Perspectives on Freelance Translation

Are you thinking about upgrading to Window 8? Maybe you’re wondering if it’s worth your while or thinking “what if my CAT tools and favorite programs aren’t compatible?” Changing operating systems can be stressful and entails loads of time consuming work on your part. These factors become even more important if you’re running your own business. So if your PC or laptop is running Windows 7 and everything is running smoothly, you probably don’t need to run off and get the latest version of Windows. However, if you’re thinking about buying a new laptop that comes with Windows 8 pre-installed, I say go for it. In my case I upgraded an older laptop running Windows Vista. Considering the many drawbacks of Vista I figured I had nothing to lose and in fact I gained quite a bit. The upgrade is straight forward and fairly quick and easy; plus the download only cost me 40 dollars. The setup tool even analyzes your computer and lets you know which programs will need to be re-installed a

Translators love words and have a passion for reading. By indulging in this passion we improve our understanding of the words we love and acquire new ones along the way. Most of us spend lots of time reading to stay up-to-date in our specialty areas, as well as reading for pleasure. The more we read in both our source and target languages, the better the chance of coming up with that often elusive word that allows meaning to shine through.   EBook readers are fantastic gadgets for anyone who loves to read, but when you consider the benefits they offer for translators they become, in my opinion, essential learning tools. Here’s why: 1. You’ll read so much more One thing that soon became apparent when I switched over from traditional books to the Kindle was that the amount I read more than doubled. Now wherever I go, my library goes with me. I can always choose something I’m in the mood for and get the most out of whatever I’m reading. Another major contributing factor to m

Unfortunately most translators will be able to relate to this video, but you can have a good laugh when you see just how absurd many of the requests we commonly receive are, when viewed from a different angle. The Vendor Client Relationship

Type Racer Improve your typing skills while competing against others in real time. Find out how many words you type per minute and your level of accuracy at www.typeracer.com. By entering a couple of races everyday you'll be able to improve your output and have fun while doing it.

How many words can you translate in a day? This is not an easy question to answer because there are many variables involved that can affect your daily output. One of the key variables affecting daily output is effective use of time. Usually you won’t be given as much time as you’d like in order to carry out a project, but one thing is certain: if you can produce more in less time you will make more money. By learning to use keyboard shortcuts rather than reaching for your mouse, you will be amazed at the time you can save. This point was driven home to me in a workshop on resource optimization for freelance translators given by Xosé Castro after a Proz.com translation conference in Montevideo, Uruguay. During the presentation the desktop of a portable computer was projected onto a large screen for the audience to see. I was randomly chosen from the audience and agreed to get up in front of them to perform a simple daily task. I was to open Word, type out a short phrase an