This week, I thought I’d dive into the world of translation specialisms and address a) why translators specialise and b) why I chose my specialisms. So let’s jump right in!
Why do translators specialise?
You might think that knowing two languages equips you to translate any text, but that is completely wrong. As I addressed in my blogpost ‘What is translation?’, just knowing two languages doesn’t mean you are able to translate a text at all, let alone any text out there.
Translators choose to specialise, because you need an expert in the field to translate texts. A journalist wouldn’t necessarily be able to write a piece of fiction, much as a doctor wouldn’t be able to sell you a house. By specialising, a translator is able to guarantee that you will receive a very high quality translation.
Why did I choose my specialisms?
While I am willing to take on certain texts in other fields, I decided to specialise in order to ensure that my clients receive a top-knotch translation. I thought long and hard about what I wanted my specialisms to be and I chose: international development, literature and medicine. Read on for the reasons behind this decision.
International development
I have a long standing commitment with Moroccan Children’s Trust and have volunteered for a variety of other charities, so international development seemed like a clear choice. I want to be able to help people through my work and there seems no better way than helping those in the non-profit sector to reach more people.
Literature
I have been an avid reader from a very young age and when I first learned about transation, my first thought was translating books and plays. I even translated half a play for my MA dissertation. I love reading and have read so many books in translation that I wouldn’t have been able to in their original language. Translation allows books to reach a wider audience and touch more people.
Medicine
Finally, I chose medicine because I have always been interested in medicine (it feeds back in to my wanting to help people). I considered becoming a doctor and enjoyed Biology at school. Also, since 2012, I have worked with *Cast at the University of East Anglia, training their medical students in consultation skills. Through this work, I have gained invaluable experience about medicine.
If you have a text that needs translating within these fields, please get in touch with me on verity.roat@cantab.net or via my contact page for a free quote.
verityroatlanguagesolutions.com 