By Rebecca Petras
Translator Tales, an oral history created by McElroy Translation and co-sponsored by the American Translators Association, made a splash at last month’s ATA 50th Conference in New York with 25 translators or interpreters sharing their stories, likes and dislikes about their work.
Translator Tales was established late last year to record translators and interpreters talking about their lives as recorders of history. The tales tell of interesting projects translators and interpreters have completed as well as the many diverse ways they came to translating and interpreting and what keeps them going. As anticipated, these stories are much deeper than the manuals, legal documents and software that are the translators’ day-to-day bread and butter. As such, Translator Tales is creating a patchwork quilt of stories and histories that will be available to anyone on the McElroy and ATA websites.
Of the 25 new tales, the majority came from translators or people who combine translation and interpretation. Interviewees showed general agreement with their dislikes about the job, with the leading reasons cited being dealing with the administrative part of the job, chasing non-paying accounts and working in an isolated environment.
As for their favorite parts of the job, there was a wide range of answers. One translator mentioned following the saga of a legal case for which he is translating to be a favorite part of his work. Another translator/interpreter said she really enjoys being anyone she wants to be—a judge, a lawyer, or a doctor—because during each project she actually becomes the voice of those people.
The Translator Tales oral histories from the ATA Conference are currently being grouped and edited for the McElroy and ATA websites. They will join the original stories already available. We will announce when the new tales are included…and look for the next opportunity to record your story.