Young translators who are inexperienced tend to make mistakes because it is a way of learning and a step towards becoming an expert in their field. But can experienced translators make mistakes too? Well, yes! Nobody’s perfect. In this article, I will tell you about the three mistakes that are made by most experienced translators.
Thinking that they know it all
When you gain a lot of experience in a particular field, you become too reliant on your memory. Spending years as a translator, you will undergo a lot of work that might seem repetitive. At some point, you would say, “I remember how to do this task. I have done this sort of translation a lot of times.This is a piece of cake.” Surely, you know how to carry out a task that you have encountered quite a lot of times before, but depending too much on how you completed a task in the past will make you less inquisitive and less focused. You might not give your best and feel less curious about that task because you think you know everything about it.
Not catching up with the advancements
Translators absorb themselves in their field at the beginning of their career. They subscribe to numerous newsletters, read books, magazines and journals, visit seminars, conferences and all related events and interact with like-minded people as much as they can. After years, when they become experienced, their desire to learn about new developments and advancements whether in the shape of journals, events or newsletter fades away. If you are an experienced translator and can resonate with this point, you should stop whatever you are doing and sign up for the latest industrial magazine. Not keeping yourself up with the development in the industry and thinking that you know enough will make your job dull with time. You will not be able to keep yourself focused on what is going on around you.
Looking back in time too much
Do you compare your early days of working with your present year of work and think that things were better back then? Maybe when you entered this field, the pay rates were higher as compared to today’s rate or translation agencies were more fun to work with. Well, things must have changed, but that doesn’t mean you have to look back. Comparing each and every aspect of your present working condition with your past will dwindle your interest in the field. You have worked all these years and gained so much experience for looking back? Of course, not! If you perceive the big picture, you have earned respect, experience, reputation, and many other things. Predominantly, things are fine; it is just your sentiments that are holding you back and telling you that everything is getting worse now. It might not only affect you in a negative way but also discourage young and fresh translators. Therefore, always try to look at the bright side and love your job, no matter what the consequences are.
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