Translator - L.Y.
Master in Biotechnology
& MBA
5 yrs. experience
Why did you choose to be a translator?
It’s an interesting question. I actually never thought I would be a translator one day. I love science, but after school, it is very hard to have scientific writing opportunities in Taiwan. At the beginning, I like to accept some scientific translating cases so I can rewrite the scientific articles with my own words and gain extra knowledge in different field of studies.
It is very interesting to know that you chose English translation service though your nativity is Taiwan. What made you select this language?
It is where my parents were born and where I spend my childhood. I love my family and respect the culture and language in this country.
Translation involves thorough knowledge of both the languages-Traditional Chinese and English. Can a person be an expert in 2 such different languages?
I believe that someone in the world can do both professionally, but I don’t think that I am there yet. Chinese sometimes is still a little bit too hard for me and I believe that there’s still space for me to grow in my English writing. It is very lucky that I grew up in a bilingual environment. My father is a very nice man who always patiently helps me and modifies my Chinese homework with me. He is an expert in modifying the Chinese language; even government officers ask for his modification before sending for announcement. I put a lot of effort in my academic writing at school. I do hope what I did can disseminate knowledge to more places. I can read hard structure of Traditional Chinese because of my dad and mom’s hard training in Chinese reading when I was a kid. That’s why I accept translation case from Traditional Chinese to English; however, I am still not very confident with my Chinese writing. That’s why I am not trying that part of translation yet. In the future, I actually want to pick up Spanish and French in my language pool as well. I love different cultures, love to talk to people, and love different languages. My birth father can speak Spanish well. I want to be able to visit Chili one day and improve that part of my language skills.
How do you continually maintain and improve your English skills?
I think reading is a good way to improve my academic writing skill in English. I have to read a lot of papers because of my full time job at the moment, so it’s never too tiring or too much for me to read. Reading and gardening makes me calm. I like to do both of them daily.
Could you give us an example of an assignment that challenged your skills as translator?
I major in Science so I feel very comfortable with scientific terms. I never choose business fields to translate because it frustrates me. Ever try to have double major in both science and business back school. Nah… I failed. I guess that I am not as much of a genius as I want to be.
How do you keep yourself updated with the recent happenings in the industry and the subject you translate?
As I mentioned, I have to read a lot of papers daily in my current full-time job.
