Archives

My last post was rather nostalgic, and this shall be too!

Today is Translator’s Day and I have to express my admiration for the wonderful professionals in our field.

When yesterday I suggested a good solution for a difficult translation to Leandro, the trainee here at Ccaps, he told me, “Wow, you are so smart!” Nah, I am not THAT smart, but that made me think of the time when I was a translation trainee (in the today extinct LMI), when I also thought that the solutions my manager gave to me were absolutely wonderful. I really admired her for being able to think of a text that would never cross my mind…

Today, after some 10 years in this industry, I can think of good solutions, and this I call experience. Of course, there is a minimum of dedication too.

We do not work with literary translation but some translations, even though they are extremely technical, are just a too good to read! How wonderful is it to read a text that flows, is clear and grammatically impeccable? A translation that you can notice that was made with care and not simply thrown on the screen. In times when you hear things like “I wrote so fast that I have no idea what the file is about” (I swear this is true!), good translations stand out. They really do!

To top up my nostalgia and tribute, I must name those professionals whose influence was crucial in my career.

A big kiss to Cristina Machado, translator, philosopher, astrologer and dear friend who introduced me to the world of localization!

Denise Rodrigues, the manager I mentioned above, who was decisive in my training as a professional, teaching me how to use Trados and who indeed gave me solutions for impeccable translations.

And finally, as it should be, my tribute and special kiss to my boss, Fabiano Cid, the best translator, manager and team leader, with whom I have learnt and still learn today everything that is related to the universe of translation and localization.

Happy Translator’s Day to you all! And a big hooray for Saint Jerome! =)

Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Teacher’s Day, Soldier’s Day, Engineer’s Day… Gee! They say these dates are just a formality, that we should value people and celebrate every day. I could not agree more, but the daily rush makes us forget many things: a hug, a kiss, a complimentary “Good job!”

This is why I love these commemorative dates. I love when I log on to Facebook, Twitter, open my email inbox and see my colleagues celebrating, several messages congratulating us and reflections on the work of the translator. Just another day suddenly becomes special, and we can work happier and prouder of who we are.

Yet this is a formality. What really matters is the daily work, the exchange of information and experiences with our colleagues, the challenge of working in a completely different project, of learning to mater a new tool.

This is why I would like to seize this opportunity on this special day, our day, and thank all my Ccaps colleagues, dear translators who work with us and my translator friends with whom I have never worked but hope to work with some day.

Here is my hug, my kiss and my complimentary “Fantastic job!”

Happy Translator’s Day!

Since today is your day, I would like to seize this opportunity and ask you a few questions:

1. Why don’t you spell check all your files before delivering?
2. Why don’t you read and follow the instructions included in the handoff email?
3. Why don’t you let me know in advance that there will be delays in your delivery for at least a few days in advance and not on the day of the actual delivery?
4. Why don’t you deliver the files in the same folder structure you received?
5. Why don’t you always ask the same questions about the same tool?

I am joking!!! =)

Because despite of all the above, as a Localization Project Coordinator can say without a shadow of a doubt that cannot live without you.

What would be of us project managers, coordinators and especially those people who cannot speak a foreign language, without you, MY DEAREST TRANSLATOR?

After more than 10 years working in this localization industry, I can say I have made a lot of friends. And for sure, most of them were translators.

Happy Translator’s Day!

Congratulations, Translator!

Today is September 30, when we celebrate Translator’s Day.

Since in my blog post last year I talked about the origin of this date, this post will only be to congratulate you, dear translator, whose work is of utmost importance for our company and for the market as a whole.

Have you ever realized that sometimes a decision can only be made after the translation has been completed, i.e. after your work is already done?

And this is not only a merit of sworn translators, who translate agreements, birth certificates and other such documents! There is also the medical translator, the legal translator, the financial translator. There is even translator for love letters and poems (and we would all sit to listen when any of such letters was assigned to us).

I could not forget you, subtitling and dubbing translator, who makes happy those fans of TV series and movies. You, translator, have a great responsibility on your shoulders and should be congratulated for this amazing work.

Here at Ccaps we had a wonderful breakfast to celebrate this date. Cecilia could not be here but she sends her best wishes from Buenos Aires with a taste of dulce de leche.

And I promise not to complain if you reciprocate the kindness and congratulate me on Administrative Assistant’s Day (which also happens to be today! =)

Hello, Translator! Today is your day and I would like to contribute be leaving here some tips inspired by your patron saint, Saint Jerome. He was a great translator and I had to mention him for he had such an exemplary life. These tips will serve for our growth as individuals in every sense. Shall we take a look at them?

Never stop studying
Jerome was born in Stridon, on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia. His parents were Christian, noble and rich. His learning skills were noted at such an early age that once he was a teenager, his father sent him to Rome, the capital of the civilized world at the time. In the Eternal City, Jerome dedicated his time to study Grammar, Rhetoric and Philosophy. He was so passionate about classical writers that he built an impressive library for himself, while copying with his own handwriting the books he could not have.

With this example, we can see that studying is of utter importance and must be a constant activity in our lives.

Always help your neighbor
One of the texts about Jerome says that, “everyone would come to him, and each one tried to please him: some would celebrate his sanctity; others, his doctrines, others, his sweetness and soft and benign posture. Everyone had laid their eyes on him as a mirror of every virtue, penitence, oracle of wisdom.”

It is very rewarding when we can use our experience/knowledge to help somebody. We should always try to share with those who are eager to learn and often did not have the opportunity to do so.

Love your craft
Everyone is astonished to learn that Saint Jerome, even though very sick, to a point that he had to dictate his works for others to write, could produce so much in such little time. In three days, he translated the books of Solomon, and in a single day, he translated the Book of Tobias from Aramaic to Latin. In 15 days, he dictated the comments of Saint Mathews. At the same time, he wrote Christianity apologies against the heretics of time thorough refutation of their doctrines.

To love what we do makes us go way beyond the expected. When we love what we do, we strive to improve and always do more and better.

Happy Translator’s Day