Which computer and platform are best for a translator?

I decided to write about this topic after having a raving conversation with one of my colleagues. He tried to convince me that I live in the past century, still using a PC for my translation work. So these notes IMHO are merely based on my own experience as the translator. 

If you are shopping around for a best computer and platform, and you are a translator, you hopefully will find my review useful, but please don’t read this as the ultimate truth, because it is just an opinion.

MAC vs PC

I have been using PCs for my entire professional life and it is what all my clients use; however, some of my colleagues feel very strongly about their Macs. At some point I was considering Mac as an option, but the price tag made me to change my mind. 

Firstly, I treat my machine/computer as my workhorse. I don’t use it for games - I own an Xbox for that, and I don’t watch movies – for that I have a 42” LED TVset. It is only for my professional activities and social/professional networking. If you plan to use your computer for entertainment I would suggest reading another review.

If you want a powerful Mac, look at the cost and believe me or not, it is too high for what you get. Unfortunately Mac has a limited selection of hardware, so if you buy a cheapest Mac you're stuck with a computer that cannot be upgraded. You can in theory, but you need to take into consideration that any hardware upgrades that are not sanctioned under official Apple warranty will be at your own expense for repairs and a compatibility could fail at any time. Considering that Macs are expensive machines, even at the cheapest price, any substantial upgrade will only increase a price for your Mac. Current market has a great choice of PCs with RAM from 2 to 8 GB, both for laptops and desktops, and Macs normally have 1-4 GB for standard models. If you want more powerful RAM it has to be custom made. 

Many people love Macs because they are great for graphics, photography, etc., but I don’t see them offering advantages for a translator. Yet Macs have fewer viruses and require less maintenance, but if you would compare the price, a PC will definitely win. Another important thing - Windows offer more software and my main CAT Trados that I use for technical and engineering translations won’t work with Mac. Trados works only on a PC. If you are a technical translator and you use or plan to use Trados software you need a PC. 

My first experience with Macs was when I worked as a translation manager in a small linguistics agency. The owner of the agency was madly in love with Macs, so I had no choice but to work on them. First thing I noticed after years working on a PC was that my brain started to re-arrange its functional abilities and I found that experience interesting and good. It is very difficult to put in words and explain, but after using a PC for such a long time, you need to get used to Mac logic, or develop another one. It is not difficult, it’s just a matter of time. 

Another thing about using Macs is Boot Camp software, that allowed Macs to run Windows via virtual environment for MS Office applications. Well, that the idea of the software was great, but in reality it was unhelpful. I noticed how slow my office Mac went running on virtual environment. After hours of proofreading on such a slow machine the expression on my face said everything without a word. 

Laptops vs Desktop 

Some of my colleagues prefer to use desktops because they struggle with using the small keyboard of a laptop. I don’t have this problem as I don’t look at my keyboard when I work on it. So if you are one of my colleagues who struggle with the keyboard my suggestion is to buy an ergonomic keyboard. This will solve the problem. 

Personally, I couldn’t make a choice between laptop and desktop, so I own both. 

My choice between two machines is easy. When it comes to the translation of P&IDs, Process Flow Diagrams and other type of drawings, I need a big screen. With AutoCAD or MicroStation I need to work on a big screen and my laptop in this case will not be as suitable for the job (this is a better sort of phrasing). 

For me my the laptop is a compromise between weight, size, performance and cost, but only justified if I need mobility. Normally I take my laptop to offices if I am required to work on site. If most of your freelance works associated with go out you would probably choose a laptop. 

Another thing, which makes me happy about having two machines, is having two monitors for proofreading and translation work. It is so good and convenient that I don’t see myself working without two monitors. But the choice is yours.

With sense of humour about machine translation

This is not about bad machine translations and how great we are (human translators). It is all about having a sense of humour.

Just imagine the situation. You are Russian speaking Control Room Operator and you work on a Gas Processing Complex that earns millions of bucks a day. You start your shift, day or night, (it doesn't really matter) it is your 10th or 20th day on shift, you almost live there.

Every day it’s the same thing, every day with the same monitors (maybe 3 or 5 monitors), you feel sleepy, and if it's a night shift and your attention span is not great when it comes to the screen with only green lights flashing (green means everything is working normally).

And at some point, when you read through hundreds of process diagrams you are starting to notice and realise...very slowly... that it's something wrong with one page... and you can't believe to what you see... because instead of normal names of blocks and units you read PIGS...
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A little explanation of this joke is needed for English speakers: some engineers decided to translate one of process diagrams using a machine translator, and received a word-for-word translation, which in this case ensued with hysterical laughter.

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Clarification on Certified Translations or Translation Stamps and Certificates of Accuracy

Many translation buyers don’t understand the difference between certified and non-certified translation. But the word speaks for itself. Professional translator has to be “certified” or “sworn” to do the job. However, in the common law system in the UK, there is no such concept as the "sworn translator". It exists solely in civil law countries.

A certified translation or certification stamp is the official declaration bundled together with a translation and copy of a source text. In some cases the translations have to be done from original document, but if the original is not available the translator should state that in his/her translation [translation of marriage certificate from English into Russian from copy of original document].

In some cases the translation certificates have to be notarised. Notarised certificates of translations are usually required for legal purposes such as a divorce, marriage, immigration or criminal proceedings in courts, so in most cases for the UK Government, local authorities, Home Office, Passport Office, NARIC, GDC, banks and foreign embassies, etc.

To avoid complications, is it usually best to get a certified translation from a freelance translator who is a professional member of Institute of Translation andInterpreting (ITI) or the Chartered Institute of Linguists (IoL). For example, when I have to produce such certificates I have my own template completed with all my professional ITI membership details and ITI Logo stamp.  As the professional member of Institute of Translationand Interpreting (ITI) I am required to follow certain quality procedures, such as pass an entry exam or the translation be proofread before returning to the client and so on.

It is fairly rare when a local council has their own translation department, especially one that is a member of the professional body. In order to avoid disappointments I would recommend checking if whoever needs your document translated would accept a certified translation from someone who is not a member of the professional body.

In the UK, certifying or swearing has no bearing on the quality of a translation, it serves to define the translator’s identity and qualifications. When a translation is sworn before a solicitor or a notary in Scotland, the legal professional has no obligations to verify the quality of translated material, but merely verifies the translator's identity.

Certification does, however, put weight to a translation. If, for example, a document that goes in front of the court is wilfully mistranslated or a birth certificate has intentional changes that different from original, the translator could be charged with a contempt of court or perjury.


When it comes to the quality, you should expect from the translator to translate almost everything, including stamps, a template of a document, any hand written dates and markings: [seal signed], [signature] [date of issue amended and signed as official]. If any changes can be seen, for example, on the original birth certificate, it should be mentioned in his/her translation. If the text of original is not legible partially or fully the translator should also state this in his/her translation [Seal stamp of Civil Registrar Office: partially illegible]. 

The Certificate of Accuracy is what I would normally produce to verify an accuracy of document translated by another translator. This work normally would be charged separetaly for proofreading and certification. 

In the Shoes of a Freelance Russian Translator

I don't have a "pretty pink” story to tell when it comes to describe what brought me into the Freelance World. More than five years ago I was in a situation when I had to try out (?)this market, and at the very beginning I found it unwelcoming and unknown. 

Different people have different reasons when it comes to choosing this option. It's not for everyone, but it became an option for me. So after 10 booming years in a career as a technical translator for  Oil and Gas corporates, the "freelance shoes" seemed really small and uncomfortable, but I was forced to try them on for size. 

My first challenge was to learn to be become American.  Those who live in England know what I mean by saying that. It is when you are no longer working for a corporate company, but you are almost certainly competing with a giant market, just like many others, for work. So you have to do whatever it takes to get yourself known and put your name out there. So you are forced to learn how to market yourself. 

Five years ago I knew almost nothing about self-marketing and my first steps were rather awkward and clumsy. Yes, I had a ton of professional knowledge, translation and interpreting skills, a BA (Hons) in Translation Studies and professional membership with London Institute of Translation and Interpreting in addition to valuable work experience. But I was simply not prepared for the reality of the Freelance World. 

First,  I decided to register with translation agencies in the UK and I found that most of them were vanishing away from the market. YES, THE CREDIT CRUNCH MADE ITS DIRTY WORK!!! [angry smile] Yet, some of them have survived and are still working. 

Basically I was sending my CV in English with a cover letter outlining  my linguistic services and then copied and pasted them to thousand emails I found on www.translatorscafe.com or www.proz.com. Most of them ignored me, some of them wanted me to do large test pieces for free, others responded negatively, and maybe two or three agencies out of thousands would call me back with a request for translation services. At some point I felt frustrated and was about to give up my freelance career for good. 

However, I found that hundreds of thousands of translation opportunities do exist and anyone can become a part of them. 

Many people would think that being a freelancer means a lot of freedom. Yes, it can set you free from commuting to work, parking charges and travel expenses, and it can make you your own boss. But you need to be on top of everything in order to be successful, and time management is key. 

Many people forget that becoming a freelancer means you give up a fixed wage, pension, workmates and paid holiday leave. Are you happy to leave all these things? You may want to think twice. 

Another thing you should consider – rates. You will find that this is a very difficult subject of conversation for most pro-freelancers. Many freelancers criticize low-quality translators for dragging pay rates down. It happens only because most clients do not understand the nature of the work. Most of people believe if you speak another language then you can  immediately work as a translator. Well... I have to admit there is a market for low quality translations, but those resources do not stay for long in this market and never get returning customers. 

There are lots of websites for freelancers where rates are competitive but the majority of successful bids don't go to the cheapest bidder. Clients still want a good job done so they look at the quality of your work. For this,  I would recommend to have samples of your work. 

If you think you are ready to become one of us, you probably should consider several things. Remember you don’t work for a company, you are the company. Forget about sick leave, you are no longer entitled to them. Your working hours are not fixed; you are not an early bird or an owl. You should be prepared to work for any person or company, and they could have different hours for business. Be aware of your computer, check e-mails, and keep your phone charged. Every job is your calling card, every day is a new beginning, and you’re only as good as your last job. You can even tattoo this somewhere on your body to remember.  

Learn new skills, because from now you are your own manager, accountant, marketing specialist and secretary. Yes, you can outsource everything you are not good at, but whatever you need to know in order to bring more work to you, you have to deal with. Forget those stories about work and life balance; you will never get it until you get work-work balance right. You should always think about getting more work NOW, so you aim yourself towards getting more work. Check your diary and look, if you have more gaps where paid work should be you need to plan what to do with that time. Plan today, tomorrow, next week, month and year... 

And remember “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” 

 

Most of my tips would seem very simple and common sense, but they could be a key towards a successful story in the freelancing business.