I love translation because…

To celebrate International Translation Day 2015, I wanted to find out what translators love about working in the translation industry by asking them to finish the sentence, “I love translation because…”

• “For me, it brings together language, medicine and technology. Language is the very essence of translation: decoding a message and conveying it in another language is challenging and rewarding. Bringing medicine into the recipe makes my job all the more fascinating. And engaging with technology to streamline and enhance my workflow is worthwhile and fun. In short, I love translation because it’s challenging, fascinating and fun.” – Emma Goldsmith, freelance translator

• “When we translate, we become the union bridge not only between two languages but also between two cultures.” – Gala Gil Amat, freelance translator

• “It led me to terminology. I’m not talking just about glossaries and termbases, but terminology as a professional career. A few weeks after I started my blog I knew I was hooked. I wanted to share with fellow translators the technical information but I also wanted them to see it in a different light, make it fun with interviews, biographies and infographics. More and more universities are offering terminology courses and even Master degrees, because, as I said in one post, terminology is translation’s DNA.” – Patricia Brenes, translation assistant, IDB

• “It allows me to indulge my passion for languages on a daily basis, it challenges me to explore the limits of understanding between different cultures and it means that I can work at home in my pyjamas.” – Joseph Lambert, freelance translator

• “Of the variety of fields I get to explore from nuclear specifications to health & safety reports through hotel websites and tourist brochures, right up to recipes and marketing pieces about engines for F1 cars. Mind-boggling! Then there’s the ability to pick and choose what you do, when you do it, how you go about it and even where you work. The life of a freelance translators is rarely boring, often challenging and always infinitely enjoyable. Best of all, it’s all down to you; no managers leaning over your shoulder, telling you what to do – you can say yes or no, as you please. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do!” – Claire Cox, Owner, CC Translations

• “Of the people I get to meet and the problems I get to solve.” – Angela Benoit, freelance translator

• “It forces me to really (and I mean really) understand what I want to say, so I can communicate it to others. In doing that, I inevitably end up understanding myself better.” – Chiara Grassilli, freelance translator

Some great responses, I think you would agree.