Synergy – on the advantages of being a freelancing couple

 

[A rainy tinny celebration]

There is a power in being a couple not just in dealing with life’s crises but also as working as a freelancer. My wife and I just celebrated our 10^th wedding anniversary. We are both freelance translators, even having met at a translator conference, albeit in different but complementary language combinations (Hebrew – English for me; the opposite for her, in different specialization areas). We can both see how much our individual business have benefited by sharing a profession. These advantages are reflected in the technical, emotional and financial stability.

Giving that not only is no man (or woman) is an island but also no person can be proficient in all areas of business, partners can complement each other’s skills. My wife enjoys technology (and house repairs) and views any hardware or software problem that arises as  an interesting challenge. She eagerly checks out the new features of any new program or upgrade. I, on the other hand, prefer the language aspect of this business. Finding the ideal phrasing for a delicate email  in English to a project manager is a fascinating intellectual exercise for which my American background has prepared me. Furthermore, as we work from opposite source languages, we help each other hone the exact meaning of any word in question and discuss which word or phrase in the target language would best express that sense. Occasionally, we agree to disagree. Having an in-office expert is a great asset.

Clearly, no less important is the emotional support we provide for each other. Freelancing, especially translating sometimes is a lonely, frustrating and unpredictable life style. The nature of the job is  to spend many hours sitting in front of a computer interacting with text whether in the form of a document or email. While written words are far less annoying than most people, it is also far less human by definition. The actual business aspect can be frustrating as, despite our best efforts to avoid them, misunderstandings occur with clients. Even worse, quite often  a job that the translator perceived as a short easy task turns into a translation from hell due to a technical issue or simple misjudgment. Of course, unnecessary and sometimes even incorrect feedback from editors is the bane of all translators. All this friction creates a tension, even anger. In terms of work pace, freelancing in general tends to be feast or famine, i.e., not enough or too much work, with occasional an unpleasant surprise on Friday night or other inconvenient time. Sometimes, there is no choice but to work too many hours, which is ultimately beneficial for the bank account but not enjoyable at the moment. As a couple, we can empathize with these feelings and provide the human element, understanding and logistical support (cups of tea and making dinner) required to ride through these crises. In simple words, you are not alone.

As for income, two freelance incomes are more stable and higher than one. Translator monthly income tends to vary significantly by field and month. For example, financial translators tend to have very busy first quarters of the year due to tax reporting requirements while certain offices push projects in November and December to take advantage of remaining budget to avoid future cuts. Moreover, technical changes, notably neural machine translation and ChatGPT, as well as new laws, such as in regards to translation or certification requirements, have varying effects of the landscape of the language industry. Spreading our income over a wider area helps protects us from “slings and arrows of outragious fortune”. On a more spiritual level, the technical and emotional support we get for each other creates positive vibes, which leads to better productivity and clearer thinking about all aspect of our business. This synergy leads to more business.

Admittedly, working with a spouse requires certain ground rules. First, what happens outside the office does not enter the office. Secondly, it is acceptable to discuss but each person reserves the right to make the final decision for his/her task. Finally, it is necessary to accept that each person approaches business differently, not better or worse. We do the best with what we have at any given moment.

There is a song in Hebrew “yoter tov beshnayim”, or, loosely translated, two are better than one. As we celebrate our tin anniversary (tinny does not ring very pleasant to my ears), we are aware that we have profted not only in our private but also in our business lives. I am looking forward to many such years.

Hazards of the trades

Too much knowledge can spoil the fun. Specifically, when a person has deep knowledge of a specific process or art, it becomes difficult to consider the element in its simplicity, as most people do. Instead, the connoisseur analyzes it, often to death.

One area you can see this is language. Most people are interested in the point of communication, not its form. By contrast, writers of all types are often more interested in the form and quite critical of it. For example, writers tend to judge text as much by how good it is written as what it is trying to day. Likewise, translators, including my wife and me, immediately notice over-literal translation and source text interference, especially in menus and signs. Musicians may not even notice the total sounds due to their focus on individual performances, good and bad.  Choreographers sometimes tear down complicated dances into their component parts, negating the effects of synergy. So, language experts insist on proper language, occasionally forgetting the ultimate purpose of communication.

In a world filled with visual information, certain experts immediately focus on a specific aspect. Barbers (or hair designers, as applicable) probably focus on the cut of the hair, with a bit of a critical note I imagine. In the same way, optometrists catch the form of the frame of the glasses, generally ignored by most people unless it is violently inappropriate. Since my wife is a knitter, I see how fast she checks out any knitted object and checks if it is machine or handmade, with a comment on the skill level if the latter. Potters do not see plates as objects on which you put food but instead as works of art, or lack thereof. Like flies and light, certain professionals are immediately attracted by certain visual clues.

This attention often enters the realm of judgment. After years of assessing damage, insurance assessors probably cannot pass a dented car without doing a calculation in their head of the cost to repair it. On my favorite cooking show, Les Carnets de Julie, I watched a baguette judge name the 16 tests, no less, of a proper French bread, of which only the last was taste. For this person, a baguette is not a loaf of bread by any other name. I pity dog breeders, who find it difficult to say “what a cute dog” without trying to figure out the breed(s) of the dog and how well it would do in a show.

There are many advantages of being an expert. However, sometimes, it would be nice to enjoy the world at its face value, without adding complexity or judgment. Unfortunately, once gained, knowledge is hard to lose. As Milton might say, it is paradise lost.