Translator - S.F.
MS in Engineering,
27 yrs. experience
Why did you choose to be a translator?
By the time I finished my schooling, my father had already been running a translation office for about ten years. When I graduated, I decided to work with him in translation.It is very interesting to know that you chose English translation service though your nativity is Japanese. What made you select this language?
There is a strong demand for English services in Japan as it globalizes in many fields. That means, there is a growing demand for documents to be translated into English before they can be sent overseas. Although English is one of the core classes we must take from junior high on and we receive English education for ten years by the time we graduate from university,many find it difficult to express themselves in English or use English in business dealings. Therefore, I thought there is a great need for English translation service in both business and academic fields.Translation involves thorough knowledge of both the languages – Japanese and English. Can a person be an expert in 2 such different languages?
I must say it is hard to be a perfect expert in multiple languages. However, I feel it is possible to attain thorough knowledge of both languages by utilizing aids such as dictionaries, study materials, and help from native speakers.How do you continually maintain and improve your English skills?
I am reading English publications daily in an effort to improve my English skills and to learn new expressions.Could you give us an example of an assignment that challenged your skills as translator?
When I translated a presentation document for some products of a Japanese lamp manufacturer, I needed to pay extra attention in order to make expressions that attract the audience’s attention. Especially when translating catchy phrases, I first needed to understand them fully in Japanese and find corresponding appropriate words in English.How do you keep yourself updated with the recent happenings in the industry and the subject you translate?
I regularly read the news related to my expertise. Also whenever I translate documents on certain technologies that I am not familiar with, I always make a thorough research on the Internet. In that way I can translate the documents with confidence.
