My Services
The Translator Profession, Decrypted
What does a translator do? I think this is a question worth asking, because most of the people I know weren’t able to give a clear definition of the profession when I went back to school a few years ago… So, amid all the clichés and misconceptions, let’s take a closer look!
Translator = interpreter ?
Who does what? There’s often confusion between what a translator does and what an interpreter does. Who among you can tell me the difference without hesitating…? I know from experience that some people even think these two terms are synonyms! (Ouch, that hits close to home… haha) A translator works on a computer from the comfort of their office, with dictionaries and plenty of time (though, of course, that’s all relative—be careful…) to translate all kinds of documents in writing. An interpreter, on the other hand, often works on-site, although this has changed somewhat in the post-COVID years. They regularly travel to clients’ locations to provide ORAL and LIVE translation of conversations between different people during meetings, factory tours, fashion shows, and so on. Generally, they work in pairs so they can take turns throughout the session, and they need equipment to deliver high-quality work. Even though languages are the foundation of our work, the skills involved are quite different.
How translators are perceived in the collective imagination ?
So, sure, my new life as a freelancer has given me a lot of freedom in how I organize my days—I can totally start working at 3 p.m. if I feel like it! Still, I need to be set up at a desk with all the comforts I can get, an excellent internet connection, and my two monitors… After all, my job requires a great deal of concentration, as well as a whole bunch of tools (mostly digital). Bottom line: no, I don’t spend my time traveling to paradise-like destinations (which is a real shame, I fully agree!). Plus, I’ve invested in a great office chair, so I can’t really see myself working while balancing in a hammock.
Another myth: a translator is perfectly bilingual, so you can ask her anything and everything.
How can I put this? No, I don’t know the dictionary by heart—I actually need several of them to work effectively! To tell you the truth, I don’t know every word in the French language—and neither do you, for that matter 🙂 Do you know what “couturier” means when applied to the human body? Could you list all the definitions of the term “cru”? Well, you get the idea: there’s a whole range of everyday words whose meaning changes when they’re used in so-called specialized fields. Good examples include the medical, financial, and wine industries. The key takeaway is that while a translator certainly needs to know one (or more) foreign languages, they must above all know their native language. And you’ll hear me say this over and over again, but context is EVERYTHING!!
Another cliché: “But why do you want to be a translator? Artificial intelligence (AI) is doing your job for you, isn’t it?!”
No, I’m not afraid of AI
So, clearly, and in all honesty, NO, I’m not afraid that AI will take my job, because it can’t do (exactly) the same work as I do. Let me make it clear right away that I’m not anti-AI. Some of my colleagues might say I’ve gone over to the dark side of the force (!), but I’m one of those who see AI as a new tool at our disposal. I wouldn’t say I wasn’t skeptical at first, but I’m curious by nature, so I did some research before forming an opinion—and most importantly, I tested it out, and the verdict is final: thanks, ChatGPT, but no thanks!
A useful tool, but under control
It’s a great tool that allows anyone who uses it WISELY (yes, I know, capital letters can be intimidating, but idiots wear me out) to save time—and potentially money. I’m not ashamed to say it: I use it several times a week for work (not for translation, mind you!), BUT I always make sure to carefully proofread the suggested content, verify it against other sources, and correct it—I haven’t done an in-depth study, but I’d say off the top of my head that 6 or 7 times out of 10 I have to revise what the generative AI suggests. When there aren’t any spelling or grammar mistakes, there are glaring errors (in translation and elsewhere). For example, I use it to get summarized grammar rules when I don’t feel like looking them up in my textbooks and then sharing them with my students, but I have to regularly correct the content. Then, on purely stylistic issues, it’s highly recommended to revise the text the AI generates to make it more harmonious and “human” …! It’s handy for giving you a starting point, but I don’t think we should leave the bulk of the work to AI by trusting it blindly.
What sets me apart: a linguist with many hats
Besides, what I love about my job is that it is quite versatile. I’m not JUST a translator… I’m first and foremost a linguist, which allows me to also do proofreading, post-editing (reviewing content generated or translated by AI…), transcription, and copywriting. The development of AI has certainly drastically changed language-related professions—that’s a fact I can’t deny. But this has allowed me to diversify, and I also offer my services as a French as a Foreign Language (FLE) teacher and bilingual assistant. What sets me apart from AI is my in-depth knowledge of the French language and my attention to detail, which still make me more skilled than AI to this day!