Best English to Gujarati Translate Freelancers to Hire

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Both the studies and the profession of the translator and interpreter are inherently poorly defined. In the United Kingdom, for example, there is no university degree that deals extensively with these disciplines.

Students who choose to pursue a language degree will deal somewhat with the topic of translation and interpretation, but not in an extensive way that allows them to work in the market, although there are various postgraduate courses on translation and interpretation, both practical (as well as the MA in Translation and Interpreting offered by the University of Salford) and theorists (such as the  Reading MA in Translation Studies ).

In Spain, on the other hand, translation and interpretation constitute a career (initially both disciplines were taught in university schools, which have now become faculties).

Training

Until recently, it was only necessary to have minimal linguistic knowledge to establish yourself as a translator. However, this state of affairs is slowly changing with the emergence of specialized courses in translation and interpretation and of regulatory bodies for the profession such as the  Institute of Translation and Interpreting  ( ITI ) or the  Institute of Linguists , in the United Kingdom.

Documents that are translated into English and that must be presented to English authorities only require that a translator appear before a notary or a Commissioner for Oaths and declare that to the best of his or her knowledge and belief the translation is a faithful and accurate translation of its original. The translator does not need to demonstrate its competence. 

In the aspect of legal translation, and specifically of documents that require legalization, there is total ignorance on the part of both clients and agencies. Often an agency orders a translation and says they want it certified, and I simply put a certificate myself in English saying that the translation is faithful. Once the reason for the document has been established, then we must insist that it is necessary to have the original document, for example in the case of a death certificate.

Equipment

The freelance translator spends most of his time in front of the computer screen, typing the translation of a text that, normally, he will have received by fax, and whose translation will have to be sent by modem.

So when starting to work as a freelance translator, you must invest in a computer and appropriate programs (until now the most commonly used word processing program in the world of translation was WordPerfect 5.1, but increasingly Translators are often required to submit their work in Word for Windows or the Windows version of WordPerfect).

Today there is a wide range of computers at very varied prices. Computers can be bought for around £500 plus  VAT  if you only run DOS, while a computer that can run Windows and keeps up to date with software that may be produced in the next three to five years can cost on average about £1000 plus  VAT .

You will also need a printer and, depending on your budget, a fax and modem, or a combined fax-modem. An inkjet printer is sufficient to cover all translator needs, while for larger volumes of work it may be worth considering a laser printer; Whatever type of printer you choose, you must check that it works for both Windows and DOS (if WordPerfect is used). An inkjet printer costs around £200 while a laser printer costs around £400.

Let’s now talk about the fax and the modem, which are essential for the freelance translator. If you are starting to work as a freelancer, perhaps the best option is to get a combined fax-modem. Nowadays almost all modems are in fact also faxes. The advantages of the fax modem are that it is cheaper than buying a fax separately, and it gives very good results, especially when receiving faxes, since they can be read on the computer screen, enlarging the document if necessary. for your good reading.

Disadvantages: you can only fax text that is on the computer screen; when it comes to correcting translations (proofreading) it is obsolete, since the pages cannot be sent with the corrections on them. Although this problem can be solved later, when you have the necessary money, by purchasing a manual scanner (about 50 pounds plus  VAT ) or a personal one (about 150 plus  VAT ).

Fax prices vary considerably, with the average price being around £200. As far as modems are concerned, the V32bis models (14,400 bits per second), which are the most common currently, can be purchased for a maximum of £80, while the V34 models (28,000 bits per second), which operate twice as fast, and which are only recently making their way, they cost around £150.

Lately, software has been developed for a new type of modem that also works as an answering machine; This model may be a good investment for the future, but right now it is still in an almost experimental state.

Finally, in this equipment section, I would like to highlight the importance of an answering machine or a mobile phone. The translator (or interpreter) must be reachable at all times. Hence how important it is to have an answering machine (and check it from time to time when you are away from home or the office) or a mobile phone (which is even more important if you work as an interpreter for the police or customs agents). .

Therefore the total costs of the equipment, as well as those of stationery (business cards, heading paper,  etc. ) can be estimated at around £3000. And to this we must add the costs of the  mailings  carried out and the purchase of dictionaries and other reference materials.

Technical aspects

From a technical point of view, it is essential to have good dictionaries and reference material. Good dictionaries are usually quite expensive – around £100 per copy – which represents a significant investment.

Therefore, sometimes it is not profitable for a translator to accept a small, somewhat specialized job if he or she has to acquire a specific dictionary to be able to do the translation. This situation justifies the fact that specializing in a subject makes a lot of sense.

There is no doubt that to be a good translator you have to set a goal, follow it, study it and dedicate yourself fully to it in order to make the production as profitable as possible.

The advancement in technology also requires a constant investment for a translator. The equipment must be updated and it must be kept running.

Advances in computing have been a great help to translators, but at the same time they are subject to the constant pressure of having to adapt to market needs and constantly update their equipment. It is essential for every translator to have a computer, although I know two or three translators who still work with a simple typewriter.

The second essential piece of equipment is a fax and the third that has already become established in the last three or four years, especially in England, is the modem. Without these three tools it is very difficult to operate successfully in the English market. However, this at the same time puts a certain pressure on translators that did not exist before. Many translations are sent by fax and the client or agency expects to have them the same day, either by fax or modem.

The standard software in the world of translation is the Word Perfect 5.1 program and lately Word for Windows is taking over. The market doesn’t just want a good translation: it wants a well-presented text. This imposes yet another effort on the translator, especially for those who are not very skilled with the computer.

But the market is very competitive and the translator who can offer, in addition to competence in his professional field, all the other attributes of the computer world, that is, modem, email, Windows,  etc.  You are much more likely to stay more fully occupied than another professional who is not as well equipped.

The most important technical part for a translator, although somewhat abstract, are contacts: contacts of colleagues, of people who are specialists in various fields. A translator always needs to turn to a specialist in accounting, medicine, chemistry, banking, etc.

Many translators often choose a certain field such as legal or medical because either their colleagues are specialists in that field, or their father or mother or someone in the family is someone they can turn to. It is equally important to have the help of a native person in the source text.

In fostering contacts, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting has done a good job of providing a forum where translators can meet; They belong to the same group and within the  ITI  there are what they call “regional networks”, which have periodic meetings and are a place where translators can meet each other, exchange ideas, problems,  etc.  These types of associations carry out a very worthy job, although naturally an association of almost 2000 members cannot please everyone or satisfy the particular needs of each one.

The other technical aspect, also abstract, is  age . A young translator, no matter how skilled he may be, will never have the experience of a 40-year-old translator who has experience from having practiced the profession for a long time and probably in different fields.

In conclusion, to be a good translator it is necessary to master computer science well, be at least 40 years old, have a consort or partner who is a native of the language of origin, an uncle who is a doctor, another jurist, an accountant brother, to be possible to have had a French wet nurse and what is very essential, an enormous work capacity to be able to work 14 or 15 hours a day. I must add that above all you have to have a good knowledge and culture of your own language.

GUJARATI TRANSLATION SERVICES FOR YOUR DOCUMENTS AND CERTIFICATES