Of course, it's impossible not to make changes during translation. More than that, it would be nice if you could summarize the details that need to be announced before starting the translation, such as the rate, translation volume, delivery date, and contract confirmation requests, etc., and give instructions all at once, but they ask you to start the translation and send emails, phone calls, and text several times in the middle, so it really interferes with work.
Santa
That's right. Of course, there are also thorough PMs, but if you contact them sparsely, it may be difficult to find relevant information later. Also, I didn't give them translation-related materials in advance, and when I asked them if they had any, it was difficult to send them only then. Work efficiency is also declining.
Dana
That's right. Checking emails during translation actually breaks the flow, but if emails come too often, of course, that also gets in the way.
Dana
But anyway, since every relationship is bidirectional, a relationship cannot be maintained because only one side is good at it. We must keep the translator's own manners and be treated the same way. Still, is this the only thing you want from PM? I think it's just a matter of words. I talk pretty, and they talk pretty too, so when I get an email from that PM, I want the relationship to feel good even before I open it.
LATTE
Basically, there are a lot of good companies. So I think translators can continue to work using translation as a business. It seems like a problem with some companies and some PMs, but I don't want the translator to think of it as a 5 minute queue where they're on standby 24 hours a day. Translators often work on multiple projects at the same time, so they can't keep thinking about just one translation. Also, among translators, translation may not be their main job, so I don't want them to contact them at any time to casually request revisions and make requests.
Santa
That's right. I can work on weekends, but I'm not always in a situation where I can do it right away if I ask for it. I have a similar feeling. I think it would be nice to work with each other in basic manners.
Translators and translation PMs usually communicate non-face-to-face, and there aren't many opportunities to meet and talk with each other. Therefore, we may need more warm words from each other. If you only communicate via email, you can't see facial expressions, so it's a big misunderstanding that it's not a big deal. Since translators and translation PMs cooperate and coexist with each other rather than competition, wouldn't it be easier to reach our common goal of high-quality translation results if we add a little consideration for each other? I am always grateful to the many PMs who are always considerate and thoughtful of translators.
*This content has been transferred from Gicon Studio to Letterworks.
