Honesty – a translator’s most powerful quality

A translator’s livelihood depends on many factors: the quality of their work, their rates, their reliability, the chances they get to demonstrate their skills... It’s not always easy. Competition is fierce. Beginnings tend to be shaky, and it takes a while to build up a reputation. And certain mistakes can be fatal.

In a world where demand for all sorts of translations in all languages imaginable are in higher and higher demand, it is easy to give in to the temptation of exaggerating one’s capabilities.

Obviously, it’s all about the math: if a person says that they can translate from/to one language, that person will get a certain amount of projects. If that person proclaims that they can do translations from/to two languages, the workload doubles.

However, in the long term, truly experienced translators know that it is not about the quantity – it is about the quality.

A translator must be native in one language and fluent in another (at least) in order to offer high-quality translations in that particular combination of languages. Anything less than a native or almost-native level in any of those languages will result in lower-quality translations that, in the end, will leave a dent in the reputation of said translator.

There are special cases, of course, but generally speaking, it is in the best interest of the translator to focus on their native tongue and second language to perform at their best, earn the trust of their clients, and keep getting job after job.

If, as a translator, you feel that you can also do a good job with other languages, feel free to say so – but be ALWAYS honest.

If you have studied French for many years, that might help you work in translations FROM French, but that might not be enough for you to translate TO French. If you are fluent in Latinamerican Spanish, you might have difficulties understanding European Spanish audio recordings.

All of this is important, and it is not undermining your skills – it is stating facts that will be obvious anyway at the end of the day if you decide to omit them. Only then, it will be too late to mention them, and your dependability might be questioned.

A translator must be equally aware of their fortes and of their limitations. We are not supposed to be capable of doing everything – we are meant to focus on what we do best.

That is why translation is all about honesty!