To be or not to be a Chinese Translator

[imron]

Have an escalating price for work over a certain period of time. The only way to make some people respect your time is to charge them for it. The more you charge the more they'll want you not to go over time.

[Theophania]

Hey,I felt the same way,I am so regretted getting into SISU.I am a Chinese,btw,and I have been working for 3 years as an interpreter,being an interpreter is not easy as pie as I thought before,I always work under a lot of PRESSURE，which it's fine,i am cool with it,I love my job being challenging.

[Song Hu]

Hello to everybody!

 

It is so nice reading all your posts about translators!

 

I am a Greek citizen and I an having my preparatory courses in BLCU this year, in order to start my Bachelor's degree in Translation & Interpretation (English-Chinese) there next September. Please keep updating the information about the translators in China!

 

I am looking so much forward to advance my studies, so as to be able to share my own experiences regarding the matter!

 

P.S.: @ Theophania

I was so amazed that you have a Greek nickname!!! :shock:  Are you familiar with the Greek culture and language? I suppose that you know the meaning of this name, right? It is so great!!

[Angelina]

I also have a Greek name (angelos) 

 

Peace!

 

Good luck with your studies by the way.

[Song Hu]

@ Angelina

 

Yeah you're right, I am so sorry!

 

However, the name "Angelina" is used by many women in other countries, apart from Greece. And of course the most famous case is that of Angelina Jolie!!! Hahahaha :P On the contrary, Theophania is a purely Greek female name, used only in Greece.

 

Thank you very much for your wishes! Good luck too with your career!

[Angelina]

嗯 

[Theophania]

P.S.: @ Theophania

I was so amazed that you have a Greek nickname!!!      Are you familiar with the Greek culture and language? I suppose that you know the meaning of this name, right? It is so great!! 

 

Nah,not at all,it was given by someone,and he just listed a bunch of names and asked me to pick one,and we picked the same name,I have no idea what the culture and meaning behind it,but I'd love to know that.

 

I realized that there're so many AMAZING people here,which is soooooooooooooooooooo awesome.

[MPhillips]

Theophania has anyway told you that you resemble famous Japanese actress, 栗山千明？

[roddy]

Theophania, to keep us on topic perhaps you can tell us more about your work as an interpreter - you say there's a lot of pressure, is that because it's hard to find work, because the work is hard, etc? What kind of work do you do? Etc. Tell us all about it. 

[Theophania]

Dear,MPhillips,the answer is gonna be NOOOOOOOOOOO,nobody ever told me that I am like her,but some people would asked me weather I am from Korea or some other countries,some people would even asked me if one of my parents is foreigner,but I told them that I am a pure Chinese.Are you trying to make me cry?Congratulations,you made it,I feel like jumping out of the window right now,haha,who is 栗山千明？ I just searched her name on the internet,lol,I dont think I look like a Japanese.lol.Plus:Don't ever tell a Chinese that he or she looks like someone from Japan,I would rather u told me that I look like someone from Korea than Japan...haha，u know 勿忘国耻？But,still thanks,cos you didn't say something like,"hey,you resemble an internet sensation , 凤姐。

[MPhillips]

Sorry I like her a lot, she's extremely popular, I watch a lot of Japanese TV, so do some of my Chinese friends and they like her too--please accept my sincerest apologies, no offense intended!

[Theophania]

Roddy, It was a long story,I  should  probably start it with the"Once upon a time,there was an old woman,whose name'sTheophania,and she .....should I continue or just make it short?

[imron]

Continue, but start a new thread, and don't forget to use paragraphs (and spaces after full-stops and commas).

[Theophania]

Haha,no worries I was teasing u,I am cool with it,but I just don't mind Japanese,she's extremely popular,(good for her)and thanks,it makes me feel like I am popular like her..hahahahaha

[MPhillips]

Dear Theophania, if you ever get a chance to read some of my other posts sometime, you'll see I respect your country & people very much, the last thing I'd ever do is denigrate China, please believe me, and sorry I put my foot in my mouth.

[Theophania]

MPhillips,really?I was joking,dont take it too seriously,I will read them when I am free then,I am 1000000000% sure THAT you love my country and my people.

[Theophania]

Well,I have been working for 1.5 years back home in my hometown,Rui'an,Wenzhou,I bet some of u might have heard of it before.And here in Shanghai for almost 1 year and half now,and I am working as an interpreter and saleswoman ever since I came here,my last job was being an translator for a famous guy from Britain,sometimes,he is being very nice and humorous,but he is a little bit strict,he said things like:You fucking translate it!!!"because of the word I forgot once. He is very grumpy old man,plus nobody ever scolded me like that except my ma,so that was my worst experience of being a translator.

 

Being a good translator with good language skill is not enough,you need the range of knowledge of history,geography,political knowledge and so on,oh,you also should got a quick mind,which is also very important.

 

Also,I have been working with a lot of foreigners from all over the world,which is a lot of fun to me.And the good thing of  being an interpreter is getting really high wage,and working hour is really short,and having a lot of fun.

 

And sometimes,I would go for business trip with them to other cities,although I got chance to go to another cities,it turned out not being as interesting as I thought at the first place,but it depends on which countries they are from.I also got a crazy experience that I would never forgot.Some of them work like slaves while some got balance of working and playing.

 

But there is one thing that have been bothering me,let's say 10 out of 100 businessmen or foreign student that I've known would be decent,others would ask you for crazy shits,which really drives me crazy,no offense,I said some of them that I've met,not personal,not u or u.(I think I just got unlucky or something,and I just dont understand it somehow.)Oh,and some of them would say that ur bad girl just because u refused them,and it's so blah blah,sometimes I would ask myself,"why am I being so crazy about English,but I just love it, I have been learning it for 13,14 years since the forth year in primary school,there are two things that I love most in this planet is English and my family,and the good thing is I am still hanging up there,and I never give it up,cos it's what I've been chasing and there's no way that I would give it up for some kind of reasons.

 

And I don't know even what I should do,I I am too obsessed with English that I ......

 

鲁迅 said "Chinese never look at foreigners as mere people. Before we looked down on them as livestock, now we look up to them as Emperors. "

 

But mostly,we treat foreigners better than our own people,cos I myself did,I being very 客气 to my foreign friends,some people would think that I am (崇洋媚外），I think to learn from foreign countries or to help foreigners is entirely different from worshipping everything foreign(崇洋媚外）。I dont like that,however,some of my female friends those who are only into foreign things and they don't like China at all.And they are totally westernized,they going to the bars or clubs,drinking,smoking like some foreigners do,I think we Chinese should be like Chinese,there are Chinese blood runs through our veins,you just need to be like a Chinese,we should not lose our traditional thing.They are being so naive，they think most foreigners are rich(Especially white people)and they think they are better than Chinese people.

 

I don't wanna be like "some Chinese",I wanna be better,you know,and I was once close minded like some people do,I was born and raised from a small village,and I have never met any foreigners in my hometown,but I am being much stronger and I l gained and learned a lot from what I have been experienced.

 

When black people in China are no longer treated suspiciously because of the color of their skin,but ....

 

aaaaaaaah,I just got my work done ,and I have to go now,.0 0

 

 

Thanks for reading.I need help....

 

To be continued...

..

 

 

 

 

[Lu]

Theophania, may I give you a small piece of advice on your English? After a full stop (.), a comma (,), a semicolon (;) and such marks, leave a space. So:

Wrong:

Also,I have been working with a lot of foreigners from all over the world,which is a lot of fun to me.And the good thing of being an interpreter is getting really high wage,and working hour is really short,and having a lot of fun.

Right:

Also, I have been working with a lot of foreigners from all over the world, which is a lot of fun to me. And the good thing of being an interpreter is getting really high wage, and working hour is really short, and having a lot of fun.

It's a small and simple thing, but it will make your English look much, much better and give a much better impression if you, for example, email a foreigner. And your English is already quite good (has to be, since you're an interpreter).

Actually this is just repeating Imron's advice, but it looks like you didn't notice it earlier.

[Theophania]

Lu,awwwwwwwwwwww,thank you for much for correcting it,I am so grateful for that,I will pay close attention to it from now on.

 

 

But,I dont see any difference between these two,

Wrong:
Also,I have been working with a lot of foreigners from all over the world,which is a lot of fun to me.And the good thing of being an interpreter is getting really high wage,and working hour is really short,and having a lot of fun.
Right:
Also, I have been working with a lot of foreigners from all over the world, which is a lot of fun to me. And the good thing of being an interpreter is getting really high wage, and working hour is really short, and having a lot of fun.

[Angelina]

The space between the comma or the period and the following letter.

Like,this or like, this

It is important for English-speaking people. Just like we had to learn the difference between , and 、 .

What will you think if a foreign translator used , instead of 、?