Where better to teach translators reviews. “This is an absolutely thankless profession”: young translators about the pros and cons of their work. Where can a translator work

On the one hand, the profession of a translator is in great demand in the global world. But at the same time, why learn another language if there is universal English, which in one way or another everyone is trying to speak? Thirdly, the competition in the profession is very high, and machine translation technologies are actively developing. T&P learned from five young translators what it is like to constantly be an intermediary between different cultures and how one more linguistic subpersonality helps in life, as well as the joys of a successful formulation and the social significance of their case.

Anastasia Pozgoreva

translator from english

"You don't just translate, but recreate the author's text in another language."

In working with English, I tried a lot of different formats and topics and eventually found my niche - I specialize in reverse translation. Of course, I also translate from English, the professional tradition has developed in such a way that usually a person translates into his native language, but any skill can be developed in practice. A huge bonus of working with the world's most spoken language is the ability to choose any topic. I would never undertake to translate something medical, but I am happy to work with the museum and exhibition complex "Institute of Russian Realistic Art", I translate for them catalogs of exhibitions and signatures to exhibits, because this is very close to me.

I don't think a machine will ever replace a human in translation. On the other hand, there is practically no market for interpretation from English now. I liked translating most of all in negotiations and meetings, but the demand for it is now practically gone. Most likely, now a large employer simply will not hire employees who do not speak the language. It is good to know the language as an addition to some other profession. I also had to retrain along the way and do more management, marketing and online sales. I coordinate the translation service of a global company: large organization need marketing materials in 35 languages. As a translator, I work on recommendations, I have never had to look for a job.

Recently, people around have become noticeably better at speaking English, but this is more likely an achievement not state system education, and the Internet and travel opportunities. English is still relatively uncomplicated. I feel quite confident in any work with English, although I am not a native speaker. Difficulty for a non-carrier is mainly represented by articles and commas, in the correct use of which we can never be one hundred percent sure. It is better to ask these nuances to subtract the carrier editor.

The people I have met in the English translation industry are usually much older than me, in their forties, they have devoted their entire lives to this business and are probably not ready to change anything anymore. Very young people have been working with translations for about a year, and then they want to move to another area. Still, translation is a rather monotonous job that requires perseverance. The pace of life has accelerated: people want to learn as much as possible in a short time, and not focus on one task.

Not everyone is capable of working as a simultaneous interpreter with English, even if they have the appropriate education. This requires special personal and cognitive qualities. I sometimes do synchronization for the sake of interest, but it would be very difficult for me to do this as my main activity.

The specificity of translation from Russian into English for me is that a lot of cultural and other realities have to be given in transliteration or descriptively. When translating, the most important skill is to have a good sense of the style and to do transcreation (transcreation = creative translation). For example, once "minibus driver" in the context had to be translated as "kamikaze driver". Transcreation requires a lot of time and effort: you cannot translate directly, all the time you need to comprehend the text and redo something. But at the end of the work, the feeling of belonging is especially dear to me. You feel like a colleague of the person who wrote the book. After all, you do not just translate, but recreate the author's text in another language.

Customers very often do not understand how long it takes to translate. At the conventional rate, one page, 1,800 characters, is translated per hour. But if a translator approaches his work responsibly, he will certainly understand the terminology, proofread and edit. With this approach, it is difficult to comply with the temporary norm. And they often do not understand that translation is, in principle, difficult. Just think: I took it, translated it, especially from English. In general, long-term communication in any foreign language is a big load on the brain, you get tired physically and mentally from this.

Sonya Grigorieva

translator from german

"In another language, you're just a different person."

I studied international journalism at MGIMO and just last year graduated from my master's degree. In my last year of undergraduate studies, I started translating from German and into German at the theater. 2012 was the Year of Germany in Russia, then I worked at the New European Theater (NET) festival, which was entirely dedicated to Germany. It was so cool that I started thinking about it as a possible future professional activity... Since then I have been working as a translator - mainly in the theater. This can be a tour, when German troupes come, for example, to the Chekhov Festival. Or joint performances, say, at the Bolshoi Theater, when a German soloist, stage designer or conductor comes. Less often I work with dramatic performances, but it is very interesting, I was lucky to translate in "Praktika" and at the laboratories of the Moscow Art Theater. Chekhov and the Goethe Institute. I also translate normal non-theater stuff and work on cultural projects at the Goethe Institute.

In general, if you want or need to work hard, this is not a problem, there are a lot of opportunities. The main thing is to understand what exactly you want to do, to develop your own structure. My situation seems perfect to me. Perhaps this is because I am not yet 10 years old in translation - I do not feel tired of monotony. In fact, this work is very diverse both in content and in rhythm. There is a day when you work 10 hours straight: you are one translator and you are tired. And the next day, only a couple of technical moments may fall out.

As you know, at MGIMO you learn the language into which you were assigned (since the institute is connected with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which needs specialists in all languages). I don't even remember exactly what I indicated when I entered, but I got German. I accepted this choice, and everything went very well with him. They say that when you learn another language to a certain extent, it is like gaining another soul. It seems to me that this is absolutely true. I have seen this many times with friends. In another language, you are just a different person.

I feel very comfortable in Germany and in the German environment. I am glad that no one can ever determine what my accent is, which means that I am not perceived as some kind of alien element. When I work with the Germans here in Russia, I also cannot say that I see them as representatives of some completely different culture. Yes, they always turn off the light when they leave the room, try not to use plastic bags, they say that it is too warm here and we do not save electricity at all, but these are rather trifles.

Translation and translation differ, it all very much depends on the situation. I interpreted at the Golden Mask awards ceremony, when you need to go on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater or the Stanislavsky Theater and translate in front of a large audience. This is a completely different sense of yourself and the language than when you translate the same important people, but within the framework of armchair negotiations.

It is very difficult to translate on the fly without preparation, but it happens. Once I translated almost impromptu at lectures at the Museum of Military Uniforms. Usually there is an opportunity to prepare, look at the terminology and special vocabulary in advance. And here we with the lecturer and the audience practically played the game "guess the word by description", I translated the details of the military uniform descriptively, and they told me correct names... A special case is when it is necessary to translate the director's comments during rehearsals. Here it is important to very accurately convey often very complex philosophical concepts so that the concept and interpretation are clear. Recently at the Bolshoi there was Shostakovich's opera "Katerina Izmailova", staged by Rimas Tuminas, and the German soloist had to translate about "consciousness". In German it is a more complex concept associated with "conscience" ("Bewußtsein"), and such abstract phenomena are more difficult to convey than technical aspects.

Most of the actors and directors I work with know English, but at a level that is sufficient for basic everyday communication. A translator is needed for the real workflow and rehearsals. On the one hand, this is an additional intermediate link in communication, on the other, it is a guarantee of a more complete understanding, and the translator must feel when to withdraw from the conversation, and when, on the contrary, to help and explain.

I don't think it's worth exaggerating the omnipotence of English at all. In the professional field, there always comes a time when a person has to speak his native language in order to say exactly what he wants. In addition, I had an interesting experience of working with young actors: it would seem that people of our generation should know English fluently, because all the films and TV series around are already broadcasting this linguistic reality. But the time when it was possible to study the language, they completely spent on their careers, so in their 25-26 years they cannot work freely with English, translation is still necessary. If I had one more life, I would probably try to do something of my own in the theater. This is probably why so many critics at some point try themselves as creators in their area of interest, but often they come out so-so. So while I really enjoy watching this world, the theatrical environment is incredibly enriching and developing.

Denis Viren

translator from polish

"We have much more in common with the Poles than you might think."

With the translation and the Polish language, everything turned out quite accidentally for me. I studied at VGIK as a film critic and thought that I would use Polish in my studies, and then I worked as a translator at the Moscow Film Festival a couple of times and after that I started taking on a variety of orders.

When I was just learning Polish, I had the feeling that it is a rare language (for example, in publishing houses, Polish remains such a status). But over time, I discovered that this is more of a delusion. First, quite a few people learn Polish just for themselves. Secondly, it turned out that there are quite a few translators from Polish, and for them, in turn, there is quite a high demand. It would seem, who needs the Polish language? Many Poles of the older and middle generation still know Russian, and if they have business with Russia, then, as a rule, they speak Russian all the more. Young people, most likely, know English, and they do not need a translator from Polish. It turned out that this is not the case and the translation is really needed. I know more about the sphere of culture, where major events are regularly held. For example, the theater festival of children's performances "Gavroche", where last year Poland was the main guest. So it's hard to talk about competition in my business. In fact, there are so many niches, and everyone can find their own.

We have much more in common with the Poles than you might think. Poland is positioning itself as a country that is more committed to the West. This is certainly true, but at the same time the geographical and historical aspects still make themselves felt, you can't get away from it. Poland is somewhere between East and West, and this is one of the main reasons for its specificity and the fact that it is a very interesting country from many points of view, including cultural. During recent business negotiations, I drew attention to the difference between the Polish and Russian mentality - the fact that, for example, Poles who are engaged in business are very specific people. This is very much felt in their manner of speaking: they know what they want to say. Our businessmen have more confusion, chaos, so a conversation is often a kind of stream of consciousness. I think this is due to the fact that the thought process continues while speaking, and Poles tend to think things through in advance.

I often hear fears that because of English as a language of international communication, local languages like Polish will not be in demand. But practice shows the opposite. It often happens that people who even know English well say: “No, I want to speak in my native language. Why, if there is a translator from my native language, will I express my thoughts not as fully and not as vividly as I could? "

A translator is always more than just a machine for transcribing from one language to another. The human factor is very important here. There is a very special bond with the person you are translating, especially when you have been working together for a long time. On the other hand, the human factor can also complicate the work. Customers have a strange idea of translators as people who, firstly, must be available all the time, and secondly, they love their languages so much that they can work simply because they are pleased. The first point I can still understand: apparently, these are the costs of the profession. The second point seems to me completely wrong, and, according to my feelings, this state of affairs has begun to change a little. Respect and understanding appear that this is a difficult job, physically hard in some places.

Roman Bondarenko

Japanese translator

"In Russian everyday life, I do not come across my Japanese subpersonality"

I really liked the sound of the word "arigato" and decided to learn Japanese. I studied at ISAA at the Department of History and Culture of Japan, so I was supposed to study the language and translation technique in full. It was a pretty tough workout and very rewarding.

In 2014, I got to Baikonur as a translator. It so happened that they were looking for trilingual translators with Russian, English and Japanese to launch a Japanese satellite. Our department issued a list of specialists, where I went after the teachers, but at that moment they all left to work for the Sochi Olympics. Now I’m still working with French and I’m getting my Spanish up to work, so I don’t even know what I should be called. Quintilling, I guess. I feel that knowing Japanese is respectable in itself. For some reason, people think that learning Japanese is very difficult.

Part of the Japanese picture of the world was explained to me very clearly at the institute, and part of it I had the opportunity to experience on myself. As for the financial return from working as a translator, I will say that you need to know the place. There are many sites that are full of not only ads, but rather requirements like "we need an ideal specialist, already yesterday and for a thousand rubles a day." It is simply unrealistic to work on such conditions, but, apparently, there are still people who need experience or really need money - this is the only way I can explain that such ads appear all the time.

A translator is a person who is called upon to provide interaction between two parties, in fact, a living interface. I'm pretty sure that at some point it will be able to be replaced with a mechanical one in about 90% of cases. A qualified translator is a guarantee that people will understand each other and they will not have to take into account the risk that a busy manager with knowledge of English does not understand a busy manager with knowledge of Japanese. It is the ability to delegate the assurance of mutual understanding to the human interface.

In terms of interest, work at Baikonur can only be compared with my experience of working as a translator at the training camp of karate fighters in Russia. A shihan, a master of the 9th dan (higher than sensei), came. I have never done karate, and I wanted to understand unfamiliar surroundings, master the terminology and mimic one of them in a minimum amount of time. I remember that at one of the training camps one of the honored senseis from the Russian side approached me during the break and asked me not to shout. And we are in a gym where 200-300 people train at the same time, I translate commands, and you need to pronounce them loudly, including phrases like "So, hand over the black belts to me after training, I will take them to Japan and send you brown ones in return." (which means a decrease in level). I can't mumble such phrases! No, I convey the same emotion when translating. This is how I shouted, being in full right, at 300 people, which represent a rather formidable fighting force.

I heard the theory that with each language learned to a certain level, a separate linguistic subpersonality develops in a person, which carries the characteristics of the mentality of the people who speak this language. This may be due to grammatical structures, such as the dominance of verbs in Spanish. I have a fairly powerful Japanese subpersonality, so when I speak Japanese, I am a completely different person. But in my Russian everyday life, I do not particularly encounter the Japanese subpersonality. There are some concepts of the Japanese worldview that I am very attracted to. For example, ikigai. It can be roughly translated as "the meaning of life", but more precisely it is something like "goal", "direction", "path". The Japanese think much less in abstract terms, they have everything much more concrete. Therefore, haiku poetry is like a magnifying glass at a particular moment. The Japanese are very strong in observation, in contrast to theorizing.

Alexandra Bibikova

translator from italian

“I am very often asked: 'You know Italian so well, why don't you leave?'

My choice of profession began with a rather vague desire to become either an interpreter or a written one. It's just that I was always inspired by the fact that translation is needed to facilitate understanding between people. We often do not understand each other in one language, and even more so in different ones. I studied at the philological faculty of Moscow State University and chose Italian simply because I fell in love with Italy, with language and culture. I remember one of my first experiences with interpretation: I helped an Italian director who came to Russia to shoot a film about icons. He was interested in the Savior Not Made by Hands, since in Italy this genre is much less common. It was both very interesting and difficult - a specific topic.

In the end, I realized that I like both oral and written translation, the most important thing is what to translate, the topic. For example, I am not very inspired by routine work on documents or negotiations of oil workers. I am ready to take on something like that, but the social significance of my work is important to me. For example, now the help of an interpreter is often required for processing documents for adoption or for medical support.

I would say that a translator is absolutely thankless profession in the sense that those who can pay for the work usually do not see him as worthwhile. Often the customer wants to pay less or is not always respectful. So the translator is far from the most profitable and respected profession... But I can still say that in Moscow many graduates work in one way or another in their profession, in particular with the Italian language. And here, like in many other places, it is important to be fast, to be able to penetrate into the professional environment, the skill of communication itself and the ability to make acquaintances and keep in touch are important. In the work itself, it is very important to understand the life realities of the country whose language you are studying.

I am very often asked: "You know Italian so well, why don't you leave?" In sunny, carefree, welcoming Italy, it is now very difficult to find work for both Italians and visitors. So it seems to me that it is easier to work with the Italian language professionally in Russia, in Moscow, than there. There are a lot of pitfalls in Italian. You will never stop improving.

My job is a constant compromise between what I want to do and what I get paid to do. It can be quite dreary, you have to sit at night with several orders at once. No matter how well you do your job, there are still dissatisfied clients, and something has to be redone, re-issued. But if you are translating for more than just money or praise, a lot of inspiration and pleasure awaits you. There is always a challenge in the work of a translator. For me, such a challenge was to translate Italian poetry. When my colleagues and I worked on the book of poems by Corrado Calabro, it was assumed that I would make an interlinear translation, and then the poet would process my material into poetry - so we would have such a joint translation. As a result, my interlinear translations were published as something that is closer to the author.

In translating poetry, the most difficult thing was to convey the realities of Italian life into Russian. For example, there was a poem called "A targhe alterne", and such a concept simply does not exist in Russian. Targhe alterne is an Italian law aimed at limiting the flow of cars in the city center. According to this law, on even days, you can enter the center only by a car with even numbers, and vice versa. Of course, Italians will find a way to get around almost any law, and almost every family has two cars, one with even numbers and one with odd numbers. Nevertheless, such a limitation exists, and it is well understood by any Italian. The poem ended with the phrase "our life is as unfair as targhe alterne." As a result, we translated the title as "Roulette" and gave a footnote with an explanation.

A translator can sit all his life in a small stuffy office, translating pages of other people's documents for notarization, or he can help the leaders of countries communicate during the most important negotiations. The specialist performs the most important function - he helps people communicate and understand each other.

Without them, we would never have read the works of foreign-language writers, we would not have watched foreign films, and we would not have learned about what is happening outside our country in general. But the work of not every employee is appreciated at its true worth - only 15% of translators are satisfied with their salaries. Should you devote your life to this profession? Where to study to be a translator, what to be ready for and how to build a career? Let's talk in detail.

History of the profession

Profession, albeit not in modern form, has existed since ancient times. Then the representatives different nations knew one more language besides their native language. Key function of these "specialists" was the translation of speeches and written messages. Usually translators were used in negotiations or when declaring the will of a foreign-language ruler of a certain territory. Often these were people captured during wars. In ancient Russia, translators were called interpreters. Presumably, their role was determined at the time of the beginning of the dialogue between the Russian principalities and the Turkic tribes.

The significance of the interpreters strengthened during the time of the vassal dependence of the Russian principalities on the Golden Horde - the collection of tribute and the governorship required knowledge of the Turkic language. In this regard, the position becomes official, and many translators go to the service of the prince or khan.

Who is a translator and what are his duties

Translator - a specialist who translates an oral or written text into another language. What distinguishes a professional from a person who simply knows a foreign language is the absence of the right to make mistakes and the ability to correctly present information (correspond to the speed of the speaker's speech, avoid long pauses, and so on). Remember the dozens of incidents that the same politicians met in negotiations due to translators' mistakes. The same "overload" in relations between Russia and the United States (instead of "reset").

Key responsibilities of a specialist:

Translation of scientific and fictional literature, press, patent descriptions, specialized documents and other materials.
Performing translations of oral and written texts ensuring their full compliance with the semantic, lexical and stylistic content of the original.
Editing translations of other specialists.
Preparation of documentation and all kinds of texts in a foreign language in accordance with officially adopted standards.
Scientific work on the unification of terms and the improvement of translation technologies.

The scope of duties can be expanded or narrowed depending on the qualifications of the employee, his experience and place of work. But the requirements for skills remain unchanged: a professional must not only be fluent in the language, but also comply with job descriptions... For example, have a well-delivered speech, excellent memory for simultaneous translation, high speed print and so on.

It is necessary to constantly develop - every language lives and changes, new slang words, new trends appear in it.

If a specialist does not improve his qualifications, then within 1-2 years of "downtime" he may completely lose his skills.

Where can a specialist work

Translation agency... At least 50% of university graduates work in specialized bureaus that provide oral and written translations from foreign languages. The customers of the organization can be physical and legal entities, institutions and government agencies. The bureaus mainly perform written translations - these are documents (in particular, those preparing for a notarial declaration), educational work, books and magazines, letters, articles and more.

Private organizations... Here specialists work for many customers, but in the interests of one company. Only 1-2% of organizations can afford to maintain a staff of translators - usually 1-2 people who perform a wide range of tasks. They go to negotiations, translate business correspondence, technical literature and documentation, prepare appeals and papers for negotiations with foreign partners or customers, provide information support to clients from foreign countries.

State structures... Specialists work in government agencies or collaborate with them on separate projects. Example: the regional administration is building partnerships with investors from, say, the Czech Republic. They need translators with knowledge of the Czech language on a permanent basis, since the volume of work is large and the workload is regular. Another example: from the same Czech Republic a delegation of, say, athletes arrives in the region to participate in some event. In this case, a translator with knowledge of the Czech language will be required for a one-time, project work.

Publishers and Studios... Thousands of books, films, TV series and lyrics are translated every year. Work in publishing houses, film studios, production centers and similar companies requires a specialist to know the specifics of the literary language and modern slang. You've probably noticed how different the quality of the translation, for example, of the same series in different studios. It's not about voice acting, but about vocabulary. Here, not only the clarity of the content depends on the translator, but also the pleasure received by the listener, viewer, reader from an oral or written text.

Freelance... According to unofficial statistics, at least 10% of the total number of graduates educational institutions in Russia they constantly work in freelance mode. They find regular customers, collaborate on projects with organizations and institutions, or look for work on popular freelance exchanges. The key advantage of such a regime is absolute freedom, the ability to independently build a schedule and regulate income. The main drawback is the lack of any guarantees, in particular, stable payment and the fulfillment by the customer of the terms of the contract.

Where to study to be a translator? TOP-5 Universities

The best choice would be a linguistic (language) university. You can start your education in college and eventually continue it by entering the university on an accelerated program.

Diploma of higher education gives preferences in employment, being an indicator of the quality of training.

However, work experience and qualifications become the key argument in your favor for the employer. You will have to improve it throughout your career. And the better the knowledge gained during training, the better. Therefore, it is worth trying to enter the best university available to you.

TOP-5 linguistic universities in Russia:

Moscow State University Lomonosov.
SPbSU.
MGIMO.
Moscow Linguistic University.
Russian State University. Kosygin.

Choosing a university is an important stage in a translator's career, but not a decisive one.

Provincial graduates educational institutions far from the top of the rating, can build successful career... But in the course of independent preparation, they will have to do much more than students of elite universities. Moreover, you will not get the most valuable connections, which graduates of prestigious universities "acquire" during their studies and which help them with employment.

An excellent solution would be to enroll in master's programs at foreign universities. This opportunity should be used not only by bachelors who want to emigrate, but also by graduates who want to succeed in their careers as a translator. The opportunity to study a language in depth in a country where it is official for several years is an invaluable experience. It will help you reach the top and become an important column on your resume. You can also let: approve scholarships and grants from foreign universities, which honestly offer free education. The procedure for admission and registration of documents is rather complicated, but it is worth it.

What qualities do you need to have

Excellent memory... One of the basic requirements for advanced study of any language. If you are forgetful, you should be willing to put a lot of effort into developing your memory.
Logical thinking... It is not enough to remember individual words and phrases - you need to understand its logic, features of vocabulary and word formation. Developed logical thinking will become the basis for understanding grammar, slang expressions.
Perseverance... The work of a translator can hardly be called exciting - it is usually associated with hours of sedentary work behind piles of foreign language texts.
Stress tolerance... It is especially important for simultaneous interpreting when you are under constant stress trying to synchronize your speech with the speaker's speech.
Attentiveness... Each mistake can lead to distortion of huge blocks of text. History knows a lot of examples of the breakdown of negotiations or, say, unsuccessful film rentals due to inaccuracies in translations.

The relevance of the profession of a translator and its prospects

Key confrontations unfold in the IT field. Many experts say that in the near future the trainee artificial intelligence will be able to completely replace a live translator. However, the developers themselves speak with caution about such prospects. Most of them speak of such a possibility as a rather distant reality.

According to analytical data, in the next 20-30 years, machines will not be able to replace the work of translators even by 15%. At the same time, the specialists themselves are happy to use new developments, professional software - it really helps in their work. If you liked the presentation of the profession at the Open Day at the university or if you are with elementary grades write an essay on the topic: "My future profession- translator ”, then you can safely follow your dream.

Pros and cons of being a translator

This specialty is suitable for people who enjoy challenging, stressful, orderly work. There are no risks, threats to life and health. It is difficult for a translator to obtain work injury physically. But to shatter the psyche and bring oneself to hysteria as a result of constant stress and the burden of responsibility is quite real.

pros profession translator:

Relevance of the specialty ... This is a demanded profession and even university graduates, as a rule, do not face a shortage of vacancies. The only exceptions are rare, in particular endangered languages.
Lots of employment options ... You can work in a regular translation agency, in private companies and state structures, you can translate books, films and TV series, you can accompany tourists or even stay on freelance.
Perspectives career growth ... All in your hands! If you are constantly developing, continue to learn the language throughout your life, do not “marinate” yourself in one job and are not afraid of change - you have every chance of achieving success.
Quite high salaries ... They cannot be compared with the income of top managers in oil companies, but in comparison with the national average, they are high. Moreover, with experience and advanced training, you will be able to qualify for an increase in wages.
Real opportunity for emigration ... Translators especially often use special programs, graduate from master's degrees abroad, receive grants and scholarships from foreign universities, as they are fluent in the language and successfully pass tests.

Minuses profession translator:

Difficult and responsible work ... Most specialists are in constant stress, feel the burden of responsibility and often suffer from stress.
Need continuous development ... Only 1-2 years without practice (for example, in the period maternity leave) and you "drop out" of the profession. The language changes very quickly and you must constantly improve your qualifications.
Monotonous labor ... Wherever you work, you will constantly be dealing with large volumes of text - written or oral. There are no surprises to be expected.
Low salaries at the start of a career ... University graduates, even with 1-2 years of work experience, can rarely get a high-paying job.

If you love languages, if you are ready to devote your life to establishing communication and linguistic connection between people - this profession is for you. If you want something more dynamic and exciting, and you go to a linguistic university only because of the prospect of a high salary, you will hate your job with all your heart. Before entering, we recommend that you analyze in advance all the pros and cons, and then make a balanced choice.

How much do translators get in Russia

According to analytical services, average salary Russian translator is 34.7 thousand rubles. At the same time, there are significant differences between the average salaries in the regions. Most of all receive specialists from Moscow (42 thousand rubles), St. Petersburg (38 thousand rubles) and Vladivostok (36 thousand rubles). Salaries differ not only in regions, but also in organizations - the maximum in private companies, the minimum in government agencies.

In the process of career development, translators can expect significant growth wages... For 5 years of work, you can really increase your income by 10-15 thousand rubles. Do not forget that the size of the salary depends on the relevance of the language. In some cases, specialists with knowledge of rare languages receive large fees, but usually collaborate with them only in the framework of individual projects. Translators specializing in English, German, French and Arabic make the most money.

Interpreter - general concept specialists engaged in the translation of oral or written speech from one language to another. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in foreign languages and Russian language and literature (see the choice of a profession by interest in school subjects).

There are several explanations for where the different languages came from. For example, the Bible describes the legend about the Tower of Babel. According to this legend, God confused the languages of the tower builders because of their desire to surpass him and excessive pride. People ceased to understand each other and dispersed around the globe without finishing the construction of the tower, which was supposed to reach the heavens.

There is an explanation for the difference in the language of people and from a scientific point of view. Even in prehistoric times, people began to speak different languages due to the disunity due to the mountains, deserts and oceans located between them. Languages were formed in different tribes in isolation, one tribe had little communication with others. The greater the degree of geographic isolation, the more the language differs. On the plains, where it is easier to move, individual languages occupy very large areas (Russian, for example). But whatever the background, there has long been a need for people who know more than just one native language.

Majority modern people knows not only his own language, but can to some extent express himself in a foreign language. Tourism is actively developing, and with it there is a need to communicate with foreigners, to understand at least superficially the language of the country you are going to. Most often, the population studies English, which is increasingly taking the place of the universal language of international communication.

But for professional translation, competent, prompt and precise, people with special education and experience are needed. Such specialists are called translators. In a general sense, translators are divided into oral and written.

An important quality of an interpreter is the ability to create an atmosphere of mutual understanding and partnership. The specialist must understand that the success of the negotiations largely depends on him. It should help people with different cultures, mentality and understanding of business in different ways to find a common language.

There are two types interpreters- sequential and synchronous.

A consecutive interpreter is indispensable in business negotiations, at events where some of the participants speak one language, and some speak another. In such cases, the speaker makes his speech with small stops so that the translator can formulate the phrase in the language of the audience.

Simultaneous translation- the most difficult type of translation. Such translation is performed using specialized equipment for simultaneous translation. The synchronist must own foreign language almost better than his relatives. The complexity of the profession lies in the need to quickly understand and translate what was heard, and sometimes speak at the same time as the speaker. The most appreciated are specialists who know how to build competent and informative sentences that do not allow pauses in their speech.

Written translators can translate technical, legal, fiction, business documents. Currently, more and more specialists use modern technologies(for example, electronic dictionaries). So special software for translators will help to increase its labor productivity up to 40%.

Technical translators work with technical texts containing special scientific and technical information. The distinctive features of such a translation are accuracy, impersonality and emotionlessness. The texts contain many terms of Greek or Latin origin. The grammar of technical translations is specific and contains well-established grammatical norms (for example, indefinitely personal and impersonal constructions, passive phrases, impersonal forms of the verb). The types of technical translation include full written translation (the main form of technical translation), abstract translation (the content of the translated text is compressed), annotation translation, translation of titles and oral technical translation (for example, to train employees to work on foreign equipment).

Legal translation is aimed at translating specific texts related to the field of law. Such a transfer is used to exchange professional information related to the socio-political and cultural characteristics of the country. In this regard, the language of the legal translation must be extremely accurate, clear and reliable.

Legal translation can be divided into several types:

translation of laws, regulations and their drafts;
translation of agreements (contracts);
translation of legal opinions and memoranda;
translation of notarial certificates and apostilles (a special sign certifying signatures, authenticity of a stamp or seal);
translation of constituent documents of legal entities;
translation of powers of attorney.

Fiction translator- a specialist in the translation of literary texts. He must, in addition to a comprehensive knowledge of a foreign language, be well versed in literature, have a high level of command of the word, be able to convey the style and syllable of the author of the translated work. There are many examples when recognized masters of the word were engaged in translations (V. Zhukovsky, B. Pasternak, A. Akhmatova, S. Marshak, etc.). Their translations are works of art in themselves.

Required professional skills and knowledge

perfect command of one or more foreign languages;
literate Russian;
good knowledge of special terminology, both in the original language and in the target language (especially important for technical translators);
deep knowledge of literature and the availability of literary editing skills (for translators of fiction);
knowledge of the characteristics of language groups;
desire to improve knowledge of a foreign language every day.

Personal qualities

linguistic abilities;
high level of analytical thinking;
the ability to store a large amount of information;
accuracy, patience, attentiveness;
high level of erudition;
fast reaction;
ability to concentrate, be attentive;
sociability;
verbal abilities (the ability to express one's thoughts coherently and extremely clearly, rich vocabulary, well-delivered speech);
high efficiency;
politeness, tact.

Pros and cons of the profession

Pros:

the possibility of implementation in different areas (translation, simultaneous interpreter, translation of films, books, magazines, etc.);
a person who speaks a foreign language can find a very prestigious and highly paid job;
there is an opportunity to communicate with people of different countries and cultures;
high probability of business trips and travel.

Minuses

in different months the volume of transfers may differ several times, hence the unstable load;
often, translators are paid not upon the delivery of the material, but when the payment comes from the customer.

Place of work

press centers, radio and television centers;
international foundations;
travel companies;
ministries of foreign affairs, consulates;
book publishing houses, mass media;
translation agency;
museums and libraries;
the sphere of the hotel business;
international firms, companies;
international associations and associations;
international funds.

In this article, I will tell you where it is better to study the profession of a translator - in public universities or in courses. Or maybe there are some other options?

I myself graduated from the translation department of the Novosibirsk State Linguistic University, and then I also created my own courses for translators. So I have a completely objective idea of the pros and cons of both options.

And let's start with the classic version - training as a translator in universities.

Training for a translator at a state university

I must confess to you honestly - now the profession of a translator has changed a lot. Earlier, in Soviet times, it was clean military profession... That is why girls were not accepted to the translation faculties.

That is, 100% of the students there were boys. And now it's the other way around. If you go to any perfak, you will see that 98% of the students there are girls. Now a translator is a person who sits at a computer and translates instructions and juristic documents... No romance =)

One more interesting fact for entry - after graduating from the Faculty of Translation, only 5-7% of graduates work as translators. The rest are doing what - they teach English, open their own business, retrain to become dentists.

This happens because the curriculum at the translation departments is very outdated. They mostly continue to write translations by hand in notebooks. There are still very old teaching materials there.

Disadvantages of public education

When I was studying at the perfac, we did technical translation from magazines from the 60s. But these materials were approved "from above", and the entire curriculum was based on them.

The next disadvantage of formal training is that you are not taught to work with a computer. Today, a translator is simply obliged to be very good at at least the Word program. But by default, it is believed that today everyone has a computer at home, and everyone can do something in the Word themselves.

But in reality, this is not enough. To create a document, print text there - that's not enough. You need to be able to format text "on the fly", draw up drawings in translation, and do all this without unnecessary signs, with a clean layout. 100% of graduates cannot do this. Because it is a separate professional discipline.

Why 95% of Translation Graduates Can't Find a Job

Returning to the training materials, graduates of translation departments are very surprised when they find out what a translation task actually looks like. They get used to translate texts into 5-10 paragraphs, where everything is written in good English (or whatever?) Language.

And they have 2-3 days to translate this piece of text, so that later they will analyze it for a long time and persistently in class together with the teacher.

In reality, everything is much tougher.

You are given 10 pages of terrible quality text. There, in half of the places, it is generally impossible to make out the text. And often there is no text as such. There are some drawings, and inside the drawings there are small icons, with which it is not clear what to do.

And the worst thing is the words with which these texts are written. These words simply do not exist in any dictionary of the world. Or because this is a new industry and the terms only emerged yesterday. Or because the author himself invented them. Or sealed up. Or a person for whom English is not native wrote a text in English, and he simply inserted the wrong words, because he does not know the correct ones.

And add here that you only have a day to translate these 10 pages.

This is where 95% of graduates "merge". Because their life did not prepare them for this. I should have. And the remaining 5% merge when they find out what pennies they will be paid if they can still cope with this text.

Let's be honest with ourselves. Unfortunately, the translation departments today do not prepare for the profession of a translator. This is not just a problem with perfacks. 95% of graduates across the country do not work in their specialty for approximately the same reasons. But translation has its advantages.

What is actually taught in translation?

Speaking quite frankly, today only foreign languages are taught at translation faculties. This cannot be taken away. If you apply for translation, you will perfectly learn at least two foreign languages in 3 years.

I still remember how we passed the translation tests. First, we were forbidden to use dictionaries. Which is already strange, because the main skill of a translator is precisely the ability to use dictionaries.

Secondly, we had to translate dozens of terms from memory. Just single words. That is, we were not taught translation, but memorization. correct words... And it gave its results. We learned foreign. Only this has nothing to do with the profession of a translator.

Why do people come to state universities

Perhaps you, my dear reader, are now at that tender age when it seems that you have to study at a university in order to get a diploma, and then a job. But here I will disappoint you. A translation diploma will never give you any job.

You come to get a job as a translator - and they will ask you for work experience, not a diploma. In general, after graduation, I got my diploma only two or three times. I needed this in order to be carried out by a translator at a notary.

But if I didn’t have a diploma, I could have passed with a school certificate. I am telling you this in all seriousness. I personally brought our Ukrainian, Uzbek and other translators to the notary, who only had a school certificate, where it was written that they had learned Russian at school. And that was enough for the notary to agree to certify their translator's signature.

All this, of course, is sad, but there are also positive aspects.

"Career" of graduates of translation faculties

One of these points is that most of the students of performance faculties are not going to work as translators at all =)

As I wrote above, the main contingent of translation departments today are girls. And they come for translation with a very clear goal - to learn a foreign language, marry a foreigner and go abroad.

And nothing funny, just for this " career ladder"Went a lot of girls who studied with me in the same stream.

What kind of words are there, formatting documents and notarized translation of documents. Now they work in France as sellers, in America as sellers, again in France as waiters ...

If you consciously or subconsciously strive for this, then the translation department is better off not inventing anything. Problems begin if you suddenly, for no reason at all, really want to work as a translator.

Practical training courses for translators

When I just graduated from the Faculty of Translation, I had a problem that I cannot translate. Then I learned by working in a translation agency for a penny. After a while I opened my own translation agency. And then the next problem arose - the translators did not know how to translate.

That is, the same graduates of yesterday came to us to get jobs as I myself was a few years ago. And their mistakes were all the same. And once I got tired of explaining the same thing to every translator.

Then I just took and wrote the instructions - how and what should be translated, in what situation. Separately, instructions on how to work with the Word, how - with personal documents. Etc.

After that, I could simply give instructions to the new translator and he immediately, and not after three years, began to work quite sanely.

I was delighted with the first success and began to gradually supplement my instructions. As a result, it grew first to 100 pages, then to 300, and then to almost 1000. And all the translation situations were analyzed in great detail.

It turned out to be a real course of practical (and not theoretical) training of a translator. I remember that I was still surprised - why no one before me had thought to make such a course. After all, newcomers mastered it literally in 2-3 months, and immediately began to earn "in an adult way."

Otherwise, they had to learn everything from their own experience for several years. And all this time - to live "on bread and water", because no one pays good rates to beginners.

Now I strongly recommend to all novice translators my course, which I called “Work! Translator ". You can read more about this course.

Now, let's make a small conclusion.

Conclusion

The question of where to study the profession of a translator is not an easy one. The answer depends on what you really want to get. Learn a foreign language and try to "blame" - you are at the top. And if you really want to make money with translations, then you will have to learn this on your own.

And then there are two options. The first is to learn by doing working in a translation agency. The second is to take our course, where many years of experience are packed into step-by-step training. Personally, I took the first path. That is, I learned everything myself. Just because there were no such courses as before.

I had to plow for a penny for several years. And, unfortunately, very few people can withstand such a life. And if you, too, would like to shorten your path from “beginner” to “pro” - use our course as a springboard.

See you later!

Yours Dmitry Novosyolov

Interpreter- the general concept of specialists involved in the translation of oral or written speech from one language to another. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in foreign languages and Russian language and literature (see the choice of a profession by interest in school subjects).

Most modern people know not only their own language, but can also to some extent express themselves in a foreign language. Tourism is actively developing, and with it there is a need to communicate with foreigners, to understand at least superficially the language of the country you are going to. Most often, the population learns English, which is increasingly taking the place of the universal language of international communication.

There are two types interpreters- sequential and synchronous.

Simultaneous translation- the most difficult type of translation. Such translation is performed using specialized equipment for simultaneous translation. A synchronist should know a foreign language almost better than his own. The complexity of the profession lies in the need to quickly understand and translate what was heard, and sometimes speak at the same time as the speaker. The most appreciated are specialists who know how to build competent and informative sentences that do not allow pauses in their speech.

Written translators can translate technical, legal, fiction, business documents. Currently, more and more specialists use modern technologies (for example, electronic dictionaries). Such special software for translators will help to increase its productivity by up to 40%.

Legal translation is aimed at translating specific texts related to the field of law. This translation is used to exchange professional information related to the socio-political and cultural characteristics of the country. In this regard, the language of the legal translation must be extremely accurate, clear and reliable.

Legal translation can be divided into several types:

translation of laws, regulations and their drafts;
translation of agreements (contracts);
translation of legal opinions and memoranda;
translation of notarial certificates and apostilles (a special sign certifying signatures, authenticity of a stamp or seal);
translation of constituent documents of legal entities;
translation of powers of attorney.

Required professional skills and knowledge

perfect command of one or more foreign languages;
literate Russian;
good knowledge of special terminology, both in the original language and in the target language (especially important for technical translators);
deep knowledge of literature and the availability of literary editing skills (for translators of fiction);
knowledge of the characteristics of language groups;
desire to improve knowledge of a foreign language every day.

Personal qualities

linguistic abilities;
high level of analytical thinking;
the ability to store a large amount of information;
accuracy, patience, attentiveness;
high level of erudition;
fast reaction;
ability to concentrate, be attentive;
sociability;
verbal abilities (the ability to express one's thoughts coherently and extremely clearly, rich vocabulary, well-delivered speech);
high efficiency;
politeness, tact.

Pros and cons of the profession

Pros:

the possibility of implementation in different areas (translation, simultaneous interpreter, translation of films, books, magazines, etc.);
a person who speaks a foreign language can find a very prestigious and highly paid job;
there is an opportunity to communicate with people of different countries and cultures;
high probability of business trips and travel.

Minuses

in different months the volume of transfers may differ several times, hence the unstable load;
often, translators are paid not upon the delivery of the material, but when the payment comes from the customer.

Place of work

press centers, radio and television centers;
international foundations;
travel companies;
ministries of foreign affairs, consulates;
book publishing houses, mass media;
translation agency;
museums and libraries;
the sphere of the hotel business;
international firms, companies;
international associations and associations;
international funds.

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