First Translator Story: Inés
Why did you choose to be a translator?
I’ve always loved languages. I first enjoyed translating during my Latin lessons at school and, later on, when I had to translate during my French Philology degree studies. So I decided to become a translator quite straight away!
What aspect of your work do you like the most and why?
Translating allows me to learn lots of things on different fields. As a translator, subjects can vary a lot and you get updates about what’s going on in the world. I can be translating about vehicles, cosmetics, machinery, human rights and sports on the same week! I never get bored!
How do you say “Happy International Translation Day” in your mother tongue?
¡Feliz Día Internacional de la Traducción!
Second Translator Story: Magali
Why did you choose to be a translator?
I’ve always been fascinated by foreign languages and being able to convey a message from one language to another is something I find incredibly rewarding.
What aspect of your work do you like the most and why?
The aspect I like the most is probably the great variety of projects I get to work on. Being able to work on different types of documents for different clients is very motivating and it prevents me from ever getting bored!
How do you say “Happy International Translation Day” in your mother tongue?
Joyeuse journée internationale de la traduction !
Third Translator Story: Claudia
Why did you choose to be a translator?
I fell in love with languages right when I had my very first English lesson in school at the age of 10 and from then on, I have always dreamed of actively working with languages.
What aspect of your work do you like the most and why?
Besides of the beauty of transferring the meaning of the source language (in my case English or Italian) in my mother tongue German and therefore continuously “switching” and comparing different languages in my mind, I love to manage and to organize my work in an independent way while at the same time I cooperate in and contribute to a “virtual team” with the people I work with every day. Translating may seem a “routine job”, the same every day, but as I feel it, every day is a new challenge, a new experience and therefore never boring.
How do you say “Happy International Translation Day” in your mother tongue?
Alles Gute zum Internationalen Übersetzertag!
Fourth Translator Story: Galinie
Why did you choose to be a translator?
Multilingualism and intercultural communication have always fascinated me. Early on, I knew I wanted to work with languages. I also felt it had to be something socially meaningful. I enjoy the problem-solving aspect of my job, the excitement of learning new things every day, the depth of cultural nuances behind words.
Translating is both a creative and technical process, it keeps my brain stimulated and allows me to enjoy a lifestyle that suits my current needs and desires (rather minimalist and nomadic). I love how translation helps knowledge and ideas flow freely across borders, interact with each other, and be accessible to larger groups of people.
What aspect of your work do you like the most and why?
That’s a tough one. There are so many things I love about my work! If I had to choose only one aspect, I’d say freedom. Freedom to choose my clients, the types of projects I work on, my working hours and conditions, my physical location. This flexibility allows me to focus on what matters most and address my clients’ needs in the smoothest way possible. I’m grateful for the chance to work with a lovely bunch of project managers in various translation agencies. Collaborating with them makes this journey even more pleasurable and proves every day that freelance translation doesn’t have to be a lonely profession at all!
How do you say “Happy International Translation Day” in your mother tongue?
French: « Bonne journée mondiale de la traduction ! »
Greek: «Καλή παγκόσμια ημέρα μετάφρασης!» (even though we rarely use it in Greek)
Fifth Translator Story: Luna
Why did you choose to be a translator?
Writing, learning languages and travelling are three of my favourite activities… As a translator, you do all three every day.
What aspect of your work do you like the most and why?
I love to have the ability to work on totally different projects, for completely different clients, in one given week. You never get bored.
How do you say “Happy International Translation Day” in your mother tongue?
Joyeuse journée internationale de la traduction !
Sixth Translator Story: Moira
Why did you choose to be a translator?
I actually started my professional life in marketing, then account management in the food industry. But it didn’t take very long for me to realise that what I truly wanted was to be my own boss, build my own business. Since I’m bilingual and bicultural, becoming a translator was the natural choice for me.
What aspect of your work do you like the most and why?
I love the variety of my work, discovering new things, learning. And I love working with my clients, building relationships. Plus, now that I’m also helping fellow translators build their businesses, I get to work with amazing colleagues from all over the world, which is awesome!
How do you say “Happy International Translation Day” in your mother tongue?
Alles Gute zum Internationalen Übersetzertag!